Temperature Control Patents (Class 399/69)
  • Patent number: 12078946
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of sheet storage receptacles configured to store a sheet. The image forming apparatus also includes a fixing device having a heating belt and a pressure roller configured to heat and fix toner on the sheet conveyed from one of the plurality of sheet storage receptacles. The image forming apparatus also includes a processor and a memory configured to store temperature information associated with each sheet storage receptacle and related to temperature control of the fixing device, acquire type information of a sheet to be printed, in response to a predetermined condition, specify the sheet storage receptacle storing the sheet to be printed, and perform a first heating control that controls a temperature of the fixing device based on the stored temperature information associated with the specified sheet storage receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sasuke Endo
  • Patent number: 12038702
    Abstract: In an image heating apparatus, a plurality of heat-generating members that a heater has include a first heat-generating member group and a second heat-generating member group, symmetrically laid out with a conveyance reference position of a recording material. A control portion supplies electric power via first and second common circuits to the first heat-generating member group and the second heat-generating member group. A temperature-detecting portion includes a first temperature-detecting element for detecting a temperature of one of the heat-generating members included in the first heat-generating member group, and a second temperature-detecting element for detecting the temperature of one of the heat-generating members included in the second heat-generating member group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Honke
  • Patent number: 11953344
    Abstract: A dust-proof sensing device includes a mechanical body, a feeding path, a first photoelectric sensor disposed above the feeding path, a second photoelectric sensor disposed under the feeding path, and an upper bracket. The mechanical body has a feeding path. The upper bracket is mounted above the feeding path. The upper bracket has an upper fastening portion fastened to the mechanical body, an upper wedging portion fastened at the upper fastening portion, an L-shaped upper light guiding holder fastened at the upper fastening portion, and a first light guider fastened at the upper light guiding holder. The upper fastening portion has a first inclined section. An inner edge of an upper surface of the first inclined section is intersected with a top edge of an inner surface of the upper wedging portion to form a clamping angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: You Chung Chou, Kuan Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 11932508
    Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming unit, a varnish, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit executes image forming processing to form an image on a plurality of types of recording media including a first type recording medium having a coated layer and a second type recording medium that is without a coated layer. The varnish application unit executes varnish application processing to apply varnish to a recording medium on which the image is formed by the image forming unit. The receiving unit receives an instruction for selecting a recording medium and to receive an instruction for the varnish application processing. The control unit performs control to prevent the receiving unit from receiving an instruction to execute the varnish application processing on the second type recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11927902
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to one embodiment includes a maintenance management prediction device that predicts and determines the necessity of maintenance for a fixing unit, the type of the required maintenance, and the like by obtaining the difference between initial data (an initial detected temperature and an initial temperature estimation value) and latest data (a latest detected temperature and a latest temperature estimation value) of the fixing unit and comparing the difference to a predetermined range. Based on the comparison of the difference to the predetermined range the prediction device issues or not warning information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 11906915
    Abstract: Printing apparatuses include a photoreceptor adapted to print an image by applying marking material to print media, a fuser adapted to heat the marking material on the print media, and a controller. The controller determines the amount of marking material per unit area of the image before the fuser heats the marking material on the print media. The controller rasterizes the image to produce a bitmap of the image, but the amount of marking material per unit area for the image is determined before completion of rasterization and marking of the image. The controller also adjusts the operating temperature of the fuser to a fusing temperature based on the amount of marking material per unit area of the image, causes the photoreceptor to print the image on the print media using the bitmap of the image, and causes the fuser to fuse the marking material to the print media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Wilsher, John R. Washington, Graeme A. Adams
  • Patent number: 11874619
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming unit, a fuser including a heater, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the fuser, and a controller. The controller exercises a standby control that includes repeating a control cycle, measuring a temperature fluctuation period that is a time period from start of energizing the heater to an end of the control cycle, and setting an energization amount for a next control cycle, based on the measured temperature fluctuation period. The control cycle includes energizing the heater with an energization amount during a preset heating period when the detection temperature has dropped to a temperature below the target standby temperature, and waiting until the detection temperature drops to the target standby temperature in a case where the detection temperature has risen to a temperature equal to or above the target standby temperature after the preset heating period has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Noda
  • Patent number: 11860559
    Abstract: There are provided a temperature sensor that has following capability to a temperature measurement object and has excellent responsiveness, and a temperature detection device and an image forming apparatus each including the temperature sensor. A temperature sensor used in contact with a temperature measurement object, includes: a thermosensitive element configured to detect a temperature of the temperature measurement object; a heat collection member including an abutting portion configured to abut on the temperature measurement object, and configured to be thermally joined with the thermosensitive element; and a holding member including a housing portion configured to house the heat collection member. The heat collection member is swingably held by the holding member, to maintain a state where the abutting portion abuts on the temperature measurement object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHIBAURA ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Miyazaki, Morihisa Hamada, Yuki Ishii, Yuri Okada, Ryota Murakoshi
  • Patent number: 11846901
    Abstract: An example fuser includes a flexible fixing belt, a backup member to form a fixing nip with the fixing belt, a heater substrate for heating the fixing belt at the fixing nip and having a first surface comprising a heating element pattern, a common terminal and a driving power supply terminal for supplying power to the heating element pattern, and a second surface in contact with the fixing belt, and a temperature sensor sheet comprising a temperature sensor, a sensing terminal and an electric wire connecting the temperature sensor to the sensing terminal, wherein the temperature sensor sheet is in contact with the first surface of the heater substrate such that the sensing terminal and the electrical wire do not overlap the common terminal and the driving power supply terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Hojin Ryu, Sunhyung Lee, Sungwoo Kang
  • Patent number: 11841653
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member that carries a developer image; a transfer member that forms a transfer nip portion with the image bearing member and transfers the developer image in the transfer nip portion from the image bearing member to a recording material; a fixing portion that includes a heater and fixes the developer image to the recording material using heat of the heater; a temperature detection portion that detects a temperature of the fixing portion; a control portion that controls power supplied to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion becomes a predetermined control target temperature; and an acquisition portion that acquires a temperature of the image bearing member or the transfer member. The control target temperature is changed based on the temperature acquired by the acquisition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiya Kaino, Kenji Takagi, Yusuke Jinkoma
  • Patent number: 11822269
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a temperature control device stores a fixing device temperature estimation value and a storage time obtained by WAE control in a memory at any time during operation. After an electric power supply to the temperature control device is stopped, the next time the electric power supply is started, an electric power supply stop period until the electric power supply is started is calculated. If the electric power supply stop period is shorter than a set time, the WAE control is started by using the stored fixing device temperature estimation value, and if the electric power supply stop period exceeds the set time, the WAE control is started based on an initial set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Kojima, Yutaka Usami
  • Patent number: 11815825
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is used, which includes: a scanning unit that scans a surface of a photosensitive member with light and forms a latent image according to image data; a developing unit that supplies toner to the latent image to develop the latent image; a fixing unit that heats and fixes the toner image on a recording material; and a control unit that controls a fixing temperature based on the image data, wherein the control unit analyzes a printing ratio by dividing the image data into a plurality of regions in a main scanning direction when the scanning unit scans the surface of the photosensitive member with light, and determines the fixing temperature on the basis of the position in the main scanning direction and the printing ratio for each of the plurality of regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shingo Ito
  • Patent number: 11809104
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an image heating portion including a heater, a tubular film having an inner surface in contact with the heater, and a pressure member that is in contact with the outer surface of the film and forms a nip portion for conveying a recording material between the outer surface and the pressure member. The image heating portion heats an unfixed toner image on the recording material by the heater. A temperature detection portion detects the temperature of the heater. A control portion controls electric power to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is maintained at a predetermined control target temperature. An obtainment portion obtains image information for forming the unfixed toner image. The control target temperature is set, based on the image information, for each of a plurality of regions defined by dividing the recording material in the conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11768454
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a circuit including both a circuit within a fixing unit and a power control circuit, provided with a first circuit which supplies power to a heater from an AC power supply, a second circuit electrically insulated from the first circuit, and a third circuit electrically insulated from both the first circuit and the second circuit, all of the first to third circuits are provided on at least one surface of a circuit board, and the first to third circuits are disposed on at least one straight line on which all of the first to third circuits are present on the one surface of the circuit board in the order of the first circuit, the third circuit and the second circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Fujiwara, Ryota Ogura, Keigo Akiya, Teruhiko Namiki
  • Patent number: 11740646
    Abstract: An energy management system includes an energy input sensor, an energy output sensor and a system controller. The energy input sensor is configured to generate at least one energy input signal indicating an energy flow to an energy storage medium of an energy storage device. The energy output sensor is configured to generate at least one energy output signal indicating an energy flow from the energy storage medium. The system controller is configured to estimate a charge level of the energy storage medium based on an initial charge level of the energy storage medium and a change in the charge level of the energy storage medium, which is based on the at least one energy input signal and the at least one energy output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Steffes, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas P. Steffes, Austin P. Zeller, Joshua P. Vetter, Todd C. Mayer, Paul J. Steffes
  • Patent number: 11733625
