JP2002258723A - Picture recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the noise caused by a cooling fan. SOLUTION: A T1 timer and a T2 timer (T2>T1) are started at the time of the end of recording (ST1 and ST2), and it is discriminated whether a detected temperature in a machine is lower than a set stop temperature after the lapse of time T1 (fan stop discrimination time) after recording (ST6), and a cooling fan 14 is stopped when the temperature is lower (ST9). The cooling fan 14 is stopped (ST9) after the lapse of time T2 (fan final stop time) after recording (ST7) even though the detected temperature in the machine is not lower than the set stop temperature after the lapse of time T1 after recording.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, such as an electrophotographic printer, for thermally fixing toner and recording.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image recording apparatus such as an electrophotographic printer used in a facsimile machine or a copying machine records toner by thermally transferring the toner. In this type of image recording apparatus, heat fixing is performed. Therefore, if the operation is continued, the temperature inside the apparatus increases. Conventionally, in order to suppress this, air is exhausted by a cooling fan to cool the inside of the machine.

[0003]

The above-described conventional image recording apparatus with a cooling fan is effective in suppressing a rise in temperature, but on the other hand, when the cooling fan is always operating during the recording operation, noise is reduced. There is a problem that comes out.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an image apparatus capable of reducing noise.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus comprising: a recording section, a heat fixing section, a cooling fan, an in-machine temperature detector; And a controller for stopping the cooling fan when the temperature is detected and lower than a predetermined temperature.

In this image recording apparatus, after the recording is completed, the first
After the predetermined time elapses, it is determined whether the temperature detected by the in-machine temperature detector is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature. If the temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, the cooling fan is stopped. If the internal temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature due to the relationship with the outside air temperature or the like, there is no need for cooling, so the cooling fan is stopped and noise can be reduced.

In the present invention, the cooling fan may be stopped after a lapse of a second time from the end of the recording if the internal temperature after a lapse of a first predetermined time after the end of the recording is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

If the internal temperature after the first predetermined time after the end of the recording is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, then it may be determined at least once whether or not the internal temperature is the predetermined temperature. .

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a facsimile apparatus with a copying function according to the present invention. This facsimile machine 2 with a copying function
Reference numeral 1 denotes an MPU (control unit) 1, a ROM 2, a RAM 3, an image memory (DRAM) 4, an operation panel (operation unit) 5, a display unit 6 for displaying various data, a bus 7, an NCU 8, a modem 9, a scanner 10, Printer (output unit) 11, COD
An EC 12, a fixing device 13, a cooling fan 14, and an in-machine temperature detector 15 are provided. Here, the storage unit is constituted by the ROM 2, the RAM 3, and the image memory 4, and the NCU 8, the modem 9, the C
The ODEC 12 forms a communication unit.

[0010] The MPU 1 controls each unit constituting the device 21, receives data from an external information source through a communication unit, stores the data in a storage unit, and displays the data stored in the storage unit on a display unit 6. It has a function to make ROM2
Stores a program for controlling the device 21. The RAM 3 temporarily stores data and the like. The image memory 4 temporarily stores the image data when transmitting the received image data or the image data read by the scanner 10. The operation panel 5 is for the user to instruct facsimile transmission / reception, printing, and the like.

The NCU 8 has functions for controlling connection with the telephone line (PSTN) 14 and detecting transmission and reception of a dial signal corresponding to a telephone number (including a FAX number) of a destination. . Modem 9 uses ITU
(International Telecommunication Union)-Recommendation T. 30 based on a facsimile transmission control procedure according to V.30. 17, V.I. 27t
er, V.E. Modulation of the transmission data and demodulation of the reception data according to 29 or the like. The scanner 10 reads image data of a document when performing fax transmission and copying. The printer 11 records received image data and image data of a document read by the scanner 10 in a copy operation on a recording sheet. The printer 11 is an electrophotographic printer that uses heat to fix toner. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a cooling fan 14 is provided near the fixing device 13 to cool the fixing device by air. On the other hand, the in-machine temperature detector 15
Is located at a position where the temperature inside the machine can be detected. C
The ODEC 12 encodes the read image data by MH, MR, MMR or the like in order to transmit the image data.
Then, the received image data is decoded. Toner 17 fed from a cassette is applied with toner by drum 11 a, and the toner is fixed by fixing device 13.

