Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing apparatus comprising a heater generating heat by communication, a heat body to be heated by the heater, a temperature detection element for detecting an temperature of the heat body, and control means for switching warm-up control after the communication to the heater is started in accordance with a temperature change ratio of the heat body.

Abstract: A method and device controlling the temperature of a heating source of an image forming apparatus includes the steps of enabling the temperature of the heating source to be controlled to a print waiting temperature, when power is supplied to the image forming apparatus, gradually lowering the temperature of the heating source over a period of time, to an energy saving temperature lower than the print waiting temperature, when the temperature of the heating source is the print waiting temperature and no printing data is input within a first time interval, gradually lowering the temperature of the heating source over a period of time, to an ambient temperature, when no printing data is input within a second time interval, i.e.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image which is transferred onto a copy sheet includes a fixing unit having a heater for fixing the toner image onto the copy sheet at a predetermined fixing temperature. A cooling unit operates at a first cooling state for cooling the fixing unit. A mode selector is provided for setting a mode of the image forming apparatus to an energy saving mode in which heating operation by the heater is halted. A cooling controller suspends cooling operation of the cooling unit after a delay following a time when the image forming apparatus is set to the energy saving mode.

Abstract: An oil holding cylinder for an oil coating roller is provided. The cylinder includes at least a cylindrical non-sintered molded body, which is formulated from a mixture of at least ceramic fiber and an organic binder. In addition, the mixture can further include clay, an inorganic binder, or a combination thereof. The molded body preferably has a porosity in a range of about 30% to about 70%. In operation, the oil holding cylinder disclosed herein can stably and uniformly supply oil to the fixing rollers and the like for an extended period of time, while preventing offset.

Abstract: A fixing device capable of producing fixed images of excellent quality by using a thin-layer rotating heating member and a heating element capable of rapidly and directly heating a rotating heating member to shorten the warm-up time of the rotating heating member, and capable of suppressing fluctuation of the rotating heating member temperature when a recording member is inserted between the rotating heating member and a rotating pressure member after the rotating heating member has been warmed up. The fixing device has a heating roller heated by a resistance heating element, a pressure roller opposite the heating roller, a temperature detector to detect the heating roller temperature, and a control unit to control the power supplied to the resistance heating element based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

Abstract: A temperature controlling method is used to control a temperature of a heat roller for a fixing unit for use in a facsimile machine. A print engine prints a transmission report after information has been transmitted to a receiving end. An electric power is supplied to a heater in the heat concurrently with transmission of information to a receiving end so as to increase the temperature of the heat roller to a preheat temperature Tp. The heat roller is then maintained at the preheat temperature Tp during the transmission of the information to the receiving end. After the transmission of the information has been completed, the temperature of the heat roller is increased from the preheat temperature Tp to a fixing temperature Tf.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus employs a gradational power saving mode for reducing power consumption step by step with the passage of a print-waiting time. The apparatus raises a fixing temperature up to a print-waiting temperature when the image forming apparatus is turned on. When the fixing temperature reaches the print-waiting temperature, the print-waiting time is counted and compared with reference values which are preset into multiple gradations. Then, the fixing temperature is reduced to a temperature corresponding to the reference values step by step, if the counting value is equal to or greater than the reference values.

Abstract: A NFFR is disclosed which does not exhibit the phenomena of droop which can occur when the fuser switches from a standby to a run mode of operation. The elimination of droop is effected using an external heat source which together with an internal source of heat supplies heat to the surface of the heated fuser member to maintain its surface temperature at a preset standby value until such time as the fuser roll core reaches a temperature level sufficient to maintain the heated fuser member surface at a substantially constant temperature during standby and run modes of operation.

Abstract: In an image formation apparatus, the control temperature of a heat fixing device includes an operation temperature and a standby temperature that is relatively lower than the operation temperature. When an instruction is designated to start an image formation operation, data associated with the start timing of the first image formation operation is calculated. Control of raising the temperature of a roller for heat fixing from the standby temperature to the operation temperature is initiated so that the heat fixing roller attains the operation temperature at the start timing of an image formation operation. As a result, the time of initiating control to raise the temperature to the operation temperature level is optimized to reduce power consumption without increasing the standby time for an image formation operation.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing device, a cooling device and a controller. The image forming device forms an image on a recording medium on the basis of an image signal generated by an image signal generating unit. The fixing device uses heat to fix the image formed on the recording medium, and the cooling device cools the inside of the apparatus. The controller selectively executes either a first economy mode in which the cooling device is activated and the fixing device is inactivated on the basis of a command from the image signal generating unit, or a second economy mode in which both the cooling device and the fixing device are inactivated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus comprising a first heater, a second heater having a heat generating distribution different from that of the first heater, a heated member to be heated by the first heater and second heater, a temperature detection element for detecting a temperature of the heated member, and a power supply controlling means for controlling power supply to the first heater and second heater on the basis of a temperature detected by the temperature detection element. The power supply controlling means serves to stop the power supply to the first heater when the temperature detected by the temperature detection element reaches a first temperature, and to stop the power supply to the second heater when the temperature detected by the temperature detection element reaches a second temperature different from the first temperature.

