JP2003226058A - Sheet processor having air duct structure and imaging apparatus comprising it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling vent at a position causing no damage on the appearance. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet processor 200 comprises a transmitting section 200A having a control circuit, and the like, in a housing 214 which is connected with the processor body 101 in order to process sheets. The sheet processor 200 is provided with a groove-like or recessed air duct 209 formed between the housing 214 and the processor body 101 to communicate with the outside, and a vent 208 communicating with the interior of the housing 214 from the air duct 209 wherein the transmitting section is cooled with outer air flowing into the housing 214 through the air duct 209 and the vent 208. <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 a sheet processing apparatus having a body to be cooled in a housing for processing a sheet, and more particularly, to a sheet processing apparatus having a cooling vent hole at a position that does not impair the appearance. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction machine including these sheet processing apparatuses in the apparatus main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sheet post-processing apparatus, which is a sheet processing apparatus, is mainly connected to the upper portion of the main body of a medium-sized, small-sized, desktop-type image forming apparatus and discharged from the upper portion of the image forming apparatus. After receiving the sheet, the sheet is subjected to post-processing such as punching processing, binding processing and folding processing.

The vent hole of the sheet post-processing device is formed in an outer cover which is a housing, and the electrical component thereof is installed in an area outside the frame of the sheet post-processing device.

[0004]

By the way, in recent years, not only the function but also the designability of the main body of the image forming apparatus has been emphasized. However, in the conventional sheet post-processing apparatus, in order to prevent the temperature inside the machine from rising, it is necessary to provide a ventilation hole for cooling inside the machine, which is originally unrelated to the design, in the exterior cover. Therefore, the design of the sheet post-processing device is impaired by the vent holes.

Further, in recent years, along with downsizing of the main body of the image forming apparatus, downsizing of the sheet post-processing apparatus has been demanded. However, the temperature inside the housing of the sheet post-processing apparatus rises due to factors such as the exhaust heat of the image forming apparatus main body entering the housing of the sheet post-processing apparatus, limiting the installation location of the electrical component section. For this reason, the sheet post-processing apparatus is hindered from being downsized due to the exhaust heat of the image forming apparatus main body.

Therefore, the sheet post-processing apparatus can cool the inside of the sheet post-processing apparatus while maintaining a high design property, and it is necessary to reduce the size of the apparatus by increasing the locations where the electrical components can be arranged. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus in which cooling vents are provided at a position that does not impair the appearance, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus in the apparatus main body. .

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a sheet treatment apparatus having an air passage structure according to the present invention includes a body to be cooled in a housing and is connected to a connected housing to process a sheet. The air flow path is formed between the connected case and the case and communicates with the outside, and a vent hole communicating from the air path into the case.

The sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure of the present invention has an exhaust hole formed in a sheet conveying guide for guiding the sheet in the vicinity of the body to be cooled.

The sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure of the present invention is provided with an exhaust heat inflow prevention unit for preventing exhaust heat from the connected casing from flowing into the air duct.

In the sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure of the present invention, the exhaust holes formed in the sheet conveying guide for guiding the sheet in the vicinity of the object to be cooled, and the heat exhausted from the connected case are And an exhaust heat inflow prevention unit that prevents the heat flow from entering the air passage.

The casing of the sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure of the present invention is connected to the connected casing by being placed on the connected casing, and the air passage and the ventilation hole are provided. And the exhaust holes are arranged in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the mounting surface of the mounting portion of the connected housing.

The air passage of the sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure of the present invention is formed in a direction intersecting with the sheet conveying direction.

The vent hole of the sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure of the present invention is formed in a substantially vertical direction with respect to a surface of the housing facing the connected housing.

In the sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure of the present invention, the housing is provided with a protrusion that forms a gap between the housing and the connected housing.

The air passage of the sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure of the present invention is formed by a groove or a recess formed on the surface of at least one of the housing and the connected housing.

The object to be cooled of the sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure of the present invention is an electrical equipment section.

In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet provided inside the connected housing, and a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means. Any one of the above
And a sheet processing apparatus having one air passage structure.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus main body which is the connected casing internally provided with an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, and an image is formed by the image forming means. A sheet processing apparatus having any one of the above air passage structures for processing a formed sheet;
And a gap is formed between the sheet processing apparatus and the apparatus main body.

In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises the sheet processing apparatus having any one of the above air passage structures, and the connected device having image forming means for forming an image on the sheet therein. An apparatus main body that is a housing, and a connection body that is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body between the housing of the sheet processing apparatus and the apparatus main body, and the mounting unit of the sheet processing apparatus is It is a connected body.

