JPH07212553A - Communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a communication equipment which can obtain satisfactory fixation property and which can previously prevent the deterioration of recording processing quantity. CONSTITUTION:A facsimile equipment is provided with an on demandtype fixing unit 31 having a heater part. The heater part includes a first heater 32 and a second heater 34. The heating area of the first heater 32 is set so that it corresponds to the width of recording paper in A4-size. The heating area of the first heater 32 and that of the second heater 34 are set so that they correspond to the width of recording paper in B4-size in cooperation with each other. At the time of shifting to a reception operation after a signal showing that an opposite device starts transmitting is received, the heating range of the heater part is set to a maximum, and the temperature adjustment of the heater part is started. When the temperature of the heater part reaches prescribed temperature, the heating range of the heater part is set to the range corresponding to the width of recording paper, and the temperature of the heater part is adjusted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fixing device for fixing a developer image onto a transfer material by applying heat from a heating means to the transfer material onto which a developer image such as a toner image is transferred. It relates to a communication device comprising.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a facsimile apparatus, a laser beam printer which is a printing apparatus and a plurality of transfer materials for recording images such as characters and figures, which are different in size from each other, are built in, and an instruction is given from each transfer material. And a transfer material selection unit that selects a transfer material having a selected size.

An on-demand fixing device is used in this laser beam printer. The on-demand fixing device has a heater whose heating range is set within a certain range so as to include the maximum width of the transfer material, and one surface of the heater contacts the heater to transfer heat from the heater to the transfer material. And a thin film member. The thin film member is made of polyimide having a thickness of several tens of μmm, and one surface (heater contact surface) thereof is generally coated with grease. The other surface of the thin film member is in contact with the surface of the transfer material, and the heat from the heater is transferred to the transfer material via the thin film member.

[0004]

However, in the conventional facsimile apparatus, the heating range of the heater of the on-demand fixing device is set to a certain range so as to include the maximum width of the selected transfer material. The heat of the heater portion (hereinafter referred to as the paper passing portion) through which the sheet passes is absorbed by the transfer material, and the temperature of the paper passing portion of the heater decreases, but the heater end portion (hereinafter referred to as the non-paper passing portion) through which the transfer material does not pass The temperature of is not lost to the transfer material,
Heat is accumulated in the non-sheet passing portion. Therefore, the temperature of the non-sheet passing portion is much higher than the fixing temperature.

In order to suppress the temperature rise of the non-sheet passing portion,
In the case of continuous paper feeding, a method of setting the control temperature of the heater to a temperature lower than the fixing temperature so that the temperature of the non-paper feeding portion is maintained below a certain temperature, or in the case of continuous paper feeding, the non-paper feeding portion When the temperature rises to near the set temperature or when the temperature of the non-sheet passing portion exceeds the set temperature, the power supply to the heater is stopped and the recording is interrupted.

However, in the former method, the amount of heat applied to the transfer material is reduced as a whole, so that good fixing performance cannot be obtained. In the latter method, the recording operation is interrupted, so that the recording processing amount is reduced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device which can obtain good fixing properties and can prevent a decrease in recording processing amount.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the transfer material of the developer image is applied by applying heat from a heating means to the transfer material on which the developer image such as a toner image is transferred. In a communication device including a printer having a fixing device for fixing to a transfer device, the heating device of the fixing device changes a heating range for the transfer material within a preset range according to a width of the transfer material. When the other device has received the signal indicating that the transmission is to be started, the heating range of the heater means is set to the maximum range and the temperature adjustment of the heater means is started at the time of transition to the reception operation. Then, when the temperature of the heater means reaches a predetermined temperature, the heating range of the heater means is set to a range corresponding to the width of the transfer material and the temperature of the heater means is adjusted.

According to another aspect of the communication device of the present invention, the heating range corresponding to the width of the transfer material of the heater means is set on the basis of the information indicating the width of the document read from the other device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the on-demand system, the fixing device fixes the developer image to the transfer material by applying heat from the heating means to the transfer material through a thin film member. It is characterized by comprising a fixing device.

