Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080199197 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING FIXING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus which forms an image on a sheet, includes a controller which executes a cleaning mode in which the controller conveys the sheet from a sheet feed tray to a fixing device without forming a toner image on the sheet, removes toner that has been adhered to a fixing member to clean. In case the cleaning mode is executed, the controller controls a releasing section to release pressure contact of a pressing member before a leading edge of the sheet in a sheet conveyance direction reaches a nip portion between the fixing member and the pressing member, and to bring the pressing member into pressure contact with the fixing member after the leading edge of the sheet has passed through the nip portion. | 08-21-2008 |
20080226322 | Method for Printing of a Recording - In a method or system for printing of a recording medium, potential images of images to be printed are generated on a potential image carrier. The potential images are developed into an image film comprising image regions and non-image regions on the potential image carrier via application of a liquid developer comprising a polymerizable carrier fluid with dye particles suspended therein. The image film is transferred onto the recording medium. The image film is fixed on the recording medium via a cross-linking reaction of the carrier fluid such that the dye particles of the image regions are embedded in a fixed polymer matrix and the carrier fluid hardens into a transparent film that permanently bonds with the recording medium. The cross-linking reaction of the carrier fluid is started, accelerated, or extended by at least one component. | 09-18-2008 |
20080240762 | NONDESTRUCTIVE METHODS FOR TESTING THE DEGREE OF HARDENING OR DRYING OF INKS AND COATINGS - In a method for determining the degree of hardening or drying of one or more printed ink and/or coating film(s) on a substrate, for instance, paper, cardboard, plastic film or composite materials, a faster and more efficient measuring method can be found that furthermore supplies secure and easily interpreted results. The method is to be used in the mass production printing processes comprising intaglio printing, flexographic printing, screen printing or offset printing. The degree of hardening or drying is determined indirectly by way of the change in the mechanical and/or viscoelastic properties of the ink and/or coating films on the substrate that result from the hardening or drying process. The detection of acoustic waves by means of a piezoelectric sensor is used as the measuring method. | 10-02-2008 |
20080240763 | Method for Noncontact Testing of the Degree of Hardening of Ink and Coating Films - For more efficient and energy-saving drying of ink and/or coating films in printing machines, the drying or hardening process must be better monitored. Therefore a method is proposed for determining the degree of hardening of one or more printed ink and/or coating films on a substrate that was coated in an intaglio, flexographic or offset printing process. The degree of hardening or drying due to the hardening or drying process is determined indirectly via the change of mechanical and/or viscoelastic properties of the ink and/or coating films on the substrate. An ultrasound measurement is used for this purpose. | 10-02-2008 |
20080260404 | FIXING DEVICE FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A fixing device of this invention enables variable control of power to be supplied to a heat roller side or a press roller side in accordance with the temperature of the heat roller and the press roller while each mode is carried out. In a copy mode, the temperature of the heat roller and the press roller is finely controlled. In a copy standby mode, only the power required for maintaining a set temperature is supplied. | 10-23-2008 |
20080260405 | FUSER SYSTEM OF A XEROGRAPHIC DEVICE AND A METHOD OF FUSING AN IMAGE IN A XEROGRAPHIC DEVICE INCLUDING A CLOSED LOOP CONTROL BASED ON THE TORQUE OF A DRIVE SYSTEM - A fuser system of a xerographic device has a fuser member and a pressure member in which the pressure member is made to exert pressure upon the fuser member so as to form a nip. A drive system drives the fusing member and/or pressure member. A sensor monitors torque of the drive system, and a processor in communication with the sensor receives torque data from the sensor. The processor determines if the torque exceeds a predetermined value, wherein the drive system holds the fuser member and the pressure member in a partially loaded state when the torque exceeds the predetermined value. | 10-23-2008 |
20080279575 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME - A transfer unit transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a recording medium. A fixing unit includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller for fixing the toner image onto the recording medium by applying heat and pressure to the recording medium. At least one driving unit drives the fixing roller and the pressure roller. When stopping the fixing roller, a control unit controls the driving unit to stop the fixing roller such that the fixing roller and the pressure roller make a contact with each other at a contact position different from a previous contact position. | 11-13-2008 |
20080292345 | FUSING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, an exposure device to irradiate light to the photosensitive body to form the electrostatic latent image, a developing device to adhere a developer to the photosensitive body to form a visible image, a transfer device to transfer the visible image formed on the photosensitive body onto a printing medium, and a fusing unit to fuse the visible image to the printing medium. The fusing unit includes a heating roller to apply heat to the printing medium, a press roller to contact the heating roller to press the printing medium, a press lever to press any one of the heating roller and the press roller to the other, an adjusting lever rotatably coupled to the press lever, and a pressing force adjusting device to operate the adjusting lever to move the press lever. Accordingly, a fusing pressure between the heating roller and the press roller can be decreased with a small force by operating the adjusting lever hingedly coupled to the press lever. | 11-27-2008 |
20080292346 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided which form high-quality fixed images having no fogs and the like defects, in which apparatus and method a toner entering a pressure-contact area between rollers is prevented from scattering. A control is performed on preheating conditions for preheating an unfixed toner image on a recording medium, which unfixed toner image indicates a toner image transferred but not yet fixed, and a control is further performed such that an amount of toner attached to the recording medium at a coverage rate of 100% is 0.4 mg/cm | 11-27-2008 |
20080304847 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREFOR - An image-forming apparatus capable of satisfactorily maintaining the durability of a separating mechanism while preventing deformation of rubber layers of parts of a fixing unit and at the same time achieving a power saving effect. The image-forming apparatus is shifted into a power saving state without a fixing part and a pressurizing part of the fixing unit being separated. The fixing part and the pressurizing part are separated, if a return condition from the power saving state is not satisfied even after elapse of a predetermined time period from when the apparatus has been shifted into the power saving state. | 12-11-2008 |
20090016759 | Image forming apparatus and method of controlling heating of fixing unit therein - When a user has performed an operation with respect to an image forming apparatus, a control mechanism communicates informs the fact that a user has performed an operation with respect to an image forming apparatus to an engine control unit through a dedicated communication line, i.e., without waiting for a general-purpose communication line to open for communication. Upon receiving the user operation signal, the engine control unit heats a fixing unit. | 01-15-2009 |
20090052924 | Image forming apparatus with opening/closing member - An image forming apparatus capable of minimizing a temperature rise of a cover by substantially preventing heat emission from a fusing device to an outside is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a main body, a fusing device mounted in the main body, the fusing device having an outlet to discharge paper, an opening/closing member opening and closing the outlet of the fusing device, a cam member moving the opening/closing member between a first position in which the opening/closing member closes the outlet to prevent heat in the fusing device from being emitted through the outlet and a second position in which the opening/closing member opens the outlet to permit the paper to pass through the outlet, a driving part rotating the cam member, and a control unit controlling the driving part to determine a rotational position of the cam member. | 02-26-2009 |
20090052925 | FIXING APPARATUS IN WHICH A FIXING NIP IS SECURED BY A PRESSURE BELT AND A FIXING ROLLER, AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS THAT INCLUDES THE FIXING APPARATUS - A belt-nip system fixing apparatus or an image formation apparatus including the fixing apparatus reduces the frequency of replacing a pressure belt or a sliding sheet. In accordance with a sheet measurement in a roller axis direction, the fixing apparatus or image formation apparatus switches a pressure distribution in the roller axis direction between a low-pressure load distribution in which pressure is greatest at a center pressure switching projection ( | 02-26-2009 |
20090067865 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a pattern determination information calculator for calculating printing pattern determination information on an original; a pressure changer for changing the pressure of a pressing member of a cleaning device; and a controller for varying the pressing force of the pressing member by controlling the pressure changer in accordance with the printing pattern determination information calculated by the pattern determination information calculator. The controller controls the contact pressure driver of the pressing roller so as to weaken the pressing force when that controller determines that printing paper printed with high density patterns or high coverage patterns will be passed through. | 03-12-2009 |
20090067866 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND FIXING CONTROL METHOD - A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to fix an unfixed image on a recording medium by bringing a first roller and a second roller in pressure-contact with each other; a contacting region detecting unit configured to detect a contacting region in which the first roller and the second roller are contacting each other, according to rotation of the first roller; a storing unit configured to store a contacting time in the contacting region detected by the contacting region detecting unit; and a rotation control unit configured to control the rotation of the first roller in such a manner as to change the contacting region in which the first roller and the second roller contact each other, based on the contacting time stored by the storing unit. | 03-12-2009 |
20090067867 | Power supply device, fixing device and image forming apparatus - A disclosed power supply device includes a voltage resonance circuit configured to include an output coil for boosting an input direct-current voltage to a predetermined voltage and outputting the boosted voltage to a load and also include a capacitor connected to the output coil; and a switching unit configured to be turned ON/OFF so as to control electric current supply to the output coil. An auxiliary resonance circuit is connected in parallel with the output coil so as to reduce switching losses without using a power control circuit for switching control. | 03-12-2009 |
20090067868 | Temperature control unit and image forming apparatus including same - A temperature control unit that maintains a temperature of a fixing liquid includes a container, some or all of which is formed of a heat conservation member, configured to store the fixing liquid that dissolves or causes a toner to swell, a heater provided to an image forming apparatus for heating the container through the heat conservation member, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the fixing liquid in the container, a controller for controlling an amount of heat that is transferred from the heater to the heat conservation member of the container based on a detection result provided by the temperature sensor, and a fixing liquid applicator for supplying the fixing liquid in the container to a toner on a recording medium so as to fix the toner onto the recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes the temperature control unit. | 03-12-2009 |
20090074440 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a pair of fixing members opposing each other and a pressing lever that is rotatable around a shaft. The pressing lever can be moved either to a pressing position in which one of the fixing members is pressed against the other fixing member, or to a pressure releasing position in which the one of the fixing member is separated from the other fixing member. When the pressing lever moves between the pressing position and the pressure releasing position, a first control unit located near an end of the pressing lever controls displacement of the end. | 03-19-2009 |
20090092409 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation. | 04-09-2009 |
20090123169 | UNIFORM GLOSS CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD - In a fusing apparatus including a fuser member and pressure member fusing nip, a controller and sensors, there is provided a method of controlling fused image gloss. The method includes (a) sensing a copy sheet moving into the fusing nip; (b) sensing a temperature of a pre-fusing nip portion of a surface of the fuser member; (c) sensing a temperature of a post-fusing nip portion of the surface of the fuser member; (d) sensing an exit of each copy sheet from the fusing nip; (e) determining a start and an end of each inter-sheet gap portion on the surface of the fuser member; (f) making control calculations using sensed data; and (g) based on the control calculations, applying temperature conditioning only onto an inter-sheet gap portion on the surface of the fuser member for maintaining a near-constant uniform temperature on the surface of the fuser member. | 05-14-2009 |
20090196641 | USE OF CUSTOMER DOCUMENTS FOR GLOSS MEASUREMENTS - An image printing system for adjusting gloss on printed documents includes a marking engine constructed to print images, which have gloss, on a document; a gloss measurement device, includes a linear array sensor to detect a generally specular and diffuse reflectance in the first direction produced by one or more illuminators; a processor configured to receive image data relating to a content of the image to be printed on the document; to process the detected generally specular and diffuse reflectances to determine a characteristic of the gloss of the document, and to compare the gloss characteristic with the image data relating to content of the image printed on the document; and a controller configured to control at least one process controls parameter of the marking engine based on the comparison of the gloss characteristic with the image content by the processor. | 08-06-2009 |
20090208235 | TERMINAL DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND PRINTING SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME, AND PRINTING METHOD THEREOF - A printing method using a terminal device connected to an image forming apparatus includes analyzing an object of an initial page of a medium to be printed and setting fusing conditions if a print command is input, and transmitting the set fusing conditions and print data to the image forming apparatus. The fusing conditions are set differently according to characteristics of an initial page of a medium to be printed, and thus the preheating time can be reduced and the printing speed can be increased. | 08-20-2009 |
20090214242 | Image Forming Device - An image forming device, configured to form an image on a sheet in an electrophotographic method, includes a fixing roller thermally fixing a developer image on the sheet, a driving unit generating a driving force, a first rotating body configured to be driven by the driving force and rotate the fixing roller, a clutch mechanism provided on a power transmission route to transmit the driving force from the driving unit to the first rotating body, the clutch mechanism switching between a state to transmit the driving force to the first rotating body and a state to block transmission of the driving force to the first rotating body, a second rotating body provided at a downstream side relative to the clutch mechanism on the power transmission route so as to rotate in conjunction with the first rotating body, a detecting unit detecting whether the second rotating body is rotating. | 08-27-2009 |
20090238593 | HEATING APPARATUS AND INDUCTION HEATING CONTROL METHOD - A fixing device of an image forming apparatus of the present invention enables induction heating coils for a 100 V power source to set a ratio of inductance L to load resistance R of a heat roller to L/R<35×10 | 09-24-2009 |
20090257766 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME - An image forming apparatus having a normal paper mode and a thick paper mode includes a scanning unit | 10-15-2009 |
20090297194 | Method For Processing A Media Sheet In A Media Processing Device - A method for processing a media sheet by advancing the media sheet through a nip in a media processing device is disclosed. The nip is capable of being configured by abuttingly coupling a heater device to a pressure roller. A first heater device temperature of the heater device and a pressure roller temperature of the pressure roller are determined. A signal for configuring the nip is generated upon determining the first heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature. A second heater device temperature of the heater device is determined on generating the signal. A closure of the nip is verified for advancing the media sheet through the nip based on the first heater device temperature, the second heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature. The media sheet is advanced through the nip on verifying the nip as closed. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297195 | FUSER ASSEMBLIES, XEROGRAPHIC APPARATUSES AND METHODS OF FUSING TONER ON MEDIA IN XEROGRAPHIC APPARATUSES - Fuser assemblies, xerographic apparatuses including the fuser assemblies, and methods of fusing toner on media in xerographic apparatuses are disclosed. An embodiment of the fuser assemblies comprises a first roll including an electrically-conductive first surface; an electrically-conductive second surface, the first surface and the second surface defining a nip therebetween at which toner is fused on a medium; at least one voltage sensor for sensing a first voltage difference between the first surface and the second surface; and at least one power supply connected to the first surface and the second surface. A controller is connected to each voltage sensor and each power supply. The controller receives a signal from each voltage sensor indicating the first voltage difference, and the controller controls each power supply to produce a second voltage difference between the first surface and the second surface based on the first voltage difference. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297196 | FIXING APPARATUS - In one embodiment, a fixing apparatus is configured of a pressing portion for causing the pressure roller to enter a pressure applied state by applying bias, a switching portion for causing the pressing portion in the pressure applied state to enter a pressure released state by causing a cam to rotate forward, a pressure state detection portion for detecting the pressure released state, and a control portion for, when shifting from the pressure applied state to the pressure released state, turning forward the cam of the switching portion in the pressure applied state and stopping the cam after the pressure state detection portion detects the pressure released state. If the cam is turned forward with respect to the switching portion for a certain time period, but the pressure state detection portion does not detect the pressure released state, the control portion performs forward rotational direction retry control. | 12-03-2009 |
