Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Unit or part identification
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-06
2004-11-16
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Unit or part identification
C399S067000, C399S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06819881
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system, such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a combination machine of the above machines, and more specifically to an image forming apparatus in which a special toner image can be obtained in addition to a normal toner image.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer that utilizes the electrophotographic system or the electrostatic transfer system is widely known. In such an image forming apparatus, a black-and-white image, a full-color image formed with toners of yellow, cyan, and magenta, and the like are usually formed on a paper and outputted. In addition, unlike the technique for obtaining these (flat) images, there has been proposed a technique for obtaining a three-dimensional image using a special toner (foaming toner). For example, the applicant has already proposed “Image forming toner, preparation method thereof, three-dimensional image forming method and image forming apparatus” and “Image forming apparatus” in JP 2000-131875 A and JP 2001-194846 A, respectively.
Incidentally, the special toner has preferable fixing conditions that are different from those of the normal toner in terms of characteristics. For example, in order to form a satisfactory three-dimensional image, in general, it is necessary to give a foamable toner a heat quantity larger than that for the normal toner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image with the normal toner and forming an image with the special toner, which makes it possible to perform appropriate fixing of a toner to be used according to characteristics of the toner.
According to the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member; a first developing unit for forming an image consisting of one type or plural types of first developer on the image bearing member; a second developing unit for forming an image consisting of one type or plural types of second developer different from the first developer on the image bearing member; a transfer section for transferring the image formed on the image bearing member to a recording medium; a fixing apparatus for fixing the image on the recording medium under predetermined fixing conditions and conveying the same; a developing unit judging section for judging a type of a developing unit used by the image forming apparatus; and a control unit for controlling the fixing conditions based on a judgment result of the developing unit judging section.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member; a first developing unit for forming an image consisting of one type or plural types of first developer on the image bearing member, a transfer section for transferring the image formed on the image bearing member to a recording medium; a fixing apparatus for fixing the image on the recording medium under predetermined fixing conditions and conveying the same, the image forming apparatus is capable of having mounted thereto a second developing unit for forming an image consisting of one type or plural types of second developer different from the first developer on the image bearing member; a developing unit judging section for judging a type of a developing unit used by the image forming apparatus; and a control unit for controlling the fixing conditions based on a judgment result of the developing unit judging section.
As described above, the image forming apparatus may be provided with both the first developing unit and the second developing unit from an initial state of development or may be provided with only the first developing unit in the initial state and mounted with the second developing unit later (additionally or alternatively).
Further, the image forming apparatus may comprise a user interface section in which an instruction from a user is inputted, wherein the developing unit judging section judges a type of a developing unit used by the image forming apparatus based on an instruction from the user interface section. Alternatively, the image forming may further comprise an image processing section in which an image forming command is inputted, wherein the developing unit judging section judges a type of a developing unit used by the image forming apparatus based on a result of analysis of the image forming instruction by the image processing section.
The control unit can control the fixing conditions such that first fixing conditions in using only the first developing unit and second fixing conditions in using only the second developing unit are different from each other. In addition, in the case where both the first developing unit and the second developing unit are used, the control unit can control the fixing conditions such that intermediate fixing conditions between the first fixing conditions and the second fixing conditions are realized. Moreover, the control unit can also determine the intermediate fixing conditions according to a frequency of using the first developing unit and the second developing unit. That is, the control unit can determine the intermediate fixing conditions such that the intermediate fixing conditions become closer to the first fixing conditions in the case where the first developing unit is used more frequently or closer to the second fixing conditions in the case where the second developing unit is used more frequently.
In addition, the first developer and the second developer can be distinguished from each other in that the first developer does not contain a foaming agent and the second developer contains a foaming agent, the first developer contains a colorant of a nonmetallic color and the second developer contains a colorant of a metallic color, the first developer contains a colorant of a chromatic color and the second developer contains a colorant of an achromatic color, or the first developer contains a specific colorant and the second developer contains a colorant different from the specific colorant.
Examples of the first developer include a developer (of one type) containing a colorant of black, developers of three types containing colorants of yellow, magenta, and cyan, respectively, and developers of four types containing a colorant of black in addition to these developers of three types. In addition, as examples of the second developer, there are a colorless developer (of one type) containing a foaming agent and not containing a colorant, a developer (of one type) containing a foaming agent and a colorant, a developer (of one type) not containing a foaming agent and containing a colorant of a metallic color, and developers of plural types that are arbitrary combinations of the above-mentioned developers. Note that the foaming agent and the colorant may be internally added or externally added to a developer.
Here, when the first developer does not contain a foaming agent and the second developer contains a foaming agent, fixing conditions can be controlled as described below.
First, the fixing section is provided with a pair of fixing rotators that come into press-contact with each other and rotate at a predetermining fixing rate, and a second fixing rate that is the second fixing condition is controlled to be lower than a first fixing rate that is the first fixing condition.
Second, the fixing section is provided with a pair of fixing rotators that come into press-contact with each other and rotate and a heating source that heats at least one of the pair of fixing rotators to a predetermined fixing temperature, and a second fixing temperature that is the second fixing condition is controlled to be higher than a first fixing temperature that is the first fixing condition.
In relation to the image forming apparatus described above, the fixing section is provided with a pair of to
Hirota Makoto
Kurita Atsumi
Yamada Kunio
Yamamuro Takashi
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Royer William J.
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