[0011]

According to the communication device of the present invention, the heating range of the heater means is set to the maximum range at the time of shifting to the receiving operation after receiving the signal indicating that the other device starts the transmission, and When the temperature adjustment of the heater means is started and the temperature of the heater means reaches a predetermined temperature, the heating range of the heater means is set to the range corresponding to the width of the transfer material and the temperature adjustment of the heater means is performed. Therefore, it is possible to obtain good fixability and prevent a decrease in the recording processing amount.

According to another aspect of the communication device of the present invention, the heating range corresponding to the width of the transfer material of the heater means is set based on the information indicating the width of the document read from the other device.
Operability is improved.

In the communication device according to the third aspect, as the fixing device, an on-demand fixing device for fixing the developer image to the transfer material by applying heat from the heating means to the transfer material through the thin film member is used. In this case, the fixing property can be improved, the recording processing amount can be reduced, and the adverse effect on the life of the thin film member can be reduced.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fixing device used in the facsimile apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is the facsimile apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the heater part used for the apparatus.

The facsimile apparatus, as shown in FIG.
Network controller for connecting to the telephone line (hereinafter NC
2) and a modem 3 for communicating via a telephone line connected by the NCU 2.

The modem 3 modulates a transmission signal to the partner device and demodulates a reception signal from the partner device. The modem 3 is controlled by the modem control unit 4.

The transmission signal is sent from the transmission system, and the reception signal is given to the reception system. The transmission system includes a document reading unit 1 for reading a transmission document, and a drive system 9 provided with a motor for carrying the transmission document. The output from the document reading unit 1 is given to the first control unit 20.

On the other hand, the receiving system has a memory 13 and a recording section 50. The memory 13 is an image memory 10 for storing a received signal, and a system RAM 11 backed up by an emergency power source such as a battery to prevent data destruction when commercial power is cut off due to a power failure or the like.
And a ROM 12 in which a program for determining the specifications of the apparatus is stored.

The first controller 20 controls the write and read operations to and from the image memory 10 and the system RAM 11 which form the memory 13, and the read operation from the ROM 12. The first control unit 20 performs each control based on the operation instruction from the operation panel 5 while monitoring the state indicated by the detection signal from the sensor 8. The sensor 8 is a sensor for detecting the state of the device itself. Operation panel 5
Includes a display 6 for displaying information indicating the state of the facsimile, and a key 7 for generating an operation instruction for executing each function.

The recording section 50 includes a scanner section 27 for forming a latent image showing a received original image on a photosensitive drum (not shown) by a scanning operation by a laser beam from a laser beam generator 27a. . The latent image formed on the photosensitive drum of the scanner unit 27 is transferred to the recording paper as a developer image by the transfer unit 26. The transfer unit 26 includes a high voltage generation circuit 26a that generates a high voltage for performing the transfer process.

The recording paper is fed by a drive system 22 to a paper feed section (not shown).
To the transfer unit 26. The drive system 22 conveys the recording paper from the paper feed unit (not shown) to the transfer unit 26, conveys the recording paper from the transfer unit 26 to the fixing unit 31, and discharges the recording unit from the fixing unit 31 (not shown). The recording paper is transported up to (1). The drive system 22 selects a plurality of motors 23 for generating recording paper conveyance power and a motor 23 driven according to the recording paper conveyance path, and selects the selected motor 23.
Includes a plurality of plungers 24 for controlling the motor and a plurality of clutches 25 for transmitting and releasing the power from each motor 23.

The fixing device 31 is an on-demand fixing device which performs a fixing process for fixing the developer image on the recording paper. As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing device 31 includes a heater unit 104.
And a fixing body 110 incorporating the
Recording paper 10 on which the developer image 102 is transferred in cooperation with
And a pressure roller 120 that heats and presses 0.

The fixing member 110 is a stay 10 having a U-shaped cross section.
Including 5. On the outer peripheral portion of the stay 105, the film inner guide members 106, 107, 108 and the heater holding member 1 are provided.
09 are provided. The stay 105, the film inner guide members 106, 107, 108, and the heater holding member 1
09 cooperates with each other to form a substantially cylindrical member,
A thin curtain member 103 made of polyimide having a thickness of several tens of μm is wound around the outer periphery of the substantially cylindrical member. Grease is applied to the inner surface of the thin film member 103, and the outer surface thereof is surface-treated.

