Patent · US Expired

Fixing heater controlling method and an image forming device

US6301454A · kind A · utility

44Cited by
9References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 14, 2000
Grant dateOct 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 14, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G15/2003
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

There are provided three periods of time immediately after an AC power-supply voltage is started to be applied to fixing heaters when the heater temperature falls below a target temperature: a first period for driving only a first heater; a second period for driving only a second heater following the first period; and a third period for driving the first and second heaters following the second period. During the first and second periods, the first and second heaters are thinning-controlled, respectively. At this time, at a cycle of 3 half-waves of the AC voltage applied to each fixing heater, a thinning frequency is changed from a large value to a smaller one. The third period includes first and second sub periods which are alternately repeated. In at least one of the first and second sub periods, the first and second heaters are thinning-controlled and the relation of the thinning controls of the two heaters is such that they are complementary to each other on the time axis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.