Image forming apparatus having controller for setting cooling threshold according to sheet size

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747755-B2
Application number	US-202217720445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2022
Priority date	Apr 14, 2021
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to identify a selected sheet size setting as defined by a dimension in the width direction and a dimension in the conveyance direction, set a cooling threshold at a first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a first size having a dimension in the width direction larger than a predetermined dimension, and a dimension in the conveyance direction larger than the dimension in the width direction, and set the cooling threshold at a second threshold lower than the first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a second size having a dimension in the width direction that is the same as the dimension in the width direction of the first size, and a dimension in the conveyance direction smaller than the dimension in the width direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a feed roller that feeds a sheet having a width oriented in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the sheet;
a process unit that forms a toner image on the sheet fed from the feed roller;
a fuser that heats and fixes the toner image formed on the sheet; and
a controller,
wherein the fuser comprises:
a heating member; and
a temperature sensor that detects a temperature at an end portion of the heating member which is one of two end portions thereof positioned apart from each other in the width direction,

wherein the controller is configured to:
identify a selected sheet size setting as defined by a dimension in the width direction and a dimension in the conveyance direction;
set a cooling threshold at a first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a first size having a dimension in the width direction larger than a predetermined dimension, and a dimension in the conveyance direction larger than the dimension in the width direction;
set the cooling threshold at a second threshold lower than the first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a second size having a dimension in the width direction that is the same as the dimension in the width direction of the first size, and a dimension in the conveyance direction smaller than the dimension in the width direction;
execute a printing process by controlling the feed roller, the process unit, and the fuser; and
execute, if a temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes equal to or higher than the cooling threshold during execution of the printing process, a cooling process to restrain a rise in temperature of the heating member.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling process includes at least one of temporarily stopping the printing process, reducing a conveyance speed of a sheet during the printing process, setting a spacing between sheets conveyed one after another longer during the printing process, activating a fan of the image forming apparatus, and increasing an operation speed of the fan.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to convey, if the selected sheet size setting is the second size, a sheet at a conveyance speed that is the same as a conveyance speed in which a sheet is conveyed when the selected sheet size setting is the first size.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set, if the selected sheet size setting is the second size, a spacing between sheets conveyed one after another longer than a spacing between sheets conveyed one after another as set when the selected sheet size setting is the first size.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to convey a sheet at a conveyance speed slower than a conveyance speed in which a sheet is conveyed when the selected sheet size setting is the second size, if the selected sheet size setting is a third size having a dimension in the conveyance direction that is the same as the dimension in the conveyance direction of the second size, and a dimension in the width direction smaller than the dimension in the width direction of the second size.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to set, if the selected sheet size setting is the third size, the cooling threshold at the first threshold.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set a target temperature of the heating member according to the selected sheet size setting.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet sensor that detects presence or absence of a sheet passing therethrough,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate, based on a period of time the sheet sensor detects presence of the sheet passing therethrough, a dimension of the sheet in the conveyance direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to, if a dimension LD in the conveyance direction of a sheet detected by the sheet sensor is smaller than a dimension LS in the conveyance direction of the selected sheet size setting:
convey the sheet at a conveyance speed slower than a conveyance speed at which a sheet is conveyed when the dimension LD and the dimension LS are equal; or
change a spacing between sheets conveyed one after another.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to stop the printing process, if a dimension LD in the conveyance direction of a sheet detected by the sheet sensor is smaller than a dimension LS in the conveyance direction of the selected sheet size setting.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the sheet sensor is located at a position in the width direction through which all sizes of sheets usable in the image forming apparatus pass.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the printing process in a mode selected from a plurality of modes which comprise:
a normal fixing mode in which a target temperature of the heating member is adjusted to a temperature corresponding to the selected sheet size setting; and
a high-temperature fixing mode in which a target temperature of the heating member is set at a temperature higher than the target temperature of the normal fixing mode,
wherein, if the high-temperature fixing mode is selected, the cooling threshold is set at a temperature lower than a temperature set as the cooling threshold in the normal fixing mode.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selected sheet size setting is included in a printing job.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first size includes A4 size in a portrait orientation and letter size in the portrait orientation, and the second size is A5 size in a landscape orientation.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating member is an endless belt.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Maruyama Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G03G15/2017 Primary

  Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means (G03G15/2053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/2042

  specially for the axial heat partition · CPC title

• G03G15/2046

  specially for the influence of heat loss, e.g. due to the contact with the copy material or other roller · CPC title

• G03G15/6588

  characterised by the copy material, e.g. postcards, large copies, multi-layered materials, coloured sheet material · CPC title

• G03G21/206 Primary

  Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone · CPC title