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US5319428A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Color image forming apparatus

Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc
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Filing: 1992-10-30
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Granted: 1994-06-07
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Expires: 2012-10-30
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Abstract

Abstract In a color image forming apparatus provided with a fixing roller and a pressure roller equipped with a heater therein, which is in press contact with the fixing roller. The completion timing of warm-up of the fixing device is determined by the time at which either the detected temperature of the fixing roller or the heating time of the heater reaches a predetermined value.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masami Maruko
  • 👤 Naoki Tajima

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 04:50
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/01; G03G15/0105; G03G15/20; G03G15/2003; G03G15/2014; G03G15/2039; G03G15/205

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 163 words
A color image forming apparatus comprising: fixing means including: a single heater-less fixing roller; and a single pressure roller including a heater, for directly heating said pressure roller, said pressure roller being in pressure contact with said heater-less fixing roller for pressing against and transmitting heat only in a direction toward said heater-less fixing roller, such that said heater indirectly heats said fixing roller via said pressure roller; a detector for detecting a temperature of a circumferential surface of said heater-less fixing roller; clock means for counting a period of time during which said heater is directly heating said pressure roller and indirectly heating said heater-less fixing roller; and control means for controlling a completion of a warm-up of said fixing means so that said completion of said warm-up is set when one of a detected temperature of said heater-less fixing roller detected by said detector reaches a predetermined temperature and when the counted period of time reaches a predetermined period of time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 163 words
A color image forming apparatus comprising: fixing means including: a single heater-less fixing roller; and a single pressure roller including a heater, for directly heating said pressure roller, said pressure roller being in pressure contact with said heater-less fixing roller for pressing against and transmitting heat only in a direction toward said heater-less fixing roller, such that said heater indirectly heats said fixing roller via said pressure roller; a detector for detecting a temperature of a circumferential surface of said heater-less fixing roller; clock means for counting a period of time during which said heater is directly heating said pressure roller and indirectly heating said heater-less fixing roller; and control means for controlling a completion of a warm-up of said fixing means so that said completion of said warm-up is set when one of a detected temperature of said heater-less fixing roller detected by said detector reaches a predetermined temperature and when the counted period of time reaches a predetermined period of time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means controls one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined period of time according to a size of a recording sheet to be used and a color of a toner to be fixed by said fixing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 44 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means controls a temperature on a circumferential surface of said pressure roller according to a size of a recording sheet to be used and a color of a toner to be fixed by said fixing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 47 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means controls said heater to lower a circumferential surface temperature of said pressure roller when the detected temperature of said heater-less fixing roller exceeds the predetermined temperature to thereby indirectly lower the detected temperature of said heater-less fixing roller.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-06-06 1997-12-06 1998-06-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-06-06 2001-12-06 2002-06-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-06-06 2005-12-06 2006-06-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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