20090317111 | FIXING DEVICE USABLE WITH AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus having a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium, a heater to heat the fixing roller, and an alternating current (AC) power source to supply an AC electric power to the heater may include a power converting part to convert the AC electric power of the AC power source and to supply the converted power to the heater; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the power converting part and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point, the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the power converting part; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed between the relay coil and the DC power supplier and mounted adjacent to the fixing roller so as to interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to the relay coil, when a temperature of the fixing roller exceeds a threshold temperature, causing the relay coil to open the first relay contact point. | 12-24-2009 |
20090317112 | FIXING DEVICE USABLE WITH AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium; a heater to heat the fixing roller; an alternating current (AC) power source to generate an AC electric power such that the heater heats the fixing roller according to the AC electric power; a unit interposed between the heater and the AC power source to selectively supply the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater so as to control the heater to heat the fixing roller; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the unit and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point; the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from AC power source to the heater and the power control switch; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed on a DC power supply line between the DC power supplier and the relay coil to control the supply of the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the unit according to an temperature of the fixing roller. | 12-24-2009 |
20090317113 | HEATER, FIXING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heater is operable with a main power supply unit and a chargeable auxiliary power supplying unit. The heater includes a heater part having one or a plurality of heater elements to receive power from the main and auxiliary power supplying units, a detecting part to detect information related to the heater part, and a controller to vary an amount of power supplied from the auxiliary power supply unit to the heater part per unit time based on the information detected by the detecting part. | 12-24-2009 |
20090324271 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEROF - An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes an auxiliary power supply configured to detachably mountable on the image forming apparatus, a fixing device including a main heater heated by a commercial power supply and an auxiliary heater heated by the auxiliary power supply, a detector that detects mounting and detachment of the auxiliary power supply, and a control unit that performs control to carry out, when the mounting of the auxiliary power supply is detected by the detector, continuous printing of sheets at printing speed higher than printing speed at the time when the auxiliary power supply is not mounted. According to the image forming apparatus according to the invention, the image forming apparatus is capable of operating without deteriorating power use efficiency during continuous printing at normal speed and, on the other hand, can secure stable fixing performance even when the speed of the continuous printing is increased. | 12-31-2009 |
20100014880 | FIXING DEVICE, TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD OF FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a heated body having a metal conductive layer, a pressing body to permit a sheet to pass through between the heated body and itself, a sheet detection portion to detect the sheet conveyed between the heated body and the pressing body, an induction heating coil to generate an induced current in the metal conductive layer, and a controller, on the basis of the detection results of the sheet detection portion, to detect a first boundary where a part of the sheet in contact with the heated body is switched to a part not in contact with the heated body and a second boundary where the part of the sheet not in contact with the heated body is switched to the part in contact with the heated body and when the first boundary and second boundary face the induction heating coil, changing the power value to be supplied to the induction heating coil. | 01-21-2010 |
20100028035 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME - When image forming is to be successively performed on recording sheets having different sizes, an image forming apparatus suitably executes adjustment processing on a fixing apparatus or the like used in the image forming, and maintains image quality as well as suppresses a drop in productivity. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus specifies the size of a printing material onto which an image is to be performed, and with use of the specified printing material size and the size of printing materials on which images have been formed immediately previously, determines whether it is necessary to execute adjustment processing for maintaining image quality. Specifically, adjustment processing is executed only if the size of the printing material on which an image is to be formed is greater than the size of the printing materials on which images were formed immediately previously. | 02-04-2010 |
20100034546 | POWER ADAPTING APPARATUS WITH AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - Disclosed are embodiments of a power adapting apparatus with an image forming apparatus and an electronic apparatus having the same. The power adapting apparatus includes a DC power generator to receive input AC power and generating DC power, a DC power output terminal to output the DC power, and an AC power output terminal to output the input AC power, wherein the power adapting apparatus is located outside an image forming apparatus receiving the DC power and the AC power respectively output from the DC power output terminal and the AC power output terminal. | 02-11-2010 |
20100054784 | FUSERS, PRINTING APPARATUSES AND METHODS OF FUSING TONER ON MEDIA - Fusers, printing apparatuses and methods of fusing toner on media are disclosed. An embodiment of a fuser for heating media includes a fuser roll including an outer portion having a first outer surface; a voltage source connected to the outer portion and adapted to supply voltage to the outer portion to heat the first outer surface; a pressure roll having a second outer surface; and a nip between the first and second outer surfaces. The first and second outer surfaces are adapted to contact a medium at the nip. | 03-04-2010 |
20100074642 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING FIXING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a controller, a database, an image carrier, a transfer unit, a fixing device including a temperature detector and a first drive device, a speed changer, and an electric-current detector. The controller calculates a toner adhesion amount of a recording medium, identifies a type of the recording medium, detects a temperature of the fixing device, determines a moisture content of the recording medium, calculates a reaction force of the recording medium, calculates a toner adhesion force, compares the reaction force and the toner adhesion force, determines a fixing nip angle, drives the first drive device to set the fixing device to the fixing nip angle, determines a target feed speed of the recording medium, and drives the speed changer to change a feed speed of the recording medium to match the target speed. | 03-25-2010 |
20100086324 | FUSERS, PRINTING APPARATUSES AND METHODS OF FUSING TONER ON MEDIA - Fusers, printing apparatuses and methods of fusing toner on media are disclosed. An embodiment of the fusers comprises a pressure roll including an outer surface; a continuous fuser belt including an inner surface and an outer fusing surface contacting the outer surface at a nip; and a heater disposed inside of the fuser belt, the fuser belt being rotatable relative to the heater. The heater includes at least one heating surface contacting the inner surface and adapted to pre-heat a portion of the fuser belt before the portion is rotated to the nip, and to heat the pre-heated portion at the nip. | 04-08-2010 |
20100119247 | FUSING UNIT, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE SAME - Disclosed are a fusing unit capable of a variable fusing pressing force, a control method thereof and an image forming apparatus employing the same. The fusing pressing force may be selectively varied so as to apply a lesser force at the initial stage of the operation of the fusing unit, and may be increased to a desired level of force suitable for fusing operation so as to minimize excessive torque in a driving motor that rotationally drives the fusing device. | 05-13-2010 |
20100119248 | POWER SUPPLY CIRCUITRY FOR INDUCTIVE HEATING ELEMENT - A fixing apparatus includes an induction heating coil configured to heat a heat generating member including a conductive heating element, a boosting circuit configured to boost a DC voltage obtained by rectifying AC power, a switching element configured to input a DC voltage boosted by the boosting circuit and to supply a high-frequency current to the induction heating coil, a driving circuit configured to drive the switching element, a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the heat generating member, and a control unit configured to control power supplied to the induction heating coil by controlling a boosting ratio of the boosting circuit and a driving frequency of the switching element by the driving circuit so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit reaches a target temperature. | 05-13-2010 |
20100158553 | BELT DRIVING MECHANISM, FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME, AND BELT POSITION ADJUSTMENT METHOD USED THEREIN - A belt driving mechanism includes an endless belt wound around first and second belt supporters, rotated by a driving source, a pressure member that presses against the first belt supporter via the endless belt, a deviation detector to detect a deviation of the endless belt in its thrust direction, a cam mechanism including a rotary cam shaft extending the thrust direction of the endless belt and a first pressure change member of irregular shape, and a controller to changes a rotational position of the first pressure change member according to a detection result by the deviation detector. The first pressure change member has multiple different lengths of radii between a center portion of the cam shaft and its outer circumference and is attached to the cam shaft to press a first end portion of one of the first belt supporter and the pressure member. | 06-24-2010 |
20100158554 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming method includes forming toner images on first and second image bearing members; transferring a first toner image on the first image bearing member and a second toner image on the second image bearing member, in mutually superposed manner, onto a recording material; heating the first and second toner image thereby fixing the same to the recording material; detecting alignment marks on the first and second image bearing members in the course of a continuous job for continuously forming images; controlling relative positions of the first toner image and the second toner image, based on a result of detection of the alignment marks; and increasing a frequency of execution of the relative position control in the continuous job, as the recording material to be subjected to image formation in the continuous job has a smaller width in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction of the recording material. | 06-24-2010 |
20100183326 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING FUSER NIP WIDTH - An apparatus ( | 07-22-2010 |
20100196034 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING NIP WIDTH BASED ON A SCANNED NIP PRINT IN AN IMAGE PRODUCTION DEVICE - A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting nip width based on a scanned nip print in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include automatically inserting a sheet of media into a fuser nip in the image production device upon receiving a signal from a user interface, the fuser nip being an intersection of the fuser roll and the pressure roll, generating a nip print in the fuser nip, the nip print being an image created from the pressure between the fuser roll and the pressure roll, scanning the nip print, determining if a nip width adjustment is required based on the scanned nip print, the nip width being the distance of an arc length created by an intersection of the fuser roll and the pressure roll, and if it is determined that a nip width adjustment is required based on the scanned nip print, adjusting the nip width. | 08-05-2010 |
20100196035 | CONTROL APPARATUS, PROGRAM, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - When glossiness in an area designated by a user was adjusted, the glossiness adjustment was achieved by exchanging a plurality of toners having different glass transition points. Thus, the user was required to select an appropriate toner when the glossiness in the area designated by the user was adjusted. Further, the user took some time or effort to set the selected toner every glossiness adjustment. In the present invention, how to adjust the glossiness in the area designated by the user is obtained as mode information and on the basis of the obtained mode, control is effected so that a transparent image is selectively formed in the area designated by the user or an image formable area except for the area designated by the user. | 08-05-2010 |
20100202790 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE-FORMING DEVICE, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes: a fixing unit that irradiates light to a color material transferred to a medium at a position specified by image data, to fix the color material on the medium; and a control unit that controls irradiation of light of the fixing unit so that an energy of light irradiated to an image-forming area on the medium including an area in which the color material has been transferred at the position specified by the image data is lower than an energy of light irradiated to a non image-forming area on the medium other than the image-forming area. | 08-12-2010 |
20100209129 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING FIXING DEVICE THAT RESPONDS TO REQUEST WHEN USING DECOLORABLE INK - An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit which forms a first image on a first recording medium with a first material which is not thermally decolorized; a second image forming unit which forms a second image on a second recording medium with a second material which is thermally decolorized; a fixing unit 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 control unit which controls the fixing unit so that the temperature of the second recording medium passing through the fixing unit becomes lower than a decolorizing temperature of the second material. | 08-19-2010 |
20100221030 | Sheet material identifying apparatus, sheet material treating apparatus and sheet material identifying Method - To provide a sheet material identifying apparatus for identifying the kind of a sheet material, including an adjusting assembly for dehumidifying or humidifying a predetermined region of the sheet material and adjusting the moisture content of the predetermined region, external force applying means for applying an external force to the predetermined region of the sheet material whose moisture content is adjusted and detecting means for detecting an external force propagated through the sheet while the external force is applied by the external force applying means; wherein an external force is applied to the predetermined region whose moisture content is adjusted through the adjusting assembly by the external force applying means and the kind of a sheet material is identified in accordance with the external force propagated through the sheet detected by the detecting means. | 09-02-2010 |
20100232821 | SELECTIVE PRINTING OF RAISED INFORMATION USING ELECTROGRAPHY - Printing of information with a distinct tactile feel can be accomplished by electrographic techniques. Such electrographic printing includes the steps of forming a desired print image, electrographically, on a receiver member utilizing standard size marking particles; and in areas of the formed print image, forming raised information by printing at least a first raised image and a second raised image. The print and raised images are fixing on the receiver member. The raised images are applied using toner particles having diameters substantially larger than the diameters standard size toner particles used for applying the print image. | 09-16-2010 |
20100303493 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF A PRINTER FUSER NIP - An apparatus ( | 12-02-2010 |
20100310266 | FUSER FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND HEATING CONTROL METHOD - Certain embodiments provide a fuser including: a heat roller; a press roller; a coil; an inverter; a driver; a mechanism configured to change a clearance of a gap between a coil and an outer circumferential surface of the heat roller; and a controller. The controller sends information indicating a first power level to the driver. The mechanism changes the clearance to a first distance. The controller sends information indicating a second power level larger than the first power level to the driver. The mechanism changes the clearance to a second distance larger than the first distance. | 12-09-2010 |
20100316403 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is controlled such that the amount of heat supplied to an outer surface recording sheet to be placed onto an outer surface of a book document for fixing a toner image thereon is greater than an amount of heat supplied to each of the other recording sheets to be placed onto an inner side of the book document for fixing a toner image thereon. | 12-16-2010 |
20100322654 | FUSER FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fuser includes: a rotational member configured to rotate; a press member configured to press a recording medium at a nip between the rotational member; an induction-current generator configured to generate induction current in the rotational member; and a controller configured to increase rotating speed of the rotational member after a trailing end of a preceding recording medium passes through the nip until a leading end of a following recording medium reaches the nip. | 12-23-2010 |
20100322655 | FUSER FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fuser includes: a belt member; plural rotational members configured to support the belt member; a press member configured to form a nip between the press member and the belt member; an induction-current generator configured to generate induction current in the belt member; and a controller configured to increase the induction current while a recording medium passes through the nip. | 12-23-2010 |
20100322656 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND HEATER CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a halogen heater in a fixing unit; an AC source applying an alternating voltage to the halogen heater; a half-wave control unit that performs the heater half-wave control to control the halogen heater on the half-wavelength basis, according to a heater-on/off pattern set for each control cycle having a predetermined length; a heater-off-time measuring unit that measures heater-off period of time; a phase-control-execution determining unit that determines, based on the measured heater-off period of time, whether the heater phase control is to be performed on the alternating voltage, the phase control being performed by shifting phase of the alternating voltage; and a phase control unit that performs, when the phase control is determined to be performed, the phase control only for a period of time depending on the measured heater-off period of time after switch-on of the heater and before execution of the half-wave control. | 12-23-2010 |
