Heating control method and image forming device

Abstract

The present application discloses a heating control method and an image forming device. The heating control method includes: when the image forming device is in a printing state, determining the time t1 required for the fixing component to rise from a current temperature or a temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature; and determining the time point at which the fixing component starts heating based on the distance from a preset position to the center of the fixing component, the travel speed of the printing medium, and the time t1. By determining the time point at which the fixing component starts heating based on the distance from the preset position to the center of the fixing component, the travel speed of the printing medium, and the time t1, the present application can accurately determine the time point at which the fixing component starts heating during the printing process, avoiding energy waste caused by excessive heating time, thereby reducing energy consumption of the fixing component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of image forming technology, and in particular to a heating control method for a fixing assembly and an image forming device. Background Art

[0002] In the field of image forming technology, fixing is the process of fixing the unstable and erasable toner on the paper by heating the heating element of the fixing assembly, thereby achieving fixing.

[0003] The existing solution of using halogen lamp heating is difficult to accurately control the start time of heating due to the slow heating speed of halogen lamp. In order to ensure that the toner can be fully fixed on the paper, the heating element of the fixing assembly needs to be heated in advance.

[0004] The prior art also has some heating components with faster heating rates. For example, in a solution using ceramic sheets for heating, since the heating rate of the ceramic sheets is very fast, if they are still heated in advance, more energy will be wasted. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a method for accurately determining the starting point of the fixing heating for the ceramic sheet fixing heating method. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, the main purpose of the present application is to provide a heating control method that can reduce the energy consumption of the fixing assembly.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application specifically adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present application provides a heating control method for controlling the heating of a fixing assembly, the heating control method comprising:

[0008] When the image forming device is in a printing state;

[0009] Determine the time t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature;

[0010] The time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating is determined based on the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly, the travel speed of the printing medium, and the time t1.

[0011] In some embodiments, determining the time t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from a current temperature or a temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature includes:

[0012] determining a heating rate of the fixing assembly;

[0013] The time t1 is calculated based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at a set time, and the preset target temperature.

[0014] In some embodiments, the time t1 is calculated based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at a set time, and the preset target temperature, specifically:

[0015] The time t1 is calculated by the formula t1 = (T1-T0) / X;

[0016] Wherein, T1 is the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly, T0 is the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at a set time, and X is the heating rate of the fixing assembly.

[0017] In some embodiments, determining the heating rate of the fixing assembly is specifically:

[0018] When the image forming device is in a state of printing a first page of print medium;

[0019] The heating rate is calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly during the warm-up phase.

[0020] In some embodiments, the heating rate is calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly during the preheating phase, specifically:

[0021] During the warm-up phase;

[0022] Calculating the heating rate based on the time it takes for the temperature of the fixing assembly to increase by one degree; or

[0023] The heating rate is calculated based on the degree of temperature rise of the fixing assembly per unit time.

[0024] In some embodiments, determining the heating rate of the fixing assembly is specifically:

[0025] When the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing the nth page of print medium, where n is a positive integer and n≥2;

[0026] The heating rate is calculated based on a change from a temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on to a preset target temperature.

[0027] In some embodiments, determining the heating rate of the fixing assembly is specifically:

[0028] When the image forming apparatus is in the state of printing the nth page of printing medium, the heating rate is calculated based on the temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on when printing the n-1th page of printing medium and the preset target temperature, wherein n is a positive integer and n≥2.

[0029] In some embodiments, the heating rate is calculated based on the change from the temperature of the fixing assembly when the heating is turned on to the preset target temperature, specifically:

[0030] When the temperature of the fixing component reaches the preset target temperature when it starts heating;

[0031] Calculating the heating rate based on the time it takes for the temperature of the fixing assembly to increase by one degree; or

[0032] The heating rate is calculated based on the degree of temperature rise of the fixing assembly per unit time.

