公开(公告)号：US20230168615A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-01

申请号：US18059741

申请日：2022-11-29

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Takashi EIKI ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Tei TO

IPC: G03G15/20

CPC classification number: G03G15/2053

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first fixing member, a second fixing member, a pressing member, and a heating device. The first fixing member is in an ungrounded state and comes into contact with a toner image on a sheet. The second fixing member is arranged opposite the first fixing member. The pressing member presses the first fixing member against the second fixing member so as to form, at the contact portion between the first fixing member and the second fixing member, a nip portion through which the sheet passes. The heating device heats the first fixing member.

公开(公告)号：US20220276596A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-01

申请号：US17652590

申请日：2022-02-25

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Takashi EIKI ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Tei TO ,  Rina KIKUGAWA

IPC: G03G15/20

Abstract: A heater includes a fixing device including a heater substrate, electrodes, a heating element, and a heat conducting member. The heating element is disposed on a facing surface of the heater substrate that is to face a sheet, and includes a plurality of heating element pieces arranged in a line in a main scanning direction of the sheet with a gap therebetween. The heat conducting member stores heat generated from the heating element and radiates the heat toward the sheet passing over the gap.

公开(公告)号：US20240361714A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-31

申请号：US18640337

申请日：2024-04-19

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Akihiro KONDO ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Yuto MASAOKA

IPC: G03G15/20 ,  G03G15/00

CPC classification number: G03G15/205 ,  G03G15/2064 ,  G03G15/5004 ,  G03G2215/00772

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a fixing device and a controller. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a heating member, and a temperature sensor. The controller cuts off power supply to the heating member when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor has risen to a cutoff temperature higher than the target temperature and thereafter resumes power supply to the heating member when the detected temperature has fallen below the cutoff temperature, and performs the PID control while limiting a maximum power supplied to the heating member to an upper limit power, which is a power supplied to the heating member at the time when the detected temperature has risen to the cutoff temperature, during a period from when power supply is resumed until a predetermined specific period of time elapses.

公开(公告)号：US20240288811A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-29

申请号：US18589060

申请日：2024-02-27

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Shunsaku FUJII ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Yuto MASAOKA

IPC: G03G15/20

CPC classification number: G03G15/2064 ,  G03G15/205 ,  G03G15/2053 ,  G03G2215/2038

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing device, and a controller. The fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heater, a pressure roller, a drive device, and a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts pressure to the nip region from the pressure roller, by switching between a normal level and a low level. When executing a print job, the controller causes the drive device to rotate the pressure roller, thereby causing the fixing belt to start to rotate, after causing the pressure adjustment mechanism to switch the pressure to the nip region to the low level, causes the pressure adjustment mechanism to switch the pressure to the nip region from the low level to the normal level, when a predetermined time has elapsed after the fixing belt started to rotate, and causes the image forming device to form an image according to the print job.

公开(公告)号：US20240288806A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-29

申请号：US18587012

申请日：2024-02-26

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Yuto MASAOKA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Shunsaku FUJII

IPC: G03G15/20 ,  G03G15/00

CPC classification number: G03G15/2039 ,  G03G15/2053 ,  G03G15/2064 ,  G03G15/5004

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing belt, a heater including a main heater and two sub heaters, a pressure member, a drive device, a main temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the main heater, a sub temperature sensor that detects a temperature of only one of the two sub heaters, a controller, and an abnormality decision device that decides whether a duty ratio adopted by the controller, to control the power amount to be supplied to the two sub heaters, is an appropriate value corresponding to a transport status of the recording medium in a regular transport mode. The controller executes, when the abnormality decision device decides that the duty ratio adopted to control the power amount to be supplied to the two sub heaters is not the appropriate value, a predetermined preventive operation for suppressing an excessive temperature increase of the heater.

公开(公告)号：US20220276591A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-01

申请号：US17680755

申请日：2022-02-25

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Takashi EIKI ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Tei TO ,  Rina KIKUGAWA

IPC: G03G15/20 ,  G03G15/00

Abstract: A duration measuring section measures a plurality of times. A temperature measuring section measures a temperature of a heater at each of the times. A temperature information outputting section outputs heater temperature information. A temperature tendency computing section outputs temperature tendency information of the heater. A drive controller outputs linear velocity information for controlling the linear velocity of a pressure roller. A pressure roller drive section drives the pressure roller.

公开(公告)号：US20240288810A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-29

申请号：US18586955

申请日：2024-02-26

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Yuto MASAOKA

IPC: G03G15/20

CPC classification number: G03G15/2053 ,  G03G15/2064

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt formed in a cylindrical shape, with a lubricant applied to an inner circumferential surface, and set such that a circumferential surface rotates in a circumferential direction, a heater retention member that retains the heater, inside of the fixing belt, and a pressure member that defines a nip region, through which a recording medium is transported in a nipped state, between the pressure member and a portion of the fixing belt heated from inside by the heater, and drives the fixing belt to rotate. The heater retention member includes a first opposing face extending in a rotation axis direction of the fixing belt, and opposed to the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The first opposing face includes slits aligned in the rotation axis direction of the fixing belt, and a lubricant is applied in advance inside the slits.

公开(公告)号：US20230168614A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-01

申请号：US18059220

申请日：2022-11-28

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Shunsaku FUJII ,  Takashi EIKI ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Tei TO

IPC: G03G15/20

CPC classification number: G03G15/2053 ,  G03G15/2028 ,  G03G15/2039

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing belt, a pressing member, a heating source, a temperature detecting element, a recording medium detection unit, and a control unit. The heating source is arranged to be opposed to the pressing member via the fixing belt so as to be in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and heats the fixing belt at a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressing member. The temperature detecting element detects a temperature of the heating source. The recording medium detection unit is arranged, on a conveyance path, on an upstream side of the fixing nip in a conveyance direction of a recording medium and detects presence/absence of the recording medium being conveyed. Based on the presence/absence of the recording medium detected by the recording medium detection unit, the control unit controls timing for energizing the heating source.

公开(公告)号：US20220317606A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-06

申请号：US17704506

申请日：2022-03-25

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Takashi EIKI ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Tei TO

IPC: G03G15/20

Abstract: A fixing belt heats and fixes a toner image formed on a sheet. A plurality of heating element pieces is arranged on an opposing surface of a heater in a main scanning direction. The opposing surface faces the sheet. A heat capacity of the fixing belt and a clearance, in the main scanning direction, of a gap portion between the heating element pieces adjacent to each other have a relationship expressed as follows: (the heat capacity (J/K) of the fixing belt)≥(24×(the clearance (mm))−9).

公开(公告)号：US20220317605A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-06

申请号：US17704207

申请日：2022-03-25

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Rina KIKUGAWA ,  Takashi EIKI ,  Akihiro KONDO ,  Ryohei TOKUNAGA ,  Yuta KITABAYASHI ,  Hiroki KAWASAKI ,  Shunsaku FUJII ,  Tei TO

IPC: G03G15/20 ,  H05B3/00

Abstract: A heater includes electrodes and heating element pieces. The electrodes energize the heating element pieces with electricity. The heating element pieces are connected to the electrodes and arranged through a gap portion in the heater in a main scanning direction. A ratio of a second surface area of the gap portion to a first surface area of the heating element pieces is 0