Heat Roller Temperature Control for Toner Fixing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems face failures in fixing toner images due to inadequate temperature control, which is based solely on the thickness or heat capacity of the recording medium.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system that includes a transport unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit with a heat roller, and a processor that implements temperature control on the heat roller by detecting the electric current value of an electric actuator and the volume resistivity of the recording medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature control on the heat roller is implemented based on only the thickness or heat capacity of the recording medium, then the control system remains simple, but failures in fixing toner images occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the recording medium's properties (thickness via electric current value, heat capacity via volume resistivity) before the fixing process. This allows the control system to pre-determine the appropriate temperature control parameters based on detected medium characteristics, ensuring reliable fixing while maintaining relatively simple control logic through pre-established detection sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameters from simple thickness-based control to a multi-parameter system that incorporates both electric current value (indicating thickness) and volume resistivity (indicating heat capacity). By detecting and utilizing these multiple parameters, the system achieves more accurate and reliable temperature control for diverse recording media without requiring overly complex control mechanisms.
2Reliability
If temperature control is based on multiple parameters (electric current value and volume resistivity), then fixing reliability improves, but the detection system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by utilizing the same roller and detection circuitry to measure multiple properties of the recording medium. The roller serves both as a transport element and a detection element that can sense both electric current value (for thickness) and volume resistivity (for heat capacity). This approach allows the system to gather multiple parameters without proportionally increasing hardware complexity, as existing components perform multiple measurement functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The recording medium itself provides the detection signals through its inherent electrical properties. By measuring electric current value and volume resistivity, the system uses the medium's own characteristics as the detection mechanism, eliminating the need for separate specialized sensors for each property. This self-service approach simplifies the detection system while enabling multi-parameter measurement for improved fixing reliability.
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 solution effectively reduces failures in fixing toner images by precisely controlling the heat roller temperature based on both the thickness and heat capacity of the recording medium, thereby ensuring reliable image fixation.
Implementation Method 1
an electric actuator that rotates the roller
Implementation Method 2
a fixing unit that fixes the toner image by using a heat roller to the recording medium
Implementation Method 3
a resistance value detector that detects volume resistivity of the recording medium
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium by using a roller; a transfer unit that applies a transfer voltage by using a transfer body and that transfers a toner image to the recording medium that is transported by the transport unit; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image by using a heat roller to the recording medium to which the toner image is transferred; and a processor configured to: implement temperature control on the heat roller, based on a result of detection of an electric current value detector that detects an electric current value of an electric actuator that rotates the roller and a result of detection of a resistance value detector that detects volume resistivity of the recording medium when the toner image is transferred to the recording medium after the electric current value detector detects the electric current value.