Warmup Or Standby Mode Patents (Class 399/70)
  • Patent number: 8886064
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary, endless fuser belt, a heater, a thermometer, and a controller. The fuser belt is subjected to heating, on which the recording medium is conveyed to fuse the toner image thereon. The heater is located adjacent to the fuser belt for heating the belt. The thermometer is located adjacent to the fuser belt to detect an operational temperature of the belt. The controller is operatively connected to the thermometer and the heater to deactivate the heater upon detecting an abnormal condition in which the operational temperature detected remains below a setpoint temperature after lapse of a warm-up time limit since activation of the heater. The controller includes a historical data recorder and a processor. The historical data recorder records historical usage data of the fixing device since installation. The processor adjusts the warm-up time limit according to the historical usage data recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ippei Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 8873983
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for fixing a toner image to a recording sheet by transporting the recording sheet through a fixing nip formed by a heating rotating body and a pressing rotating body that press against each other. The image forming apparatus includes an idle rotation unit that causes idle rotation of the heating rotating body and the pressing rotating body during a standby state of the image forming apparatus, a cumulative amount recording unit that measures an amount of the idle rotation and record a cumulative amount of the idle rotation, and a prohibiting unit that prohibits the idle rotation unit from causing the idle rotation when the cumulative amount reaches a predetermined allowable value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Taki, Junichi Arai, Kazuo Okunishi
  • Patent number: 8873989
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a hollow, fixing rotary body rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a first heater disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body. A pressing rotary body is pressed against the fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed. A heat conductor, disposed opposite the first heater and the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body, is disconnectably connected to a guide disposed downstream from the fixing device in a recording medium conveyance direction to guide the recording medium discharged from the fixing nip. The heat conductor conducts heat received from the first heater to the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruyuki Honda, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Toshikane Nishii, Hirofumi Horita
  • Patent number: 8873991
    Abstract: A power supply system includes: a switching power supply to be connected to an AC power supply, the switching power supply rectifying and smoothing an AC voltage to generate predetermined DC voltage; a first capacitor including a first electrode connected to one end of the AC power supply, and a second electrode; a second capacitor including a first electrode connected to the other end of the AC power supply, and a second electrode; a surge-voltage suppressing circuit connected between the second electrode of the first capacitor and the second electrode of the second capacitor; a rectifier circuit connected to a first contact node between the first capacitor and the surge-voltage suppressing circuit and a second contact node between the second capacitor and the surge-voltage suppressing circuit; and an output-signal generating circuit connected to the rectifier circuit, and uses the rectified current to generate a predetermined output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsumi Inukai
  • Patent number: 8873988
    Abstract: A fixing device is operable through start-up and warm-up stages and has a rotatable fixing member to fix an unfixed toner image borne on a recording medium, an opposing member to press against the fixing member and form a nip on the fixing member, a temperature detector to detect temperature of the fixing member, and a heater controlled in accordance with the temperature of the fixing member to heat the fixing member. The heater is further controlled during the warm-up stage in accordance with at least one of if the fixing member is rotating and if the detected temperature has ever arrived at a prescribed target temperature in the warm-up stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: RICOH Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Ogiso, Kohichi Ono, Akinobu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8873987
    Abstract: An embodiment provides an image forming apparatus including: a job acquiring unit that acquires an image forming job that gives instructions for performing forming of an image; an image forming process control unit that controls performance of the image forming job that the job acquiring unit acquires; a temperature information acquiring unit that acquires information showing temperature of the heating rotary body; a determining unit that determines whether the temperature of the heating rotary body which is acquired by the temperature information acquiring unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined stand-by temperature set as a temperature in a stand-by state that stands by to perform the image forming process, when the image forming process is completed, based on the image forming job by the image forming process control unit; and a fixing device control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taizo Nozawa, Yukio Futamata, Noboru Furuyama, Satoshi Itaya, Hiroshi Katakura, Setsuo Takada
  • Patent number: 8867944
