1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a forming unit to which electric power is supplied from a power supply unit, and which forms an image onto a recording medium on the basis of acquired image information;
a fixing unit at which electric power is supplied from the power supply unit to a heater thereof, and the formed image is fixed by heating the recording medium on which the image has been formed;
a detecting unit which detects an electric power consumption of the forming unit and an electric power consumption of the fixing unit; and
a control unit which controls the power supply unit so as to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit when the electric power consumption of the forming unit detected by the detecting unit is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, and determines surplus electric energy by subtracting the electric power consumption of the forming unit and the electric power consumption of the fixing unit from available electric energy of the image forming apparatus, and controls so as to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit within a range of the surplus electric energy.
2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, at the time of increasing the electric power consumption of the fixing unit on the basis of the electric power consumption of the forming unit detected by the detecting unit, increases the electric power consumption of the fixing unit with respect to a predetermined time determined in advance.
3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an option unit which carries out processing different from the image forming processing; and
an option control unit which, after receiving a request for processing of the option unit, controls so as to carry out the processing of the option unit when it is determined that power supply to the forming unit and the fixing unit can be sufficiently carried out even if the processing of the option unit is carried out, and so as to carry out the processing of the option unit after the processing of the forming unit is completed when it is determined that the power supply to the forming unit and the fixing unit cannot be sufficiently carried out if the processing of the option unit is carried out.
4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an option unit which carries out processing different from the image forming processing; and
an option control unit which, after receiving a request for processing of the option unit, controls so as to carry out the processing of the option unit when it is determined that a fixing temperature of the fixing unit can be maintained even if the processing of the option unit is carried out, and so as to carry out the processing of the option unit after the processing of the forming unit is completed when it is determined that the fixing temperature of the fixing unit cannot be maintained if the processing of the option unit is carried out.
5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the option unit includes at least one of a copying function, a FAX function, a telephone function, and a scanning function.
6. An image forming method, comprising:
respectively detecting an electric power consumption of a forming unit and an electric power consumption of a fixing unit of an image forming apparatus having the forming unit to which electric power is supplied from a power supply unit, and which forms an image onto a recording medium on the basis of acquired image information, and the fixing unit in which electric power is supplied from the power supply unit to a heater thereof, and the formed image is fixed by heating the recording medium on which the image has been formed;
increasing the electric power consumption of the fixing unit when the electric power consumption of the forming unit is less than or equal to a predetermined amount;
determining surplus electric energy by subtracting the electric power consumption of the forming unit and the electric power consumption of the fixing unit from available electric energy of the image forming apparatus; and
increasing the electric power consumption of the fixing unit within a range of the surplus electric energy.
7. An image forming method according to claim 6, further comprising controlling, at the time of increasing the electric power consumption of the fixing unit on the basis of the electric power consumption of the forming unit detected by a detecting unit, to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit with respect to a predetermined time determined in advance.
8. An image forming method according to claim 6, further comprising:
after receiving a request for processing of an option unit which carries out processing different from the image forming processing, controlling so as to carry out the processing of the option unit when it is determined that power supply to the forming unit and the fixing unit can be sufficiently carried out even if the processing of the option unit is carried out, and so as to carry out the processing of the option unit after the processing of the forming unit is completed when it is determined that the power supply to the forming unit and the fixing unit cannot be sufficiently carried out if the processing of the option unit is carried out.
9. An image forming method according to claim 6, further comprising:
after receiving a request for processing of an option unit which carries out processing different from the image forming processing, controlling so as to carry out the processing of the option unit when it is determined that a fixing temperature of the fixing unit can be maintained even if the processing of the option unit is carried out, and so as to carry out the processing of the option unit after the processing of the forming unit is completed when it is determined that the fixing temperature of the fixing unit cannot be maintained if the processing of the option unit is carried out.
10. An image forming method according to claim 6, wherein the option unit includes at least one of a copying function, a FAX function, a telephone function, and a scanning function.
11. A fixing device comprising:
a fixing unit which carries current to a heater and heats a recording medium on which an image has been formed to thereby fix the formed image;
a detecting unit which respectively detects an electric power consumption with respect to a processing unit to which a power supply unit, supplying electric power to the fixing unit, further supplies electric power, and an electric power consumption of the fixing unit; and
a control unit which controls so as to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit when the electric power consumption of the processing unit detected by the detecting unit is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, and determines surplus electric energy by subtracting the electric power consumption of the processing unit and the electric power consumption of the fixing unit from available electric energy of the power supply unit, and controls so as to increase the electric power consumption of the fixing unit within a range of the surplus electric energy.
