US 12,216,420 B2
Image forming apparatus and control method
Masaya Tanaka, Sunto Shizuoka (JP); and Hiroshi Ota, Ota Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/531,216.
Application 18/531,216 is a continuation of application No. 17/944,097, filed on Sep. 13, 2022, granted, now 11,880,151.
Prior Publication US 2024/0103415 A1, Mar. 28, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03G 15/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/2039 (2013.01) [G03G 15/2053 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on a first sheet in an image forming process;
a fixing unit configured to heat the first sheet to fix the toner image to the first sheet, comprising a heater including a substrate and heating elements arranged on the substrate; and
a control unit configured to:
begin a cooling process for cooling of the fixing unit when an overheating condition is met after the fixing of the toner image to the first sheet,
permit the image forming unit to form a toner image on a second sheet after the cooling process ends according to a first cooling condition if a person is determined to be positioned in a predetermined region in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, and
permit the image forming unit to form a toner image on the second sheet after the cooling process ends according to a second cooling condition if a person is determined not to be positioned in the predetermined region in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, wherein
the cooling process according to the first cooling condition ends in less time than the cooling process according to the second cooling condition.