Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes first and second rotatable members configured and positioned to form a nip for heating a toner image on a sheet; a rubbing rotatable member configured to rub a surface of the first rotatable member; a moving mechanism configured to move the rubbing rotatable member relative to the first rotatable member between a rubbing position for carrying out a rubbing process for the first rotatable member and a retracted position retracted the rubbing position; and an executing portion configured to execute the rubbing process in accordance with a number and a kind of the sheet processed by the image heating apparatus.

Abstract: A toner image heater includes a heating roller; an external heater for heating the heating roller; a heater for heating the external heater; a detector for detecting a temperature of the external heater; a controller for maintaining the external heater at a target temperature; and an air blower for blowing air toward the heating roller when a predetermined kind of the recording material is separated from the heating roller, wherein the controller controls the target temperature in accordance with information corresponding to a temperature of the air blown from the air blower.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes: first and second rotatable members configured to form a nip for heating a toner image on a recording material; a rotatable rubbing member configured to rub the first rotatable member to substantially refresh a surface property of the first rotatable member; and an air blowing mechanism configured to blow air onto the rotatable rubbing member to clean the rotatable rubbing member.

Abstract: An image control device for controlling an image forming portion which includes a clear toner image forming portion for forming a clear image on a color toner image fixed on a recording material and includes a fixing device for fixing the formed clear toner image on the recording material, includes a converting portion for converting an image data for designating a toner amount per unit area of the clear toner image at each pixel into an output data, wherein the image data is capable of providing a value which monotonically increases to a maximum from a minimum designating that the toner amount per unit area is zero and the output data is capable of providing a value which monotonically increases to a maximum from a minimum designating that the toner amount per unit area is larger than zero; and includes a controller for controlling, in accordance with the output data, formation of the clear toner image by the clear toner image forming means, by which a clear toner is placed even where the image data is zero.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a conveying portion 8 includes a plurality of pre-fixing conveying belts 83 arranged in parallel to a width direction intersecting with the sheet conveying direction. The pre-fixing conveying belts convey a sheet to which a toner image is transferred by a fixing portion 9 to a fixing nip portion. The controlling portion controls a driving mechanism which moves at least one of the plurality of sheet conveying members and changes a projecting amount thereof with respect to the other sheet conveying member, and drives such that a conveying state of the pre-fixing conveying belt is obtained based on a state-setting table which is set according to type of sheet. It is possible to prevent sheet corrugated deformation as well as to solve a problem of generation of slip or distortion of a sheet caused by velocity difference between the driving portions.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member for fixing an unfixed toner image on a sheet at a nip, a nip forming member for forming the nip cooperatively with the fixing member, a first heater for heating an external surface of the fixing member by contacting the external surface of the fixing member at a first position, and a second heater provided at a position upstream of the nip and downstream of the first position in a rotational direction of the fixing member, and for heating an external surface of the fixing member by contacting the external surface of the fixing member at a second position. The first heater has a thermal capacity larger than the second heater.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus including: an image heating member configured to heat an image on a sheet; a heating device configured to heat the image heating member so that a temperature of the image heating member is kept to a target temperature; an air blowing device configured to blow an air toward the image heating member when a predetermined sheet is separated from the image heating member; and an actuating device configured to actuate the air blowing device to cool the image heating member by blowing the air when the target temperature of the image heating member is lowered.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable heater for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip; a rotatable pressor for pressing against the heater to form the nip; a moving mechanism for spacing the heater and the pressor from each other; a detector for detecting a temperature of the pressor; a cooler for cooling the pressor; a changer for changing the rotational speed of the pressor; and an executor for executing, when the temperature of the pressor reaches an upper limit temperature during execution of an image formation job of continuously forming the images, a cooling mode for cooling the pressor by the cooler in a state that the pressor and the heater are spaced from each other while rotating the pressing member at a second rotational speed higher than a first rotational speed which is a speed during the execution of the job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation.

Abstract: An image control device for controlling an image forming portion which includes a clear toner image forming portion for forming a clear image on a color toner image fixed on a recording material and includes a fixing device for fixing the formed clear toner image on the recording material, includes a converting portion for converting an image data for designating a toner amount per unit area of the clear toner image at each pixel into an output data, wherein the image data is capable of providing a value which monotonically increases to a maximum from a minimum designating that the toner amount per unit area is zero and the output data is capable of providing a value which monotonically increases to a maximum from a minimum designating that the toner amount per unit area is larger than zero; and includes a controller for controlling, in accordance with the output data, formation of the clear toner image by the clear toner image forming means, by which a clear toner is placed even where the image data is zero.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a conveying portion 8 includes a plurality of pre-fixing conveying belts 83 arranged in parallel to a width direction intersecting with the sheet conveying direction. The pre-fixing conveying belts convey a sheet to which a toner image is transferred by a fixing portion 9 to a fixing nip portion. The controlling portion controls a driving mechanism which moves at least one of the plurality of sheet conveying members and changes a projecting amount thereof with respect to the other sheet conveying member, and drives such that a conveying state of the pre-fixing conveying belt is obtained based on a state-setting table which is set according to type of sheet. It is possible to prevent sheet corrugated deformation as well as to solve a problem of generation of slip or distortion of a sheet caused by velocity difference between the driving portions.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable image heating member for heating an image of a recording material; a pressing member for pressing against the image heating member to form a nip for nipping and feeding the recording material; a first external heating member for pressing against an outer surface of the image heating member at a position upstream of the nip with respect to a rotational direction of the image heating member to heat the image heating member; and a second external heating member for pressing against the outer surface of the heating member at a position between the first external heating member and the heating nip to heat the image heating member, wherein the first external heating member has a thermal capacity larger than the second external heating member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image heating member for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip; a rotatable pressing member for pressing against the image heating member to form the nip; a moving mechanism for relative movement between the heating member and the pressing member toward and away from each other; a temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the pressing member; cooling means for cooling the pressing member; rotational speed changing means for changing a rotational speed of the pressing member; and an executing portion for executing, when the temperature of the pressing member reaches an upper limit temperature during execution of an image formation job of continuously forming the images, a cooling mode for cooling the pressing member by the cooling means in a state that the pressing member and the heating member are spaced from each other while rotating the pressing member at a second rotational speed higher than a first rotational speed which is

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation.