Image transfer apparatus and method

An image transfer device for transferring an image from an image sheet to an image-receiving sheet while said sheets are superposed, said image transfer device comprising:

• a plurality of heated rollers for simultaneously feeding, heating, and pressing said superposed sheets;
• auxiliary heating means for heating surfaces of said heated rollers, said auxiliary heating means being actuatable for heating only portions of said heated rollers where a surface temperature thereof is lowered due to insertion of said superposed sheets;
• a sheet sensor for generating a detecting signal indicative of said superposed sheets;
• and
• a timer for generating a timer signal,
• wherein said auxiliary heating means is actuatable in response to said detecting signal and said timer signal.

An image transfer device for transferring an image from an image sheet (6) to an image-receiving sheet (5) while said sheets are superposed, said image transfer device comprising:

• an image transfer path;
• a plurality of heated rollers (14) for simultaneously feeding, heating, and pressing said superposed sheets on said image transfer path, said heated rollers contacting said sheets at a nipping point on said path;
• auxiliary heating means (22) for heating surfaces of said heated rollers, said auxiliary heating means being actuatable for heating only portions of said heated rollers where a surface temperature thereof is lowered due to insertion of said superposed sheets;
• and
• a sheet sensor (21) for generating a detecting signal indicative of said sheets when said sheets are at a first distance (L.sub.1) along said path and downstream of said nipping point, wherein
• said first distance (L.sub.1) is equal to a second distance around the periphery of each of said heated rollers from the nipping point to a point where the portions of said heated rollers are heated by said auxiliary heating means, said auxiliary heating means being actuatable in response to said detecting signal.