Image Forming Apparatus Region-Based Fixing Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in accurately controlling the fixing temperature for toner images, leading to potential fixing failures due to insufficient or excessive temperatures, and inefficient power consumption, especially when handling varying toner application amounts across different regions of a page.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus divides image data into regions in the sub-scanning direction, determines a target temperature for each region based on toner application analysis, and controls the fixing unit to adjust the temperature accordingly, ensuring optimal fixing conditions and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single fixed temperature is used for the fixing unit, then the device complexity is reduced, but fixing failures occur due to insufficient or excessive temperatures for different toner application amounts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image data into multiple regions in the sub-scanning direction and determines different target temperatures for each region based on toner application amount. This segmentation allows the fixing unit to apply different temperatures to different parts of the sheet, preventing both fixing failures and over-temperature while maintaining manageable system complexity through region-based differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic temperature control by adjusting the fixing temperature in real-time before each region enters the fixing nip, based on the analyzed toner application amount for that specific region. This dynamic adjustment ensures optimal fixing conditions for varying toner loads without requiring complex manual intervention.
2Reliability
If the fixing temperature is increased to prevent fixing failures, then fixing reliability improves, but power consumption increases due to excessive temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different fixing temperatures to different regions of the sheet based on their specific toner application amounts. Regions with higher toner application receive higher temperatures to ensure proper fixing, while regions with lower toner application receive lower temperatures to minimize energy consumption. This local quality approach eliminates the need to overheat the entire sheet to ensure minimum fixing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fixing temperature parameter dynamically based on the analyzed toner application amount for each region. By adjusting the temperature parameter to match the actual toner load, the system achieves reliable fixing only where needed while reducing overall power consumption compared to maintaining a uniformly high temperature.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If the fixing temperature is reduced to save power consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but fixing failures occur due to insufficient temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sheet into multiple regions and analyzes toner application amounts for each region. This segmentation enables the system to reduce temperature for low-toner regions to save energy while maintaining sufficient temperature for high-toner regions to prevent fixing failures, achieving energy efficiency without compromising overall fixing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from toner application amount analysis to adjust the fixing temperature for each region. The control unit receives analysis results and adjusts temperatures accordingly, ensuring that sufficient temperature is applied only where toner requires it while reducing temperature elsewhere to minimize power consumption.
4Device complexity
If uniform temperature control is applied across the entire sheet, then the control system is simpler, but image quality deteriorates due to over-fixing or under-fixing in different regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image data into multiple regions in the sub-scanning direction and determines region-specific target temperatures based on toner application analysis. This segmentation enables precise temperature control for each region, preventing over-fixing in low-toner areas and under-fixing in high-toner areas, thereby maintaining high image quality while managing complexity through systematic region-based control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality control by applying different fixing temperatures to different regions of the sheet according to their specific toner application amounts. This ensures that each region receives the precise temperature needed for optimal image quality, avoiding the defects of uniform temperature control while maintaining manageable system complexity through localized differentiation.
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 enables precise temperature control for each region, preventing fixing failures and minimizing power consumption by ensuring the fixing temperature is adjusted in real-time before the regions enter the fixing nip, thus improving image quality and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fixing unit configured to fix toner image transferred onto the sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, an exposing unit configured to expose the photoconductor for forming a latent image on the photoconductor based on image data, a developing unit configured to develop, by using toner, the latent image, a transferring unit configured to transfer the image to a sheet, a fixing unit configured to fix toner image transferred onto the sheet, and a control unit configured to divide the image data into a plurality of regions in a sub-scanning direction, determine a target temperature for each region from a result of analyzing the region, and control a temperature of the fixing unit based on the determined target temperature.