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus measures a temperature of a pressing member and controls heat generation of a heater such that the measured temperature approaches a control temperature. Further, the image forming apparatus sets, before starting image formation of one job including image formation, one candidate temperature of a plurality of predetermined candidate temperatures different from each other as the control temperature on the basis of the number of sheets to be used and a sheet size to be used in the image formation of the one job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ota
  • Patent number: 11714369
    Abstract: A heating device includes a substrate, one or more heating elements arranged along the substrate, a heat conductor contacting the substrate, a plurality of thermometers each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor, and a plurality of thermostats each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor and interrupt electrical power supplied to the heating elements. The thermometers and the thermostats are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11703780
    Abstract: A heating device includes a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor that detect a temperature of at least one of a first rotator, a second rotator, and a heater that heats at least one of the first rotator and the second rotator. The first temperature sensor is disposed outboard from an increased conveyance span where an increased size sheet having an increased width in a longitudinal direction of the heater is conveyed. The second temperature sensor is disposed outboard from a decreased conveyance span where a decreased size sheet having a decreased width in the longitudinal direction of the heater is conveyed. The decreased conveyance span is smaller than the increased conveyance span. The second temperature sensor is disposed within the increased conveyance span and disposed opposite the first temperature sensor via a center of the increased conveyance span in the longitudinal direction of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Seshita, Yuusuke Furuichi
  • Patent number: 11656565
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt having a surface to which a lubricant is applied, a heater contacting the surface and including heating elements arranged along a width direction of the belt and including first end second end heating elements and a central heating element, and a pressing roller capable of pressing and rotating the belt, a power supply configured to supply power to the heating elements, and a controller configured to determine a first amount of power to be supplied to the central heating element and a second amount of power to be supplied to each end heating element such that the first amount is greater than the second amount, and control the power supply to supply the first and second amounts to the central heating element and each end heating element before controlling the pressing roller to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11640129
    Abstract: A heating unit includes a heater, a temperature sensor, an endless belt, a holder, a first heat conductive member, and a second heat conductive member. The first heat conductive member includes a first heater-side surface facing the heater, a first opposite surface, and an opening. The first heat conductive member has a heat conductivity higher than that of the substrate. The second heat conductive member includes a second heater-side surface facing the heater and a second opposite surface. The second heat conductive member is positioned at a position corresponding to the opening when viewed in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the first opposite surface. The temperature sensor is in contact with the second opposite surface of the second heat conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maruyama, Makoto Souda, Yuichi Ikeno
  • Patent number: 11609518
    Abstract: A control unit controls power to be supplied to a common power supply path in a first period, using a selected first temperature detection member, and controls power to be supplied to the common power supply path in a second period, using a selected second temperature detection member. The first temperature detection member has a higher detected temperature than that of the second temperature detection member, and in the second period, the first detected temperature and the second detected temperature fall within a temperature range between a first temperature and a second temperature lower than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Sako
  • Patent number: 11609520
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heater, an AC-voltage input section between which an AC voltage is applied, a fuse, a switcher, an AC-voltage-abnormality detector configured to detect an abnormality of the AC voltage, a controller. The controller is configured to execute a current-flowing operation in a state in which connection of a first connection terminal to a second connection terminal is a non-connecting state. The current-flowing operation is an operation in which an electrical current flows through the heater. The controller is configured to execute a connecting process in response to detection of the abnormality of the AC voltage by the AC-voltage-abnormality detector detected in the middle of the current-flowing operation. The connecting process is a process of switching a connection of a first connecting point to a second connecting point from a non-connecting state to a connecting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoya Yada
  • Patent number: 11604425
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, an opposing rotator, a temperature detector, and a support. The fixing rotator has a hollow and heats an image to fix the image onto a recording medium. The opposing rotator forms a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the opposing rotator. The temperature detector includes an exposed conductive portion. The support has conductivity and is disposed in the hollow of the fixing rotator to support the fixing rotator at the fixing nip. The support has at least one of a recessed portion or an opening at a position facing the exposed conductive portion of the temperature detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Seki, Yuusuke Furuichi
  • Patent number: 11604426
    Abstract: A second heater has such an output that a peak position in a particular direction is located within a largest sheet area. The largest sheet area is an area in which a heating member contacts a sheet having a largest size in the particular direction that is conveyable through a fixing device. A first sensor detects temperature of a center area. A second sensor detects temperature at an outside position in an end area. The outside position is outside the largest sheet area in the particular direction. A controller controls a first heater such that a first detection temperature detected by the first sensor becomes a first target temperature; controls the second heater such that a second detection temperature detected by the second sensor becomes a second target temperature; and determines the second target temperature based on an edge position of a sheet relative to the peak position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sadaharu Kato
