Drastically Reduced Power Consumption from Conventional Machine; An Energy - Saving Technology

No Warm-Up Means Less Energy Consumed

On copying machines and laser beam printers, to fix the toner on the paper, the toner must be fused by heating and be fixed by applying pressure from the fuser unit. Until now, a thermal-roller fixing system was used for this process. However, with this system the roller is heated by a tube heater installed in its center, which creates a time lag until printing can start after the power is switched on. Many seconds of warm-up time are unavoidable unless the unit is kept on full power at all times. Canon has developed a film-fixing technology to solve these problems. This technology eliminates power loss and makes possible both energy savings and zero warm-up time.

Comparison of Temperature Variation between
Roller Fixing and Film Fixing Systems

Outstanding Energy-Saving Film-Fixing Technology

The main feature of Canon's film-fixing technology is its combination of film and ceramic heater. Our original fixing film has attained excellent thermal conductivity and low thermal capacity. A plate-type ceramic heater is brought into contact with this film. In this configuration, the heater goes into operation only when the sheet of paper passes through the fusing unit. The image is fixed by pressure and heat coming through the film. As fixing is performed rapidly without requiring any warm-up time, a copying machine equipped with this system consumes only about 1/4 the electricity of conventional machines.

Canon introduced a copying machine series equipped with this system in 1990. Since then, this technology has been winning a strong reputation from users as an epoch-making eco friendly technology to promote energy saving. Furthermore, it won us the Energy-Saving Vanguard Prize. Today, the system is installed in all categories of our copying machines, laser beam printers and facsimile machines.

Cross-Sectional View of Fusing Unit

Canon's film-fixing technology was achieved by changing the conventional metal roller to a film sleeve, and the tube heater to a ceramic heater. The new unit enables copying machines and laser beam printers to operate immediately after receiving a print command. In addition, it requires neither warm-up time nor heating of the fusing unit during idle time, thus unbelievably enhancing energy savings.

Technology Born from Waste

When Canon first started grappling with the concept of an alternative system to roller fixing, the only thing specific element was the concept itself. What kind of material should be used? What types of experiments should we conduct? We had no idea, and thus had to proceed in darkness. As a result, we tried many wild variations. One engineer brought a heater for a thermal printer and a thermal transfer sheet he picked up from a trash bin. By way of trial, we put an unfixed toner image over that sheet and heated it. Surprisingly, the image was fixed. Here was our turning point, and the idea of fixing with film became immediately more realistic.

Subsequently, overcoming such barriers as finding the optimum film material, making an endless film, and selecting the most appropriate driving system and temperature detection method for the heater, we completed work on the film-fixing system. We now possess hundreds of patents related to this technology, which serve as a testament to how extensively it integrates sophisticated innovations.

This information has been obtain from Canon Inc. website for informational purposes only. Information is Copyright© 2001 Canon Inc.

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