JP2006221115A - Fixing apparatus, image forming apparatus using the same, fixing apparatus heating method, fixing apparatus heating control program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To set the heating member heating time and temperature to be as short as possible by setting the heating member heating time and temperature finely under each condition in order to perform necessary and sufficient heating for fixing. A fixing device capable of shortening the waiting time, an image forming apparatus using the fixing device, and a heating method of the fixing device are provided.
A fixing device heat-fixes an unfixed image on a recording paper on the recording paper. The fixing device includes a heating roller 22 that is heated by the heater 21 and a heating time control that controls the time for which the heater 21 heats the heating roller 22 according to the number of prints of the previous print job operation. A portion 32 is provided.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus, a printer, a copying machine, and a FAX, and a fixing device that fixes an unfixed image on the recording medium to the recording medium by heating, and an image forming apparatus using the same. And a fixing device heating method, a fixing device heating control program, and a recording medium.

  Conventionally, in an electrophotographic apparatus 100 as an image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 4, a recording sheet P as a recording medium stored in a sheet feeding unit 102 is conveyed by rotation of a sheet feeding roller 103. After the unfixed image formed on the photosensitive drum 111 is transferred, it is conveyed to the fixing device 120.

  When a recording medium such as thick paper, an envelope, and a recording paper having a small size is used, the recording paper P is fed from a manual paper feeding mechanism 105 different from the paper feeding unit 102, and similarly, a photosensitive drum. The unfixed image formed on 111 is transferred to the fixing device 120 after being transferred.

  In the fixing device 120, the temperature of the heating roller 122 including the heater 121 can be detected by the thermistor 124. The heating roller 122 is controlled so that the detected temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature. Yes. At this time, the pressure roller 123 is rotated by rotating the heating roller 122 while maintaining a predetermined temperature. This operation is often called “pre-rotation” or “warming up”.

  Incidentally, the predetermined temperature of the heating roller 122 and the predetermined time for the pre-rotation are usually set to appropriate values according to the environmental conditions at the time of printing, the type of recording paper to be passed, and the like.

For example, in patent document 1, in order to be able to set this pre-rotation time short,
(1) Temperature at the start of printing (2) Elapsed time from previous printing operation (3) Pre-rotation time is set by combining three conditions: size of recording paper to be printed.

  In this case, the amount of heat stored in the vicinity of the fixing device in the machine is not accurately determined, and it is very difficult to determine it based only on the elapsed time. For example, when a member having a high heat storage rate such as a pressure roller holds a sufficient amount of heat up to its center, it is generally considered that the pre-rotation time need not be lengthened. However, when the temperature at the start of printing is low, the surface temperature of the pressure roller immediately decreases, so the center of the pressure roller maintains a sufficient amount of heat, but the pre-rotation time is set long. There is.

Further, for example, there is a case where the previous print job is printing one sheet, and a plurality of sheets are printed immediately after that. In this case, the temperature of the heating roller is maintained at a predetermined temperature and is overwhelmingly higher than the indoor environment temperature, but the pressure roller is heated only on the surface, and there is a case where heat is hardly stored. If it is determined that the temperature of the pressure roller is high in this state and fixing is performed in a short pre-rotation time, it is assumed that the pressure roller will not be fixed as the number of printed sheets advances due to insufficient heat storage. The
JP 10-254269 A (published September 25, 1989)

  By the way, the time required for the pre-rotation operation is the print preparation time, during which printing is not started. Therefore, it is desirable to shorten the pre-rotation time as much as possible.

  However, in the conventional fixing device, if the indoor environment temperature is low, the pre-rotation must be prolonged until a sufficient amount of heat necessary for fixing is secured. However, if the temperature in the image forming apparatus is high, the pre-rotation operation is performed. In spite of being able to be set short, there is a problem that the pre-rotation time is long.

  In addition, when the recording paper is relatively thick, it is necessary to set the predetermined temperature of the heating roller to be high, but this is not the case with plain paper. Have the problem of doing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and its purpose is to set the time and temperature for heating the heating member in detail under various conditions in order to perform heating necessary and sufficient for fixing. Accordingly, the fixing device capable of setting the time for heating the heating member as short as possible and reducing the waiting time for printing, the image forming apparatus using the same, the heating method for the fixing device, and the heating control program for the fixing device And providing a recording medium.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium on the recording medium, and is performed one before the heating member heated by the heater. And a heating time control means for controlling the time during which the heater heats the heating member in accordance with the number of printed sheets in the operation of the print job.

  In order to solve the above problems, a heating method for a fixing device according to the present invention is a method for heating a fixing device in which an unfixed image on a recording medium is fixed to a recording medium by a heating member. It is characterized in that the time for which the heater heats the heating member is controlled according to the number of printed sheets in the operation of the print job performed.

