JP2005215289A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus, in which the noise emitted from the apparatus can be reduced significantly, while heat is generated from a heat source in the apparatus is suitably emitted, and emission of harmful substances produced in the apparatus can be restrained. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 1 includes a duct 2 having an air intake port 2a which communicates with the inside of the apparatus body 3; a blower means 5 for transmitting heat, generated from the heat source 4, into the duct 2; and a heat sink 6 which is disposed in the duct 2, such that a part of the duct projects and to which heat generated from the heat source is conducted. The duct 2 is disposed, such that an exhaust port 2b communicates with the inside of the body 3 of the apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, and in particular, suppresses emission of noise and harmful substances from the inside of the apparatus while suitably discharging heat generated from a heat source section inside the apparatus. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of performing the above.

  Image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, facsimile machines, and printers have a fixing unit for fixing a transfer material such as toner transferred onto a sheet, and a heat source part such as a power source, that is, a heat source part. . Therefore, conventionally, a configuration is generally adopted in which air heated by heat generated from the heat source section is discharged outside the apparatus from an opening provided in the exterior member of the apparatus by a fan provided in the vicinity of the heat source section. It had been.

  In such an image forming apparatus, in order to prevent noise caused by the operation of the driving mechanism and the image forming mechanism inside the apparatus and the noise caused by the fan operating sound leaking from the opening, There is known a configuration in which a shutter member with a variable aperture ratio is provided, the aperture ratio is reduced when the apparatus is in operation, and the aperture ratio is increased when the apparatus is stopped (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a configuration, by reducing the opening ratio when the apparatus is in operation, the operating sound is prevented from leaking outside through the opening, and when the apparatus is stopped, the opening ratio is increased to stop the fan. The cooling performance at the time can be ensured.

JP 2003-291458 A (2nd page, FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional apparatus as described above, even if the aperture ratio of the opening portion is reduced, the opening is not changed, so that the operation of the drive mechanism, image forming mechanism, or fan inside the apparatus is determined from there. Sound cannot be prevented from leaking outside, and it is difficult to significantly reduce noise. Further, since the aperture ratio is adjusted by making the angle of the louver provided in the opening variable, there is a problem that the wind noise of the louver becomes noise when the aperture ratio of the opening is reduced. . Furthermore, since the warm air inside the apparatus is discharged directly from the opening to the outside, there is a problem that harmful substances generated inside the apparatus such as ozone and dust are directly discharged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to significantly reduce the noise generated from the apparatus while suitably discharging the heat generated from the heat source section inside the apparatus, and to improve the inside of the apparatus. The present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing discharge of harmful substances generated in the process.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first characteristic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is a device having a heat source section inside an apparatus main body, a duct having an intake port communicating with the inside of the apparatus main body, and the heat source It is provided with air blowing means for sending the heat generated from the part into the duct, and a heat sink that is disposed so that a part of the air is projected into the duct and through which the heat generated from the heat source part is conducted. is there.

  According to this first characteristic configuration, the air heated by the heat generated from the heat source part inside the apparatus main body is sent into the duct by the blowing means, and the heat of this air is partially projected into the duct. By transferring to the arranged heat sink, the heat generated from the heat source part can be suitably discharged. Further, with such a configuration, the interior of the apparatus is not directly connected to the opening provided in the exterior member unlike the conventional apparatus, so that the drive mechanism, the image forming mechanism, or the fan inside the apparatus The operating sound can be prevented from leaking directly to the outside, and the wind noise of the louver can be eliminated, so that the noise generated from the apparatus can be greatly reduced.

  A second characteristic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is that, in addition to the first characteristic configuration, the duct is arranged such that an exhaust port communicates with the inside of the apparatus main body.

  According to this second characteristic configuration, since the warm air inside the device circulates inside the device and is not discharged outside the device, it is possible to discharge harmful substances generated inside the device such as ozone and dust. Can be suppressed.

  In a third characteristic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the first or second characteristic configuration, the duct includes a regulating member that regulates an air flow in the vicinity of the exhaust port. It is in.

  According to the third characteristic configuration, the warmed air sent by the blowing means can be appropriately retained in the duct, so that heat can be more efficiently conducted to the heat sink. It becomes possible.

