Temperature Control Patents (Class 399/69)
  • Publication number: 20150110512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit which forms a first image on a first recording medium with a first material that is not thermally decolorizable; a second image forming unit which forms a second image on a second recording medium with a second material that is thermally decolorizable; a fixing device which is on a common carrying path shared by the first recording medium and the second recording medium and fixes the first image to the first recording medium; and a controller which controls the fixing device so that a temperature of the fixing device is lower than a decolorizing temperature of the second material when the second recording medium reaches the fixing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshiaki KANEKO, Minoru YOSHIDA, Osamu TAKAGI, Takahito KABAI, Hiroyuki TAGUCHI, Ken IGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9014586
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus controls a fixing temperature of a fixing device which fixes an image to be formed. The apparatus obtains an attribute of each page included in a print job including a plurality of pages. Then, the apparatus controls a fixing temperature for each page, based on a change of the obtained attribute by the obtaining unit between continuous pages. In a case where there is a change of a printing mode between the continuous pages, the apparatus sets a fixing temperature of a preceding page according to the change close to a fixing temperature of a following page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Maho Ooyanagi
  • Patent number: 9014587
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member configured to fix an image to a medium by heating the medium, a heating member configured to heat the fixing member, a pressure member pressed against the fixing member so as to presses the medium against the fixing member, a first temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the fixing member, a second temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the pressure member, and a control unit that controls a rotation speed of the fixing member. The control unit controls the rotation speed of the fixing member based on a temperature difference between the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit and the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Sato
  • Publication number: 20150104209
    Abstract: Disclosed are a fixing device and an image formation device. The fixing device includes first and second sensors used to respectively detect first and second temperatures; first and second calculators used to respectively calculate, during a process of starting a heating source, first and second temperature gradients; a parameter storage used to store at least first and second temperature gradient thresholds; a determination part used to get a determination result; an information generation part used to generate, based on the determination result, restart prompt information indicating that the image formation device needs to be restarted because the voltage of an electrical source is too low; and an information transmission part used to transmit the restart prompt information to a display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chaoqian TANG, Baolin ZHANG, Jihua ZHANG, Wei LI, Kazuya IWASAKI
  • Patent number: 9008529
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit. The fixing unit performs a fixing process selectively using a first fixing energy and a second fixing energy. The first fixing energy is used for a transparent recording medium having thereon an image and a light-shielding layer superposed on the image, the light-shielding layer being substantially impervious to light. The second fixing energy is used for a transparent recording medium having the image thereon but not having the light-shielding layer thereon. The first fixing energy is lower than the second fixing energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 9001382
    Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and an upper device connected to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a first receiving unit for receiving a print mode including a cost priority mode; a first transmission unit for transmitting the print mode to the upper device; a second receiving unit for receiving a print instruction; a print control unit for printing the print data; a duplex print control unit for controlling a printing operation; and a fixing temperature control unit for controlling a fixing temperature. The upper device includes a first storage unit for storing a save setting; a third receiving unit for receiving image data; a second storage unit for storing the print mode; an arrangement print control unit for generating the print data; and a second transmission unit for transmitting the print instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiko Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 9002229
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit, wherein the fixing unit includes a first temperature detection member detecting the temperature of a first non-passing area of the fixing unit; a second temperature detection member detecting the temperature of a second non-passing area; and a cooling unit supplying air so as to simultaneously cool the first non-passing area and the second non-passing area, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured, when the absolute value of the difference between the detection temperature of the temperature detection members becomes not less than a threshold value, while air is being supplied to the non-passing area and the second non-passing area, to stop the supplying of air by the cooling unit and continue recording material fixing processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Takami
  • Patent number: 9002220
