Source: http://www.freshpatents.com/-dt20091224ptan20090317111.php
Timestamp: 2013-05-24 12:11:19
Document Index: 592218569

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2005', 'art 130', 'art 130', 'art 130', 'arts 110', 'art 130', 'art 130', 'art 130']

Fixing Device Usable With An Image Forming Apparatus 2 views for this patent on FreshPatents.comupdated 05/24/2013
Patents sorted by company.	12/24/09 | Class 399 Monitor | RSS | Browse: Prev - Next Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus Abstract: A fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus having a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium, a heater to heat the fixing roller, and an alternating current (AC) power source to supply an AC electric power to the heater may include a power converting part to convert the AC electric power of the AC power source and to supply the converted power to the heater; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the power converting part and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point, the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the power converting part; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed between the relay coil and the DC power supplier and mounted adjacent to the fixing roller so as to interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to the relay coil, when a temperature of the fixing roller exceeds a threshold temperature, causing the relay coil to open the first relay contact point. ...
USPTO Applicaton #: #20090317111 - Class: 399 67 (USPTO) - 12/24/09 - Class 399 Related Terms: Direct Current Relay Thermoswitch Toner The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090317111, Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus.
This application is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 11/345,399, filed on Feb. 2, 2006 in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-22342, filed on Mar. 17, 2005 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus having a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium, a heater to heat the fixing roller, and an alternating current (AC) power source to supply an AC electric power to the heater, the fixing device including a power converting part to convert the AC electric power of the AC power source and to supply the converted power to the heater; a relay comprising a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the power converting part and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point, the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the power converting part; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed between the relay coil and the DC power supplier and mounted adjacent to the fixing roller so as to interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to the relay coil, when a temperature of the fixing roller exceeds a threshold temperature, causing the relay coil to open the first relay contact point.
The DC power supplier may supply the DC power to the power converting part. The thermoswitch may be disposed at a common DC power supply line from the DC power supplier to the relay coil and the power converting part to interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to both the relay coil and the power converting part when the temperature of the fixing roller exceeds the threshold temperature.
The power converting part may convert the AC electric power of the AC power source into a high frequency power as the converted power and supplies the high frequency power to the heater. The relay may further includes a second relay contact point which is driven by the relay coil and disposed on a second AC power supply line between the heater and the AC power source. The thermoswitch may include two thermoswitches which are mounted at different positions adjacent to the fixing roller, respectively. The two thermoswitches may be connected in series. The thermoswitch may include three or more thermoswitches which are mounted at different positions adjacent to the fixing roller, respectively.
The DC power supplier may supply the DC power to the power converting part. The thermoswitch may include a first thermoswitch to be interposed between the relay coil and the DC power supplier and interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to the relay coil when a temperature of the fixing roller exceeds a first threshold temperature, and a second thermoswitch to be interposed between the power converting part and the DC power supplier and interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to the power converting part when a temperature of the fixing roller exceeds a second threshold temperature. The DC power supplier may include a first DC power supplier to supply a first DC power to the relay coil, and a second DC power supplier to supply a second DC power to the power converting part. The relay may further include a second relay contact point which is driven by the relay coil and disposed on a second AC power supply line between the heater and the AC power source. At least one of the first thermoswitch and the second thermoswitch may include two thermoswitches which are mounted at different positions adjacent to the fixing roller, respectively. The two thermoswitches may be connected in series. At least one of the first thermoswitch and the second thermoswitch may include three or more thermoswitches which are mounted at different positions adjacent to the fixing roller, respectively.
The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus, including a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium; a heater to heat the fixing roller; an alternating current (AC) power source to generate an AC electric power such that the heater heats the fixing roller according to the AC electric power; a unit interposed between the heater and the AC power source to selectively supply the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater so as to control the heater to heat the fixing roller; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the unit and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point, the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from AC power source to the heater and the power control switch; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed on a DC power supply line between the DC power supplier and the relay coil to control the supply of the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the unit according to an overheating temperature of the fixing roller and the DC power of the DC power supplier. The unit may include a power converting part to convert the AC electric power to a frequency power, and the electric power has a first frequency, and the frequency power has a second frequency higher than the first frequency.
The DC power supplier may supply the DC power to the power converting part. The thermoswitch may be disposed at a common DC power supply line from the DC power supplier to the relay coil and the power converting part to interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to both the relay coil and the power converting part when the temperature of the fixing roller exceeds the threshold temperature. The thermoswitch may include a plurality of thermoswitches connected in parallel between the unit and the DC power supplier. The DC power supplier may include first and second power DC power suppliers to supply the DC power to the power converting part and the relay coil, respectively. The thermoswitch may include first and second thermoswitches connected between the first DC power supplier and the power converting part and between the second DC power supplier and the relay coil, respectively.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a fixing device 10-6 usable with an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present general inventive concept. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the fixing device 10 comprises a fixing roller 102, a heater 104, a power supplier 106, a relay 108 to supply and interrupt an electric power from the power supplier 106 to the heater 104, a power converting part 130 to convert the electric power from the power supplier 106 and to supply the converted power to the heater 104, first and second auxiliary power suppliers 110a and 110b to supply a driving power to the relay 108 and the power converting part 130, respectively, and first and second thermoswitches 112a and 112b interposed respectively between the relay 108 and the first auxiliary power supplier 110a and between the power converting part 130 and the second auxiliary power supplier 110b and mounted adjacent to the fixing roller 10 to be electrically opened in a case where the fixing roller 10 reaches the predetermined overheating temperature.
The first and second auxiliary parts 110a and 110b supply the electric power of a proper level to the relay 108 and the power converting part 130, respectively, and the first and second thermoswitches 112a and 112b have a power capacity corresponding to each current flowing through the relay 10 and the power converting part 130.
Therefore, even in a case where the relay 108 and the power converting part 130 may require the electric power supply of each different level, the thermoswitches 112a and 112b corresponding thereto are mounted, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the fixing unit 10 and enhancing the credibility and the stability on the overheating prevention operation.
Download full PDF for full patent description/claims.You can also Monitor Keywords and Search for tracking patents relating to this Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus patent application.Patent Applications in related categories: 20130121716 - Fixation unit and image forming apparatus - A fixation unit which allows paper with a toner image formed thereon to be fed between a first roller and a second roller for fixing the toner image on the sheet. The fixation unit includes a drive controller. The drive controller rotates the first and second rollers on different driving ...
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Previous Patent Application:Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatusNext Patent Application:Heater, fixing unit and image forming apparatusIndustry Class:Electrophotography###Design/code © 2013 FreshContext LLC/Freshpatents.com.Patent data source: patents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)Information published here is for research/educational purposes only (and in conjunction with our Keyword Monitor) and is not meant to be used in place of the full USPTO patent document/images or a comprehensive patent archive search. Complete official applications are on file at the USPTO and may contain additional data/images. FreshPatents.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO or firms/individuals or products/designs/ideas related to listed patents and there may be applicable trademarks or servicemarks within the documents.FreshPatents.com Support - Terms & ConditionsThank you for viewing the Fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus patent info.- - - AAPL - Apple, BA - Boeing, GOOG - Google, IBM, JBL - Jabil, KO - Coca Cola, MOT - Motorla
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