The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 05, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 12, 2000
Bong-Hee Lee, Suwon, KR;
SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon, KR;
Abstract
An apparatus and method of controlling the temperature of an image fixing unit having a developer fixed on a recording medium under a predetermined temperature in an image forming apparatus is provided. The temperature of the image fixing unit is set to one of a plurality of different temperatures stored in a controller of the image forming apparatus depending on an printing operation status of the image forming apparatus. The image fixing unit is heated and warmed-up to a predetermined ready temperature. If a print command is not received until the warm-up is completed, the ready temperature is maintained. The printing operation starts upon completion of the warm-up if the print command is received before the warm-up is completed. The temperature of the image fixing unit for the printing operation is set to a normal temperature during printing a first sheet, and the temperature of the image fixing unit for the printing operation of a second sheet of paper is set to a higher temperature higher than the normal temperature. If the print command is received while the ready temperature is maintained after the warm-up, the printing operation is performed with a lower temperature lower than the normal image fixing temperature.