Image Heating Apparatus with Multi-Block Heater Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image heating apparatuses, the difference in transporting velocity and rotational velocity between paper and film can cause local abrasion, leading to dents and scratches, especially when passing small-sized papers, resulting in image defects like gloss unevenness and fixing defects.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a control system that acquires thickness information of the recording material and adjusts the power supplied to heating elements in non-paper passing regions to match the rotational peripheral velocity of the film with the transporting velocity of the paper, using a heater with multiple heating blocks that can be individually controlled based on thickness information to maintain a consistent temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the transporting velocity of paper is different from the rotational velocity of the film, then power consumption is reduced by stopping energization of heating blocks in non-paper passing regions, but local abrasion occurs between paper and film causing dents and scratches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of heating blocks based on their position relative to paper passage. Heating blocks in paper passing regions are energized to maintain film temperature and prevent abrasion, while heating blocks in non-paper passing regions are not energized to conserve power. This spatial differentiation of heating control resolves the contradiction between power consumption and abrasion prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter (energization state) of heating blocks based on paper passage detection. By dynamically adjusting whether heating blocks are energized or not according to the presence or absence of paper, the system optimizes power consumption while preventing local abrasion through maintained temperature differentials in appropriate regions.
2Loss of energy
If heating blocks in non-paper passing regions are not energized to conserve power, then energy efficiency improves, but velocity mismatch between paper and film causes friction and surface damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating system into multiple independently controllable heating blocks along the film path. This segmentation allows selective energization of only those heating blocks where paper passes, maintaining energy efficiency while ensuring film surface integrity in critical regions through localized temperature maintenance that prevents velocity-mismatch abrasion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of heating blocks based on their position relative to paper passage. Heating blocks in paper passing regions are energized to maintain film temperature and prevent abrasion, while heating blocks in non-paper passing regions are not energized to conserve power. This spatial differentiation of heating control resolves the contradiction between power consumption and abrasion prevention.
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 suppresses local abrasion and associated image defects, ensuring smoother paper handling and reduced occurrence of gloss unevenness and fixing defects across various paper sizes.
Implementation Method 1
a heating range of the heater is divided into a plurality of heating blocks in the longitudinal direction of the heater, and heating is controlled selectively for each heating block
Implementation Method 2
the image heating portion heats an image formed on the recording material using a heat of the heater
Implementation Method 3
friction is generated between the paper and the film while the paper is being transported through the fixing nip, and the surface of the film is scraped by the paper
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an image heating apparatus including an acquiring portion which acquires thickness information of a recording material, and a control portion controls a power to be supplied to a heating element which heats a region where the recording material does not pass through among a plurality of heating regions based on a control target temperature which is set based on the thickness information.