Image forming apparatus, and method and computer-readable medium for the same

• US 9,904,224 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Kondo, Tomohiro, Oyama, Yoshihiro, Mori, Tatsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanghera, Jas
• Application Number:
  US15/252,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/205 specially for the mode of operation, e.g. standby, warming-up, error G03G15/2046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/235 the image receiving member being preconditioned before transferring the second image, e.g. decurled, or the second image being formed with different operating parameters, e.g. a different fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5029 by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6579 Refeeding path for composite copying
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0043 Refeeding path G03G2215/00421 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/2045 Variable fixing speed

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a process unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet, a fuser configured to heat the sheet passed through the process unit thereby fixing the toner image onto the sheet, a re-conveyor configured to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit, and a controller configured to perform particular duplex printing including controlling, when a temperature of the fuser is a first temperature, the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a first period of time, and controlling, when the temperature of the fuser is a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a second period of time longer than the first period of time.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a process unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet;

a fuser configured to heat the sheet passed through the process unit thereby thermally fixing the toner image onto the sheet;

a re-conveyor configured to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit; and

a controller configured to perform particular duplex printing in response to receipt of a print instruction, the particular duplex printing comprising;

when the sheet is a first sheet to pass through the fuser for a first time after the print instruction has been received, setting a target temperature of the fuser for thermally fixing the toner image onto the sheet to a second temperature higher than a first temperature;

when the sheet is the first sheet to pass through the fuser for a second time, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the sheet is a second sheet to pass through the fuser for a first time after the first sheet has passed through the fuser for the second time, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the sheet is the second sheet to pass through the fuser for a second time, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, controlling the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a first period of time; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature, controlling the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a second period of time, the second period of time being longer than the first period of time.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the re-conveyor comprises a re-conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet toward the process unit, and

wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, control the re-conveyance roller to convey the sheet at a first conveyance speed; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature, control the re-conveyance roller to convey the sheet at a second conveyance speed, the second conveyance speed being lower than the first conveyance speed.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first conveyance speed is higher than a specific conveyance speed at which the sheet passes through the fuser, and

wherein the second conveyance speed is lower than the specific conveyance speed.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, control the re-conveyor to stop the sheet for a third period of time; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature, control the re-conveyor to stop the sheet for a fourth period of time, the fourth period of time being longer than the third period of time.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, control the re-conveyor to stop the sheet for the third period of time before beginning to convey the sheet to the process unit after the sheet has passed through the fuser; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature, control the re-conveyor to stop the sheet for the fourth period of time before beginning to convey the sheet to the process unit after the sheet has passed through the fuser.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to, as a temperature of the fuser before execution of the duplex printing is higher, make the second period of time longer.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to, as the second temperature is higher, make the second period of time longer.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide configured to guide the sheet in contact with a specific surface of the sheet, the specific surface being opposite to an other surface of the sheet that faces a heater of the fuser when the sheet passes through the fuser.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the guide comprises a curved portion configured to guide the sheet in contact with the specific surface of the sheet, the curved portion being concave in a direction of the specific surface of the sheet being guided by the guide, and

wherein the re-conveyor comprises:

a reversal roller configured to convey the sheet being guided by the guide, the reversal roller being configured to reverse a conveying direction of the sheet when the sheet has passed through the guide; and

a second guide disposed on an opposite side of the fuser with respect to the guide, the second guide being configured to guide the sheet in a reversed conveying direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to perform particular simplex printing comprising bringing a temperature of the fuser to a third temperature, the third temperature being higher than the second temperature.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a motor configured to drive at least one of the process unit and the fuser,

wherein the controller is further configured to make a timing to start driving the motor when the temperature of the fuser is brought to the third temperature in the particular simplex printing later than when the temperature of the fuser is brought to the second temperature in the particular duplex printing.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller comprises:

a processor; and

a memory storing processor-executable instructions configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the particular duplex printing.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the particular duplex printing further comprises:

when an outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a threshold temperature before the first sheet passes through the fuser for the first time after receipt of the print instruction, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the second temperature; and

when the outside air temperature is higher than the threshold temperature before the first sheet passes through the fuser for the first time after receipt of the print instruction, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature.

14. A method adapted to be implemented on a processor coupled with an image forming apparatus comprising a process unit, a fuser, and a re-conveyor, the method comprising:

when the sheet is a first sheet to pass through the fuser for a first time after the print instruction has been received, setting a target temperature of the fuser for thermally fixing the toner image onto the sheet to a second temperature higher than a first temperature;

when the sheet is the first sheet to pass through the fuser for a second time, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the sheet is a second sheet to pass through the fuser for a first time after the first sheet has passed through the fuser for the second time, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the sheet is the second sheet to pass through the fuser for a second time, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, controlling the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a first period of time; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature higher than the first temperature, controlling the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a second period of time, the second period of time being longer than the first period of time.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a process unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet;

a fuser configured to heat the sheet passed through the process unit thereby thermally fixing the toner image onto the sheet;

a re-conveyor configured to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit; and

a controller configured to perform particular duplex printing in response to receipt of a print instruction, the particular duplex printing comprising;

when an outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a threshold temperature before a first sheet passes through the fuser for a first time after receipt of the print instruction, setting a target temperature of the fuser to a second temperature higher than a first temperature;

when the outside air temperature is higher than the threshold temperature before the first sheet passes through the fuser for the first time after receipt of the print instruction, setting the target temperature of the fuser to the first temperature;

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, controlling the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a first period of time; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature higher than the first temperature, controlling the re-conveyor to convey the sheet passed through the fuser to the process unit in a second period of time, the second period of time being longer than the first period of time.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the target temperature of the fuser is the first temperature, control the re-conveyor to stop the sheet for a third period of time; and

when the target temperature of the fuser is the second temperature, control the re-conveyor to stop the sheet for a fourth period of time, the fourth period of time being longer than the third period of time.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the controller is further configured to, as a temperature of the fuser before execution of the duplex printing is higher, make the second period of time longer.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the controller is further configured to, as the second temperature is higher, make the second period of time longer.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the controller is further configured to perform particular simplex printing comprising bringing a temperature of the fuser to a third temperature, the third temperature being higher than the second temperature.