US 12,242,217 B2
Image forming system, image forming apparatus, and fixing device
Tomoki Fujikawa, Shizuoka (JP); Tadashi Fukumuro, Shizuoka (JP); and Yuji Fujiwara, Boise, ID (US)
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Feb. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/172,100.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-029562 (JP), filed on Feb. 28, 2022; and application No. 2022-140091 (JP), filed on Sep. 2, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0273553 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 15/20 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/205 (2013.01) [G03G 15/5045 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming system comprising:
an apparatus main-body including an image forming portion configured to form an image on a recording material;
a control portion configured to control a fixing operation of fixing the image formed on the recording material; and
a fixing unit attached to the apparatus main-body, wherein the fixing unit is one among:
a first fixing unit including:
a first heater including a plurality of heat generation blocks divided in a width direction, which is orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material, each of the plurality of heat generation blocks being configured to be individually controlled;
a first temperature detection element that detects a temperature of the first heater; and
a first information processing portion that acquires first temperature information related to a temperature detected by the first temperature detection element, wherein, in a state where the first fixing unit is attached to the apparatus main-body, the first information processing portion transmits first data including first identification information related to a type of the first fixing unit and the first temperature information to the control portion; and
a second fixing unit including:
a second heater different from the first heater and including a single heat generation block corresponding to a maximum size of a recording material in the width direction;
a second temperature detection element that detects a temperature of the second heater; and
a second information processing portion that acquires second temperature information related to a temperature detected by the second temperature detection element, and in a state where the second fixing unit is attached to the apparatus main-body, the second information processing portion transmits second data including second identification information related to a type of the second fixing unit and the second temperature information to the control portion,
wherein the control portion discriminates that the fixing unit attached to the apparatus main-body is either:
the first fixing unit based on the first identification information included in the first data and controls the fixing operation by the first fixing unit based on the first temperature information included in the first data; or
the second fixing unit based on the second identification information included in the second data and controls the fixing operation by the second fixing unit based on the second temperature information included in the second data.