  • Patent number: 11569855
    Abstract: A software defined radio type radio receiver is used in an environment that is self-sufficient in energy. The radio receiver has a receiving device, which receives the data in the form of a data packet or a portion thereof or a data stream at a certain data rate, and provides the data for further data processing. Wherein in an operating mode, the data is diverted at the receiving device and supplied to a microcontroller at a sampling rate which preferably can be defined. The microcontroller decimates the data by selecting a subset from the set of samples, and the microcontroller buffers in a memory and provides for further processing the decimated data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Diehl Metering Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Kauppert, Klaus Gottschalk, Hristo Petkov, Raphael Mzyk
  • Patent number: 11537069
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a heater, and a controller. The image forming device is configured to generate a laser scanning beam based on the image data to form a toner image on a sheet. The heater is configured to heat the sheet. The heater includes heater elements arranged in a direction corresponding to the main scanning direction of the laser scanning. The controller is configured to selectively control the heater elements to be energized at an energization start timing based on the image data and a signal from the image forming device indicating a start of scanning by the laser scanning beam in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11493865
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 11467519
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a print engine, a power supply device, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a processor. The print engine including a fuser. The power supply device to selectively provide power to the fuser. The plurality of temperature sensors including a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor to sense temperature of the fuser. The processor to control power supplied to the fuser based on a value measured by at least one temperature sensor from among the plurality of temperature sensors. The processor is to identify whether the at least one temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors has an abnormality based on a first measured temperature value and a second measured temperature value of the plurality of temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Eun-Seok Park
  • Patent number: 11429044
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a rotary member including a heat-generation layer with a plurality of rings, a temperature detecting portion configured to detect a temperature of the rotary member, a conduction detecting unit configured to detect a conduction failure in an opposing ring that is one of the plurality of rings of the heat-generation layer and that opposes the temperature detecting portion, and a controller configured to control the supply of power to the magnetic field generator. The conduction detecting unit includes a first magnetic core, a second magnetic core, and a current detecting portion that includes a detection coil. A length of one of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core around which the detection coil is wound is less than a length of another of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core around which the detection coil is not wound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaaki Tsuruya, Yuki Nishizawa, Minoru Hayasaki, Aoji Isono, Akira Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11429043
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating device including a rotator member, a heating member configured to heat the rotator member. The heating member is switchable between a first heat generation state in which an amount of heat generated on a first side is larger than an amount of heat generated on a second side in the intersection direction and a second heat generation state in which the amount of heat generated on the second side is larger than the amount of heat generated on the first side, The image forming apparatus is configured to switch between the first heat generation state and the second heat generation state while executing a job of continuously forming an image on a plurality of recording media having a same length in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takayuki Seki
  • Patent number: 11429045
    Abstract: A heating device includes a cylindrical body with a hollow interior and a heater inside the hollow interior. A first surface of the heater faces the inner surface of the cylindrical body. A heat transfer member is on a second surface of the heater. A grease is between the heater and the heat transfer member. A support member is provided including a first portion fixed to the second surface of the heater and a second portion contacting a surface of the heat transfer member. The support member includes a third portion between the first and second portions. The third portion does not contact the second surface of the heater between the first and second portions and provides a space for grease from between the heater and the heat transfer member to accumulate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sasuke Endo
  • Patent number: 11415916
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image former, a fuser, a first sensor, and a processor. The image former is configured to form an image on a recording medium. The fuser is configured to fix the image on the recording medium. The first sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the fuser. The processor is configured to cause the recording medium to be supplied to the fuser after warming up the fuser to a warm up temperature. The processor is also configured to supply power to the fuser after causing the recording medium to be supplied to the fuser, an amount of the supplied power being based on the temperature detected before starting the warming up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 11402775
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus including an acquiring portion which acquires thickness information of a recording material, and a control portion controls a power to be supplied to a heating element which heats a region where the recording material does not pass through among a plurality of heating regions based on a control target temperature which is set based on the thickness information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 11402778
