Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9261826-B2
Application number	US-201514737901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

An acquisition portion acquires a rate of a size of a toner image being formed in a predetermined area on a recording material to a size of the predetermined area, in a consecutive print job, a control portion sets a longer conveyance interval between a preceding recording material and a subsequent recording material when the rate of the subsequent recording material exceeds a threshold than when the rate of the subsequent recording material does not exceed the threshold, and the predetermined area on a trailing end side of the recording material with respect to a center of the recording material in a recording material conveying direction is larger than the predetermined area on a leading end side of the recording material with respect to the center of the recording material, or the predetermined area is only on the trailing end side of the recording material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material comprising:
an image forming portion that forms an unfixed toner image on the recording material, based on image information;
a fixing portion that fixes the unfixed toner image on the recording material while heating and conveying the recording material, on which the unfixed toner image has been formed, at a nip portion, the fixing portion including a first rotating member that contacts the unfixed toner image and a second rotating member that forms the nip portion together with the first rotating member;
an acquisition portion that acquires, from the image information, a rate of a size of an area of the toner image in a predetermined area, which is a part of an image formable area on the recording material, to a size of an area of the predetermined area; and
a control portion that controls conveyance of the recording material,
wherein, in a consecutive print job, the control portion sets a longer conveyance interval between a preceding recording material and a subsequent recording material when the rate of the subsequent recording material exceeds a threshold than when the rate of the subsequent recording material does not exceed the threshold, and
wherein a size of the predetermined area on a trailing end side of the recording material with respect to a center of the recording material in a recording material conveying direction is larger than a size of the predetermined area on a leading end side of the recording material with respect to the center of the recording material, or the predetermined area is only on the trailing end side of the recording material with respect to the center of the recording material.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a length of the recording material is greater than a peripheral length of the second rotating member in the recording material conveying direction, the predetermined area includes at least an area having a length equivalent to the peripheral length of the second rotating member from the trailing end of the recording material in the recording material conveying direction.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a humidity detecting portion that detects a humidity outside the apparatus,
wherein, when the humidity detected by the humidity detecting portion is lower than a predetermined humidity, the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate exceeds the threshold, is equal to the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate does not exceed the threshold.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate does not exceed the threshold, is shorter than a peripheral length of the second rotating member, and the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate exceeds the threshold, is equal to or longer than the peripheral length of the second rotating member.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotating member is rotated by rotation of the second rotating member.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotating member is a tubular film.

7. An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material comprising:
an image forming portion that forms an unfixed toner image on the recording material, based on image information;
a fixing portion that fixes the unfixed toner image on the recording material while heating and conveying the recording material, on which the unfixed toner image has been formed, at the nip portion, the fixing portion including a first rotating member that contacts the unfixed toner image and a second rotating member that forms the nip portion together with the first rotating member;
an acquisition portion that acquires a rate of a size of an area of the toner image in a predetermined area, which is a part of an image formable area on the recording material, to a size of an area of the predetermined area; and
a control portion that controls conveyance of the recording material,
wherein, in a consecutive print job, the control portion sets a longer conveyance interval between a preceding recording material and a subsequent recording material when the rate of the subsequent recording material exceeds a threshold than when the rate of the subsequent recording material does not exceed the threshold, and
wherein, when a length of the recording material is greater than a peripheral length of the second rotating member in the recording material conveying direction, a size of the predetermined area on a trailing end side of the recording material with respect to a predetermined position is larger than a size of the predetermined area on a leading end side of the recording material with respect to the predetermined position, or the predetermined area is only on the trailing end side of the recording material with respect to the predetermined position, and wherein the predetermined position is at a distance equal to the peripheral length of the second rotating member from a trailing end of the recording material in a recording material conveying direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a humidity detecting portion that detects a humidity outside the apparatus,
wherein, when the humidity detected by the humidity detecting portion is lower than a predetermined humidity, the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate exceeds the threshold, is equal to the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate does not exceed the threshold.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate does not exceed the threshold, is shorter than a peripheral length of the second rotating member, and the conveyance interval, which is set when the rate exceeds the threshold, is longer than the peripheral length of the second rotating member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first rotating member is rotated by rotation of the second rotating member.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first rotating member is a tubular film.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kataoka Hiroshi
• Saito Shuji

Classifications

• G03G2215/00468

  Large sized, e.g. technical plans · CPC title

• G03G15/2039

  with means for controlling the fixing temperature · CPC title

• G03G15/2017 Primary

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

• G03G15/6564

  with correct timing of sheet feeding · CPC title

• G03G2215/00759

  of sheet image, e.g. presence, type · CPC title