KR20010028557A - Method for controlling temperature of fusing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method of controlling temperature of a fuser is provided to improve a fixing disposition by controlling a heating time of a heating lamp and a print speed every print sheet. CONSTITUTION: If a print command is inputted from an external device(S502), a heating lamp is irradiated(S503). If the heating lamp is radiated, a print paper loaded on an electro photograph development apparatus is picked up(S504), and whether the picked up print paper is an envelope is judged(S505). If the picked up print paper is the envelope, a print time(Ptime) is counted(S506). The heating lamp is heated until a temperature of the heating roller reaches a predetermined temperature(S507). Whether the picked-up envelope is discharged through a fuser is confirmed(S509). If so, a print sheet count(Pcount) is increased(S508), and driving of the heating lamp is stopped(S510). If the print sheet count is comprised in a reference sheet, it stands by until the print time becomes the first reference time(S516). If the print sheet count is not comprised in the reference sheet, it stands by until the print time becomes the second reference time(S513). If the print time becomes the first reference time or the second reference time(S513,S516), whether print work is completed is confirmed(S514). If the print work is not completed, the print time is reset(S515).

Description

Method for controlling temperature of fusing device

The present invention relates to a temperature control method of a fuser, and more particularly, to control the temperature of the fuser to control the temperature of the fuser by adjusting the printing speed and the heating time of the heating lamp to improve the fixing when printing the envelope in the electrophotographic developing apparatus It is about a method.

In the general transfer photograph developing apparatus having the internal configuration as shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the photoconductor 20 is uniformly charged by rotating in contact with the photoconductor 20 while applying a high voltage to the charging roller 10. After scanning the surface of the photoconductor 20 through a laser scanning unit (LSU) 30 to generate an electrostatic latent image (Electro-static Latent Image), the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 20 through the developer 40 Toner is supplied and developed into a visible image. Then, a transfer voltage is applied between the transfer roller 50 and the photosensitive member 20 to rotate, thereby transferring an image formed of toner to the paper 100 passing therebetween, and passing the fuser 60 through the paper with heat and pressure. After the image is fixed, the image is discharged and the photosensitive member 20 which has been transferred through the antistatic lamp 70 is discharged to perform a cycle of image forming.

Here, the configuration of the fixing unit 60 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

Referring to Figure 2, the fixing unit 60 is composed of a heat roller (Heat Roller) 61, and a pressing roller (Pressure Roller) 63 is installed so as to rotate in contact therewith, the pressing roller 63 is a spring ( Spring and the like and elastically contact with the heating roller 61.

A heating lamp 62 for converting electrical energy into thermal energy is installed inside the heating roller 61, and a temperature for detecting a temperature heated by the heating lamp 62 at the end of the heating roller 61 is provided. The detection sensor 61a is installed.

The temperature of the heating roller 61 sensed by the temperature sensor 61a is input to the controller 80, and the controller 80 controls the current temperature of the heating roller 61 sensed by the temperature sensor 61a and the memory. The reference temperature pre-stored in the unit 90 is compared to output a driving control signal according to the result, and the lamp driving unit 95 turns on / off the heating lamp 62 according to the driving control signal of the controller 80.

The temperature sensor 61a installed in the non-image area of the document may use a thermistor as an example, and may be heated until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 61a reaches a predetermined temperature. The temperature of the heating roller 61 is controlled by driving the lamp 62.

Further, the temperature of the heating roller 61 is set according to the type of printing paper (for example, thin paper, plain paper, thick paper, envelope, etc.), and the temperature sensing sensor 61a is set according to the type of printing paper. The fixing of the fixing unit 60 may be improved by driving the heating lamp 62 until a predetermined temperature is detected.

However, according to the conventional fuser temperature control method, since the temperature sensor 61a for detecting the temperature of the fuser 60 is provided at the end of the heating roller 61, the temperature of the heating roller 61 is accurately detected. Unable problem occurs.

