# US 10,310,433 B2 · Image forming apparatus that controls a temperature of at least one of a rotating member based on a wearing amount of the rotating member and a pressing member based on a hardness change amount of the pressing member > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,433 B2 - Document ID: US10310433B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/907,591 - Filed: 2018-02-28 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Eiji Uekawa; Takayasu Yuminamochi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310433B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/553: {Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job} - G03G 15/2039: {with means for controlling the fixing temperature} - G03G 2221/1663: having lifetime indicators - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a rotating member with a surface layer, a pressing member that forms a fixing nip portion to sandwich and to transport a recording material with the rotating member, and a heater that heats the rotating member. A rotating member temperature sensor detects a temperature of the rotating member, and a wearing amount acquisition portion acquires a wearing amount of the surface layer of the rotating member. The wearing amount acquisition portion acquires the wearing amount corresponding to the temperature detected by the rotating member temperature sensor, and acquires the wearing amount per recording material. The wearing amount per recording material is different depending on the temperature detected by the rotating member temperature sensor. In addition, a control temperature setting portion sets a control temperature of the heater according to the wearing amount. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that fixes an image, formed on a recording material, onto the recording material, the fixing unit having a rotating member with a surface layer, a pressing member that forms a fixing nip portion to sandwich and to transport the recording material with the rotating member, and a heater that heats the rotating member; a rotating member temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the rotating member; a wearing amount acquisition portion that acquires a wearing amount of the surface layer of the rotating member, the wearing amount acquisition portion acquiring the wearing amount corresponding to the temperature detected by the rotating member temperature sensor, and the wearing amount acquisition portion acquiring the wearing amount per recording material, the wearing amount per recording material being different depending on the temperature detected by the rotating member temperature sensor; and a control temperature setting portion that sets a control temperature of the heater according to the wearing amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a pressing member temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the pressing member; and a hardness change amount acquisition portion that acquires a hardness change amount of the pressing member corresponding to the temperature detected by the pressing member temperature sensor, wherein the control temperature setting portion sets the control temperature of the heater according to the wearing amount and the hardness change amount. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage portion that stores the control temperature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is a film. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the heater contacts an inner surface of the film. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pressing member forms the fixing nip portion with the heater via the film. ### Claim 7 An image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that fixes an image, formed on a recording material, onto the recording material, the fixing unit having a rotating member with a surface layer, a pressing member that forms a fixing nip portion to sandwich and to transport the recording material with the rotating member, and a heater that heats the rotating member; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the rotating member; a wearing amount acquisition portion that acquires a wearing amount of the surface layer of the rotating member, the wearing amount acquisition portion acquiring the wearing amount corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and the wearing amount acquisition portion acquiring the wearing amount per recording material, the wearing amount per recording material being different depending on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and a life calculation portion that calculates a life of the rotating member according to the wearing amount. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotating member is a film. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heater contacts an inner surface of the film. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pressing member forms the fixing nip portion with the heater via the film. ### Claim 11 An image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that fixes an image, formed on a recording material, onto the recording material, the fixing unit having a rotating member, a pressing member that forms a fixing nip portion to sandwich and to transport the recording material with the rotating member, and a heater that heats the rotating member; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the pressing member; a hardness change amount acquisition portion that acquires a hardness change amount of the pressing member, the hardness change amount acquisition portion acquiring the hardness change amount corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and a control temperature setting portion that sets a control temperature of the heater according to the hardness change amount. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the hardness change amount acquisition portion acquires the hardness change amount per unit time, and the hardness change amount per unit time is different depending on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a storage portion that stores the control temperature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the rotating member is a film. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the heater contacts an inner surface of the film. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the pressing member forms the fixing nip portion with the heater via the film. ### Claim 17 An image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that fixes an image, formed on a recording material, onto the recording material, the fixing unit having a rotating member, a pressing member that forms a fixing nip portion to sandwich and to transport the recording material with the rotating member, and a heater that heats the rotating member; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the pressing member; a hardness change amount acquisition portion that acquires a hardness change amount of the pressing member, the hardness change amount acquisition portion acquiring the hardness change amount corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and the hardness change amount acquisition portion acquiring the hardness change amount per unit time, the hardness change amount per unit time being different depending on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and a life calculation portion that calculates a life of the pressing member according to the hardness change amount. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the rotating member is a film. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the heater contacts an inner surface of the film. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The image forming apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the pressing member forms the fixing nip portion with the heater via the film. ### Claim 21 An image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that fixes an image, formed on a recording material, onto the recording material, the fixing unit having a rotating member with a surface layer, a pressing member that forms a fixing nip portion to sandwich and to transport the recording material with the rotating member, and a heater that heats the rotating member; a rotating member temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the rotating member; a wearing amount acquisition portion that acquires a wearing amount of the surface layer of the rotating member, the wearing amount acquisition portion acquiring the wearing amount corresponding to the temperature detected by the rotating member temperature sensor; a pressing member temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the pressing member; a hardness change amount acquisition portion that acquires a hardness change amount of the pressing member corresponding to the temperature detected by the pressing member temperature sensor; and a control temperature setting portion that sets a control temperature of the heater according to the wearing amount, and according to the hardness change amount. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the rotating member is a film. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the heater contacts an inner surface of the film. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The image forming apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the pressing member forms the fixing nip portion with the heater via the film.