JP2005268584A - Image forming unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air-conditioner which treats condensate at low cost with simple constitution without enlarging space for treatment of the condensate, and also to provide an image forming unit using it. <P>SOLUTION: The air-conditioner 1 includes a radiation fin 4 and a cooling fin 5 with a Peltier element 3 placed therebetween. When the Peltier element 3 is energized, the cooling fin 5 is cooled down and air is dehumidified and cooled. The condensate (w) produced by bedewing at the cooling fin 5 is absorbed by an absorption diffusion member 10 consisting of a porous material which is laid down to the side of the radiation fin 4 from the lower part of the cooling fin 5, and is transferred to the side of the radiation fin 4. The condensate evaporates by hot air which passed through the radiation fin 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that dehumidifies and / or cools air and an image forming apparatus including the air conditioner.

JP-A-6-83153 JP-A-6-83155

  An air conditioner that dehumidifies and / or cools air by a heat exchanger using a Peltier element or the like is well known. An image forming apparatus using such an air conditioner as a dehumidifying / cooling unit is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-83153 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-83155 (Patent Document 2). Yes.

  In the air conditioner as described above, water is generated due to dew condensation on the cooling side of the heat exchanger, so that treatment is necessary. In the said patent document 1, dehumidified water is processed by using a collection tray. Moreover, in the said patent document 2, the waste_water | drain generate | occur | produced in a low temperature part is introduce | transduced into a high temperature part, and it heats and evaporates and processes.

  However, the configuration in which the dehumidified water is stored in the recovery unit like the one described in Patent Document 1 requires a large recovery space for long-term use, leading to a problem that the apparatus is increased in size. Also, maintenance work is required to throw away the accumulated water.

  Moreover, the thing of the said patent document 2 has conveyed the dehumidification water from a low temperature part to a high temperature part using a drain pipe and a drain pump, and there exists a problem that a motive power is separately needed for the drive of a pump. In addition, a space for the pump itself and piping, and a space for storing water are necessary, and there is a problem that the apparatus is increased in size and cost.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems in the conventional air conditioner and the image forming apparatus including the same, and does not increase the space for the dehumidified water treatment, and enables the treatment of the dehumidified water at a low cost with a simple configuration. An object is to provide an air conditioner and an image forming apparatus including the air conditioner.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a heat exchange unit that moves heat from a low temperature part to a high temperature part, and in the air conditioner that dehumidifies and / or cools air in the low temperature part, dehumidified water generated in the low temperature part. The problem is solved by disposing the absorbing and diffusing member that absorbs and diffuses and conveys the gas from the low temperature part to the high temperature part.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said low temperature part and the said high temperature part are arrange | positioned substantially horizontal direction, and the said absorption-diffusion member is arrange | positioned substantially horizontal.
Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes having a dehumidification water evaporation means to evaporate the said dehumidification water.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is the said dehumidification water evaporation means.
Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the heat | fever of the said high temperature part is provided to the said dehumidification water evaporation means.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes having a ventilation means to move air along the said absorption-diffusion member in the said high temperature part.
Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member has a ventilation contact part to which the wind from the said ventilation means is sprayed.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is formed with a porous material.
Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is a fiber member.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is a cloth-like member.
Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is a plate-shaped member.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is comprised with one type of material.
Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the said absorption-diffusion member is comprised with 2 or more types of materials.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes that the heat transfer means of the said heat exchange unit is a Peltier device.
Moreover, the said subject is solved by the image forming apparatus provided with the air conditioner of any one of Claims 1-14 by this invention.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, this invention proposes blowing the air dehumidified or / and cooled by the said air conditioner to the image forming main part.
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention proposes to have an image reading unit and to blow air dehumidified and / or cooled by the air conditioner to the image reading unit.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes that hot air from a heat source other than the air conditioner in the image forming apparatus is allowed to act on the absorbing and diffusing member in a high temperature portion of the air conditioner.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes that the heat source is a fixing device.

  As described above, according to the air conditioner of the present invention, the absorption diffusion member for absorbing and diffusing and transporting the dehumidified water generated in the low temperature part is disposed from the low temperature part to the high temperature part. Since a receiving tray for receiving dehumidified water and a pipe for guiding dehumidified water therefrom are not required as in (cooling / dehumidifying device), the air conditioner can be downsized. Further, since water is not stored in a tray or the like, water leakage or the like does not occur due to vibration or inclination of the machine. Furthermore, since a pump or the like is not used for transporting the dehumidified water, no additional power is required for transporting the dehumidified water, and an energy saving effect is obtained.

  According to the configuration of the second aspect, since the low temperature part and the high temperature part are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction and the absorption diffusion member is arranged substantially horizontally, the dehumidified water can be easily conveyed from the low temperature part to the high temperature part.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the dehumidified water evaporation means for evaporating the dehumidified water is provided, a water storage tank is not necessary, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. Further, since it is not necessary to throw away the water accumulated in the tank, the maintainability is also improved.

  According to the configuration of claim 4, since the absorption diffusion member is the dehumidified water evaporation means, the dehumidified water is continuously absorbed, transported and evaporated, and the process is not interrupted and the dehumidified water is highly reliable. Processing can be performed. Further, since the water absorption diffusion member is used for a plurality of functions of water absorption / conveyance / evaporation, space saving and cost reduction can be realized.

  According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, since the heat of the high temperature portion is applied to the dehumidified water evaporation means, it is possible to promote the evaporation action of the dehumidified water. Further, it is not necessary to provide a separate heat source for evaporating the dehumidified water.

According to the configuration of the sixth aspect, the dehumidifying water can be efficiently evaporated because the high temperature portion has the blowing means for moving the air along the absorbing and diffusing member.
According to the configuration of the seventh aspect, since the absorption / diffusion member has the blowing contact portion to which the wind from the blowing means is blown, the dehumidified water is effectively evaporated and the evaporation ability can be further improved.

With the configuration of the eighth aspect, since the absorption / diffusion member is formed of a porous material, absorption / diffusion (conveyance) of dehumidified water can be performed efficiently.
With the structure of the ninth aspect, since the light diffusing member is a fiber member, high water absorption and stable conveyance can be performed.

  According to the structure of claim 10, since the absorbing and diffusing member is a cloth-like member, it can be easily used in a complicated shape, and can be easily attached along the inner wall or corner of the case, increasing the degree of freedom in design. It is possible to make it.

With the structure of the eleventh aspect, since the light diffusing member is a plate-like member, it is easy to process the member, and fixing and assembling are also easy.
With the configuration of the twelfth aspect, since the absorbing and diffusing member is composed of one kind of material, the member cost can be suppressed.

  According to the structure of claim 13, the absorption / diffusion member is composed of two or more kinds of materials, so that the water absorption / diffusion member can be configured by a combination of members suitable for the place and function, and the water absorption / conveyance / evaporation property can be achieved. An excellent and easy to use water-absorbing and diffusing member can be provided.

  With the structure of the fourteenth aspect, since the heat transfer means of the heat exchange unit is a Peltier element, heat exchange can be performed efficiently in a small space, and downsizing and cost reduction of the air conditioner can be realized.

According to the configuration of the fifteenth aspect, since the image forming apparatus includes the air conditioner, dehumidification and cooling in the apparatus can be performed.
According to the configuration of the sixteenth aspect, since the air dehumidified and / or cooled by the air conditioner is blown to the main image forming unit, the main image forming unit can be dehumidified and cooled.

According to the configuration of the seventeenth aspect, since the air dehumidified and / or cooled by the air conditioner is blown to the image reading unit, the image reading unit can be dehumidified and cooled.
According to the configuration of the eighteenth aspect, warm air from a heat source other than the air conditioner is caused to act on the absorption / diffusion member in the high temperature portion of the air conditioner, so that evaporation of dehumidified water in the absorption / diffusion member can be promoted.

  According to the nineteenth aspect, the heat of the fixing device can be used for evaporation of dehumidified water.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view showing an example of an air conditioner according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. In the air conditioner 1 of this example shown in these drawings, a heat exchange unit using a Peltier element (thermoelectric element) 3 is arranged inside a case 2. In the configuration of this example, the right side in the figure of the Peltier element 3 is a heat generating surface, and the left side is a heat absorbing surface. The heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 3 is in pressure contact with the heat radiating fin 4 with a heat conducting member (not shown) interposed therebetween. Similarly, the cooling fin 5 is pressed against the heat absorbing surface of the Peltier element 3 with a heat conducting member (not shown) interposed therebetween. Therefore, in the air conditioner 1 of this example, the right side of FIG. A heat insulating member 7 is provided between the radiation fin 4 and the cooling fin 5 to prevent heat conduction between the radiation fin 4 and the cooling fin 5.

