Image forming apparatus, recording material conveying method, program for implementing the method, and storage medium storing the program

A recording material conveying method that conveys a recording material to a fixing unit in an image forming apparatus at a throughput representing the number of recording materials conveyed to the fixing unit per unit time, the fixing unit comprising two roller members which form a nip section and at least one of which is heated and fixing an image held on the recording material when the recording material passes through the nip section, the method comprising:

• a throughput changing step of, in performing continuous printing while changing a rising throughput at which a temperature at predetermined locations in the fixing unit reaches an upper limit, gradually decreasing the rising throughput with a falling throughput at which the temperature at predetermined locations does not reach the upper limit interposed between throughput changes,
• wherein the throughout changing step includes storing, in a changing state storage unit, the upper temperature limit in which the rising throughput is changed to the falling throughput and a lower temperature limit in which the falling throughput is changed to the rising throughput, and
• wherein the throughout changing step alternately carries out an operation of changing the rising throughput to the falling throughput in the upper temperature limit and an operation of changing the falling throughput to the rising throughput in the lower temperature limit.

A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for controlling conveyance of a recording material to a fixing unit in an image forming apparatus at a throughput representing the number of recording materials conveyed to the fixing unit per unit time, the fixing unit comprising two roller members which form a nip section and at least one of which is heated and fixing an image held on the recording material when the recording material passes through the nip section, the program comprising:

• a throughput changing module for, in performing continuous printing while changing a rising throughput at which a temperature at predetermined locations in the fixing unit reaches an upper limit, gradually decreasing the rising throughput with a falling throughput at which the temperature at predetermined locations does not reach the upper limit interposed between throughput changes,
• wherein the throughout changing module stores, in a changing state storage unit, the upper temperature limit in which the rising throughput is changed to the falling throughput and a lower temperature limit in which the falling throughput is changed to the rising throughput, and
• wherein the throughout changing module alternately carries out an operation of changing the rising throughput to the falling throughput in the upper temperature limit and an operation of changing the falling throughput to the rising throughput in the lower temperature limit.