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a sheet processing apparatus having any one of the above air passage structures, and an apparatus main body internally provided with image forming means for forming an image on a sheet. A connecting body that is attachable to and detachable from the housing and the apparatus body between the housing of the sheet processing apparatus and the apparatus body, and the mounting portion of the sheet processing apparatus is the connecting body. In the connection body, at least the air passage and the ventilation hole are formed in the air passage, the ventilation hole, the exhaust heat inflow prevention portion, and the protrusion.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A sheet post-processing apparatus, which is a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet post-processing apparatus in a main body of the apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The printer 100, which is the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, includes a sheet post-processing apparatus 200 in any one of the sheet post-processing apparatuses 200, 300 and 400 of the first to third embodiments in the apparatus main body 101. It is configured with. The sheet post-processing device is not limited to the printer,
It is designed to be installed in a copying machine or the like.

(Printer) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer 100 having a sheet post-processing apparatus (sheet processing apparatus) 200 of a first embodiment described later on an apparatus main body 101.

The apparatus main body 101 of the printer 100 is connected to a computer alone or connected to a network such as a LAN, and based on image information and print signals sent from these computers and networks, a predetermined An image is formed (printed) on a sheet by an image forming process and then discharged.

The apparatus main body 101 has a cartridge 110 in which a sheet P for forming an image is stored. Sheet P is
The pickup roller 111 allows the cartridge 11
Taken from 0. When the sheets are overlapped, the separation rollers 112 and 112 separate the sheets one by one. Then, the sheet is separated by the pair of separation rollers 112, 112.
And the pair of transport rollers 113 and 113 feed the pair of registration rollers 114 and 114. Registration roller pair 11
When the sheet is skewed, the skews of the sheets 4 and 114 are corrected and sent to the photoconductor drum 115.

On the other hand, a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 115, and the latent image is toner-developed by the developing device 116 to form a toner image. Photoconductor drum 115
The toner image on the photoconductor drum 115 is transferred by the transfer device 117 to the sheet sent to the. Then, the sheet is sent to the fixing device 118, heated and pressed,
The toner image is fixed. The sheet on which the toner image is fixed is conveyed roller pair 119, 119, switching flapper 1
The sheet 20 is conveyed and guided by the pair of conveying rollers 121 and 121, and is ejected to the ejection tray 122. The photoconductor drum 115, the developing device 116, and the like make up an image forming unit.

(Sheet Post-Processing Apparatus of First Embodiment) The sheet post-processing apparatus 200 performs post-processing on the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 119 and 119 and guided by the switching flapper 120. Has become. The sheet post-processing apparatus 200 handles sheets in either a simple stacking mode or a post-processing mode.

In the simple stacking mode, the sheets discharged from the apparatus main body 101 of the printer 100 are received,
This is an operation of ejecting and stacking onto the stacking tray 204 by the pair of entrance rollers 201, 201, the intermediate roller 202, and the pair of sheet discharging rollers 203, 203.

In the post-processing mode, the sheet discharge roller pair 20 is used.
3, 203 are separated from each other, a plurality of sheets are once stacked on the intermediate stacking unit 205, and the conveyance direction alignment paddle 206 is used.
After aligning the sheet bundle by the horizontal alignment unit 207 and the lateral alignment unit 207, post-processing such as binding is performed by post-processing means (a stapler, a puncher, etc.) H, and the sheet discharge roller pair 20
This is an operation of pressing the sheets 3, 203 and discharging the sheets to the stacking tray 204.

In the housing 214 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200, an electric component (cooled body) 200 having a control circuit and the like is formed.
Equipped with A. If the electrical component 200A is heated to a high temperature, it may cause a malfunction or be destroyed, so it needs to be cooled.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 as seen from below. FIG. 3 shows the sheet post-processing apparatus 2 as seen from above the sheet post-processing apparatus 200.
00 is an external view of FIG. 00 and is a partially broken view.

A housing 214 mounted on the apparatus main body (connected housing) 101 of the printer 100 on which the housing 214 is mounted
A groove-like air passage 209 communicating with the outside is formed in the bottom portion (mounting portion) 215 of the. The air passage 209 is formed in a direction intersecting with the sheet conveying direction. In the air passage 209, the mounting surface 215 of the bottom part (mounting part) 215 of the housing 214 is attached.
A plurality of ventilation holes 208 are formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a. The ventilation hole 208 is formed near the electrical component section 200A.