That is, when the printing paper is shorter than the length of the heating roller, such as an envelope or B5 paper, when the printing operation is performed to fix the toner image transferred to the paper with heat and pressure in the fixing unit heated to a predetermined temperature, Since only a part is in contact with the paper, the temperature distribution of the heating roller becomes non-uniform, and the temperature sensor installed at the end of the heating roller cannot accurately detect the temperature of the heating roller whose temperature distribution is nonuniform. do.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the paper passing through the heating roller 61 is an envelope, the portion of the heating roller 61 that is in contact with the envelope is large in temperature dropping amount, and the portion that is not in contact with the envelope is the portion of the heating roller 61. The temperature drop is small. Therefore, the temperature of the heating roller 61 is in a non-uniform state, and in the position detection sensor 61a located at the end of the heating roller 61 in the part which does not come into contact with the bag, the heating roller 61 of the part which is in contact with the actual bag. The problem is that it can not detect the temperature of.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve such a problem, the object of the present invention is to print when the paper picked up from the electrophotographic developing apparatus in order to prevent the fixing failure caused by the non-uniform temperature distribution of the heating roller, The present invention provides a method of controlling a temperature of a fixing unit to improve the fixing property by controlling the speed and the heating time of the heating lamp for each print number.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of a general electrophotographic developing apparatus;

2 is a view showing the configuration of the fixing unit shown in FIG.

3 is a view showing a temperature non-uniformity of the fixing unit due to the envelope printing,

4 is a schematic block diagram of an electrophotographic developing apparatus for carrying out the present invention;

5 is an operation flow chart for controlling the temperature of the fixing unit during continuous envelope printing according to the present invention,

Figure 6 is a flow chart for controlling the temperature of the fixing unit between the print job in accordance with the present invention.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

100: control unit 110: memory unit

120: number of print detection unit 130: timing unit

141: paper sensor 142: temperature sensor

143: discharge sensor 150: lamp drive unit

161: heating roller 162: heating lamp

A feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum through a developing machine, transfer the toner image onto the recording paper through the transfer drum, and then, through the heating roller, the heating lamp, and the pressing roller of the fixing unit. A fuser temperature control method of an electrophotographic developing apparatus which prints with passion at a predetermined temperature, comprising: generating a heating lamp when a printing command is received from an external device, and printing loaded on the electrophotographic developing apparatus when the heating lamp is heated. Picking up paper, determining whether the picked up paper is an envelope, counting print time (Ptime) if the picked up paper is an envelope, and heating lamp until the temperature of the heating roller reaches a preset temperature. Heating step, check that the picked-up envelope has been discharged to the outside through the fuser unit, and if the envelope is discharged to the outside, Pcount Increasing one, stopping the driving of the heating lamp; comparing the print count count with the reference number when the driving of the heating lamp is stopped; and printing time if the count count is included in the reference count. Waiting until (Ptime) is equal to the first reference time, and waiting until print time (Ptime) is equal to the second reference time if the print quantity count (Pcount) is not included in the reference number, and printing When the Ptime becomes equal to the first reference time or the second reference time, checking whether the print job is completed, ending if the print job is completed, and initializing the print time (Ptime) if the print job is not completed Including; When the print time (Ptime) is initialized, the heating lamp is repeatedly executed from the heating step.

Here, the number of reference sheets is preferably 3 sheets, 6 sheets, 9 sheets, 11 sheets or more.

Here, the first reference time is 25 seconds, and the second reference time is preferably 15 seconds.

Preferably, the printing time Ptime is a time from the time when one sheet of printing paper is picked up until the next sheet of printing paper is picked up.

Preferably, the step of counting the time (Rtime) after the envelope printing job is completed, the step of generating a heating lamp when a print command is received from an external device, and if the heating lamp is heated, loaded in the electrophotographic developing apparatus Picking up printing paper, determining whether the picked printing paper is an envelope, and waiting until the idle time Rtime is equal to the third reference time if the picked printing paper is an envelope; If the idle time Rtime is equal to the third reference time, the printing time count step is performed.

Here, the third reference time is preferably 120 seconds.

Preferably, the Rtime is a time from the completion of one continuous envelope print job to the start of the next envelope print job.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, in adding reference numerals to the elements of each drawing, it should be noted that the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in the following description there are shown a number of specific details, such as components of the specific circuit, which are provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. It is self-evident to those of ordinary knowledge in Esau. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

4 is a schematic block diagram of an electrophotographic developing apparatus for carrying out the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of controlling the temperature of the fixing unit during continuous envelope printing according to the present invention. The operation flow chart for controlling the temperature of the fixing unit between the print job according to the present invention is shown.

Referring to FIG. 4, the controller 100 controls the electrophotographic developing system as a whole, and in particular, controls the printing speed and the heating time of the heating lamp when the printing paper is an envelope according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. .

