Imaging device and photographic fixing control method

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a fixing part from being heated wastefully, by letting printing paper enter a fixing unit at the timing of causing the fixing part to reach a fixable temperature regardless of a printing request made at any time during standby.SOLUTION: The device calculates the process for exerting standby time control from the finish of printing, in particular, an estimated time t4 taken to rise to the fixable temperature based on the fixing temperature and a temperature change gradient value, obtained at a request time, for a printing request made before the reach to a standby temperature. If an estimated time t2 taken for first printing paper to enter a fixing device from the start of an image forming part is longer than the estimated time t4, imaging operation is started by operating only the image forming part without operating the fixing device. Thereafter, an estimated time t4 taken for the fixing temperature to reach the fixable temperature is inversely calculated from a planned time at which the first printing paper enters the fixing device, which is determined by the estimated time t2. Thereby, the fixing device 18 determines the timing of causing the fixing device to start the operation. This control is able to rise the temperature of the fixing device to the fixable temperature when printing paper enters the fixing device, and prevents wasteful power consumption.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to electrophotographic image forming devices such as copiers, printers, and multifunction machines that perform energy-saving operations, and more particularly to image forming that achieves energy-saving energy saving by effectively driving and controlling a heating device or a heater for fixing a toner image on a recording medium Device and fixing control method. Background technique [0002] In recent years, along with an increase in environmental awareness, it is required to thoroughly improve the energy-saving performance of an electrophotographic imaging device. However, the electrophotographic imaging device needs the fixing device to maintain a high temperature when the toner is heated and fixed on the printing recording paper. Therefore, most of the electric energy used for the imaging device is consumed in the power supply of the heating part in the fixing device, that is, the heater. [0003] There have been ma...

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Problems solved by technology

[0022] According to the heater driving control in the above-mentioned prior art, the fixing device 18 is still at a high temperature shortly after printing ends, and if a next printing request is received in this state, the recording medium needs to reach the fixing possible temperature from the temperature of the fixing device 18 Afterwards, it takes a further time t3 to reach the fixing device 18. During this period, the fixing operation cannot be started in order to wait for the recording medium to enter the fixing device. Therefore, it is necessary to consume more energy to keep the temperature of the fixing device 18 at the fixing possible temperature.

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