[0033] In some embodiments, the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly is specifically:

[0034] The printing medium travels from the position where the sensor is set to the center position of the fixing assembly.

[0035] In some embodiments, the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly is specifically:

[0036] Image formation centering The distance the image travels from the location where it is created to the center of the fixing assembly.

[0037] In some embodiments, the time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating satisfies: the time point reached after t1 from the time point is no later than the time point when the printing medium travels to the center position of the fixing assembly.

[0038] In some embodiments, the duration of the interval between the moment reached after t1 from the time point and the moment when the printing medium moves to the center position of the fixing assembly depends on at least one of the paper type, printing mode, ambient temperature, ambient humidity and machine usage time.

[0039] Correspondingly, the present application also provides an image forming device, which includes a main body and a fixing assembly, and the main body adopts the heating control method described in any embodiment to control the heating of the fixing assembly.

[0040] Correspondingly, the present application further provides an image forming device, comprising:

[0041] a first determining unit, configured to determine a time t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from a current temperature or a temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature;

[0042] The second determining unit determines a time point for starting heating of the fixing assembly based on a distance from a preset position to a center position of the fixing assembly, a traveling speed of the printing medium, and time t1.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the heating control method of the present application includes: when the image forming device is in a printing state, determining the time t1 required for the fixing component to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at a set time to the preset target temperature, and determining the time point for starting heating of the fixing component based on the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing component, the travel speed of the printing medium and the time t1, so that during the printing process, the time point for starting heating of the fixing component can be accurately determined, avoiding energy waste due to excessive heating time, and reducing the energy consumption of the fixing component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of the heating control method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a waveform diagram of the temperature change of the fixing assembly during the printing process provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a module block diagram of the image forming device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of an image forming device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0049] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance; unless otherwise specified or explained, the term "plurality" refers to two or more, and the term "multiple" refers to two or more; the terms "connected" and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] It should be noted that when the image forming device is turned on or awakened from a sleep state, it will gradually heat up from a cold state to a set temperature. This process is called a preheating process. The process from starting the printing operation to the end of printing is called the printing stage. During the printing stage, when printing each sheet of printing medium (such as paper), the fixing assembly needs to be heated to a preset target temperature (which can be 195°C for example, or other reasonable fixing temperatures). The preset target temperature is the temperature that the fixing assembly needs to reach during fixing. For example, when printing the first page of printing medium, the fixing assembly needs to be heated to the preset target temperature before performing the fixing action, and then the heating of the fixing assembly is stopped. Then, when printing the second page of printing medium, the fixing assembly continues to be heated to the preset target temperature before performing the fixing action, and then the heating of the fixing assembly is stopped. This is analogous to printing other pages of printing medium.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 Flowchart of a heating control method provided in an embodiment of the present application. An embodiment of the present application provides a heating control method for controlling the heating of a fixing assembly in an image forming apparatus, the heating control method comprising the steps of:

[0052] S11 , determining the time t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature.

[0053] Specifically, the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at the set time, and the preset target temperature are first determined. Then, the time t1 is calculated using the formula t1 = (T1 - T0) / X. Here, X is the heating rate of the fixing assembly, T1 is the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly, and T0 is the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at the set time. The temperature at the set time can be the temperature of the machine at a certain time period during the printing process, for example, the moment a print page request is received, or the moment the controller activates the heater. In this embodiment, the temperature is not limited to a specific value.

[0054] The current temperature refers to the temperature of the fixing component detected in real time. For example, during the printing process, before the heating is turned on (that is, when waiting for the heating to be turned on), if the current temperature of the fixing component is detected to be T0, and the time t1 is calculated by the formula t1 = (T1-T0) / X, then the time t6 required for the position of the paper to move to the center position of the fixing is calculated according to the traveling speed of the paper (that is, during the paper movement process, the time t6 required for the current position of the paper to move to the center position of the fixing can be calculated in real time or at preset intervals), and then the time t6 is compared with the time t1. If the time t6 is close to the time t1, the heating is turned on. Preferably, when the time t6 is slightly less than or equal to the time t1, the heating is turned on.

