A fixing device includes an endless belt and a pressure rotator disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt. The pressure rotator has a first span in an axial direction of the endless belt. A nip formation pad, which is disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, forms a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator. The nip formation pad includes a belt-side thee disposed opposite the endless belt A radiant heater, which is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, heats the endless belt. A thermal conduction aid, which contacts the belt-side face of the nip formation pad, conducts heat in the axial direction of the endless belt. The thermal conduction aid has a second span within which the first span of the pressure rotator is provided at the fixing nip.

A fixing device includes: a heating unit configured to heat a medium to be conveyed along a conveyance path by radiation; and a shielding unit made of non-metallic material, the shielding unit being configured to form a shielding state in which radiation from the heating unit is shielded and a non-shielding state in which radiation from the heating unit is not shielded, in which the shielding unit being expanded in a direction intersecting the radiation in the shielding state and is stored in the non-shielding state.

Disclosed herein is a substrate cooling unit for use with a duplex aqueous ink jet image forming device. The substrate cooling unit includes a first transport belt that is in contact with a portion of an outer surface of the first cooling roll to substantially sandwich individual sheets of image receiving media between a first cooling roll and the first transport belt. The substrate cooling unit includes a second cooling roll positioned downstream of the first cooling roll in a process direction and a second transport belt that is in contact with a portion of an outer surface of the second cooling roll to substantially sandwich the individual sheets of image receiving media between the second cooling roll and the second transport belt. The second transport belt includes a bottom layer of woven or non-woven fibers and a top rubber layer.

A method of manufacturing a heat generating roller includes forming an insulating portion on a surface of a metal base member by providing poly-ether-ether-ketone resin over the surface of the base member and heating the poly-ether-ether-ketone resin, the poly-ether-ether-ketone resin being electrically insulating and heat-shrinkable; and forming a heat generating portion on a surface of the insulating portion, the heat generating portion generating heat when energized.

An image heating device includes a heater having a plurality of heating elements that heat a plurality of heating regions and a control portion that controls the supply of electric power to the plurality of heating elements. The power supply is controlled so that a first average temperature, which is an average value of control target temperatures of heating regions included in a first region located closer to one end side than a central heating region in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of a recording material, and a second average temperature, which is an average value of control target temperatures of heating regions included in a second region located closer to the other end side than the central heating region, are within a predetermined temperature range.

A fixing member for electrophotography having an endless shape has a base layer having an endless shape, and an elastic layer on the outer circumferential surface of the base layer. The elastic layer includes a silicone rubber and a filler dispersed in the silicone rubber. The total amount of the filler compounded in the elastic layer is 30 vol % or less based on the total volume of the elastic layer. The elastic layer satisfies the relation of λtd>λmd>λnd. λtd is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in the circumferential direction, λnd is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in the thickness direction, and λmd, is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in the longitudinal direction. λtd is 2.0 W/(m.Math.K) or more, and λnd is 1.3 W/(m.Math.K) or more.

A nip former that forms a nip between an endless belt and a pressure rotator includes a base that is made of aluminum and has a nip forming face disposed opposite the nip. An anodic oxidation coating is treated with sealing and coats at least the nip forming face. The anodic oxidation coating has a thickness that is not smaller than 22 μm and is not greater than 45 μm and a variation in thickness that is not greater than 20 percent. The base and the anodic oxidation coating define a nip forming portion that is disposed opposite the nip. The nip forming portion has a thickness that is not smaller than 0.40 mm and is not greater than 1.20 mm.

A fixing device includes a tubular body in a tubular shape that forms a nip with a pressurizing member. The heater, disposed inside the tubular body, faces a part of the tubular body in a circumferential direction. The heat equalizing member is disposed on an opposite side of a side where the heater faces the tubular body. The heat equalizing member transfers heat from a place having a high temperature to a place having a low temperature in a second direction along an axial direction of the tubular body. The heat conductive member, disposed between the heater and the heat equalizing member, can conduct the heat in each of the second direction and a first direction in which the heater and the heat equalizing member face each other. A side portion of the heat conductive member in the second direction is divided into three or more portions.

A fixing device, including: a cylindrical belt; a heater including a base plate and a heating element provided on the base plate; a holder supporting the heater; and a heat-conductive member disposed between the heater and the holder and having a higher heat conductivity than the base plate, wherein the heat-conductive member includes: a contact portion opposed to a region of the base plate between a one-side end and an other-side end of the heating element in the first direction; a first non-contact portion opposed to a region of the base plate in which the one-side end is located, the first side portion being not in contact with the heater, and a second non-contact portion opposed to a region of the base plate in which the other-side end is located, the second side portion being not in contact with the contact portion.

A fixing member for electrophotography having an endless shape has a base layer having an endless shape, and an elastic layer on the outer circumferential surface of the base layer. The elastic layer includes a silicone rubber and a filler dispersed in the silicone rubber. The total amount of the filler compounded in the elastic layer is 30 vol % or less based on the total volume of the elastic layer. The elastic layer satisfies the relation of λtd>λmd>λnd. λtd is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in the circumferential direction, λnd is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in the thickness direction, and λmd, is a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in the longitudinal direction. λtd is 2.0 W/(m.Math.K) or more, and λnd is 1.3 W/(m.Math.K) or more.