20100329716 | APPARATUSES USEFUL FOR PRINTING AND CORRESPONDING METHODS - Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of are provided. The apparatus includes a user interface for operating the printing apparatus, a fuser for fusing media, the fuser having a plurality of temperature settings, a gloss meter for measuring gloss of an image fused on the media, and a controller controlling the printing apparatus, wherein the controller: a) causes fusing of a plurality of media of a first type at a nominal fusing temperature, and then measuring a temperature of the pressure roll as a steady state pressure roll temperature, b) causes media of the first type to be input to the fuser to fuse an image onto the media, the fuser having a first fusing temperature, c) causes the gloss meter to measure a gloss level of the image fused on the media, and sending the measured gloss level with the first type of media to the controller, d) causes steps b) and c) to be repeated at various fusing temperatures different from the first fusing temperature, and saving the measured gloss levels with corresponding fuser temperatures, e) in response to a user indication of a desired gloss level received over the user interface, sets a temperature of the pressure roll to the steady state pressure roll temperature, and f) fuses media utilizing one of the measured fusing temperatures corresponding to the desired gloss level. | 12-30-2010 |
20110020024 | OPTIMIZED FUSING FOR HIGH SPEED ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY SYSTEM - A fuser and receiver release system and method are provided for improving the release of receivers in high speed of printing systems. This system controls the release of a receiver in conjunction with a fuser in a printing system, and specifically the efficiency and accuracy of the release system. One embodiment of this method includes a belt fuser that allows the separating of the heat transfer and release functions of the fuser such that fuser roller could be made of hard metal core that can be heated to high temperatures without the fear of delaminating elastomeric coatings which are common in roller fusing. | 01-27-2011 |
20110026960 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a belt member; a inclinable steering roller for supporting the belt member; a heating member for contacting to the belt member and heating an image on a recording material; a detecting member for detecting a position of a belt end in a widthwise direction of the belt member; correcting means for correcting a position of the belt member in the widthwise direction by inclining the steering roller in accordance with a detected position of the belt end by the detecting member; supporting means for supporting the detecting member; and the supporting means being provided with a contact portion for press-contacting the end surface of the one end portion of the steering roller. | 02-03-2011 |
20110044711 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes a raster image data generating unit, a halftone image data generating unit, a size control unit, an image forming unit and a flash fixing unit. The raster image data generating unit generates raster image data of a plurality of color components from document data. The halftone image data generating unit generates halftone image data from the raster image data. The size control unit controls minimum halftone dot sizes of the halftone image data. The image forming unit forms color toner images to be fixed on a recording medium using color toners corresponding to the plurality of color components, based on the halftone image data whose minimum halftone dot sizes are controlled by the size control unit. The flash fixing unit emits flash light from a flash light source to the recording medium to fix the color toner images transferred onto the recording medium. | 02-24-2011 |
20110058839 | HEATING FIXER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heating fixer, including a fixing member heating and melting a toner image; a pressure member contacting the fixing member upon application of pressure to form a nip; a variable device varying the pressure of the pressure member to the fixing member with rotation of a cam to vary a width of the nip into at least three steps; a drive motor driving the cam; and at least two position detectors detecting a rotational position of the cam, wherein each of the position detectors is formed of a fixed transmission sensor and a blocking filler coaxially rotating with the cam in a body, the blocking filler includes a blocking blade capable of blocking light received by the transmission sensor, the plural blocking fillers include blocking blades so as to have phases different from each other among the blocking fillers. | 03-10-2011 |
20110064436 | IMAGE GLOSS CONTROL APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM - An image gloss control apparatus that includes a first control component and a second control component is provided. The first control component controls an image forming/fixing component, which forms an image on a recording medium using a colored image formation material and fixes the image, so that a first image is formed in a high gloss area having a high gloss level on the recording medium or an area including the high gloss area on the recording medium and is fixed. The second control component that controls the image forming/fixing component, so that a second image having a density lower than a density of the first image is formed in a low gloss area having a gloss level lower than the gloss level of the high gloss area on the recording medium where the first image is formed or the low gloss area on the first image and is fixed. | 03-17-2011 |
20110064437 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless flexible fixing member formed into a loop, a heat conductive member disposed within the loop formed by the fixing member, a heater disposed near the heat conductive member to heat the heat conductive member, a pressing member pressing the fixing member against the heat conductive member to form a fixing nip, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the fixing member, and a lubricant disposed between the fixing member and the heat conductive member. The heater heats the heat conductive member to heat the lubricant with the fixing member stopped. The fixing member rotates after heating of the heat conductive member by the heater. | 03-17-2011 |
20110069984 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FIXING IMAGE - According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes a fixing roller having an elastic layer, a fixing belt wound around the fixing roller, a satellite roller to set up the fixing belt between the fixing roller and the satellite roller, a pressing roller to nip hold the fixing belt between the fixing roller and the pressing roller, a separator to separate a sheet at a position separate from the fixing belt, a pressure changing mechanism to change a nip pressure between the fixing roller and the pressing roller, and a driving device to rotate the fixing belt in a first direction when the nip pressure is a first nip pressure and to rotate the fixing belt in a second direction which is reverse to the first direction when the nip pressure is a second nip pressure which is lower than the first nip pressure. | 03-24-2011 |
20110091229 | FUSING UNIT, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A fusing unit includes a driving source, a fusing part which includes a heat source and is driven by the driving source to heat and press a transported printing medium to fuse an image transferred to the printing medium, an electric power supplying unit which supplies an electric power to the heat source, and a control unit which senses the torque of the driving source or a property value corresponding to the torque, and restricts or blocks electric power supplied to the heat source from the electric power supplying unit during a predetermined time if a change rate of the torque or the property value deviates from a reference value. | 04-21-2011 |
20110103816 | LASER FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes: a plurality of laser irradiation sections each of which emits a laser beam whose wavelength exhibits an absorbance of 80% or more with respect to a corresponding toner; and a control device for controlling the plurality of irradiation sections so that in order to fuse a black toner, (i) a laser irradiation section corresponding to the black toner among the plurality of laser irradiation sections irradiates the black toner with a laser beam thereof, and (ii) the other laser irradiation sections irradiate the black toner with laser beams thereof, where the other laser irradiation sections do not correspond to the black toner among the plurality of laser irradiation sections. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser fixing device which can fix a color toner while preventing an increase in size of the fixing device as much as possible. | 05-05-2011 |
20110142467 | HEATING CONTROLLING DEVICE, HEATING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM, AND METHOD - There is provided a heating controlling device having: a receiving section receiving heating instructions for plural heaters; and a controller that, when the receiving section receives a heating instruction to heat another heater while two or more heaters other than the heater for which the heating instruction is received are heating, stops heating of the heaters that are heating, after a first predetermined time period elapses from the control to stop heating, starts heating of the heater for which the heating instruction is received, and each time a number of second predetermined time periods elapses from the control to start heating, restarts heating, on the basis of predetermined priority rankings, of the heaters that were controlled to stop heating. | 06-16-2011 |
20110142468 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM USING THE SAME - Provided are an image forming apparatus, a fixing device, and an image forming system using the same, including: an image forming section for transferring a toner image onto a recording sheet; a first and second fixing rollers for thermally fixing the toner image on the recording sheet; a first and second temperature sensors each provided at a plurality of positions in a longitudinal direction of the fixing roller; and a rocking section for reciprocally shifting at least one of the fixing rollers in the longitudinal direction of the fixing roller, wherein the temperature gradient of each of the fixing rollers is detected, a central position of reciprocal shift of one fixing roller which can be shifted is set such that the temperature gradient of the other fixing roller is cancelled, and then the one fixing roller is reciprocally shifted by the rocking section. | 06-16-2011 |
20110170891 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A pressure lever journaling a pressure roller is rockably connected to a fixation frame journaling a fixing roller. A pivotal position of the pressure lever is adjusted by a motor through driving gears, sector gears, press-contact adjusting levers, and press contact springs, so that a mode of a fixing press contact force is set to a heavy press contact mode or a light press contact mode. By a control section, at start-up immediately after power-on and on basis of a temperature and a humidity detected by a temperature and humidity sensor, the heavy press contact mode is established for rectifying poor curl conditions of paper sheets on condition that the present temperature and humidity environment is a high-temperature high-humidity environment or the light press contact mode is established for rectifying poor fixation performance on condition that the present temperature and humidity environment is a low-temperature low-humidity environment. | 07-14-2011 |
20110182607 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a color toner image forming portion for forming a toner image with a color toner on a recording material; a clear toner image forming portion for forming a toner image with a clear toner on the recording material, wherein the clear toner has a melt viscosity, at a fixing temperature, higher than that of the color toner; a fixing device for fixing the toner image formed on the recording material; an obtaining portion for obtaining information on an area in which designated glossiness is partly increased, partly decreased, or partly increased and decreased; and a control device for determining the order of formation of the toner image with the color toner and the toner image with the clear toner on the recording material depending on the information obtained by the obtaining portion. | 07-28-2011 |
20110188872 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is a fixing device including a fixing belt to fix a toner image formed on a paper onto the paper, a driving unit to make the fixing belt reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the paper when fixing the toner image onto the paper and a detecting unit to detect a position of the fixing belt in the perpendicular direction, and a control target value of the fixing belt is changed in accordance with the position of the fixing belt in the perpendicular direction detected by the detecting unit, and the fixing belt is made to reciprocate by the driving unit based on the changed control target value. | 08-04-2011 |
20110188873 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - Certain embodiments provide an image forming device including: a print portion; a first roller provided in a sheet transportation direction; a heating element provided in either the first roller or an endless belt wound around the first roller and generates heat by magnetic flux; a second roller that forms a nip together with the heating element; a coil that has a coil hole facing the nip with a gap therebetween and generates the magnetic flux; an induction heating circuit that supplies the coil with a drive signal; an insulating mold that has a through hole facing the coil hole and supports the coil; a mechanism that transports the sheet through the through hole to the nip; and a controller that causes the mechanism to transport the sheet to the nip and the induction heating circuit to perform the induction-heating. | 08-04-2011 |
20110206401 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit which forms a chromatic toner image and a clear toner image on a recording material, and a fixing unit which fixes these toner images on the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a specifying unit, into which a level of image clarity and a level of gloss including a glossiness of an image are input for image formation; and a control unit that controls an adhesion amount of clear toner per unit area on the recording material based on input information on the image specified by the specifying unit. | 08-25-2011 |
20110229178 | FIXING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing unit includes a fixing member to fuse a toner image on a recording medium on the recording medium; a pressure member to press against the fixing member to define a first nip between the fixing member and the pressure member through which the recording medium is transported; a shifting unit to move the pressure member relative to the fixing member to increase or decrease a pressure of the first nip; a curling correction unit disposed downstream from the first nip in a transport direction of the recording medium that imparts a second curling direction to the recording medium; and a variable setting unit operatively connected to the curling correction unit to variably set an amount of the second curling direction to the recording medium by the curling correction unit depending on the first nip pressure increased or decreased by the shifting unit. | 09-22-2011 |
20110229179 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a fixing liquid applicator to apply a fixing liquid to a recording medium, a transfer device to transfer a toner image from a toner image bearing member onto the recording medium to which the fixing liquid is applied while the toner image is in contact with the fixing liquid, and a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium by heating the toner image and the fixing liquid. The fixing liquid comprises a plasticizer having a function to swell and soften a toner. | 09-22-2011 |
20110262165 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a developer retaining unit configured to carry a developer; a fixing unit including a rotatable heating member configured to heat a recording sheet to thermally fix the developer on the recording sheet; a motor configured to drive the developer retaining unit and the fixing unit; a transmission unit configured to transmit a driving force of the motor to the fixing unit; a switching mechanism configured to selectively transmit the driving force of the motor to the developer retaining unit, and shut off the driving force of the motor to the developer retaining unit; and a control unit configured to, in a cooling operation, control the switching mechanism to shut off the driving force of the motor to the developer retaining unit and control the motor to rotate the heating member while the heating member does not heat. | 10-27-2011 |
20110268464 | PRINTER AND FUSING SYSTEM - A system and printer are provided for fusing toner on a receiver medium having a toner pile that extends at least about 50 μm above a receiver. In one aspect, a system has a first energy source to apply a first energy to raise a temperature of a first portion of the toner pile to a range of elevated temperature levels below a glass transition temperature of the toner and a second energy source to apply a second energy to raise a temperature of a second portion of the toner pile above the glass transition temperature and to allow the second portion to transfer energy to the first portion. The second energy is provided at a level that allows the transferred energy to raise the temperature of the first portion from the range of elevated levels to a range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature for the toner. | 11-03-2011 |
20110268465 | PRINTING AND FUSING METHOD - Methods are provided for printing and fusing a toner on a receiver having a toner pile that extends at least about 50 μm above a receiver. According to one aspect, a first energy is applied to raise a temperature of a first portion of the toner pile to a range of elevated temperature levels below a glass transition temperature of the toner, a second energy is applied to a temperature of a second portion of the toner pile above the glass transition temperature and to allow the second portion to transfer energy to the first portion. The second energy is provided at a level that allows the transferred energy to raise the temperature of the first portion from the range of elevated levels to the range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature. a range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature for the toner. | 11-03-2011 |
20110280607 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED THEREWITH - A fixing device by fixing an image on a recording material at a nip portion, includes: an air blower which blows air sent by a fan on the neighborhood of an exit of the nip portion; a pressure contact and separation switching section which switches from a separated state in which a pressure member is separated from a fixing member to a pressure contact state in which the pressure member is in contact with the heating member at a moment that is earlier by a predetermined period of time than a time when a leading edge of the recording material arrives at the nip portion; and a controller which controls the fan to start its rotation within a first time period between a time when a changeover from the separated state to the pressure contact state is started and a time when the leading edge of the recording material arrives at the nip portion. | 11-17-2011 |
20110305473 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable belt member for heating an image on a recording material; a rotatable member pressing against said belt member; a nip forming member, provided inside said belt member, for cooperating with said rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding the recording material; a projection provided on a side of said nip forming member near the nip and projecting toward the nip; and an executing portion for executing a first image heating mode operation in which an image formed on the recording material having a first thickness with said projection projected into a nip region and a second image heating mode operation in which an image formed on the recording material having a second thickness which is smaller than the first thickness with said projection is outside the nip region. | 12-15-2011 |
