FIXING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

Abstract

In a fixing apparatus of the present invention, an end section fixing control temperature changing section selects an end section fixing control temperature in accordance with the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process. A sub-heater on/off determining section turns on or off a sub-heater in accordance with a temperature detected by an end section temperature sensor and the end section fixing control temperature selected by the end section fixing control temperature changing section. This prevents the occurrence of fixing failure even in continuous printing with respect to large-size paper sheets in an arrangement in which a temperature sensor is disposed outside a maximum-size sheet passing region at an end section of a fixing roller and controls energization of a heater which is disposed corresponding to the end section of the fixing roller in accordance with a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention and a configuration of an end section temperature control section of a fixing unit.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention and a structure of an image forming apparatus including the fixing unit.

FIG. 3( a) is a sectional view illustrating a center section of the fixing unit, and FIG. 3(b) is a sectional view illustrating an end section of the fixing unit.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating positional relationship between heat generating regions that give off heat in heat sources which are disposed inside the fixing roller which is provided in the fixing unit.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the fixing unit.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating contents of a table which is included in an end section fixing control temperature changing section of the end section temperature control section.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating one example of surface temperature control in the end section temperature control section in a continuous printing process.

FIGS. 8 (a) through 8(d) are views illustrating relationships between positions of the fixing roller in its axial direction and surface temperatures of the fixing roller in the present image forming apparatus, just before the start of continuous printing, right after the start of the continuous printing using large-size paper sheets, in the middle of the continuous printing, and at the end of the continuous printing, respectively.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating progressions of surface temperatures of the fixing roller in (i) a region of the fixing roller where a paper sheet passes and (ii) a region of the fixing roller where a paper sheet does not pass, in continuous printing process in a typical image forming apparatus.

FIGS. 10 (a) through 10(d) are views illustrating relationships between positions of the fixing roller in its axial direction and surface temperatures of the fixing roller in the conventional image forming apparatus, just before the start of continuous printing, right after the start of the continuous printing using large-size paper sheets, in the middle of the continuous printing, and at the end of the continuous printing, respectively.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a relationship between a position of the fixing roller in its axial direction and a heat supply rate in a main heater and a sub-heater, respectively.

Claims

1. A fixing apparatus which causes a recording material to pass through a space between a rotatable fixing member and a pressure member that press-contacts the fixing member so as to fix a toner image formed on the recording material, the fixing apparatus comprising:a plurality of heat sources, which are disposed inside the fixing member, having mutually different regions as heating regions;a plurality of temperature detecting members, disposed on a surface side of the fixing member so as to correspond to the heat sources, which detect surface temperatures of the fixing member; anda fixing control section which controls power supplies to the heat sources so that surfaces of the fixing member are maintained at a preset fixing temperature, in accordance with temperatures detected by the temperature detecting members,wherein:out of the temperature detecting members, an end section temperature detecting member which is disposed at an end section of the fixing member is disposed outside a region of the fixing member where a maximum-size recording material that can be used by an image forming apparatus in which the fixing apparatus is installed passes; andin continuous printing process, the fixing control section changes a control temperature for controlling power supply to the heat source which is disposed corresponding to the end section of the fixing member, in accordance with a temperature detected by the end section temperature detecting member.

2. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the fixing control section changes the control temperature in accordance with the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process.

3. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the fixing control section changes the control temperature in accordance with the number of paper sheets that continuously have passed through the fixing member in one continuous printing process.

4. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the larger the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process, the higher the fixing control section sets the control temperature.

5. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the fixing control section returns the control temperature to an initial value when the continuous printing process is restarted after having been interrupted.

6. The fixing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the interruption of the continuous printing process occurs in the event of recording material jam or in the event of process control for equalization of print quality.

7. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the fixing control section comprises:a counting section which counts the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process;a control temperature changing section which has a table that includes control temperatures determined respectively corresponding to the numbers of processed paper sheets, and selects a control temperature in accordance with a result of counting carried out by the counting section; anda determining section which determines whether power to the heat source which is disposed at the end section of the fixing member is to be supplied or not, in accordance with a temperature detected by the end section temperature detecting member and a control temperature selected by the control temperature changing section.

8. The fixing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: an interruption signal for instructing interruption of the continuous printing process is supplied to the counting section and the control temperature changing section;the counting section resets a count to zero upon receipt of the interruption signal; andthe control temperature changing section returns the control temperature to an initial value upon receipt of the interruption signal.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising a fixing apparatus which causes a recording material to pass between a rotatable fixing member and a pressure member that press-contacts the fixing member so as to fix a toner image formed on the recording material, the fixing apparatus comprising:a plurality of heat sources, which are disposed inside the fixing member, having mutually different regions as heating regions;a plurality of temperature detecting members, disposed on a surface side of the fixing member so as to correspond to the heat sources, which detect surface temperatures of the fixing member; anda fixing control section which controls power supplies to the heat sources so that surfaces of the fixing member are maintained at a preset fixing temperature, in accordance with temperatures detected by the temperature detecting members,wherein:out of the temperature detecting members, an end section temperature detecting member which is disposed at an end section of the fixing member is disposed outside a region of the fixing member where a maximum-size recording material that can be used by the image forming apparatus passes; andin continuous printing process, the fixing control section changes a control temperature for controlling power supply to the heat source which is disposed corresponding to the end section of the fixing member, in accordance with a temperature detected by the end section temperature detecting member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: the fixing control section comprises:a counting section which counts the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process;a control temperature changing section which has a table that includes control temperatures determined respectively corresponding to the numbers of processed paper sheets, and selects a control temperature in accordance with a result of counting carried out by the counting section; anda determining section which determines whether power to the heat source which is disposed at the end section of the fixing member is to be supplied or not, in accordance with a temperature detected by the end section temperature detecting member and a control temperature selected by the control temperature changing section.