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip and applying heat and pressure to the recording sheet, the fixing device comprising: a heater including a resistance heater part and a supporting member, the resistance heater part having a positive resistance-temperature characteristic in a temperature range above a predetermined level, and the supporting member being insulative and supporting the resistance heater part such that the resistance heater part applies heat to the recording sheet; a current detector detecting a current supplied to the resistance heater part; and an abnormality determiner determining whether the resistance heater part has an abnormality, based on an initial current detected by the current detector at a predetermined time after a beginning of power supply to the resistance heater part and before the temperature of the resistance heater part reaches the predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ishihara, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Kosuke Sasaki, Isao Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20150093136
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat rotor with a heat source, a pressure rotor forming a fixing nip with the heat rotor and expandable by heat given from the heat rotor, a drive section configured to rotate the pressure rotor, a control section configured to control the drive section, thus controlling a rotational speed of the pressure rotor, and a heat quantity detecting section configured to determine a quantity of heat from the heat rotor to the pressure rotor since a reference time point when the fixing device transitions from outage to operating state. The control section performs a first rotation control for allowing the pressure rotor to rotate at a first rotational speed after the heat quantity detecting section detects the quantity of heat has reached a predetermined specified value and at a second rotational speed before the heat quantity detecting section detects the specified value has been reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Shoji Koda, Seiji Okada
  • Patent number: 8995859
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion for fixing an unfixed image formed on a sheet. The fixing portion includes an endless belt, a heater contacting the inner surface of the belt and including first and second heat generators, and a pressor forming a fixing nip with the heater for nipping and feeding the sheet. The apparatus also includes a controller for controlling electric power supplied to the first and second heat generators. The controller controls the first and second heat generators independently from each other. The apparatus sets a plurality of feeding speeds of the sheet, and the controller changes the difference between the times at which electric power is supplied to the first and second heat generators in accordance with the sheet feeding speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryota Ogura
  • Patent number: 8995860
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image fixing apparatus including a fan for cooling one end region of the image fixing apparatus and a fan for cooling another end region thereof. When a temperature of the one end region reaches a cooling starting temperature, a fan corresponding to the one end portion is driven at a first rotation speed, and another fan is driven at a second rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed even if the temperature of the other end region is lower than the cooling starting temperature so as to protect the fans from thermal damages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keigo Akiya
  • Patent number: 8995858
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a power supply part to convert an AC voltage from an AC power source into a direct current and output a DC voltage; a zero cross detector to detect zero cross timings of AC voltage; and a power supply controller to control supply of the AC voltage to the power supply part and the zero cross detector based on the zero cross timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20150086230
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: a heater heating a fixing member; an acquisition unit acquiring, when an image for one page includes a coded identifier image, information on a range of formation of the coded identifier image on a recording sheet in a sheet-passing direction; a target temperature switching unit switching a target temperature at which temperature of the fixing member is to be maintained at least between a first fixing temperature and a second fixing temperature higher than the first fixing temperature; a controller controlling the heater so that the temperature of the fixing member is maintained at the target temperature, wherein the target temperature switching unit switches the target temperature at a timing such that the temperature of the fixing member is equal to the second fixing temperature while a toner image in the range of formation of the coded identifier image is being fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Harumitsu FUJIMORI
  • Publication number: 20150086231
    Abstract: A fuser assembly for an electrophotographic imaging device includes a heater including a substrate, a resistive trace disposed and running along a length of the substrate for generating heat for fusing toner to a sheet of media when a current is passed therethrough, and at least three conductors for passing current through the resistive trace. The at least three conductors include a first conductor connected to a first end portion of the resistive trace, a second conductor connected to a second end portion of the resistive trace, and a third conductor connected to the resistive trace at a location between the first end portion and the second end portion thereof. A temperature sensor senses a temperature of an edge segment of the substrate. Based upon the temperature sensed, circuitry selects between the first conductor and the third conductor for passing current through the resistive trace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Craig Palmer Bush, Jichang Cao, Michael C. Day, Russell Edward Lucas, Alexander Douglas Meade, Gregory L. Ream
  • Patent number: 8989609
    Abstract: A heating device including: a heat generating unit configured to receive an AC voltage from a power supply; a zero-crossing signal generating unit configured to generate a zero-crossing signal which is a square pulse signal synchronizing with a zero-crossing timing of the AC voltage, the zero-crossing signal being a first level at the zero-crossing timing and being a second level at other timings; and a control device configured to perform a detecting process in which an abnormality in a frequency or an output wave of the power supply or is detected, and an error processing, in a case where the abnormality in the frequency of the power supply or the abnormality in the output waveform of the power supply is detected and the level of a zero-crossing signal at a detection timing of detecting the abnormality is the second level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Naganawa
