Patent ID: 9046841
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A gloss applicator comprising: a heat source; a heater member to be heated by the heat source; an endless belt to rotate while being heated by the heater member; a pressure member that presses against the heater member via the endless belt, thereby forming a nip; a cooling unit to cool the endless belt, wherein a recording medium on which a toner image is formed is conveyed into the nip, and the recording medium is further conveyed from the nip while being in contact with the endless belt to be cooled by the cooling unit and is separated from the endless belt; a first temperature sensor that detects a surface temperature of the endless belt disposed against the heater member via the endless belt; a second temperature sensor configured to detect a surface temperature of the endless belt and disposed on the endless belt immediately upstream and away from the heater member so as to be between a separating position of the recording medium and a heating position by the heater member, in the rotation direction of the endless belt; and a cooling controller to control the cooling unit to vary a cooling amount based on the surface temperature detected by the second temperature sensor, wherein the cooling unit includes a cooling member through which a coolant circulates, the cooling member being disposed to press-contact an inner surface of the endless belt, and wherein, during start-up of the gloss applicator, the cooling controller performs a control operation which increases the cooling amount when the surface temperature detected by the second temperature sensor is greater than a predetermined value and which decreases the cooling amount with the surface temperature detected by the second temperature sensor is less than the predetermined value such that the surface temperature of the endless belt is greater than a case in which the cooling unit is not controlled during the start-up of the gloss application and the cooling unit applies a constant cooling amount.