A pair of connecting claws 218, which are inserted into the apparatus main body 101 to connect the housing 214 and the apparatus main body 101 and form a gap between the apparatus main body 101 and the housing 214, are formed on the bottom portion 215. 218 is projected. The air passage 209 and the ventilation hole 208 face the gap S. It should be noted that the gap S (see FIG. 1) is not always necessary, and even if the lower portion 215 is placed on the apparatus main body 101, the air passage 209 is formed in a groove shape, and therefore the outside air is not discharged to the air passage 209. It is pouring in.

Below the exterior cover 210 on the upper portion of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200, a sheet conveying guide 211 is arranged in the vicinity of the electrical equipment section 200A. Sheet conveyance guide 21
1 has a large number of discharge holes (exhaust holes) 212 for discharging waste heat inside the sheet post-processing apparatus 200. The exterior cover 210 also serves as a sheet conveyance guide. With this configuration, a hole for discharging the waste heat inside the sheet post-processing device 200 to the outside can be provided so as not to be noticeable from the outside.

The air passages 209, the ventilation holes 208, and the discharge holes 212 are arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface 215a of the bottom portion (mounting portion) 215 of the housing 214 to improve the air flow. At the same time, the air that has cooled the electrical component section 200A is made to flow out to the outside quickly, but it is not always necessary to arrange it in a substantially vertical direction.

FIG. 4 shows an apparatus main body 101 of the printer 100.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sheet is connected to a housing 214 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 as viewed from the right side of FIG. 1. The flow of air in the sheet post-processing device 200 will be described with reference to this figure.

The external air A is guided to the air passage 209 and flows into the housing 214 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 through the ventilation holes 208. The external air A that has flowed into the sheet post-processing device 200 cools and warms the electrical equipment section 200A located above the ventilation holes 208, and is discharged as exhaust heat N from the exhaust holes 212 of the sheet conveyance guide 211. The sheet is discharged from the sheet discharge port 217.

As described above, in the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment, the air passage 209 and the ventilation hole 208 are provided so as to face the gap S between the apparatus main body 101 of the printer 100 below the sheet post-processing apparatus 200. Therefore, the outside air easily flows into the housing 214 from the air passage 209 by the ventilation hole 208 formed near the electrical equipment portion 200A, and the electrical equipment portion 200A is directly cooled by the flowing outside air, and the sheet post-processing apparatus is provided. The cause of malfunction or failure of the 200 can be eliminated.

A vent hole 208 is provided when the apparatus main body 101 of the printer 100 and the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 are connected.
Are not visible from the outside, the air passage 209 is inconspicuous, and the ventilation holes are provided, so that the design of the sheet post-processing device 200 and the design of the entire printer 100 are not impaired. .

Further, since the outside air directly cools the inside of the sheet post-processing apparatus, the cooling effect in the sheet post-processing apparatus is improved, and it becomes possible to install the electrical component inside the housing. The processing device can be downsized.

(Sheet Post-Processing Apparatus of Second Embodiment) Next, the sheet post-processing apparatus of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The sheet post-processing apparatus (sheet processing apparatus) 300 of the second embodiment is different from the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 of the first embodiment in the configuration around the air passage 209, and the other configurations are the same. . Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions, and the description of those portions will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the sheet post-processing device 200 as viewed from below. FIG. 6 shows the second
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer 100 including a sheet post-processing device 300 of an embodiment in a device body 101.

The wall-shaped member (exhaust heat inflow prevention portion) 213 is provided so as to project in the vicinity of the air passage 208. Wall member 213
Is provided between the heat source (not shown) of the apparatus main body 101 of the printer 100 and the air passage 209,
Is outside the area of the apparatus main body 101. In addition, the wind path 20
9 and the vent hole 208 are also the device main body 1 of the printer 100.
01 is located outside the heat source, for example, the area where the fuser 118 is present.

In the sheet post-processing apparatus 300 of the present embodiment, the exhaust heat Na discharged from the heat source of the apparatus body 101 of the printer 100 can be prevented from flowing into the sheet post-processing apparatus 300 by the wall-shaped member 213. As a result, a higher cooling effect can be achieved, and the sheet post-processing device can be further downsized.

The sheet post-processing apparatus 300 of the present embodiment is similar to the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 of the first embodiment in that the inside of the housing of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 while maintaining the aesthetics of the main body of the sheet post-processing apparatus 200. The cooling and electric component section 200A can be installed inside the housing 214, and the size can be reduced.