  In a fourth characteristic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to any of the first to third characteristic configurations, the heat sink is fixed to a frame or a cover having high thermal conductivity outside the duct. There is in point.

  According to the fourth characteristic configuration, the heat transferred to the heat sink in the duct can be further conducted to the frame or cover of the device having high thermal conductivity, and the heat can be released from the heat to the outside air. Heat generated from the heat source part can be suitably discharged outside the apparatus.

  According to a fifth characteristic configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to fourth characteristic configurations, the protruding portion that protrudes into the duct of the heat sink includes air in the duct. It is in the point which is formed in 1 or 2 or more plate shape along the flow of this, and the thickness of the edge part of the upstream of the said air flow of this protrusion part is formed thinner than another part.

  According to the fifth characteristic configuration, the protruding portion of the heat sink does not hinder the air flow in the duct, and the air circulation around the heat sink can be smoothly performed to reduce the load on the blowing means. it can.

  A sixth characteristic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is that, in addition to the fourth or fifth characteristic configuration, a paper feed tray is disposed above the frame.

  According to the sixth characteristic configuration, the heat conducted from the heat sink and released upward from the frame warms the paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus, and keeps the paper stored in the paper feed tray warm. Therefore, the paper can be suitably kept dry without providing a heater or the like on the paper feed tray.

  In a seventh characteristic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to sixth characteristic configurations, one or both of an ozone filter and a dust filter are provided inside the duct. In the point.

  According to the seventh characteristic configuration, when the warmed air inside the apparatus passes through the duct, the ozone generated in the apparatus by the ozone filter is the dust generated in the apparatus by the dust filter, respectively. Since it is removed, it is possible to prevent a large amount of harmful substances from circulating in the apparatus and to suppress discharge of these harmful substances to the outside of the apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment (first embodiment) in which an image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention is applied to a copying machine using an electrophotographic system. In FIG. 1, the exterior member on the surface where the duct 2 is provided and the scanner unit for reading the image of the document are omitted. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a main part of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. . In FIG. 3, the broken lines of the outer shapes of the apparatus main body 3 and the image forming apparatus 1 indicate that these parts are not completely sealed in an actual apparatus and have gaps at various places. This is to schematically represent such a state. As shown in these drawings, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a heat source section 4 inside the apparatus main body 3, a duct 2 having an air inlet 2 a communicating with the inside of the apparatus main body 3, and a heat source. A blower fan 5 for sending heat generated from the section 4 into the duct 2 and a heat sink 6 disposed so that a part of the fan 2 protrudes into the duct 2 are provided. Hereinafter, the configuration of each part of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical photosensitive drum 7 serving as an image carrier, a charging unit 8 for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 7, and a photosensitive drum are provided inside the apparatus main body 3 of the image forming apparatus 1. A laser scanner unit 9 that irradiates the surface of the laser beam 7 with exposure to form an electrostatic latent image, and supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 7 by the laser scanner unit 9. A developing unit 10 for forming a toner image, a transfer unit 11 for transferring the toner image to a sheet, a fixing unit 12 for fixing the toner transferred to the sheet by heating and pressing, and a surface of the photosensitive drum 7 after the transfer. A cleaning unit 13 or the like for removing residual toner is disposed. A document reading unit 14 for reading an image of a document is arranged at the upper part of the apparatus main body 3, and a paper feed for storing paper supplied to the apparatus main body 3 is provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body 3. A tray 15 is arranged.

