FIXING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE OF FIXING APPARATUS, PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE OF FIXING APPARATUS, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

In a fixing apparatus which is included in an image forming apparatus that is capable of selecting a sheet transport speed, a paper sheet is transported between a fixing roller and a pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the paper sheet is fixed on the paper sheet under heat of the fixing roller. The fixing apparatus is provided with an endless belt which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller, and a halogen lamp, a heat source control device, and a thermistor all of which are for changing a temperature of the endless belt in accordance with the sheet transport speed. This makes it possible to fix an image on a paper sheet without the occurrence of offset phenomena.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of a fixing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of an image forming apparatus which includes the fixing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3( a) is a graph illustrating the temperature progression of a fixing roller and an endless belt of the fixing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 in a monochrome mode.

FIG. 3( b) is a graph illustrating temperature progression of the fixing roller and the endless belt of the fixing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 in a color mode.

FIG. 4( a) is a graph illustrating temperature progression of the fixing roller and the endless belt in the monochrome mode in cases where power supply to a halogen lamp provided inside the fixing roller is not performed at all.

FIG. 4( b) is a graph illustrating the temperature progression of the fixing roller and the endless belt in the monochrome mode in cases where power supply to a halogen lamp provided inside the fixing roller is performed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of a fixing apparatus that includes an external heating roller, instead of the endless belt, as an external heating member.

FIG. 6( a) is a graph illustrating temperature progression of the fixing roller and the external heating roller of the fixing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 in the monochrome mode.

FIG. 6( b) is a graph illustrating the temperature progression of the fixing roller and the external heating roller of the fixing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 in the color mode.

FIG. 7( a) is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of a fixing apparatus in which a first support roller and a second support roller support an endless belt in a tensioned state, and only the second support roller includes a halogen lamp therein.

FIG. 7( b) is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of a fixing apparatus in which the first support roller and the second support roller include respective halogen lamps therein.

FIG. 8( a) is a graph illustrating temperature progression of the fixing roller and the endless belt when continuous sheet passing was performed using an external heating device illustrated in FIG. 1 in the monochrome mode.

FIG. 8( b) is a graph illustrating temperature progression of the fixing roller and the endless belt when continuous sheet passing was performed using an external heating device illustrated in FIG. 7(a) in the monochrome mode.

FIG. 8( c) is a graph illustrating temperature progression of the fixing roller and the endless belt when continuous sheet passing was performed using an external heating device illustrated in FIG. 7(b) in the monochrome mode.

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating distribution of surface temperature of the endless belt that is in contact with the fixing roller, when the external heating device illustrated in FIG. 1, the external heating device illustrated in FIG. 7(a), and the external heating device illustrated in FIG. 7(b) are used.

FIG. 10( a) is a view illustrating an appropriate range of an outer temperature of a fixing roller in an image forming apparatus in which a transport speed is identical in the color mode and the monochrome mode.

FIG. 10( b) is a view illustrating an appropriate range of an outer temperature of a fixing roller in an image forming apparatus in which a transport speed is not identical in the color mode and the monochrome mode.

Claims

1. A fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing roller; and a pressure roller, wherein a recording material is transported between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the recording material is fixed on the recording material under heat of the fixing roller,the fixing apparatus further comprising:an external heating member which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller; anda temperature control section which controls a temperature of the external heating member in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material.

2. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the external heating member is an endless belt which is set over a plurality of support rollers.

3. The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the temperature control section carries out the control so that a temperature of the external heating member increases with increase in transport speed of the recording material.

4. The fixing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: the transport speed of the recording material in an image forming apparatus that includes the fixing apparatus is higher in a monochrome mode in which a monochrome image is formed on the recording material than in a multicolor mode in which multicolor image is formed on the recording material.

5. The fixing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the temperature control section is made up of (i) a first heat source device which is a heat source of the external heating member and heats in response to power supply to the first heat source device, (ii) a first temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the external heating member, and (iii) a heat source control device which controls power supply to the first heat source device so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor reaches a first setting temperature; andthe heat source control device selects a value of the first setting temperature in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material.

6. The fixing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the fixing apparatus includes (a) a second heat source device which is disposed inside the fixing roller and heats in response to power supply to the second heat source device and (b) a second temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the outer surface of the fixing roller; andthe heat source control device controls power supply to the first heat source device and the second heat source device so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor takes the first setting temperature and the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor takes a second setting temperature.

7. The fixing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: the temperature control device sets the first setting temperature and the second setting temperature to an identical value under standby conditions where image forming operation is not performed by the image forming apparatus which includes the fixing apparatus.

8. The fixing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: if the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor does not reach the first setting temperature under recording material passing conditions where image forming operation is performed by the image forming apparatus, the heat source control device preferentially supplies power to the first heat source device.

9. The fixing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: if the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the first setting temperature under the recording material passing conditions, the heat source control device stops supplying power to the first heat source device and supplies power to the second heat source device.

10. The fixing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the endless belt is set over first and second support rollers and rotates opposite in direction to the rotation of the fixing roller, and a nip area is formed between the endless belt and the outer surface of the fixing roller;around the nip area, a first support roller is disposed upstream with respect to a driving direction of the endless belt, and a second support roller is disposed downstream with respect to a driving direction of the endless belt; andthe first support roller includes the first heat source device therein, and the second support roller does not include the first heat source device therein.

11. The fixing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the endless belt is set over first and second support rollers;each of the first and second support rollers includes the first heat source device therein; andthe first and second support rollers are identical in shape, size, their constituent components, and material and size of the constituent components.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and performing a process in which a recording material is transported between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the recording material is fixed on the recording material under heat of the fixing roller, the image forming apparatus further comprising:an external heating member which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller; anda temperature control section which controls a temperature of the external heating member in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material.

13. A method for controlling a temperature of a fixing apparatus including: a fixing roller; and a pressure roller; and an external heating member which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller, wherein a recording material is transported between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the recording material is fixed on the recording material under heat of the fixing roller, the method comprising the step of:performing control so that a temperature of the external heating member is changed in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material.

14. A temperature control program for realizing in a computer a method for controlling a temperature of a fixing apparatus including: a fixing roller; and a pressure roller; and an external heating member which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller, wherein a recording material is transported between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the recording material is fixed on the recording material under heat of the fixing roller, the method comprising a temperature controlling step of performing control so that a temperature of the external heating member is changed in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material, wherein the temperature controlling step is executed by the computer.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing therein a temperature control program for realizing in a computer a method for controlling a temperature of a fixing apparatus including: a fixing roller; and a pressure roller; and an external heating member which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller, wherein a recording material is transported between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the recording material is fixed on the recording material under heat of the fixing roller, the method comprising a temperature controlling step of performing control so that a temperature of the external heating member is changed in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material, wherein the temperature controlling step is executed by the computer.

16. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, where the computer data signal is constructed by a computer-readable temperature control program for realizing in a computer a method for controlling a temperature of a fixing apparatus including: a fixing roller; and a pressure roller; and an external heating member which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller, wherein a recording material is transported between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the recording material is fixed on the recording material under heat of the fixing roller, the method comprising a temperature controlling step of performing control so that a temperature of the external heating member is changed in accordance with a transport speed of the recording material, wherein the temperature controlling step is executed by the computer.