(Sheet Post-Processing Apparatus of Third Embodiment) Next, the sheet post-processing apparatus of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. The sheet post-processing apparatus (sheet processing apparatus) 400 of the third embodiment is different in the configuration of the joint portion from the sheet post-processing apparatus 200 of the first embodiment,
Other configurations are the same. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions, and the description of those portions will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer 100 including a sheet post-processing apparatus 400 of the third embodiment in an apparatus main body 101. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the back surface of the printer when the sheet post-processing apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment is separated from the apparatus main body 101.

The connection unit 400A is detachably attached to the sheet post-processing apparatus 400 by an attachment member such as a screw (not shown). Sheet post-processing device 400
When the configuration and shape of the printer main body to be connected are different, the sheet post-processing device 400 can be connected to various printer main bodies by replacing the connection unit 400A with another connection unit. .

Further, the ventilation hole 208 and the air passage 209 are formed in the connecting means 400A, and the position of the air passage and the ventilation hole can be changed by changing the connection unit 400A to another connection unit. . In addition, a pair of connecting claws 218 are provided on the connecting unit 400A so as to project therefrom. Furthermore, the wall-shaped member 213 may be provided so as to project from the connection unit 400A.

The sheet post-processing apparatus 400 of the third embodiment
Also, the sheet post-processing devices 200 and 30 according to the first and second embodiments.
As with 0, the housing 21 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 400 is maintained while maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the housing 214 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 400.
The sheet post-processing apparatus can be downsized by cooling the inside of the apparatus 4 and installing the electric component 200A inside the housing.

Further, since the air passage 209 and the ventilation hole 208 are formed in the connection unit, when the connection unit is replaced, the sheet post-processing apparatus 400 is connected to the apparatus main body 101 having a different configuration and structure of the printer 100. However, it is possible to optimally design the air passage and cool the inside of the housing.

Further, since the printer 100 is equipped with the sheet processing apparatuses 200, 300, and 400 in the apparatus main body 101, in which the inside of the housing 214 is surely cooled and few malfunctions and failures occur, the image formed on the sheet can be displayed. It is possible to reliably supply a sheet on which a high-quality image is formed without damaging it.

The discharge hole 212 described above is not always necessary. The air is designed to pass through the gaps between the respective parts in the housing 214.

Further, the sheet post-processing devices 200, 300,
Since the size of 400 can be reduced, the size of the entire printer 100 can be reduced.

Therefore, the sheet post-processing device can be arranged in a place where the air passage is invisible to the user, so that the design of the main body of the sheet post-processing device can be improved.

The sheet post-processing apparatus can directly cool the electrical equipment part requiring cooling by the air passage provided in the sheet post-processing apparatus, so that the cooling efficiency can be improved.

In the sheet post-processing apparatus, the cooling efficiency is improved, so that it is possible to install the electrical component in the housing, which has been difficult due to the temperature rise in the housing, and the sheet post-processing apparatus can be made compact. it can.

In the above embodiment, the air passage is formed by the groove or the recess formed on the surface of the housing of the sheet post-processing apparatus. However, the air passage is not limited to this, and is formed by a groove or a recess formed on the surface of the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus or on both the housing and the apparatus body.

When the groove is formed in the housing of the sheet post-processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus connected to the sheet post-processing apparatus is
In place of another image forming apparatus having a different configuration, even when the position of the heat source is different, the connecting unit is replaced with another connecting unit having an air passage avoiding the position of the heat source of the other image forming apparatus. As a result, even when the sheet post-processing device is connected to another image forming apparatus, efficient cooling can be performed. That is, by selecting a connection unit having an optimum air passage for each image forming apparatus to be connected, an optimum cooling effect can be obtained when connecting any type of image forming apparatus.

Even when the sheet post-processing apparatus is connected to various lower apparatuses such as the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, the sheet post-processing apparatus can improve the optimal cooling effect under each condition by exchanging the connection unit. It will be possible.

[0062]

According to the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to effectively cool the inside of the sheet processing apparatus without opening a ventilation hole from the outside of the housing of the sheet processing apparatus in a place easily noticeable. Therefore, it is possible to provide a sheet processing apparatus having an excellent design.

The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention can perform effective cooling without using a cooling device such as a fan, and can reduce driving noise of the cooling device and manufacturing cost, and can be quiet. It is possible to provide a low cost sheet processing apparatus.