Between the thin film member 103 and the heater holding member 109, the heater unit 1 which contacts the inner surface of the thin film member 103.
04 are arranged. As shown in FIG. 3, the heater unit 104 is provided on both sides of the first heater 32 that defines a heating region that extends in the width direction of the recording paper 100, and the heating unit 104 that extends in the width direction of the recording paper. A pair of second heaters 34 defining an area are included. In the present embodiment, the heating area of the first heater 32 is set so as to correspond to the width of A4 size recording paper, and the heating area of the first heater 32 and the heating area of the second heater 34 cooperate with each other. Then B4
The size is set to correspond to the width of the recording paper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature of the first heater 32 is detected by the thermistor 33, and the temperature of the second heater 34 is detected by the thermistor 35. Each thermistor 33, 3
The temperature detected by 5 is supplied to the heater control unit 30, and the heater control unit 30 causes the thermistors 33, 3
5, the first and second heaters 32,
Control the operation of.

The heater control unit 30 receives the commercial power source from the AC input unit 29 based on the instruction signal from the second control unit 40 and outputs the first and second heaters 32, 34.
Power supply to and shutting off.

The second control section 40 generates an instruction signal for instructing the operation of the first and second heaters 32 and 34 in accordance with the size of the selected recording paper, and at the same time, the recording section 5
The drive system 22, the high voltage circuit 26a of the transfer unit 26, based on the detection signal from the sensor 21 for detecting the operating state of 0,
The scanner unit 27 controls the laser light generator 27a and the fan motor drive unit 39.

The fan motor drive section 39 drives the fan motor section 38 based on the instruction signal from the second control section 40. The fan motor unit 38 has a rotating fan (not shown) for preventing the temperature inside the recording unit 50 from rising and a motor for rotating the rotating fan, and the recording unit 50 is rotated by the rotation of the rotating fan. The internal temperature rise is prevented. The fan motor unit 38 outputs a fan lock signal for notifying the stop of the rotating fan to the second control unit 40.

Next, the configurations of the heater control section 30 and the AC input section 29 of the fixing device 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing in detail the configuration of the heater control section and the AC input section of the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the AC input section 29 has 1
An input unit 291 to which commercial power of 00 VAC is input is provided. The power input to the input unit 291 is the noise filter 2
It is given to the primary side and the transformer 293 via 92. The transformer 293 outputs the AC voltage input to the primary side to 2
It is provided so that the voltage on the secondary side drops to 12 VAC and the voltage on the primary side is not directly applied to the secondary side.

One end of the coil on the secondary side of the transformer 293 is connected to a zero cross detector 294 for detecting the zero cross of the AC voltage and an AC voltage detection circuit 295 for detecting the AC voltage, and the other end is connected to the reference potential. It is connected.

The AC power supplied through the noise filter 292 is supplied to the heater control unit 30.
The heater control unit 30 has a door switch 302 that takes in AC power. The door switch 302 cuts off the AC power supply and the 24V DC power supply from the power supply circuit 304 when the cover member (not shown) of the recording unit 50 is opened. The first supply loop of AC power from the door switch 302 is from the door switch 302 to the fuse 330, the first heater 32, the first triac 31.
1 and a loop from the relay 303 to the door switch 302. AC from door switch 302
The second supply loop of electric power is from the door switch 302 to the fuse 330, the second heater 34, the second triac 32.
1 and a loop from the relay 303 to the door switch 302.

The first supply loop is provided with a first protection for suppressing the generation of surge noise due to the on / off operation of the first triac 311 and for preventing the destruction of the first triac 311 by the noise from the AC power supply line. A circuit 310 is provided. Similarly, the second supply loop has a second protection for suppressing the generation of surge noise due to the on / off operation of the second triac 321 and preventing the destruction of the second triac 321 by the noise from the AC power supply line. A circuit 320 is provided.