  The case 2 is opened at the upper and lower end faces in FIG. 1, and the fans 8 and 9 respectively disposed in the high temperature part and the low temperature part are rotated by driving means (not shown), so that the inside of the case 2 is shown in FIG. Air passes downward (as indicated by the thick arrows in FIG. 1). The high-temperature part fan 8 is a fan for sucking air from the radiation fins 4 and exhausting heat, and the low-temperature part fan 9 is a fan for sending air to the cooling fins 5.

  As can be seen from the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 2, in the air conditioner 1 of the present example, the heat radiating fins 4 and the cooling fins 5 are disposed substantially horizontally with the Peltier element 3 interposed therebetween, and the water absorbing / diffusing member 10 is disposed below them. It is laid. The water absorbing / diffusing member 10 is continuously (connected) from the lower part of the cooling fin 5 to the lower part of the radiating fin 4, that is, from the low temperature part to the high temperature part. Further, as can be seen from FIG. 1, in the high temperature portion, not only the lower portion of the radiating fin 4 but also the water absorbing / diffusing member 10 is continuously laid from the upstream side (the upstream side of the air flow) to the downstream side. .

  In the air conditioner 1 having the above-described configuration, when the Peltier element 3 is energized, heat is transferred from one surface of the Peltier element to the other surface, and in this example, the cooling fin 5 is cooled and the radiating fin 4 is Heated. Therefore, the air passing through the cooling fins 5 is cooled and dehumidified by causing condensation at the same time. On the other hand, the air passing through the radiating fins 4 is heated. When this air conditioner 1 is mounted on an image forming apparatus, the air inside the image forming apparatus is introduced into the air conditioner 1, and the cooling dehumidified air that has passed through the low temperature portion needs to be cooled, for example, the main part of image forming, etc. To cool. Further, the exhausted hot air that has passed through the high temperature part is normally discharged out of the image forming apparatus.

  In the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, condensation is generated by cooling the cooling fin 5, and the condensed water (hereinafter referred to as dehumidified water) falls to the lower part of the cooling fin 5. In this example, since the water absorption diffusion member 10 is laid from the lower part of the cooling fin 5 to the lower part of the heat radiation fin 4 as described above, the dehumidified water w (FIG. 2) dropped from the cooling fin 5 is the water absorption diffusion member. 10 is absorbed and diffused by the substrate 10 and conveyed in the horizontal direction. In this example, the dehumidified water is naturally conveyed to the lower part of the cooling fin 5, that is, to the high temperature part.

  In the air conditioner 1 of this example, the dehumidified water is absorbed and diffused by the water absorption / diffusion member 10 and transported, so that the dehumidified water is guided from the receiving tray for receiving the dehumidified water as in the conventional air conditioner (cooling / dehumidifying device). Since a pipe or the like is unnecessary, the air conditioner (cooling / dehumidifying device) can be downsized. Further, since water is not stored in a tray or the like, water leakage or the like does not occur due to vibration or inclination of the machine. Furthermore, since a pump or the like is not used for transporting the dehumidified water, no additional power is required for transporting the dehumidified water, and an energy saving effect is obtained.

  And the dehumidified water conveyed to the high temperature part by the water absorption diffusion member 10 is warmed by the heat of the radiation fins 4 and evaporated to be discharged as hot air. Therefore, it is not necessary to throw away the water storage tank and the water accumulated in the tank, and space saving and maintenance can be improved.

  Moreover, in this example, since the water absorption diffusion member 10 is laid not only in the lower part of the heat radiation fin 4 but also in front and behind it, the air flows along the water absorption diffusion member 10 before and after the air passes through the heat radiation fin 4 in the high temperature part. It is possible to evaporate water in a space-saving manner. In particular, the wind after passing through the radiating fins 4 is warmed by the radiating fins 4 and becomes warm air, further improving the water evaporation capability. Moreover, since this warm air is a warm air generated by heat exchange, no other heat source is used for evaporation of the dehumidified water, thereby saving energy.

  In addition, by using a Peltier element (thermoelectric element) as the heat exchange means, heat exchange can be performed efficiently in a small space, and downsizing and cost reduction of the air conditioner can be realized.

  When the air conditioner 1 of this example is mounted on the image forming apparatus, a heat source inside the image forming apparatus, for example, air in the vicinity of the fixing device, is introduced into the high temperature portion of the air conditioner 1 to If it is made to act and used for dehumidification water evaporation, dehumidification water evaporation can be promoted more.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the dehumidified water is absorbed, transported (diffusion), and further evaporated from the water absorbing and diffusing member 10 continuously, so that the process is not interrupted and the dehumidification is performed with high reliability. Water treatment can be performed. Further, since the water absorbing / diffusing member 10 is used for a plurality of functions of water absorption / conveyance / evaporation (one member has a plurality of functions), space saving and cost reduction can be realized.