The memory unit 110 stores an operation program and a general control program of the control unit 100, and in particular, a time interval at which an envelope of a store is picked up to control a printing speed for each number of prints when the printing paper is an envelope. Is stored. In the present invention, the time interval for picking up the envelope of the store is set to 15 seconds, and when the number of prints is 3/6/9 and 11 or more sheets, the envelope is picked up at a time interval of 25 seconds. This pickup time interval is determined by experimental values and may be changed from system to system.

The print quantity detector 120 detects the number of sheets printed by the printer engine under the control of the controller 100. At this time, there can be various embodiments of the method for detecting the number of prints. In the present invention, it is preferable to count the number of times the envelope loaded in the paper cassette is picked up by the pickup roller to detect the number of prints.

The timing unit 130 counts the time under the control of the control unit 100. The timing unit 130 starts counting each time the envelope is picked up by the pickup roller.

Sensor unit 140 is for detecting the internal state of the printer engine, the paper detection sensor 141 for determining the type of paper by detecting the width of the paper loaded in the paper cassette, and heated to detect the temperature of the fixing unit And a temperature sensor 142 installed at the end of the roller, and a discharge sensor 143 for checking whether the bag passing through the fixing unit is discharged to the outside.

Here, the paper sensor 141 is preferably installed on the paper cassette or the paper feed path, the paper is loaded, the discharge sensor 143 is a discharge roller for discharging the fixing unit 160 and the paper to the outside. It is preferable to provide between (not shown).

The lamp driver 150 turns on / off the heating lamp 162 for heating the heating roller 161 of the fixing unit 160 under the control of the controller 100.

An operation of the present invention having such a configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

First, referring to FIG. 5, when power is applied to the electrophotographic developing apparatus by an operation of a power switch (not shown) (S501), the controller 100 checks whether a print command is received from an external device (S502).

When the printing command is received from the external device, the control unit 100 turns on the heating lamp 162 of the fixing unit 160 through the lamp driving unit 150 (S503), and picks up the paper (S504).

When the paper is picked up, the controller 100 determines whether the type of the paper detected through the paper sensor 141 is an envelope (S505).

As a result of the check, if the type of paper is an envelope, the timing unit 130 starts counting the printing time (Ptime) to adjust the printing speed (S506), and the lamp driving unit 150 controls the temperature under the control of the controller 100. In the sensing sensor 142, the heating lamp 162 is driven until the temperature of the heating roller 161 reaches a preset temperature (about 205 ° C.) (S507). The print quantity detection unit 120 increases the print quantity count (Pcount) by one as the paper is picked up (S508).

Thereafter, the control unit 100 checks whether the envelope, which is the printing paper picked up in step 504 (S504), is discharged to the outside via the fixing unit 160 (S509). Here, the control unit 100 checks whether the bag is discharged to the outside by checking whether the discharge sensor 143 installed between the fixing unit 160 and the discharge roller (not shown) is turned on.

If the envelope is discharged to the outside as a result of the check, the lamp driving unit 150 stops driving of the heating lamp 162 under the control of the control unit 100 to turn off (S510).

Here, stopping the driving of the heating lamp 162 after the printing of one envelope is completed, as shown in FIG. 3, the temperature of the heating roller 162 is uneven when the bag passes through the fixing unit 160. Since the temperature sensor 142 can not detect the correct temperature of the heating roller 162, by turning off the heating lamp 162, the non-uniform temperature between the portion of the heating roller 162 and the bag is not in contact with the contact portion To correct the distribution.

When the driving of the heating lamp 162 is stopped, the control unit 100 compares whether the print count count (Pcount) counted by the print quantity detection unit 120 matches any one of 3, 6, and 9 sheets (S511). ).

As a result of the comparison, if the number of print counts (Pcount) matches any one of 3, 6, and 9 sheets, step 516 (S516) is performed, and as a result of the comparison, the number of print counts (Pcount) is 3, 6, 9 If none of them match, step 512 (S512) is performed.

First, referring to the case where the print count count (Pcount) does not match any of 3, 6, and 9 sheets, the controller 100 checks whether the print count count (Pcount) is 11 or more (S512).

As a result of the check, if the number of print counts (Pcount) is less than 11, the control unit 100 determines whether the print time Ptime counted from the time when the envelope is picked up in step 504 (S504) in the timing unit 130 has reached 15 seconds. Check (S513).

If the check result Ptime counted by the timing unit 130 is less than 15 seconds, the controller 100 continuously checks the print time Ptime counted by the timing unit 130, and the check result timing unit 130. If the print time Ptime counted at 15 seconds is 15 seconds, the controller 100 checks whether printing is completed (S514).

