Back to results
US 11,531,297 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus with controller adjusting power supplied to heating element based on prior use metric
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKazuhiko Kikuchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a fixing device with a heating element to heat a sheet. A controller is configured to control electric power supplied to the heating element based on a prior use metric. The controller reduces the electric power supplied to the heating element during a startup period if an electric power level supplied from a power supply is equal to or greater than a threshold value and the prior use metric is equal to or greater than a reference value.
Claims19
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a fixing device including a heating element configured to heat a sheet;
- a controller configured to control electric power supplied to the heating element based on a prior use metric, wherein
- the controller is configured to reduce the electric power supplied to the heating element during a startup period if an electric power level supplied from a power supply is equal to or greater than a threshold value and the prior use metric is equal to or greater than a reference value, wherein
- the prior use metric is a cumulative time for which electric power has been supplied to the heating element.
1 more element
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a fixing device including a heating element configured to heat a sheet;
- a controller configured to control electric power supplied to the heating element based on a prior use metric, wherein
- the controller is configured to reduce the electric power supplied to the heating element during a startup period if an electric power level supplied from a power supply is equal to or greater than a threshold value and the prior use metric is equal to or greater than a reference value, wherein
- the prior use metric is a cumulative number of times a temperature of the heating element has been increased by a reference amount.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.