US 2018/0088507 A1 · IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS · patentgrep

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, a fixing unit including a heating member, a rotary member which is heated by the heating member, and a nip area where the rotary member comes into contact with a sheet, and configured to perform fixing by heating a developer image transferred to the sheet and fixing the developer image to the sheet in the nip area, and a control unit configured to execute, while the fixing is not performed, a mode in which the image bearing member is rotated with the developer bearing member being in a separated position and the heating member is controlled such that a temperature of a portion of a surface of the rotary member, after the rotary member passes through the nip area, is maintained higher than the temperature of the portion during the fixing.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member configured to be rotatable and bear a developer image;
a developer bearing member configured to be rotatable, bear a developer, and supply the developer to a surface of the image bearing member to form a developer image;
a switching unit configured to move the developer bearing member between a contact position in which the developer bearing member is in contact with the image bearing member, and a separated position in which the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member;
and
a fixing unit including a heating member, a rotary member which is heated by the heating member, and a nip area where the rotary member comes into contact with a sheet, and configured to perform fixing by heating the developer image transferred to the sheet and fixing the developer image to the sheet in the nip area,
wherein when the developer bearing member is in the separated position, a rotation shaft of the image bearing member is located closer to the fixing unit than a rotation shaft of the developer bearing member,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a control unit configured to execute, while the fixing is not performed, a mode in which the image bearing member is rotated with the developer bearing member being in the separated position and the heating member being controlled such that a temperature of a portion of a surface of the rotary member, after the rotary member passes through the nip area, is maintained higher than the temperature of the portion during the fixing.

4 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member configured to be rotatable and bear a developer image;
a developer bearing member configured to be rotatable, bear a developer, and supply—the developer to a surface of the image bearing member to form a developer image;
a switching unit configured to move the developer bearing member between a contact position in which the developer bearing member is in contact with the image bearing member, and a separated position in which the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member;
and
a fixing unit including a heating member, a rotary member which is heated by the heating member, and a frame which supports the rotary member, and configured to perform fixing by heating the developer image transferred to a sheet and fixing the developer image to the sheet,
wherein when the developer bearing member is in the separated position, a rotation shaft of the image bearing member is located closer to the fixing unit than a rotation shaft of the developer bearing member,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a control unit configured to execute, while the fixing is not performed, a mode in which the image bearing member is rotated with the developer bearing member being in the separated position and a temperature of a closest portion of a surface of the frame to the image bearing member being maintained higher than the temperature of the closest portion during the fixing.

4 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member configured to be rotatable and bear a developer image;
a developer bearing member configured to be rotatable, bear a developer, and supply the developer to a surface of the image bearing member to form a developer image;
a switching unit configured to move the developer bearing member between a contact position in which the developer bearing member is in contact with the image bearing member, and a separated position in which the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member;
and
a fixing unit including a heating member, a rotary member which is heated by the heating member, and a frame which supports the rotary member, and configured to perform fixing to heat the developer image transferred to a sheet and fix the developer image to the sheet,
wherein when the developer bearing member is in the separated position, a rotation shaft of the image bearing member is located closer to the fixing unit than a rotation shaft of the developer bearing member,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a control unit configured to execute, while the fixing is not performed, a mode in which the image bearing member is rotated with the developer bearing member being in the separated position and a temperature of air in a space between the fixing unit and the image bearing member is maintained higher than the temperature of the air between the fixing unit and the image bearing member during the fixing.

4 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member configured to be rotatable and bear a developer image;
a developer bearing member configured to be rotatable, bear a developer, and supply the developer to a surface of the image bearing member to form a developer image;
a switching unit configured to move the developer bearing member between a contact position in which the developer bearing member is in contact with the image bearing member, and a separated position in which the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member;
and
a fixing unit including a heating member, a rotary member which is heated by the heating member, and a frame which supports the rotary member, and configured to perform fixing by heating the developer image transferred to a sheet and fixing the developer image to the sheet,
wherein when the developer bearing member is in the separated position, a rotation shaft of the image bearing member is located closer to the fixing unit than a rotation shaft of the developer bearing member,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a control unit configured to execute, while the fixing is not performed, a mode for evaporating moisture adhering to the surface of the image bearing member in which the image bearing member is rotated with the developer bearing member being in the separated position and the rotary member is heated by the heating member.

4 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image bearing member configured to be rotatable and bear a developer image;
a developer bearing member configured to be rotatable, bear a developer, and supply the developer to a surface of the image bearing member to form a developer image;
a switching unit configured to move the developer bearing member between a contact position in which the developer bearing member is in contact with the image bearing member, and a separated position in which the developer bearing member is separated from the image bearing member;
a fixing unit including a heating member, a rotary member which is heated by the heating member, and a frame which supports the rotary member, and configured to perform fixing by heating the developer image transferred to a sheet and fixing the developer image to the sheet;
and
a humidity detection unit,
wherein when the developer bearing member is in the separated position, a rotation shaft of the image bearing member is located closer to the fixing unit than a rotation shaft of the developer bearing member,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a control unit configured to execute, while the fixing is not performed, a mode in which the image bearing member is rotated with the developer bearing member being in the separated position and the rotary member is heated by the heating member,
wherein the control unit executes the mode based on output of the humidity detection unit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/713,433Filed 22 Sep 2017
Priority: JP 2016-19119529 Sep 2016
Published: 29 Mar 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification29 codes

G03G 15/5045
By measuring the photoconductor characteristics, e.g. temperature, or the characteristics of an image on the photoconductor: detecting the temperature
G03G 15/0815
On a donor element, e.g. belt, roller: characterised by the developer handling means after the developing zone and before the supply, e.g.…
G03G 21/0094
Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge: fatigue treatment of the photoconductor
G03G 21/203
Humidity or temperature control also ozone evacuation; Internal apparatus environment control: humidity

Family

US 10,108,123 B2Related patent
US 2018/0088507 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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