  According to the above invention, the heating time control means controls the time during which the heater heats the heating member in accordance with the number of printed sheets in the previous print job operation.

  For example, if the number of prints of the previous print job is large, the temperature inside the image forming apparatus is generally high, and sufficient heat storage is ensured for a member having a high heat storage rate such as a pressure roller. The heating time can be shortened. Further, when the number of printed sheets is small, the temperature rises only around the fixing device or the heat storage is insufficient. Therefore, the time for heating the heating member may be increased.

  Therefore, by setting the time for heating the heating member finely under each condition to perform heating necessary and sufficient for fixing, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible to reduce the printing waiting time. A fixing device that can be shortened and a heating method thereof can be provided.

  Further, this control makes it possible to determine the degree of heat storage in the image forming apparatus and the temperature around the fixing device, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from that for the heating member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium on the recording medium. Heating time control means for controlling the time during which the heater heats the heating member according to the selection of the paper mouth is provided.

  Further, in order to solve the above problems, the heating method of the fixing device of the present invention includes various methods in the heating method of the fixing device in which an unfixed image on the recording medium is heated and fixed on the recording medium by a heating member. The heater controls the time for heating the heating member in accordance with the selection of the paper feed port.

  For example, a recording medium such as cardboard or envelope that requires strict conditions for fixing is passed through the manual feed port. However, when the paper feed port is a cassette, ordinary plain paper is often used, so there is no need to lengthen the pre-rotation.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the heating time control means controls the time during which the heater heats the heating member in accordance with the selection of various paper feed ports. Thereby, appropriate heating time control of the heating member can be performed by selecting various paper feed ports. Further, this control makes it possible to determine the degree of heat storage in the image forming apparatus and the temperature around the fixing device, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from that for the heating member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium on the recording medium. The time for the heater to heat the heating member is controlled in accordance with the number of printed sheets of the print job operation performed, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. Heating time control means is provided.

  Further, in order to solve the above-described problem, the fixing device heating method of the present invention is one of the fixing device heating methods in which an unfixed image on a recording medium is heated and fixed on a recording medium by a heating member. Controls the time for the heater to heat the heating member according to the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. It is characterized by doing.

  According to the above-described invention, the heating time control means includes the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. In response, the heater controls the time for heating the heating member.

  That is, when performing control to continue heating until a sufficient amount of heat necessary for fixing is secured, the heating time control means selects the number of prints of the previous print job operation, selection of various paper feed ports, and By combining the three conditions of the elapsed time from the previous print job operation, the time for the heater to heat the heating member is controlled.

  Therefore, by setting the time for heating the heating member finely under each condition to perform heating necessary and sufficient for fixing, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible to reduce the printing waiting time. A fixing device that can be reliably shortened and a heating method thereof can be provided.

  Further, this control makes it possible to determine the degree of heat storage in the image forming apparatus and the temperature around the fixing device, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from that for the heating member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium on the recording medium. And a set temperature control for controlling the temperature of the heater so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures according to the selection of various paper feed ports. And a means is provided.

  Further, in order to solve the above problems, the heating method of the fixing device of the present invention includes various methods in the heating method of the fixing device in which an unfixed image on the recording medium is heated and fixed on the recording medium by a heating member. According to the selection of the paper feed port, the temperature of the heating member is controlled by a heater so that two or more predetermined temperatures are maintained.

  That is, for example, a recording medium such as cardboard or envelope that requires strict conditions for fixing is passed through the manual paper feed port. However, when the paper feed port is a cassette, ordinary plain paper is often used, so there is no need to increase the heating temperature.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the set temperature control means controls the temperature of the heater so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures according to the selection of various paper feed ports. . Thereby, appropriate heating temperature control of the heating member can be performed by selecting various paper feed ports.

  In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium on the recording medium. According to the detection member for detecting the temperature of the print, the number of prints of the operation of the previous print job, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the operation of the previous print job, There is provided a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heating member by the heater so that two or more predetermined temperatures detected by the detection member are maintained.

  Further, in order to solve the above-described problem, the heating method of the fixing device of the present invention is performed one time before in a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium onto a recording medium by a heating member. Depending on the number of printed sheets in the print job operation, selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation, heating by a heater to maintain two or more predetermined temperatures It is characterized by controlling the temperature of the member.

  According to the above-described invention, the set temperature control means can select the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. Accordingly, the temperature of the heater is controlled so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures.

  In other words, when performing control to continue heating until a sufficient amount of heat necessary for fixing is secured, the set temperature control means selects the number of prints of the operation of the previous print job, selection of various paper feed ports, and By combining the three conditions of the elapsed time from the previous print job operation, the temperature of the heating member is controlled by the heater so that the heating member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures.

