# US 12,761,589 B2 · Fixing device and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,761,589 B2 - Document ID: US12761589B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/823,913 - Filed: 2024-09-04 - Published: 2024-12-26 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Rikiya Takemasa; Hidekazu Tatezawa; Takeshi Kozuma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761589B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/205: {specially for the mode of operation, e.g. standby, warming-up, error (G03G15/2046 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/2064: {combined with pressure} - G03G 15/5045: {Detecting the temperature} - G03G 2215/2038: the belt further entrained around one or more rotating belt support members - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A fixing device includes a heating rotating member and a pressure rotating member and performs image formation in one mode out of a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode. A time during which one of the heating rotating member and the pressure rotating member moves between an abutment position and a separation position in a case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is a first time, a time during which the one moves between the abutment position and the separation position in a case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is a second time, and the first time is shorter than the second time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus, comprising: a controller configured to control execution of a job; a heating rotating member configured to be rotatable and apply heat to a recording material; a pressure rotating member configured to abut on the heating rotating member, be rotatable, and form a nip portion together with the heating rotating member and fix a toner image to the recoding material; and a moving unit configured to move at least one of the heating rotating member and the pressure rotating member to an abutment position at which the nip portion is formed and a separation position at which the heating rotating member and the pressure rotating member are separated from each other, wherein the controller executes a job of forming images on the recording material in one mode out of a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode, a time moving from the abutment position to the separation position in a case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is a first time, a time moving from the abutment position to the separation position in a case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is a second time, and the first time is shorter than the second time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit moves the pressure rotating member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a speed at which the pressure rotating member moves from the abutment position to the separation position in the case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is a first speed, a speed at which the pressure rotating member moves from the abutment position to the separation position in the case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is a second speed, and the first speed is higher than the second speed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit includes an eccentric cam, and the moving unit rotates the eccentric cam to move from the abutment position to the separation position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detection portion configured to detect an environmental temperature, wherein, in the case where the image formation is performed in the first mode, a time moving from the abutment position to the separation position when the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is a predetermined threshold or higher is the first time, and a time moving from the abutment position to the separation position when the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is lower than the predetermined threshold is a third time, the first time being shorter than the third time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second time is shorter than the third time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a time moving from the abutment position to the separation position when a job is interrupted in the case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is the first time, and a time moving from the abutment position to the separation position when the job is interrupted in the case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is the second time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first mode is a mode in which a time during which the job is interrupted is shortened. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mode is a mode in which an operating sound of the moving unit is set to be silent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus comprising: the image forming apparatus according to claim 1; and an operation portion configured to be operable by an operator, wherein one mode is selectable from a plurality of modes including the first mode and the second mode by the operation portion. ### Claim 11 An image forming apparatus, comprising: a controller configured to control execution of a job; an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording material; a fixing device configured to apply heat and pressure at a nip portion to fix a toner image to the recording material; wherein the fixing device comprises: a heating rotating member configured to be rotatable and apply heat to a recording material; a pressure rotating member configured to abut on the heating rotating member, be rotatable, and form the nip portion together with the heating rotating member; and a moving unit configured to move at least one of the heating rotating member and the pressure rotating member to an abutment position at which the nip portion is formed and a separation position at which the heating rotating member and the pressure rotating member are separated from each other, wherein the controller executes a job of forming images on the recording material in one mode out of a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode, a time moving from the separation position to the abutment position in a case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is a first time, a time moving from the separation position to the abutment position in a case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is a second time, and the first time is shorter than the second time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the moving unit moves the pressure rotating member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a speed at which the pressure rotating member moves from the separation position to the abutment position in the case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is a first speed, a speed at which the pressure rotating member moves from the separation position to the abutment position in the case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is a second speed, and the first speed is higher than the second speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the moving unit includes an eccentric cam, and the moving unit rotates the eccentric cam to move from the separation position to the abutment position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a temperature detection portion configured to detect an environmental temperature, wherein, in the case where the image formation is performed in the first mode, a time moving from the separation position to the abutment position when the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is a predetermined threshold or higher is the first time, and a time moving from the separation position to the abutment position when the temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is lower than the predetermined threshold is a third time, the first time being shorter than the third time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second time is shorter than the third time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a time moving from the separation position to the abutment position when a job is interrupted in the case where the image formation is performed in the first mode is the first time, and a time during a time moving from the separation position to the abutment position when the job is interrupted in the case where the image formation is performed in the second mode is the second time. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first mode is a mode in which a time during which the job is interrupted is shortened. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second mode is a mode in which an operating sound of the moving unit is set to be silent. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: an operation portion configured to be operable by an operator, wherein one mode is selectable from a plurality of modes including the first mode and the second mode by the operation portion.