20110318036 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming a toner image on a recording material; and a fixing portion including a heating rotatable member, a heating element for heating the heating rotatable member using heat generation by electric power supply, a pressing rotatable member for contacting the heating rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding the recording material, a pressure changing member for changing a pressure to the nip, wherein the fixing portion fixes the toner image on the recording material while nipping and feeding the recording material carrying the toner image by the nip, and fixing portion is capable of changing a glossiness of the toner image by changing the pressure to the nip by operation of the pressure changing member, wherein the image forming apparatus is operable in a glossy mode in which the glossiness of the toner image is switchable, wherein a MD-1 hardness of a surface layer of the heating rotatable member contactable with the toner image is 20-70, and when the glossy mode is selected so as to raise the glossiness at the time of heating and fixing of the toner image, the pressure changing member operates so as to lower the pressure to the nip. | 12-29-2011 |
20120045238 | LASER FUSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - A laser fusing apparatus including: a laser light source for emitting a laser beam; a conveyance belt for conveying a sheet with a toner image being transferred thereon and guiding the sheet to an irradiation region in which the toner image is to be irradiated with the laser light source; a heat pipe including a heat receiving portion to receive heat generated by the laser light source and a heat releasing portion to supply the received heat to the conveyance belt; and a fuser control section for controlling the laser light source so that the laser light source irradiates the laser beam to the toner image when the toner image passes the irradiation region, thereby fixing the toner image onto the sheet, wherein the conveyance belt heats the sheet and the toner image with the heat supplied from the heat radiation section. | 02-23-2012 |
20120045239 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARTUS - A fixing device includes a laser light source for irradiating an unfixed toner image formed on a recording sheet, and melts a toner by light from the laser light source to fix the toner image on the recording sheet. Here, where a conveyance speed of the recording sheet is p, a length of a light irradiation area in a conveyance direction of the recording sheet is q, time during which the toner of the unfixed image is subjected to light during conveyance is r, and energy per unit area given to the toner of the unfixed image is J, light output of the laser light source is controlled so that the energy during a constant time r | 02-23-2012 |
20120057893 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit configured to transfer an image to a recording material, a fixing unit configured to fix, to the recording material, the image transferred to the recording material, a first curvature detection unit located between the transfer unit and the fixing unit and configured to adjust an amount of curvature of the recording material to a first amount of curvature, and a second curvature detection unit located between the transfer unit and the fixing unit and configured to adjust the amount of curvature of the recording material to a second amount of curvature, wherein the second curvature detection unit is located in a position different from the first curvature detection unit in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material. | 03-08-2012 |
20120063798 | Image forming apparatus and method for controlling fuser thereof - An image forming apparatus includes a heat roller heated to a preset temperature; a pressure roller for having conductivity and forming a nip by pressure-contacting with the heat roller; a power supply unit to apply a bias voltage to the pressure roller; and a controller to, when a printing paper enters the nip, control the power supply unit to apply the bias voltage to the pressure roller. When a time interval is longer than a preset time, the controller can control the power supply unit not to apply the bias voltage when the printing paper is not placed in the nip, and when the time interval is shorter than the preset time, the controller can control the power supply unit to apply the bias voltage when the printing paper is not placed in the nip. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063799 | INDUCTION HEATING DEVICE, INDUCTION HEATING FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An induction heating device includes a resonance circuit including an exciting coil and a resonance capacitor; a switching unit that turns on and off a high-frequency current flowing through the switching unit; a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the heated body; a power amount detector that detects a power amount sent to the exciting coil; a turned-on time setting unit that sets a turned-on time of the switching unit; a timing generation unit that generates a signal indicating a timing when a voltage between both ends of the switching unit is zero; and a timing setting unit that sets a turned-on timing of the switching unit based on the signal generated by the timing generation unit. | 03-15-2012 |
20120070172 | FUSER, AN IMAGE DORMING APPARATUS HAVING A FUSER AND A METHOD TOSTOP A ROATATION MEMBER - According to one embodiment, a fuser including an endless member, an endless section of which moves in a rotating direction of a rotating shaft according to rotation of the shaft, a pressing cylindrical member which applies predetermined pressure to the endless section of the endless member, and a controller configured to detect a rotation angle of the pressing cylindrical member, the controller detecting, with a rotation angle equivalent to a nip region where the pressing cylindrical member and the endless section comes into contact with each other and are elastically deformed set as a minimum unit of the rotation angle, a rotation angle for dividing an outer circumference of the pressing cylindrical member with an integer. | 03-22-2012 |
20120070173 | FIXATION DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - A fixation device includes a first conveyance member, a first press member facing the first conveyance member, a second press member facing the first conveyance member, and a support mechanism supporting the first and second press members and capable of switching whether or not to press the first and second press members against the first conveyance member. | 03-22-2012 |
20120093531 | Image forming apparatus and method for forming toner image on recording medium - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device disposed downstream from an image forming device in a recording medium conveyance direction to fix a toner image formed by the image forming device on a recording medium. The fixing device includes a pressing rotary body separatably pressed against a fixing rotary body to form a nip therebetween through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes, and a moving assembly to move the pressing rotary body bidirectionally to press the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body and separate the pressing rotary body from the fixing rotary body. A controller controls the moving assembly to change a post-fixing pressing time period for which the moving assembly presses the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body after the recording medium bearing the toner image is discharged from the nip according to image data. | 04-19-2012 |
20120106999 | IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE, IMAGE FORMATION METHOD AND NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM STORING IMAGE FORMATION PROGRAM - An image formation device includes a receiving section, a formation section, a fixing section, a switching section, and a controller. The receiving section receives image formation data including image data, and sheet data which includes designations of a sheet and a corresponding fixing pressure. The formation section forms a toner image on the sheet. The fixing section fixes the toner image on the sheet. The switching section switches the fixing pressure between a first or second fixing pressure. When the fixing pressure is switched to the second fixing pressure and the fixing pressure designated by the sheet data is the first fixing pressure, the controller performs a mandatory image formation that includes a low-speed control that conveys the sheet at a speed lower than that for the first fixing pressure, and/or a toner suppression control that performs image formation with a smaller amount of toner than in normal. | 05-03-2012 |
20120107000 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND MEDIUM STORING IMAGE FORMING PROGRAMS THEREIN - There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a forming unit that forms a toner image according to image information for an image to be formed on a sheet; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed on the sheet; a switching unit that switches a fixing pressure of the fixing unit by an operation; a stopping unit that, when the fixing pressure is switched to fix at a second fixing pressure lower than a predefined first fixing pressure, stops conveying a final sheet before the final sheet is fed after being fixed; and an instructing unit that, when the stopping unit stops conveying the final sheet, instructs switching to the first fixing pressure. | 05-03-2012 |
20120114352 | HEATING AND PRESSURIZING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heating and pressurizing device includes a heating and pressurizing unit that includes a pair of members in contact with each other, at least one of the pair of members being to be heated, and that heats and pressurizes a medium between the pair of members, a change unit that changes a contact pressure between the pair of members by changing a relative position of the pair of members according to a control signal, and a controller that sends the control signal to the change unit and includes a detecting unit that detects a difference between a target distance and an actual distance. The target distance corresponds to a predetermined distance, and the actual distance corresponds to a distance of which the pair of members are positioned after the controller sends a predetermined control signal set as corresponding to the predetermined distance as the control signal to the change unit. | 05-10-2012 |
20120114353 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM STORED WITH IMAGE FORMING PROGRAM - There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a forming section that, based on image forming data including image data of an image to be formed on paper and paper data relating to the paper, forms a toner image according to the image data on paper; a fixing section that fixes the toner image formed on the paper; a switching section that on operation switches a fixing pressure of the fixing section; a control section that, when the fixing pressure is switched by the switching section from a first fixing pressure to a second fixing pressure prior to a predetermined condition being satisfied after the fixing pressure has been switched to the first fixing pressure by the switching section, controls to prohibit image forming on paper corresponding to the second fixing pressure different from the first fixing pressure. | 05-10-2012 |
20120114354 | Fixing Device, Image Forming Apparatus Incorporating Same, And Method For Fixing Toner Image On Recording Medium - A fixing device includes a pressing rotary body pressed against a fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed; a heater to heat the fixing rotary body, disposed opposite a circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body and upstream from the fixing nip a predetermined circumferential distance along the circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body in a direction of rotation of the fixing rotary body; a heater driver to turn on and off the heater; a timing calculator to calculate a reference time at which a trailing end portion of the recording medium in a conveyance direction of the recording medium reaches the fixing nip; and a heater driver controller to cause the heater driver to turn off the heater at a turn-off time earlier than the reference time. | 05-10-2012 |
20120114355 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing roller, a heating section, a pressurizing roller, an oil roller, a first cleaning roller, and a control section. The pressurizing roller is pressed against the fixing roller. The oil roller abuts against the fixing roller and is capable of being rotated by rotation of the fixing roller to apply oil onto a surface of the fixing roller. The first cleaning roller abuts against the oil roller and is capable of being rotated by rotation of the oil roller to clean a surface of the oil roller. When the control section determines that the fixing roller and the pressurizing roller have performed fixing on a predetermined number and more of consecutive sheet surfaces, the control section carries out a first control process which causes the heating section to stop and the fixing roller to rotate for a first predetermined time period after the fixing. | 05-10-2012 |
20120121284 | FIXING APPARATUS - A fixing apparatus is capable of executing a first fixing mode for performing fixing processing at a first pressing force and a second fixing mode for performing fixing processing at a second pressing force that is lower than the first pressing force. When a pressing force applied to a fixing nip portion is set to the second pressing force, all of a first heating member pattern on a heater is contained within a contact region between a belt member and the heater, and at least a portion of a second heating member pattern is disposed outside the contact region, so that consumed power is reduced. | 05-17-2012 |
20120121285 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, and a power control unit. The image forming unit forms an unfixed image on a recording material. The fixing unit includes an endless belt, a heater held in contact with the endless belt, a pressurization roller to form a fixing nip portion for pinching and conveying the recording material together with the heater via the endless belt, and a pressure changing mechanism to effect switching between a pressurization state and a pressure release state. The power control unit controls power to the heater. In response to transitioning from the pressure release state to the pressurization state, the power control unit starts power to the heater during a transition period before the pressurization state is attained and controls power to the heater such that a heater temperature does not exceed a predetermined upper limit temperature during the transition period. | 05-17-2012 |
20120121286 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a switch member that selectively switches a blowing direction of an air drawn by a fan and passing through a duct to a direction toward a conveying roller pair or a direction toward a sheet conveying path between the conveying roller pair and a fixing device; and a control portion that switches the switch member, based on a setting by an operation portion to that a gloss mode for an image to be formed on the sheet is set, so that when a mode for forming a high gloss image is set, the blowing direction of the air is switched to the direction toward the pair of rollers, and when a mode for forming a low gloss image is set, the blowing direction of the air is switched to the direction toward the sheet conveying path. | 05-17-2012 |
20120163847 | METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING A GLOSS OF AN IMAGE FIXED BY WARM-PRESSURE FIXING - A fixed image gloss control system outputs a warm pressure-fixed image having a low gloss level. The image is alterable to change the low gloss level to a high gloss level or an intermediate gloss level. The fixing system includes a pressure roll and a fixing roll that together form a fixing nip. The pressure roll has a polyurethane contact surface. A polishing mechanism may polish the fused image to achieve a desired gloss level. | 06-28-2012 |
20120183317 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF FIXING DEVICE - According to one embodiment, 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. | 07-19-2012 |
20120189337 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes control device for selectively executing a first mode in which the non-transparent toner image is formed, then the transparent toner image is formed on the sheet not yet heated, then the sheet is subjected to the heating or a second mode in which the non-transparent toner image is formed, then the transparent toner image is formed on the sheet subjected to the heating, then the sheet is subjected to the heating; and storing device for storing selection information compared with information of amount of the non-transparent toner image, wherein the selection information indicates which mode provides larger difference in glossiness of the image fixed by the fixing device between when the transparent toner image of a predetermined amount is overlaid on the non-transparent toner image of a amount to be formed on the sheet and when the transparent toner image is not overlaid. | 07-26-2012 |
20120207500 | HEATING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A heating device includes an illuminating unit that applies laser light towards a strip-like illumination area formed along a direction crossing a direction of movement of a recording medium; and a reflecting member that surrounds the illumination area, the reflecting member reflecting again reflected light from the illumination area. The reflecting member has protruding reflecting surfaces that protrude continuously towards the recording medium along a widthwise direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the illumination area, the protruding reflecting surfaces being disposed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the illumination area. The protruding reflecting surfaces are positioned at substantially equal distances from the illumination area along the widthwise direction of the illumination area, and changed so that an entire or a portion of a cross-sectional shape along the longitudinal direction of the illumination area is curved or inclined. | 08-16-2012 |
20120213539 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes: a fixing member which fixes a toner image on a sheet; a plurality of sliding contact members which sliding contact a surface of the fixing member in which roughness of sliding surfaces of the plurality of sliding contact members is different from each other; a counter which accumulates a count value based on the number of fixing operations to determine a contact period of time of the plurality of sliding contact members to be brought into contact with the fixing member; and a controller which controls the plurality of sliding contact members to be brought into contact with the fixing member based on the accumulated count value of the counter. | 08-23-2012 |
20120219311 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREFOR - An image-forming apparatus capable of satisfactorily maintaining the durability of a separating mechanism while preventing deformation of rubber layers of parts of a fixing unit and at the same time achieving a power saving effect. The image-forming apparatus is shifted into a power saving state without a fixing part and a pressurizing part of the fixing unit being separated. The fixing part and the pressurizing part are separated, if a return condition from the power saving state is not satisfied even after elapse of a predetermined time period from when the apparatus has been shifted into the power saving state. | 08-30-2012 |
