JP2003162189A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus constituted so that the electrical influence of a power source part on a harness is reduced. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 1a is provided with a fixing unit 2, the power source part 3, a duct 5 equipped with an exhaust fan 4, the harness 6, an exclusive duct 8a, a controller 7 and a printer sensor system 10. The heat generated in the fixing unit 2 is discharged through the duct 5, and the heat generated in the power source part 3 is discharged through the exclusive duct 8a. An expanded inclined part 8y is formed in the opening part of the exclusive duct 8a so as to prevent the harness 6 from slipping down from the exclusive duct 8a. Since the harness 6 is arranged on the exclusive duct 8a and separated from the power source part 3, the influence of a noise on a signal is reduced when the switching element of the power source part 3 is actuated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

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 having a structure in which electrical influence from a power source section on the harness is reduced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine configured as a multifunction machine having both a copying function and a facsimile communication function is provided with a fixing device for a printer inside a main body case. This fixing device is a heat source, and the temperature inside the main body case may rise during operation of the fixing device, which may adversely affect other members such as the control mechanism of the image forming apparatus.

For this reason, a heat radiating mechanism including an exhaust fan and a duct for radiating the heat generated by the fixing device is provided inside the main body case of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is a schematic internal plan view showing an example of an image forming apparatus provided with such a heat dissipation mechanism. In FIG. 6, a fuser 2, a power source 3, a duct 5 to which an exhaust fan 4 is attached, a controller 7, and a printer sensor system 10 are provided in a main body case 9 of the image forming apparatus 1x.

A secondary system harness 6 is wired between the main board of the controller 7 and the printer sensor system 10. The harness 6 is wired near the bottom surface of the body case 9. When the exhaust fan 4 is driven during the operation of the fixing device, the heat generated from the fixing device is discharged to the outside from the main body case 9 through the duct 5 in the direction of the arrow Wa.

[0005]

Recently, the image forming apparatus has been reduced in size due to improvements in parts and the like. For this reason, the fixing device 2, the power source unit 3, the controller 7, and the printer sensor system 10 in the main body case 9 shown in FIG. 6 tend to be arranged close to each other. Therefore, the secondary system harness 6 may be forced to be wired near the power source unit 3 which is a noise source.

As described above, since the harness 6 is wired in the vicinity of the power source section 3 which is a noise source, the influence of noise on the signal of the harness 6 is caused when the switching element of the power source section 3 operates. Therefore, there is a problem that the image forming apparatus may malfunction. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as making the harness 6 a shield structure, which causes a problem that the manufacturing cost increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which the electrical influence from the power source section on the harness is reduced.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, in the invention according to claim 1, the image forming apparatus comprises a fixing device, a power source section, a controller, and a duct to which an exhaust fan is attached. The heat generated by the fuser is discharged to the outside through the duct, and a dedicated duct communicating with the duct with the opening facing the power source is provided, and a route different from the discharge route of the heat generated by the fixing device through the dedicated duct. In the image forming apparatus for discharging the heat generated by the power supply unit to the outside, the harness for connecting the controller and the components of the image forming apparatus is wired on the upper surface of the dedicated duct. It is achieved by

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the opening facing the power source section of the dedicated duct is widened to form an inclined surface.

According to the invention of claim 1, a controller is provided.
A harness for connecting the laser and a component of the image forming apparatus is wired on the upper surface of the dedicated duct. Therefore, the harness is wired at a position separated from the power supply unit, and the influence of noise can be reduced when the switching element of the power supply unit operates with respect to the signal of the harness. Further, it is not necessary to take measures such as making the harness a shield structure, and it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the opening facing the power supply section of the dedicated duct is expanded to form the inclined surface. Therefore, the amount of sucked air increases, and the heat generated by the power supply unit can be effectively discharged. Also,
Since the harness can be prevented from slipping off, the harness can be held at a position separated from the power source section.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a schematic internal plan view showing the image forming apparatus of the present invention. 5, the same parts as those in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the present invention, the dedicated duct 8 for dissipating the heat generated by the power source section 3 to the outside of the main body case 9 in the direction of the arrow Wb is provided. In this way, since the exclusive duct 8 is provided, a route different from the route for discharging the heat generated by the fixing device,
The heat generated by the power supply unit 3 can be effectively released to the outside of the main body case 9.

