JP2010286788A - Fixing member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fixing member with which an image excelling in glossiness is obtained as compared with the case in which a foam is not adopted on a fluororesin surface layer that is directly arranged on base material. <P>SOLUTION: The fixing member 10 includes the base material 11 and the surface layer 12 that is directly arranged on an outer circumferential surface of the base material 11 comprising of the fluororesin foam. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fixing member, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus using the same.

  In the case of a fixing device used in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system, the fixing member is a structure in which a surface layer made of a heat-resistant elastomer or fluororesin is formed on a substrate, or at least an elastic layer and a surface on the substrate. The structure which laminated | stacked the layer in this order is employ | adopted.

  In particular, Patent Document 1 proposes an elastic layer made of porous rubber or an elastic layer in which hollow fillers are dispersed as an elastic layer on a substrate.

JP 2002-006666 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing member capable of obtaining an image having an excellent glossiness as compared with a case where a foam is not used for a surface layer of a fluororesin directly disposed on a substrate.

The above-mentioned subject is achieved by the following present invention. That is, the present invention
The invention according to claim 1
A base material and a surface layer arranged directly on the outer peripheral surface of the base material and made of a fluororesin foam;
A fixing member.

The invention according to claim 2
2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the foam has a foaming rate of 20% to 70% and a cell diameter of the foam of 0.5 μm to 10 μm.

The invention according to claim 3
The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the surface layer is 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

The invention according to claim 4
The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein adjacent cells of the fluororesin foam are independent from each other.

The invention according to claim 5
Comprising at least a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged in contact with the first rotating body;
The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is a fixing member according to claim 1.

The invention according to claim 6
An electrostatic latent image carrier;
Charging means for charging the surface of the electrostatic latent image holding member;
An electrostatic latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrostatic latent image holding member;
Developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image;
Transfer means for transferring the toner image to a recording medium;
Fixing means for fixing the toner image on the recording medium;
With
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the fixing unit is a fixing device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an image having excellent glossiness can be obtained as compared with the case where a foam is not used for the surface layer of the fluororesin directly disposed on the substrate.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the life of the fixing member is increased and the foaming rate of the foam is not 20% to 70% and the cell diameter of the foam is not 0.5 μm to 10 μm. High image quality is achieved.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the life of the fixing member and the image quality can be improved compared to the case where the thickness of the surface layer is not 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the life of the fixing member is increased as compared with the case where adjacent cells are not independent.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, an image having excellent glossiness can be obtained as compared with a case where a fixing member that does not employ a foam is applied to the surface layer of the fluororesin that is directly disposed on the substrate.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, an image having excellent glossiness can be obtained as compared with the case where a fixing member that does not employ a foam is applied to the surface layer of the fluororesin that is directly disposed on the substrate.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a fixing member according to the present embodiment. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a fixing device according to an exemplary embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Fixing member)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a fixing member according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a roll-shaped member, and a surface directly disposed on the cylindrical base material 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the base material 11. And the layer 12. And the surface layer 12 is a surface layer comprised with the foam of the fluororesin.
In the present embodiment, the surface layer 12 is directly disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the base material 11 that an intermediate layer such as a so-called elastic layer is not interposed between the base material 11 and the surface layer 12. It means that an adhesive layer (not shown) for adhering the surface layer 12 to the outer peripheral surface of the substrate 11 may be interposed.

In the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment, the surface layer 12 is made of a fluororesin foam to give flexibility to the surface layer having releasability. As a result, when fixing the toner image transferred to the recording medium, the surface layer of the fixing member 10 tends to be recessed following the toner image and the recording medium without separately providing an elastic layer. It is thought that it is melted.
Therefore, the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment can obtain an image with excellent glossiness.

  In the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment, when the surface layer 12 is made of a fluororesin foam, both flexibility and releasability are maintained even when the surface layer 12 is thickened. As a result, it is possible to extend the service life.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.
As the base material 11, a cylindrical member is mentioned, for example. Examples of the material for the cylindrical member include metals such as aluminum, SUS, iron, and copper, alloys, ceramics, FRM (fiber reinforced metal), and the like.