12. A fixing device according to claim 11, wherein, the control unit, at the time of increasing the electric power consumption of the fixing unit on the basis of the electric power consumption of the processing unit detected by the detecting unit, increases the electric power consumption of the fixing unit with respect to a predetermined time determined in advance.
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. In a knotting device including a rotatable knotter operable to twist-knot a pair of adjacent wire sections, and a cover located adjacent said knotter in a wire-maintaining position for maintaining the wire sections within the knotter during feeding and knotting operations, the improvement which comprises a mount for said cover permitting the cover to be pivoted away from said knotter to a knotter access position remote from said wire-maintaining position and though a pivot arc of at least about 90\xb0,
said cover being pivotal relative to the knotter to open from the wire-maintaining position to a wire-clearing position, with the cover permitting passage of the twist-knotted wire sections from the knotter when in the wire-clearing position,
said cover being further pivotal relative to the knotter to open beyond the wire-clearing position to the knotter access position.
2. The device of claim 1, said arc being greater than about 120\xb0.
3. The device of claim 1, said knotter comprising a rotatable pinion that presents a slot adapted to receive said adjacent wire sections.
4. The device of claim 1, including a spring operably coupled with said cover for biasing the cover up to said wire-maintaining position thereof.
5. The device of claim 4, said spring also operable to bias the cover to said knotter access position upon pivoting of the cover to the knotter access position.
6. The device of claim 5, said spring secured to said cover and shiftable over center with the cover.
7. The device of claim 1, said mount comprising an arm secured to said cover,
said arm being pivotal about an axis remote from said cover and generally parallel thereto.
8. The device of claim 1, said knotter rotatably mounted on an elongated support body, said body being selectively rotatable when said cover is in said knotter access position to a non-operative position permitting ready replacement or repair of the knotter.
9. The device of claim 8, including an upright frame member proximal to said knotter, said support body being releasably secured to said frame member and pivotal relative thereto to move the support body and knotter to said non-operative position.
10. The device of claim 1, said cover being manually shiftable from said wire-maintaining position to said knotter access position.
11. The device of claim 1;
a gripper for selectively gripping one of the pair of adjacent wire sections;
a cutting element for cutting the other of the pair of said adjacent wire sections after twist-knotting of the sections;
an operator assembly for timed operation of said gripper, knotter, cutting element and cover; and
a single drive assembly coupled with said operator assembly for effecting said timed operation.
12. The device of claim 11,
said drive assembly comprising a piston and cylinder assembly including a reciprocal piston rod operably connected with said operator assembly.
13. The device of claim 11,
said operator assembly including a pivotal shaft assembly carrying respective operator bodies for said gripper, knotter, cutting element and cover.
14. The device of claim 13; and
a spring operably coupled with said mount for biasing the cover to said wire-maintaining position thereof,
said cover operator body configured to engage said mount to move the cover from said wire-maintaining position to said wire-clearing position.
15. The device of claim 14,
said spring acting to maintain said cover in said knotter access position.
16. The device of claim 14,
said knotter rotatably mounted on an elongated support body,
said body being selectively rotatable when said cover is in said knotter access position to the non-operative position permitting ready replacement or repair of the knotter.
17. The device of claim 16; and
an upright frame member proximal to said knotter,
said support body being releasably secured to said frame member and pivotal relative thereto to move the support body and knotter to said non-operative position.
18. The device of claim 1; and
a rotating drive element,
said rotatable knotter drivingly engaging the drive element in an operating position to twist-knot the pair of adjacent wire sections,
said knotter being pivotal from the operating position to a non-operative position where the knotter and drive element are drivingly disengaged to allow servicing of the knotter,
said cover permitting the knotter to pivot into the non-operative position when the cover is in the knotter access position.
19. The device of claim 18,
said knotter comprising a rotatable pinion that presents a slot adapted to receive said adjacent wire sections,
said drive element comprising a sector gear that drivingly intermeshes with the pinion in the operating position.