  Therefore, by setting the temperature for heating the heating member finely under each condition for heating necessary and sufficient for fixing, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible, and the waiting time for printing is reduced. A fixing device that can be reliably shortened and a heating method thereof can be provided.

  In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is a fixing device that heats and fixes an unfixed image on a recording medium on the recording medium. According to the detection member for detecting the temperature of the print, the number of prints of the operation of the previous print job, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the operation of the previous print job, Heating time control means for controlling the time for which the heater heats the heating member, the number of prints of the previous print job operation, selection of various paper feed ports, and the previous print job There is provided a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heating member by the heater so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures according to the elapsed time from the operation. It has a characteristic

  Further, in order to solve the above-described problem, the fixing device heating method of the present invention is one of the fixing device heating methods in which an unfixed image on a recording medium is heated and fixed on a recording medium by a heating member. Controls the time for the heater to heat the heating member according to the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. In addition, depending on the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation, two or more predetermined The temperature of the heating member is controlled by the heater so as to keep the temperature.

  According to the above-described invention, the heating time control means includes the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. In response, the heater controls the time for heating the heating member.

  In addition, the set temperature control means may perform the above operation according to the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. Temperature control of the heating member by the heater is performed so that two or more predetermined temperatures detected by the detection member are maintained.

  Therefore, by setting the time and temperature for heating the heating member finely under each condition in order to perform the heating necessary and sufficient for fixing, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible to wait for printing. It is possible to provide a fixing device and a heating method thereof that can surely shorten the time.

  In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is configured so that the heating time control means or / and the set temperature control means are in accordance with the temperature of the heating member immediately before the start of printing detected by the detection member. The heater controls the time for heating the heating member, and / or the temperature of the heating member is controlled by the heater so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures.

  Thereby, the heating time control means or / and the set temperature control means perform temperature control of the heating member by the heater so as to maintain two or more predetermined temperatures according to the temperature of the heating member immediately before the start of printing. By detecting the temperature of the heating member immediately before the start of printing, for example, it is classified into a temperature environment of room temperature or higher and a low temperature environment of less than room temperature, and the heating time control or / and set temperature control based on the temperature conditions of the classification It can be performed.

  Further, in order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is characterized in that the paper feed port is provided in various ways according to the size of the recording medium.

  Thus, by appropriately selecting various paper supply ports according to the size of the recording medium, appropriate heating time control and / or heating temperature control of the heating member is performed according to the size of the recording medium. Can do.

  Further, in order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention is characterized in that the paper feed port is provided in various ways according to the thickness of the recording medium.

  As a result, by selecting various paper feed ports according to the thickness of the recording medium, appropriate heating time control or / and heating temperature control of the heating member can be performed according to the thickness of the recording medium. It can be carried out.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized by including the above-described fixing device in order to solve the above-described problems.

  Therefore, by setting the time and temperature for heating the heating member finely under each condition in order to perform heating necessary and sufficient for fixing, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible, and printing is performed. An image forming apparatus using a fixing device that can shorten the waiting time can be provided.

  The fixing device heating control program of the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the fixing device in order to solve the above-described problems.

  According to the above invention, the fixing device can be realized by realizing each unit of the fixing device with a computer.

  The recording medium of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which a data transfer program for causing the computer to realize the above-described units and operating the fixing device is recorded.

  According to the invention described above, the heating control program for the fixing device can be realized on the computer by the heating control program for the fixing device read from the recording medium.

  As described above, the fixing device and the heating method thereof according to the present invention heats the heating member according to the heating member heated by the heater and the number of prints of the previous print job operation. And a heating time control means for controlling the time to be performed.

  Therefore, by setting the time for heating the heating member to be necessary and sufficient for fixing in detail under each condition, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible and the printing waiting time is set. It is possible to provide a fixing device and an image forming apparatus that can shorten the image forming time.

  Further, this control makes it possible to determine the degree of heat storage in the image forming apparatus and the temperature around the fixing device, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from that for the heating member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  In addition, as described above, the fixing device and the heating method of the present invention control the heating member heated by the heater and the time for which the heater heats the heating member in accordance with the selection of various paper feed ports. Heating time control means is provided.

  Therefore, appropriate heating time control of the heating member can be performed by selecting various paper feed ports. In addition, this control makes it possible to determine the degree of heat storage in the image forming apparatus and the temperature around the fixing device, so there is no need to provide a separate temperature detection member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  Further, as described above, the fixing device and the heating method thereof according to the present invention include the heating member heated by the heater, the number of prints of the previous print job operation, selection of various paper feed ports, and Heating time control means is provided for controlling the time for the heater to heat the heating member in accordance with the elapsed time from the previous print job operation.

