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US 12,092,976 B2Granted
Fixing device and image forming apparatus with temperature sensor and controller
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroshi Ota
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes a fixing member, a temperature sensor unit, a heater unit, and a controller. The fixing member has a surface that contacts a sheet. The temperature sensor unit is configured to measure a temperature of the surface of the fixing member. The heater unit is configured to heat the member when turned ON. The controller is configured to output a notification indicating an abnormality in the temperature measurement by the temperature sensor unit if an ON time of the heater unit during an operation period for controlling the fixing member to be at a target temperature, as measured by the temperature sensor unit, is longer than a predetermined threshold time.
Claims18
A fixing device, comprising:
- a fixing member having a surface that contacts a sheet;
- a temperature sensor unit configured to measure a temperature of the surface of the fixing member;
- a heater unit configured to heat the fixing member when turned ON;
- and
- a controller configured to output a notification indicating an abnormality in the temperature measurement by the temperature sensor unit if an ON time of the heater unit during an operation period for controlling the fixing member to be at a target temperature, as measured by the temperature sensor unit, is longer than a predetermined threshold time, wherein
- the heater unit includes a first heat source positioned to heat a first region of the fixing member and a second heat source positioned to heat a second region of the fixing member, and
- the controller is configured to output a notification of an abnormality of the temperature measurement by the temperature sensor unit if a time difference between ON time of the first heat source and ON time of the second heat source during a predetermined length of time in the operation period is greater than a threshold value.
4 more elements
A fixing device, comprising:
- a fixing member having a surface that contacts a sheet;
- a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a first region of the surface of the fixing member;
- a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a second region of the surface of the fixing member;
- a first heater element positioned to heat the first region when turned ON;
- a second heater element positioned to heat the second region when turned ON;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine a cumulative ON time for the first heater element and a cumulative ON for the second heater element during an operation period for controlling the first and second regions to be at a target temperature, as respectively measured by the first and second temperature sensors, and
- detect an abnormality in the temperature measurement by the first temperature sensor or second temperature sensor based on a difference between the cumulative ON time for first heater element and the cumulative ON for the second heater element during the operation period.
6 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
- a fixing device configured to fix the toner image to the sheet with heat and pressure, the fixing device including:
- a fixing member having a surface that contacts the sheet;
- a temperature sensor unit configured to measure a temperature of the surface of the fixing member, and
- a heater unit configured to heat the fixing member when turned ON;
- and
- a controller configured to output a notification indicating an abnormality in the temperature measurement by the temperature sensor unit if an ON time of the heater unit during an operation period for controlling the fixing member to be at a target temperature, as measured by the temperature sensor unit, is longer than a predetermined threshold time, wherein
- the temperature sensor unit includes a first temperature sensor measuring a temperature of a first region of the fixing member and a second temperature sensor measuring a temperature of a second region of the fixing member, and
- the controller is configured to output a notification indicating an abnormality of the temperature measurement by the first temperature sensor or the second temperature sensor based on a time difference between the ON time of a first heat source of the heater unit for heating the first region and the ON time of a second heat source of the heater unit for heating the second region during a predetermined length of time in the operation period.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.