JP3310767B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many image forming apparatuses such as printing machines and copying machines which are generally used have a longer standby time than an operation time. Also, the originally required energy consumption is significantly different between operation and standby. It can operate with less energy during standby than during operation.

[0003] Focusing on this point, a copying machine having an energy saving mode has been conventionally known. This reduces energy consumption during standby by limiting the energy supplied to parts other than those required for monitoring the apparatus during standby. For example, the energy consumption during standby is reduced by lowering the temperature control level of the thermal fuser.

[0004]

However, the conventional image forming apparatus described above still consumes energy even during standby. In addition, since energy is consumed by commercial power, electric energy is consumed even during standby.
It is not preferable from the viewpoint of resource saving and environmental protection.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and, in an image forming apparatus which operates by energy taken from the outside of the apparatus, a first energy intake which takes in electric energy from a commercial power supply. Means, and second energy intake means comprising heat supply means for burning fuel , wherein the second energy intake means is provided.
Is supplied to the fixing unit .

[0006]

[0007]

According to the present invention, in addition to the commercial power supply,
Externally use heat from fuel combustion to replenish heat in the fixing section
Can be

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First Embodiment A first embodiment employing the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The apparatus of this embodiment employs a commercial power supply as a first energy obtaining means and a solar cell as a second energy obtaining means. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit 101,
Communication control unit 102, machine drive unit 103, electronic control unit 10
4, a fixing unit 105, a charging device 106, a secondary battery 107, and an inverter circuit 108. Also,
A solar cell panel 109 and a commercial power supply 110 are connected to the outside of the device.

The components from the image forming unit 101 to the fixing unit 105 have the same configuration as a conventionally known image forming apparatus. The solar battery 109 includes the charging device 106 and the secondary battery 10.
7, are connected via an inverter circuit 108.

In such a configuration, the solar cell panel 10
When sunlight or the like strikes 9 and power generation is started, the generated power is consumed as an energy source for the operation of the image forming apparatus. Further, the commercial power supply 110 need not be used for the amount of energy supplied by the solar cell panel 109.

The electricity generated by the solar cell panel 109 is consumed as an energy source of the image forming apparatus and is stored in the secondary battery 107 by the charging device 106. The stored electricity is stored in the solar panel 109 at night or the like.
Used when the power generation capacity is low.

With the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the intake of energy from a commercial power supply even during operation in which a large amount of electric power is consumed by charging the battery floating with non-polluting solar energy. The image forming apparatus consumes a large amount of power during operation, but since the standby time is relatively long, the solar cells and batteries used for charging may be relatively small.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, as a second energy obtaining means, a heat medium, such as oil, water vapor, or a high-temperature gas, which is heated outside the apparatus, flows through a heat fixing unit which consumes the most energy as a heat source for fixing.

The components from the image forming unit 201 to the electronic control unit 204 are the same as those of a conventionally known image forming apparatus. The heat source / heat exchanger 212 is connected to the fixing unit 205. This heat source includes factory waste heat, sunlight,
Use a central heating system.

The heat source / heat exchanger 212 and the fixing unit 20
Between 5, the control valve 213 is provided. Control valve 21
3 is connected to the control unit 211. Information such as the temperature of the fixing unit 205 is sent from the fixing unit 205 to the control unit 211.

Based on this information, the control unit 211 controls the control valve 213 so that the fixing unit 205 always operates normally, and controls the temperature and the like.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a heat roller fixing roller of the fixing unit 205. The fixing roller is a drive transmission member 30.
1, a roll base 302, a seal / slip member 303, a heat fixing roller outermost elastic layer 304, a control valve 305, and an electric heater 306. In FIG. 3, the end portion is sealed by a seal / slip member 303 so that the center of the roller serves as a flow path for the heat medium. It is desirable that the fixed portion on the right side of the flow path entrance side in the drawing and the rotating portion be the same material or a material in which the thermal expansion coefficient of the fixed portion is slightly larger than that of the rotating portion.

Although there is a possibility of locking due to engagement between materials due to thermal expansion, this danger can be reduced by using a lubricant such as di-mobilized molybdenum.