[0055] Since the temperature rise rate from the second page is different from that of the first page during continuous printing, the temperature rise of the first page is steeper, and the subsequent temperature rise and fall are relatively gentle. Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 The temperature change waveform of the fixing assembly during the printing process provided by the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 In the figure, A refers to the process of heating from the room temperature T3 in the cold state to the specified temperature T2 in the preheating stage when the machine is turned on. The heating rate calculated in this process is used to calculate the heating start time point when printing the first page. B is the calculated heating start time point when printing the first page. C is the process of heating from the heating start time point to the preset target temperature T1 when printing the first page. The heating rate calculated in this process is used to calculate the heating start time point when printing the second page. D is the heating start time point when printing the second page.

[0056] Therefore, there are two cases for the heating rate of the fixing assembly:

[0057] When the image forming apparatus is printing the first page of print media, the heating rate of the fixing assembly can be calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly during the preheating phase. For example, during the preheating phase, the heating rate can be calculated based on the time it takes for the fixing assembly temperature to rise by one degree, or the heating rate can be calculated based on the number of degrees the fixing assembly temperature rises per unit time. The heating rate can then be used to determine the time to start heating the fixing assembly when printing the first page of print media.

[0058] In this embodiment, the heating rate X is estimated based on the time it takes for the fixing assembly to heat from a cold state to a specified temperature (e.g., 150°C, which is generally lower than the preset target temperature T1) during the preheating phase. Specifically, the heating rate X is calculated using the formula X = (T2-T3) / t, where T2 is the specified temperature of the fixing assembly during the preheating phase, T3 is the temperature of the fixing assembly when it is cold, and t is the time it takes for the fixing assembly to heat from T3 to T2. This embodiment uses the time it takes for the machine to heat from a cold state to the specified temperature during the preheating phase to estimate the heating rate X. Because the heating rate X calculated in this manner is variable, for example, the value of X may vary each time the machine is turned on, and different machines may have different values ​​of X under the same environment, the value of X calculated in this manner already accounts for the differences in the environment and the machine itself, making it highly applicable.

[0059] In this embodiment, the heating rate of the preheating stage is calculated each time the power is turned on or woken up. For example, the heating rate can be calculated by the time required to heat to 150°C (or other temperature set by the image forming device) from a certain moment after the power is turned on.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the image forming apparatus is turned on, the temperature of the fixing assembly is already higher than the above-mentioned specified temperature (such as the aforementioned 150° C.). For example, the image forming apparatus is shut down when the temperature is high and then restarted, or the image forming apparatus is restarted due to a malfunction, etc. In this case, empirical data can be used as the heating rate X.

[0061] When the image forming apparatus is printing the nth page of print media, the heating rate of the fixing assembly can be calculated based on the change from the temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on to a preset target temperature. In this embodiment, when the image forming apparatus is printing the nth page of print media, the heating rate can be calculated based on the change from the temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on when printing the n-1th page of print media to the preset target temperature. This heating rate is substituted into a formula to calculate the time point at which the fixing assembly should turn on heating when printing the nth page of print media. Where n is a positive integer, and n ≥ 2.

[0062] For example, when printing the nth page of print media, the heating rate of the fixing assembly can be calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly when heating to a preset target temperature when printing the n-1th page of print media. For example, when heating to a preset target temperature when printing the n-1th page of print media, the heating rate can be calculated based on the time it takes for the fixing assembly temperature to rise by one degree, or based on the number of degrees the fixing assembly temperature rises per unit time. The heating rate is then used to determine the time point at which the fixing assembly should be turned on for printing the nth page of print media.

