1. A switching device position detection system comprising:
a solenoid adapted to generate mechanical energy from an energizing current supplied thereto;
a switching device coupled to the solenoid and adapted to be driven by the mechanical energy to move between a first position and at least one second position;
at least one measuring element coupled to the switching device, the at least one measuring element adapted to be engaged by the switching device and to have a measuring current flowing therethrough when the switching device moves to the at least one second position; and
a solenoid driver coupled to the solenoid and to the at least one measuring element and adapted to supply the energizing current to the solenoid, to detect the measuring current, and to determine on the basis of detection of the measuring current whether the switching device has moved to the at least one second position, wherein the solenoid driver is adapted to receive a feedback current comprising a sum of the energizing current and the measuring current when the at least one measuring element has moved to the at least one second position, and compare the feedback current to a predetermined threshold to detect the measuring current.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein, upon determining whether the switching device has moved to the at least one second position, the solenoid driver is adapted to update the energizing current for supply to the solenoid.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold corresponds to the energizing current at a time t=t1 preceding a time t=t2 at which the switching device has moved to the at least one second position.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one measuring element comprises at least one resistor.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching device is adapted to move between the first position and a plurality of successive second positions.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one measuring element comprises a first measuring element, the first measuring element adapted to be engaged by the switching device and to have a first measuring current flowing therethrough when the switching device is in the first position, and a plurality of second measuring elements each adapted to be successively engaged by the switching device and to have a second measuring current flowing therethrough when the switching device is in a corresponding one of the plurality of successive second positions.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second measuring current flowing through a first one of the plurality of second measuring elements is different from the first measuring current and from the second measuring current flowing through a second one of the plurality of second measuring elements.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching device is adapted to move between a plurality of successive steady state positions and to pass through a transient position when moving between each pair of the plurality of successive steady state positions.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one measuring element comprises a plurality of measuring elements each adapted to be temporarily engaged by the switching device and have the measuring current flowing therethrough when the switching device passes through the transient position.
10. A switching device position detection method comprising:
energizing a solenoid by supplying an energizing current from a solenoid driver coupled thereto, thereby actuating a switching device coupled to the solenoid to move between a first position and at least one second position;
generating a measuring current through at least one measuring element coupled to the switching device when the switching device moves between the first position and the at least one second position; and
detecting the measuring current at the solenoid driver by receiving a feedback current comprising a sum of the energizing current and the measuring current when the at least one measuring element has moved to the at least one second position and comparing the feedback current to a predetermined threshold, and determining, on the basis of detection of the measuring current, whether the switching device has moved to the at least one second position.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein comparing the feedback current to a predetermined threshold comprises comparing the feedback current to the energizing current at a time t=t1 preceding a time t=t2 at which the switching device has moved to the at least one second position.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, upon detecting the measuring current at the solenoid driver to determine whether the switching device has moved to the at least one second position, updating the energizing current for supply to the solenoid.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein energizing the solenoid actuates the switching device to move between the first position and a plurality of successive second positions.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating a measuring current comprises generating the measuring current through a first measuring element coupled to the switching device when the switching device is in the first position and generating the measuring current through each one of a plurality of second measuring elements coupled to the switching device when the switching device is in a corresponding one of the plurality of successive second positions.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein energizing the solenoid actuates the switching device to move between a plurality of successive steady state positions and to pass through a transient position when moving between each pair of the plurality of successive steady state positions.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating a measuring current comprises generating the measuring current through each one of a plurality of measuring elements coupled to the switching device when the switching device passes through the transient position.
17. A switching device position detection system comprising:
means for energizing a solenoid by supplying an energizing current from a solenoid driver coupled thereto, thereby actuating a switching device coupled to the solenoid to move between a first position and at least one second position;
means for generating a measuring current through at least one measuring element coupled to the switching device when the switching device moves between the first position and the at least one second position; and
means for detecting the measuring current at the solenoid driver by receiving a feedback current comprising a sum of the energizing current and the measuring current when the at least one measuring element has moved to the at least one second position and comparing the feedback current to a predetermined threshold, and determining, on the basis of detection of the measuring current, whether the switching device has moved to the at least one second position.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image fixing unit for a wet image forming apparatus, comprising:
a fixing section having a first fixing roller and a second fixing roller, the second fixing roller rotating in close contact with the first fixing roller to feed paper through a fixing nip)between the fixing rollers; and
a belt disposed on a feed path of the paper and supported by a preheating roller spaced a predetermined distance apart from the first fixing roller to move along an endless path so that the belt is adapted to be fed in contact with a non-image surface of the paper.
2. The image fixing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second fixing rollers has a heating element mounted therein.
3. The image fixing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image has a content of the liquid carrier in a range from at or about 3% to at or about 20% by weight when the image enters the fixing nip.
4. An image fixing unit for a wet image forming apparatus, comprising:
a fixing section having a first fixing roller and a second fixing roller which rotates in close contact with the first fixing roller to feed paper through a fixing nip between the fixing rollers,
wherein any one of the first and second fixing rollers is disposed to bring a surface thereof into contact with a non-image surface of the paper before the paper passes through the fixing nip, and the fixing roller in contact with the paper has a heating element mounted therein.
5. The image fixing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second fixing rollers have different diameters respectively, and the non-image surface of the paper comes into contact with the surface of the fixing roller having a larger diameter.
6. The image fixing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fixing roller whose surface does not come into contact with the paper further comprises a heating element.
7. The image fixing unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the image has a content of the liquid carrier in a range from at or about 3% to at or about 20% by weight when the image enters the fixing nip.
8. An image fixing unit for a wet image forming apparatus, comprising:
a fixing section having a first fixing roller and a second fixing roller that rotates in close contact with the first fixing roller to feed paper through a fixing nip between the first and second rollers; and
a preheating means disposed on a feed path of the paper before the paper enters the fixing nip and in contact with a non-image surface of the paper to allow the image to be exposed to the air.
9. A method for fixing an image in a wet image forming apparatus, comprising:
preheating a non-image surface of a paper containing an image that has a content of liquid carrier to evaporate a substantial portion of the liquid carrier in the paper; and
fixing the preheated paper to adhesively secure the image to the paper.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of preheating comprises:
contacting the non-image surface of the paper with a pre-heating element while an image surface of the paper is exposed to air.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pre-heating element comprises a first fixing roller.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pre-heating element further comprises:
a pre-heating roller and belt configured in an endless loop around a first fixing roller and a pre-heating roller.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least either the first fixing roller or the pre-heating roller contains a heating element.
14. The method according to claim 9 wherein the image has a content of the liquid carrier in a range from at or about 3% to at or about 20% by weight when the image enters the fixing nip.
15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the fixing step comprises:
passing paper between the first and second fixing roller.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second fixing rollers comprises a heating element.
17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of pre-heating comprises:
heating a pre-heating roller by an internally contained heating element, wherein the preheating roller is in rotational communication with a first fixing roller by a belt, such that the preheating roller heats the non-image surface of the paper containing the content of liquid carrier; and
evaporating a substantial portion of the liquid carrier in the paper.