Image forming apparatus with detachable fixing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857762-B2
Application number	US-201615297412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus with a detachable fixing device that is capable of printing with high quality without printing wastefully. A storage unit stores identification information about a fixing device in association with an attribute of a sheet that is printable with the fixing device concerned. A control unit executes printing when the storage unit does not store an attribute of a sheet corresponding to a fixing device that is currently attached to the image forming apparatus. The control unit determines whether to execute printing according to an attribute of a sheet used in printing and an attribute of a sheet stored in the storage unit when the storage unit stores the attribute of the sheet corresponding to the fixing device that is currently attached to the image forming apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprises:
an image forming device configured to form a toner image on a sheet during printing which corresponds to an input print job;
a fixing device configured to fix the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming device, the fixing device being exchangeable with another fixing device;
a storage unit configured to store information which corresponds to a sheet size which is permitted for a fixing process to be executed by the fixing device;
a controller configured to acquire, from the storage unit, the information which corresponds to a sheet size which is permitted for a fixing process to be executed by a currently-attached fixing device; and
a selection unit configured to urge an operator to select one mode from among a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode,
wherein in a case where a first print job requiring a sheet to be used, of which the sheet size does not coincide with the sheet size presented by the information acquired by the controller, and a second print job requiring a sheet to be used, of which the sheet size coincides with the sheet size presented by the information acquired by the controller, are input continuously and consequently, in the first mode, the first print job is executed prior to the second print job, and in the second mode, the second print job is executed prior to the first print job, and
wherein the controller executes the one mode selected by the operator through the selection unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the selection unit has a display device, and
the controller displays options including the first mode and the second mode on the display device.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller displays the options on the display device according to the continuous and consequent input of the first print job and the second print job.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where a first print job requiring a sheet to be used, of which the sheet size does not coincide with the sheet size presented by the information acquired by the controller, and a second print job requiring a sheet to be used, of which the sheet size coincides with the sheet size presented by the information acquired by the controller, are input continuously and consequently, in the first mode, the controller executes the first print job after standing by until a fixing device which is permitted to use a sheet having a size for the first print job is attached.

5. An image forming apparatus comprises:
an image forming device configured to form a toner image on a sheet during printing which corresponds to an input print job;
a first fixing device configured to fix the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming device, the first fixing device being permitted to execute a fixing process on the sheet of a predetermined type including a predetermined envelope, wherein the first fixing device is exchangeable with a second fixing device configured to fix the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming device and is permitted to execute the fixing process on the sheet of a predetermined type not including the predetermined envelope;
a selection unit configured to urge an operator to select one mode from among a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode,
wherein in a case where: the first fixing device is currently attached on the image forming apparatus and the second fixing device is not currently attached on the image forming apparatus; and a first print job requiring the second fixing device to be used and a second print job requiring the first fixing device to be used are input continuously and consequently, in the first mode, the first print job is executed prior to the second print job, and in the second mode, the second print job is executed prior to the first print job; and

a controller configured to execute the one mode selected by the operator through the selection unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the selection unit has a display device, and
the controller displays options including the first mode and the second mode on the display device.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller displays the options on the display device according to the continuous and consequent input of the first print job and the second print job.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein in a case where: the first fixing device is currently attached on the image forming apparatus and the second fixing device is not currently attached on the image forming apparatus; and a first print job requiring the second fixing device to be used and a second print job requiring the first fixing device to be used are input continuously and consequently, in the first mode, the controller executes the first print job after standing by until the second fixing device is attached.

9. An image forming apparatus comprises:
an image forming device configured to form a toner image on a sheet during printing which corresponds to an input print job;
a fixing device configured to fix the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming device, the fixing device comprising a identifying device which presents a first information for identifying the fixing device from another fixing device which is exchangeable with the fixing device;
a storage unit configured to store a second information in association with the first information, the second information corresponding to a sheet attribute which is permitted for a fixing process to be executed by the fixing device comprising the identifying device which presents the first information;
a controller configured to acquire, from the storage unit, the second information corresponded to the first information presented by an identifying device of a currently-attached fixing device; and
a selection unit configured to urge an operator to select one mode from among a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode,
wherein in a case where a first print job requiring a sheet to be used, of which the sheet attribute does not coincide with the sheet attribute presented by the second information acquired by the controller, and a second print job requiring a sheet to be used, of which the sheet attribute coincides with the sheet attribute presented by the second information acquired by the controller, are input continuously and consequently, in the first mode, the first print job is executed prior to the second print job, and in the second mode, the second print job is executed prior to the first print job, and
wherein the controller executes the one mode selected by the operator through the selection unit.

10. An image forming apparatus comprises:
a receiving unit configured to receive a print job;
an image forming device configured to form, on a sheet, a toner image to execute the print job received by the receiving unit;
a fixing device configured to fix the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming device, the fixing device being exchangeable with another fixing device;
a storage unit configured to store information which corresponds to a sheet size which is permitted for a fixing process to be executed by the fixing device; and
a controller configured to acquire, from the storage unit, the information which corresponds to a sheet size which is permitted for a fixing process to be executed by a currently-attached fixing device,
wherein at least in response to a first print job and a second print job being continuously received in this order by the receiving unit, the first prin

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tanaka Hirotomo

Classifications

• G03G15/5066

  by using information from an external support, e.g. magnetic card · CPC title

• G03G15/5016

  User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console · CPC title

• G03G21/1685 Primary

  for the fixing unit · CPC title

• G03G2221/1639

  for the fixing unit · CPC title

• G03G15/65

  Apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material (handling sheets or webs in general B65H; for photographic purposes in general G03B) · CPC title