| US 7,493,059 B2 | ||
| Method and apparatus for image forming with an improved warm-up control | ||
| Seiji Saitoh, Zama (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 24, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/409,083. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2005-125279 (JP), filed on Apr. 22, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0239707 A1, Oct. 26, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G03G 15/20 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 399—70 [399/67; 399/69] | 4 Claims |
| 1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming mechanism configured to form a toner image on a recording medium according to image data;
a fixing roller configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium by applying heat;
a heater configured to heat the fixing roller to warm up the fixing roller;
a sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fixing roller;
a warm-up mechanism configured to warm up the fixing roller by using the heater;
a controller configured to perform a first warm-up control that finishes the warm-up of the fixing roller on either one of
conditions that the temperature of the fixing roller detected by the sensor reaches a predetermined first temperature or that
a predetermined time period elapses; and
the controller configured to perform a second warm-up control that continues the warm-up of the fixing roller until the temperature
of the fixing roller detected by the sensor reaches a predetermined third temperature, which is not lower than the predetermined
first temperature, when the temperature of the fixing roller detected by the sensor does not reach a predetermined second
temperature, which is not higher than the predetermined first temperature, even when the predetermined time period elapses.
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