Abstract: An image processing system integral with an image output unit having a power saving mode comprises a temperature detection section for monitoring a fuser temperature in a power saving mode or a rotation detector for a polygonal motor, a control section for outputting a control signal at a predetermined timing, and an energization control section capable of turning on/off output in response to the control signal from the control section. The timing of a power saving mode off signal output by the control section is when the fuser temperature lowers to a temperature or the polygonal motor take longer to ramp up than the time until the image output unit, after the power saving mode is released, is placed in a reprintable state becomes longer than the time required for setting up the data required when image processing is performed. Thus, the transition time to the copyable state as a whole is used efficiently, and power consumption can be reduced.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a heat generating element for generating heat upon electric power supply thereto; a temperature detecting element a for detecting a temperature or the heat generating element; power application control for controlling the power to the heat generating element so that the temperature detected by the temperature detecting element maintains a fixing temperature; and a power setting device for pre-applying power to the heat generating element to detect a rate of temperature change during the pre-application of power, before power is applied to start up the heat generating element to the fixing temperature, and for setting the power to be applied during the start-up period, in accordance with the detected rate of temperature change.

Abstract: A method for controlling a temperature of a heating device in an image processing apparatus includes the steps of: setting the temperature of the heating device to a first temperature corresponding to a standby temperature upon activation of the image processing apparatus; increasing the temperature of the heating device to a second temperature corresponding to a fixing temperature upon activation of an image forming operation; increasing the temperature of the heating device to a third temperature higher than the second temperature upon consecutive activation of the image forming operation; and decreasing the temperature of the heating device back to the first temperature upon termination of the image forming operation.

Abstract: Method and Apparatus for controlling the sleep-mode of an image forming apparatus includes a movable and heatable element, a drive member for driving the element and a heating member for heating the element while it is being driven by said drive member. The drive member and heating member are controlled to keep the heatable element at a temperature below its normal operating temperature in order to reduce power consumption in the sleep-mode. The drive member and said heating member are energized and de-energized cyclically and the heating member, when switched on, is energized with full power. The movable and heatable element preferably is an intermediate belt for heat transferring/fixing a developed image to a recording medium.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a fixing device has a structure in which a film formed on an outer face of a hollow cylinder is heated by a heat ray of a heater. In this structure, the heating response time of the fixing device is improved. The image forming apparatus generates one or more conditions having influence on a fixing operation and corresponding to a printing paper sheet. The operation of the fixing device is controlled in accordance with the one or more conditions. Since there is one or more conditions of the printing paper sheet for controlling the fixing operation, fixing processing can be preferably executed even when various kinds of factors of the printing paper sheet such as a size, a conveying direction, etc. are different from each other. The heating response time of the fixing device is preferable so that temperature control of the fixing device can be effectively executed.

Abstract: A method of fusing image is for an image forming apparatus including a paper feeder, a photosensitive device having an organic photoconductive (OPC) drum to form an electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface of the OPC drum, a transferring device for supplying toner powder to the electrostatic latent image and for transferring the toner image on a paper, and a fusing device for fusing the toner image on the paper.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a fixing device for fixing an image formed on a recording medium, a device for detecting an operating environment of the image forming apparatus, a selecting device for selecting a fixing device temperature in accordance with a detection result, and a control device for controlling the temperature of the fixing device to a selected fixing device temperature. The image forming apparatus is capable of efficiently bringing out the functions of a print engine thereof at a minimum cost without the need for adding a new high-speed device, achieving a higher printing speed and ensuring a good fixing property regardless of the thickness of paper used, while preventing wasteful energy consumption and adverse influences by heat.

Abstract: Time data required for an exposing lamp to reach to a standby temperature value from the starting of the exposing lamp heater with a rated current, and time data required for a heat roller to reach to the standby temperature from the starting of the heater lamp of the fixing apparatus with a rated current are retained in a ROM. The temperature of the heat roller and of the exposing lamp is detected when the power-save mode releasing has been instructed by the key. The start beginning timing of the exposing lamp heater and of the heater lamp is controlled so that the temperature of the exposing lamp and of the heat roller may become a standby state at substantially the same time from the time data retained based on the detected temperature value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a heat source, a temperature detecting unit for detecting a temperature of the fixing unit, an initial operation necessity detecting unit for determining whether an initial operation should be performed in the image forming apparatus, an initial operation selecting control unit for selecting an initial operation from among a plurality of predetermined initial operations based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit when the initial operation necessity detecting unit detects that the initial operation should be performed, and a control unit for controlling the fixing unit so that the fixing unit performs the initial operation selected by the initial operation selecting control unit.

Abstract: A warmup of an image forming apparatus is controlled with a first sensor for detecting if a cover of the apparatus is being opened or not and a second sensor for detecting if a toner cartridge of the apparatus is moved or not. The control involves the steps of: when the first sensor produces a signal informing the cover is being opened, determining if the toner cartridge is moved in response to the signal; and allowing the image forming apparatus to go through a warmup only when the second sensor produces a signal informing the movement of the toner cartridge.

Abstract: In a thermal fixing device for an image forming apparatus, when a heat roller starts to be heated, a warm-up time matching the instantaneous roller temperature can be set and controlled with accuracy. The interval between the start of a paper after the start of a recording operation and the arrival of the paper at the fixing device is available for the elevation of the roller temperature to a fixable temperature. A period of time necessary for the roller temperature to reach a temperature at which the recording operation can be started is corrected on the basis of the instantaneous ambient temperature. The device therefore reduces the waiting time up to the time when the surface of the heat roller reaches a fixable temperature, and can control the surface of the heat roller to a stable fixable temperature.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus which controls the temperature of the contained thermal fixing device on standby, based on the image formation history information on times of past image formations, etc., to efficiently reduce the power consumption during standby without lowering the availability factor of the image-forming apparatus, which is constructed so that the data on use frequency, including the current time, the number of copies made, etc., (image formation history information) is stored each time an image-forming process is executed, the control section sums the image formation history information on an hourly or other basis, and the temperature of the thermal fixing device on standby is controlled based on the current time-related image formation history information summed on an hourly basis.

Abstract: A toner image fixing device realizes a stabilized fixing process by smoothly controlling a surface temperature of its heating roller, preventing peeling-off of a layer of the roller core. The toner image fixing device comprises a heating roller consisting of a core covered with a layer of, e.g., a silicon rubber, a heat lamp mounted in the heating roller and a pressure roller for pressing a sheet of paper against the heating roller. The toner image fixing device is provided with a temperature sensor for sensing a surface temperature of the heat roller and for operating the heater lamp at a preset ON-OFF ratio (e.g., 1:3) to elevate the heating roller surface temperature from a first preset value to a second preset value and thereafter to maintain it at the second preset temperature.

Abstract: A thermal fixing device for rising a temperature of a heat roller up to a designated temperature in a short time and a color image forming apparatus using this device. This thermal fixing device comprises a heat roller having a heat source and positioned on the side of a toner image on a recording medium to fix the toner image; a pressurizing member, positioned opposite to the side of the toner image on the recording medium, for pushing the recording medium against the heat roller; a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the heat roller; and a control circuit for controlling the heat source of the heat roller by comparing a detected temperature of the temperature sensor with a set temperature, sequentially stepwise increasing the set temperature up to the designated temperature when starting the operation of the device and, at the same time, controlling a generated energy of a plurality of heat sources to sequentially decrease the generated energy thereof.

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus which includes a heater for fixing an image on a recording member and a heater control unit for controlling the heater. A timer is provided for outputting a time and a time range register registers a heater-on time range. A heater-on managing unit controls the heater control unit so that the heater is at a preheat temperature level within the heater-on time range, and so that the heater is at an image fixing temperature level when an image signal is received. Further, a heater-off managing unit controls the heater control unit so that the heater is at the image fixing temperature level out of the heater-on time range when the image signal is received. The heater-on managing unit can also shift a beginning time of the heater-on time range from a registered time to a time of a receipt of the image signal, so to extend the ending time of the heater-on time range when the image signal is received within the heater-on time range.

Abstract: In a fixing system used to an electrophotographic recording apparatus, when a fixing roller is heated to a temperature above a preset fixing temperature by a heater and then a thermistor senses that the surface temperature of the fixing roller falls below the fixing temperature, a heater controller energizes the heater for a predetermined driving time and then deenergizes of the heater for a predetermined heater interrupting time to thereby control the surface temperature of the fixing roller. The heater driving time and the heater interrupting time may be stored in a memory region in accordance with respective sizes of recording papers. The duty ratio of the heater may be changed when a predetermined number of images have been recorded or when the fixing system is continuously operated for longer than a predetermined time.

Abstract: A power saving method of an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic developing unit includes the steps of: beginning a counting operation upon occurrence of an error state in the image forming apparatus, when the image forming apparatus is in a print stand-by mode; determining whether a current counting value reaches a reference comparison value for executing a power saving mode; determining whether the error state is removed from the image forming apparatus, when the current counting value has not reached the reference comparison value; increasing the currently counting value by a given counting unit and returning to determine whether the current counting value reaches the reference comparison value, when the error state has not been removed from the image forming apparatus; and executing the power saving mode of driving the image forming apparatus with electric power lower than electric power required for maintaining said image forming apparatus in the print stand-by mode, when the present coun

Abstract: A fixing temperature control device according to the present invention is applied to a copying machine. A control section has a warm-up control mode and a normal control mode. In the warm-up control mode, energization to a heater is started in response to the start of copying, while being stopped at the time point where a temperature detected by a heat roller temperature detecting sensor reaches a first off temperature. In the normal control mode, on-off control of the energization to the heater is carried out utilizing a predetermined control temperature as a target subsequently to the termination of the warm-up control mode. The predetermined control temperature is corrected by adding a prescribed correction amount to a reference control temperature.