  • Publication number: 20150078771
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image forming unit for forming an image on a continuous paper; a fixing unit for fixing by heat the image which has been formed on the continuous paper by the image forming unit; conveyance units for conveying the continuous paper; and a control unit for controlling the conveyance units to convey the continuous paper in such a manner that, when an image forming operation by the image forming unit is stopped, the same portion of the continuous paper, on which the image is not formed, does not remain in the fixing unit for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya TANIGAMI, Shingo SASAMI, Shougo FUKAI, Hideo YAMANE
  • Patent number: 8983326
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include: a heating unit including a heating member that is heated by a heat source and a backup member that forms a nip portion; a feeding unit; and a control unit configured to control the heat source and the feeding unit, wherein the control unit controls the feeding unit such that each of a plurality of recording sheets is fed to the nip portion, wherein some of the plurality of the recording sheets are sequentially conveyed at a second interval to each other, wherein a first recording sheet of the some of the plurality of the recording sheets is fed to have a first interval with respect to a previously conveyed recording sheet, and wherein the control unit increases the output of the heat source on a timing when a front end of the first recording sheet reaches a periphery of the nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Takeuchi, Yuki Fukusada
  • Patent number: 8983327
    Abstract: A fixing control apparatus which controls a fixing apparatus which includes multiple heating elements to fix, to a recording material, an unfixed toner image formed based on image data is disclosed. The fixing control apparatus includes an image presence/absence determining unit which determines presence/absence of an image for each of multiple areas into which the image data are divided; a heating element selecting unit which selects a heating element located at a position corresponding to an area in which the image is present from the multiple heating elements; and a heating element driving unit which causes the heating element selected by the heating element selecting unit to be heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Yabuuchi, Ko Tokumaru, Katsunori Kume
  • Patent number: 8983325
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a first rotating member configured to heat a toner image on a sheet at a nip portion, a second rotating member configured to form the nip portion cooperatively with the first rotating member, a heat conduction member configured to conduct a heat of the second rotating member in a width direction of the second rotating member in an operating position in which the heat conduction member is in contact with the second rotating member, and a fan configured to blow an air toward a predetermined region of the heat conduction member which is in the operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Suguru Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20150071660
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on each of recording media includes an optical sensor to irradiate each of the recording media with light to detect smoothness of each of the recording media according to a strength of specularly reflected light of the light with which each of the recording media is irradiated, and a processor to compare the smoothness of the recording media to determine whether a normal image can be formed on one of the recording media having a smoothness detected last.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Ryota YAMASHINA, Hiroshi SEO, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Takumi WAIDA
  • Publication number: 20150071668
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a first medium at an image forming position, a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed on the first medium by heating the first medium at a first temperature, a conveying unit configured to convey the first medium to the fixing unit through a first path extending from the image forming position to the fixing unit and convey a second medium to the fixing unit through a second path that merges with the first path at a position between the image forming position and the fixing unit, and a control unit configured to control the fixing unit to be a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, when the control unit determines that the conveying unit is conveying the second medium to the fixing unit through the second path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Hiroshi KATAKURA
  • Publication number: 20150071669
    Abstract: To appropriately adjust a fixing temperature according to an amount of applied toner, an image forming apparatus for controlling a temperature of a fixing unit configured to fix a color material on a printing sheet, acquires a color material amount of each page of image data of a plurality of pages, determines whether a setting for printing image data of the plurality of pages on a printing sheet is done, decides one color material amount out of a plurality of acquired color material amounts if it is determined that the setting for printing image data of the plurality of pages on one printing sheet is done, and controls a temperature of the fixing unit using a fixing temperature corresponding to the decided color material amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Junichi Goda
  • Patent number: 8977179