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fuser including a heating section which heats a hot-melt visualizing material fixed to a sheet medium and the sheet medium, a heat generator which increases the temperature of the heating section in accordance with supply of power, a temperature detector which detects the temperature of the heating section, and a controller which outputs temperature information during the increasing of the temperature on the basis of the temperature of the heating section detected by the temperature detector while the temperature of the heating section increases so that notification can be provided that fusing is possible for an image only using a single color hot-melt visualizing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8860976
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has at least one measurement unit, disposed on a respective power-supply line extending from a first power source to a respective at least one operation module disposed in the image forming apparatus, configured to measure power consumption at the at least one operation module; and a power-saving unit configured to shut down the power supply from the first power source to the at least one operation module to set the image forming apparatus to a power-save mode, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to shut down power supply to the at least one measurement unit, when the power-saving unit sets the image forming apparatus to the power-save mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Manabu Kodama
  • Patent number: 8862010
    Abstract: A fixing device to perform a fixing process includes an endless, rotatable belt member; a nip-forming rotary member disposed outside a loop of the belt member; a fixing roller disposed at a backside of the fixing nip inside the loop of the belt member and around which the belt member is rotatably stretched; a heater to heat the belt member at a position different from a position where the belt member is rotatably stretched around the fixing roller; a temperature detector; a memory device to store an operational history of the heater; and a processor operatively connected to the heater to control the heater, before the recording sheet is passed through the fixing nip, to perform a warming-up operation to raise a temperature of the fixing roller at the backside of the fixing nip based on the operational history of the heater stored in the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohei Ando
  • Publication number: 20140294418
    Abstract: A fuser control device includes a fuser device that a holding member holds configured to fuse a developing image to a printing medium, a fuser heater that is installed at the holding member configured to generate heat for at least a central part and side parts of a heat application roller, a first temperature detection part configured to detect a temperature of the fuser device and configured to transmit the temperature of the fuser device as a first detecting temperature, a second temperature detection part configured to detect a temperature of the holding member and configured to transmit the temperature of the holding member as a second detecting temperature, and a heat application control unit configured to control the temperature of the fuser device with changing a targeting temperature for the fuser device based on a controlling condition, wherein an amount of heat generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki SATO
  • Patent number: 8843547
    Abstract: A server apparatus 120, each time a process request is received from a client apparatus 110, stores the process request for a given interval and if the status of the server apparatus 120 at the time when the process request is received is standby, switches the status to a state of receiving a request. The server apparatus 120 also measures the elapsed time since the status was switched to the state of receiving a request and when the elapsed time since the status was switched to the state of receiving a request, reaches a given period, executes a process that corresponds to a process request stored in a temporary storing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Tanzawa
  • Publication number: 20140270836
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information to identify a user; a usage history information acquiring unit that acquires usage history information for the user specified by the identification information; an output setting forecasting unit that forecasts output setting used by the user based on the usage history information; and a fixing temperature setting unit that sets a fixing temperature based on the forecasted output setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiriko CHOSOKABE, Mikio NAKAJIMA, Homare EHARA
  • Patent number: 8837976
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first voltage output part configured to output a first voltage, a second voltage output part configured to output a second voltage, a first controller configured to receive the first voltage supplied from the first voltage output part, a second controller configured to receive the first voltage supplied from the first voltage output part, and a third controller configured to receive the second voltage supplied from the second voltage output part. The first controller stops the supply of the first voltage to the second controller by the first voltage output part after the supply of the second voltage to the third controller by the second voltage output part has been stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kato, Yoichi Hayakawa, Tatsuho Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8835815
    Abstract: A heater control device comprising: a storage unit that stores therein a turn-on pattern of a heater specified in units of a predetermined control cycle including a plurality of half-wavelengths of an alternating-current voltage supplied to the heater so as to prevent flickering; a color temperature detecting unit that detects a color temperature of light emitted from a filament of the heater; and a heater control unit that, while operating in a standby mode in which power supplied to the heater is reduced, causes the heater to be fully turned ON at every first period, and then turns ON the heater in the turn-on pattern when the color temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold after the heater is fully turned ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Takuma Kasai
  • Patent number: 8836963
