(19)
(11) EP 1 282 015 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
19.03.2003 Bulletin 2003/12

(43) Date of publication A2:
05.02.2003 Bulletin 2003/06

(21) Application number: 02025038.7

(22) Date of filing: 14.01.1997
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G03G 15/20
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE ES FR GB IT

(30) Priority: 17.01.1996 JP 550796
16.02.1996 JP 2912896
04.03.1996 JP 4611396
18.03.1996 JP 6069896
09.12.1996 JP 32823996
26.12.1996 JP 34732396
26.12.1996 JP 34732496
26.12.1996 JP 34732596

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
97100465.0 / 0785487

(71) Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Tokyo 143-8555 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Noguchi, Yukio
    Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken (JP)
  • Shirasugi, Kouji
    Satte-shi, Saitama-ken (JP)

(74) Representative: Schwabe - Sandmair - Marx 
Stuntzstrasse 16
81677 München
81677 München (DE)

   


(54) Fixing apparatus for an image forming apparatus


(57) A fixing apparatus has heaters (2, 3) to provide heat to fix a toner image on print paper. The heaters are intermittently activated to maintain the fixing apparatus at a substantially constant temperature. The heaters are activated by a predetermined voltage (Vf). Deactivation of the heaters (2, 3) is controlled by providing a low voltage immediately before the heaters are completely turned off so that a rate of change in a current flowing to the heaters is reduced. A timing of deactivation of each of the heaters may be controlled so that a start time of deactivation of the heaters (2, 3) differs from each other. The heaters (3) excluding at least one (2) of the heaters (2, 3) may be maintained to be deactivated when the fixing apparatus is in a predetermined operational state such as a waiting state or pre-heating state.






Search report