[0063] In this embodiment, a first heating rate of the fusing assembly is calculated based on the temperature change of the fusing assembly during the preheating phase. This first heating rate is then substituted into a formula to calculate the time at which the fusing assembly starts heating when printing the first page of print media. Simultaneously, during the printing of the first page of print media, a second heating rate is calculated based on the temperature change of the fusing assembly after heating to a preset target temperature. This second heating rate is substituted into a formula to calculate the time at which the fusing assembly starts heating when printing the second page of print media. Similarly, the time at which the fusing assembly starts heating is calculated for printing the third and subsequent pages of print media.

[0064] In this embodiment, the heating rate calculated in the preheating stage is substituted into the formula to calculate the starting heating time point of the fixing assembly when printing the first page of printing medium, and the heating rate calculated when printing the n-1th page of printing medium is substituted into the formula to calculate the starting heating time point of the fixing assembly when printing the nth page of printing medium. That is, when printing each page of printing medium, the starting heating time point of the fixing assembly can be flexibly changed to achieve on-demand heating, thereby further saving energy consumption.

[0065] S12 , determining a time point for starting heating of the fixing assembly based on a distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly, a traveling speed of the printing medium, and time t1 .

[0066] Specifically, after determining the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly, the travel speed of the printing medium, the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at the set time, the preset target temperature and the heating rate, the time point when the fixing assembly starts heating can be determined by the formula (S-Vt0) / V≥(T1-T0) / X, that is, the value of t0 can be determined.

[0067] Where S is the distance from the preset position to the center of the fixing assembly, V is the speed of the printing medium, T1 is the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly, T0 is the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at the set time, X is the heating rate of the fixing assembly, t0 is the time point when the heating of the fixing assembly is turned on, and t0 is the value to be determined.

[0068] In this embodiment, the distance the print medium travels from the sensor location to the center of the fixing assembly is defined as the distance from the preset location to the center of the fixing assembly. For example, during the printing phase, the print medium is detected to determine whether it has triggered a designated sensor (e.g., a paper feed sensor). If so, the distance from the sensor to the fixing assembly is divided by the print medium's travel speed to obtain a first time. Simultaneously, the difference between the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly and the current temperature or the temperature at the set time is divided by the heating rate to obtain a second time. This second time is then set to be shorter than the first time, thereby determining the range within which the heating start point of the fixing assembly must be satisfied. Specifically, the time from the heating time point t1 to the fixing assembly's arrival at the center of the fixing assembly must not be later than the time when the print medium reaches the center of the fixing assembly.

[0069] For example, if the S value is 30 mm, the V value is 5 mm / s, and the time required for the fuser assembly temperature to rise from 25°C to 150°C during the preheating phase before printing is 5 seconds, then the heating rate X can be calculated as 25°C / s using the formula X = (150°C - 25°C) / 5 seconds. If, when printing the first page of print media, the current or set temperature of the fuser assembly is 145°C, and the preset target temperature of the fuser assembly is 195°C, then the formula (30 - 5t0) / 5 ≥ (195 - 145) / 25 can be used to calculate that the fuser assembly heating start time t0 is less than or equal to 4 seconds when printing the first page of print media. If the time when the print media reaches the preset position is t3, and t3 ≥ 0, then the time range between t3 and t3 + 4 seconds is the fuser assembly heating start time range when printing the first page of print media, meaning that the fuser assembly heating must start no later than t3 + 4 seconds. Preferably, when printing the first page of print medium, the heating time of the fixing assembly is t3+4s, which can best reduce the energy consumption of the fixing assembly.