The surface layer 12 is made of a fluororesin foam as described above.
Since the fluororesin has higher releasability than other release materials, fixing failure due to insufficient releasability on the surface of the fixing member is suppressed.

  Examples of fluororesin include tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), polyethylene tetrafluoroethylene ( ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychloroethylene trifluoride (PCTFE), or vinyl fluoride (PVF). Among these, preferred examples of the fluororesin include a tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer or a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer.

  The foaming ratio of the foam is desirably 20% or more and 70% or less, more desirably 30% or more and 65% or less, and further desirably 40% or more and 60% or less. The cell diameter of the foam is desirably 0.5 μm or more and 10 μm or less, 0.5 μm or more and 5 μm or less, and more desirably 0.5 μm or more and 3 μm or less. When the foaming rate and cell diameter of the foam satisfy the above ranges, it is considered that the flexibility of the surface layer is secured and the tensile strength and tear strength of the surface layer are easily secured. And higher image quality are realized.

  Here, the foaming rate of the foam is calculated from the specific gravity by measuring the specific gravity of the sample (sample) using a digital hydrometer (trade name “AND-DMA-220”, manufactured by Ando Keiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.). It is a thing.

  On the other hand, here, the cell diameter of the foam is an average value obtained by measuring using a digital microscope (VHX900, manufactured by Keyence Corporation) and performing this measurement for 20 cells.

  The cells of the foam may be in a state where adjacent cells are independent (so-called closed cells). In this state, it is considered that the flexibility of the surface layer is secured and the tensile strength and tear strength of the surface layer are easily secured, so that the life of the fixing member is increased.

  The thickness of the surface layer 12 is, for example, preferably from 0.1 mm to 10 mm, more preferably from 1 mm to 8 mm, and even more preferably from 2 mm to 5 mm. By setting the thickness of the surface layer within the above range, it is considered that both strength and flexibility of the surface layer are ensured even when worn, and thus the life of the fixing member is increased.

  The fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration may have a crown shape whose center portion in the axial direction is thicker than both end portions, or an inverted crown shape whose center portion in the axial direction is thinner than both end portions. Also good.

The fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, prepares a base material 11 and prepares a tube made of a foam as a surface layer in advance and covers the outer peripheral surface of the base material 11 with the tube. It is good to produce. For example, as a method for producing a tube made of a foam, a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer is mixed with aluminum borate as a foam core, and extruded with a twin-screw extruder to produce pellets. Examples include a method of setting the pellets in an extruder, extruding the pellets from a cylinder while adding nitrogen gas at a constant pressure, and cooling while winding them with a hot roll having a temperature lower than that of the die. In this case, the foaming rate and the cell diameter are controlled by changing the amount of the core material for foaming, the temperature of the die, the temperature of the hot roll, and the like.
Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a surface layer-forming coating solution containing, for example, a fluororesin and a foaming agent (for example, perfluorotripentylamine, perfluoropolyether) is applied on the substrate 11 and then foamed to form a surface layer. May be formed.

  In the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment, the roll-shaped fixing member has been described. However, the fixing member 10 is not limited thereto, and may be an endless belt-shaped (tubular) fixing member. When an endless belt-shaped (tubular) fixing member is employed, an endless belt-shaped base material is employed as the base material 11. Examples of the endless belt-like base material include a metal film and a resin film, and a resin film is particularly preferable. Examples of the resin film material include polyimide resins, polybenzimidazole resins, polyamide resins, and polyamideimide resins. Moreover, additives, such as a electrically conductive agent, an antistatic agent, a peeling agent, or a reinforcing agent, may be included in the resin film.

(Fixing device)
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the fixing device according to the present embodiment.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, at least a heating roll 21 (first rotating body) that includes a heat source 23 (for example, a halogen heater) and a heating roll 21. And a pressure roll 22 (second rotating body) disposed close to and away from the outer peripheral surface. The pressure roll 22 is disposed in contact with the heating roll 21 so that its axial direction is along the axial direction of the heating roll 21. The fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment is applied as the heating roll 21.