  Therefore, by setting the time for heating the heating member to be necessary and sufficient for fixing in detail under each condition, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible and the printing waiting time is set. It is possible to provide a fixing device and an image forming apparatus capable of reliably shortening the image forming time.

  Further, this control makes it possible to determine the degree of heat storage in the image forming apparatus and the temperature around the fixing device, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from that for the heating member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  Further, the fixing device and the heating method thereof according to the present invention, as described above, according to the selection of the heating member heated by the heater, the detection member for detecting the temperature of the heating member, and various paper feed ports, There is provided set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heater so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures.

  Therefore, there is an effect that appropriate heating temperature control of the heating member can be performed by selecting various paper feed ports.

  In addition, as described above, the fixing device and the heating method of the present invention include a heating member that is heated by a heater, a detection member that detects the temperature of the heating member, and an operation of a print job performed immediately before. The temperature detected by the detection member is maintained at two or more predetermined temperatures according to the number of printed sheets, selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. There is provided a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heater.

  Therefore, by setting the temperature for heating the heating member finely under each condition in order to perform necessary and sufficient heating for fixing, the heating time for the heating member is set as short as possible, and the printing waiting time is set. It is possible to provide a fixing device and an image forming apparatus capable of reliably shortening the image forming time.

  In addition, as described above, the fixing device and the heating method of the present invention include a heating member that is heated by a heater, a detection member that detects the temperature of the heating member, and an operation of a print job performed immediately before. A heating time control means for controlling the time during which the heater heats the heating member according to the number of printed sheets, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation; The temperature detected by the detection member is 2 in accordance with the number of printed sheets in the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. There is provided a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heater so as to maintain a predetermined temperature as described above.

  Therefore, by setting the time and temperature for heating the heating member finely under each condition in order to perform heating necessary and sufficient for fixing, the time for heating the heating member is set as short as possible, and printing is performed. There is an effect that it is possible to provide a fixing device and an image forming apparatus that can reliably reduce the waiting time.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 as follows.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an electrophotographic apparatus 1 as an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an image forming unit 10, a sheet feeding unit 2 serving as a sheet feeding port disposed below the image forming unit 10, A fixing device 20 disposed on the image forming unit 10 and a paper discharge unit 4 are provided. Further, a manual paper feed mechanism 5 as a paper feed port is provided on the side surface of the electrophotographic apparatus 1.

  The image forming unit 10 has a photosensitive drum 11 and develops an image by an electrophotographic method. The image forming unit 10 processes the stored image and outputs light corresponding to the image data to the photosensitive drum 11. And an LSU (Laser Scanning Unit) 13 for exposure.

  The paper feeding unit 2 has, for example, one recording paper cassette, and can feed, for example, A4 size recording paper P to the image forming unit 10. However, the paper feed unit 2 is not necessarily limited to this, and has, for example, a plurality of recording paper cassettes. For example, the recording paper P having different sizes such as A4 size, A3 size, B5 size, B4 size, and the like is separated into a plurality of stages. It is also possible to store it in

  The manual paper feed mechanism 5 is for feeding the recording paper P that the user wants to use. For example, the manual paper feeding mechanism 5 is a recording paper made of recording paper of different sizes and thicknesses such as postcards and envelopes and special paper such as OHP. P can be fed at any time.

  The fixing device 20 includes a heating roller 22 as a heating member including a heater 21 and a pressure roller 23 facing the heating roller 22. The heating roller 22 is provided with a thermistor 24 as a detection member for detecting the temperature of the heating roller 22.

  In the electrophotographic apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the recording paper P as a recording medium stored in the paper feeding unit 2 is conveyed by the rotation of the paper feeding roller 3, and an unfixed image formed on the photosensitive drum 11. Is transferred to the fixing device 20.

  When a recording medium such as thick paper, an envelope, and a recording paper having a small size is used, the recording paper P is fed from a manual paper feeding mechanism 5 different from the paper feeding unit 2, and similarly, a photosensitive drum. 11 is transferred to the fixing device 20 after being transferred.

  In the fixing device 20, the unfixed image on the recording paper P is heated and fixed on the recording paper P by the heating roller 22. The fixed recording paper P is discharged to the outside of the electrophotographic apparatus 1 by the paper discharge unit 4.

  Incidentally, in the fixing device 20, the temperature of the heating roller 22 can be detected by the thermistor 24, and the control circuit 30 controls the fixing device 20 based on this temperature detection.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the control circuit 30 includes a CPU 31 and a memory 34 as shown in FIG. The CPU 31 has a heating time control unit 32 as a heating time control unit that performs control to increase the temperature of the heating roller 22 to a predetermined temperature, and a setting for controlling the detected temperature to be kept at the predetermined temperature. And a set temperature control unit 33 as temperature control means. The memory 34 stores a control table shown in Table 1 to be described later.