  The heat source unit 4 is a part that generates heat inside the apparatus main body 3. In the present embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 3, the fixing unit 12, the laser scanner unit 9, and the photosensitive drum 7. The surrounding charging unit 8, the developing unit 10, the transfer unit 11, and the like correspond to this. 3 and FIGS. 8 and 9 to be described later, the units related to the image forming process around the photosensitive drum 7 are collectively shown as a process unit 16. Among these heat source units 4, a particularly large amount of heat is generated because the fixing unit 12 includes a heater inside. Therefore, the configuration is suitable for discharging mainly heat generated from the fixing unit 12 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the duct 2 has an air inlet 2 a communicating with the inside of the apparatus main body 3, and is heated by heat generated from the heat source unit 4 disposed inside the apparatus main body 3. Is configured to pass through the air passage. Then, the heat of the air passing through the inside of the duct 2 is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 through a heat sink 6 described later. In the present embodiment, the duct 2 has the air inlet 2a disposed in the vicinity of the fixing unit 12 that generates the largest amount of heat in the heat source section 4, and can efficiently exhaust the heat generated from the fixing unit 12. I am doing so. Here, the exhaust port 2 b of the duct 2 is also arranged so as to communicate with the inside of the apparatus main body 3. Specifically, the exhaust port 2b of the duct 2 is disposed in the vicinity of the opening 17 connected to the inside of the apparatus main body 3 at a position away from the intake port 2a, thereby communicating with the inside of the apparatus main body 3. It has become. Of course, the vicinity of the exhaust port 2b of the duct 2 may have the same shape as the vicinity of the intake port 2a, and the exhaust port 2b may directly communicate with the inside of the apparatus main body 3. By arranging the air inlet 2a and the air outlet 2b of the duct 2 in this way, most of the air can be circulated inside the image forming apparatus 1, and harmful substances generated inside the apparatus such as ozone and dust. Can be prevented from being discharged to the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the duct 2 is formed by being appropriately bent so that it can be routed along one side surface of the apparatus main body 3. At this time, in order to be able to be suitably disposed between one side surface of the apparatus main body 3 and the exterior member 18 (see FIG. 3, omitted in FIG. 1) provided on the outside thereof, The cross-sectional shape is substantially rectangular. The material which comprises this duct 2 is not specifically limited, A synthetic resin, a metal, etc. can be used suitably.

  Moreover, the duct 2 is provided with the control member 19 which controls the flow of air in the vicinity of the exhaust port 2b. This restricting member 19 becomes an appropriate resistance against the flow of the exhausted air by limiting the opening area through which the exhausted air passes through the exhaust port 2b of the duct 2. In the present embodiment, the restricting member 19 is configured by a plate-like member provided with a plurality of holes fitted into the exhaust port 2 b of the duct 2. Such a restricting member 19 makes it possible for the warmed air that has flowed into the duct 2 to stay in the duct 2 appropriately, so that heat can be more efficiently conducted to the heat sink 6 described later. It becomes possible to make it. It should be noted that the degree of restriction of the air flow by the restriction member 19 should be adjusted as appropriate depending on the air volume of the blower fan 5 and the amount of heat generated from the heat source unit 4, and in some cases, the restriction member provided with no hole at all. 19 may block the exhaust port of the duct 2.

  Furthermore, an ozone filter 20 that adsorbs ozone and a dust filter 21 that adsorbs dust are provided inside the duct 2. Therefore, when warmed air inside the apparatus main body 3 passes through the duct 2, ozone generated in the charging unit 8 or the like inside the apparatus main body 3 is adsorbed by the ozone filter 20, and the dust filter 21 Since dust such as toner and paper fibers generated inside the main body 3 is adsorbed and removed from the air, it is possible to prevent a large amount of harmful substances from circulating in the image forming apparatus 1 and to image the harmful substances. The discharge to the outside of the forming apparatus 1 can be suppressed.

  The blower fan 5 corresponds to the blower unit in the claims and is for sending heat generated from the heat source unit 4 into the duct 2. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the blower fan 5 is disposed in the vicinity of the air inlet 2 a between the fixing unit 12 and the air inlet 2 a of the duct 2, and air is supplied from the fixing unit 12 side. Is sucked into the air inlet 2a of the duct 2. In addition, arrangement | positioning of the ventilation fan 5 is not limited to this, What is necessary is just an arrangement | positioning which can send the heat which generate | occur | produced from the heat-source part 4 into the duct 2. FIG. Therefore, for example, the blower fan 5 can be arranged inside the duct 2 or can be arranged on the upstream side in the blowing direction with respect to the fixing unit 12 (the upper side or the right side of the fixing unit 12 in FIG. 3). It is also possible to arrange a plurality of blower fans 5 by a combination of these positions. Further, the air blowing means in the present invention is not limited to the air blowing fan 5, and other devices can be used as long as the heat generated from the heat source unit 4 can be sent into the duct 2. Is possible.