  On the other hand, the pressure roll 22 may have a well-known configuration, for example, a cylindrical base material 22A (for example, a SUS base material, aluminum or an alloy base material thereof) and an outer peripheral surface of the base material 22A. The elastic layer 22B (for example, a silicone rubber layer or a fluoro rubber layer) is formed.

  In the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment, the heating roll 21 and the pressure roll 22 are arranged in contact with each other, and at least one of them is rotationally driven. Then, the recording medium P on which the unfixed toner image T is formed is nipped between both rolls and conveyed. At this time, the toner image is melted by the heat transmitted from the heating roll 21, and the toner image T is pressed against the surface of the recording medium P by the pressure between the two rolls to fix the toner image T.

  In the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment, the configuration in which the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment is applied only to the heating roll 21 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pressure roll 22 and the pressure roll 22 It may be a form in which the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment is applied to both, or a form in which the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment is applied only to the pressure roll 22. Alternatively, the heat source 23 may be provided on the pressure roll 22.

  In the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment, a so-called roll-roll type fixing device that employs a heating roll as the first rotating body and a pressure roll as the second rotating body has been described. A so-called roll-and-belt type fixing device employing a heating roll as the first rotating body and a pressure belt as the second rotating body, a so-called belt roll employing a heating belt as the first rotating body and a pressure roll as the second rotating body. It may be a fixing device of the type, or a so-called belt-belt type fixing device that employs a heating belt as the first rotating body and a pressure belt as the second rotating body. Then, the fixing member 10 according to the present embodiment may be applied to at least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body of these methods.

(Image forming device)
FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, an electrophotographic photosensitive member 31 (image holding member), and a charging device 32 (charging unit) that charges the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 31. The exposure device 33 (electrostatic latent image forming means) that exposes the electrophotographic photosensitive member 31 charged by the charging device 32 to form an electrostatic latent image, and the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure device 33 as toner A developing device 34 (developing means) for developing the toner image by developing the toner image, a transfer device 35 (transfer means) for transferring the toner image formed by the developing device 34 to a recording medium, and the electrophotographic photoreceptor 31 after the transfer. And a cleaning device 36 that removes the toner remaining on the surface. The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a fixing device 37 that fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium, and the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment is applied as the fixing device 37.

  In the image forming apparatus 30 according to this embodiment, the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 31 is charged by the charging device 32. Next, the surface of the charged electrophotographic photosensitive member is exposed imagewise by the exposure device 33, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed imagewise. Next, the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 31 is developed by the developing device 34 to form a toner image. Next, the toner image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member 31 is transferred to the recording medium P conveyed from the storage unit 38 by the transfer device 35. Then, the toner image transferred to the recording medium P is fixed. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the electrophotographic photosensitive member after transfer is removed by the cleaning device 36, and the next image formation is performed.

  The image forming apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment may have a known configuration other than the fixing device, and is not particularly limited, but will be briefly described below.

  The electrophotographic photoreceptor 31 is not particularly limited as long as it has a configuration in which at least a photosensitive layer is provided on a conductive substrate. For example, a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, and the like are formed on a conductive substrate. Preferred examples include organic photoreceptors having function-separated type photosensitive layers laminated in this order. Further, a surface protective layer may be provided on the surface of the photosensitive layer, if necessary, or an intermediate layer may be provided between the photosensitive layer and the conductive substrate or between the photosensitive layer and the surface protective layer as necessary.

  The charging device 32 may be a contact charging type charging device or a non-contact charging type charging device. Examples of the contact charging type charging device include a charging roll, a charging brush, a charging film, or a charging tube. Examples of the non-contact charging type charging device include corotron and scorotron.

  Examples of the exposure device 33 include an optical device that exposes the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor 31 with a light source such as a semiconductor laser, an LED (light emitting diode), and a liquid crystal shutter in an image-like manner.

  As the developing device 34, for example, a general developing device that performs development by bringing a magnetic or non-magnetic one-component developer or a two-component developer into contact or non-contact with each other is used. The developing device is not particularly limited as long as it has the functions described above, and is selected according to the purpose.

  Examples of the transfer device 35 include a contact-type transfer charger using a roller shape, a belt shape, a film shape, a rubber blade, or the like, a scorotron using corona discharge, or a non-contact transfer electric device such as a corotron.

  Examples of the cleaning device 36 include devices using a cleaning blade, brush cleaning, roll cleaning, and the like.

  Note that the image forming apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment has been described with respect to an apparatus that directly transfers a toner image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member to a recording medium. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the toner image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member is not limited thereto. A well-known configuration such as an intermediate transfer type apparatus that transfers the image to a recording medium via an intermediate transfer body or a tandem type apparatus in which a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive members are arranged in series with an intermediate transfer body is applied.

  Specifically, the image forming apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment can be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to only the examples shown below.

Example 1
An aluminum cylindrical substrate having an outer diameter of 102 mm, a length of 380 mm, and a thickness of 10 mm, a diameter of 100 mm, a length of 520 mm, a thickness of 2 mm, a foaming rate of 45%, and a cell diameter of 5 μm. A foamed fluororesin tube made of a tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer was prepared. A primer (PL-910YL, manufactured by Mitsui DuPont Fluoro Chemical Co., Ltd.) is applied to the back surface of the foamed fluororesin tube and air-dried for 30 minutes. A fixing member was obtained by firing for a period of time.

  Here, the foamed fluororesin tube was produced as follows. Mixing 100 parts by weight of tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer with 5 parts by weight of aluminum borate as a foam core, and extruding it with a twin screw extruder to produce pellets. The pellet was extruded from the cylinder while adding nitrogen gas at a constant pressure, and cooled while being wound up by a hot roll having a temperature lower than that of the die to produce a desired foamed fluororesin tube.

(Example 2)
In Example 1, by changing the die temperature, Example 2 was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 20% and a cell diameter of 0.5 μm. A fixing member was obtained.

(Example 3)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 70% and a cell diameter of 10 μm by changing the die temperature.

Example 4
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 20% and a cell diameter of 10 μm by changing the die temperature.

(Example 5)
A fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 70% and a cell diameter of 0.5 μm.

(Example 6)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 20% and a cell diameter of 5 μm by changing the temperature of the die.

(Example 7)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foaming rate of the foamed fluororesin tube was 70% and the cell diameter was 5 μm by changing the die temperature.

(Example 8)
In Example 1, the fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foaming rate of the foamed fluororesin tube was 45% and the cell diameter was 0.5 μm by changing the temperature of the die. It was.

Example 9
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 45% and a cell diameter of 10 μm by changing the die temperature.

(Comparative Example 1)
A fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a non-foamed fluororesin tube made of a perfluoroalkyl / vinyl ether copolymer was used.
Here, the non-foamed fluororesin tube was produced as follows. A perfluoroalkyl / vinyl ether copolymer is put into an extruder, melt-extruded from a circular die into a tube shape, the tube diameter is regulated with a sizing die, the tube is drawn by a nip roll, and cut into a desired size to obtain a tube. It was.

(Comparative Example 2)
A substrate described in Example 1 and a non-foamed fluororesin tube described in Comparative Example 1 were prepared. The primer described in Example 1 was applied to the back surface of the non-foamed fluororesin tube and allowed to air dry. Then, the base was inserted into the fluororesin tube, and the liquid silicone was interposed between the base and the non-foamed fluororesin tube (surface layer). Rubber (KE1367-A / B, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was cast at a thickness of 2 mm and baked at 200 ° C. for 4 hours. Thus, a fixing member having a structure in which the elastic layer and the surface layer were laminated in this order on the substrate was obtained.

(Example 10)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 15% and a cell diameter of 0.3 μm by changing the die temperature. It was.

(Example 11)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 75% and a cell diameter of 12 μm by changing the die temperature.

(Example 12)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 15% and a cell diameter of 12 μm by changing the die temperature.

(Example 13)
In Example 1, the fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a foaming rate of 75% and a cell diameter of 0.3 μm by changing the die temperature. It was.

(Example 14)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a thickness of 0.08 mm by changing the extrusion amount of the extruder.

(Example 15)
In Example 1, a fixing member was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the foamed fluororesin tube had a thickness of 11 mm by changing the extrusion amount of the extruder.

