Heater Temperature Control for Non-Standard Recording Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image heating apparatuses face issues with temperature control when handling non-standard-size recording materials, leading to potential faulty fixing and excessive temperature rises due to non-paper-passing portion temperature rise, especially when heating blocks do not align with the material ends.
Innovation Solution
An image heating apparatus with a heater comprising multiple heating elements and temperature detecting members, where the temperature detecting members are strategically placed to maintain prescribed control target temperatures, ensuring stable temperature control across heated regions, even when recording material ends do not align with heating block boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heating blocks are arranged to match standard-size recording material ends, then temperature control is improved for standard sizes, but faulty fixing occurs for non-standard sizes when ends do not align with heating block boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is divided into multiple heating blocks that can be independently controlled. Each heating block corresponds to a specific region in the recording material width direction, allowing selective heating of different regions based on the actual recording material width and position, thus preventing both faulty fixing and excessive temperature rise.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating block configuration is made dynamic by switching between different heating distributions based on the detected recording material size and position. The control portion selectively activates appropriate heating blocks in real-time, adapting the heating pattern to match the actual recording material boundaries regardless of whether they align with standard sizes.
2Stability of the object's composition
If heating distribution is switched according to standard-size recording materials, then temperature control is stabilized for standard sizes, but excessive temperature rise occurs in non-paper-passing portions for non-standard sizes
Solution Approach 1:
Different heating blocks are activated based on the local requirements of each region. When recording material is detected in a specific width range, only the heating blocks corresponding to that region are activated, ensuring that heat is applied locally where needed and preventing excessive temperature rise in non-paper-passing portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating distribution parameters are dynamically changed based on the detected recording material characteristics. The control portion adjusts which heating blocks are active and at what power levels, transforming the heating pattern from a fixed standard-size configuration to an adaptive configuration that prevents excessive temperature rise for any material size.
3Device complexity
If heating blocks are positioned at fixed dividing positions, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature control becomes unstable when recording material ends shift from standard positions
Solution Approach 1:
A detection mechanism monitors the actual position and width of the recording material, providing feedback to the control portion. Based on this feedback, the control portion dynamically adjusts which heating blocks are activated and at what power levels, maintaining precise temperature control even when recording material positions vary from standard configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating block system is designed to handle multiple recording material sizes and positions using the same physical heater structure. By selectively activating different combinations of heating blocks, the system achieves universal applicability across various material specifications without requiring physical reconfiguration or increasing structural complexity.
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 stabilizes temperature control, preventing faulty fixing and excessive temperature rises by accurately managing heat distribution and maintaining optimal temperatures across the heating regions, regardless of recording material size or alignment.
Implementation Method 1
a heater including a plurality of heating elements arranged in a direction that is perpendicular to a transport direction of a recording material
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of temperature detecting members for detecting a temperature of a plurality of heated regions that are independently heated by each of the plurality of heating elements
Data Source
AI summary
A first temperature detecting member is arranged in a longitudinal direction of a heater at a position that is (i) in a vicinity of an end adjacent to a second heating element among ends in the longitudinal direction of a first heating element, and (ii) separated from a reference passing position with respect to a recording material end that passes near a boundary between the first heating element and the second heating element by at least 2.5 mm toward a side close to a transport reference position, and a second temperature detecting member is arranged in the longitudinal direction at a position that is (iii) in a vicinity of an end adjacent to the first heating element among ends in the longitudinal direction of the second heating element, and (iv) separated from the reference passing position by at least 2.5 mm toward a side far from the transport reference position.