Patent ID: 8515298
Filing Date: 2013-08-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium; a fixing unit configured to fix the image onto the recording medium by applying heat and pressure; a re-transport unit configured to re-transport the recording medium which has passed through the fixing unit, to the image forming unit along a re-transport path; a cooling unit provided between the fixing unit and the image forming unit along the re-transport path and comprising a fan configured to rotate by a rotation speed to generate blowing air to cool the recording medium transported by the re-transport unit, wherein an amount of the blowing air generated varies according to the rotation speed; a parameter signal output unit comprising a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, wherein the parameter signal output unit is configured to output a signal corresponding to a parameter for controlling the cooling unit, the signal corresponding to a temperature measured by the temperature sensor and a humidity measured by the humidity sensor; and a controller configured to control the rotation speed of the cooling unit fan according to the signal output from the parameter signal output unit, wherein the controller is configured to vary the rotation speed of the fan between: a first rotation speed, a second rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed, a third rotation speed smaller than the second rotation speed, and zero, wherein the controller is configured to control the fan to a faster rotation speed as the humidity corresponding to the signal output from the parameter signal output unit becomes lower.