(Evaluation 1)
Each fixing member obtained in each of the above Examples and Comparative Examples was attached as a heating roll to a roll-roll type fixing device (see FIG. 3). As a pressure roll of this fixing device, silicone rubber (trade name SE6920-A / B, Toray Dow) is used on the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylindrical substrate having an outer diameter of 102 mm, a length of 380 mm, and a thickness of 10 mm. A fixing member provided with an elastic layer having a thickness of 2 mm made of Corning) was employed. Then, this fixing device was installed in an image forming apparatus (see FIG. 4: DocuCentre III 7000 manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.) to form an image (image type: character, picture, solid black composite chart). As the recording medium (paper), OK top coat 256 gsm paper (Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.) was used. And the following evaluation was performed. The results are shown in Table 1.

-Image gloss evaluation-
The image glossiness was evaluated by measuring the glossiness of the obtained image with a 75 ° glossmeter (Murakami Color Research Laboratory Co., Ltd.). The evaluation criteria are as follows.
◎: 45 degrees or more ○: 40 degrees or more and less than 45 degrees Δ: 35 degrees or more and less than 40 degrees ×: less than 35 degrees

-Image quality evaluation-
In the image quality evaluation, the image quality of the obtained image was evaluated by sensory evaluation. The evaluation score is as follows.
・ Very favorable: 5 points ・ Preferable: 4 points ・ Normal: 3 points ・ Unfavorable: 2 points ・ Very unfavorable: 1 point And, from the average score of 20 people, the following evaluation criteria As a result.
◎: 3.5 points or more ○: 3.0 points or more and less than 3.5 points Δ: 2.5 points or more and less than 3.0 points ×: less than 2.5 points

<Life evaluation of pressure roll (fixing member)>
For the evaluation of the life of the fixing member, the number of sheets passed until the heating roll (fixing member) was damaged to affect the image quality was evaluated. Examples of damage to the fixing member include occurrence of cracks and tears in the surface layer, or disappearance of the surface layer due to wear. The evaluation criteria are as follows.
◎: 500,000 sheets or more ○: 200,000 sheets or more and less than 500,000 sheets Δ: Over 100,000 sheets and less than 200,000 sheets ×: 100,000 sheets or less

(Evaluation 2)
Each fixing member obtained in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 was attached as a pressure roll to a roll-roll type fixing device (see FIG. 3). Note that the fixing member produced in Comparative Example 2 was used as a heating roll of the fixing device. Then, the evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Evaluation 1 except that this fixing device was used. The results are shown in Table 1. Note that the life of the fixing member was evaluated for the pressure roll.

  From the above results, it can be seen that in this embodiment, better results are obtained with respect to image glossiness, image quality, and lifetime of the fixing member than in the comparative example. In addition, it can be seen that Examples 1 to 9 give better results in terms of image gloss, image quality, and lifetime of the fixing member than Examples 10 to 13.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fixing member 11 Base material 12 Surface layer 20 Fixing device 21 Heating roll 22 Pressure roll 22A Base material 22B Elastic layer 23 Heat source 30 Image forming device 31 Electrophotographic photosensitive member 32 Charging device 33 Exposure device 34 Developing device 35 Transfer device 36 Cleaning Device 37 Fixing device 38 Storage portion P Recording medium T Toner image

Claims (6)

A base material and a surface layer arranged directly on the outer peripheral surface of the base material and made of a fluororesin foam;
A fixing member.   2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the foam has a foaming rate of 20% to 70% and a cell diameter of the foam of 0.5 μm to 10 μm.   The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the surface layer is 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.   The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein adjacent cells of the fluororesin foam are independent from each other. Comprising at least a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged in contact with the first rotating body;
The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is a fixing member according to claim 1. An electrostatic latent image carrier;
Charging means for charging the surface of the electrostatic latent image holding member;
An electrostatic latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrostatic latent image holding member;
Developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image;
Transfer means for transferring the toner image to a recording medium;
Fixing means for fixing the toner image on the recording medium;
With
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the fixing unit is a fixing device.

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