JPH02173688A - Electrophotographic fixing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To completely cope even with the difference of sheets in thickness being a toner image supporting material and to attain satisfactory fixing by varying the set temperature of the outer periphery of a heating roll in response to the type of the toner image supporting material. CONSTITUTION:On receiving a toner image supporting material identifying signal (a), a temperature setting mechanism 7 determines a set temperature in response to the signal. Then, the mechanism 7 outputs a set temperature determining signal (b), and stores a newly set temperature in a set temperature storing part 8. On the other hand, a halogen lamp control mechanism 5 receives the current temperature of the outer periphery of the heating roll 2, which is detected with a temperature sensor 4 by a detecting signal (d), reads out a temperature newly setting signal (c) from the storing part 8. Two pieces of information are compared and operated to determine energy quantity to be supplied to the halogen lamp 1, and the energy is supplied to the lamp 1 through an energy supply line (e). The lamp 1 emits heat corresponding to the energy and heats the roll 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic fixing device, and more particularly to an electrophotographic fixing device equipped with a heating means such as a halogen lamp.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, electrophotographic fixing devices have been known to cause damage to surrounding components 9 due to overheating of the heating means, such as fixing bag W, IJlt components,
In order to prevent smoke and ignition of the constituent members of the apparatus main body, the toner image supporting material, etc., the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller is maintained constant.

Specifically, the outer circumferential surface temperature of the heating roller is set to a predetermined temperature value as the target value, and an outer circumferential temperature detection means is equipped to detect the outer circumferential surface temperature of the heating roller, and the deviation between this measured temperature and the target value is detected. A feedback control system is adopted in which the amount of heat generated by the heating means is controlled based on this deviation value, thereby keeping the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller constant.

3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller is constant, it is suitable for, for example, high-quality paper. Even if a good fixing effect is achieved, a predetermined fixing strength cannot be achieved for paper with a double structure such as an envelope or a thick paper such as a postcard.

In addition, if the temperature setting is set to a high temperature based on postcards and envelopes that are rarely used, the risk of smoke and ignition increases as described above. This resulted in the disadvantage of increasing the size and cost of the device.

(Object of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to improve the disadvantages of the conventional examples, and in particular, to be able to sufficiently cope with and perform good fixing even when the thickness of paper serving as a toner image supporting material differs. An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing device for electrophotography.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the present invention, a heating roller equipped with a halogen lamp or the like inside, a pressure roller that works together with the heating roller to fix the toner on the toner-applied paper, and the outer peripheral temperature of the heating roller are continuously controlled. The lamp includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature, and lamp energization control means for comparing the output from the temperature sensor with a predetermined reference temperature value to determine the magnitude of the current to be applied to the halogen lamp. The set temperature determining mechanism selects a different value from the reference temperature value set in the lamp energization control means by an external operation, and the set temperature determining mechanism operates by being energized by the set temperature determining mechanism to set the reference temperature value. The configuration includes a set temperature storage section that allows the temperature to be changed to another reference temperature value determined by the above. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned purpose.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a heating roller 2 equipped with a halogen lamp 1 and the like, and a pressure roller that operates together with the heating roller 2 to fix the toner on the toner-applied paper. 3, a temperature sensor 4 that continuously measures the outer peripheral temperature of the heating roller 2, and a lamp lamp that compares the output from the temperature sensor 4 with a predetermined reference temperature value to determine the magnitude of the current to be applied to the halogen lamp 1. A halogen lamp control mechanism 5 is provided as an energization control means.

Further, there is a set temperature determining mechanism 7 that selects a different value from the reference temperature value set in the halogen lamp control mechanism 5 by an external operation, and a set temperature determining mechanism 7 that is activated by the set temperature determining mechanism 7 and sets the reference temperature value as described above. It also includes a set temperature value storage section 8 that allows the temperature to be changed to another reference temperature value determined by the set temperature determination mechanism 7.

To explain this in more detail, a halogen lamp 1 serving as a heating means is housed inside a thin cylindrical heating roller 2. The pressure roller 3 is pressed against the heating roller 2 with a predetermined pressure by a biasing means (not shown).

A contact type temperature sensor 4, which is a means for detecting the temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the heating roller 2, is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the heating roller 2 by a biasing means (not shown).

Further, the heating roller 2 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow F by a driving means (not shown), and the pressure roller 3 is urged by the heating roller 2 to perform cooperative rotation in the direction of the arrow F.

The halogen lamp control mechanism 5, which is means for controlling the amount of heat generated by the halogen lamp 1, is connected to supply electric power to the halogen lamp 1, and is also connected to the temperature sensor 4 as described above. In FIG. 1, numeral 10 indicates a cover, numeral 11 indicates a case body, and numeral 12 indicates a toner separator.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

When the set temperature determining mechanism 7 receives a toner image support material identification signal a issued from means (not shown) for identifying the type of toner image support material, it determines a set temperature value corresponding to the toner image support material identification signal a. Immediately, a set temperature value determination signal is outputted to control the set temperature value storage section 8, and a new set temperature value is stored.

On the other hand, the halogen lamp control mechanism 5 receives the current outer peripheral surface temperature of the heating roller 2 detected by the temperature sensor 4 as a detection signal d, and reads out a new set temperature value signal C from the set temperature value storage section 8.

By comparing and calculating these two pieces of information, the amount of energy to be supplied to the halogen lamp 1 is determined, and the energy is supplied to the halogen lamp 1 through the energy supply line e.

The halogen lamp 1 generates a heat amount corresponding to the energy supplied to the halogen lamp 1 and heats the heating roller 2 . The temperature sensor 4 detects the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller 2, and outputs the detection signal d using a halogen lamp. Send to 1114m structure 5.

Thereafter, the halogen lamp control mechanism 5 compares the detection signal d with the set temperature value signal C, and controls the supply to the halogen lamp 1 in order to maintain the outer peripheral surface temperature of the heating roller 2 at a temperature corresponding to the set temperature value signal C. Performs feedback control to control the energy used.

Here, the means for identifying the type of toner image supporting material may be a key manual means by which an operator manually inputs the identification signal, or a higher level control means.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the set temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the heating roller is made variable depending on the type of toner image supporting material. It is now possible to set the heating temperature for each type of toner image support material, including thick (and low fixability) toner image support materials such as postcards and envelopes, significantly expanding the range of usable toner image support materials. It is possible to provide an excellent electrophotographic fixing device that is unprecedented in the past.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Halogen lamp, 2...Heating roller, 3...Pressure roller, 4...Temperature sensor, 5...Old...Lamp energization control A halogen lamp control mechanism as a means, 7... Set temperature determining mechanism, 8... Set temperature value storage section. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A heating roller equipped with a halogen lamp, etc. inside, a pressure roller that works together with the heating roller to fix the toner on the toner-applied paper, and continuously controlling the outer peripheral temperature of the heating roller. a temperature sensor that measures temperature, and lamp energization control means that compares the output from the temperature sensor with a predetermined reference temperature value to determine the magnitude of the energization current to the halogen lamp, the lamp energization control means a set temperature determining mechanism that selects a different reference temperature value to be set by the set temperature determining mechanism by an external operation; 1. A fixing device for electrophotography, comprising: a set temperature storage section that changes the temperature to a reference temperature value.