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a fixing device that has a fast heating mode and a heat storage mode; and a selection section that selects any one of a case where execution of a job indicating an image forming process of a predetermined batch throughput is instructed, and when the fixing device returns to a normal power state from a power saving state, the fixing mode in which an image forming process is early completed is selected on the basis of a total throughput of the job to perform the image forming process, and a case where during the total throughput of the job is not determined or in a case where the job corresponds to a plurality of sets, the fast heating mode is selected as an initial operation for at least the first set to perform the image forming process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motofumi Baba, Hidenori Horie, Kazuhiko Narushima, Masafumi Ono, Masayoshi Nakao, Kenji Kuroishi, Keiko Shiraishi, Koichi Azuma
  • Patent number: 8818227
    Abstract: A fixing rotational body is rotated immediately before shifting from a standby mode to a power saving mode in which not only power supply to a heater and the rotation of the fixing rotational body are stopped but also a timer is stopped so that the reliability of the thermistor detection temperature when returning from the power saving mode is improved, and fixing defect is prevented while power consumption in the power saving mode is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Suzumi
  • Patent number: 8818223
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a heat source, a fixing rotating body, a pressurizing rotating body, a feeding section for feeding a medium, a temperature adjusting section for controlling an amount of heat generated by the heat source, and a control section. The control section switches between a first mode in which the fixing rotating body and the pressurizing rotating body rotate at a first circumferential speed and the medium is fed to the image forming section at a first distance interval, and a second mode in which the fixing rotating body and the pressurizing rotating body rotate at a second circumferential speed higher than the first circumferential speed and the medium is fed to the image forming section at a second distance interval longer than the first distance interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryohei Matsuo, Toshiya Aoki
  • Patent number: 8818228
    Abstract: An image forming system capable of immediately responding to a job command given by a user, reducing power consumption, and preventing the service life of component parts from being adversely affected. In a case where no printing is to be performed, a main controller of the image forming system controls each of first and second image forming apparatuses of the image forming system to assume either a standby state or a sleep state. In a case where printing is to be performed, the main controller controls each of the first and second image forming apparatuses to assume either the standby state or the sleep state according to whether double-sided printing should be performed or single-sided printing should be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadaaki Saida
  • Patent number: 8818226
    Abstract: When a rotation member stops rotation, driving of a plurality of heating elements is sometimes partially limited. A control unit detects a current flowing to the plurality of heating elements when the rotation member stops rotation, and driving of the plurality of heating elements is partially limited. The control unit sets the power ratio of power to be supplied to the plurality of heating elements during a period in which the rotation member rotates to raise a fixing device to a fixing enable state in accordance with the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroki Asano
  • Patent number: 8811842
    Abstract: The fixing device using an electromagnetic induction heating (IH) method includes a fixing sleeve having a heating layer, a pressure roller to form a nip while contacting the fixing roller and rotate to drive the fixing sleeve, a temperature detector to detect a temperature on a circumference of the fixing sleeve, and an excitation coil provided near the fixing sleeve and configured to perform induction heating of the heating layer of the fixing sleeve based on the detection result from the temperature detector. The fixing device is configured to change a rotation speed of the fixing sleeve in a standby time during which the fixing sleeve, while rotating, is controlled to be heated so as to maintain a target temperature when a periodic temperature difference occurs on a circumference of the fixing rotary member and having a fluctuation amplitude larger than a predetermined value compared to the target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Masanao Ehara, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Satoshi Ueno, Hiroshi Seo, Takahiro Imada, Shuutaroh Yuasa
  • Patent number: 8811843
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for performing a copier job and a printer job includes a controller operatively connected to a fixing rotary body heater and a pressing rotary body heater to control the fixing rotary body heater and the pressing rotary body heater. The controller activates a standby mode after the copier job and the printer job are finished in which the controller turns off at least the fixing rotary body heater and a subsequent off mode in which the controller turns off the pressing rotary body heater and the fixing rotary body heater, and identifies which of the copier job and the printer job is to be performed to turn on and off the pressing rotary body heater in the standby mode according to the identified job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Tadashi Ogawa, Takeshi Uchitani, Satoshi Ueno, Teppei Kawata, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8805228
