Printing apparatus and control method of printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479216-B2
Application number	US-202318544157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2023
Priority date	Dec 20, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to fix an image onto a printing medium by heating the printing medium on which the image is printed, a measuring unit configured to measure each of a length of the printing medium at a first temperature, a length of the printing medium after heating of the printing medium in the fixing unit at a second temperature being a glass transition point of a material of the printing medium, and a length of the printing medium after heating of the printing medium in the fixing unit at a third temperature, and a determining unit configured to determine a fixation temperature to be used for the printing medium, based on the measured lengths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A printing apparatus comprising:
a fixing unit configured to fix an image onto a printing medium by heating the printing medium on which the image is printed; a measuring unit configured to measure each of a length of the printing medium at a first temperature, a length of the printing medium after heating of the printing medium in the fixing unit at a second temperature being a glass transition point of a material of the printing medium, and a length of the printing medium after heating of the printing medium in the fixing unit at a third temperature; and a determining unit configured to determine a fixation temperature to be used for the printing medium, based on the measured lengths.

2 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a deriving unit configured to derive a characteristic of a deformation amount of the printing medium for a temperature range including three temperatures of the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature of the printing medium, based on the measured lengths, wherein
the determining unit determines the fixation temperature to be used for the printing medium, based on the derived characteristic of the deformation amount of the printing medium.

3 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is a ambient temperature, and a length of the printing medium at the first temperature is a length of the printing medium before the heating by the fixing unit.

4 . The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature, and the third temperature is higher than the second temperature.

5 . The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the third temperature is a temperature higher than the second temperature by a predetermined temperature.

6 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determining unit determines the third temperature depending on the measured length of the printing medium at the second temperature by the measuring unit.

7 . The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein, in the case where a deformation amount of the printing medium determined by the measured length of the printing medium at the second temperature is larger than a predetermined amount, the third temperature is a temperature lower than the second temperature.

8 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third temperature is determined depending on a thickness of the printing medium.

9 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature are included in a settable temperature range of the fixing unit.

10 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image is a pattern having a predetermined length on the printing medium, and the measuring unit measures the length of the pattern printed on the printing medium by measuring reflected light of the pattern, and thereby measures the lengths of the printing medium at the first, second and third temperatures.

11 . A control method of a printing apparatus including a fixing unit configured to fix an image onto a printing medium by heating the printing medium on which the image is printed and a measuring unit configured to measure a length of the printing medium, the control method comprising:
measuring each of a length of the printing medium at a first temperature, a length of the printing medium after heating of the printing medium in the fixing unit at a second temperature being a glass transition point of a material of the printing medium, and a length of the printing medium after heating of the printing medium in the fixing unit at a third temperature with the measuring unit; and determining a fixation temperature to be used for the printing medium based on the measured lengths.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Igarashi Yuki
• Kobayashi Ryu
• Eiyama Masato

Classifications

• B41J11/009

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title

• B41J11/00212 Primary

  Controlling the irradiation means, e.g. image-based controlling of the irradiation zone or control of the duration or intensity of the irradiation · CPC title