Temperature Patents (Class 399/94)
  • Patent number: 5832332
    Abstract: In an apparatus for forming an image using a toner, a toner temperature is maintained below a protective temperature even in a high temperature environment, thereby preventing frequent operational errors caused by an excessive increase in the toner temperature. A standby mode is provided wherein, after a recording operation ends, a fixing heater for heating and fixing the toner is kept at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time so that it is ready for the next recording operation. If the toner temperature exceeds the protective temperature during, for example, a recording operation when the standby mode has been selected, a mode switching control is performed to forcibly discontinue the currently set standby mode and switch to a mode wherein the fixing heater is immediately turned off after a recording operation ends. Thus, the fixing heater will be immediately turned off at the end of the next and later recording operations, thereby significantly reducing a toner temperature increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshio Sugiura
  • Patent number: 5826136
    Abstract: CPU is designed to create toner patches on the surface of the photoreceptor drum and pick up the detected data of the density of the toner patches by a photosensor. CPU calculates a correcting value .DELTA.Vg of the charger output in accordance with the picked up detected data, and compared the corrected charger output Vg with (Vgs+.alpha.) and (Vgs-.alpha.). If the corrections in the same direction are repeated in a row, k.beta. (where 0<k<1) is added to or subtracted from the toner density reference value. When the direction of the correction for the toner concentration reference value to be made is opposite that of the previous one, the absolute value of the correcting value for the current correction is set to be the absolute value of the previous one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideji Saiko, Motoyuki Itoyama, Jitsuo Masuda, Toshihisa Ishida, Katsuhiro Nagayama, Hiroo Naoi, Masayasu Narimatsu, Tomoko Nishino
  • Patent number: 5813344
    Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for removing an image forming substance such as toner from an image holding member such as a sheet of transfer paper, a liquid providing unit is constructed by plural coating devices such as three coating devices each having a coating roller, a restricting roller and a liquid container for liquid storage. The coating devices are arranged along a conveying path of the transfer paper sheet. A liquid is provided to the transfer paper sheet from both face sides thereof by using a mist generator, etc. in the liquid providing unit. The coating and restricting rollers are arranged such that no coating and restricting rollers come in contact with the transfer paper sheet so as not to restrict the transfer paper sheet. A surface of each of the coating and restricting rollers is desirably constructed such that this surface is hydrophilic. Another toner removing apparatus is also shown. A drive roller device for supporting an offset belt for conveying the transfer paper sheet is also shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Maruyama, Masatoshi Saitoh, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Shigeru Fujita
  • Patent number: 5799228
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a revolver type developer, and prevents toner stored within the revolver type developer from being adversely influenced by heat from a fixing unit. As one feature, the revolver developing unit is intermittently rotated when the image forming apparatus is in a stand-by state. As a further feature, the revolver developing unit is rotated at a very slow continuous speed when the image forming apparatus is in a stand-by state. As a further feature, the intermittent rotation and the slow continuous rotation of the revolver developing unit can be stopped if the temperature of the fixing unit falls below a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iwata, Shingo Katoh, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 5790922
    Abstract: An image forming portion is arranged below a photosignal scanning portion. An original reading portion is arranged in the horizontal direction of the photosignal scanning portion. A fixing portion is arranged between the photosignal scanning portion and the original reading portion. A radiation duct having a recording paper ejecting portion is arranged above the fixing portion. Thus, an influence by the heat of the fixing portion on the photosignal scanning portion and image reading portion is eliminated. A second recording paper ejecting portion is provided below the original reading portion. By the selection of the second recording paper ejecting portion and the recording paper ejecting portion, the face-up paper ejection and the face-down paper ejection can be selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Takano
  • Patent number: 5786571
    Abstract: The temperature of a heated roller (1) is monitored by a heat sensor (19) which rests on metal rectangle (25) on polyimide strip (5). The top end of the strip is attached directly to the frame (3). the bottom end of the strip has a hole (7), which receives an arm (9a) of pivoted member (9). A coil spring (13) pivots member 9 to cause arm 9a to pull the strip into contact with the heated roller. Because of the wide contact and low force between the strip and the roller, wear is reduced and smooth operation is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Reginald Keith Bethel, Robert Leonard Burdick, Charles Jerome Cheek, Larry Steven Foster, Paul Douglas Horrall, Krikor Yosmali
  • Patent number: 5701550
    Abstract: A substantial change in charge on toner in a development station due to a reduction in relative humidity as the station warms up is compensated for by applying heat from an externaI source to the station when the station has not been warmed up. For example, when the station is turned off or in a condition of idle. This feature is particularly usable in a station having a rotating magnetic core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kevin D. Lofftus, Thomas K. Hilbert, David A. Roets, Jerry E. Livadas
  • Patent number: 5700994
    Abstract: A method and a fusing apparatus for producing a reduced recovery time period from a low energy-saver mode temperature back up to a high fusing temperature. The fusing apparatus includes a heating member for heating and fusing toner images onto a copy sheet; a temperature sensor mounted relative to the heating member for sensing temperature of the heating member; a source of primary power supply for supplying heating power to the heating member; a source of secondary power supply, that is less in level than the source of primary power supply, for supplying secondary heating power to the heated member; and a controller connected to the temperature sensor, and to the source of primary and the source of secondary power supplies for turning the source of primary and the source of secondary power supplies on and off responsively to the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Barry J. Gheer, Kenneth R. Rasch, Tab A. Tress, Richard A. Geyer
  • Patent number: 5689767
    Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining a uniform temperature along its axis by increasing the heat transfer efficiency. The apparatus uses a sealed chamber containing a substantially pure working fluid in a two phase (liquid and vapor) condition. The vaporization and condensation of the fluid increases the heat transfer efficiency and tends to equalize temperature gradients in a body in contact with the apparatus. The apparatus is utilized in various locations in an electrophotographic printing machine and can be used as a pressure roll for a heat and pressure fuser, a support or drive roll for a photoreceptive member, a support member for a photoreceptor and a heat sink for a developer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald A. Domoto, Elias Panides, Karl B. Ayash, Thomas C. Hollar, Michael J. Martin
  • Patent number: 4870677
    Abstract: There is disclosed a telephone subset which incorporates a high resolution electrophoretic display on the surface of a subset housing. The telephone subset includes a microprocessor which operates under the control of a mode selector. In this manner the display is employed to generate various keyboard formats and operates in conjunction with a position sensitive overlay to enable a subscriber to place telephone calls in a conventional manner when the keyboard display is implemented on the electrophoretic display. The telephone subset in conjunction with various subset buttons which control the mode selector is capable of operating in different modes. Due to the high resolution and large capacity of the display one can now present pages of stored telephone numbers which essentially enables a user to select any number by the use of a movable cursor and by pressing another subset button can immediately dial that number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: Copytele, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank J. Di Santo, Denis A. Krusos