A heater usable with an image heating apparatus includes first and second terminals, a connector, and an endless heating belt. At least one first contact is provided on a substrate and connectable with the first terminal through the connector, and second contacts are provided on the substrate and connectable with the second terminal through the connector. The heater also includes electrodes, including a first electrode connected with the first contact and second electrodes connected with the second contacts, the first electrodes and the second electrodes being arranged alternately with predetermined gaps in a longitudinal direction of the substrate. A plurality of heat generating portions are provided between adjacent electrodes so as to connect between adjacent electrodes, and are capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrodes. The first contact and the second contacts are all disposed in one longitudinal end portion side of the substrate.

Devices and methods to enable a fuser heater within a printing device. The heater includes conductive traces and a resistive trace having a first end and a second end. The resistive trace is connected to the conductive traces at each of the first end and the second end and forms an electrical connection between the conductive traces and the resistive trace. The resistive trace further includes a tap between the first end and the second end, connecting the resistive trace to one of the conductive traces and forming an electrical connection between the one of the conductive traces and the resistive trace. The tap comprises multiple branches extending out of the resistive trace. A gap is formed between each of the branches.

A heater includes a substrate, a heating resistor layer, and an electrode layer. The substrate has a substrate obverse surface and a substrate reverse surface. The heating resistor layer is formed on the substrate obverse surface. The electrode layer is formed on the substrate obverse surface and in contact with the heating resistor layer. The electrode layer includes a pair of strip portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the substrate and spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the substrate. The heating resistor layer includes a main heating member and a sub heating member each extending in the longitudinal direction of the substrate and located between the strip portions in the width direction. The sub heating member has a higher temperature coefficient of resistance than that of the main heating member.

A heating unit includes a heater, an endless belt circularly movable around the heater, a temperature sensing element configured to detect a temperature of the heater, a cable connected to the temperature sensing element, a holder holding the heater and the temperature sensing element, and a cable guide holding the cable. The heater includes a base plate, and a resistance heating element formed on the base plate. The endless belt has an inner peripheral surface in contact with a first surface of the heater. The temperature sensing element is arranged to face a second surface of the heater opposite the first surface in the thickness direction. The holder includes a support wall supporting the second surface of the heater. The cable guide includes a partitioning wall positioned between at least a part of the cable and the support wall.

A metal frame provides a ground potential. An image forming unit forms a toner image on a sheet. A fixing apparatus fixes the toner image on the sheet. The fixing apparatus comprises a heating element for generating heat by being supplied with power from an alternating current power source. An insulating layer covers the heating element. A conductive layer contacts the insulating layer and insulated from the metal frame. A tube-shaped member is heated by the heating element. A pressing member is arranged opposing the tube-shaped member and forms a nip portion in cooperation with the tube-shaped member. A capacitive element whose one end is connected to the metal frame and whose other end is connected to the conductive layer of the fixing apparatus.

A heating device is provided. The heating device includes a heating unit, heating a member to be heated, which is transported, and a contact portion of the heating unit contacting with the member to be heated; a heat pipe, having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a widthwise direction, and contacting with a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion so as to extend in the widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated; a rotating body, rotating so as to press the member to be heated; and a power input unit, having a gear disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and inputting a rotational force at least to the rotating body. The first end of the heat pipe has a thickness smaller than that of the second end.

An inkjet recording apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first belt, a second belt, a plurality of heating elements disposed on an inner peripheral side of the first belt along a sheet conveyance direction, and configured to heat the first belt, a power supply circuit, a temperature detection unit, and a control unit configured to individually control power to be supplied to the plurality of heating elements to cause the temperature of the first belt detected by the temperature detection unit to be adjusted to a predetermined target temperature, wherein, in a case where the power is supplied to the plurality of heating elements, the control unit controls a number of heating elements to which the power is to be supplied, to cause a duty of one heating element to exceed a first duty and to be less than a second duty greater than the first duty.