Temperature control device for inductive heater
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYutaka Usami
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to one embodiment, a temperature control device includes a temperature estimation unit and a frequency generation unit. The temperature estimation unit is configured to estimate a temperature of an object being heated by an induction heating coil, the temperature being estimated based on a frequency of a drive signal supplied to an inverter connected to the induction heating coil. The frequency generation unit is configured to set the frequency of the drive signal based on the temperature estimated by the temperature estimation unit, a detected temperature of the object from a temperature sensor, and a target temperature for the object.
Claims16
A temperature control device, comprising:
- a temperature estimation unit configured to estimate a temperature of an object being heated by an induction heating coil, the temperature being estimated based on a frequency of a drive signal supplied to an inverter connected to the induction heating coil;
- a frequency generation unit configured to set the frequency of the drive signal based on the temperature estimated by the temperature estimation unit, a detected temperature of the object from a temperature sensor, and a target temperature for the object;
- and
- a power estimation unit configured to estimate a power supplied to the induction heating coil based on the frequency of the drive signal, wherein
- the temperature estimation unit additionally estimates the temperature of the object based on the estimated power supplied to induction heating coil.
A fixing device, comprising:
- a fixing belt;
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fixing belt;
- an inductive heater including an induction heating coil configured to heat the fixing belt to a target temperature;
- a temperature control device including:
- a temperature estimation unit configured to estimate the temperature of the fixing belt being heated by the induction heating coil, the temperature being estimated based on a frequency of a drive signal supplied to an inverter connected to the induction heating coil;
- and
- a frequency generation unit configured to set the frequency of the drive signal based on the temperature estimated by the temperature estimation unit, a detected temperature of the fixing belt from the temperature sensor, and the target temperature for the fixing belt;
- and
- a power estimation unit configured to estimate a power supplied to the induction heating coil based on the frequency of the drive signal, wherein
- the temperature estimation unit additionally estimates the temperature of the fixing belt based on the estimated power supplied to induction heating coil.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a power conversion unit configured to receive an external AC voltage;
- an image forming unit configured to form a toner image of a sheet;
- a fixing device configured to heat the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming unit, the fixing device including:
- a fixing belt to contact the sheet with the toner image formed thereon;
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fixing belt;
- an inductive heater including an induction heating coil configured to heat the fixing belt to a target temperature;
- a temperature control device including:
- a temperature estimation unit configured to estimate the temperature of the fixing belt being heated by the induction heating coil, the temperature being estimated based on a frequency of a drive signal supplied to an inverter connected to the induction heating coil;
- and
- a frequency generation unit configured to set the frequency of the drive signal based on the temperature estimated by the temperature estimation unit, a detected temperature of the fixing belt from the temperature sensor, and the target temperature for the fixing belt;
- and
- a power estimation unit configured to estimate a power supplied to the induction heating coil based on the frequency of the drive signal, wherein
- the temperature estimation unit additionally estimates the temperature of the fixing belt based on the estimated power supplied to induction heating coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.