20120224874 | FIXING APPARATUS - A fixing apparatus that conveys a printing medium to a fixing nip portion formed by rotating members, and fixes an image onto the printing medium by heat from heating elements. The fixing apparatus also includes a safety element, a rotation detection circuit, and a limiting circuit. The safety element is in a power supply path to supply electrical power to the heating elements and to shut off the path in response with an abnormal temperature. The rotation detection circuit detects a rotation state of the rotating members. The limiting circuit limits a drive of a second driving circuit per a rotation detection circuit output. A first driving circuit detects that the circuit drives a first heating element per a control signal, regardless of the rotating members rotation state, and the second driving circuit drives a second heating element per a control signal and the output from the rotation detection circuit. | 09-06-2012 |
20120237241 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image on a recording material, a pressure applying member that is pressed against an outer peripheral surface of the fixing member and forms a press-fixing part therebetween through which the recording material having an unfixed toner image is transported, a heating unit that heats the fixing member, and a pressure-applying-member-moving unit that moves the pressure applying member and changes the pressure applying member between being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member and being spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member. The heating unit heats the fixing member at the start of a fixing operation under heating conditions corresponding to a change in the state of the fixing member occurring when the pressure applying member is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member by the pressure-applying-member-moving unit. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237242 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - To provide an image forming apparatus in which multiple number of laser beams are controlled to perform fixing based on the toner concentration in the developing device, or based on the density and weight of the toner image adhering on the recording medium before fixing. The controller in the image forming apparatus compares the toner concentration detected by the toner concentration detector with the reference toner concentration, calculates the output level of the laser irradiator, controls the laser irradiator based on the calculation, controls to increase the output level of the laser irradiator in accordance with the detected toner concentration when the toner concentration is lower than the reference toner concentration, and controls to lower the output level of the laser irradiator in accordance with the detected toner concentration when the toner concentration is higher than the reference toner concentration. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237243 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An information processing apparatus is connected to a print control apparatus for generating image data. The information processing apparatus includes a generating unit configured to generate gloss control plate data for specifying a type of a surface effect imparted to a recording medium and a region in the recording medium to which the surface effect is imparted; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the gloss control plate data to the print control apparatus. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237244 | PRINT CONTROL APPARATUS, PRINTING SYSTEM, AND PRINT CONTROL METHOD - A print control apparatus includes a generating unit that generates clear-toner plane data based on gloss-control plane data, which contains a gloss control value for specifying a type of a surface effect being a visual or a tactile effect applied to the recording medium and for specifying a region to which the surface effect is applied in the recording medium, and clear plane data, which contains a density value for specifying a transparent image other than the surface effect; and an outputting unit that outputs the clear-toner plane data. When a region where the gloss control value is specified in the gloss-control plane data and a region where the density value is specified in the clear plane data overlap each other, the generating unit sets a value of the clear-toner plane data to the gloss control value or the density value, based on a predetermined condition. | 09-20-2012 |
20120243893 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A fixing device includes a first irradiation unit that irradiates a laser beam in a first irradiation region toward a recording medium in which unfixed image is formed; a second irradiation unit that irradiates a laser beam toward a second irradiation region; an image information acquiring unit that acquires image information of the first irradiation region; a coating information acquiring unit that divides the first irradiation region into one or a plurality of divided regions, and that acquires coating information that relates to the coating level on the basis of the image information; a transmission information acquiring unit that acquires transmission information that relates to the laser beam which is irradiated to the first irradiation region and passes through the recording material on the basis of the coating information; an irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation energy of the second irradiation unit based on the transmission information. | 09-27-2012 |
20120251152 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MARKING MATERIAL FIX LEVEL CONTROL IN A PRINTING APPARATUS - An apparatus and method control fix levels in a printing apparatus. The apparatus can include a media transport configured to transport a media sheet having marking material on at least a first side of the media sheet. The apparatus can include a media sheet rub module configured to rub a rub material against the first side of the media sheet. The apparatus can include a sensor configured to sense marking material on the rub material, the marking material rubbed from the first side of the media sheet onto the rub material. The apparatus can include a controller configured to determine a fix level of marking material on the media sheet based on the sensed marking material on the rub material, the fix level indicating how well the marking material is affixed to the media sheet. | 10-04-2012 |
20120263486 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING INDUCTION HEATING FIXING UNIT - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming a toner image on a sheet of paper; a fixing unit for fixing the toner image formed on the sheet of paper by heat; a power control unit for, when power to be supplied to the fixing unit is increased, determining an amount of increase of the power; and a current limiting unit for determining whether current consumption of the image forming apparatus exceeds an upper limit value in response to an increase of the amount of increase determined by the power control unit and, if it is determined that the current consumption exceeds the upper limit value, decreasing the amount of increase of the power determined by the power control unit. | 10-18-2012 |
20120269531 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a image carrying member; a transfer member forming a transfer nip for nipping and feeding a sheet while transferring the toner image onto the sheet; a fixing unit having a fixing nip for nipping and feeding the sheet discharged from the transfer nip while fixing the toner image; a bowing amount measuring unit for measuring a bowing amount of the sheet which is fed while being nipped by the transfer nip and fixing nip; and a sheet feeding speed controller, wherein the controller is capable of controlling the feeding speed of the fixing nip on the basis of a result detection of the measuring unit such that the bowing amount is substantially zero at the time when a trailing end of the sheet goes out of the transfer nip. | 10-25-2012 |
20120294638 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming device includes an image forming section, a fixing unit, an oscillation mechanism and a controller. The image forming section forms an image on a sheet. The fixing unit thermally fix the image on the sheet by using a fixing rotating member to pinch and convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming section. The oscillation mechanism oscillates at least the fixing rotating members of the fixing unit in an axial direction thereof. The controller controls the oscillation mechanism to cause the fixing rotating members not to oscillate while the sheet is being pinched and conveyed simultaneously by the fixing rotating members and other rotating members. | 11-22-2012 |
20120301169 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER OF FIXING UNIT - An apparatus and method for controlling power of a fixing unit is provided. The apparatus includes a power supply unit supplying DC power to the fixing unit, and a power controller controlling the power supply unit to gradually increase a DC power supply time until a pre-set time is reached. Accordingly, a flicker characteristic can be reduced by gradually increasing a supply time of DC power to the fixing unit. | 11-29-2012 |
20120308252 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus can be used in areas having different power supply voltages, in which a failure of the apparatus can be detected so that reliability of the apparatus is improved. The apparatus includes a connection state switching part which switches connection of a first heat generating member and a second heat generating member, which generate heat by electric power supplied from a commercial power supply through a power supply path, between a serial connection state and a parallel connection state, and a current detection part which detects current flowing in the power supply path. The current detection part is disposed in the power supply path after branching toward the first heat generating member and the second heat generating member in the parallel connection state. | 12-06-2012 |
20130004192 | FIXING DEVICE WITH MECHANISM CAPABLE OF DETECTING PRESSURE EXERTED BETWEEN OPPOSED COMPONENTS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a pressurization member connected to a pressing rotary body to press the pressing rotary body against a fixing rotary body; a depressurization assembly interposed between the pressing rotary body and the pressurization member and movable between a reduced pressure position where the depressurization assembly causes the pressurization member to press the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body with reduced pressure therebetween and an enhanced pressure position where the depressurization assembly is free from pressure from the pressurization member to cause the pressurization member to press the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body with enhanced pressure therebetween; a positioner separatably contacting the depressurization assembly to immovably halt the depressurization assembly at the enhanced pressure position; and a position detector separatably contacting the depressurization assembly to detect the position of the depressurization assembly. | 01-03-2013 |
20130028622 | Image Heating Apparatus - 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. | 01-31-2013 |
20130034361 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a coil; a heating member; magnetic cores arranged in a widthwise direction of the heating member; a moving mechanism; and a controller. The controller controls, depending on a recording material size, the moving mechanism so that the cores located outside the cores in a set range with respect to the widthwise direction are moved away from the heating member. When the recording material of a size is conveyed to the image heating apparatus, the controller controls the moving mechanism so that the cores, of the cores in the set range, located outside a recording material passing range with respect to the widthwise direction are only the cores located at end portions of the set range with respect to the widthwise direction. | 02-07-2013 |
20130045019 | OPTICAL FIXING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND OPTICAL FIXING METHOD - An optical fixing apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium in a first direction in a first fixing process and a second fixing process subsequent thereto and transports the recording medium in a second direction after the first fixing process and before the second fixing process; a light irradiating unit that irradiates the recording medium with light having a predetermined intensity while the recording medium is transported in the first and second fixing processes; a controller that performs a control so that the intensity of the light is lower than the predetermined intensity in a first period before the end of the first fixing process and a second period after the start of the second fixing process, and so that an area of the recording medium irradiated in the first period and an area of the recording medium irradiated in the second period overlap. | 02-21-2013 |
20130045020 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING FIXING DEVICE THAT RESPONDS TO REQUEST WHEN USING DECOLORABLE INK - 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. | 02-21-2013 |
20130058672 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip; a nip-forming member for forming the nip together with the heating member; a rotatable rubbing member for rubbing the heating member; a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the heating member; a moving mechanism for moving the rubbing member from a position where it is spaced from the heating member to a position where it rubs a surface of the heating member; and a controller for executing, by moving the rubbing member to the position where it rubs the surface of the heating member, a rubbing operation such that the rubbing member rubs the surface of the heating member. The controller executes the rubbing operation depending on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor when the recording material passes through the nip. | 03-07-2013 |
20130084091 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - 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. | 04-04-2013 |
20130089348 | PRINTER - A printer having a body and a fixing mechanism is provided. The body has a first transporting track. The fixing mechanism has a heating mechanism and a pressurized mechanism, and the first transporting track is disposed between the heating mechanism and the pressurized mechanism. During a printing procedure, the heating mechanism provides a toner fixed temperature, and the pressurized mechanism provides a toner fixed pressure. During laminating procedure, the heating mechanism provides a laminating temperature, and the pressurized mechanism provides a laminating pressure. There is no additional laminating mechanism disposed inside the printer. The printer can execute a toner fixed function or a laminating function by adjusting the temperature and the pressure of the fixing mechanism originally disposed in the printer. | 04-11-2013 |
20130089349 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording material and a fixing unit, wherein, in a case where an image is formed by using the toners of the plurality of colors, when a specific gravity of the toners is ρ (g/cm | 04-11-2013 |
20130114966 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming portion has a transfer portion for transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier onto the recording paper, and a fixing portion for heating and compressing the recording paper on which the toner image is transferred to fix the toner image to the recording paper. A control portion controls to heat and compress the recording paper by the fixing portion without performing transfer of the toner image by the transfer portion to smooth the recording paper under predetermined condition. At this time, the control portion is able to set variably the number of times to pass through the fixing portion without performing transfer of the toner image onto the recording paper and pressure force when the recording paper passes through the fixing portion. | 05-09-2013 |
20130121716 | FIXATION UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixation unit which allows paper with a toner image formed thereon to be fed between a first roller and a second roller for fixing the toner image on the sheet. The fixation unit includes a drive controller. The drive controller rotates the first and second rollers on different driving conditions. The drive controller rotates the first roller at a constant circumferential speed at least in a state where the first and second rollers are in pressure contact with each other and rotates the second roller with a constant torque which is low enough for the second roller to stop rotating when the first roller stops rotating. | 05-16-2013 |
20130136478 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR SWITCHING A PRINTING METHOD BASED ON STATE OF DRAWING OBJECT - An image forming apparatus including a feeding unit configured to feed a paper sheet, a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image onto the paper sheet fed by the feeding unit based on an image to be printed, and a determination unit configured to determine, for each page, whether to execute, by the fixing unit, fingerprint trace removal processing for removing a fingerprint trace adhering to the paper sheet fed by the feeding unit, wherein if it is determined to execute the fingerprint trace removal processing, the fixing unit is configured to perform the fixing of the toner image after performing the fingerprint trace removal processing. | 05-30-2013 |
20130142532 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is configured to be able to switch a target temperature of an image heating member from a standby target temperature during a standby state in which a pressurizing member is separated from the image heating member to a first target temperature or a second target temperature which is lower than the standby and first target temperatures. The image forming apparatus controls a contacting/separating mechanism such that a time from when an image forming signal is input until when the pressurizing member in the standby state contacts the image heating member and forms a nip is shorter in a case when the target temperature of the image heating member is the second target temperature than in a case when the target temperature of the image heating member is the first target temperature. | 06-06-2013 |
20130142533 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - Provided is a fixing device comprising: a fixing rotating body; a magnetizing coil; a pressing member forming a fixing nip through which a recording sheet passes; a demagnetizing coil unit set including a pile of demagnetizing coil units each including demagnetizing coils of different sizes, and canceling out part of magnetic flux generated by the magnetizing coil in a non-sheet-passing region; a sheet information acquisition unit acquiring sheet information including information relating to a width of the recording sheet; and an operation control unit controlling each demagnetizing coil according to the width, wherein in each demagnetizing coil unit, the demagnetizing coils are arranged such that a smaller demagnetizing coil is surrounded by a larger demagnetizing coil and the demagnetizing coils are in a same plane extending along a surface of the magnetizing coil, and a combination of sizes of the demagnetizing coils differs among the demagnetizing coil units. | 06-06-2013 |
20130142534 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes first and second. image-forming portions and an intermediate transporting portion. A control unit checks fixing units in the image-forming portions and determines whether or not the fixing unit, in the first image-forming portion is a fixing unit for an envelope. If not, the control unit controls a manipulation and display unit to display guidance for urging a user to exchange the first fixing unit. If so, the control unit determines whether or not too fixing unit in the second image-forming portion is a fixing unit for an envelope. If not, the control portion controls a manipulation and display unit to display a guidance for urging a user to exchange the second fixing unit, If both of fixing units in the first and second image-forming portions are fixing units for the envelope, the control unit allows an envelope mode control operation. | 06-06-2013 |
20130148994 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer section adapted to transfer toner to a sheet, a fixing section adapted to fix the toner transferred by the transfer section to the sheet, a swing driving mechanism adapted to perform a swing operation to move the fixing section in a direction parallel to the plane of the sheet and perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet, and a controller adapted to control the driving of the swing driving mechanism to move the fixing section during the period when the sheet has not yet entered the fixing section, and cause the fixing section to move a plurality of times to thereby constitute one cycle of the swing operation of the fixing section. The controller changes the moving distance of the fixing section at a predetermined timing. | 06-13-2013 |
20130164012 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An image processing apparatus includes an image forming section, a fixing section, a mode switching section that selectively switches a fixing mode between a fast heating mode and a heat accumulation mode, a selecting section that selects the fast heating mode or heat accumulation mode based on the relationship between operation expressions F | 06-27-2013 |
20130164013 | INDUCTION HEATING FUSING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An induction heating fusing device and an image forming apparatuses that may control even a very small current region by tracking a resonance frequency to perform PWM control and phase control without considering a deviation of a part constant or a temperature change are provided. The induction heating fusing device includes: a serial resonance circuit having an induction coil and a condenser; a phase comparator, a phase controller, a resonance frequency tracking oscillator, and a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal generator. The phase comparator compares a phase of a pulse outputted by the PWM signal generator with a phase of current flowing through the induction coil, outputs a comparison result obtained by the comparing to the phase controller when controlling the phase, and outputs the comparison result to the resonance frequency tracking oscillator when performing PWM control. | 06-27-2013 |
20130183056 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, FIXING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A fixing device includes a first rotation member, a fixing member, a determining unit, and a magnetic field generating unit. The first rotation member rotates around a first axis. The fixing member includes a second rotation member which rotates around a second axis while being in contact with the first rotation member, and which generates heat by using electromagnetic induction in an alternating-current magnetic field. The fixing member fixes an image onto a medium in a region where the first rotation member and the second rotation member come into contact with each other. The determining unit determines whether or not a current state is a certain state where the medium or an image formed on the medium is passing through the region. The magnetic field generating unit generates an alternating-current magnetic field in a space including the second rotation member. | 07-18-2013 |
20130188976 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The instant application discloses an image forming apparatus including an acquiring section configured to acquire image information about the image, an image forming section which uses liquid developer to form the image on the sheet in response to the image information, a fixing device configured to fix the image onto the sheet, and a controller which carries out control to change operation of the fixing device in response to the image information. The fixing device includes a rubbing mechanism configured to rub the image on the sheet. The rubbing mechanism changes rubbing operation in response to the image information under the control of the controller. | 07-25-2013 |
20130195489 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A fixing device includes a fixing unit, a power supply unit, a pressure applying unit, and a controller. The fixing unit fixes toner onto a recording medium, using heat generated by a heat generator. The power supply unit supplies power to drive the fixing unit. The pressure applying unit applies pressure to the recording medium in a nip part between the pressure applying unit and the fixing unit. When plural recording media are sequentially transported, the controller controls the power supply unit to supply power during a first time period from when a trailing edge of one of the recording media passes the nip part to when a leading edge of the subsequent recording medium arrives at the nip part, in accordance with a relationship between the first time period and a second time period required to start the supply of power after the supply of power is stopped. | 08-01-2013 |
20130195490 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - An image-forming apparatus includes: a fixing unit; a load; a power source circuit section; a fixation electrical current detecting body; a total electrical current detecting body; a storage unit; and a fixation control unit. The fixing unit fixes a toner image using a heat generator. The power source circuit section supplies electric power to the load. The storage unit stores electrical current change amount data establishing an amount of change in the magnitude of the total electrical current relative to an amount of change in a phase for each value of the power factor of the fixing unit. The fixation control unit finds the power factor of the fixing unit, and alters the phase at which the heat generator starts to be energized on the basis of the power factor thus found and the electrical current change amount data, so that the total electrical current value approaches a target value. | 08-01-2013 |
20130209119 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a controller connected to a heater and at least one of a pressing rotary body and an endless rotary body. The controller performs a first fixing operation, a first transition operation, a second fixing operation, and a second transition operation. The first fixing operation fixes a toner image on a first recording medium after the fixing device is powered on. The first transition operation rotates the pressing rotary body and the endless rotary body while controlling the heater to maintain the endless rotary body at a predetermined temperature for a first duration time. The second fixing operation fixes a toner image on a second recording medium. The second transition operation rotates the pressing rotary body and the endless rotary body while controlling the heater to maintain the endless rotary body at the predetermined temperature for a second duration time smaller than the first duration time. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209120 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Heat-equalizing rotation of a fixing member and a pressing member for equalizing the distribution of the temperature of a surface of the fixing member in a width direction is performed after a recording medium having a size less than or equal to a predetermined size in the width direction passes a nip portion and before a recording medium having a size greater than the predetermined size in the width direction passes the nip portion. Further, a termination condition of the heat-equalizing rotation is selected from among a plurality of different kinds of termination conditions, based on image formation related information related to next image formation performed after the heat-equalizing rotation. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209121 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted. | 08-15-2013 |
20130216252 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING CONTROL DRIVER, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Provided is an image processing apparatus including a mode switching unit that selectively switches a mode between a rapid heating mode and a heat accumulating mode in a fixing unit, a receiving unit that receives an image formation request received from the outside, an extracting unit that extracts mode switching determination information at the earliest from the image formation request received by the receiving unit, a selecting unit that selects the mode based on the mode switching determination information extracted by the extracting unit, specifications of the fixing device, and a current temperature, and a switching control unit that controls the mode switching unit based on the mode selected by the selecting unit to switch the mode to the rapid heating mode or the heat accumulating mode. | 08-22-2013 |
20130223864 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device includes a heating rotating member, a pressing rotating member, a motor, a fixing pressure adjustment mechanism, a control section, a motor drive section, a detecting member, and a stop control circuit. The heating rotating member heats a paper sheet. The pressing rotating member is pressed to the heating rotating member. The motor can rotate in both forward and backward directions. The fixing pressure adjustment mechanism moves a rotating member to be moved between first and second positions. The control section includes a control device, issues an instruction of voltage to be applied to the motor. The motor drive section controls the voltage to be applied to the motor. The detecting member detects that the rotating member to be moved reaches the first position. The stop control circuit stops the motor without software control when the rotating member to be moved reaches the first position. | 08-29-2013 |
20130243463 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes: an endless belt including a heat generating layer configured to generate heat by electric energy and a conductive layer configured to be electrically connected to the heat generating layer; a rotatable driving member configured to drive the belt and form a nip with the belt; an electric contact portion provided to be in contact with the conductive layer and configured to supply the electric energy to be conductive layer; an electric insulation portion contactable to the electric contact portion with rotation of the belt; a detecting portion configured to detect whether an electric conduction state between the electric contact portion and the conductive layer is in a predetermined state or not when the belt is rotated; and a control portion configured to control a peripheral speed of the rotatable driving member using an output of the detecting portion. | 09-19-2013 |
20130243464 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR FIXING HEATER - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device including a heating roller heated by a fixing heater, a DUTY storage portion, a heater control portion, a number-of-times counting portion, a number-of-times determining portion, and a modifying portion. The DUTY storage portion stores a first DUTY table and a second DUTY table. The heater control portion reduces the consumption current of the fixing heater based on the first DUTY table when a total consumption current exceeds a setting current. The number-of-times counting portion counts the number of times the total consumption current has exceeded the setting current. The modifying portion causes the heater control portion to control the energization of the fixing heater based on the second DUTY table when the number-of-times determining portion determines that the number of times of excess exceeds a setting number of times. | 09-19-2013 |
20130251390 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a heater disposed opposite and heating a heating span of the fixing rotary body. A controller is operatively connected to a power supply that supplies power to the heater and a driver that rotates the fixing rotary body to control the power supply and the driver. The controller performs at least one of a rotation speed control that controls the driver to rotate the fixing rotary body at an increased rotation speed and a power supply control that controls the power supply to supply an increased amount of power to the heater. | 09-26-2013 |
20130272736 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus is provided that includes: a heating member that heats a recording sheet; a pressure member that presses the recording sheet between the heating member and the pressure member; an adjustment mechanism that causes the heating member and the pressure member to contact or to separate; and a control section that, at a time of a warm-up operation or an idling operation, based on a predetermined condition, controls the adjustment mechanism so as to cause the heating member and the pressure member to contact at a contact pressure that is lower than a contact pressure between the heating member and the pressure member at a time of image formation or is approximately identical to the contact pressure at a time of image formation. | 10-17-2013 |
20130287422 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium; a fixing section that includes a heat roller with a heater inside and fixes a toner image on the recording medium; a temperature detecting section for detecting the temperature of an end region of the heat roller in a direction of a rotary axis thereof; a control section that controls the operation of the heater based on the detected temperature; and a post-drive time calculating section that calculates a post-drive time for a post-drive of the fixing section after a successive image formation on recording media, depending upon the sizes of the recording media and through a subtraction using a correction factor set according to a condition of conveyance of the recording media. The control section causes the fixing section to perform the post-drive for the calculated post-drive time. | 10-31-2013 |
20130302054 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and an apparatus main body. The fixing unit includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member and a fixing nip forming mechanism. The first rotating member is heated by a heating source. The second rotating member faces to the first rotating member. The fixing nip forming mechanism makes the second rotating member pressed to the first rotating member and forms a fixing nip between the first rotating member and second rotating member. To the apparatus main body, the fixing unit is attachably/detachably installed. The apparatus main body includes a nip pressure changing mechanism. The nip pressure changing mechanism presses the fixing nip forming mechanism and changes a pressure of the fixing nip. | 11-14-2013 |
20130336671 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming portion of an image forming apparatus is configured to form a toner image on a recording medium such that a relationship of M≦ρπL/(30√3) is satisfied, where a volume average particle size of toner is L(μm), density of the toners is ρ (g/cm | 12-19-2013 |
20140010563 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a number-of-revolutions determining unit, and a stopping unit. The fixing device includes a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image, a fixing member that fixes toner to a recording medium, a pressure member that conveys the recording medium, a driving unit that rotates the pressure member to allow the fixing member to perform slave rotation, and a number-of-revolutions sensing unit that senses the number of revolutions of the fixing member. The number-of-revolutions determining unit determines, based on the number of revolutions of the fixing member sensed by the number-of-revolutions sensing unit, the number of revolutions of the driving unit. The stopping unit stops the driving unit when the number of revolutions determined by the number-of-revolutions determining unit is not equal to a specific number of revolutions. | 01-09-2014 |
20140016957 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a driving source, a supply roller which supplies a recording sheet, a fixing device, a fixing driving gear mechanism which transmits a driving force of the driving source to the fixing device, a supply driving gear mechanism which transmits the driving force to the supply roller, and a control device. The control device controls the driving source to rotate in one direction when a temperature of the fixing device exceeds a predetermined temperature, and to rotate in a reverse direction when the temperature is the predetermined temperature or lower. The fixing driving gear mechanism includes a mechanism which interrupts a transmission of the driving force when rotating in the reverse direction. The supply driving gear mechanism includes a mechanism which causes a rotating direction of the supply roller to be same when the driving source rotates in both directions. | 01-16-2014 |
20140029966 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - There is provided an image forming apparatus including an image forming section that forms a toner image on a printing medium by using plural toners including a particular toner, a fixing section that fixes the toner image which is formed on the printing medium by the image forming section, a retransporting section that transports the printing medium to the image forming section again in a state where a surface of the printing medium is the same, and a changing section that changes a fixing pressure at the time of fixing the toner image, in which the particular toner is used, and at the time of fixing the toner image, in which the toners other than the particular toner are used, when the toner image is formed on the printing medium by the image forming section and the toner image is fixed by the fixing section plural times. | 01-30-2014 |
20140029967 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a control unit that executes a long grain feed mode of conveying a long grain recording sheet whose grain direction is in parallel with a conveying direction of the recording sheet and a short grain feed mode of conveying a short grain recording sheet whose grain direction is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the recording sheet, the control unit changing, in accordance to the long grain feed mode and the short grain feed mode, temperature of a first rotating body set by the heating unit and setting of at least either one changeable setting among settings of a pressure-contact mechanism and a driving mechanism configured such that the setting of at least one of them is changeable. | 01-30-2014 |
20140029968 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus is provided with a mechanism for changing pressure at a nip portion to prevent wrinkle in a rear end portion of an envelope in fixing the envelope is provided. If the width size of the envelope is equal to a predetermined width or less, the pressure at the nip portion is reduced. | 01-30-2014 |
20140037314 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes: a heating member configured to heat a toner image formed on a sheet by using a toner containing a wax; an exciting coil; a magnetic flux suppressing member configured to suppress a part of magnetic flux actable from the exciting coil onto the heating member; a screw shaft configured to hold the magnetic flux suppressing member and configured to slide the magnetic flux suppressing member along a longitudinal direction of the heating member; and a controller configured to control a rotational movement operation of the screw shaft so that the magnetic flux suppressing member is moved to a position depending on a width of the sheet. The controller is, during non-image heating, capable of executing an operation in a mode in which the screw shaft is rotationally moved so that the magnetic flux suppressing member is reciprocated at least once in a predetermined range. | 02-06-2014 |
20140050497 | INDEPENDENT CONTROL OF PRESSURE ROLLER HEATING ELEMENTS TO PROVIDE GLOSS UNIFORMITY - Methods and systems feed sheets of media on a media path within a printer device and place marking material on the sheets of media to produce printed sheets using a marking station. The methods and systems press the sheets of media using a pressure roller to join the marking material to the sheets of media and control heating elements to heat different portions of the pressure roller differently based upon the gloss level of the printed sheets using the processor. | 02-20-2014 |
