Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12468244-B2
Application number	US-202418672428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2024
Priority date	Jun 12, 2023
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device and circuitry. The fixing device includes a pair of rotators and a heater. The pair of rotators forms a nip through which recording media pass in a conveyance direction. The heater heats at least one of the pair of rotators to fix images printed on the recording media. The circuitry is configured to acquire image data of the images to be printed on the recording media within three minutes after a start of printing the images on the recording media and set an output of the heater to be lower than a predetermined reference value within the three minutes after the start of printing based on the image data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
a fixing device including:
a pair of rotators to form a nip through which recording media pass in a conveyance direction; and
a heater to heat at least one of the pair of rotators to fix images printed on the recording media; and
circuitry configured to:
acquire image data of the images to be printed on the recording media within three minutes after a start of printing the images on the recording media;
set an output of the heater to be lower than a predetermined reference value within the three minutes after the start of printing based on the image data; and
reduce a turn-on duty of the heater in response to an increase in a toner overlapping ratio of an image formed on the recording media.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to acquire the image data including image area rates of the images printed on the recording media.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
image forming units to form toner images by different types of toner on the recording media,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to acquire the image data including toner overlapping ratios of the toner images printed on the recording media.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to acquire the image data including a width of a margin from an end of each of the recording media to each of the images in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to: control the heater to preheat the fixing device until a first recording medium of the recording media reaches the nip after the heater starts heating; and set at least one of a preheating time or a preheating temperature to preheat the fixing device based on the image data.

6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pair of rotators includes:
a first rotator facing an image bearing side of the recording media on which an unfixed image is borne; and
a second rotator disposed to face an outer circumferential face of the first rotator, and
the circuitry is further configured to:
control the heater to preheat the second rotator until a first recording medium of the recording media reaches the nip after the heater starts heating; and
set at least one of a preheating time or a preheating temperature to preheat the second rotator based on the image data.

Assignees

• Shiodera Kota
• Samei Masahiro
• Andoh Takayuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shiodera Kota
• Samei Masahiro
• Andoh Takayuki

Classifications

• G03G15/2064

  combined with pressure · CPC title

• G03G15/0105

  Details of unit · CPC title

• G06K15/1894

  Outputting the image data to the printing elements · CPC title

• G03G15/5062

  by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material · CPC title

• G03G15/205 Primary

  specially for the mode of operation, e.g. standby, warming-up, error (G03G15/2046 takes precedence) · CPC title