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading unit, a receiving unit, an image forming unit, a fixing unit, and a control unit. The reading unit generates generated image data indicating the image. The receiving unit receives external image data. The image forming unit forms, by using a recording agent, an image on a sheet based on the generated or external image data. The fixing unit fixes the recording agent on the sheet. The control unit controls to start raising a temperature of the fixing unit at a first timing, where a copy process is executed. The control unit controls to start raising the temperature of the fixing unit at a second timing, which is later than the first timing, where a printing process is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeo Miura
  • Patent number: 8805227
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a heating rotating body (first body) and a pressurizing rotating body (second body) disposed in a pressure contact state, and commencing image forming when a temperature of the first body reaches a predetermined temperature lower than a fixing temperature. The apparatus acquires a value indicating a temperature of the second body upon commencement of warm-up, and when the value is below a threshold value, heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the fixing temperature while rotating the two bodies at a first speed, and when the value equals or exceeds the threshold value, heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the predetermined temperature while rotating the two bodies at a second speed slower than the first speed and further heats the first body until the temperature thereof reaches the fixing temperature while rotating the two bodies at the first speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Tamura
  • Patent number: 8803038
    Abstract: An apparatus for image formation comprises a fixing unit, first to fourth switching units, a DC power supply unit, an accumulating unit, a charging unit, and a switching control unit. The first switching unit switches the state of connection between the fixing unit and a commercial power source. The DC power supply unit supplies another electric load of the apparatus than the fixing unit with DC power. The second switching unit switches the state of connection between the DC power supply unit and the commercial power source. The third switching unit switches the state of connection between the charging unit and the commercial power source. The fourth switching unit switches the state of connection between the accumulating unit and the electric load. Based on the state of conduction of the first switching unit, the switching control unit switches the states of conduction of the other three switching units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanori Nakazawa, Kentaro Tsuruta, Junichi Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20140212161
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a fuser assembly including a heat transfer member and a backup member positioned to engage the heat transfer member thereby defining a fusing nip therewith. A motor is coupled to the backup member for rotating the backup member. A controller coupled to the fuser assembly controls the motor using time-based commutation for a period of time to rotate the backup member at a slower speed relative to a speed for performing a toner fusing operation. In memory, at least one lookup table is stored having entries which, when sequentially accessed by the controller during the time-based commutation, are used to generate one or more drive signals for the motor to cause current flowing through windings of the motor to have a substantially sinusoidal waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ross Cutts, Aaron M. Lambert, Jason W. Lawrence, Kevin Dean Schoedinger, Roger M. Smith, Christopher Yaeger
  • Patent number: 8792797
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fuser member, a heater, a thermometer, and a power supply controller. The fuser member is subjected to heating. The heater is adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The thermometer is adjacent to the fuser member to detect an operational temperature of the fuser member. The power supply controller controls power supply to the heater by adjusting a duty cycle. The controller includes a duty cycle calculator, a driver circuit, and a duty cycle modifier. The duty cycle calculator is operatively connected to the thermometer to calculate a primary value of the duty cycle based on the operational temperature. The driver circuit is operatively connected to the duty cycle calculator to supply power to the heater according to the duty cycle. The duty cycle modifier is connected between the duty cycle calculator and the driver circuit to modify the duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Ikebuchi, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Yuji Arai, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Ippei Fujimoto, Takuya Seshita, Arinobu Yoshiura, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Toshihiko Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 8781352
    Abstract: A method of controlling a temperature of a fuser in an image forming apparatus includes generating a power capsule including a soft start period in which a power supply is gradually increased to improve a flicker characteristic, a full turn on period in which the power supply is maximum, and a soft end period in which the power supply is gradually decreased to improve the flicker characteristic. The power capsule is profiled to supply a constant amount of power and to satisfy a predefined requirement for flicker and harmonic characteristics of an image forming apparatus with respect to the fuser in the soft start period, the full turn on period, and the soft end period. The method includes detecting the temperature of the fuser and controlling the temperature of the fuser by performing a power control operation corresponding to the power capsule according to a temperature variation of the detected temperature of the fuser with respect to a reference temperature of the fuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-ha Kim
  • Patent number: 8780389
