Patent EP0780739A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0780739A2
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EP
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Image forming apparatus
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1996-12-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-12-19
Abstract
Abstract An image forming apparatus which has a structure such that the oil consumption in a detachable and changeable oil supply means is accurately predicted to display appropriate change timing. This prevents continuation of a fixing operation when the fixing cannot be performed because oil has been consumed. The result is a reliable fixing operation in which offset is prevented. The oil consumption of a detachable oil supply means is predicted using at least any one of size, material, and printing mode information. Oil consumption is used to calculate and predict the integrated value of the predicted oil consumption. If the integrated value of the predicted oil consumption exceed a predetermined value, display to change the oil supply means is performed. After change has been displayed, the image forming apparatus is interrupted.
Inventors
- 👤 Kaneo Yoda
- 👤 Hiroshi Tanaka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 15:54
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/55; G03G15/553; G03G15/20; G03G15/2003; G03G15/2014; G03G15/2017; G03G15/2025; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/20; G03G2215/2093
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
An image forming apparatus, comprising: fixing means (20) for fixing a toner image to a current one of a plurality of recording members (13) said fixing means comprising a heated rotational member (36), oil supply means (39) for supplying oil to said heated rotational member (36), determining means (112) for determining, with respect said current one of said plurality of recording members (13), a current recording member oil consumption prediction, integrated value storage means (113) for storing an integrated value of said current recording member oil consumption prediction for each of said plurality of recording members (13), comparison means (116) for comparing said integrated value with a predetermined value (118), and output means for transmitting a change signal to change or refill the oil supply means when said integrated value exceeds said predetermined value (118); wherein said current recording member oil consumption prediction is calculated based on consumption information that comprises at least one of: size information (30) pertaining to said current one of said plurality of recording members (13), material information (31) pertaining to said current one of said plurality of recording members (13), printing mode information (35) that indicates one of single sheet printing and continuous printing, and color mode information (104) that indicates one of single and plural color mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: image forming means for forming said toner image on an electrostatic latent image holding member (1), transfer means (16) for transferring said toner image onto a current one of a plurality of recording members (13).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
An image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: paper feeding means (11, 12) for feeding said plurality of recording members (13), a recording member conveyance passage (25) for conveying said plurality of recording members (13) to said transfer means (16) and to said fixing means (20).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said determining means (112) are calculating means (112).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fixing of said toner image to said current one of a plurality of recording members (13) is done with said heated rotational member (36).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
178 words
An image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said integrated value is expressed by: W = i=1 n wi = i=1 n ai x (si x ci + (bi - si) x d) , where W = said integrated value (mg), n = a number pertaining to ones of said plurality of recording members that have been fed, i = a sequential number of said current one of said plurality of recording members, wi = said current recording member oil consumption prediction, ai = an amount (mg/cm 2 ) of said oil that is applied per unit area of said heated rotational member, said amount being based on said color mode information, si = the area of said current one of said plurality of recording members (cm 2 ), bi = the area of said heated rotational member to which said oil is applied (cm 2 ), ci = a respective oil absorption rate of said current one of said plurality of recording members, and d = an evaporation rate of said oil.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
129 words
An image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said comparison means (116) comprises first comparison means (124) and second comparison means (125); said predetermined value (118) includes a first predetermined value (126) and a second predetermined value (128); said output means (117) comprises first output means (127) and second output means (129); when said first comparison means (124) determines that said integrated value indicates that said first predetermined value (126) has been exceeded, said first output means (127) transmits a change signal to change the oil supply means; when said second comparison means (125) determines that said integrated value indicates that said second predetermined value (128) has been exceeded, said second output means (129) transmits an interruption signal to interrupt said image forming apparatus.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
An image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising resetting means (132) that detects the change of said oil supply means (39) and, in response thereto, (a) resets said integrated value and (b) enables operation of said image forming apparatus.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
140 words
A method for preventing offset in an image forming apparatus having a fixing unit (20) for fixing images on recording members (13) by performing fixing operations, a current one of said images being disposed on a current one of said recording members (13) and fixed thereon in a current one of said fixing operations, the method further comprising the steps of: providing said image forming apparatus with a replaceable source having a supplied amount of offset preventive solution; for said current one of said fixing operations, applying some of said supplied amount to said fixing unit (20), and determining a respective currently consumed amount of said offset preventive solution; for said fixing operations, accumulating each said respective currently consumed amount as an integrated consumption value; and replacing said replaceable source based on said integrated consumption value and said supplied amount.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 9, wherein said currently consumed amount is determined based on size information pertaining to said current one of said recording members.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
31 words
The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein said currently consumed amount is determined based on material information pertaining to said current one of said recording members.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
31 words
The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein said currently consumed amount is determined based on printing mode information indicating one of single sheet and continuous printing.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
33 words
The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said currently consumed amount is determined based on color mode information indicating one of a single and a plural color mode.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
171 words
The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein said integrated consumption value is determined by: W = i=1 n wi = i=1 n ai x (si x ci + (bi - si) x d) , where W = said integrated consumption value (mg), n = said recording members for which said fixing operations have been performed, i = a sequential number of said current one of said recording members, wi = said currently consumed amount, ai = a per unit area value at which said offset preventive solution is applied to said fixing unit for said current one of said fixing operations, and based on said color mode information, si = an area value for said current one of said recording members, bi = an area upon which said offset preventive solution for said current one of said fixing operations is applied, ci = a respective absorption rate of said current one of said recording members, and d = an evaporation rate of said offset preventive solution.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
58 words
The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, further comprising the steps of: issuing a change signal when said integrated consumption value passes a first threshold; and issuing an interruption signal when said integrated consumption value passes a second threshold which is between a value based on said supplied amount and a said first threshold.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
42 words
The method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein said replacing step includes the steps of: resetting said integrated consumption value; and when said image forming apparatus is disabled due to said interruption signal, enabling said image forming apparatus.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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