Fixing device that fixes images of decolorable and non-decolorable materials
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroshi Katakura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fixing device includes a roller, a pressing member pressed against the roller, such that when a sheet having an unfixed image is passed thorough a nip formed between the roller and the pressing member, the unfixed image is fixed on the sheet, a first heater configured to heat the roller, a second heater configured to heat the pressing member, and a controller configured to control the second heater, such that a time-averaged heat generation by the second heater when an image of a decolorable material is fixed is greater than a time-averaged heat generation by the second heater when an image of a non-decolorable material is fixed.
Claims20
A fixing device, comprising:
- a roller;
- a pressing member pressed against the roller, such that when a sheet having an unfixed image is passed through a nip formed between the roller and the pressing member, the unfixed image is fixed on the sheet;
- a first heater configured to heat the roller;
- a second heater configured to heat the pressing member;
- and
- a controller configured to control the second heater, such that a time-averaged heat generation by the second heater when an image of a decolorable material is fixed is greater than a time-averaged heat generation by the second heater when an image of a non-decolorable material is fixed.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
- a fixing unit configured to fix the image on the sheet, the fixing unit including:
- a roller,
- a pressing member pressed against the roller, such that when a sheet having an unfixed image is passed through a nip formed between the roller and the pressing member, the unfixed image is fixed on the sheet,
- a first heater configured to heat the roller, and
- a second heater configured to heat the pressing member;
- and
- a controller configured to control the second heater, such that time-average heat generation by the second heater when an image of a decolorable material is fixed is greater than time-average heat generation by the second heater when an image of a non-decolorable material is fixed.
A method for fixing an image on a sheet, the method comprising:
- conveying a first sheet having an unfixed image of a decolorable material through a nip formed between a roller and a pressing member that is pressed against the roller;
- conveying a second sheet having an unfixed image of a non-decolorable material through the nip;
- and
- controlling a first heater that is configured to heat the roller and a second heater that is configured to heat the pressing member, when the first and second sheets are conveyed through the nip, wherein
- a time-averaged heat generation by the second heater when the first sheet is conveyed through the nip is greater than a time-averaged heat generation by the second heater when the second sheet is conveyed through the nip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.