If the printing of the result of the check is completed, the envelope printing job is finished. If the printing of the check result is not completed, the control unit 100 initializes the timing unit 130 (S515), and then turns on the heating lamp 162 (step 503). Return to S503).

On the other hand, the result of the comparison in step 511 (S511) of comparing the number of print counts (Pcount) in step 508 (S508) with one of three, six, and nine pieces is three (Pcount). Referring to the case of any of 6 sheets / 9 sheets, the controller 100 determines that the print time Ptime counted from the time when the envelope is picked up in step 504 (S504) in the timing unit 130 is 25 seconds. Check whether it has reached (S516).

If the check result Ptime counted by the timing unit 130 is less than 25 seconds, the controller 100 continuously checks the print time Ptime counted by the timing unit 130, and the check result timing unit 130. If the print time Ptime counted at 25 seconds is 25 seconds, the controller 100 branches to step 514 (S514) to check whether printing is completed.

In addition, when the check result in step 512 (S512) confirms whether the print number count (Pcount) is 11 or more, the control unit 100 checks whether the print time (Ptime) has reached 25 seconds. To S516).

In other words, the print time (ptime) from the time of picking up one envelope to the time of picking up the next one is 25 when the number of prints is 3, 6, or 9 when printing an envelope. Seconds, if the number of prints is not 3/6/9 and less than 11, the print time from the time of picking up one envelope to the time of picking up the next one is 15 seconds. .

Here, the reason why the printing time Ptime, which is the time from the time of picking up one envelope to the time of picking up the next envelope, is set to 15 seconds or 25 seconds, because the temperature of the heating roller 161 is settled after the fixing operation. This is to prevent a non-uniform state because the temperature drop amount between the portion in contact with the bag and the portion not in contact with the bag is different. Therefore, when one envelope is discharged to the outside through the fixing unit, by turning off the heating lamp 162, it is possible to reduce the temperature gap between the portion in contact with the envelope in the heating roller 161 and the portion not in contact with the envelope. In this case, the printing time (Ptime) is most preferably 15 seconds or 25 seconds by experiment.

The reason why the printing time (Ptime) is divided into 15 seconds or 25 seconds is because the heating lamp 162 is in the middle of the printing time (Ptime), which is the time from the time of picking up one envelope to the time of picking up the next one. When the number of prints increases as the number of prints increases when the temperature of the gap between the contact portion of the heating roller 161 and the bag and the portion of the contact portion of the heating roller 161 and the bag that is not in contact with the bag during the fixing operation is reduced by stopping the driving of the The temperature gap that can be controlled by turning on / off the heating lamp 162 is limited. That is, the heating lamp 162 is turned on and the heating lamp 162 is turned off after the printing operation is performed, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of repeatedly turning on the heating lamp 162 is performed by the heating lamp ( The temperature non-uniformity of the heating roller 162 is compensated when the 162 is turned off, but the temperature gap gradually accumulates as the number of prints increases.

Therefore, the print time Ptime is variably controlled to 15 seconds or 25 seconds based on the predetermined number of sheets. In the present invention, the predetermined number of sheets having a print time Ptime of 25 seconds is set to 3 sheets / 6 sheets / 9 sheets and 11 sheets or more.

On the other hand, as a result of checking in step 505 (S505) of checking whether the type of paper detected by the paper sensor 141 is an envelope, if the picked up print paper is not an envelope, the controller 100 drives the lamp driver 150. The lamp driver 150 transmits a control signal, and when the temperature of the heating roller 161 reaches the preset temperature (approximately 185 ° C.) in the normal mode under the control of the control unit 100 in the temperature sensor 142 under the control. After driving the heating lamp 162 (S517), the general printing operation is performed (S518).

Therefore, the temperature distribution of the heating roller 161 at the time of printing the envelope is in a non-uniform state to prevent the fixing failure occurs.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, after the continuous envelope printing is completed by controlling the temperature of the fuser, a method of controlling the temperature of the fuser between the next print job will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

When the continuous printing of the envelope is completed (S601), the control unit 100 controls the timing unit 130 to count the idle time Rtime which is the time until the next print job is received (S602).

The control unit 100 checks whether a print command is received from the external device (S603), and when a print command is received from the external device, the control unit 100 picks up the print paper and prints the first page (S604).

