Photographic Fixing Temperature Control for Cold-Start Energy Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming devices face issues with energy waste and increased consumption when the heating roller temperature is uniformly raised to compensate for insufficient heat during cold-start operations, affecting the fixation firmness of printed images.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method that uses different temperatures for different parts of the same page of paper, with temperature compensation for the second part to ensure firm fixation while reducing energy consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the control temperature of the heating roller is increased overall to ensure sufficient heat for fixing, then the photographic fixing firmness is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephotographic fixing firmnessVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the recording medium into a first part (leading end) and a second part (trailing end), and applies different temperature control strategies to each part. The heating roller uses a first control temperature for the first part and a second control temperature for the second part, allowing optimized energy usage while maintaining fixation quality in both regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality control by setting different temperatures for different spatial regions of the same recording medium. The first part receives a lower first control temperature while the second part receives a higher second control temperature, matching the local heat absorption characteristics of each region and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption in the first part.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the control temperature of the heating roller is increased overall to compensate for cold-start heat absorption, then the photographic fixing firmness of the second part of paper is improved, but heat waste occurs in the first part of paper

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephotographic fixing firmnessVSAvoidheat waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary heating action by preheating the heating roller to a third temperature before the recording medium enters. This preliminary action ensures the heating roller has sufficient heat capacity to provide the required second control temperature to the second part of the recording medium without needing to overheat the entire roller continuously, thereby reducing heat waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic temperature control by switching between different control temperatures based on which part of the recording medium is being processed. The control temperature dynamically adjusts from the first control temperature for the first part to the second control temperature for the second part, optimizing energy usage at each moment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 approach effectively saves energy while maintaining image fixation quality by adjusting temperatures based on environmental and machine conditions, as well as paper type, thereby optimizing heating and fixing processes.

Implementation Method 1

a heating roller and a pressure roller. The heating roller and the pressure roller are pressed and collided to form a nip. When a paper passes through the nip, the paper is heated

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentEP4451065B1Photographic fixing temperature control method
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 ZHUHAI PANTUM ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4451065B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4451065B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4451065B1 patent drawingFigure 4A

AI summary

A photographic fixing temperature control method includes: controlling a photographic fixing module to heat and fix a first part of a recording medium according to a first temperature; and controlling the photographic fixing module to heat and fix a second part of the recording medium according to a second temperature. The first part is located in front of the second part and the first temperature is lower than the second temperature; in the present disclosure, different temperatures may be used for heating and photographic fixing within the same page of paper, and temperature compensation may be performed for heating and photographic fixing of the second part of the paper. This may effectively save energy while ensuring the firmness of the photographic fixation of the paper.