HEATING ASSEMBLY, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SILICONE RUBBER SPONGE AND ROLLER

摘要

PURPOSE: A heating assembly, an image forming apparatus, and a process for producing a silicone rubber sponge and a roller are provided to achieve a heating assembly that hardly takes any heat away from the heating device and causes minimal contamination of its press roller with toner, and producing a roller that does not change in hardness and thermal conductivity. CONSTITUTION: The heating assembly having a press roller disposed face to face with a heating device which has an elastic layer incorporated dispersedly with voids formed by resin micro-balloons. The press roller has a low thermal conductivity, hence heat from the heating device for heating a sheet like heating target material can effectively be utilized. It has also a low hardness, so that a pressure contact nip formed between the press roller and the heating device can be made wider. The heating target material being guided to the pressure contact nip formed between the heating device and the press roller so as to be held and transported between them to heat the heating target material.