Next, with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 2, a processing operation at the end of printing in the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

When printing of, for example, one page in the printer 11 is completed, first, in step ST1, a T1 timer is started. Next, the process proceeds to step ST2. Then, in step ST2, a T2 timer is started. Here, the T1 timer defines a fan stop determination time, and the T2 timer defines a fan final stop time. Therefore, there is a relationship of T2> T1. Subsequent to the activation of the T2 timer in step ST2, the process proceeds to step ST3.

In step ST3, it is determined whether or not the T1 timer is running. Immediately after recording by the printer 11, the process proceeds to step ST4. On the other hand, already T
If one timer has timed out, the activation is stopped, and the process proceeds to step ST7.

In step ST4, it is determined whether or not the T1 timer has expired, that is, whether or not the fan stoppage time has elapsed. If the fan stop determination time has been reached, the process proceeds to step ST5. On the other hand, if the fan stop determination time has not been reached, the process proceeds to step ST7. In step ST5, the T1 timer is stopped,
Next, the process proceeds to step ST6.

In step ST6, it is determined whether or not the temperature detected by the fan thermistor, that is, the internal temperature detector is lower than the stop temperature of the fan. If the detected temperature is lower than the stop temperature, there is no need to continue cooling, so
The process proceeds to step ST8, and the T2 timer is stopped. Then, the process proceeds to step ST9. In step ST9, the operation of the cooling fan is stopped, and the operation ends.

If it is determined in step ST6 that the detected temperature is not lower than the stop temperature of the fan, the process proceeds to step ST6.
Move to 7. In step ST7, it is determined whether or not the T2 timer has expired, that is, whether or not the post-recording fan final stop time has elapsed. Here, the current time is T
The determination is made when one timer is running, when the T1 timer times out, and when the detected temperature is not lower than the stop temperature. After the recording, if the final fan stop time has not yet been reached, the process returns to step ST3, and the subsequent processing is continued. On the other hand, if the final fan stop time has elapsed after the recording, the process proceeds to step ST8.

In step ST8, the T2 timer is stopped, and the process proceeds to step ST9 to stop the fan and terminate the process. The stop of the fan here is performed after the elapse of the final stop time of the fan after the recording, and is performed irrespective of the internal temperature.

A sufficient time for cooling is set in the timer T2, and an alarm may be issued if the internal temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature after the elapse of T2.

Further, in the above embodiment, the cooling fan is stopped when the detected temperature is lower than the stop temperature, and the cooling fan is stopped when the detected temperature is lower. May be performed. According to this method, finer control can be performed in relation to the in-machine temperature.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the internal temperature is detected after a lapse of the first predetermined time after the recording, and if the temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, the fan is stopped. If the temperature is equal to or lower than the temperature, the fan can be stopped without worrying about a rise in temperature, and noise can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing operation after printing of the facsimile apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a processing operation after completion of the printing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 MPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 Image memory 5 Operation panel 6 Display unit 7 Bus 8 NCU 9 Modem 10 Scanner 11 Printer 12 CODEC 13 Fixing unit 14 Cooling fan 15 Internal temperature detector 16 Telephone line

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A recording section, a heat fixing section, a cooling fan, an in-machine temperature detector, and an in-machine temperature is detected after a lapse of a first predetermined time after completion of recording. An image recording apparatus, comprising: a control unit for stopping a fan. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fan is stopped after a lapse of a second time from the end of the recording if the internal temperature after a lapse of a first predetermined time after the end of the recording is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. 2. The image recording device according to 1. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the internal temperature after a first predetermined time after the end of the recording is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, it is determined at least once whether or not the internal temperature is the predetermined temperature. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein