| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 219216000 | Printing or reproduction device | 34 |
| 20080296280 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING PHASE OF AC POWER AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING HEATING ELEMENT OF FIXING UNIT - A method of controlling a phase of an alternating current (AC) power having an AC voltage waveform having a predetermined cycle includes counting a number of times a zero crossing signal has been generated, the zero crossing signal being generated whenever a level of the AC voltage waveform becomes “0”; calculating a half cycle of the AC voltage waveform based on times at which the counted number of times the zero crossing signal has been generated changes; detecting phases that divide an area surrounded by a waveform corresponding to the half cycle of the AC voltage waveform into a predetermined number of equal areas; and generating control pulse signals based on the detected phases | 12-04-2008 |
| 20090065492 | Heater - A toner-fixing heater includes a substrate elongated in a first direction, a resistor formed on the substrate, a wiring portion connected with the resistor, and a protective film covering the resistor. The resistor includes two belt-like portions elongated in the first direction and spaced away from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The resistor or the wiring portion includes a conductive portion for passing an electric current in the second direction. The conductive portion may have an edge extending in nonparallel to the first direction and the second direction, or may include a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer, where the first layer is closer to the substrate than the second layer, and the edges of the second layer are located inward of the edges of the first layer as viewed in the first direction. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090230114 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND HEATER USED FOR THE IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - The image heating apparatus includes a heater has a first and heat-generation segment having a plurality of heat generating parts therein in the longitudinal direction respectively, and the heat generating parts each having a first electro-conductive pattern provided along the longitudinal direction on a substrate, and a second electro-conductive pattern provided along the longitudinal direction on said substrate and has a region that overlaps with said first electro-conductive pattern in the longitudinal direction, and a heat generating resistor which electrically connects the respective overlapping regions of said first electro-conductive pattern and said second electro-conductive pattern with each other and generates heat by a supplied electric power. It simultaneously prevents the temperature in a non-sheet feeding portion from rising and secures fixing properties in a gap between the divided heat generating resistors, and a heater used in this image heating apparatus. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20100163544 | TUBE FOR FIXATION AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME - A tube for fixation, which has increased durability and a method of producing the same are provided. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20110006051 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable image heating member for heating an image of a recording material; a pressing member for pressing against the image heating member to form a nip for nipping and feeding the recording material; a first external heating member for pressing against an outer surface of the image heating member at a position upstream of the nip with respect to a rotational direction of the image heating member to heat the image heating member; and a second external heating member for pressing against the outer surface of the heating member at a position between the first external heating member and the heating nip to heat the image heating member, wherein the first external heating member has a thermal capacity larger than the second external heating member. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110062140 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - To provide a heater that can reduce fixing failure in a paper passing area while suppressing a temperature rise in a sheet non-passing area, and a fixing apparatus including the heater. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110095011 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a first heat generating element; a second heat generating element; a first driving element provided in a power supply passage from a commercial power source to the first heat generating element; a second driving element provided in a power supply passage from the commercial power source to the second heat generating element; a temperature detecting element; and a control portion for controlling the first and second driving elements at a control level depending on a detection temperature of the temperature detecting element. At the control level, a renewing period is two cycles of a waveform of an alternating current of the commercial power source or an integral multiple of the two cycles. The control portion controls, during a period in which the control portion controls the first and second driving elements at one control level, the first and second driving elements so that the heat generating element to which the power is to be preferentially supplied is switched from the first driving element to the second driving element and so that the waveform of the alternating current passing through each of the first and second heat generating elements keeps symmetry of positive and negative half-cycle components with respect to a zero-voltage line. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110100972 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a flexible sleeve; a heater contacted to an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve; a pressing roller for forming a nip, between itself and the sleeve contacted by the heater, in which a recording material is to be heated; and a supporting member for supporting the heater, the supporting member being disposed inside the heater and having an area in which the sleeve is sandwiched between the supporting member and the pressing roller at least on an upstream side and a downstream side of a heater supporting position of the supporting member with respect to a rotational direction of the sleeve. The supporting member is provided, at its surface in the area, with a plurality of recessed portions for permitting passage of a lubricant. The recessed portions are provided only in an area in which a predetermined maximum width sheet available in the image heating apparatus is passable. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110290777 | INK DRYING - Ink drying apparatus and method for controlling ink drying apparatus are described herein. An example ink drying apparatus includes first and second heating elements positioned adjacent a drying area in a printer, and a controller to determine a temperature of the heating area and to selectively operate, based on the temperature determination, the first heating element in a burst mode and the second heating element in an on/off mode. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110297663 | IMAGE HEATING DEVICE AND HEATER FOR USE IN THE DEVICE - An image heating device includes a cylindrical film; a heater contacted to an inner surface of the film, wherein the heater includes a substrate, a heat generating resistor provided on the substrate, and an insulating layer for covering the heat generating resistor and is contacted to the film; and a pressing member for pressing the film against the heater to form a nip, between itself and the film, in which a recording material carrying thereon an image is to be nip-conveyed. The heater includes an electroconductive layer, which is grounded, provided at a position between and remote from a film-side surface of the insulating layer and the heat generating resistor. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110303648 | HEATER CONTROL DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND HEATER CONTROLLING METHOD - A heater control device comprising: a storage unit that stores therein a turn-on pattern of a heater specified in units of a predetermined control cycle including a plurality of half-wavelengths of an alternating-current voltage supplied to the heater so as to prevent flickering; | 12-15-2011 |
| 20120000897 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - The image heating apparatus includes first and heat generation member, a connection state switching section switching the first and second heat generation members between a serial connection state and a parallel connection state, the connection state switching section C having a first relay having a make contact or a break contact and a second relay having a transfer contact, a drive element provided used for controlling power supplied to the first and second heat generation members, and a capacitor between a power supply path closer to the side of the first and second heat generation members rather than the first relay and a power supply path closer to the commercial power supply side rather than the drive element. The image heating apparatus can suppress an increase in noise level of a noise terminal voltage by performing power control on the heater. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120074119 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a heat source of a fixing device to heat when an alternate current signal is supplied thereto; a conduction control circuit for controlling an alternate current power source with a conduction control signal, and for supplying the alternate current signal to the heat source; and a control unit for outputting the conduction control signal in a specific pattern. The conduction control circuit includes a conduction control element for switching between conduction and non-conduction at a zero cross timing of the alternate current power source according to the conduction control signal, and for supplying the alternate current signal. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120085744 | HEATING DEVICE CAPABLE OF ACCURATELY DETERMINING CHANGE IN STATE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heating device capable of accurately determining a change in the state of a to-be-heated member, caused in a narrow area. An induction heating coil generates magnetic flux by flow of electric current therethrough. The fixing belt generates heat by the action of the magnetic flux generated by the induction heating coil. A first antenna is disposed at a location where the magnetic flux generated by the induction heating coil can be detected assuming that there is no fixing belt. A second antenna is disposed such that at least some area of the second antenna overlaps the first antenna. A control circuit determines whether or not a state of the fixing belt has changed, based on a result of detection by the first antenna and a result of detection by the second antenna. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120234820 | Heater for fusing apparatus and fusing apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same - A heater for a fusing apparatus that is used in an image forming apparatus includes a carbon fiber filament; a holding pipe which receives the carbon fiber filament; and terminals which are disposed opposite ends of the holding pipe and connects the carbon fiber strands with an electric power source. The carbon fiber filament may be formed of any of one to seven carbon fiber strands and each of the carbon fiber strands may have linear density of any of 1-70 tex. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20130299480 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE HEATER - A heater includes: a substrate; a resistor, provided obliquely on the substrate with respect to a sheet passing direction, for generating heat by electric energy supply; a pair of first electrodes which are disposed opposed to each other via the resistor and which are electrically connected with respective ends of the resistor with respect to the sheet passing direction; and a pair of second electrodes which are disposed opposed to each other via the resistor and which are electrically connected with respective ends of the resistor with respect to the sheet passing direction. One of the first electrodes and one of the second electrodes overlap with each other as seen from the sheet passing direction. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20140061181 | SHEET HEATER AND IMAGE FIXING DEVICE INCLUDING THE SHEET HEATER - A sheet heater that includes a sheet article composed of a conductive resin composition containing a conductive material and a resin, and a pair of metal plate electrodes, each of the electrodes being bonded to each of the ends of the sheet article, wherein when elements of the sheet article are detected at a portion 1 μm depth from a surface of the metal plate electrode, a peak area ratio of silicon (Si) to metal ion (M) is 1/100 to 1, the metal ion M being most abundant of all metal ions detected at the portion, the peaks being obtained by measuring an X ray generated at the portion by applying an X ray to the portion with the scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140076878 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING DEVICE MOUNTED WITH HEATER - A heater of the present invention includes jointed heat generating resistors having a positive temperature characteristic of resistance and provided between a first conductive element and a second conductive element on a substrate in a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and a plurality of heating blocks provided in the longitudinal direction, each of which is a set of the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the heat generating resistor, and power supplied to at least one of the plurality of heating blocks can be controlled independent of other heating blocks. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140138372 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS AND HEATER USED IN THE SAME - An image heating apparatus or a heater used in the image heating apparatus includes a thermally conductive anisotropic sheet provided on one surface of the heater on which a temperature detection member is provided. The sheet is not provided at a portion of the heater where the temperature detection member is provided, or the thickness of the sheet is reduced at a portion where the temperature detection member is provided compared to the thickness thereof in the surrounding area of the portion. Accordingly, responsiveness of the temperature detection member is improved. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140209593 | PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE FORCE EXPRESSING UNIT, PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE LABEL ISSUING DEVICE, AND PRINTER - A pressure-sensitive adhesive force expressing unit including: a thermal head including heater elements arranged along a width direction of a label, the thermal head being configured to heat the label, from an adhesive layer side to form openings in a function layer by the heater elements; and a controller for applying heat energy to the heater elements individually to control heat generation thereof, the controller being configured to control the application of heat energy to the heater elements so that opening lines in each of which the openings are arranged in the width direction of the label are formed in the conveyance direction and to control the application of heat energy so that adjacent at least two of the heater elements generate heat at the same time to form an opening group in which the openings are connected together in the width direction. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140305925 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing member, which includes heat-generating layer, and an induction heater to inductively heat the fixing member. The induction heater includes an excitation coil disposed facing an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to generate a magnetic flux, a ferromagnetic core assembly containing a ferromagnetic core to form a magnetic path to direct the magnetic flux generated by the excitation coil to the fixing member, and a holder to hold the excitation coil and the ferromagnetic core assembly. The ferromagnetic core is insert-molded in and covered by the holder. The holder has a plurality of spherical marks created by a plurality of stabilizing members each having a spherical tip to stabilize the ferromagnetic core in a mold. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20150034623 | HEATER UNIT - In a heater unit for heating a sheet stored in a cassette, respective heating wires of a plurality of heater wires are arranged along an outer periphery of a heat transfer plate so as not to overlap each other, respective power supply wires of the plurality of heater wires are arranged inside a path formed by the heating wires, and both ends of each of the plurality of heater wires are connected to a connector. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150083706 | Hybrid Heater with Dual Function Heating Capability - A fuser heater member for an electrophotographic imaging device, including a heater member. According to an example embodiment, the heater member includes positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material disposed along a width of a fuser nip of the fuser assembly; first and second electrodes disposed along disposed surfaces of the PTC material; an intermediate layer disposed over the second electrode; and at least one resistive trace disposed along the intermediate layer along the width of the fuser nip. The heater member includes a plurality of wire segments coupled to the first and second electrodes and the resistive elements for use in generating heat from at least one of the PTC material and the at least one resistive trace during a fusing operation. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150338795 | IMAGE HEATING DEVICE - An image heating device is provided with a tubular film, and a unit placed inside the film. The unit includes a heater in contact with an inner surface of the film, a supporting member supporting the heater, and a highly thermal conductive member. The highly thermal conductive member placed between the heater and the supporting member and in contact with the heater. The unit is configured such that when the unit is viewed from a side where a surface of the heater is in contact with the film, at least a portion of the highly thermal conductive member is visible without being hidden behind the heater. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150338804 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a heater including a substrate and a heat generating element provided on the substrate; a supporting member supporting the heater, the supporting member being provided with a recess for receiving the heater; a high heat conduction member having a thermal conductivity at least in a direction parallel with a surface higher than a thermal conductivity of the substrate, the high heat conduction member being sandwiched between the heater and the supporting member. A side surface of the heater and a surface, defining the recess and opposing the side surface of the heater, of the supporting member are bonded by adhesive material with each other to fix the heater and the supporting member to each other. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150338805 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A heater usable with an image heating apparatus including first and second terminals, a connector, and an endless heating belt, the heater including at least one first contact provided on a substrate and connectable with the first terminal through the connector; second contacts provided on the substrate and connectable with the second terminal through the connector; electrodes including a first electrode connected with the first contact and second electrodes connected with the second contacts, the first electrodes and the second electrodes being arranged alternately with predetermined gaps in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent electrodes so as to connect between adjacent electrodes, the heat generating portions being capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrodes; wherein the first contact and the second contacts are all disposed in one longitudinal end portion side of the substrate. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150338806 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A heater usable with an image heating apparatus including first and second terminals includes a first connector connectable with the first terminal; a second connector connectable with the second terminal and positioned with a gap from the first connector in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a third connector connectable with the second terminal; a fourth connector connectable with the second terminal and positioned with a gap from the third connector in the widthwise; heat generators arranged in the longitudinal direction, the heat generators including at least one heat generator activatable by the first connector and the second connector, at least one heat generator activatable by the first connector and the third connector, and at least one heat generator activatable by the first connector and the fourth connector; a gap between the third connector and the fourth connector in the widthwise direction is smaller than a gap between the first connector and the second connector in the longitudinal direction. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150341985 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A heater usable with an image heating apparatus including first and second terminals includes electrodes including first and second electrodes connectable the first and second terminals, respectively, the first electrodes and the second electrodes extend longitudinally; heat generating portions between adjacent electrodes; a first electric line connected with the first electrodes, the first line being extending with a gap between the heat generating portions, a second electric line connected with the second electrode connected with the heat generating portions in a first heat generating region, a third electric line connected with the second electrode connected with the heat generating portions in a second heat generating region, the second electric line being extended adjacent to the second electric line, wherein a gap between the second and third electric lines in the widthwise direction is smaller than the gap between the first and second electrodes in the widthwise direction. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150341986 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A heater usable with an image heating apparatus includes contacts including at least one first contact provided on a substrate and connectable with a first terminal, and second contacts provided on the substrate and connectable with a second terminal; electrodes arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate with predetermined gaps; electroconductive lines connecting the electrodes with respective ones of the contacts such that the electrode connected with the first contact and the electrode connected with the second contacts are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the substrate; and heat generating portions, provided between adjacent electrodes, respectively, for generating heat by electric power supply between adjacent electrodes, wherein all of the first contacts are provided in one end portion of the substrate with respect to the longitudinal direction, and all of the second contacts are provided in the other end portion with respect to the longitudinal direction. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150359040 | CONTROL UNIT, CONTROL METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING A CONTROL PROGRAM - A control device includes an AC-DC converter that converts power supplied from a commercial power source into DC, a DC-DC converter that supplies the DC to a fixing heater, an calculator that calculates a target DC voltage of the DC to be supplied to the fixing heater, based on detected temperature of the fixing heater, an overcurrent detection unit that outputs an interruption signal when an overcurrent detection value is detected in a circuit including a switching element, and a controller that calculates switching time for switching the switching element so that an output of the DC-DC converter reaches the target DC voltage. When the interruption signal is output causing stopping of the switching of the switching element, the controller causes the calculator not to calculate the switching time to continuously use the previously calculated switching time after resuming switching of the switching element at a next switching cycle. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20160026124 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A heater includes a substrate; a first electrical contact a plurality of second electrical contacts an electroconductive line portion electrically connected with the first electrical contact; a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connected with the first electrical contact through the electroconductive line portion and second electrode portions electrically connected with the second electrical contacts; and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions. A cross-section of the electroconductive line portion in a side closer to the first electrical contact than the plurality of heat generating portions are with respect to the longitudinal direction is larger than a cross-section of a predetermined electrode portion, between adjacent heat generating portions, of the plurality of electrode portions. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160029435 | HEATER AND IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A heater includes: a substrate; a first electrical contact; second electrical contacts; first electrode portions and second electrode portions; heat generating portions; a first electroconductive line portion electrically connecting the first electrical contact and the first electrode portions; and a second electroconductive line portion electrically connecting one of the second electrical contacts and a part of the second electrode portions. A cross-sectional area of a portion, of the first electroconductive line portion, into which all of currents flowing through the first electrode portions merge when the currents flow from the first electrode portions toward the first electrical contact is larger than a cross-sectional area of a portion, of the second electroconductive line portion, into which all of currents flowing through the part of the second electrode portions merge when the currents flow from the part of the second electrode portions toward the one of second electrical contacts. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160070217 | HEATER, IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE HEATER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE HEATER - A heater includes a substrate; a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connectable with the first terminal and second electrode portions electrically connectable with the second terminal, the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion being arranged alternately with predetermined gaps in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions so as to electrically connect between adjacent electrode portions. The heat generating portions are capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrode portions. With respect to a widthwise direction of the substrate, a distance between ends of the adjacent electrode portions is larger than a width of the plurality of heat generating portions. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20180024481 | IMAGE HEATING DEVICE | 01-25-2018 |
