Image Heating Device Power Distribution for Mixed Paper Sizes
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, the temperature rise in non-paper-passing portions during small-size and large-size mixed jobs leads to increased printing times due to the need to manage power distribution to heating regions effectively, as existing methods either reduce throughput or fail to optimize power usage based on varying paper sizes.
Innovation Solution
An image heating device with a control system that adjusts power supply to heating resistors based on the distance between paper-passing and non-paper-passing heating regions and the position of the recording material, switching between two control modes to minimize temperature rise in non-paper-passing areas without compromising printing speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If power is reduced to non-paper-passing heating regions to prevent temperature rise, then temperature control is improved, but printing speed decreases due to waiting time for temperature leveling
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is divided into multiple independent heating regions (first through seventh heating regions) with separate heating resistors, allowing individual power control for each region. This segmentation enables selective heating of only those regions needed for the current paper size, preventing temperature rise in non-paper-passing regions while maintaining heating capability for paper-passing regions, thus resolving the contradiction between temperature control and printing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The power supply to each heating region is dynamically adjusted based on the detected paper size. The control unit changes the power distribution in real-time according to the combination of paper size and number of prints, optimizing the balance between temperature control and printing speed for different printing scenarios.
2Loss of time
If power supply to non-paper-passing heating region is lowered, then total printing time is shortened for small-size continuous jobs, but temperature distribution becomes uneven affecting subsequent large-size printing
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit preemptively adjusts power to heating regions based on the detected paper size before printing begins. For small-size continuous printing, it reduces power to outer heating regions that will not be used, preventing temperature rise in advance. For mixed printing scenarios, it maintains appropriate power levels to ensure temperature uniformity is established before large-size printing starts, thus preventing both time loss and temperature unevenness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously detects paper size and adjusts power distribution accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that power supply is optimized for the current printing task while maintaining temperature uniformity for subsequent tasks, resolving the contradiction between reducing printing time and maintaining temperature stability.
3Productivity
If power is maintained at high levels for all heating regions, then printing speed is maintained for mixed jobs, but temperature rise in non-paper-passing portions causes heat resistance issues
Solution Approach 1:
Different power levels are applied to different heating regions based on local needs. Inner heating regions that correspond to paper-passing areas maintain high power for fast printing, while outer heating regions corresponding to non-paper-passing areas use reduced power to prevent temperature rise. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between maintaining printing speed and preventing harmful temperature rise.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power supply parameter dynamically based on paper size detection. For small-size papers, it reduces power to outer heating regions while maintaining high power to inner regions, optimizing both printing speed and temperature control by adjusting parameters according to the specific printing conditions.
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 reduces the total printing time for mixed jobs by optimizing power distribution, ensuring efficient heat management and maintaining printing speed without overheating non-paper-passing regions.
Implementation Method 1
a heater that comes into contact with an inner surface of the film... heating resistors provided on the substrate... power supplied to the heating resistors
Data Source
AI summary
An image heating device has a paper-passing heating region in which a recording material passes through at least a part of a heating region and a non-paper-passing heating region in which the recording material does not pass through the heating region, and changes a heating amount applied to a fixing member in the non-paper-passing heating region in accordance with a longitudinal distance between a boundary position between the paper-passing heating region and the non-paper-passing heating region in the longitudinal direction and the boundary position side end portion of the recording material in the paper-passing heating region.