Heating device and image forming apparatus using the same
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTetsunori Mitsuoka, Toshiaki Kagawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When the paper size signal indicates small-sized paper, after the final sheet of a consecutive sheet feed operation of that size has passed through the heating device, paired rollers consisting of heat and pressing rollers are actuated to rotate for a predetermined period (rotational mode) while no sheet passes therethrough. After completion of the rotational mode, the paired rollers are stopped from rotating for a predetermined period (stationary mode).
Claims15
A heating device having a heating element including a heat source and a pressing element put in pressing contact with the heating element, wherein recording media are passed through and between the two elements so as to heat the media, the heating device comprising:
- a rotational drive means for rotating the heating element and pressing element;
- and
- a control means for making control of each part so as to implement a cooling process for cooling the heating element, wherein the control means makes control during the cooling process so that the temperature of the heating element is maintained so as to fall within a predetermined range;
- characterized in that when the final recording medium in a consecutive heating operation of recording media of a solitary size has passed through and between the heating element and pressing element, the control means implements two different modes in combination in accordance with the size of the recording media, the rotational mode in which the heating element and pressing element are rotated by the rotational drive means for a predetermined period of time and the stationary mode in which the heating element and pressing element are stopped rotating by the rotational drive means for a predetermined period of time.
An image forming apparatus for forming toner images on recording media, including, as a fixing unit for fixing toner images on the recording media, a heating device comprising:
- a heating element including a heat source;
- a pressing element put in pressing contact with the heating element;
- a rotational drive means for rotating the heating element and pressing element so as to pass the recording media through and between the two elements so as to heat the media;
- and
- a control means for making control of each part so as to implement a cooling process for cooling the heating element, wherein the control means makes control during the cooling process so that the temperature of the heating element is maintained so as to fall within a predetermined range;
- wherein when the final recording medium in a consecutive heating operation of recording media of a solitary size has passed through and between the heating element and pressing element, the control means implements two different modes in combination in accordance with the size of the recording media, the rotational mode in which the heating element and pressing element are rotated by the rotational drive means for a predetermined period of time and the stationary mode in which the heating element and pressing element are stopped rotating by the rotational drive means for a predetermined period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.