Heating Elements Temperature Distribution Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image heating apparatuses face challenges in maintaining optimal temperature distribution when switching from small-sized to large-sized recording materials, leading to inefficient heating and potential image defects due to temperature disparities across the fixing member.
Innovation Solution
An image heating apparatus with a controller that selectively actuates heating elements based on the sheet width, ensuring the non-sheet passing areas are heated in a predetermined time period to maintain consistent temperature distribution, thereby allowing seamless transitions between different sized recording materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If heating elements are turned off in non-sheet passing portions to save energy during small size recording material processing, then energy consumption is reduced, but temperature distribution becomes uneven when switching to large size recording material
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements in non-sheet passing portions are activated in advance during small size recording material processing to preheat these areas. This preliminary heating action ensures that when switching to large size recording material, the entire heating surface including previously non-active areas is already at the required temperature, eliminating temperature distribution unevenness while maintaining energy efficiency through controlled preheating periods.
2Temperature
If preparatory heating operation is performed on non-sheet passing portions before processing large size recording material, then temperature distribution is optimized, but productivity decreases due to additional operation time
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements operate continuously without complete shutdown between processing different sizes of recording materials. By maintaining a reduced level of heating in non-sheet passing portions during small material processing and smoothly transitioning to full heating when large materials are detected, the system eliminates idle heating cycles and preparatory warm-up periods, ensuring continuous useful heating action that improves productivity while maintaining optimal temperature distribution.
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 ensures consistent image quality and prevents image defects by maintaining optimal temperature distribution across the fixing member, even when switching between small and large-sized recording materials, enhancing productivity and reducing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of heating elements arranged substantially along a longitudinal direction of the heat rotatable member and configured to heat the heat rotatable member
Data Source
AI summary
In an image heating apparatus including heat generating members arranged along a longitudinal direction of a belt, when an image heating operation is performed on a recording material having a width which is smaller than a maximum width of the recording material usable in the image heating apparatus, the heat generating member positioned within an area corresponding to a non passing portion of the recording material is actuated together with the heat generating member positioned within an area corresponding to a non passing portion of the recording material.