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a detecting unit, a processing unit, a plurality of controllers, a command determination unit, and a load determination unit. The detecting unit is for detecting a command. The processing unit executes a process for the command. The plurality of controllers controls the processing unit and includes a first controller. The command determination unit determines whether or not the command indicates that the process is to be executed by the processing unit under the control of the first controller. The load determination unit determines whether or not a load required for the process is larger than a prescribed threshold value. While the first controller is in a halted state, if the command determination unit makes a negative determination and if the load determination unit makes a positive determination, the first controller is activated and controls the processing unit to execute the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Tsuzuki, Masahiro Nagami
  • Patent number: 8780387
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mechanism capable of executing print processing by appropriately selecting, in accordance with the power state of a printing apparatus, the first printing mode in which the printing apparatus performs print processing regardless of whether a predetermined condition is satisfied, or the second printing mode in which it performs print processing when the predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Tsuchitoi
  • Publication number: 20140193168
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit that fixes an image of a toner using any one of a first toner and a second toner on a recording medium, and a control unit that sets a fixing temperature and a standby temperature of the fixing unit. The control unit sets the fixing temperature when the image of the first toner is fixed, to a first temperature, sets the fixing temperature when the image of the second toner is fixed, to a second temperature lower than the first temperature and sets the standby temperature when the fixing unit is in a standby state, to a temperature closer than the second temperature than the first temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Taizo KIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8774667
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, an intermediate transfer section, a secondary transfer section, a fixing section, a power source, a voltage detection section, a temperature detection section, and a fixing section control circuit. The fixing section control circuit includes a switching control section, a voltage judgment section, a temperature judgment section, and a preparation control section. When the switching control section switches the current conduction state to the heat source and the driving section from an off conduction state to an on conduction state and the voltage judgment section judges to be less than a threshold voltage, the preparation control section controls the preparation operation of the heating section such that the switching control section continues the on conduction state over a given idle time after the temperature judgment section has judged to be a preset temperature or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Mukai, Toshiaki Kagawa, Hiroyuki Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8774668
    Abstract: A fixing rotational body is rotated immediately before shifting from a standby mode to a power saving mode in which not only power supply to a heater and the rotation of the fixing rotational body are stopped but also a timer is stopped so that the reliability of the thermistor detection temperature when returning from the power saving mode is improved, and fixing defect is prevented while power consumption in the power saving mode is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Suzumi
  • Patent number: 8774665
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section; a fixation section having a heating mechanism and a roller arranged to face the heating mechanism; a temperature detector for detecting temperature of the fixation section; and a controller for performing a first heating-control in a first heating mode to raise the temperature of the fixation section at a first changing rate, and a second heating-control in a second heating mode to change the temperature of the fixation section at a second changing rate lower than the first changing rate upon rotating the roller when the temperature of the fixation section has reached an intermediate target temperature. The controller performs the first and second heating-controls, respectively, at the time of startup of the fixation section at least once until the temperature of the fixation section reaches a final target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Okano, Yuki Fukusada
  • Patent number: 8760674
    Abstract: A printing apparatus/method includes at least one processor, at least one printing engine, and at least one graphic user interface all operatively (directly or indirectly) connected to each other. The graphic user interface has at least one display and at least one user input device. The display provides at least one menu having at least one user selectable parameter of the printing engine. The display provides at least one linear scale bar representing a range of values to which the selectable parameter can be set. The display provides at least two different graphic icons along the linear scale. The graphic icons conceptually represent different performance characteristics that the printing apparatus will have when the selectable parameter is set to different values along the range of values represented on the linear scale. The display can also provide numerical performance values adjacent each of the different graphic icons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Trevor J. Snyder, Jennifer Misae Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8760710
