Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11243488-B2
Application number	US-202017028142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2020
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a body casing; a toner image forming section including an image carrier and a transferring section; a fixing section; a heater; a temperature sensor; and a controller. In a case that the temperature is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the controller controls the image carrier and the transferring section such that a conveying velocity of the print medium by the image carrier and the transferring section becomes a first conveying velocity. In a case that the temperature is lower than the predetermined threshold value, the controller controls the image carrier and the transferring section such that the conveying velocity of the print medium by the image carrier and the transferring section becomes a second conveying velocity slower than the first conveying velocity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a body casing;
a toner image forming section configured to form a toner image onto a print medium, the toner image forming section including:
an image carrier; and
a transferring section configured to transfer the toner image formed on a surface of the image carrier to the print medium, and convey the print medium together with the image carrier;

a fixing section configured to apply a fixing solution to the print medium conveyed by the image carrier and the transferring section such that the toner image is fixed onto the print medium;
a heater configured to heat the print medium having passed the fixing section;
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature in the body casing; and
a controller configured to control the image carrier and the transferring section,
wherein in a case that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to;
control the image carrier and the transferring section such that a conveying velocity of the print medium by the image carrier and the transferring section becomes a first conveying velocity; and
control the heater such that a heating temperature of the heater becomes a first heating temperature, and

wherein in a case that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to:
control the image carrier and the transferring section such that the conveying velocity of the print medium by the image carrier and the transferring section becomes a second conveying velocity slower than the first conveying velocity; and
control the heater such that the heating temperature of the heater becomes a second heating temperature which is higher than the first heating temperature.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature in the vicinity of the fixing section.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature in a space between the transferring section and the fixing section.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is in a range of not less than 0° C. to not more than 10° C.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second conveying velocity is in a range of not less than 1/4 times to not more than 1/2 times the first conveying velocity.

6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor configured to convey the print medium having passed the fixing section,
wherein in the case that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to control the conveyor such that a conveying velocity of the print medium by the conveyor becomes a first velocity; and
in the case that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to control the conveyor such that the conveying velocity of the print medium by the conveyor becomes a second velocity which is slower than the first velocity.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the heater is positioned between the fixing section and the conveyor.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control an application amount of the fixing solution to be applied by the fixing section, in accordance with an image quality of the toner image, and
the controller is configured to control the heating temperature of the heater in accordance with the application amount of the fixing solution to be applied by the fixing section.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the heater makes no contact with the print medium in a case that the heater heats the print medium.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a driving source configured to drive the conveyor,
wherein the driving source is configured to drive the image carrier and the transferring section.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a body casing;
a toner image forming section configured to form a toner image onto a print medium;
a fixing section configured to apply a fixing solution to the print medium, having the toner image formed thereon by the toner image forming section, such that the toner image is fixed to the print medium;
a heater configured to heat the print medium which has passed the fixing section; and
a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to control an application amount of the fixing solution to be applied by the fixing section, in accordance with an image quality of the toner image, and
the controller is configured to control a heating temperature of the heater in accordance with the application amount of the fixing solution to be applied by the fixing section.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a body casing;
a toner image forming section configured to form a toner image onto a print medium;
a fixing section configured to apply a fixing solution to the print medium, having the toner image formed thereon by the toner image forming section, such that the toner image is fixed to the print medium;
a conveyor configured to convey the print medium having passed the fixing section;
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature in the body casing; and
a controller configured to control the conveyor,
wherein in a case that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to:
control the conveyor such that a conveying velocity of the print medium by the conveyor becomes a first velocity; and
control the heater such that a heating temperature of the heater becomes a first heating temperature, and

wherein in a case that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than the predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to:
control the conveyor such that the conveying velocity of the print medium by the conveyor becomes a second velocity slower than the first velocity; and
control the heater such that the heating temperature of the heater becomes a second heating temperature which is higher than the first heating temperature.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Mihara Jun
• Kakigahara Yutaka
• Murata Satoshi
• Takeda Kengo

Classifications

• G03G15/20

  for fixing, e.g. by using heat · CPC title

• G03G15/657

  Feeding path after the transfer point and up to the fixing point, e.g. guides and feeding means for handling copy material carrying an unfused toner image · CPC title

• G03G15/2039 Primary

  with means for controlling the fixing temperature · CPC title

• G03G15/2053

  Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating · CPC title

• G03G15/2064

  combined with pressure · CPC title