  As the water-absorbing / diffusing member 10, a porous material or a fiber material having excellent water absorption and diffusibility can be used. As the shape, either a plate-like member or a cloth-like member can be used. Examples of the plate-like member include foamed resin, for example, UNIBEX SB (trade name) manufactured by Unitika. Examples of the cloth-like member include those having excellent water absorption, such as a general fiber member or non-woven fabric.

  When a plate-like member is used as the water absorbing / diffusing member 10, it is easy to process and is also easily fixed and assembled. In addition, when a cloth-like member is used, it can be easily used in a more complicated shape, can be easily attached along the inner wall of the case, corners, and the like, and the degree of freedom in design can be increased.

Moreover, if the water absorption diffusion member 10 is comprised by one type of member, member cost can be suppressed.
In addition, by configuring the water absorbing / diffusing member 10 with a plurality of types of members, the water absorbing / diffusing member 10 can be configured with a combination of members suitable for location and function, and is excellent in water absorption / conveyance / evaporation and easy to use. The water absorption diffusion member 10 can be provided. For example, it is conceivable to use a cloth-like member that can be easily shaped at the corners in the apparatus and a plate-like member at the other part. Further, it is conceivable to improve the pumping performance of the dehumidified water by using a cloth-like member for the rising portion 10a described below.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 3, when the water absorbing / diffusing member 10 is raised and wind, particularly hot air that has passed through the radiation fins 4 is blown to the raised portion 10a, the dehumidified water evaporates in the raised portion 10a. Is effectively performed, and the evaporation ability can be further improved. Due to the capillary action function of the water-absorbing diffusion member 10, the dehumidified water that has been conveyed receives wind at the rising portion 10a and is efficiently evaporated.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus equipped with the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment.
The image forming apparatus shown in this figure is configured as a quadruple tandem color printer, and an image forming main part 20 is arranged at the center of the apparatus. In the figure, the air conditioner 1 is arranged on the left side. The air conditioner 1 is arranged with the radiating fins 4 on the left side, with the left and right sides reversed from those in the case of FIG.

  The color printer of the illustrated example has a configuration in which a paper feeding unit 12 is provided in the lower part of the apparatus main body, and an image forming main unit 20 is disposed above the paper feeding unit 12. A paper discharge tray 60 is formed on the upper surface of the apparatus. As shown by the broken line in the drawing, the recording paper conveyance path is fed from the paper feeding unit 12, the image formed by the main image forming unit 20 is transferred onto the paper, fixed by the fixing device 50 and discharged. The paper is discharged to the paper tray 60. Manual feed (symbol: c) is possible from the side of the apparatus, and discharge (symbol: d) to the side of the apparatus is also possible.

  A transfer / conveying belt 21 is inclinedly disposed in the main image forming unit 20. Four image forming units 14M, 14C, 14Y, and 14Bk for magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) are arranged in order from the bottom along the upper running side of the transfer conveyance belt 21. They are arranged side by side.

  The configuration of each color image forming unit 14M, 14C, 14Y, 14Bk is the same. Each image forming unit includes a photoconductive drum 15 as an image carrier, and the photoconductive drum 15 is rotationally driven in a clockwise direction in the drawing by a driving unit (not shown). Around the photosensitive drum 15, a charger, a developing unit, a cleaning device, and the like necessary for the electrophotographic process are provided. An optical writing device 18 is disposed above the color image forming units 14M, 14C, 14Y, and 14Bk.

A printing operation in this color printer will be briefly described.
In the image forming unit 14M for magenta, the surface of the photosensitive drum 15 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by a charger. In the exposure device 18, an LD (laser diode) (not shown) is driven based on image data sent from a host machine such as a personal computer to irradiate the polygon mirror 17 with laser light, and the reflected light is transmitted through a cylinder lens or the like. An electrostatic latent image to be developed with magenta toner is formed on the photosensitive drum 15M and guided to the photosensitive drum 15M. Toner is applied to the latent image from the developing device, and a visible image of magenta toner is formed.

