JP2001042710A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To optimize exhaust (in-machine cooling) ability and to restrain noise in an ordinary temperature printing mode by controlling the revolving speed of a ventilating fan in a high temperature printing mode to be higher than that in the ordinary temperature printing mode. SOLUTION: A duct 1 is a path for guiding air inside the device to the outside of the device, and a fan 2 for cooling the inside of the device is disposed in the duct 1. Hot air generated in the device passes through the aperture part 3a of an outside cover 3 by the rotation of the fan 2 and is discharged to the outside of the device. The control part 4 controls so that the revolving speed of the fan 2 may be higher in the high temperature printing mode than in the ordinary temperature printing mode. This device is equipped with an adjusting means for the aperture area of an exhaust port and the aperture area of the exhaust port in the high temperature printing mode is controlled to be larger than that in the ordinary temperature printing mode. The exhaust (in-machine cooling) ability in the ordinary temperature printing mode is optimized and the generated noise is made low by such methods.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having an exhaust unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine having an exhaust unit, various types have been proposed in which the rotation speed of an exhaust fan is variable. For example, JP-A-5-2042
In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 21-216, the number of revolutions of the cooling fan is varied in accordance with a change in current of a load to be cooled. The number of revolutions of the fan is varied in accordance with the time required for copying and the number of continuous copies. In the control device of the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-197922, the operation states of warm-up, copy, and standby are set. A suitable fan motor control state can be realized.

[0003]

Some image forming apparatuses, such as copying machines, have two or more set fixing temperatures during a printing operation. Examples of this type of image forming apparatus include an apparatus in which the fixing temperature is set higher than usual in order to secure the fixing property when the heat capacity necessary for fixing such as thick paper or special paper is large, or a printing speed. When two or more stages are provided, there is a case in which the fixing set temperature is set higher than that in the normal print mode in order to secure the fixability in the high-speed print mode. In these image forming apparatuses, the amount of heat generated inside the apparatus is generally larger in the high temperature print mode than in the normal temperature print mode,
Therefore, the exhaust (in-machine cooling) capacity of this type of apparatus is usually designed to be appropriate for the high-temperature print mode. However, if such a setting is adopted, the cooling capacity becomes excessive in the normal temperature print mode.

[0004] The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which achieves low noise in the normal temperature print mode by optimizing the exhaust (in-machine cooling) capacity in the print mode in which the fixing set temperature is normal / high temperature. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention has two or more fixing set temperatures during a printing operation, and has an internal cooling unit. In the image forming apparatus including the exhaust fan and the rotation speed control unit of the exhaust fan, the control unit increases the rotation speed of the exhaust fan in the high-temperature print mode higher than that in the normal temperature print mode. It is characterized by controlling.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, there are provided two or more fixing set temperatures during a printing operation, and an exhaust fan for cooling the inside of the apparatus and an opening area adjusting means for the exhaust port. Wherein the adjusting means controls the opening area of the air outlet in the high-temperature print mode to be larger than that in the normal-temperature print mode.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the fixing temperature during the printing operation is set at two or more levels, and the exhaust fan for cooling the inside of the machine and the louver angle position of the exhaust port are set. In the image forming apparatus provided with an adjusting unit, the adjusting unit controls the louver angle position of the air outlet in the high-temperature print mode so that the exhaust resistance is smaller than that in the normal-temperature print mode. And

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an exhaust air amount adjusting unit of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a duct, 2 is a fan, 3 is an exterior cover, 4
Indicates a control unit, and arrows indicate directions in which air flows. The duct 1 is a passage for guiding the air inside the apparatus to the outside of the apparatus. Inside the duct 1, a fan 2 for cooling the inside of the apparatus is provided. Then, the hot air generated in the apparatus is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the opening 3a of the outer cover 3 by the rotation of the fan 2.

