FIXING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD FOR FIXING APPARATUS, TEMPERATURE CONTROL PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING THE PROGRAM

Abstract

Comparisons are made independently for a controlled target temperature and a detected temperature of an endless belt, and a controlled target temperature and a detected temperature of a fixing roller. The operation of a halogen lamp installed in an external heating section is controlled based on results of these comparisons. This allows a temperature of the fixing member to be controlled more appropriately in a fixing apparatus that includes an external heating section for heating the fixing member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing showing a schematic structure of an image forming apparatus provided with the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart representing processes performed by the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a monochromatic mode was performed intermittently under normal control in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a monochromatic mode was performed intermittently under correlative control in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a monochromatic mode was performed under correlative control by continuously and intermittently feeding four sheets in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a monochromatic mode was performed under correlative control by continuously feeding sheets from standby in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a monochromatic mode was performed under normal control by continuously feeding sheets from standby in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a color mode was performed under correlative control by intermittently feeding sheets from standby in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a graph representing changes in detected temperature of an endless belt and a fixing roller, when a fixing process in a color mode was performed under normal control by intermittently feeding sheets from standby in the fixing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory drawing showing a schematic structure of a fixing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12( a) is an explanatory drawing illustrating a structure of a release/contact section provided in the fixing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which an external heating section is in contact with a fixing roller; and FIG. 12(b) is an explanatory drawing illustrating a structure of a release/contact section provided in the fixing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the external heating section is separated from the fixing roller.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart representing processes of image formation in which the monochromatic mode is followed by the color mode, in the fixing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a graph representing changes in temperature of the endless belt and the fixing roller, when a fixing process in the color mode was performed without separating the endless belt from the fixing roller and immediately after a fixing process for a plurality of sheets in the monochromatic mode has been finished.

FIG. 15 is a graph representing changes in surface temperature of the endless belt and the fixing roller, when image formation was performed in the following sequences using the fixing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention: After a fixing process for a plurality of sheets has been continuously performed in the monochromatic mode, the endless belt was separated from the fixing roller and the fixing roller was rotated itself. This was followed by image formation in the color mode, which was started when the surface temperature of the fixing roller has dropped to a predetermined temperature t1. When the surface temperature of the fixing roller has dropped to a predetermined temperature t2, the endless belt was brought into contact with the fixing roller and the image formation in the color mode was continued in the color mode.

Claims

1. A fixing apparatus including: a fixing member; a pressing member; and an external heating section that heats the fixing member by heating an external heating member with a first heating device and bringing the external heating member into contact with a periphery of the fixing member, the fixing member and the pressing member transporting a printing medium in between so that an unfixed image formed on the printing medium is fixed thereon by heating from the fixing member, said fixing apparatus comprising:a first temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the external heating member;a second temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the fixing member; anda control section for performing first control by which a heating operation of the first heating device is controlled based on a first comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the external heating member, and a second comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the fixing member.

2. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control controls the heating operation of the first heating device by increasing a temperature of the external heating member, when the temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device is lower than the controlled target temperature of the external heating member and when the temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device is lower than the controlled target temperature of the fixing member, andwherein the first control controls the heating operation of the first heating device by not increasing a temperature of the external heating member, when the temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device is equal to or greater than the controlled target temperature of the external heating member and/or when the temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device is equal to or greater than the controlled target temperature of the fixing member.

3. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device based on the first comparison result, the second comparison result, and an amount of heat that is lost per unit time from the fixing member to the printing medium.

4. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device based on the first comparison result, the second comparison result, and a number of printing media subjected to a fixing process, and/or a time interval of feeding the printing media to a nip area between the fixing member and the pressing member.

5. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device based on the first comparison result, the second comparison result, and a speed at which the printing medium passes through a nip area between the fixing member and the pressing member.

6. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 5, which is used for an image forming apparatus that is operative to form images in a monochromatic mode using an achromatic color material, and a color mode using a chromatic color material, the image forming apparatus adopting a different image forming speed for the monochromatic mode and the color mode, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device based on the first comparison result, the second comparison result, and a current image formation mode selected from the monochromatic mode and the color mode.

7. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which is operative to perform in a plurality of image formation modes with different controlled target temperatures for the fixing member, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device based on the first comparison result, the second comparison result, and a current image formation mode.

8. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, which is used for an image forming apparatus that is operative to form images in a monochromatic mode using an achromatic color material, and a color mode using a chromatic color material, the image forming apparatus using color materials whose fixing temperature ranges are different between the monochromatic mode and the color mode, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device based on the first comparison result, the second comparison result, and a current image formation mode selected from the monochromatic mode and the color mode.

9. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control section controls the heating operation of the first heating device by switching the first control, and second control in which the heating operation of the first heating device is controlled based on the first comparison result.

10. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the second control controls the heating operation of the first heating device by increasing a temperature of the external heating member, when the temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device is lower than the controlled target temperature of the external heating member, andwherein the second control controls the heating operation of the first heating device by not increasing a temperature of the external heating member, when the temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device is equal to or greater than the controlled target temperature of the external heating member.

11. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a cylindrical member whose longitudinal direction extends perpendicularly to a direction of transport of the printing medium, andwherein the second temperature-detecting device detects a surface temperature of the fixing member (i) at a middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member, (ii) at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member, or (iii) at the middle portion and the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member.

12. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the external heating section includes a belt suspended by a plurality of support rollers, and heats the fixing member by heating the belt with the first heating device and bringing the belt into contact with the periphery of the fixing member.

13. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which includes a release/contact section for separating the external heating member from the fixing member, wherein, when a first image formation mode and a second image formation mode are successively performed with a controlled target temperature for the fixing member lower in the second image formation mode than in the first image formation mode, the control section separates the external heating member from the fixing member after a fixing operation in the first image formation mode is finished and until the surface temperature of the fixing member as detected by the second temperature-detecting device reaches a predetermines temperature t2.

14. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, which includes a driving section for driving the fixing member to rotate, wherein the control section causes the driving section to rotate the fixing member after the fixing operation in the first image formation mode is finished and until the surface temperature of the fixing member as detected by the second temperature-detecting device reaches a predetermined temperature t1, andwherein, for a fixing operation in the second image formation mode, the control section feeds a printing medium to a nip area between the fixing member and the pressing member, after the surface temperature of the fixing member has reached the predetermined temperature t1.

15. The fixing apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the predetermined temperature t1 and the predetermined temperature t2 are related to each other by t1≧t2.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising a fixing apparatus that includes: a fixing member; a pressing member; and an external heating section that heats the fixing member by heating an external heating member with a first heating device and bringing the external heating member into contact with a periphery of the fixing member, the fixing member and the pressing member transporting a printing medium in between so that an unfixed image formed on the printing medium is fixed thereon by heating from the fixing member, said fixing apparatus comprising:a first temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the external heating member;a second temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the fixing member; anda control section for performing first control by which a heating operation of the first heating device is controlled based on a first comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the external heating member, and a second comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the fixing member.

17. A temperature control method for a fixing apparatus that includes: a fixing member; a pressing member; and an external heating section that heats the fixing member by heating an external heating member with a first heating device and bringing the external heating member into contact with a periphery of the fixing member, the fixing member and the pressing member transporting a printing medium in between so that an unfixed image formed on the printing medium is fixed thereon by heating from the fixing member, said method comprising:a first temperature-detecting step of detecting a surface temperature of the external heating member;a second temperature-detecting step of detecting a surface temperature of the fixing member;a first comparing step of comparing a detected temperature in the first temperature-detecting step with a controlled target temperature of the external heating member;a second comparing step of comparing a detected temperature in the second temperature-detecting step with a controlled target temperature of the fixing member; anda first control step for controlling a heating operation of the first heating device based on results of comparisons in the first comparing step and the second comparing step.

18. A temperature control program for causing a computer to operate as a control section of a fixing apparatus that includes: a fixing member; a pressing member; and an external heating section that heats the fixing member by heating an external heating member with a first heating device and bringing the external heating member into contact with a periphery of the fixing member, the fixing member and the pressing member transporting a printing medium in between so that an unfixed image formed on the printing medium is fixed thereon by heating from the fixing member, said fixing apparatus comprising:a first temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the external heating member; anda second temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the fixing member,wherein the control section performs first control by which a heating operation of the first heating device is controlled based on a first comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the external heating member, and a second comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the fixing member.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a temperature control program for causing a computer to operate as a control section of a fixing apparatus that includes: a fixing member; a pressing member; and an external heating section that heats the fixing member by heating an external heating member with a first heating device and bringing the external heating member into contact with a periphery of the fixing member, the fixing member and the pressing member transporting a printing medium in between so that an unfixed image formed on the printing medium is fixed thereon by heating from the fixing member, said fixing apparatus comprising:a first temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the external heating member; anda second temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the fixing member,wherein the control section performs first control by which a heating operation of the first heating device is controlled based on a first comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the external heating member, and a second comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the fixing member.

20. A computer data signal of a carrier wave in which is embedded a temperature control program for causing a computer to operate as a control section of a fixing apparatus that includes: a fixing member; a pressing member; and an external heating section that heats the fixing member by heating an external heating member with a first heating device and bringing the external heating member into contact with a periphery of the fixing member, the fixing member and the pressing member transporting a printing medium in between so that an unfixed image formed on the printing medium is fixed thereon by heating from the fixing member, said fixing apparatus comprising:a first temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the external heating member; anda second temperature-detecting device for detecting a surface temperature of the fixing member,wherein the control section performs first control by which a heating operation of the first heating device is controlled based on a first comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the first temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the external heating member, and a second comparison result, which is a result of comparison between a temperature detected by the second temperature-detecting device and a controlled target temperature of the fixing member.