Dual Intermediate Transfer Heat Buffering for Image Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses face challenges in stabilizing high-definition color image formation at high speeds while reducing power consumption, as existing methods often result in heat inefficiencies, increased complexity, and potential image failures due to excessive heat discharge and temperature control issues with belt members and roller configurations.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a dual intermediate transfer system where a second intermediate transfer section acts as a heat buffering member, reducing heat conduction to the photoreceptor and allowing for efficient heat management, combined with a heat control section and voltage applying section to enhance toner image transfer and fixation, thereby stabilizing image formation and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the fixing nip width is increased to speed up image forming and reduce power consumption, then image forming speed is improved and power consumption is reduced, but excessive heat energy is displaced to the recording medium causing the fixing roller surface temperature to decrease below setting temperature during continuous paper feeding, resulting in fixing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heat management function into separate components: a dedicated cooling section for the fixing roller and a heating section. This segmentation allows independent control of cooling and heating processes, enabling the system to maintain stable fixing roller surface temperature even when the fixing nip width is increased for higher productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements temperature detection means that continuously monitors the fixing roller surface temperature and feeds this information back to the control mechanism. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustment of heating and cooling power, ensuring the fixing roller maintains its set temperature despite variations in fixing nip width or continuous paper feeding conditions.
2Length of stationary object
If the external diameters of the fixing roller and pressure roller are increased to increase the fixing nip width, then the fixing nip width is increased, but the amount of heat discharge from each roller is increased causing a tendency to have fixing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat management function from the roller structure itself and implements it as a separate cooling section with dedicated cooling means. This allows the rollers to be designed for optimal fixing nip width without being constrained by heat discharge issues, as the cooling section independently manages thermal energy removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cooling section as an intermediary component between the fixing roller and the environment. This cooling section acts as a mediator that controls heat discharge, allowing the fixing roller to maintain appropriate temperature levels even when enlarged for increased fixing nip width.
3Length of stationary object
If the thickness of the elastic layer on the surfaces of the fixing roller and pressure roller is increased to increase the fixing nip width, then the fixing nip width is increased, but heat conductance from the heat source inside the fixing roller to the surface is decreased, still causing fixing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the heat conduction function from the elastic layer by introducing a dedicated heating section with heating means. This extraction allows the elastic layer to be optimized for fixing nip width without compromising heat conductance, as the heating section independently provides the necessary thermal energy to the roller surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating section acts as an intermediary that directly supplies thermal energy to the fixing roller surface. This intermediary heating mechanism compensates for reduced heat conductance through thicker elastic layers, maintaining efficient heat transfer to the recording medium while preserving increased fixing nip width.
4Area of moving object
If a belt member is used as the transferring and fixing member to increase the heating region width, then the heating region width is increased, but the surface area of the heating roller must be increased which increases heat discharge amount and power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating function from the transferring member by using a separate heating section with heating means. This allows the belt member to focus on transferring while the dedicated heating section provides thermal energy efficiently, increasing heating region width without proportionally increasing heating roller surface area or power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating section serves as an intermediary that provides thermal energy to the belt member during the transferring process. This intermediary heating approach allows efficient heat transfer over an extended region without requiring a proportionally larger heating roller, thus controlling power consumption while expanding the heating region width.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables stable high-definition image formation with reduced power consumption by efficiently managing heat and improving toner image transfer, preventing heat deterioration of the photoreceptor and reducing the warm-up period of the fixing section.
Implementation Method 1
reducing heat conduction to the photoreceptor
Implementation Method 2
a toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor is transferred onto a first intermediate transfer member, and the toner image on the first intermediate transfer member is transferred onto a second intermediate transfer member
Implementation Method 3
a toner image heating section which receives the toner image transferred from the second intermediate transfer member, and heats and fuses the toner image
Implementation Method 4
transfers the fused toner image onto a recording medium while fixing the toner image transferred to the recording medium
Implementation Method 5
a pressure roller arranged in pressure contact with the transferring and fixing roller
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image forming apparatus utilizing a concurrently transferring and fixing method which improves a transfer efficiency of a toner image from an intermediate transfer member to a transferring and fixing member, allows a stable forming of a high-definition image in a high-speed image forming, and ensures further reduction of power consumption, and prevention of heat deterioration of a photoreceptor, with no upsizing of the apparatus. In an image forming apparatus comprising a toner image baring section, a first intermediate transfer section, a transferring and fixing section, and an electrical field section, a second intermediate transfer section is disposed between the first intermediate transfer section and the transferring and fixing section.