US 11,796,944 B2
Image forming apparatus and method of forming an image
Shigeru Morino, Numazu Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/979,444.
Application 17/979,444 is a continuation of application No. 17/411,264, filed on Aug. 25, 2021, granted, now 11,507,005.
Application 17/411,264 is a continuation of application No. 17/029,464, filed on Sep. 23, 2020, granted, now 11,131,950, issued on Sep. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0051650 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03G 15/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/2053 (2013.01) [G03G 15/205 (2013.01); G03G 15/2064 (2013.01); G03G 2215/2038 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
8. A method of forming an image, the method comprising:
supplying, by a sheet container, a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction;
forming, by a printer, a toner image on the sheet;
receiving, by a controller, a printing request;
selecting, by the controller and after receiving the printing request, a heating element group from a heat generating member including a plurality of heating elements including a first heating element and a second heating element;
driving, by the controller, the heating element group to heat a fixing belt and fix the toner image to the sheet;
controlling, by the controller, the printer so that the toner image is formed in an area bounded on sides by a first inner side and a second inner side and for a predetermined period of time from a start of heat generation by the heating element group;
determining, by the controller, a type of the printing request;
selecting one of a plurality of methods of forming the toner image; and
controlling, by the controller and after selecting the one of the plurality of methods, the printer so that the toner image is formed using the selected one of the plurality of methods.