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming device including an engine unit that performs image processing; an engine control unit that controls the engine unit; and a controller that generates items of starting information. The controller transmits a first item of the starting information indicating a cause of the starting process, and transmits a second item of the starting information when a content of the second item of the starting information is fixed. A time period required for fixing the second item of the starting information depends on the cause of the starting process. The engine control unit obtains the second item of the starting information, based on the first item of the starting information and timing information obtained in advance that indicates a timing at which the second item of the starting information is expected to be fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Norio Muraishi
  • Patent number: 8761631
    Abstract: A power supply includes a first capacitor, a resistor for discharging an electric charge of the first capacitor and for detecting zero crossing of the AC voltage input from the AC power supply, a second capacitor, and a frame ground o and a discharge resistor having a resistance value smaller than the resistor and configured to discharge an electric charge of the second capacitor, and switches between a state where a current to the discharge resistor is cut off and a state where a current flows through the discharge resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Shimura
  • Patent number: 8755707
    Abstract: An image forming device has a heating member, a thermal detecting unit, and a control unit. The heating member is positioned at an ambient temperature and heated by a heat source. The heating member fixes a developed image to a recording sheet. The thermal detecting unit is provided separately from the heating member. The thermal detecting unit detects a first temperature. The control unit uses a function to calculate a second temperature of the heating member on the basis of the detected first temperature. The control unit controls the heat source on the basis of the second temperature. The function has a rate of change that increases with decreasing the ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Yasuda, Fumitake Tajiri
  • Publication number: 20140147150
    Abstract: A fuser control device that controls a fuser that heats and fuses developer on a medium for an image formation on the medium includes the fuser including a heating member that rotates while contacting and heating the medium, and a rotation member that rotates and sandwiches the medium with the heating member; a heat supply part that supplies heat to the heating member; a temperature detection part that detects a temperature of the heating member; a heating controller that controls the heat supply part based on a detection result by the temperature detection part; and a rotation controller that controls a rotational speed of the heating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki SATO
  • Patent number: 8737861
    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; and a temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of the pressing rotation body. Further, when a predetermined time period elapses since a warm-up operation has started before a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature or when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined temperature before the predetermined time period elapses since a warm-up operation has started, the fixing device determines that the warm-up operation is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Masanao Ehara, Tadashi Ogawa, Takeshi Uchitani, Satoshi Ueno, Teppei Kawata, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8737860
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixer, a control operation selection portion which selects any one of a monochrome control operation of keeping the fixing temperature at a first temperature at which a monochrome image can be fixed, and a color control operation of keeping the fixing temperature at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and a controller. In the state in which the monochrome control operation is selected, when the fixing temperature reaches the first temperature during rise, the controller executes a monochrome ready display and the monochrome control operation, the controller raises the fixing temperature up to the second temperature to print the color image when printing of a color image is instructed while the monochrome control operation is executed, and the controller executes the monochrome control operation after printing the color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Katakura
  • Patent number: 8731423
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section including a fixing device configured to fix an image on a sheet; an acquiring section configured to acquire setting information of printing target data; a determining section configured to determine a first time on the basis of the setting information acquired by the acquiring section; and an output section configured to output a control signal to the fixing device to set a heat accumulation time of the fixing device to the first time determined by the determining section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaya Arakawa
  • Publication number: 20140133879
    Abstract: In the present invention, upon return from a standby mode or sleep mode, image data is acquired as warming-up time estimate information for estimating the warming-up time to increase the temperature of a fixing belt to a target fixing temperature and, if the acquired image data is the data on a black-and-white image, control is performed to delay the heating start timing of the fixing belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takuya SESHITA, Masahiko SATOH, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Naoki IWAYA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI, Kenji ISHII, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Takeshi UCHITANI, Takamasa HASE, Shuutaroh YUASA
  • Publication number: 20140133880
    Abstract: A fixing unit includes a first heat source configured to heat a roller, and a second heat source configured to heat the roller. The maximum value of a total amount of heat generated in the second heat source is smaller than that of the first heat source. The second heat source has an amount of heat generated higher in ends of the second heat source than in a center thereof in a distribution of the amount of heat generated in the axial direction. The second heat source has a rate of the amount of heat generated in the ends of the second heat source to that in the center thereof higher than a rate of the amount of heat generated in the ends of the first heat source to that in the center thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yutaka Otsuka