  On the other hand, a sheet designated as a transfer material is fed from the sheet feeding unit 12, and the fed sheet is once abutted against the registration roller pair 40. Then, the sheet is fed onto the transfer / conveying belt 21 in synchronization with the visible image, and reaches the transfer position facing the photosensitive drum 15M as the belt travels. At this transfer position, a visible image of magenta toner is transferred to the paper by the action of a transfer brush disposed on the back side of the belt 21.

  Similarly to the case of the magenta color, in the other image forming units 14C, 14Y, and 14Bk, visible images are formed by the respective toners on the surfaces of the respective photosensitive drums 15, and these visible images are transferred by the transfer conveyance belt 21. Each time the transported sheet arrives at each transfer position, the sheet is overlaid and transferred. Therefore, in the color printer of this example, a full-color image is superimposed and transferred onto a sheet in a short time almost the same as that of monochrome.

  The sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the transfer conveyance belt 21 and fixed by the fixing device 50. The sheet that has been fixed is discharged to a discharge tray 60 provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body.

  As described above, the cooling and dehumidifying air that has passed through the low temperature portion of the air conditioner 1 is sent to the main image forming portion and the like to cool them. Hot air in the vicinity of the fixing device 50 can be introduced into the high temperature part of the air conditioner 1 and used for dehumidifying water evaporation. And the exhaust heat warm air which passed the high temperature part of the air conditioner 1 is discharged | emitted out of the color printer in this example.

  Changes in characteristic values (hardness, Young's modulus, etc.) of rubber parts used, changes in developer charge, toner characteristics (fluidity, etc.) Can be suppressed. It is also possible to suppress image quality deterioration phenomenon such as image blurring that occurs under high humidity conditions. As a result, a stable image forming system and a high image quality image forming system can be configured.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated by the example of illustration, this invention is not limited to this.
For example, a heat radiation fin cooling fin or a heat insulating material between the two fins having an appropriate shape, size, and material can be used. Further, the size and shape of the water absorbing / diffusing member are also arbitrary. Further, the air conditioner is not limited to the image forming apparatus, and can be mounted on, for example, an image reading apparatus.

  When the air conditioner is mounted on the image forming apparatus, the destination of the cooling dehumidifying air is arbitrary. For example, when installed in a copying machine, cooling air may be blown to a scanner unit that generates a large amount of heat. Of course, the image forming apparatus is not limited to a printer, and may be a copying machine, a facsimile, or a complex machine thereof.

It is a plane sectional view showing an example of an air-conditioning device concerning the present invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that warm air is sprayed on the starting part of a water absorption diffusion member. It is a cross-sectional block diagram which shows an example of the image forming apparatus carrying the air conditioner of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioner 3 Peltier element 4 Radiation fin 5 Cooling fin 7 Heat insulation member 8,9 Fan 10 Water absorption diffusion member 10a Standing-up part (air blowing contact part)
20 Image forming main part 50 Fixing device

Claims (19)

In an air conditioner comprising a heat exchange unit that moves heat from a low temperature part to a high temperature part, and dehumidifying or / and cooling air in the low temperature part,
An air-conditioning apparatus, wherein an absorbing and diffusing member that absorbs and diffuses and conveys dehumidified water generated in the low-temperature portion is disposed from the low-temperature portion to the high-temperature portion. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the low temperature part and the high temperature part are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, and the absorption diffusion member is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a dehumidifying water evaporation means for evaporating the dehumidified water. The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the absorption diffusion member is the dehumidified water evaporation means. The air conditioner according to claim 3 or 4, wherein heat of the high temperature part is given to the dehumidifying water evaporation means. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a blowing unit that moves air along the absorbing and diffusing member in the high temperature part. The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the absorption / diffusion member has an air blowing contact portion to which air from the air blowing means is blown. The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorption diffusion member is made of a porous material. The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorption diffusion member is a fiber member. The air-conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the absorption diffusion member is a cloth-like member. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the absorption diffusion member is a plate-like member. The air-conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the absorption-diffusion member is made of one type of material. The air-conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the absorption diffusion member is made of two or more kinds of materials. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer means of the heat exchange unit is a Peltier element. An image forming apparatus comprising the air conditioner according to claim 1. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the air dehumidified and / or cooled by the air conditioner is blown to a main part of image forming. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising an image reading unit, wherein the air dehumidified and / or cooled by the air conditioner is blown to the image reading unit. 18. The hot air from a heat source other than the air conditioner in the image forming apparatus is caused to act on the absorption / diffusion member in a high-temperature portion of the air conditioner. Image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the heat source is a fixing device.

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