The on / off operation of the first triac 311 is controlled by the first phototriac 312,
The on / off operation of the second triac 321 is controlled by the second phototriac 322.

One end of the light receiving portion of the first phototriac 312 is connected to one end of the first triac via the resistor 313, and the other end of the light receiving portion of the first phototriac 312 is connected to the first triac 311 via the resistor 314. It is connected to the other end. One end of the light emitting portion of the first phototriac 312 has a resistor 315 and a backflow prevention diode 340.
To the temperature detection circuit 350, and the other end of the light emitting unit is connected to the second control unit 40 via the first control element 360. The first control element 360 performs the energization permission / non-permission operation for the light emitting unit of the first phototriac 312 based on the instruction signal from the second control unit 40.

One end of the light receiving portion of the second phototriac 322 is connected to one end of the second triac 321 via the resistor 323, and the other end of the light receiving portion of the second phototriac 322 is connected to the second triac 321 via the resistor 324. Is connected to the other end of. Second Photo Triac 322
One end of the light emitting portion is connected to the temperature detection circuit 350 via the resistor 325 and the diode 340, and the other end of the light emitting portion is connected to the second control unit 40 via the second control element 370. The second control element 370 performs the energization permission / non-permission operation for the light emitting unit of the second phototriac 322 based on the instruction signal from the second control unit 40.

A coil side 341 of the relay 303 is arranged in parallel with the backflow prevention diode 340 in the path connecting the light emitting portion of the first photodiode 312 and the light emitting portion of the second photodiode 322 to the temperature detection circuit 350. . The coil side 341 is a coil for turning off the relay 303.

The temperature detection circuit 350 generates an instruction signal for instructing the off operation of the coil side 341 based on the detection signal from the thermistor 33 and the detection signal from the thermistor 35, and outputs the detection signals from the thermistors 33 and 35. Output to the second control unit 40.

The second control section 40, based on the temperature detection signal from the temperature detection circuit 350, controls the first and second control elements 36.
An instruction signal for 0,370 is generated.

Next, the control operation for the heater of the fixing device of the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 is a diagram for explaining a control operation for the heater of the fixing device of the facsimile apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control operation for the heater of the fixing device of the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the standby state (step S601), the incoming of the CI signal (call signal) is monitored (step S602).

When the CI signal is received, the first heat signal output from the first controller to the second controller 40 causes
Energization of the first heater 32 and the second heater 34 is started, and the heating region is set to the maximum (step S60).
3). The entire thin film member 103 (shown in FIG. 2) is heated by the start of energization of the first and second heaters.

After the heating is started, heating is performed so that the temperature of the thin film member 103, that is, each heater temperature reaches the set temperature, that is, heater temperature adjustment is performed (step S60).
4).

Next, it is judged whether or not each heater temperature has reached the set temperature or higher and whether or not the DCS signal (digital command signal) is received (step S6).
05). When the heater temperature reaches or exceeds the set temperature and DCS
When the signal is received, the size of the recording paper is selected from the size of the transmission original document of the other party notified by the DCS signal and the size of the recording paper of the own device, and corresponds to the selected size of the recording paper. The heater to be energized is selected from the first and second heaters 32 and 34 so that the heating region is set, and the temperature is adjusted by the selected heater (step S607). This heater temperature adjustment is performed so that the temperature of the heating area corresponding to the selected recording paper size matches the preset fixing temperature.

Then, the recording operation is performed. In this recording operation, a latent image showing a received image is formed on a photosensitive drum, a developer image corresponding to the latent image is transferred to recording paper, and the transferred developer image on the recording paper is heated and pressed. The fixing of the developer image on the recording paper is performed by.

As described above, since the heating area of the heater of the fixing device is set according to the size of the recording paper to be selected, the heating area through which the recording paper passes, that is, the paper passing portion is heated to a temperature suitable for fixing. However, the end of the heater through which the transfer material does not pass, that is, the non-sheet passing portion is not heated, and heat is not accumulated in the non-sheet passing portion. Therefore, in order to suppress the temperature rise of the non-sheet passing portion, a method of setting the control temperature of the heater to a temperature lower than the fixing temperature so that the temperature of the non-sheet passing portion is maintained below a certain temperature, or When the temperature of the part rises to near the set temperature or when the temperature of the non-sheet passing part exceeds the set temperature, it is not necessary to adopt the method of stopping the power supply to the heater and interrupting the recording. It is possible to obtain the fixability and prevent a decrease in the recording processing amount.