  • Patent number: 8718493
    Abstract: A controller for controlling an image forming apparatus having a light detection unit controls at least two operations including: 1) operation of detecting a jam of a recording sheet in a sheet transfer path based on a light intensity level detected by the light detection unit when image forming is performed; and 2) operation of controlling switching of an operation mode of the image forming apparatus to an energy save mode based on a light intensity level detected by the light detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nagata
  • Publication number: 20140112678
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt for heating a toner image on a sheet in a nip; a driving rotatable member for cooperating with the belt to form the nip and for rotating the belt; a pressing pad for pressing the belt from an inside of the belt toward the driving rotatable member; a heating device for heating the belt; and a controller configured to execute, in a stand-by mode following a warming-up mode, intermittent heating operation of the heating device for the belt while rotating the belt by the driving rotatable member, wherein the controller is capable of executing, after executing the intermittent heating operation in a first rest period in the stand-by mode, the intermittent heating operation by a second rest period which is longer than the first rest period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuaki Hara
  • Publication number: 20140105629
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part which picks up a recording medium at a predetermined pickup timing and forms an image at a predetermined printing speed; and a controller which accelerates the timing for picking up the recording medium in advance of the predetermined pickup timing, and which lowers the printing speed so as to allow the printing operation to take place at a lower fusing temperature during warming up from a cold start in order to shorten the first print output time (FPOT).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-Soo KO
  • Patent number: 8699906
    Abstract: A printing system includes a first printing apparatus, a second printing apparatus, and a control device. The second printing apparatus is provided at a rear stage of the first printing apparatus, and includes a second preheating unit that preheats a recording medium from one surface before thermally fixing a toner image to another surface, and a temperature control unit that increase the temperature of the second preheating unit from a normal temperature to a target temperature, in response to a printing preparation instruction received in a temporary printing stop state from the control device. The control device starts printing, when the temperature of the second preheating unit reaches the target temperature. The temperature control unit decreases the temperature of the second preheating unit from the target temperature to the normal temperature, when the recording medium is conveyed by a length from a deformed portion to the second preheating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Atsushi Miyamoto, Soushi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8698438
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a motor control apparatus includes a timer to measure a period in which a job is not executed, a sensor to detect a temperature of a physical object, an acquisition part to acquire time information measured by the timer and temperature information detected by the sensor, and a drive control part that determines a current value of a motor provided in the physical object based on the time information and the temperature information acquired by the acquisition part, and controls the motor current value by applying a voltage level corresponding to the determined current value to a drive element of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Mori
  • Publication number: 20140093268
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image, formed on a recording material, on the recording material, wherein the fixing portion includes a heater for generating heat by electric power supplied from a commercial power source; a power source portion for supplying the electric power to a load except the heater, wherein the power source and the heater are connected with the commercial power source in parallel; a suppliable electric power calculating portion for calculating suppliable electric power suppliable to the heater; and a temperature setting portion for setting, depending on the suppliable electric power calculated by the calculating portion, a control target temperature of the fixing portion in an operation in a stand-by mode in which the image forming apparatus awaits a print instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Iwasaki, Masatoshi Itoh, Tetsuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8682196
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of drive units, a control unit, and an operation information input unit. The plurality of drive units drive based on electric power supplied. The control unit shifts the plurality of drive units to a power saving state or a normal state. The operation information input unit is sequentially input first operation information indicating a start of a process and second operation information indicating a process content. The control unit shifts the plurality of drive units to the normal state when the first operation information is input to the operation information input unit with the plurality of drive units being in the power saving state. The control unit shifts a particular drive unit to the power saving state based on the second operation information when the second operation information is input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Tomio Tanaka