The control unit 4 controls the rotation speed of the fan 2 in the high-temperature print mode to be higher than that in the normal-temperature print mode to optimize the exhaust (in-machine cooling) capacity in the normal-temperature print mode. The noise generated thereby is reduced.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the exhaust air amount adjusting means of another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. This embodiment also has a duct and a fan similarly to the apparatus of the embodiment of FIG. 1, but these are not shown. 1 in the figure
0 denotes an adjustment plate, 12 denotes a solenoid, and 11 denotes a spring.

The adjusting plate 10 has one end connected to a solenoid 12 fixed to the apparatus main body 15 and the other end connected to a spring 11 also fixed to the apparatus main body 15. It is slidably mounted in the direction of the arrow in the figure due to the balance with the biasing force.

In the high-temperature print mode, the control unit 4 controls the opening 10 a of the adjusting plate 10 so that the opening 3 a of the exterior cover 3 is closed.
In the normal temperature print mode, the opening 10a of the adjusting plate 10 is slightly shifted from the opening 3a of the exterior cover 3 (small opening area of the exhaust port). Then, the control unit 4 sets the O
As in the previous embodiment, the N.OFF operation is controlled to optimize the exhaust (in-machine cooling) capacity in the normal temperature print mode so that the noise generated thereby is reduced.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure and operation of the exhaust air amount adjusting means of still another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. This embodiment also has a duct and a fan similarly to the apparatus of the embodiment of FIG. 1, but these are not shown. In the figure, 30 is an exterior cover, 20 is a louver, 21
Denotes a support shaft, 23 denotes a wire, 24 denotes a solenoid, and 22 denotes a spring. The louver 20 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 21 fixed to the apparatus main body 15 (or the outer cover 30), and has one end connected to a wire 23. The wire 23 has one end connected to a solenoid 24 fixed to the apparatus main body 15 and the other end connected to the solenoid main body 15.
The angle of the louver 20, in other words, the position, can be changed by the balance between the ON / OFF operation of the solenoid 24 and the urging force of the spring 22.

The control unit 4 controls the louver 20 to be horizontal (posture of FIG. 3B) in the high-temperature print mode, and to be inclined (FIG. 3A) in the normal-temperature print mode.
Of the solenoid 24 so that the exhaust (in-machine cooling) capacity in the normal temperature print mode is optimized, and the noise generated thereby is reduced. I am trying to become.

[0015]

As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the exhaust (in-machine cooling) capacity is optimized in the print mode in which the fixing set temperature is normal / high temperature, and the image forming apparatus is in the normal temperature print mode. Compared with the high-temperature print mode, the fan rotation speed is reduced, the opening area of the exhaust port is reduced, or the angle position of the louver is changed to reduce sound leakage. This has the effect of reducing noise in the normal temperature print mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an exhaust air amount adjusting unit of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an exhaust air amount adjusting unit of another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration and an operation of an exhaust air amount adjusting unit of still another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Duct 2 Fan 3 Exterior cover 3a Opening of exterior cover 4 Control part 10 Adjustment plate 10a Opening of adjustment plate 11 Spring 12 Solenoid 15 Device main body 20 Louver 21 Support shaft 22 Spring 23 Wire 24 Solenoid 30 Exterior cover

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having two or more fixing set temperatures during a printing operation and including an exhaust fan for cooling in the apparatus and a control unit for controlling the number of revolutions of the exhaust fan, wherein the control unit is a high An image forming apparatus, wherein the number of rotations of the exhaust fan in the temperature print mode is controlled to be higher than that in the normal temperature print mode. 2. An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing set temperature during a printing operation in two or more stages; and an exhaust fan for cooling in the apparatus and a means for adjusting an opening area of an exhaust port.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the adjusting means controls an opening area of the air outlet in the high temperature print mode to be larger than that in the normal temperature print mode. 3. An image forming apparatus having two or more fixing temperature settings during a printing operation, and having an exhaust fan for cooling in the apparatus and an adjusting means for a louver angle position of an exhaust port, wherein the adjusting means is high. An image forming apparatus wherein the louver angle position of the air outlet in the temperature print mode is controlled so that the air discharge resistance is smaller than in the normal temperature print mode.