FIXING DEVICE AND CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20140064755A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mogi, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,983,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/43
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2017 Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means G03G15/2053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2032 Retractable heating or pressure unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1685 for the fixing unit

Abstract

A fixing device includes a fixing device including rollers which form a nip therebetween to fix a toner image on a sheet; a reciprocating mechanism, including a motor, for reciprocating the fixing device within a predetermined range by moving the fixing device in a longitudinal direction thereof for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip; and a controller for controlling the motor so that a drive time of the motor per the predetermined number of the sheets is longer in a first range including a point at which a moving direction of the fixing device reverses than in a second range in which the moving direction of the fixing device does not reverse.

Claims

1. A fixing device comprising:

a fixing device including a pair of rotatable members which form a nip therebetween to fix a toner image on a sheet;

a reciprocating mechanism, including a motor, configured to reciprocate said fixing device within a predetermined range by moving the fixing device in a longitudinal direction thereof for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip; and

a controller configured to control said motor so that a drive time of said motor per the predetermined number of the sheets is longer in a first range including a point at which a moving direction of said fixing device reverses than in a second range in which the moving direction of said fixing device does not reverse.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a counter configured to count the number of the sheet passing the nip, wherein said controller controls said motor on the basis of an output of said counter.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said controller drives said motor for a predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip in the second range, and drives said motor for the predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip and repeats such a drive of said motor in the first range.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured and positioned to detect a position of said fixing device in the longitudinal direction, wherein said controller controls said motor in accordance with an output of said sensor.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said reciprocating mechanism includes a cam and a cam follower driven by said cam, said cam and said cam follower being provided in a drive transmission path between the motor and said fixing device to reciprocate said fixing device by unidirectional rotation of said motor.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said controller moves said fixing device during the sheet being in the nip.

7. A control device for controlling a motor for reciprocating a fixing device in a longitudinal direction thereof, said fixing device including a fixing device having a pair of rotatable members which form a nip therebetween to fix a toner image on a sheet:

a counter configured to count a number of sheets passing through said fixing device; and

a controller configured to control said motor for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets, on the basis of an output of said counter;

said controller controls said motor so that a drive time of said motor per the predetermined number of the sheets is longer in a first range including a point at which a moving direction of said fixing device reverses than in a second range in which the moving direction of said fixing device does not reverse.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said controller drives said motor for a predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip in the second range, and drives said motor for the predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip and repeats such a drive of said motor in the first range.

9. A device according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor configured and positioned to detect a position of said fixing device in the longitudinal direction, wherein said controller controls said motor in accordance with an output of said sensor.

10. A device according to claim 7, wherein said controller moves said fixing device during the sheet being in the nip.

11. A fixing device comprising:

a fixing device including a pair of rotatable members which form a nip therebetween to fix a toner image on a sheet;

a reciprocating mechanism, including a motor, configured to reciprocate said fixing device within a predetermined range by moving the fixing device in a longitudinal direction thereof for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip; and

a controller configured to control said motor so that a drive time of said motor per the predetermined number of the sheets is longer in first ranges which is predetermined boundary ranges than in a second range which is a middle range between said predetermined ranges.

12. A device according to claim 11, further comprising a counter configured to count the number of the sheet passing the nip, wherein said controller controls said motor on the basis of an output of said counter.

13. A device according to claim 11, wherein said controller drives said motor for a predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip in the second range, and drives said motor for the predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip and repeats such a drive of said motor in the first ranges.

14. A device according to claim 11, further comprising a sensor configured and positioned to detect a position of said fixing device in the longitudinal direction, wherein said controller controls said motor in accordance with an output of said sensor.

15. A device according to claim 11, wherein said reciprocating mechanism includes a cam and a cam follower driven by said cam, said cam and said cam follower being provided in a drive transmission path between the motor and said fixing device to reciprocate said fixing device by unidirectional rotation of said motor.

16. A device according to claim 11, wherein said controller moves said fixing device during the sheet being in the nip.

17. A control device for controlling a motor for reciprocating a fixing device in a longitudinal direction thereof, said fixing device including a fixing device having a pair of rotatable members which form a nip therebetween to fix a toner image on a sheet:

a counter configured to count a number of sheets passing through said fixing device; and

a controller configured to control said motor for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets, on the basis of an output of said counter;

wherein said controller controls said motor so that a drive time of said motor per the predetermined number of the sheets is longer in first ranges which is predetermined boundary ranges than in a second range which is a middle range between said predetermined ranges.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein said controller drives said motor for a predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip in the second range, and drives said motor for the predetermined time for each passages of a predetermined number of sheets through the nip and repeats such a drive of said motor in the first ranges.

19. A device according to claim 17, further comprising a sensor configured and positioned to detect a position of said fixing device in the longitudinal direction, wherein said controller controls said motor in accordance with an output of said sensor.

20. A device according to claim 17, wherein said controller moves said fixing device during the sheet being in the nip.