[0070] If the temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on when printing the first page of print media is 140°C, the preset target temperature is 195°C, and the time required for the fixing assembly to rise from 140°C to 195°C is 5 seconds, then the heating rate X can be calculated as 10°C / s using the formula X = (195°C - 145°C) / 5s. If the current or set temperature of the fixing assembly when printing the second page of print media is 168°C, and the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly is 195°C, then the time t0 at which the fixing assembly starts heating when printing the second page of print media can be calculated as less than or equal to 2 seconds using the formula (30 - 5t0) / 5 ≥ (195 - 165) / 10. If the time when the print media reaches the preset position is t4, and t4 ≥ 0, then the time range between t4 and t4 + 2s is the time range for turning on the fixing assembly heating when printing the second page of print media, meaning that the starting point of heating the fixing assembly must be no later than t4 + 2s. Preferably, when printing the second page of print media, the fuser assembly's heating start time is t4 + 2s. This minimizes the fuser assembly's energy consumption. Similarly, the calculation method for the fuser assembly's heating start time when printing the third and subsequent pages of print media is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0071] This application is based on the fact that the time it takes for the printing medium to travel from a certain position to the center position of the fixing assembly must be greater than or equal to the time it takes for the fixing assembly to heat from the starting temperature to the target temperature. That is, the heating time point t0 of the fixing assembly is accurately determined by the formula (S-Vt0) / V≥(T1-T0) / X, thereby avoiding both the waste of energy caused by the fixing assembly heating time being too long and the failure to reach the preset target temperature caused by the fixing assembly heating time being too short, thereby affecting the fixing effect of the toner on the paper.

[0072] It is understood that the duration between the moment t1, when the fixing assembly is heated, and the moment the print medium reaches the center of the fixing assembly depends on at least one of the paper type, print mode, ambient temperature, ambient humidity, and machine usage. In other words, the specific time in advance for heating to begin can be determined based on environmental or machine parameters. For example, if the user selects high-quality printing mode, to ensure adequate fusing, heating may need to be started a little earlier (because high-quality printing may have a higher image density, requiring a longer heating time for adequate fusing).

[0073] For another example, if the paper selected by the user is thicker (for example, for envelope / letter printing), the heating needs to be turned on in advance.

[0074] For another example, if the external ambient temperature is detected to be low, heating can be performed in advance.

[0075] For another example, if the external humidity is detected to be high, heating is also required in advance.

[0076] For example, if the machine has been in use for a long time, the detection results of the thermistor or the heating effect of the heater may deviate from expectations, and the heating timing can also be adjusted.

[0077] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further discloses an image forming device, which includes a main body and a fixing assembly. The main body uses the heating control method described in any of the above embodiments to control the heating of the fixing assembly.

[0078] Based on the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present application further disclose an image forming device, which uses the heating control method described in the above embodiments to control the heating of the fixing assembly. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 The module block diagram of the image forming device provided in the embodiment of the present application is specifically, the image forming device includes a first determination unit 100 and a second determination unit 200, the first determination unit 100 is used to determine the time t1 required for the fixing component to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at a set time to the preset target temperature, and the second determination unit 200 is used to determine the time point when the fixing component starts heating based on the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing component, the travel speed of the printing medium and the time t1.

[0079] Based on the above embodiments, the present application further discloses an image forming device, which is a laser color printer. The laser color printer uses the heating control method described in any of the above embodiments to control the heating of the fixing assembly. This embodiment differs from the above embodiments in that the distance from the image generation position to the center of the fixing assembly is set to the distance from the preset position to the center of the fixing assembly.

[0080] Reference Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming device provided in this embodiment. The image forming device is a laser color printer, which includes a transfer belt 105, a secondary transfer roller 106, an input paper tray 107, a manual paper feed tray 108, a paper feed roller 109, a transport roller 110, a laser scanning unit (LSU) 111, a heat roller 112, a pressure roller 113, a discharge roller 114, and a discharge paper tray 115. The process cartridge assembly includes four process cartridges, each of which includes a photosensitive drum 101Y-101K, a charging roller 102Y-102K, a developing roller 103Y-103K, and a toner hopper 104Y-104K for holding toner.