    Abstract: A fuser assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a rotatable fusing member forming a fusing nip with a backup member. A heating lamp is positioned to heat the fusing member. A first reflector is positioned around a circumferential portion of the fusing member and positioned to direct light from the heating lamp onto the fusing member. The first reflector covers a first section of an axial length of the fusing member and does not cover a second section of the axial length of the fusing member. A second reflector is movable between a first position covering at least a portion of the second section of the axial length of the fusing member and a second position uncovering at least a portion of the second section of the axial length of the fusing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Scott McDavid, Benjamin Karnik Johnson, Paul John Menzel
  • Patent number: 8977147
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of accurately computing power consumption thereof. First power consumption consumed by a fixing device of the image forming apparatus until the fixing device becomes a state capable of fixing a toner image onto a sheet is computed, second power consumption that includes power consumption consumed by the fixing device to fix the toner image onto the sheet and power consumption consumed by conveyance of the sheet is computed according to at least a sheet type, and third power consumption consumed by an exposure unit of the image forming apparatus to expose a photosensitive member of the image forming apparatus to light is computed according to an image to be formed. Then, a sum of the first to third power consumptions is computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 8977156
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable, endless fixing belt; a rotatable contact member configured to contact a circumferential surface of the fixing belt to form a nip in association with the fixing belt; and a heating member disposed at an interior surface of the fixing belt, configured to heat the fixing belt. The heating member includes a multiple heat sources arranged along the width of a sheet of recording media in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction. A controller changes an area to be heated by each heat source based on image data and corresponding to an unfixed image on the sheet. The fixing belt is heated by the heating member so that the unfixed image on the sheet that has been conveyed to the nip is fixed onto the sheet at least with heat. The heating member is disposed at a portion other than the fixing nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamamoto, Kazuhito Kishi, Takumi Waida, Masahiro Samei, Hiroshi Ono, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Seo, Ryota Yamashina, Yasunori Ishigaya
  • Publication number: 20150063845
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing section, a low voltage detection circuit, an arithmetic control section, and a storage section. The fixing section has a heater and fixes a toner image on recording paper with heat of the heater. The low voltage detection circuit detects a drop in an input voltage from a power source. The arithmetic control section determines, when a drop in the input voltage is detected by the low voltage detection circuit, whether the drop in the input voltage is linked to working of the heater. The arithmetic control section lowers the temperature of the heater when the drop in the input voltage is linked to the working of the heater, and causes the storage section to store a result of the detection by the low voltage detection circuit when the drop in the input voltage is not linked to the working of the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Tadashi MIYAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20150063848
    Abstract: A serial tandem image forming system is described which is capable of inhibiting both the degradation of image quality and the reduction of the productivity. This system consists mainly of the control units of upstream and downstream apparatuses. When a preceding sheet differs from the subsequent sheet in sheet type, a control unit for controlling the image forming system has the subsequent sheet stand by at a paper stop roller of the upstream apparatus, and performs the operation of switching the operating states of the upstream and downstream apparatuses in accordance with the sheet type of the subsequent sheet. Also, the control unit predicts the timing of finishing the switching of the operating state, and then re-starts the conveyance of the subsequent sheet, in advance of finishing the switching of the operating state, by controlling the paper stop roller on the basis of the predicted finishing timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki IKUTA, Katsunori TAKAHASHI, Kenichi HAYASHI, Kazutoshi YOSHIMURA, Tatsuhiro NOUTOMI
  • Publication number: 20150063852
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on a recording medium, a heating unit and a pressurizing unit provided in a fixing unit, a first heater, a second heater, and a control unit configured to alternately repeat a heating state and a non-heating state for the respective heaters and heat the heating unit. The control unit alternately subjects the first and second heaters to heating control such that any one of the first and second heaters is in the heated state, if a predetermined condition holds, sets a heating time of at least one heater shorter than a heating time during the alternate heating control and controls the first and second heaters such that any one of the first and second heaters is in the heating state or both of the first and second heaters are in the non-heating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ota
  • Publication number: 20150063413
    Abstract: A temperature sensor includes a front surface; a back surface; a first temperature-sensitive element and a second temperature-sensitive element disposed side by side between the front surface and the back surface; an infrared-ray absorber; and a heat-transfer inhibitor. When the temperature sensor is exposed to infrared rays that have propagated from both of a front-surface side and a back-surface side of the temperature sensor, the infrared absorber heats up by absorbing the infrared rays and transfers heat to the first temperature-sensitive element and the heat-transfer inhibiter inhibits heat transfer to the second temperature-sensitive element caused by the infrared rays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki KUBOTA, Yasutaka GOTO
