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:
Dec. 08, 2015
Filed:
Jun. 26, 2013
Konica Minolta, Inc., Chiyoda-ku, JP;
Natsuyo Higashi, Toyokawa, JP;
Shigetaka Kato, Shinshiro, JP;
Hideki Nakamura, Hachioji, JP;
Katsufumi Suzuki, Okazaki, JP;
Hirotada Seki, Toyokawa, JP;
KONICA MINOLTA, INC., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus that heat-fixes a toner image onto a recording sheet passing through a fixing nip formed by pressing a pressurizing member against a heating rotational body heated by a heater, comprising: a storage unit storing a basic power consumption level of the heater determined in advance in a situation where inflow of inrush current to the heater is not occurring; an estimation unit calculating an estimated power consumption level of the heater by estimating an increase in the power consumption level, with respect to the basic power consumption level, brought about by inflow of inrush current to the heater; and an output unit outputting the estimated power consumption level. The heater switches between a heating state of receiving power supply and a non-heating state of not receiving power supply. The increase is estimated according to a duration of a non-heating state immediately preceding the heating state.