Image forming apparatus which can form an image on a label sheet and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444679-B2
Application number	US-201816138770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet transport path, a toner image transfer section along the sheet transport path at which a toner image is transferred to a sheet conveyed along the sheet transport path, a heating unit downstream from the toner image transfer section in a sheet transporting direction, the heating unit having a plurality of heating members arranged along a sheet width direction, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine locations of end portions of a label on the sheet in the sheet width direction, and during heating of the sheet by the heating unit, control heating members at locations facing the end portions of the label to generate less heat than the one or more of the other heating members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a sheet transport path;
a toner image transfer section along the sheet transport path at which a toner image is transferred to a label sheet conveyed along the sheet transport path;
a heating unit downstream from the toner image transfer section in a sheet transporting direction, the heating unit having a plurality of groups of heating members; and
a control unit configured to select a pair of the groups based on a size of the sheet, and during heating of the sheet by the heating unit, control the selected pair of the groups to generate less heat than the other groups.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selected pair of the groups of heating members are arranged at locations of end portions of a label on the sheet in a sheet width direction.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fixing unit configured to heat the sheet using the heating unit and transport the sheet while clamping the sheet.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control panel through which a sheet type is input,
wherein the control unit identifies the size of the sheet according to the input sheet type.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the sheet type includes a first sheet type and a second sheet type, and
the heating members that are controlled to generate less heat when the first sheet type is input are different from the heating members that are controlled to generate less heat when the second sheet type is input.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to determine regions along a sheet width direction where a toner image is not formed along the entire length of the sheet, and
the heating members that generate less heat face the regions when the sheet passes through the heating unit.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet that passes through the heating unit is centered in a sheet width direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet that passes through the heating unit is off-center in a sheet width direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating members each include a plurality of independently controlled resistance heating elements.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the groups of heating members are arranged according to label sheet sizes supported by the image forming apparatus.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a sheet transport path;
a toner image transfer section along the sheet transport path at which a toner image is transferred to a label sheet conveyed along the sheet transport path;
a fixing unit downstream from the toner image transfer section in a sheet transporting direction, the fixing unit having a plurality of groups of heating members; and
a control unit configured to select a pair of the groups based on a size of the sheet, and during fixing of the sheet by the fixing unit, control the selected pair of the groups to generate no heat.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the selected pair of the groups of heating members are arranged at locations of end portions of a label on the sheet in a sheet width direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the heating members each include a plurality of independently controlled resistance heating elements.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a control panel through which a sheet type is input,
wherein the control unit identifies the size of the sheet according to the input sheet type.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the sheet type includes a first sheet type and a second sheet type, and
the heating members that are controlled to generate no heat when the first sheet type is input are different from the heating members that are controlled to generate no heat when the second sheet type is input.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to determine regions along a sheet width direction where a toner image is not formed along the entire length of the sheet, and
the heating members that generate no heat face the regions when the sheet passes through the fixing unit.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the sheet that passes through the fixing unit is centered in a sheet width direction.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the sheet that passes through the fixing unit is off-center in a sheet width direction.

19. A method of forming an image on a sheet, comprising:
transferring a toner image onto a label sheet;
conveying the sheet with the toner image to a fixing unit;
selecting a pair of groups of heating members included in a heater of the fixing unit based on a size of the sheet; and
heating the sheet with the heater while clamping the sheet conveyed to the fixing unit to fix the toner image onto the sheet, wherein
during the heating, the selected pair of the groups are controlled to generate less heat than the other groups.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the selected pair of the groups of heating members are arranged at locations of end portions of a label on the sheet in a sheet width direction.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Yahata Isao

Classifications

• G03G15/2039 Primary

  with means for controlling the fixing temperature · CPC title

• G03G15/2042

  specially for the axial heat partition · CPC title

• G09F2003/023

  Adhesive · CPC title

• G09F3/00

  Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means (medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40); Seals; Postage or like stamps · CPC title

• G03G15/6594

  characterised by the format or the thickness, e.g. endless forms · CPC title