  • Publication number: 20150063853
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof in which occurrence or removal of a paper rolling state in a fusing device is judged based on temperature of the fusing device. The apparatus includes a temperature sensor to sense temperature of the fusing device, a memory to store information about occurrence or removal of the paper rolling state, and a controller to judge occurrence or removal of the paper rolling state. The controller detects an initial temperature of the fusing device when the apparatus is turned off and then on in a state in which the information about occurrence of the paper rolling state is stored in the memory, heats the fusing device by applying power thereto for a predetermined time based on the initial temperature, and judges occurrence or removal of the paper rolling state based on temperature of the fusing device detected after power application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kwang Sung PARK, Soo Yong Jung, Yun Su Kim
  • Patent number: 8971744
    Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes an unit for spacing each of a buck-up member and a pressure roller apart from a flexible belt member which is electrified to generate heat, or heated by a source of heat at start-up, i.e. in a previous stage to heating an image, or an unit for controlling a pressure to decrease a contact area in the direction of the axis of rotation compared with the contact area for a period to heat an image. This can control, as much as possible, heat conduction from the flexible belt which is electrified to generate heat, or heated by the source of heat to the back-up member and the pressure roller at the start-up, i.e. the previous stage to heating an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Nihonyanagi, Kuniaki Kasuga, Yutaka Sato, Takashi Narahara
  • Patent number: 8971747
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a count section configured to count time during which no image forming is performed and a control section configured to allow heating of a heat generating section at temperature for decolorizing after the time counted by the count section reaches the a predetermined threshold time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Ogasawara, Koji Imamiya
  • Publication number: 20150055968
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a first heater and a second heater, for heating the rotatable member, wherein a ratio of a heat generation amount of the second heater at a end portion thereof to that at a central portion thereof is larger than that of the second heater at a end portion thereof to that at a central portion thereof with respect to the generatrix direction; a back-up member; a sensor, and an electric power supply controller capable of controlling the first heater and the second heater, independently. The controller effects switching to decrease a ratio of the power to the second heater to the power to the first heater, when heating a small width sheet. Immediately after the switching, the power to the second heater is smaller and the power to the first heater is larger than those immediately before the switching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kadowaki
  • Publication number: 20150055969
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which shortens the time for image formation, thereby improving the convenience. To achieve this, the control part of the image forming apparatus has a job data acquisition part and a conveyance speed control part. The job data acquisition part acquires job data from an operation panel part, a document reading part, an external terminal, or the like. The conveyance speed control part measures the temperature of a temperature sensor at the time of initial start-up operation of conveying a recording sheet, and at the time when the recording sheet has reached a registration roller pair, respectively. Further, the conveyance speed control part selects whether or not to wait for a prescribed waiting time and whether or not to reduce the fixing speed below a normal speed, according to a condition corresponding to the respective measured temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Kei TANAKA
  • Patent number: 8965230
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which multiple recording media, each spaced apart from each other by an interval distance in a conveyance direction, are sequentially conveyed at a conveyance speed. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The controller is operatively connected to the heater to control power supply to the heater through a series of on-off switching control cycles, each including an on-time during which the heater power supply is on, and an off-time during which the heater power supply is off, in synchronization with conveyance of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Yamashina, Hiroshi Seo, Ippei Fujimoto, Takumi Waida
  • Publication number: 20150050038
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, a pressing member, heat generators, temperature detectors, a power source, and a heat controller. The heat generators include a first heat generator and second heat generators corresponding to an imaged area and a blank area, respectively, of a recording medium. The heat controller controls a power source according to data provided by the temperature detectors, such that a heating area of the fixing member heated by one of the second heat generators located adjacent to the first heat generator acquires a temperature of T1??T, where T1 is a temperature corresponding to the imaged area higher than a temperature T2 corresponding to the blank area, and ?T is a temperature lower than a difference between T1 and T2. The heat controller changes ?T between when a first side thereof is printed upon duplex printing and upon single-sided printing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Takuya SUGANUMA, Jun YURA, Takeshi UCHITANI, Masaki SUKESAKO, Hiroki ISHII, Hironobu TAKESHITA, Shogo KEZUKA
  • Patent number: 8958711