  Further, a part of the heat sink 6 is disposed inside the duct 2 so as to protrude. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the protruding portion 6 a that protrudes inside the duct 2 of the heat sink 6 has a plurality of plate shapes along the air flow inside the duct 2. Is formed. Here, FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the duct 2 around the heat sink 6 in FIG. The heat sink 6 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity so that heat of the air flowing inside the duct 2 can be efficiently transferred. The support portion 6 b that protrudes outside the duct 2 of the heat sink 6 is fixed to the base frame 22 of the image forming apparatus 1. The base frame 22 is a frame that supports the entire bottom surface of the image forming apparatus 1 and is made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity. As a result, the heat of the heat sink 6 can be released to the outside air through the base frame 22 having a large area and high thermal conductivity. The support 6b of the heat sink 6 may be fixed to other parts as long as it has a high thermal conductivity and has a relatively large area. Specifically, when a metal cover or the like is provided on the back surface or the like of the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming apparatus 1 can be fixed to these covers or the like.

  In addition to the above shape, the shape of the heat sink 6 can be various shapes depending on the temperature and speed of the warmed air flowing inside the duct 2. For example, the shape shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 can be used. The protrusion 6a of the heat sink 6 shown in FIG. 5 is formed in a plurality of plates along the air flow inside the duct 2 in the same manner as that shown in FIG. 4, and the air flow of the protrusion 6a is shown in FIG. The upstream end 6c is thinner than the other portions. This is a shape suitable for the case where it is necessary to flow air at a relatively high flow velocity inside the duct 2, and the air resistance of the end 6 c on the upstream side of the protruding portion 6 a is small. There is an effect that it is difficult to block air flow. Further, the protruding portion 6a of the heat sink 6 shown in FIG. 6 is formed in a curved and wavy shape. This is a shape suitable for a case where the flow velocity of air inside the duct 2 is relatively slow, and has an effect of increasing the cooling surface efficiency by increasing the surface area of each protrusion 6a. In FIG. 6, only one protrusion 6a is provided, but it is naturally possible to provide a plurality of protrusions 6a in parallel. Further, the heat sink 6 shown in FIG. 7 is configured integrally with the duct 2. That is, the protrusion 6 a of the heat sink 6 is integrally formed so as to protrude inward from each of the inner surfaces of the duct 2, and the support portion 6 b of the heat sink 6 is further downward from the lower surface of the duct 2. It is formed in an extending box shape. The support portion 6 b is fixed to the base frame 22. In the case of such a configuration, the duct 2 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity like the heat sink 6. The heat sink 6 can be formed integrally with the base frame 22 by bending the base frame 22 and projecting it upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the image forming apparatus 1, a paper feed tray 15 that stores paper supplied to the apparatus body 3 is disposed above the base frame 22. Here, since the heat from the heat sink 6 is conducted and the base frame 22 is warmed, the heat released upward from the base frame 22 warms the paper feed tray 15. Therefore, since the paper stored in the paper feed tray 15 can be kept warm, the paper can be suitably kept dry without providing a heater or the like in the paper feed tray 15.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the air heated by the heat generated in the heat source 4 inside the apparatus main body 3, particularly the fixing unit 12, is sent into the duct 2 by the blower fan 5. Since the protrusion 6 a of the heat sink 6 protrudes inside the duct 2, when the warmed air passes through the protrusion 6 a of the heat sink 6, the heat of the air is applied to the heat sink 6. Conducted and air is cooled. The cooled air passes through the ozone filter 20 and the dust filter 21 and is discharged from the exhaust port 2b of the duct 2 after the ozone and dust are removed, and returns to the inside of the apparatus body 3. As described above, most of the air inside the image forming apparatus 1 circulates inside, but the inside of the image forming apparatus 1 is not completely sealed, and there are gaps with the outside in various places. Accordingly, a part of the air flows out of the image forming apparatus 1 or flows into the image forming apparatus 1 from the outside. The heat transferred to the heat sink 6 passes through the support portion 6b of the heat sink 6 and is conducted to the base frame 22 to which the support portion 6b is fixed. This heat is released from the base frame 22 having a large area and high thermal conductivity to the outside air. At this time, the paper feed tray disposed above the base frame 22 can be warmed to keep the paper stored therein dry.

  In addition, embodiment of this invention is not limited to said form, It can be set as various embodiment within the technical scope of the invention described in the claim. Hereinafter, an embodiment different from the above embodiment will be described.

