| 摘要 |
<p>A temperature control device (30), for controlling, at a desired set point (T1), the temperature of an environment or member being heated or being cooled, is particularly suitable for controlling the temperature of a heated electrostatographic fuser roller (22). The device (30) includes a large tolerance, low precision temperature sensing element (42) that is encapsulated in a compound (50) that has a known and precise solid/liquid phase change melting or freezing point (T2) approximately at such a desired temperature set point (T1). The device (30) also includes a control unit (36) which during a warm-up or a cool-down period for the environment or member, for example, the heated fuser roller (22), repeatedly monitors the temperature of the encapsulated sensing element in order to detect the phase change point (T2), for example, the melting point of the encapsulating compound (50). The phase change point (T2), when so detected, is then utilized by the control unit (36) to responsively self-calibrate the control device (30), thereby substantially increasing its overall precision in controlling the temperature of the environment or member (22).</p> |
