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US 4,652,110 AGranted
Image recording apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasushi Sato, Masahiro Goto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming or recording apparatus provided with an image fixing device of a heating type, which may cause curl of the recording material when the recording material is discharged from the fixing means. The causes of the curling are investigated, and a device is provided which can effectively correct or remove the curl of the recording material with a very simple structure. The device includes a passage for applying water vapor to the recording material, immediately after it is discharged from the fixing device. As a supply of the vapor, the moisture contained in the recording material is utilized.
Claims31
An image recording apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- and
- means for applying water vapor emanated by heating the recording material by the heat-fixing means to the recording material after being subjected to the heat-fixing operation, wherein the recording material absorbs the water vapor applied thereto to correct its shape.
1 more element
An image recording apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material, said heat-fixing means including a casing provided with an opening for allowing entrance of the recording material, heating means within said casing, and wherein the vapor is stored in said casing and used for application to the recording material;
- and
- means for applying water vapor emanated by heating the recording material by the heat-fixing means to the recording material after being subjected to the heat-fixing operation, wherein the recording material absorbs the water vapor applied thereto to correct its shape;
- wherein said image recording apparatus is capable of recording on different sizes of the recording material, wherein said vapor applying means is provided with means for changing the area in which the vapor is applied, in accordance with the size of the recording material.
2 more elements
An image recording apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- and
- means for applying water vapor emanated by heating the recording material by the heat-fixing means to the recording material non-uniformly with respect to the direction of the width of the recording material after being subjected to the heat-fixing operation, wherein the recording material absorbs the water vapor applied thereto to correct its shape,
- wherein said vapor applying means includes a lateral control means for applying more vapor to the neighborhood of the lateral end of the recording material than to the central portions of the recording material.
2 more elements
An image recording apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- and
- means for applying water vapor emanated by heating the recording material by the heat-fixing means to the recording material after being subjected to the heat-fixing operation, wherein the recording material absorbs the water vapor applied thereto to correct its shape;
- wherein said unfixed image forming means includes as an operation mode a duplex mode wherein images are formed on respective sides of the recording material;
- and wherein said vapor applying means, in the duplex mode, applies, after an image is formed on one side of the recording material, the vapor to the non-image-bearing side of the recording material adjacent the trailing edge of the recording material.
3 more elements
An image recording apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming a first image on a recording material and forming a second image on the same recording material;
- means for heating the recording material a plurality of times to fix the images on said recording material;
- and
- means for applying to the recording material vapor which is emanated from the recording material when it is heated to fix the image, after the first image is fixed on the recording material and after the second image is fixed on the recording material, wherein the vapor is applied in different manners between after the first image fixing and after the second image fixing.
1 more element
An image recording apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- and
- means for applying, after the recording material is subjected to the fixing operation of said heat-fixing means, to the recording material vapor which is emanated from the recording material when heated by said heat-fixing means, said vapor applying means including a first vapor applying mechanism provided in one side with respect to a passage for transporting the recording material and a second vapor applying mechanim in the opposite side;
- and
- means for controlling quantities of the vapor applied by said first mechanism and said second mechanism to change the recording material into a desired shape.
3 more elements
An image recording apparatus comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- and
- means for applying, after the recording material is subjected to the fixing operation of said heat-fixing means, to the recording material vapor which is emanated from the recording material when heated by said heat-fixing means said vapor applying means including a first vapor applying mechanism provided in one side with respect to a passage for transporting the recording material and a second vapor applying mechanism in the opposite side;
- and
- means for controlling quantities of the vapor applied by said first mechanism and said second mechanism, independently from each other, to change the recording material into a desired shape;
- wherein said unfixed image forming means includes as operation modes a superimposing mode wherein two images are formed on the same side of the recording material and a duplex mode wherein images are formed on both sides of the recording material, and wherein said controlling means controls said first and second mechanisms to apply the vapor to the recording material in different manners in response to the mode selected.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- means for applying to the recording material vapor which is emanated from the recording material when heated by said heat-fixing means;
- and
- controlling an amount of the vapor application by said vapor applying means depending on the nature of the recording material before it is heated.
2 more elements
An image forming forming apparatus, comprising:
- means for forming an unfixed image on a recording material;
- means for heat-fixing the unfixed image on the recording material;
- and
- means for applying water vapor emanated by heating the recording material by the heat-fixing means to the recording material after being subjected to the heat-fixing operation, wherein the recording material absorbs the water vapor applied thereto to correct its shape;
- wherein said heat-fixing means includes a fixing roller containing therein a heating source, a pressing roller for pressing a toner image to be fixed to said fixing roller, a separating means for separating the recording material from said fixing roller, and a couple of discharging rollers, located spaced apart from said fixing and pressing rollers, which rotates at a higher peripheral speed than that of the fixing and pressing rollers to apply tension to the recording material between the couple of discharging rollers and the fixing and pressing rollers.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.