20140056606 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A control portion executes a measuring mode and generates a value for adjusting a pressurizing mechanism reflecting a difference of pressurizing conditions of a longitudinal center part and a longitudinal end part of a nip portion. The measuring mode is a mode of detecting temperatures of the nip portion by temperature detecting elements in a process of changing temperature of the nip portion heated by a heater and of generating control information based on detected results. The control information is generated in response to a difference of temperature increase amounts of the temperature detecting elements in a predetermined time in the process of increasing the temperature of the nip portion. The control portion adjusts the pressurizing mechanism based on the control value obtained in the measuring mode after executing a process of heating a recording medium in succession of the process of increasing the temperature of the nip portion. | 02-27-2014 |
20140064762 | FIXING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing apparatus includes a fixing portion which comes into contact with a sheet and fixes a toner image on the sheet, a magnetic flux generating portion which generates a magnetic flux so as to heat the fixing portion by electromagnetic induction, a magnetic flux shielding portion which shields a magnetic flux generated from the magnetic flux generating portion between the fixing portion and the magnetic flux generating portion, a support portion which supports the magnetic flux shielding portion, a moving portion which moves the support portion in a with direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, a controller which controls the moving portion so as to move the magnetic flux generating portion to a position based on a sheet size in the width direction, and a sheet guide portion which is supported on the support portion and guides the sheet to the fixing portion. | 03-06-2014 |
20140064763 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device causes an eccentric cam to perform a rotation step of 113° to shift from a pressurization releasing mode to a pressurization mode, and causes the eccentric cam to perform a rotation step of 263° to shift from a standby mode to the pressurization mode. A control unit activates a motor by setting a rotational speed of a rotational magnetic field of a stator to 600 rpm in the rotation step of 113° and to 1500 rpm in the rotation step of 263° so as to prevent the eccentric cam from receiving acceleration of a rotational direction from a pressure lever before a rotational speed of a rotor reaches a first rotational speed. Then, the control unit stops the rotational magnetic field of the stator based on an output of a photo interrupter. | 03-06-2014 |
20140064764 | APPARATUS AND METHOD TO CONTROL TEMPERATURE OF HEATING ROLLER USED IN FUSING DEVICE OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The apparatus includes a heating roller that generates heat for melting toner attached to a printing medium; a first induction coil that is disposed outside the heating roller and heats the heating roller by using induced current generated according to current flowing through the first induction coil; two second induction coils that are disposed at upper portions of both ends of the first induction coil and heat the heating roller by using induced current generated according to current flowing through the two second induction coils; a power supply unit that supplies current to the first induction coil and the two second induction coils; and a control unit that controls the power supply unit to supply current flowing in the same direction or different directions to the first induction coil and the second induction coils according to the size of paper fed into the heating roller. | 03-06-2014 |
20140072320 | FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device which heats a heating object through induction heating by using a plurality of coils includes a plurality of coil drivers that drive the plurality of coils respectively, a drive circuit that controls ON/OFF states of a plurality of switching elements simultaneously to control the drive of the plurality of coil drivers, a control unit that controls a voltage supplied to each of the plurality of coils in accordance with the control of the ON/OFF states of the plurality of switching elements by the drive circuit, and a plurality of voltage control circuits that individually change the voltages supplied to the plurality of coils in accordance with the voltage control of the control unit. | 03-13-2014 |
20140086608 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed herein are a fixing device and an image forming apparatus including: a rotatable fixing side member; a rear side member that rotates in pressure contact with an outer peripheral surface of the fixing side member, the rear side member forming a fixing nip portion for conveying a sheet on which a toner image is formed in a sandwiching manner in conjunction with the fixing side member; and velocity difference setting means for setting a velocity difference between a surface velocity of the rear side member and a surface velocity of the fixing side member, wherein the rear side member and the fixing side member rotate with a velocity difference set by the velocity difference setting means. | 03-27-2014 |
20140093266 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes an image forming section that includes a fixing device, a power supply controller that controls the fixing device to a power supply state in which power is supplied or a power shut-off state, a switching section that switches a fixing mode to one of a first mode that focuses on temperature, and a second mode that focuses on productivity, and a processing controller that controls an image forming process, by selecting the first mode as initial processing when the fixing device recovers from the power shut-off state to the power supply state upon an instruction to execute a job, and selecting, as continued processing after the initial processing, the first mode or the second mode on a basis of a total processing volume of the job acquired after the instruction to execute the job is made. | 04-03-2014 |
20140099136 | FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing unit that is disposed in a direction intersecting a transport direction in which a recording medium on which an image is formed using an image forming material is transported and that fixes the image forming material onto the recording medium in a noncontact manner with the recording medium, a varying unit that varies a length of the fixing unit in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and a controller that controls the fixing unit at an amount of power according to the length of the fixing unit. | 04-10-2014 |
20140105627 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section ( | 04-17-2014 |
20140119762 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a heat roller, a fuser member, an endless belt, a pressure member, a first rotation transmitter, a second rotation transmitter, a rotation sensor, a controller, a first biasing member, and a second biasing member. The heat roller is rotatable around a rotational axis thereof while subjected to induction heating. The fuser member is disposed parallel to the heat roller. The endless belt is looped for rotation around the heat roller and the fuser member. The pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member via the endless belt. The first rotation transmitter is connected to the rotational axis of the heat roller to rotate around a rotational axis thereof upon rotation of the heat roller. The second rotation transmitter engages the first rotation transmitter to rotate around a rotational axis thereof upon rotation of the first rotation transmitter. | 05-01-2014 |
20140147148 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - 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. | 05-29-2014 |
20140153947 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes: a rotatable heating member; a belt unit including an endless belt configured to heat the rotatable heating member, and a supporting portion configured to rotatably support an inner surface of the endless belt; a contact portion configured to contact a widthwise edge of the endless belt; an urging portion configured to urge the contact portion toward the widthwise edge of the endless belt; a detecting portion configured to detect, that the endless belt is out of a predetermined zone, depending on a position of the contact portion; a tilting portion configured to tilt the belt unit in a direction of causing the endless belt to return into the predetermined zone on the basis of an output of the detecting portion; and a retracting portion configured to retract the contact portion from the endless belt against an urging force of the urging portion. | 06-05-2014 |
20140178088 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a rotary member comprising a heat generation layer; an excitation coil generating magnetic flux, disposed along an axial direction of the rotary member and opposite the rotary member, to heat by induction the heat generation layer; a first demagnetizing coil layered on the excitation coil and generating magnetic flux in a direction reverse to and cancel the magnetic flux that the excitation coil generates; a sheet size detector to obtain a size of a recording sheet on which an image is to be formed by passing through the rotary member; and a drive controller to control driving of the first demagnetizing coil. The drive controller drives the first demagnetizing coil after information including the sheet size information has been obtained. | 06-26-2014 |
20140205308 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a noncontact heating device, a pressurizing and heating mechanism, and a control unit. The control unit switches an operation of the pressurizing and heating mechanism based on gloss level information of a recording medium. According to the image forming apparatus, assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T1, a temperature of the recording medium after pressurizing and heating is T2 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc1 when the gloss level information shows high gloss, and assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T3 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc2 when the gloss level information shows low gloss, the conditions of T107-24-2014 | |
20140233976 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus having: a power source applying alternating current voltage to the magnetizing coil; a demagnetizing coil switchable between a conductive state and a cutoff state, and when in the conductive state, cancelling out a portion of a magnetic flux produced by the magnetizing coil; a contact switch and a semiconductor switch electrically connected in parallel, and, in combination, bringing the demagnetizing coil into the conductive state or the cutoff state; and a control unit opening or closing the switches separately. The control unit: opens or closes the semiconductor switch in synchronization with a zero-crossing of the alternating current voltage at least when the contact switch is open; opens or closes the contact switch only when the semiconductor switch is closed; and opens the semiconductor switch when the demagnetizing coil brought into the conductive state by the contact switch needs to be maintained in the conductive state. | 08-21-2014 |
20140241745 | ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT - An electric power control unit alternately repeats a first electric power control period and a second electric power control period when a low electric power mode is set by a mode setting unit. When a sleep mode is set by the mode setting unit, a second electric power control is executed. | 08-28-2014 |
20140270831 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device including a fixing rotary body and a heater for heating the fixing rotary body. An opposed body contacts the fixing rotary body with releasable pressure therebetween to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is conveyed. A heat shield is interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body and movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater in a variable circumferential direct heating span of the fixing rotary body where the heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotary body directly. A controller halts the heat shield instantly when a fault occurs during a print job. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270832 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a heater disposed opposite and heating the fixing rotary body. An opposed body contacts the fixing rotary body with releasable pressure therebetween to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is conveyed. A heat shield is interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body and movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body between a home position where the heat shield is disposed opposite the heater indirectly and a shield position where the heat shield is disposed opposite the heater directly to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater. A controller is operatively connected to the heat shield to move the heat shield to the home position when a print job is finished. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270833 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater for heating the fixing rotary body. An opposed body contacts the fixing rotary body with releasable pressure therebetween to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is conveyed. A heat shield is interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body and movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater in a variable circumferential direct heating span of the fixing rotary body where the heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotary body directly. A controller is operatively connected to the heater and the heat shield to move the heat shield after the controller turns on the heater as a print job starts so as to change an area of the direct heating span of the fixing rotary body. | 09-18-2014 |
20140286663 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member of magnetism-adjusted alloy configured to heat a toner image on a sheet; an excitation coil configured to generate a magnetic flux for electromagnetic induction heating of the rotatable heating member; a voltage source configured to supply an AC current to the excitation coil; a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the rotatable heating member at a first peripheral speed in an operation in a first image heating mode and configured to rotate the rotatable heating member at a second peripheral speed lower than the first peripheral speed in an operation in a second image heating mode; and a controller configured to control the voltage source in which a maximum current supplied to the excitation coil in the second image heating mode is smaller than a maximum current supplied to the excitation coil in the first image heating mode. | 09-25-2014 |
20140294415 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit, an apparatus main body, a nip pressure changing member, a driving source, and a clutch mechanism. The fixing unit includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a fixing nip forming mechanism. The fixing nip forming mechanism forms a fixing nip between the first rotating member and second rotating member. To the apparatus main body, the fixing unit is detachably installed. The nip pressure changing member presses the fixing nip forming mechanism and to change a pressure of the fixing nip by rotating around a rotation axis. The driving source rotates the nip pressure changing member. The clutch mechanism permits a transmission of a rotation from the driving source to the nip pressure changing member and restricts a transmission of a rotation from the nip pressure changing member to the driving source. | 10-02-2014 |
20140294416 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An apparatus is capable of switching between a mode in which a first resistance heating element and a second resistance heating element are connected in series and a mode in which they are connected in parallel. When a temperature increase rate detected by a temperature detection unit is smaller than a threshold rate although a current detected by a current detection unit is greater than a threshold current, a notification of a failure is issued. | 10-02-2014 |
20140301751 | FUSING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fusing device includes a first roller, a second roller forming a fusing nip part together with the first roller, an adjustment mechanism changing posture of the first roller between first and second postures, a separation member, a turning mechanism, an abutting member, and an isolation mechanism. The turning mechanism turns the separation member so that the separation member approaches the first roller when the posture of the first roller is changed from the second posture to the first posture. The abutting member abuts on the first roller to form a gap between the separation member and the first roller when the first roller is in the first posture. The isolation mechanism separates the abutting member from the first roller in a process when posture of the first roller is changed from the first posture to the second posture. | 10-09-2014 |
20140321870 | Image Forming Device for Suppressing Power Consumption by Fixing Unit - The present invention provides an image forming device that includes a toner-image forming unit; a heating unit; and a processor. The toner-image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on a sheet using toner. The heating unit is configured to generate heat for thermally fixing the toner image to the sheet. The processor is configured to perform a first fixing process to control the heating unit to start generating heat in a first mode, and a second fixing process to switch the first mode to a second mode at a switch timing ahead of an estimated end timing at which thermal fixing of toner images to all of sheets to be consecutively printed is completed. The heat amount per unit time generated by the heating unit in the second mode is smaller than a heat amount per unit time generated by the heating unit in the first mode. | 10-30-2014 |
20140348527 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND SURFACE RESTORATION METHOD - Disclosed herein is a fixing device including: a fixing nip width changing section configured to change a fixing nip width of a fixing nip; and a control section configured to control the fixing nip width changing section such that the fixing nip width is smaller than a fixing nip width for use in a fixation, and to rotate a fixing side member and a back side supporting member at different circumferential speeds so as to restore a surface of the fixing side member, wherein the control section controls the fixing nip width such that a circumferential speed difference between the fixing side member and the back side supporting member is equal to a predetermined circumferential speed difference. | 11-27-2014 |
20140356007 | FUSING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING FUSING PRESSURE IN A FUSING DEVICE - A fusing device has a heater, a fusing rotary member heated thereby, a pressing rotary member in contact with the fusing rotary member to form a fusing nip, an adjustment mechanism adjusting a fusing pressure to adjust the nip width of the fusing nip, a temperature sensing member, and a control portion. By the control portion, the fusing pressure is set at a first set value during fusing warm-up operation for raising temperature of the fusing rotary member, is set at a third set value when a first sheet of paper after completion of fusing warm-up operation passes through the fusing nip, and is changed to a second set value before sheets of paper for a preset number of pages pass through the fusing nip after completion of fusing warm-up operation. Of the set values, the third is greatest, the second is second greatest, and the first is smallest. | 12-04-2014 |
20150030343 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing section that includes rotatable members arranged to form a nip area through which a strip-shaped medium passes, and heaters that heat the rotatable members; and a control section. The fixing section applies heat and pressure to a toner image that is formed on the medium and passes through the nip area via the rotatable members heated by the heaters to fix the toner image onto the medium. The control section performs such control that the rotation of the rotatable members is stopped when the temperature of contact portions of the rotatable members that are in contact with the medium is lower than or equal to a first temperature that is lower than a temperature at which a portion of the medium softens. | 01-29-2015 |