On the upper surface of the dedicated duct 8, the main body case
The harness 6 that is wired near the bottom of the space 9 is lifted and placed. In this way, the harness 6 is wired at a position separated from the power supply section 3. Therefore, the harness 6
It is possible to reduce the influence of noise when the switching element of the power supply unit 3 operates with respect to the signal of.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the dedicated duct 8. In FIG. 3, the dedicated duct 8 is formed of a hollow semi-cylindrical cylinder, and the outer surface 8x is formed flat. The dedicated duct 8 communicates with the duct 5 in a direction orthogonal to the duct 5. As explained in the processing of FIG. 6,
When the exhaust fan 4 operates, the heat generated by the fixing device is sucked into the duct 5 by the suction action, and is discharged to the outside of the main body case 9 in the arrow Wa direction.

At this time, the back pressure inside the duct 5 decreases. Therefore, an air flow in the direction of the arrow Wb is generated in the dedicated duct 8. That is, by arranging the opening end of the dedicated duct 8 so as to face the power supply unit, the heat generated by the power supply unit is viewed from an arrow W of a path different from the discharge path of the heat generated by the fixing device.
It can be discharged to the outside of the body case 9 in the b direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the positional relationship of each part when the dedicated duct 8 shown in FIG. 3 is used. In FIG. 2, the harness 6 wired between the controller 7 and the printer sensor system 10 is placed on the upper part of the dedicated duct 8 at an intermediate position between them and is wired away from the power supply unit 3. ing. In this way, the dedicated duct 8 has two different functions of discharging the heat generated from the power source and wiring the harness 6 at a position separated from the power source.

The dedicated duct 8 as shown in FIG. 3 has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. Therefore, there is a risk that the harness 6 mounted on the upper surface 8x may slip off and approach the power supply unit 3. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a dedicated duct 8a of an improved example of the present invention which solves such a problem.

In FIG. 4, the dedicated duct 8a is provided with an inclined portion 8y which widens toward the opening at the tip. Such an inclined portion 8 that widens toward the opening at the tip.
By providing y, the amount of air sucked in is increased as compared with the example of FIG. 3, and the heat generated by the power supply unit can be effectively discharged. Further, the harness 6 can be prevented from slipping down, and the harness 6 can be held at a position separated from the power source section.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1a. As shown in FIG. 1, the harness 6 is restrained from moving toward the power supply unit 3 side by the inclined portion 8y of the dedicated duct 8a and prevented from sliding down. That is, the exclusive duct 8a
By forming the slanted portion 8y, the amount of discharged air is increased, and at the same time, the harness mounted on the upper portion of the dedicated duct 8a is provided.
It also has a holding function of the nest 6.

In the above example, the harness has been described as being connected between the controller and the printer sensor system, but other parts constituting the image forming apparatus other than the printer sensor system, such as a scanner, are used. The harness for connecting to the controller may also be wired above the dedicated duct.

[0021]

As described above, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, since the harness is wired at a position separated from the power source section, the switching element of the power source section operates in response to the harness signal. It is possible to reduce the influence of noise when operating. Further, it is not necessary to take measures such as making the harness a shield structure, and it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost. Furthermore, since the amount of air sucked into the dedicated duct increases, the heat generated by the power supply can be effectively discharged, and the harness can be prevented from sliding down and the harness can be placed at a position separated from the power supply. Can be held.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a dedicated duct of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another dedicated duct of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image forming device 2 fixing device 3 power supply 4 exhaust fan 5 ducts 6 Harness 7 controller 8 dedicated duct 9 Body case 10 Printer sensor system

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C061 AP03 AP04 AP07 AQ06 BB19                       CG01 CG08                 2H027 JA11 JA20 JB14 JB15 JB17                       ZA09                 2H071 DA12 DA31 DA34 EA08

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A fixing device, a power supply unit, a controller,
Equipped with a duct with an exhaust fan, the heat generated by the fixing device is discharged to the outside through the duct, and a dedicated duct that communicates with the duct with the opening facing the power source is provided. An image forming apparatus that discharges heat generated by a power supply unit through a route different from a discharge route of heat generated by a container, wherein the controller and a harness that connects components of the image forming apparatus are An image forming apparatus, wherein wiring is provided on an upper surface of the dedicated duct. 2. An inclined surface is formed by expanding an opening of the exclusive duct facing the power source section.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.