  The heating time control unit 32 of the control circuit 30 rotates the pressure roller 23 by rotating the heating roller 22 while maintaining a predetermined temperature by the set temperature control unit 33. This operation is often called “pre-rotation” or “warming up”. In the present embodiment, this is hereinafter referred to as “pre-rotation”.

  The predetermined temperature of the heating roller 22 and the predetermined time for the pre-rotation are set according to the environmental conditions at the time of printing, the type of recording paper P to be fed, and the like. That is, the pre-rotation time depends on the apparatus internal temperature of the electrophotographic apparatus 1, and if the apparatus internal temperature is high, the pre-rotation operation can be set short. Moreover, if the heat storage degree of the heating roller 22 which is a member having a high heat storage rate is high, the pre-rotation operation can be set short.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, if the number of prints in the previous print job is large for the previous print operation, the internal temperature of the apparatus is high overall, which is sufficient for a member with a high heat storage rate such as the heating roller 22. Heat storage is ensured, but when the number of printed sheets is small, the temperature rises only around the fixing device 20 or the heat storage is insufficient, and the elapsed time from the previous printing The temperature control of the heating roller 22 of the fixing device 20 is performed by paying attention to the fact that the degree of decrease in the device internal temperature can be estimated by the above.

That is, the following four conditions are used alone or in combination to control the pre-rotation time and the predetermined temperature of the heating roller 22 so that the pre-rotation operation time is set short under various conditions.
(1) Number of prints of previous print job (2) Elapsed time from previous print (3) Selected paper feed port (4) Temperature of heating roller immediately before heating Note that the above “(3) The “selected paper feed port” often uses ordinary plain paper when the paper feed port is a cassette, whereas the manual paper feed mechanism 5 has strict conditions for fixing such as cardboard and envelopes. This is because the recording paper P that requires printing is often passed. The above “(4) Temperature of the heating roller immediately before heating” focuses on the fact that the temperature of the heating roller 22 immediately before heating depends on the internal temperature of the apparatus even after printing under the same printing conditions. .

  This control content is specifically shown in the control table of Table 1, and FIG. 3 is a graph showing the time series of the table.

  That is, as shown in Table 1, in this embodiment, first, the threshold value of the detected temperature of the heating roller 22 is varied according to the elapsed time. That is, according to the temperature of the heating roller 22 immediately before the start of printing, the time during which a heater (not shown) heats the heating roller 22 is controlled, and / or the heater temperature is controlled so that the heating roller 22 maintains a predetermined temperature. It is like that.

  For example, when the elapsed time from the previous printing is 1800 seconds or more and less than 3600 seconds, the detection temperature of the heating roller 22 is divided into 29 ° C. or less and 30 ° C. or more. When the elapsed time from the previous printing is 600 seconds or more and less than 1800 seconds, the detection temperature of the heating roller 22 is divided into 39 ° C. or lower and 40 ° C. or higher.

  As described above, the reason for dividing the threshold value is that the temperature environment condition is generally low (that is, 29 ° C. or less when the elapsed time is 1800 seconds or more and less than 3600 seconds) and the temperature environment condition (normal temperature or more) That is, for example, when the elapsed time is 1800 seconds or more and less than 3600 seconds, the temperature of the heating roller 22 decreases in each temperature environment if the number of prints of the previous print job is constant. This is because the relationship with time can be easily obtained by measurement, and the setting of the pre-rotation time can be changed by determining whether the temperature is in a low temperature environment or a temperature environment above room temperature. .

  In the present embodiment, for example, when the elapsed time from the previous printing is 1800 seconds or more and less than 3600 seconds, if the detected temperature of the heating roller 22 is 29 ° C. or less, it can be determined that the temperature is low, while 30 If it is ℃ or more, it can be judged that it is under the temperature environment above normal temperature.

  Next, in this embodiment, when 3600 seconds or more have elapsed from the previous print job, No. 1 in Table 1 is displayed. 1 and no. It corresponds to 2. Therefore, if the detected temperature of the heating roller 22 is 9 ° C. or lower under the conditions, No. 1 and when cassette feeding is performed, the pre-rotation time is set to 20 seconds, and the predetermined temperature of the heating roller 22 is set to 190 ° C.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when one hour (3600 seconds) or more has passed since the previous printing operation, the temperature is sufficiently lowered, and the influence due to the previous number of prints is Since there are almost no, this condition is ignored. Further, when 3600 seconds or more have elapsed, the apparatus temperature of the electrophotographic apparatus 1 and all the components are substantially equal to the indoor environment temperature, so the predetermined temperature of the heating roller 22 is compared with other elapsed times. It is set high.

