Image forming device for suppressing power consumption by fixing unit

摘要

An image forming device includes a toner-image forming unit; a heating unit; and a processor. The toner-image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on a sheet using toner. The heating unit is configured to generate heat for thermally fixing the toner image to the sheet. The processor is configured to perform a first fixing process to control the heating unit to start generating heat in a first mode, and a second fixing process to switch the first mode to a second mode at a switch timing ahead of an estimated end timing at which thermal fixing of toner images to all sheets to be consecutively printed is completed. The heat amount per unit time generated by the heating unit in the second mode is smaller than a heat amount per unit time generated by the heating unit in the first mode.

主权项

1. An image forming device comprising:
a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet; a toner container configured to contain toner therein; a toner-image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit using the toner contained in the toner container; a heating unit configured to generate heat for thermally fixing the toner image to the sheet; and a processor configured to perform a first fixing process wherein the processor controls the heating unit to start generating heat in a first mode, and perform a second fixing process wherein the processor switches the first mode to a second mode at a switch timing ahead of an estimated end timing at which thermal fixing of toner images to all sheets to be consecutively printed is completed, a heat amount per unit time generated by the heating unit in the second mode being smaller than a heat amount per unit time generated by the heating unit in the first mode, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:
a switch timing setting process wherein the processor sets the switch timing while referring to a first parameter relating to a heat capacity of a sheet;a switch timing determination process wherein the processor determines whether the switch timing has arrived; anda mode switching process wherein the processor switches the first mode to the second mode based on a determination in the switch timing determination process.