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a non-contact temperature sensor that commences measuring temperature of a heating member in a fixing device once a waiting period of a certain length has passed after power supply commences to the fixing device, and acquires information indicating a heating condition of the heating member when the fixing device transitions to a non-power supplied state. Once the waiting period has passed, the apparatus controls to increase the heating member temperature to a target temperature, while monitoring the heating member temperature using the non-contact temperature sensor. During the waiting period, the apparatus estimates the heating member temperature at a present time using the information, and controls to increase the heating member temperature when the estimated temperature does not exceed a threshold temperature, and prevent increase of the heating member temperature when the estimated temperature exceeds the threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150043934
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit having a heater, a temperature detection unit, a power control unit, and a conveyance control unit that controls conveying a recording material. The conveyance control unit executes, when the maximum power is greater than a threshold power, a first mode where conveyance is performed according to a time, and executes, in a case where the maximum power is less than the threshold power, a second mode where conveyance is performed according to the detected temperature. The power control unit sets a larger value to the threshold power when an option device is connected to the image forming apparatus as compared to when the option device is not connected to the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Masatoshi Itoh, Tetsuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8953964
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having two or more different rated voltages, the image forming apparatus including a voltage detecting unit, which detects a voltage level of alternating current (AC) power supplied from outside of the image forming apparatus; a control unit, which outputs a control signal according to the detected voltage level; a fusion driving circuit, which controls a number of waveforms and phase of the AC power according to the control signal and outputs the controlled AC power as fusing power; and a fuser including a heat generating body having a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) characteristic, which receives the fusing power and generates resistance heat; and a heating member, which is heated by the heat generated by the resistance heat generating body and fuses an image formed on a printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: An-sik Jeong, Yong-geun Kim
  • Patent number: 8953960
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotation body heating and fixing an unfixed image onto a recording medium; a pressing rotation body pressing the recording medium to the fixing rotation body; a first temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of the fixing rotation body; and plural second temperature detection units detecting a temperature of the pressing rotation body. Further the fixing device selects a predetermined second temperature detection unit from the plural second temperature detection units depending on an operation mode of the fixing device, and the fixing device detects the temperature of the pressing rotation body by using the predetermined second temperature detection unit selected by the fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ueno, Masanao Ehara, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Takamasa Hase, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8953966
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member including a heating unit, and a pressure member, the heating unit includes a sub-heater having a heat generating portion in a region smaller than a minimum paper width, a main heater having a heat generating portion at outside of the sub-heater, a first temperature detector to detect a temperature of the fixing member at the heat generating portion of the main heater, and a second temperature detector to detect the temperature at the heat generating portion of the sub-heater. The main heater and the sub-heater can be switched selectively, and the initial duty ratio at the start of PID temperature control by the sub-heater is determined in accordance with a difference between temperatures detected by the respective temperature detectors at the start of PID temperature control and a target temperature so that the temperature is not overshooting and dropped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Tadashi Ogawa, Takeshi Uchitani, Teppei Kawata, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8953965
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit which forms a first image on a first recording medium with a first material that is not thermally decolorizable; a second image forming unit which forms a second image on a second recording medium with a second material that is thermally decolorizable; a fixing device which is on a common carrying path shared by the first recording medium and the second recording medium and fixes the first image to the first recording medium; and a controller which controls the fixing device so that a temperature of the fixing device is lower than a decolorizing temperature of the second material when the second recording medium reaches the fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kaneko, Minoru Yoshida, Osamu Takagi, Takahito Kabai, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 8953967
    Abstract: A fixation device includes a fixation member including a heating member, a pressure-application member press-contacting the fixation member forming a nip portion, an exciting coil induction-heating the heating member, a first temperature detection unit detecting a first temperature of the pressure-application member or a first ambient temperature of the fixation member, a second temperature detection unit detecting a second temperature of the fixation member, and a control unit selecting a temperature control mode or power control mode controlling power to the exciting coil. When the first temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature or the first ambient temperature exceeds a first ambient threshold temperature, the control unit selects the temperature control mode, and while the first temperature is equal to or lower than the first threshold temperature or the first ambient temperature is equal to or lower than the first ambient threshold temperature, the control unit selects the power control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takamasa Hase