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, an image analyzer, and a temperature controller configured to control a temperature of the fixing unit in accordance to a target temperature. The image analyzer is configured to analyze image data for forming the toner image by the image forming unit, to evaluate a continuity of pixels of an image contained in the image data. The temperature controller is configured to change the target temperature based on analysis results of the image analyzer such that a value of the target temperature in a case where the image data contains an image with a continuity of pixels equal to or smaller than a predetermined value is higher than a value of the target temperature in a case where the image data contains no image with a continuity of pixels equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Ryo Morihara, Tomoo Akizuki
  • Patent number: 11402780
    Abstract: A fixing device including: a heating rotating body; a pressure member pressed against the heating rotating body to form a nip; a first acquisition unit that acquires a first index value indicating a change in coefficient of friction between the heating rotating body and the pressure member; a second acquisition unit that acquires a second index value indicating a change in rigidity of an elastic layer in the heating rotating body and/or the pressure member; and a controller that executes at least one of two controls according to the index values: a first control during idling rotation after fixing job execution, for controlling temperature of the heating rotating body and time from a start of the idling rotation to an end of the idling rotation and a second control during idling rotation before and/or after fixing job execution, for controlling rotation speed of the heating rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yutaka Otsuka, Tomoya Sato
  • Patent number: 11397393
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, and a controller. The controller acts as a print controller, a drawing controller, and an engine controller. The print controller receives a printing request. The drawing controller identifies an image to be drawn, through image processing of a page image designated by the printing request with respect to each page, and identifies a use amount of toner required for the image to be drawn. The engine controller executes a primary fixing temperature control including controlling the fixing temperature according to color information designated by the printing request with respect to each page, and executes, after executing the primary fixing temperature control, a secondary fixing temperature control including controlling the fixing temperature according to the use amount of toner identified by the drawing controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuki Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 11392065
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heated rotational body, a heating unit, a pressing rotational body, a drive unit, a light emitting unit, a light receiving unit, and a drive control part. The heated rotational body has a reflection member. The drive unit rotates the pressing rotational body. The light emitting unit emits infrared light. The light receiving unit receives the infrared light reflected on the reflection member, and receives radiation light of the heated rotational body. The light receiving unit detects a temperature of the heated rotational body based on a receiving of the radiation light. The drive control part obtains a rotational speed of the heated rotational body based on a light receiving period of the infrared light in the light receiving unit and a circumference determined depending on the temperature of the heated rotational body, and controls the drive unit based on the obtained rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Akihiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 11392066
    Abstract: In an image heating apparatus, a region of a recording material, on which an image can be formed, is divided into a boundary region and a non-boundary region so as to correspond to a plurality of heating elements. The boundary region includes a boundary between one heating element out of the plurality of heating elements and an adjacent heating element thereof, and overlap with the one heating element and the adjacent heating element overlap in a predetermined range in the orthogonal direction. The non-boundary region overlaps with the one heating element in a range other than the boundary region. A control target temperature of a heating region that is heated by the one heating element is set to a higher temperature of a first temperature based on information corresponding to the boundary region, and a second temperature based on information corresponding to the non-boundary region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideaki Yonekubo
  • Patent number: 11366414
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a fixing device, a collection device, and a controller. The collection device collects ultrafine particles (UFP) emitted by the fixing device. The collection device includes an ionizer. The controller turn on the ionizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Takuya Ito, Takashi Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 11353819
    Abstract: A heating apparatus including: a first load; a first switch element configured to switch supply and shut-off of power from an AC power source to the first load; a second load; a second switch element configured to switch supply and shut-off of power from the AC power source to the second load; a control unit configured to control the first and the second switch elements to supply power to either the first load or the second load; a first detection unit configured to detect whether the first switch element is in a conductive state; a second detection unit configured to detect whether the second switch element is in a conductive state; and a determination unit configured to determine whether both of the first load and the second load are in a state of being supplied with power, based on detection results of the first and the second detection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nozomu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11340543
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a heater including a heating element, a fixing belt having a surface to which a lubricant is applied and contacting the heater through the lubricant, and a pressing roller capable of pressing and rotating the fixing belt, a power supply configured to supply electric power to the heating element, a first thermometer configured to measure temperature of the heating element, and a controller configured to determine a first amount of electric power to be supplied to the heating element based on the temperature of the heating element, and control the power supply to supply the determined first amount of electric power to the heating element, before controlling the pressing roller to start rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11334016