Since the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention can be made compact, it is possible to provide a low-cost and energy-saving sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer which is an image forming apparatus including a sheet post-processing apparatus which is a sheet processing apparatus of a first embodiment in an apparatus main body.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the sheet post-processing apparatus as seen from below the sheet post-processing apparatus of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an external view of the sheet post-processing apparatus as seen from above the sheet post-processing apparatus of the first embodiment, and is a partially cutaway view.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the printer of FIG. 1 as viewed from the right side.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the sheet post-processing apparatus as seen from below the sheet post-processing apparatus of the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer including a sheet post-processing apparatus of a second embodiment in an apparatus main body.

FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer including a sheet post-processing apparatus of a third embodiment in an apparatus main body.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a separated state of a sheet post-processing apparatus, a printer apparatus main body, and a connection unit according to a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

P sheet A outside air Air containing N waste heat Waste heat of Na printer S gap 100 printer (image forming apparatus) 101 Device main unit (connected housing) 115 photoconductor drum (image forming means) 116 developing device (image forming means) 118 Fixer 200 sheet post-processing device (sheet processing device) 200A electrical component (cooled body) 208 Vent 209 wind path 210 exterior cover 211 Transport guide 212 Discharge hole (exhaust hole) 213 Wall member (exhaust heat inflow prevention part) 214 housing 215 Bottom part (mounting part) 215a Mounting surface 217 Sheet outlet 218 Connection Claw (Projection) 300 sheet post-processing device (sheet processing device) 400 sheet post-processing device (sheet processing device) 400A connection unit

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Takashi Kuwata             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Yasuyoshi Hayakawa             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation F-term (reference) 2C061 AQ06 CN02 CN13                 2H027 JA11 JB13 JB15 JC18 ZA07                       ZA10                 2H071 AA35 AA37 AA39 AA59 DA08                       DA09 DA12 DA15 DA24 EA06                 2H072 GA01 GA02 GA08                 3F108 GA02 GA03 GA04 GB01 GB03                       GB06 HA02

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A sheet processing apparatus comprising a body to be cooled, which is connected to a body to be connected to process a sheet, wherein the body is formed between the body to be connected and the body. A sheet processing apparatus having an air passage structure, comprising: an air passage communicating with the air passage; and a ventilation hole communicating with the air passage from the air passage. 2. The sheet processing apparatus having an air passage structure according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust hole formed in a sheet conveying guide that guides the sheet in the vicinity of the object to be cooled. 3. The sheet processing having the air duct structure according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust heat inflow prevention unit that prevents exhaust heat from the connected housing from flowing into the air duct. apparatus. 4. An exhaust hole formed in a sheet conveying guide for guiding the sheet in the vicinity of the body to be cooled, and exhaust heat inflow for preventing exhaust heat from the connected housing from entering the air passage. A sheet processing apparatus having an air duct structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a prevention unit. 5. The housing is connected to the connected housing by being placed on the connected housing, and the air passage, the ventilation hole, and the exhaust hole are connected to the connected housing. The sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is arranged in a substantially vertical direction with respect to a mounting surface of a mounting portion of the body. 6. The sheet having the air duct structure according to claim 1, wherein the air duct is formed in a direction intersecting a conveying direction of the sheet. Processing equipment. 7. The air duct structure according to claim 5, wherein the ventilation hole is formed in a direction substantially vertical to a surface of the housing facing the connected housing. A sheet processing apparatus having. 8. The air duct structure according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion that forms a gap between the casing and the connected casing is provided on the casing. A sheet processing apparatus having. 9. The air passage is formed by a groove or a recess formed on at least one surface of the housing and the connected housing.
A sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure according to any one of 1. 10. The sheet post-processing apparatus having the air passage structure according to claim 1, wherein the cooled object is an electrical equipment section. 11. The image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, which is provided inside the connected housing, and the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is processed. An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure according to item 1; 12. The apparatus main body, which is the connected housing, internally having an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, and the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit, for processing. 12. A sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure according to any one of 11 above, wherein a gap is formed between the sheet processing apparatus and the apparatus main body. 13. A sheet processing apparatus having the air duct structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and the connected casing internally provided with an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet. An apparatus main body, and a connection body that is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body between the housing of the sheet processing apparatus and the apparatus main body, and the mounting unit of the sheet processing apparatus is the connection body. An image forming apparatus characterized by the above. 14. A sheet processing apparatus having the air passage structure according to claim 1, an apparatus main body internally provided with an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, and the sheet processing apparatus. A connecting body that is attachable to and detachable from the housing and the apparatus body between the housing of the apparatus and the apparatus body; and the mounting unit of the sheet processing apparatus is the connecting body. An image forming apparatus, wherein at least the air passage and the ventilation hole are formed in the body among the air passage, the ventilation hole, the exhaust heat inflow prevention portion, and the protrusion.