The controller 100 determines whether the paper type detected by the paper sensor 141 installed on the paper conveying path is an envelope while printing the first page (S605).

As a result of the determination, if the printing paper is an envelope, the control unit 100 compares the idle time Rtime counted by the timing unit 130 with a preset waiting time of 120 seconds or more (S606).

Here, the preset standby time 120 seconds is a non-uniform temperature of the heating roller 161 due to the envelope printing performed immediately before, and thus the temperature sensor 142 installed at the end of the heating roller 161. Since the fixing failure occurs because the heating roller 161 does not sense the correct temperature, the temperature distribution of the heating roller 161 is uniformed by stopping the driving of the heating lamp 162 and lowering the temperature of the heating roller 161. It is time to form.

If the comparison result is a pause time (Rtime) of 120 seconds or more, the printing operation in the envelope mode shown in Figure 5 is performed (S607), and if the comparison result is a pause time (Rtime) less than 120 seconds, the control unit 100 performs envelope printing. In order to display the preset message (eg, “WAITING”) informing the user that the heating roller 161 has a temperature for making the temperature of the heating roller 161 uniform (S608). This is to prevent the user from recognizing that a printing error has occurred in the idle time Rtime of the electrophotographic developing apparatus.

Thereafter, the control unit 100 returns to step 606 (S606) of comparing whether the idle time Rtime is 120 seconds or more and performs envelope printing after the temperature of the heating roller 161 becomes uniform.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step 605 (S605) is printing paper, the control unit 100 controls the lamp drive unit 150 so that the temperature of the heating roller 161 is a predetermined temperature (approximately 185 ° C) in the normal mode. The heating lamp 162 is driven until it reaches to perform a printing operation (S609).

As described above, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

As described above, according to the fixing apparatus temperature control method according to the present invention, since the printing speed and the heating time of the heating lamp are controlled for each number of prints when printing the envelope in the electrophotographic developing apparatus, the part contacting the envelope in the heating roller and the envelope There is an advantage that can prevent the fixing failure caused in the temperature non-uniform state between the parts that do not contact with.

Claims (8)

A toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum through a developing machine, and the toner image is transferred onto a recording sheet through a transfer drum, and then, the printing roller is heated and printed at a predetermined temperature using a heating roller, a heating lamp, and a pressing roller. In the temperature control method: Generating a heating lamp when a printing command is received from an external device; When the heating lamp is heated, picking up printing paper loaded in the electrophotographic developing apparatus and determining whether the picked up printing paper is an envelope; Counting a print time (Ptime) if the picked up print paper is an envelope; Heating the heating lamp until the temperature of the heating roller reaches a preset temperature; Checking whether the picked-up envelope is discharged to the outside through the fixing unit, and if the envelope is discharged to the outside, increasing the number of print counts (Pcount) by one and stopping driving of the heating lamp; Comparing the number of print counts (Pcount) with a reference number when driving of the heating lamp is stopped; If the print count count (Pcount) is included in the reference sheet, the print time (Ptime) is waited until the same as the first reference time, and if the print count count (Pcount) is not included in the reference sheet, the print time ( Waiting until Ptime) is equal to the second reference time; If the print time (Ptime) is equal to the first reference time or the second reference time, checking whether a print job is completed; Terminating if the print job is completed, and initializing the print time (Ptime) if the print job is not completed; When the printing time (Ptime) is initialized, the temperature control method of the fixing unit, characterized in that repeatedly performed from the heating lamp heating step. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference sheet is 3, 6, 9, 11 or more of the fixing unit temperature control method. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reference time is 25 seconds. The method of claim 1, wherein the second reference time is 15 seconds. The method of claim 1, wherein the print time (Ptime) is A time control method for a fuser, characterized in that it is a time from the time when one sheet of printing paper is picked up until the next sheet of printing paper is picked up. The method of claim 1, Counting an Rtime after the envelope printing job is completed; Generating a heating lamp when a printing command is received from an external device; When the heating lamp is heated, picking up printing paper loaded in the electrophotographic developing apparatus and determining whether the picked up printing paper is an envelope; If the picked up print paper is an envelope, further comprising the step of waiting until the Rtime is equal to a third reference time; And when the idle time (Rtime) becomes equal to a third reference time, starting from the printing time counting step. The method of claim 6, wherein the third reference time is 120 seconds. The method of claim 6, wherein the idle time (Rtime), A time control method of a fuser, characterized in that the time from the completion of one continuous envelope print job to the time of starting the next envelope print job.