| 摘要 |
<p>The present invention relates to a temperature control method for a fixing device of an image forming apparatus using an electrostatic photographing process, and it is an object of the present invention particularly to realize excellent temperature control performance without any addition of any complicated mechanism or device to a fixing device using a heater having a small heat capacity. The present invention is characterized by: (1) Correcting a detected temperature, above all, correcting a delay in the detection by a temperature sensor, in accordance with a predetermined equation with a view to determining the electric power to be supplied (i.e., to be applied); (2) Supplying the electric power to be supplied (applied) to the heater by using a particular pattern, and, above all, supplying the electric power to be supplied in a sampling period to be set up for the purpose and additionally in specific units formed by dividing the sampling period into smaller segments; (3) Performing sequential control by using a temperature discriminating method for the pressurizing roller and, above all, by estimating the temperature of a pressurizing roller not provided with any temperature detector on the basis of a natural temperature decline process in the heater, the quantity of heat which the heater is deprived of, the transport of the recording medium, and so forth, and applying an adequate quantity of electric power to the heater on the basis of such an estimate.</p> |