Further, the electric heater 306, which is a heating element by the supply of electric power from a commercial power supply, is coaxially arranged inside the roller. However, if the material forming the roll base 302 is a self-temperature control type ceramic such as a posistor or the like, the heat If the transmission path is shortened and the temperature rises due to the heat supply from the heat medium, the power supply naturally decreases due to the increase in resistance, which is extremely efficient.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which a roller portion that rotates around a pipe-like member constituting a heat medium flow path is provided outside in order to complete the seal. This roller includes a heat fixing roller outermost elastic layer 401, a heat fixing roller base rotating member 402,
Control valve 403, heat medium flow path member 404, electric heater 40
5, a lubricating layer 406 is provided.

In order to avoid meshing, a liquid or solid lubricant 406 is provided at the boundary between the inside of the heat fixing roller base rotating member 402 and the heat medium flow path member 404. If the coefficient of thermal expansion of the rotating member is made larger than that of the heat medium flow path member, it is possible to prevent locking due to engagement during operation. The selection of the value may be determined in consideration of the engagement at the time of temperature rise and at the time of low temperature.

In this example, the electric heater 405 is arranged coaxially, but it is also possible to install it close to the fixing area. Further, the heat medium flow path member 404 itself may be constituted by a heating element. In this case, it is conceivable that the posistor or a part thereof is made of a nichrome or silicon heating element.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which a belt fixing mechanism is used to take advantage of the use of a heat medium. The main fixing unit includes a fixing belt 501, a heat insulating material 502,
Heater 503, transmission material 505, backup roller 5
04, a heat medium circulation pipe 506.

In this type, it is not necessary to rotate the heat medium circulation pipe 506 constituting the heat medium flow path, so that the structure becomes very simple. Further, in the heat medium circulation pipe 506, only a portion related to fixing is made of a heat transfer material 504 having good heat conductivity, and a heater 503 is attached here, or a material of this portion is made a posistor, and the other portions are insulated. It is more efficient if a material is used.

Further, the efficiency can be further improved by providing fins inside, making the flow path itself close to the fixing region of the heat medium circulation pipe 506, and the like.

In FIG. 2, in addition to the configuration in which the heat source is directly connected to the fixing unit 205, the heat source may be indirectly coupled via a heat exchanger in terms of safety and the like.

By adopting the above configuration,
Not only can power consumption be reduced, but also the size and weight of the electrical system can be reduced, contributing to resource and energy savings.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the third embodiment. The heat fixing device of an electrophotographic apparatus consumes the most energy in the unit, and it is not efficient to cover all of the heat with a commercial power supply. Accordingly, energy efficiency can be improved by installing an intake / exhaust system at a position isolated from the space where the device is placed and burning fuel. This effect is remarkable especially in a large machine. The basic mechanism is the same as a commercially available FF type heating device. The operation of the control valve 613 and the like is the same as that of the device shown in FIG.

Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, in order to minimize the amount of power taken from the commercial power source, priority is given to another energy taken together. However, there is a possibility that sufficient energy cannot be supplied depending on the means, and the apparatus cannot function sufficiently as a device other than the commercial power supply. In order to avoid such a state, the monitoring mechanism 716
For example, when the voltage of the secondary battery becomes too low, control is performed so that the power supply from the commercial power supply is resumed. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first to third embodiments.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, commercial
Since an energy source other than a power source is used , resources can be more effectively saved and environmental pollution can be prevented.

[0031]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a fixing roller according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another fixing roller according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the belt fixing device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 101 Image forming unit 102 Communication control unit 103 Machine driving unit 104 Electronic control unit 105 Fixing unit 106 Charging device 107 Secondary battery 108 Inverter circuit 109 Solar cell panel 110 Commercial power supply 211 Control unit 212 Heat source / heat exchanger 613 Control valve 615 Combustion unit 716 Energy distribution monitoring / control unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Masami Furuya 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Ricoh Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-362917 (JP, A) JP-A-6-35367 (JP, A) JP-A-58-54367 (JP, A) JP-A-5-241387 (JP, A) JP-A-5-119557 (JP, A) JP-A-6-59597 (JP) JP-A-58-160959 (JP, A) JP-A-58-12160 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 21/00 370-540 G03G 21 / 20 G03G 15/20-15/20 302

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image forming apparatus which operates by energy taken from outside the apparatus, a first energy taking means for taking electric energy from a commercial power supply, and a fuel supply means .
And a second energy intake means comprising heat supply means by combustion, feeding by said second energy intake means
An image forming apparatus, wherein the taken heat is supplied to a fixing unit .