[0081] The laser scanning unit (LSU) 111 is a single LSU that includes four optical paths. Four charging rollers 102Y-102K are used to charge the surfaces of the four photosensitive drums 101Y-101K, respectively. The four optical paths of the laser scanning unit emit laser beams to form electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101Y-101K. Four developing rollers 103Y-103K are used to develop a single-color toner image on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101Y-101K, respectively. The image forming device 10 utilizes a secondary transfer method, whereby the four photosensitive drums 101Y-101K sequentially transfer the toner images to the transfer belt 105. The color toner images formed on the transfer belt 105 are then secondary-transferred to paper via the secondary transfer roller 106. A paper tray 107 is used to store paper, and a paper feed roller 109 is used to transport the stored paper to the transport path. A transport roller 110 is used to transport the paper to the secondary transfer roller 106.

[0082] The secondary transfer roller 106 conveys the imaged paper to the clamping area of ​​the hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113. The hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113 are used to fix the toner image on the paper. The hot roller 112 can adopt a ceramic heating method. The hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113 convey the fixed paper to the discharge roller 114. The discharge roller 114 discharges the paper to the discharge paper box 115 and stacks it.

[0083] In this embodiment, each color LSU forms a corresponding image after irradiating the photosensitive drum. The distance that each image travels from the position where each color LSU irradiates the photosensitive drum to the fixing assembly (the clamping area of ​​the heat roller 112 and the pressure roller 113) is defined as S, the printing speed is defined as V, the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at the set time is T0, the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly is defined as T1, and the heating rate is defined as X. The heating start time t0 of the fixing assembly can be calculated using the formula (S-Vt0) / V≥(T1-T0) / X.

[0084] In some embodiments, the distance the image travels from the position where the LSU irradiates the photosensitive drum 101Y to the fixing assembly can be defined as S, or the distance the image travels from the position where the LSU irradiates the photosensitive drum 101M to the fixing assembly can be defined as S, or the distance the image travels from the position where the LSU irradiates the photosensitive drum 101C to the fixing assembly can be defined as S, or the distance the image travels from the position where the LSU irradiates the photosensitive drum 101K to the fixing assembly can be defined as S.

[0085] In some embodiments, the distance S can be defined as the distance traveled by the image on the photosensitive drum to the transfer belt starting from the position where the LSU irradiates the photosensitive drum + the distance traveled by the image on the transfer belt to be transferred to the paper + the distance traveled by the paper from the transfer point to the center position of the fixing assembly, where the center position of the fixing assembly refers to the pressure area formed between the hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113.

[0086] This embodiment uses a signal (TOD signal) used to control image generation to detect the fuser assembly's heating start time. The TOD signal is normally deactivated. When the image is about to be formed, the TOD signal is activated. Time t5 at this point is recorded to determine the fuser assembly's heating start time range. For example, after calculating heating start time t0 using the formula (S-Vt0) / V ≥ (T1-T0) / X, the time range from t5 to t5+t0 is the fuser assembly's heating start time range when printing the medium. Preferably, the fuser assembly's heating start time is t5+t0.

[0087] This application is based on the fact that the time required for the image to travel from the position where the LSU is irradiated to the photosensitive drum to the fixing assembly must be greater than or equal to the time required for the fixing assembly to heat from the starting temperature to the target temperature. That is, the heating time point t0 of the fixing assembly is accurately determined by the formula (S-Vt0) / V≥(T1-T0) / X, thereby avoiding both the waste of energy caused by the fixing assembly heating time being too long and the failure to reach the preset target temperature caused by the fixing assembly heating time being too short, thereby affecting the fixing effect of the toner on the paper.

[0088] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A heating control method for controlling the heating of a fixing assembly, characterized in that: The heating control method comprises: When the image forming device is in a printing state; Determine the time t1 required for the fixing assembly to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature; The time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating is determined based on the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly, the travel speed of the printing medium, and the time t1; wherein the preset position includes the position where the sensor is set and the position where the image is generated; The time t1 is determined based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at a set time, and a preset target temperature, wherein when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing the first page of print media, the heating rate of the fixing assembly is calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly during the preheating stage; when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing the nth page of print media, the heating rate is calculated based on the temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on when printing the n-1th page of print media and the preset target temperature, wherein n is a positive integer, and n≥2; During the preheating phase, the heating rate X is calculated by the formula X=(T2-T3) / t, where T2 is the specified temperature of the fixing assembly during the preheating phase, T3 is the temperature of the fixing assembly when it is in a cold state, and t is the time taken for the fixing assembly to heat from T3 to T2; The time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating is determined by the formula (S-Vt0) / V≥(T1-T0) / X, where S refers to the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly, V refers to the travel speed of the printing medium, T1 is the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly, T0 is the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at the set time, X is the heating rate of the fixing assembly, and t0 is the time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating.

2. The heating control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The time t1 is determined based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at a set time, and the preset target temperature, specifically: Calculate the time t1 by the formula t1=(T1-T0) / X; Wherein, T1 is the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly, T0 is the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at a set time, and X is the heating rate of the fixing assembly.

3. The heating control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating rate is calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly in the preheating stage, specifically: During the warm-up phase; Calculating the heating rate based on the time it takes for the temperature of the fixing assembly to increase by one degree; or The heating rate is calculated based on the degree of temperature rise of the fixing assembly per unit time.

4. The heating control method according to claim 1, wherein: The heating rate is calculated based on the temperature of the fixing assembly when the heating is turned on and the preset target temperature when printing the n-1th page of the print medium, specifically: When the temperature of the fixing component reaches the preset target temperature when it starts heating; Calculating the heating rate based on the time taken for the temperature of the fixing assembly to increase by one degree; or The heating rate is calculated based on the degree of temperature rise of the fixing assembly per unit time.

5. The heating control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the preset position is a position where a sensor is provided, the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly is specifically: The printing medium travels from the position where the sensor is set to the center position of the fixing assembly.

6. The heating control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the preset position is the position where the image is generated, the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly is specifically: Image formation centering The distance the image travels from the location where it is created to the center of the fixing assembly.

7. The heating control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The fixing assembly starts heating at a time point that satisfies: a time point reached after t1 from the time point is no later than a time point when the printing medium travels to the center position of the fixing assembly.

8. The heating control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The duration of the interval between the time point t1 and the time when the printing medium reaches the center of the fixing assembly depends on at least one of the paper type, printing mode, ambient temperature, ambient humidity and machine usage time.

9. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that: The image forming device includes a main body and a fixing assembly, and the main body uses the heating control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to control the heating of the fixing assembly.

10. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that: include: The first determining unit is used to determine the time t1 required for the fixing component to rise from the current temperature or the temperature at a set time to a preset target temperature; a second determining unit, configured to determine a time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating based on a distance from a preset position to a center position of the fixing assembly, a traveling speed of the printing medium, and a time t1, wherein the preset position includes a position where a sensor is provided and a position where an image is generated; The time t1 is determined based on the heating rate of the fixing assembly, the current temperature or the temperature at a set time, and a preset target temperature, wherein when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing the first page of print media, the heating rate of the fixing assembly is calculated based on the temperature change of the fixing assembly during the preheating stage; when the image forming apparatus is in a state of printing the nth page of print media, the heating rate is calculated based on the temperature of the fixing assembly when heating is turned on when printing the n-1th page of print media and the preset target temperature, wherein n is a positive integer, and n≥2; During the preheating phase, the heating rate X is calculated by the formula X=(T2-T3) / t, where T2 is the specified temperature of the fixing assembly during the preheating phase, T3 is the temperature of the fixing assembly when it is in a cold state, and t is the time taken for the fixing assembly to heat from T3 to T2; The time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating is determined by the formula (S-Vt0) / V≥(T1-T0) / X, where S refers to the distance from the preset position to the center position of the fixing assembly, V refers to the travel speed of the printing medium, T1 is the preset target temperature of the fixing assembly, T0 is the current temperature of the fixing assembly or the temperature at the set time, X is the heating rate of the fixing assembly, and t0 is the time point at which the fixing assembly starts heating.

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