  • Publication number: 20150037055
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming means for forming an image on a sheet; fixing means for fixing an image formed on a sheet; detecting means for detecting a temperature of the fixing means; and controlling means for controlling an image formation start timing in accordance with an output of the detecting means, wherein in an operation of continuously forming images on a plurality of predetermined sheets, when a number of image formations is not less than a predetermined number, start of the image formation is delayed until a temperature of the fixing means rises up to a first temperature, and when the number of image formations is less than the predetermined number, the image formation is started when the temperature of the fixing means rises up to a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Oki Kitagawa, Akiyoshi Shinagawa, Masanobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150037052
    Abstract: In an image heating apparatus including heat generating members arranged along a longitudinal direction of a belt, when an image heating operation is performed on a recording material having a width which is smaller than a maximum width of the recording material usable in the image heating apparatus, the heat generating member positioned within an area corresponding to a non passing portion of the recording material is actuated together with the heat generating member positioned within an area corresponding to a non passing portion of the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroki Muramatsu, Toshinori Nakayama, Koichi Kakubari, Shigeaki Takada, Hiroto Ito
  • Publication number: 20150037053
    Abstract: A protection member is arranged such that the distance from an opening plane of a reception guide to the center of the protection member is half of the distance from the opening plane of the reception guide to the surface of a reception vibration member. In other words, the arrangement position of the protection member is in the center between the opening plane of the reception guide and the surface of the reception vibration member. Accordingly, even if a protection member is arranged, a transmission coefficient is obtained that is equal to a transmission coefficient in the case where no protection member is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Tsutomu Ishida
  • Publication number: 20150037056
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a thermopile array sensor, a reflector, and a temperature detection unit. The thermopile array sensor includes a plurality of thermopile elements arranged in a two-dimensional array pattern and a temperature detection surface divided into a plurality of predetermined regions aligned in vertical and horizontal directions, and the thermopile elements output a temperature detection signal corresponding to a temperature of the respective predetermined regions. The reflector is set at an angle to reflect infrared light emitted from a measurement point located outside of a viewing angle of the thermopile array sensor, so as to allow the infrared light to be incident on the temperature detection surface. The temperature detection unit detects the temperature on the basis of the temperature detection signal outputted from each of the thermopile elements. The thermopile array sensor and the reflector are located inside the electronic apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Kentaro Naruse, Rie Tezuka
  • Patent number: 8948641
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, a temperature detector, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The temperature detector is directed to at least one of the fuser member, the pressure member, and the heater to detect an operational temperature of the fixing device. The controller is operatively connected to the temperature detector and the heater to control power supply to the heater according to readings of the temperature detector, so as to regulate the detected operational temperature at a setpoint temperature that is variable depending on a print page printed on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Seo, Ryota Yamashina, Takumi Waida
  • Patent number: 8948624
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing roller, a single heating member that heats the fixing roller, a pressure roller, a first temperature detecting element that detects the temperature of the contact region, of the fixing roller, that comes into contact with the recording paper transported, and a second temperature detecting element that detects the temperature of the noncontact region of the fixing roller. The fixing device carries out energization control of the heating member based on the temperature detected by the first temperature detecting element and stops energization control of the heating member when the temperature detected by the second temperature detecting element reaches a prescribed temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kan Mukai, Yoshiharu Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20150030345
    Abstract: A fuser includes a pressure application part that applies pressure to a medium for forming a print image; an annular body rotatably supported for carrying the medium for applying heat to the medium for forming the print image; a fuser part heat generation body arranged for generating heat to apply heat to the annular body; a first temperature detection end arranged in contact with one end part outside a medium carrying corresponding range of a surface of the annular body and detects temperature of the annular body outside the medium carrying corresponding range. The medium carrying corresponding range is a range in which the medium is carried. A heat generation interruption part that, in response to the temperature of the annular body that is detected via the first temperature detection end, interrupts heat generation of the fuser part heat generation body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventor: Tatsuya MURAKAMI