  On the other hand, if it is less than 600 seconds from the previous printing operation, the elapsed time from the previous printing operation is short, so the temperature of the heating roller 22 is overwhelming with the indoor environment temperature. Therefore, it is difficult to judge the temperature condition. Therefore, the temperature condition is ignored, the degree of heat storage is estimated according to the previous number of printed sheets, and the pre-rotation time is set.

  On the other hand, when the elapsed time from the previous time is 600 seconds or more and less than 1800 seconds, it is easily affected by both the previous printing number and the temperature condition of the heating roller 22. For this reason, the pre-rotation time is set according to both conditions.

  Furthermore, when the manual paper feed mechanism 5 that often feeds the recording paper P such as thick paper and envelopes is used in contrast to the case of the cassette paper feeding that is a general recording paper P according to each condition. Is set to perform pre-rotation at a predetermined temperature such as 200 ° C., which is high, for cassette paper feeding.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the pre-rotation time for performing the heating necessary and sufficient for fixing can be set as short as possible by finely setting under each condition.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 of the present embodiment, the pre-rotation time can be varied depending on the degree of heat storage in the electrophotographic apparatus 1, but it is wasteful by estimating the heat storage degree from the previous number of printed sheets. It is possible to set the pre-rotation time without any.

  Further, since the degree of heat storage and the environmental temperature in the electrophotographic apparatus 1 can be determined only inside the fixing device 20, it is necessary to provide a temperature detection member separately from the thermistor 24 for detecting the temperature of the heating roller 22. In addition, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts. In the present embodiment, only the thermistor 24 is provided. However, in order to detect the environmental temperature, there is a case where a thermistor is installed separately from the thermistor 24. However, if the detection method of the present invention is adopted, this is necessary. Absent.

  In the present embodiment, a preheating system may be provided so that the internal temperature of the electrophotographic apparatus 1 does not drop below a predetermined temperature (60 to 80 ° C.). Accordingly, it is possible to control the temperature of the heating roller 22 appropriately only by controlling the number of prints of the previous print job.

  Each block of the control circuit 30 may be configured by hardware logic, or may be realized by software using an arithmetic processing unit such as the CPU 31 as in the present embodiment.

  Specifically, the control circuit 30 includes a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program that realizes each function, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program, and a random access memory (RAM) that expands the program. ), A storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing the program and various data.

  An object of the present invention is a recording medium on which a program code (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of a heating control program of the fixing device 20 which is software that realizes the above-described functions is recorded so as to be readable by a computer. This can also be achieved by supplying the control circuit 30 and reading and executing the program code recorded on the recording medium by the computer (or CPU or MPU).

  Examples of the recording medium include tapes such as magnetic tapes and cassette tapes, magnetic disks such as floppy (registered trademark) disks / hard disks, and optical disks such as CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. Card system such as IC card, IC card (including memory card) / optical card, or semiconductor memory system such as mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM.

  Further, the control circuit 30 of the fixing device 20 may be configured to be connectable to a communication network, and the program code may be supplied via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited. For example, the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication. A net or the like is available. Further, the transmission medium constituting the communication network is not particularly limited. For example, even in the case of wired such as IEEE 1394, USB, power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth, It can also be used with radio such as 802.11 radio, HDR, mobile phone network, satellite line, and terrestrial digital network. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a carrier wave or a data signal sequence in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  As described above, the heating control program of the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment is a computer program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the data transfer system. Therefore, the control circuit 30 of the fixing device 20 can be realized by realizing each unit of the heating control program of the fixing device 20 with a computer.

  The recording medium of the present embodiment is a computer-readable recording medium that records the heating control program of the fixing device 20 that causes the computer to realize the above-described units and operates the control circuit 30 of the fixing device 20. . Therefore, the control circuit 30 of the fixing device 20 can be realized on the computer by the heating control program of the fixing device 20 read from the recording medium.

  As described above, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, the heating time control unit 32 causes the heater 21 to heat the heating roller 22 in accordance with the number of printed sheets in the previous print job operation. The time to perform, that is, the pre-rotation time is controlled.

  For example, if the number of printed jobs of the previous print job is large, the internal temperature of the electrophotographic apparatus 1 is high as a whole, and sufficient heat storage is secured in a member having a high heat storage rate such as the pressure roller 23. Therefore, the time for heating the heating roller 22 can be shortened. Further, when the number of printed sheets is small, the temperature rises only around the fixing device or the heat storage is insufficient. Therefore, the time for heating the heating roller 22 may be increased.

  Therefore, by setting the time for heating the heating roller 22 to be necessary and sufficient for fixing in detail under each condition, the time for heating the heating roller 22 is set to be as short as possible so that printing can be performed. It is possible to provide a fixing device 20 and a heating method thereof that can shorten the waiting time.

