Fixing device and fixing temperature control method of fixing device

• US 9,411,276 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takagi, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): BONNETTE, RODNEY ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US14/715,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2039 with means for controlling the fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2042 specially for the axial heat partition
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2046 specially for the influence of heat loss, e.g. due to the contact with the copy material or other roller
• 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 2215/2022 the fixing nip having both a stationary and a rotating belt support member opposing a pressure member

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes determination means for determining the size of an image forming area of a medium, heating means for including an endless rotating body, plural heat-generating members which are formed in a perpendicular direction to a transporting direction, inclined by a predetermined angle, and divided by a predetermined length, and are disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the rotating body, and a switching unit which switches individual conduction, and heats the medium, pressing means for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plural heat-generating members, and nipping and carrying the medium in the transporting direction along with the heating means, and heating control means for controlling the switching unit to select and conduct heat-generating members and controlling the heating means to heat the medium.

Claims

1. A fixing device comprising:

an endless rotating body;

a plurality of heat-generating members for heating a medium, each heat-generating member being parallel, formed in a perpendicular direction to a transporting direction of the medium, inclined from the transporting direction to a direction of a predetermined angle, and divided by a predetermined length, and being disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the endless rotating body;

a switching unit comprising a plurality of switching elements, each switching element being connected to each heat-generating member, for switching individual conduction of these switching elements connected to heat-generating members corresponding to a position through which the medium passes; and

pressing means for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plurality of heat-generating members, and for nipping and carrying the medium in the transporting direction.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating members are formed to be a parallelogram and to have the same size, and bottom portions of the plurality of heat-generating members are arranged on the same line.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating members are formed to have resistance values which are changed at a certain ratio.

4. A fixing temperature control method of a fixing device which includes a plurality of heat-generating members and a switching unit and fixes a toner image on the medium by heating and pressing the medium, each of the heat-generating members being formed in a perpendicular direction to a transport direction of a medium, being inclined from the transporting direction to a direction of a predetermined angle, and being divided by a predetermined length, individually switching conduction of these heat-generating members, the switching unit comprising a plurality of switching elements, each switching element being connected to each heat-generating member, the method comprising:

determining the size of the medium; and

controlling the switching unit to select and conduct these switching elements connected to heat-generating members corresponding to a position through which the medium passes, among the plurality of heat-generating members and controlling heating of the heat-generating member.

5. A fixing device comprising:

an endless belt;

a plurality of heat-generating resistors for heating a medium, each heat-generating resistor being parallel, formed in a perpendicular direction to a transporting direction of the medium, inclined from the transporting direction to a direction of a predetermined angle, and divided by a predetermined length, and being disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the endless rotating body;

a plurality of switching elements, each switching element being connected to each heat-generating resistor, for switching individual conduction of these switching elements connected to heat-generating resistors corresponding to a position through which the medium passes; and

a pressing roller for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plurality of heat-generating resistors, and for nipping and carrying the medium in the transporting direction.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to have resistance values which are changed at a certain ratio.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to be a parallelogram and to have the same size, and bottom portions of the plurality of heat-generating resistors are arranged on the same line.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to have resistance values which are changed at a certain ratio.

9. A printing device comprising:

an endless belt;

a plurality of heat-generating resistors for heating a medium, each heat-generating resistor being parallel, formed in a perpendicular direction to a transporting direction of the medium, inclined from the transporting direction to a direction of a predetermined angle, and divided by a predetermined length, and being disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the endless rotating body;

a plurality of switching elements, each switching element being connected to each heat-generating resistor, for switching individual conduction of these switching elements connected to heat-generating resistors corresponding to a position through which the medium passes;

a pressing roller for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plurality of heat-generating resistors, and for nipping and carrying the medium in the transporting direction; and

a controller comprising a determination unit for determining the size of a medium on which a toner image is formed and a controlling unit for controlling for the plurality of switching elements connected to the plurality of heat-generating resistors.

10. The printing device according to claim 9, wherein

the determination unit determines the size of the medium and a thickness or basis weight of the medium, and

the heating control unit controls the plurality of switching elements to select heat-generating resistors which are not to be conducted, among the heat-generating resistors corresponding to the position through which the medium passes based on a result of the determination and suppresses heating of the heat-generating resistors.

11. The printing device according to claim 10, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to be a parallelogram and to have the same size, and bottom portions of the plurality of heat-generating resistors are arranged on the same line.

12. The printing device according to claim 11, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to have resistance values which are changed at a certain ratio.

13. The printing device according to claim 9, wherein

the determination unit determines the size of the medium and a surface temperature of the heat-generating resistor, and

the heating control unit controls the plurality of switching elements to select heat-generating resistors which are not to be conducted, among the heat-generating resistors corresponding to the position through which the medium passes based on a result of the determination and suppresses heating of the heat-generating resistors.

14. The printing device according to claim 13, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to be a parallelogram and to have the same size, and bottom portions of the plurality of heat-generating resistors are arranged on the same line.

15. The printing device according to claim 14, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to have resistance values which are changed at a certain ratio.

16. The printing device according to claim 9, wherein

the determination unit determines the size of the medium and a value of the outdoor air temperature, and

the heating control unit controls the plurality switching elements to select heat-generating resistors which are not to be conducted, among the heat-generating resistors corresponding to the position through which the medium passes based on a result of the determination and suppresses heating of the heat-generating resistors.

17. The printing device according to claim 16, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to be a parallelogram and to have the same size, and bottom portions of the plurality of heat-generating resistors are arranged on the same line.

18. The printing device according to claim 17, wherein

the plurality of heat-generating resistors are formed to have resistance values which are changed at a certain ratio.