Further, after the heater temperature control is executed in the maximum heating area, the heating area is changed according to the size of the recording paper selected based on the DCS signal, thereby shortening the start-up time, saving energy and saving energy. The adverse effect on the life of the thin film member 103 can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, an example in which one of the A4 size recording paper and the B4 size recording paper is selected has been described, but another size recording paper may be selected. When set, by setting the heating area of the heater unit so as to include the width of the recording paper of another size, the fixing process for the recording paper of another size can be performed in the same manner.

Further, in the present embodiment, the heating area of the first heater 32 is set so as to fit the width of A4 size recording paper, and the heating area of the first heater 32 and the heating area of the second heater 34 are added. The heated area is set to fit the width of the B4 size recording paper. Instead, as shown in FIG. 7, the heating area is set to fit the width of the A4 size recording paper. The first heater 201 and the heating area are
It is also possible to use the heater unit 200 having the second heater 202 set so as to fit the width of the recording paper of four sizes.

In the present embodiment, the facsimile apparatus which is an example of the communication apparatus has been described. However, the above effect can be similarly obtained with other communication apparatus, for example, a personal computer communication apparatus using a personal computer. .

[0052]

As described above, according to the communication device of the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of shifting to the receiving operation after the counterpart device receives the signal indicating the start of transmission, The heating range of the heater means is set to the maximum range, the temperature adjustment of the heater means is started, and when the temperature of the heater means reaches a predetermined temperature, the heating range of the heater means corresponds to the width of the transfer material. Since the temperature is set in the range and the temperature of the heater means is adjusted, it is possible to obtain a good fixing property and prevent a decrease in the recording processing amount.

According to the communication device of the second aspect, the operability is improved by setting the heating range corresponding to the width of the transfer material of the heater means on the basis of the information indicating the document width to be read from the partner device. .

According to the third aspect of the communication apparatus, as a fixing device, particularly, on-demand for fixing the developer image to the transfer material by applying heat from the heating means to the transfer material through the thin film member. When the fixing device is used, it is possible to improve the fixing property, prevent the recording processing amount from decreasing, and reduce the adverse effect on the life of the thin film member.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a facsimile apparatus which is an example of a communication apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fixing device used in the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a heater unit used in the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

4 is a circuit diagram showing in detail the respective configurations of a heater control unit, an AC input unit, and a second control unit of the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

5 is a diagram for explaining a control operation for a heater of a fixing device of the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

6 is a flowchart showing a control operation for a heater of a fixing device of the facsimile apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of another example of the heater unit used in the facsimile apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 29 AC input section 30 Heater control section 31 Fixing device 32,201 First heater 33,35 Thermistor 34,202 Second heater 40 Second control section 50 Recording section 104,200 Heater section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A communication comprising a printer having a fixing device for fixing the developer image onto the transfer material by applying heat from a heating means to the transfer material on which a developer image such as a toner image is transferred. In the apparatus, the heating means of the fixing device has a heater means for changing the heating range for the transfer material within a preset range according to the width of the transfer material, and the partner device starts transmission. At the time of shifting to the receiving operation after receiving the signal indicating, the heating range of the heater means is set to the maximum range and the temperature adjustment of the heater means is started, and the temperature of the heater means reaches a predetermined temperature. Then, the communication device is characterized in that the heating range of the heater means is set to a range corresponding to the width of the transfer material and the temperature of the heater means is adjusted. 2. The heating range corresponding to the width of the transfer material of the heater means is set on the basis of information indicating the width of the original document read from the other device.
The communication device described. 3. The fixing device is an on-demand fixing device for fixing the developer image to the transfer material by applying heat from the heating means to the transfer material through a thin film member. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2.