  Further, by this control, the degree of heat storage in the electrophotographic apparatus 1 and the ambient temperature of the fixing device 20 can be determined, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from the heating roller 22. That is, in the related art, the pre-rotation time for giving a sufficient amount of heat necessary for fixing depends not only on the temperature detected by the heating roller but also on the degree of heat storage in the electrophotographic apparatus 1, and other than the fixing apparatus. There are cases where separate parts are required, such as installing a thermistor, etc., but this is not necessary. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  On the other hand, recording paper P such as thick paper or envelope that requires strict conditions for fixing is passed through the manual paper feeding mechanism 5. However, when the paper feed port is a cassette, ordinary plain paper is often used, so there is no need to lengthen the pre-rotation.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, the heating time control unit 32 controls the time during which the heater 21 heats the heating roller 22 according to the selection of various paper feed ports. Thereby, appropriate heating time control of the heating roller 22 can be performed by selecting various paper feed ports. Further, by this control, the degree of heat storage in the electrophotographic apparatus 1 and the ambient temperature of the fixing device 20 can be determined, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from the heating roller 22. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, the heating time control unit 32 selects the number of printed sheets for the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the previous one. The time during which the heater 21 heats the heating roller 22 is controlled in accordance with the elapsed time from the operation of the print job that has been performed.

  That is, when performing control to continue heating until a sufficient amount of heat necessary for fixing is secured, the heating time control unit 32 selects the number of prints of the previous print job operation, selection of various paper feed ports, In addition, by combining the three conditions of the elapsed time from the previous print job operation, the time for which the heater 21 heats the heating roller 22 is controlled.

  Therefore, by setting the time for heating the heating roller 22 to be necessary and sufficient for fixing in detail under each condition, the time for heating the heating roller 22 is set to be as short as possible so that printing can be performed. It is possible to provide a fixing device 20 and a heating method thereof that can reliably reduce the waiting time.

  Further, by this control, the degree of heat storage in the electrophotographic apparatus 1 and the ambient temperature of the fixing device 20 can be determined, so that it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature detection member different from the heating roller 22. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, the set temperature control unit 33 has two or more predetermined temperatures detected by the thermistor 24 according to the selection of various paper feed ports. The temperature of the heater 21 is controlled so as to keep it. Thereby, appropriate heating temperature control of the heating roller 22 can be performed by selecting various paper feed ports.

  In the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, the set temperature control unit 33 selects the number of printed sheets for the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the previous one. The temperature of the heater 21 is controlled so that the temperature detected by the thermistor 24 is maintained at two or more predetermined temperatures in accordance with the elapsed time from the operation of the performed print job.

  That is, when performing control to continue heating until a sufficient amount of heat necessary for fixing is secured, the set temperature control unit 33 selects the number of prints of the previous print job operation, selection of various paper feed ports, In addition, by combining the three conditions of the elapsed time from the previous print job operation, the temperature of the heating roller 22 is controlled by the heater 21 so that the heating roller 22 maintains two or more predetermined temperatures.

  Therefore, by setting the temperature at which the heating roller 22 is heated in order to perform the heating necessary and sufficient for fixing under fine conditions, the time for heating the heating roller 22 is set as short as possible so that printing can be performed. It is possible to provide a fixing device 20 and a heating method thereof that can reliably reduce the waiting time.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, the heating time control unit 32 selects the number of printed sheets for the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the previous one. The time during which the heater 21 heats the heating roller 22 is controlled in accordance with the elapsed time from the operation of the print job that has been performed.

  In addition, the set temperature control unit 33 selects the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. The temperature of the heating roller 22 is controlled by the heater 21 so that the temperature detected by the thermistor 24 maintains two or more predetermined temperatures.

  Therefore, the time for heating the heating roller 22 is set as short as possible by setting the time and temperature for heating the heating roller 22 to be necessary and sufficient for fixing in a fine manner under each condition. It is possible to provide the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof that can surely shorten the printing waiting time.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method of the present embodiment of the present embodiment, the heating time control unit 32 and / or the set temperature control unit 33 are set to 2 according to the temperature of the heating roller 22 immediately before the start of printing. Since the temperature control of the heating member by the heater is performed so as to maintain the predetermined temperature above the street, by detecting the temperature of the heating roller 22 immediately before the start of printing, for example, a temperature environment above normal temperature and a low temperature environment below normal temperature The heating time control or / and the set temperature control can be performed based on the temperature conditions of the classification.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method of the present embodiment of the present embodiment, various types of paper feed ports are selected according to the size of the recording paper P, and accordingly, according to the size of the recording paper P. Thus, appropriate heating time control and / or heating temperature control of the heating roller 22 can be performed.

  Further, in the fixing device 20 and the heating method thereof according to the present embodiment, by selecting a paper feed port of the various manual paper feed mechanisms 5 provided according to the thickness of the recording paper P, Depending on the thickness of the recording paper P, appropriate heating time control and / or heating temperature control of the heating roller 22 can be performed.

