IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT CONTROLS A THERMAL FIXING CONDITION OF A FIXING PORTION BASED ON THERMAL CHARACTERISTIC INFORMATION OF TONER

• US 20200133162A1
• Filed: 01/02/2020
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Omata, Masahito, Minamishima, Yasuhito, Kume, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 11,016,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/08 using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/16 of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern , e.g. magnetic transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/20 for fixing, e.g. by using heat
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2039 with means for controlling the fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2053 Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2064 combined with pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges containing toners, each cartridge including a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information of the toner contained therein, and a reading portion configured to read the type of thermal characteristic information. A fixing portion thermally fixes a toner image, formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the cartridges, respectively, onto a recording material, and a control portion controls the fixing portion by switching a thermal fixing condition in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, the thermal fixing condition being a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing, to a recording material, a toner, of the toners that form the toner image, that is transferred first to the recording material, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an apparatus main body;

a plurality of cartridges configured to contain toners and detachably attached to the apparatus main body;

a fixing portion configured to thermally fix a toner image, which is formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the plurality of cartridges respectively, onto a recording material; and

a control portion configured to control the fixing portion, wherein

each of the plurality of cartridges includes a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information on the toner, which is classified into at least two types and which is contained in each of the cartridges, wherein

the image forming apparatus further comprises a reading portion configured to read a type of thermal characteristic information stored in the storage element, and wherein

the control portion switches a thermal fixing condition to control the fixing portion in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information that has been read by the reading portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control portion switches a target temperature, when the fixing portion performs the thermal fixing, to switch the thermal fixing condition.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the thermal characteristic information is classified into at least two types based on a degree of fixing performance of the toner to the recording material.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer member, (i) onto which a plurality of toner images of mutually different colors formed by the plurality of toners of mutually different colors are superimposed and transferred, and (ii) from which the toner image formed by the plurality of transferred toner images is transformed onto a recording material, and wherein

the thermal fixing condition is a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing to a recording toner, of a toner of which toner image is transferred last to the transfer member, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the thermal heating condition is a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing the black toner to the recording material.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an image information discriminating portion configured to acquire density information on each of the plurality of toners of different colors in the toner image, from the image information for forming a toner image, wherein

the control portion switches the thermal fixing condition, based on (i) the density information acquired by the image information discriminating portion, and (ii) the combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

in a case when the combination is a predetermined combination, the control portion corrects the target temperature when the fixing portion performs the thermal fixing as the thermal fixing condition, when the density of yellow toner acquired by the image information discriminating portion is a predetermined magnitude or more.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a recording material discriminating portion configured to acquire information on the type of the recording material onto which the toner image is thermally fixed, wherein

the control portion switches the thermal fixing condition, based on (i) the type of the recording material acquired by the recording material discriminating portion, and (ii) the combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

in a case when the toner image is thermally fixed onto a predetermined type of recording material and the combination is a predetermined condition, the control portion increases a conveyance interval of recording materials when the toner image is continuously and thermally fixed onto the plurality of predetermined types of recording materials, in order to switch the thermal fixing condition.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising

an image information discriminating portion configured to acquire density information on each of the plurality of toners of different colors in the toner image, from the image formation for forming a toner image, wherein

the control portion switches the thermal fixing condition, based on (i) the type of the recording material acquired by the recording material discriminating portion, (ii) the combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, and (iii) the density information acquired by the image information discriminating portion.