# US 2017/0257511 A1 · Image Forming Apparatus and Condensation Reduction Method That Remove Condensation with Simple Configuration, and Recording Medium Therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0257511 A1 - Document ID: US20170257511A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/445,936 - Filed: 2017-02-28 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-07 - Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. - Applicants: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Shinya Matsui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170257511A1 ## CPC - H04N 1/00992: {Humidity control, e.g. removing condensation} - G03G 15/04: for exposing, i.e. imagewise exposure by optically projecting the original image on a photoconductive recording material - G03G 15/50: {Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control (sequencing control G03G21/14)} - G03G 21/203: {Humidity} - H04N 1/00909: {Cleaning arrangements or preventing or counter-acting contamination from dust or the like (cleaning in general, prevention of fouling in general B08B)} - H04N 1/00931: {Synchronising different operations or sub-apparatus, e.g. controlling on-times taking into account different warm-up times} - H04N 1/00986: {Heating} - H04N 2201/0081: Image reader (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) - H04N 2201/0082: Image hardcopy reproducer (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, a fixing unit, a time setting unit, and a control unit. The image reading unit moves a running body having an onboard optical system. The fixing unit heats toner transferred onto the print medium and applies pressure on the heated toner with respect to the print medium to fix the toner. The time setting unit sets an estimated time when use of the image forming apparatus starts. The control unit controls the image reading unit, the fixing unit, and the time setting unit. The control unit, prior to the set estimated start-of-use time by a predetermined period set in advance, activates the image reading unit to detect whether condensation has occurred in the optical system, heats the fixing unit in response to a detection of occurrence of condensation, and stops the heating before the estimated start-of-use time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a print medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image reading unit including a scanning mechanism that performs scanning by moving a running body having an onboard optical system; a fixing unit that heats toner transferred onto the print medium and applies pressure on the heated toner with respect to the print medium to fix the toner; a time setting unit that sets an estimated time when use of the image forming apparatus starts; and a control unit that controls the image reading unit, the fixing unit, and the time setting unit; wherein the control unit, prior to the set estimated start-of-use time by a predetermined period set in advance, activates the image reading unit to detect whether condensation has occurred in the optical system, heats the fixing unit in response to a detection of occurrence of condensation, and stops the heating before the estimated start-of-use time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the fixing unit includes a pair of rollers; and the control unit rotates the pair of rollers at a rotation speed lower than a rotation speed of the pair of rollers in a fixing process of the fixing unit, to remove condensation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit stops the rotation of the pair of rollers before the estimated start-of-use time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs heating and sets, as a target value, a temperature higher than a center of a range of a fixing temperature in the fixing process by the fixing unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an environmental temperature sensor that measures an environmental temperature of the image forming apparatus; wherein the control unit causes the environmental temperature sensor to measure a temperature of the image forming apparatus in a sleep state before the activation, and detects whether condensation occurs in the optical system when a temperature difference between a minimum temperature in the sleep state and a temperature at a time of the activation is equal to or more than a predetermined temperature difference. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a white plate for calibration on which a scanning-wise traversing line is displayed; wherein the control unit causes the image reading unit to read the white plate, and when a width of the read line is wider than a predetermined width, determines that condensation has occurred in the optical system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit moves the running body as a part of the optical system of the image reading unit to bring the running body close to the fixing unit when heating the fixing unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit performs the movement to bring the running body close to the fixing unit at a speed slower than a scanning speed at a time of reading an image by the image reading unit. ### Claim 9 A method for reducing condensation of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a print medium, the method comprising: performing scanning by moving a running body having an onboard optical system; heating toner transferred onto the print medium and applying pressure on the heated toner with respect to the print medium to fix the toner; setting an estimated time when use of the image forming apparatus starts; and controlling the image reading process, the fixing process, and the time setting process; wherein the controlling includes activating, prior to the set estimated start-of-use time by a predetermined period set in advance, the image reading unit to detect whether condensation has occurred in the optical system, heating the fixing unit in response to a detection of occurrence of condensation, and stopping the heating before the estimated start-of-use time. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a control program for controlling an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a print medium, the image forming apparatus including an image reading unit including a scanning mechanism that performs scanning by moving a running body having an onboard optical system, a fixing unit that heats toner transferred onto the print medium and applies pressure on the heated toner with respect to the print medium to fix the toner, and a time setting unit that sets an estimated time when use of the image forming apparatus starts; wherein the control program causes the image forming apparatus to function as a control unit that controls the image reading unit, the fixing unit, and the time setting unit; and the control unit, prior to the set estimated start-of-use time by a predetermined period set in advance, activates the image reading unit to detect whether condensation has occurred in the optical system, heats the fixing unit in response to a detection of occurrence of condensation, and stops the heating before the estimated start-of-use time.