  Further, the electrophotographic apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a fixing device 20. Therefore, the time for heating the heating roller 22 is set as short as possible by setting the time and temperature for heating the heating roller 22 finely under each condition in order to perform heating necessary and sufficient for fixing. Thus, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus using the fixing device 20 that can shorten the waiting time for printing.

  The heating control program for the fixing device 20 according to the present embodiment can realize the control circuit 30 of the fixing device 20 by realizing each unit of the fixing device 20 with a computer.

  In the present embodiment, the heating control program of the fixing device 20 can be realized on the computer by the heating control program of the fixing device 20 read from the recording medium.

  The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a FAX, and a fixing device that fixes an unfixed image on the recording medium to the recording medium by heating, and an image forming apparatus using the same. Can be applied to.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control circuit according to an embodiment of a fixing device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating an electrophotographic apparatus including the fixing device. 3 is a timing chart showing control in a control circuit of the fixing device. FIG. 1, showing a conventional technique, is an overall configuration diagram showing an electrophotographic apparatus provided with a fixing device.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electrophotographic device (image forming device)
2 Paper feed unit (paper feed slot)
5 Manual paper feed mechanism (paper feed slot)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image formation part 11 Photosensitive drum 20 Fixing apparatus 21 Heater 22 Heating roller (heating member)
23 Pressure roller 24 Thermistor (detection member)
30 control circuit 31 CPU
32 Heating time control unit 33 Set temperature control unit 34 Memory P Recording paper (recording medium)

Claims (18)

In a fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium,
A heating member heated by a heater;
A fixing device, comprising: a heating time control means for controlling a time for which the heater heats the heating member in accordance with the number of printed sheets of a previous print job operation. In a fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium,
A heating member heated by a heater;
A fixing device comprising: a heating time control means for controlling a time for which the heater heats the heating member according to selection of various paper feed ports. In a fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium,
A heating member heated by a heater;
The heater heats the heating member in accordance with the number of printed sheets of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. And a heating time control means for controlling the time. In a fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium,
A heating member heated by a heater;
A detection member for detecting the temperature of the heating member;
There is provided a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heating member by the heater so that the temperature detected by the detection member maintains two or more predetermined temperatures according to the selection of various paper feed ports. A fixing device. In a fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium,
A heating member heated by a heater;
A detection member for detecting the temperature of the heating member;
The temperature detected by the detection member depends on the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. A fixing device comprising a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heating member by the heater so as to maintain two or more predetermined temperatures. In a fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium,
A heating member heated by a heater;
A detection member for detecting the temperature of the heating member;
The heater heats the heating member in accordance with the number of printed sheets of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. Heating time control means for controlling the time;
The temperature detected by the detection member depends on the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. A fixing device comprising a set temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the heating member by the heater so as to maintain two or more predetermined temperatures. The heating time control means or / and set temperature control means,
The heater controls the time for heating the heating member according to the temperature of the heating member immediately before the start of printing, detected by the detection member, and / or two or more predetermined temperatures detected by the detection member The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the heating member is controlled by the heater so as to maintain the temperature.   The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the paper feeding port is provided in various ways according to the size of the recording medium.   The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the paper feed port is provided in various ways according to the thickness of the recording medium.   An image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device according to claim 1. In a heating method of a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium by a heating member,
A heating method of a fixing device, characterized in that a time for which a heater heats a heating member is controlled in accordance with the number of printed sheets of a previous print job operation. In a heating method of a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium by a heating member,
A heating method for a fixing device, wherein the heater controls the time for heating the heating member in accordance with selection of various paper feed ports. In a heating method of a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium by a heating member,
The time for the heater to heat the heating member according to the number of printed sheets of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation And a fixing device heating method. In a heating method of a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium by a heating member,
A heating method for a fixing device, wherein the temperature of a heating member is controlled by a heater so as to maintain two or more predetermined temperatures in accordance with selection of various paper feed ports. In a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium by a heating member,
Two or more predetermined temperatures are maintained according to the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. As described above, the heating method of the fixing device is characterized in that the temperature of the heating member is controlled by a heater. In a heating method of a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on a recording medium to a recording medium by a heating member,
The time for the heater to heat the heating member according to the number of printed sheets of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation And controlling
Two or more predetermined temperatures are maintained according to the number of prints of the previous print job operation, the selection of various paper feed ports, and the elapsed time from the previous print job operation. As described above, a heating method for a fixing device, wherein the temperature of the heating member is controlled by the heater.   A heating control program for a fixing device for operating the fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the computer controls the fixing device to function as each unit of the fixing device.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the heating control program for the fixing device according to claim 17 is recorded.

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