[Second Embodiment]
Unlike the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 8 has a configuration in which the exhaust port 2b of the duct 2 does not communicate with the inside of the apparatus body 3. It has become. Specifically, the exhaust port 2 b of the duct 2 is disposed between the apparatus main body 3 and the exterior member 18. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the air discharged from the exhaust port 2 b is not positively returned to the inside of the apparatus main body 3, but the exterior member 18 is not returned to the inside of the apparatus main body 3 from the gap of the apparatus main body 3. The sheet is gradually discharged from the image forming apparatus 1 through the gap. With such a configuration, unlike the conventional apparatus, air is not directly discharged from the opening provided in the exterior member 18, so that the drive mechanism, image forming mechanism, or It is possible to prevent the operating sound of the fan from leaking to the outside. Moreover, since the air discharged | emitted from the exhaust port 2b of the duct 2 has passed the ozone filter 20 and the dust filter 21, discharge | emission of the harmful substance which generate | occur | produces inside apparatuses, such as ozone and dust, can be suppressed.

[Third Embodiment]
The image forming apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 9 is different from the first embodiment in that the duct 2 has an air circulation channel having a fixing unit 12 in the channel. It is provided to configure. Specifically, the air inlet 2a and the air outlet 2b of the duct 2 are respectively arranged on both sides of the fixing unit 12 (upper and lower sides of the fixing unit 12 in FIG. 9), and connect the air inlet 2a and the air outlet 2b. The duct 2 is formed in a substantially C shape and is disposed in the vicinity of the fixing unit 12. And the ventilation fan 5 is arrange | positioned inside the inlet port 2a. Further, a part of the heat sink 6 is provided so as to protrude inside the duct 2, and a support portion 6 b of the heat sink 6 is fixed to a side frame 23 provided on the side surface of the image forming apparatus 1. Yes. Here, in consideration of heat dissipation, the side frame 23 is not surrounded by the exterior member 18 and is exposed. Furthermore, an ozone filter 20 and a dust filter 21 are arranged inside the duct 2 as in the first embodiment. With such a configuration, since air circulates only in the circulation flow path of the duct 2 including the fixing unit 12 in the flow path, air is reliably prevented from being discharged outside the image forming apparatus 1. As a result, it is possible to obtain a further noise prevention effect and a harmful emission control effect. In addition, since air is circulated only through a small circulation channel for only the fixing unit 12, the blower fan 5 can be reduced in size, and the effect of preventing noise caused by the blower fan 5 is further improved. be able to.

  The present invention is preferably applicable to image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, facsimile machines, printers, etc., and discharges noise and harmful substances from the inside of the apparatus while suitably discharging the heat generated from the heat source section inside the apparatus. Can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. Schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a main part of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. The enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the duct around the heat sink in FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a shape of a heat sink of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a shape of a heat sink of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a shape of a heat sink of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. Schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. Schematic diagram showing a third embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Duct 2a Duct inlet 2b Duct exhaust 3 Apparatus main body 4 Heat source part 5 Blower fan (blower means)
6 Heat sink 6a Heat sink protrusion 6b Heat sink support 9 Laser scanner unit 12 Fixing unit 15 Paper feed tray 16 Process unit 18 Exterior member 19 Restricting member 20 Ozone filter 21 Dust filter 22 Base frame 23 Side frame

Claims (7)

In the image forming apparatus having a heat source part inside the apparatus main body,
A duct having an air inlet communicating with the inside of the apparatus body;
A blowing means for sending heat generated from the heat source part into the duct;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a heat sink that is disposed so that a part of the duct protrudes into the duct and that conducts heat generated from the heat source unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the duct is disposed such that an exhaust port communicates with the inside of the apparatus main body.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the duct includes a regulating member that regulates an air flow in the vicinity of the exhaust port.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is fixed to a frame or a cover having high thermal conductivity outside the duct. 5.   The protrusion of the heat sink that protrudes into the duct is formed in one or more plates along the air flow inside the duct, and the upstream end of the air flow of the protrusion The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the image forming apparatus is thinner than other portions.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a paper feed tray is disposed above the frame.   7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or both of an ozone filter and a dust filter is provided inside the duct.

Images