Fuser, image forming apparatus, and method to control the apparatus
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorHyun Soo SONG
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuser, an image forming apparatus, and a method to control the apparatus includes a power supply unit to supply power to a plurality of heat sources provided in the fuser, and is controlled to gradually increase and change in a stepwise manner an amount of current supplied alternately to the plurality of heat sources, thereby preventing an inrush current and uneven fusing of images.
Claims20
A fuser, comprising:
- a heating member having a plurality of heat sources;
- and
- a controller to control power supplied to each of the plurality of heat sources such that an amount of a current supplied to each of the plurality of heat sources is increased gradually and is changed in a stepwise manner.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a fuser including a plurality of heat sources;
- a power supply unit to supply power to the plurality of heat sources;
- and
- a controller to control the power supply unit such that an amount of a current supplied to each of the plurality of heat sources is increased gradually and is changed in a stepwise manner from a change start time to a change end time.
A method to control an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
- determining whether there is a need to change an amount of a current supplied to each of a plurality of heat sources provided in a fuser;
- and
- gradually increasing and changing, in a stepwise manner, the amount of the current supplied to each of the plurality of heat sources if there is a need to change the amount of the current.
A fuser unit usable with an image forming apparatus, the fuser unit comprising:
- a first and second heating source to fuse an image on a printing medium;
- and
- a controlling unit to apply current to the first heat source to reach a first predetermined level, and to apply current to the second heat source to reach a second predetermined level prior to the first heat source reaching the first predetermined level.
A fuser unit usable with an image forming apparatus, the fuser unit comprising:
- a first and second heating source to fuse an image on a printing medium;
- and
- a controlling unit to increase predetermined chopping rates of a first and second heat source at substantially different times during a same interval.
A fusing method of a fusing unit, the method comprising:
- fusing an image on a printing medium by a first and second heating source;
- applying current to the first heat source to reach a first predetermined level;
- and
- applying current to the second heat source to reach a second predetermined level prior to the first heat source reaching the first predetermined level.
A computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program to execute a method, wherein the method comprises:
- fusing an image on a printing medium by a first and second heating source;
- applying current to the first heat source to reach a first predetermined level;
- and
- applying current to the second heat source to reach a second predetermined level prior to the first heat source reaching the first predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.