    Abstract: A sheet discharge device includes at least one sheet discharge tray, a sheet discharge position adjustment actuator, and a controller. The sheet discharge tray receives discharged sheets. The discharge position adjustment actuator adjusts discharge positions of the discharged sheets on the at least one sheet discharge tray. The controller compares a first rotation amount of first print data printed on a first sheet with a second rotation amount of second print data printed on a second sheet. In response to a determination that the first rotation amount is different than the second rotation amount, the controller controls the sheet discharge position adjustment actuator to (a) discharge the first sheet to a first discharge position and (b) discharge the second sheet to a second discharge position different than the first discharge position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11320768
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an image heating portion including a heater, a tubular film having an inner surface in contact with the heater, and a pressure member that is in contact with the outer surface of the film and forms a nip portion for conveying a recording material between the outer surface and the pressure member. The image heating portion heats an unfixed toner image on the recording material by the heater. A temperature detection portion detects the temperature of the heater. A control portion controls electric power to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is maintained at a predetermined control target temperature. An obtainment portion obtains image information for forming the unfixed toner image. The control target temperature is set, based on the image information, for each of a plurality of regions defined by dividing the recording material in the conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11320769
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt having a surface to which a lubricant is applied, a heater contacting the surface and including heating elements arranged along a width direction of the belt and including first end second end heating elements and a central heating element, and a pressing roller capable of pressing and rotating the belt, a power supply configured to supply power to the heating elements, and a controller configured to determine a first amount of power to be supplied to the central heating element and a second amount of power to be supplied to each end heating element such that the first amount is greater than the second amount, and control the power supply to supply the first and second amounts to the central heating element and each end heating element before controlling the pressing roller to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11314203
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus obtains an evaluation value correlating to an internal temperature, decreases the internal temperature by temporarily stopping an image forming unit based on the evaluation value, continuously runs the image forming unit based on the evaluation value, and controls the image forming unit such that the image forming unit intermittently forms an image on a sheet by repeatedly starting and stopping the image forming unit in a temperature rising suppression period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Marehiko Hirajima, Hiromi Fujinaka
  • Patent number: 11300903
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first determining portion for determining the presence of a first image with at least a first number of pixels having a density-related value of at least a predetermined value continuously arrayed in a subscanning direction, and with at least a second, greater, number of pixels having the density-related value of at least the predetermined value continuously arrayed in a main scanning direction. It also includes a second determining portion for determining a target temperature at which to maintain a fixing portion based on the presence of the first image, when a determination result indicates the presence of the first image, or based on a density-related value of a second image different from the first image, when the determination result indicates the absence of the first image. The apparatus controls power to the fixing portion to maintain its temperature at the determined target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaaki Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 11294309
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to first page out reduction. For example, a system according to the present disclosure may include a host computing device including a processor. The system may further include a printer coupled to the host computing device. The processor may determine a distribution of print content relative to a leading edge of a page of print medium. The processor may further determine a first threshold fuser temperature in response to the determination of the distribution of print content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian C Mayer, Quintin Phillips
  • Patent number: 11294310
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a temperature sensing circuit to which a temperature sensing element is electrically connected, wherein a surface of a heater on a side where the temperature sensing element is provided is in contact with the inner surface of a film, a heating element is provided in a primary side circuit which is electrically connected to a commercial power supply, and the temperature sensing circuit is electrically insulated from both of the primary side circuit and a secondary side circuit which is electrically insulated from the primary side circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimura, Yusuke Saito, Ryota Ogura
  • Patent number: 11287768
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt to rotate about rollers, including a heat roller. A pressure roller presses the endless belt against the heat roller. A cooling device is located adjacent a portion of the endless belt, that moves from the heat roller to the tension roller. The endless belt has a cutout, and the heat roller directly contacts the pressure roller through the cutout, when the cutout of the endless belt is located between the pressure roller and the heat roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Tatsunori Izawa
  • Patent number: 11281134
    Abstract: A temperature control device controls a temperature of a temperature control target to which heat propagates from a heater by supplying power to the heater and includes a control circuit. The control circuit includes a temperature estimation unit and a control signal generation unit. The temperature estimation unit estimates the temperature of the temperature control target based on conduction to the heater. The control signal generation unit outputs a conduction pulse for controlling power to be supplied to the heater based on a temperature estimation result and a temperature detection result of the temperature control target by a temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yutaka Usami