# US 2008/0187340 A1 · Image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 2008/0187340 A1
- Document ID: US20080187340A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/098,102
- Filed: 2008-04-04
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2004-05-31
- Assignees: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Yutaka OTSUKA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187340A1

## CPC

- G03G 15/2039: {with means for controlling the fixing temperature}
- G03G 2215/2009: Pressure belt
- G03G 2215/2016: Heating belt
- G03G 2215/2038: the belt further entrained around one or more rotating belt support members
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus has a heating rotator 12 that is heated by a first heat source 18, a pressurizing rotator 24 that is heated by a second heat source 28, that is in pressure contact with the heating rotator 12, and that forms a fixing nip 26 between the pressurizing rotator 24 and the heating rotator 12, a temperature sensor St that detects a temperature in the apparatus, and a controller 124 that controls temperatures of the heating rotator 12 and of the pressurizing rotator 24 by on-off control over the first heat source 18 and the second heat source 28, respectively, and that sets the temperature of the pressurizing rotator 24 higher than a normal temperature on condition that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor St exceeds a specified value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a heating rotator that is heated by a first heat source;
a pressurizing rotator that is heated by a second heat source, that is in pressure contact with the heating rotator, and that forms a fixing nip between the pressurizing rotator and the heating rotator;
a humidity sensor that detects a humidity in the apparatus; and
a controller that increases intervals between paper sheets being continually passed through the fixing nip so that the intervals may be larger than a normal value on condition that a humidity obtained on basis of output from the humidity sensor exceeds a specified value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller carries out control for increasing a temperature of the pressurizing rotator on condition that a humidity obtained on basis of output from the humidity sensor exceeds a specified value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller carries out control for decreasing a temperature of the heating rotator simultaneously when increasing a temperature of the pressurizing rotator on condition that a humidity obtained on basis of output from the humidity sensor exceeds a specified value.