20150030344 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH FUNCTION TO MEASURE GLOSS LEVEL - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit, a gloss level measuring section, and a fixation condition setting section. The gloss level measuring section measures a gloss level of an image portion and a gloss level of a non-image portion in a recording medium after fixation, and separately measures, as the gloss level of the image portion, a first gloss level indicative of a gloss level of a chromatic toner image and a second gloss level indicative of a gloss level of a black toner image. The fixation condition setting section sets the fixation condition for the fixing unit so that the first gloss level and the second gloss level approach respective different target gloss levels, on the basis of a measured value of the first gloss level and a measured value of the second gloss level and a measured value of the gloss level of the non-image portion. | 01-29-2015 |
20150063850 | FIXING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing apparatus includes an upper pressure roller, a fixing belt, a lower pressure roller which cooperates with the upper pressure roller and the fixing belt for forming a fixing nip portion which holds and conveys a sheet with a toner image therebetween; a drive motor which rotates the lower pressure roller; a plurality of motors each of which is capable of generating a braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of the upper pressure roller and an assist force in the direction to assist rotation of the upper pressure roller; a torque generation unit which generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of the fixing side member as a combination of the braking and assist forces; and a control unit which switches the motor used to generate the braking force among the plurality of motors in accordance with a predetermined condition. | 03-05-2015 |
20150063851 | FIXING APPARATUS FOR FIXING IMAGES FORMED ON SHEET AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THIS FIXING APPARATUS - A fixing apparatus comprises a fixing nip width adjustment unit configured to adjust the fixing nip width of a fixing nip portion; a braking force generation motor configured to generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of an upper pressure roller; and a control unit configured to perform restore control for rotating the upper pressure roller and a lower pressure roller by driving a drive motor and speed keeping control for keeping the rotational speed of the braking force generation motor no higher than a predetermined speed during the restore control in a non-fixing period in which the fixing nip width adjustment unit is controlled to decrease the fixing nip width smaller than in a fixing period and a braking force is applied to the fixing side member by the braking force generation motor. | 03-05-2015 |
20150071666 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - An image-forming apparatus is provided which enables more productive image formation. When an option unit implements a change from a second operation mode that exhibits high power consumption to a first operation mode that exhibits low power consumption while images are being consecutively formed on a plurality of recording materials, an upper limit on power that can be supplied to a fixing section is set higher than that in the second operation mode, and intervals, at which recording materials are consecutively fed, are set narrower than those in the second operation mode. | 03-12-2015 |
20150093134 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a power source portion; a fixing portion; and a controller. The controller sets a waveform of a current to be passed through each of first and second heat-generating-elements of the fixing portion in one-control-period so that, in an equiphase half wave in one control period, the current passes through one heat-generating-element from a halfway point of the half wave and the current passes through or does not pass through the other heat-generating-element throughout a half wave period. The controller sets a current supply starting timing of the current passing through the one heat-generating-element, at timing when a current passing toward the power source portion stops. | 04-02-2015 |
20150093135 | FIXING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A fixing apparatus of the present invention includes a fixing rotation member, a rotation drive portion that rotates the fixing rotation member, a cleaning web sheet that cleans a circumferential surface of the fixing rotation member, a cleaning web sheet roller that takes up or feeds out the cleaning web sheet, a swing cam rotationally driven by the rotation drive portion, a rotation transmission portion that transmits a rotation drive force to the cleaning web sheet roller, a one way clutch provided on an input shaft of the rotation transmission portion, and a swing lever connected to the one way clutch and biased so as to be brought into slide contact with the swing cam. | 04-02-2015 |
20150104209 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE - 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. | 04-16-2015 |
20150104210 | PRINT CONTROL APPARATUS, PRINTING SYSTEM, AND PRINT CONTROL METHOD - A print control apparatus includes a generating unit that generates clear-toner plane data based on gloss-control plane data, which contains a gloss control value for specifying a type of a surface effect being a visual or a tactile effect applied to the recording medium and for specifying a region to which the surface effect is applied in the recording medium, and clear plane data, which contains a density value for specifying a transparent image other than the surface effect; and an outputting unit that outputs the clear-toner plane data. When a region where the gloss control value is specified in the gloss-control plane data and a region where the density value is specified in the clear plane data overlap each other, the generating unit sets a value of the clear-toner plane data to the gloss control value or the density value, based on a predetermined condition. | 04-16-2015 |
20150125172 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - An image formation apparatus includes a fixing unit that heats a medium having a developer image thereon while moving the medium to fix a developer image onto the medium, a motor that provides the fixing unit with a driving force to be used to move the medium, and a controller that determines whether the driving force provided by the motor is being transmitted to the fixing unit. | 05-07-2015 |
20150132019 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a pressurization member pressed against a fixing rotator and a magnetic flux generator disposed opposite the fixing rotator. A heat generator is disposed opposite the magnetic flux generator to generate heat by a magnetic flux generated by the magnetic flux generator. A magnetic shield is movably disposed inside the heat generator to screen the magnetic flux penetrating through the heat generator. A pressure adjuster presses the pressurization member against the fixing rotator with variable pressure. An interlock interlocks the pressurization member with the magnetic shield. The pressure adjuster presses the pressurization member against the fixing rotator with increased pressure to move the magnetic shield via the interlock to a proximate position in proximity to the heat generator and with decreased pressure to move the magnetic shield via the interlock to a remote position being remote from the heat generator. | 05-14-2015 |
20150331374 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a charging device configured to uniformly charge a surface of a photoconductive element; an image writing device configured to write an image in the charged photoconductive element by light to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing device configured to visualize the formed electrostatic latent image as a toner image; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image to a sheet recording medium; a fixing device configured to fix the transferred toner image onto the medium; and a surface information detecting device configured to detect surface information of a fixing member of the fixing device. The surface information detecting device radiates optical spots on a surface of the fixing member in a direction crossing a conveying direction, receives reflected light of each optical spot, and detects the surface information of the fixing device based on the detection results of the reflective lights. | 11-19-2015 |
20150346656 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a first rotatory body, a heater, a pressure receiving member, a supporting member, a second rotatory body, a position detection section, and a determination section. The position detection section detects a position of an outer circumferential surface of the first rotatory body in terms of a radial direction. The determination section determines a rotation state of the first rotatory body based on a result of detection by the position detection section. The position detection section includes a first position detection member and a second position detection member. The first position detection member is located upstream of the fixing nip in terms of a rotation direction of the first rotatory body. The second position detection member is located downstream of the fixing nip in terms of the rotation direction. | 12-03-2015 |
20150346658 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device; a first image heating device; a second image heating device; a first feeding path configured to discharge the recording material introduced into the first image heating device without introducing the recording material into the second image hating device; a second feeding path configured to discharge a recording material introduced into the first image heating device and then introduced into the second image heating device; a discriminating portion configured to discriminate whether or not the first image heating device is an image heating device for an envelope; and a controller configured to effect control so as not to execute a heating operation of the second image heating device, upon discrimination of the first image heating device being the image heating device for the envelope by the discriminating portion. | 12-03-2015 |
20160004193 | Imaging Device and Method for Determining Operating Parameters - An operational imaging device and method using a predetermined set of operating parameter determining (OPD) equations forming an OPD equation set for providing one or more operational parameter values for processing of a media sheet. The OPD equation set, stored in the operational imaging device, is solved using values for a set of N variables measured by an operational sensor set in the operational imaging device. Each equation solution determines a value for one of the operating parameters. The OPD equation set is generated by a training system using a continuum training engine. A training data set containing measured variable values of the set of N variables is collected using by a training sensor set. The training data set includes empirical best match data values for the one or more operational parameters based on a comparison of a model image to images produced by a training imaging device. | 01-07-2016 |
20160026123 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for fixing an image on a sheet, the fixing device includes a rotatable member having an electroconductive layer; a helical coil provided inside rotatable member and having a helix axis extending in a generatrix direction of the rotatable member; a magnetic member provided in inside a helical configuration portion formed by the coil, the magnetic member does not form a loop outside the rotatable member; and a controller for controlling electric power supplied to the coil, wherein the electroconductive layer generates heat by electromagnetic induction caused by magnetic flux produced by an alternating current through the coil to fix the image on the sheet by the heat from the rotatable member, and wherein the controller limits maximum electric power supplied to the coil, in accordance with a temperature of the magnetic member. | 01-28-2016 |
20160041514 | METHOD OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO PERFORM A DECOLORING PROCESS, AND DECOLORING DEVICE - A decoloring device according to an embodiment includes a feeding unit on which sheets are loaded. A first sensor unit is downstream of the feeding unit in a sheet transport direction, detects a front position of the sheet fed from the feeding unit, and detects a presence or absence of an identification mark on a front portion of the sheet outside of an image forming area of the sheet. A control unit determines whether or not an image using the decolorable color material is printed on any one or both sides of the sheet based on whether the first sensor detects an identification mark on the front portion of the sheet, and determines whether to perform the decoloring process based on the determination of whether or not an image using the decolorable color material is printed on the sheet. | 02-11-2016 |
20160054688 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member of magnetism-adjusted alloy configured to heat a toner image on a sheet; an excitation coil configured to generate a magnetic flux for electromagnetic induction heating of the rotatable heating member; a voltage source configured to supply an AC current to the excitation coil; a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the rotatable heating member at a first peripheral speed in an operation in a first image heating mode and configured to rotate the rotatable heating member at a second peripheral speed lower than the first peripheral speed in an operation in a second image heating mode; and a controller configured to control the voltage source in which a maximum current supplied to the excitation coil in the second image heating mode is smaller than a maximum current supplied to the excitation coil in the first image heating mode. | 02-25-2016 |
20160054692 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprising a conveyance path of recording material comprises a door, when opened, the inside of the apparatus is exposed, and an interlock circuit which detects opening/closing state of the door. The detection unit of the door is arranged on the conveyance path. At the arranged position, the image forming apparatus comprises a registration sensor for detecting presence and absence of the recording material and delivery sensor. The CPU controls pressure to the recording material S passing the fixing nip portion formed by a pair of rollers arranged on the conveyance path. Also, the CPU decides whether the recording material exists at the fixing nip portion based on the respective detection result from the registration sensor and the delivery sensor. | 02-25-2016 |
20160070215 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device has a first supplying portion that supplies a sheet on which an image is fixed previously. A removing portion removes the image formed on the sheet. A first storing portion stores the sheet from which the image is removed by the removing portion. The first supplying portion and the first storing portion are integrally formed as a unit capable of detaching from the main body of the image processing device. | 03-10-2016 |
20160097998 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH CONTROLLED TIMING OF ENERGIZATION OF HEATERS FOR POWER REDUCTION - In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus has a fixing section that transfers a toner image to a recording medium for printing in a printer section and then fixes the toner image, a decoloring section that heats and decolors a decolorable image printed on a recording medium for reuse with a color material of which the color is decolored if heated at a decoloring temperature, and a controller that enables the fixing section and the decoloring section to operate exclusively. | 04-07-2016 |
20160097999 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a recording material accommodating portion configured to accommodate a recording material; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on the recording material fed from the recording material accommodating portion; a fixing portion configured to heat-fix the toner image formed on the recording material by the image forming portion; a storing portion configured to store information corresponding to a type of the recording material accommodated in the recording material accommodating portion; a detecting portion configured to detect that a predetermined operation is performed by an operator before the image forming apparatus receives an image formation instruction; and an executing portion configured to execute a start-up process, when the detecting portion detects the predetermined operation performed by the operator, over a time depending on the information stored in the storing portion. | 04-07-2016 |
20160109835 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus for heating an image includes a cylindrical rotatable member including an electroconductive layer; a helical coil provided in the rotatable member, the coil having a helix axis extending along a generatrix direction of the rotatable member; a magnetic core provided in the coil and having an end portion; and a controller configured to control a frequency of an AC current supplied to the coil; wherein the image is heated by heat of the rotatable member heated by electromagnetic induction heat generation of the electroconductive layer, wherein the controller sets the frequency to a first frequency corresponding to a size of a recording material, and wherein the controller sets the frequency to a second frequency higher than the first frequency when a print ratio of the image is larger than a predetermined value. | 04-21-2016 |
20160116875 | Image Forming Apparatus Configured to Control Rotational Speed of Pressure Roller Using Temperature of Heat Unit and Parameter - An image forming apparatus includes a heat unit, a pressure roller, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The heat unit includes a heater and a heated member configured to be heated by the heater. The pressure roller is configured to rotate at a rotational speed while being in contact with the heated member upon receiving a driving force. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the heat unit. The controller is configured to control the rotational speed of the pressure roller on a basis of: the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and a parameter that causes temperature of the pressure roller to change. | 04-28-2016 |
20160139548 | HEATER CONTROL UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a heater controlling unit that includes: a power factor correction circuit configured to convert a first alternating-current voltage supplied from a power supply into a direct-current voltage; an inverter configured to generate a second alternating-current voltage from the direct-current voltage converted by the power factor correction circuit; and a heater to which the second alternating-current voltage generated by the inverter is applied. | 05-19-2016 |
20160154349 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 06-02-2016 |
20160170340 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 06-16-2016 |
20160170345 | CONTROLLING APPARATUS, IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 06-16-2016 |
20160170346 | CONTROLLING APPARATUS, IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 06-16-2016 |
20160202648 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 07-14-2016 |
20160378031 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a hardness adjusting unit to adjust hardness of an outer circumferential surface of a fixing belt at a nip. When a sheet to be passed through the nip is an envelope and the envelope is passed through the nip by side-flap sheet passing for feeding the sheet so that a fold line between an envelope body and a flap extends in a sheet passing direction through the nip, the hardness adjusting unit brings the outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt at the nip during passage of the sheet than when the sheet into a softer state is a plain sheet. | 12-29-2016 |
20170235260 | Fixing Device, Image Forming Apparatus, Control Method, and Computer-Readable Recording Medium | 08-17-2017 |
20170235261 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 08-17-2017 |
20180024479 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 01-25-2018 |
20190146387 | FIXING APPARATUS | 05-16-2019 |