JP2006201345A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate and simplify the exchange and the handling of a filter at a suction/exhaust part. <P>SOLUTION: A suction port 3 is provided on the outside cover 2 of the housing of an image forming apparatus main body 1, and an suction fan 4 is installed inside the suction port 3. The suction port 3 is covered with a cover body 6 where a plurality of air circulating apertures 5 formed long sideways are provided on both sides. The cover body 6 is held attachably/detachably so that it can be easily detached from/attached to the outside cover 2. An air filter body (dust-proof filter) 7 is interposed inside the cover body 6 between the air circulating aperture 5 of the cover body 6 and the suction fan 4 in the suction port 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, and more particularly to a structure of an intake / exhaust portion.

  In an electrophotographic system generally employed as an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus, a fan motor is installed to prevent temperature rise in the apparatus main body, and further, dust from the outside cannot be put into the apparatus main body. An air filter is installed.

Various configurations as described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have been proposed and implemented as installation configurations of the fan and the filter in the image forming apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-113708 JP-A-8-95474 JP 2002-318514 A

  However, conventionally, the air filter of the image forming apparatus is generally fixed to the back surface of the housing of the apparatus main body with a double-sided tape or the like. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to replace the filter when it is clogged.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide an image forming apparatus having a simple and easy configuration for filter replacement and handling.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus in which an image forming unit is mounted in an apparatus main body, and an intake port and an exhaust port are installed in a housing of the apparatus main body. A fan is installed in the opening or the exhaust port, and a cover body in which an air circulation opening is formed so as to cover the intake port or the exhaust port is detachably attached to the housing, and the intake port or the exhaust port is provided in the cover body Since the air filter body is provided on the removable cover body independent of the fan, the air filter body can be easily replaced when the air filter body is clogged. .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, a plurality of air intake ports or exhaust ports are covered with a cover body, and air filter bodies are respectively installed corresponding to the air intake ports or the air exhaust ports. With this configuration, even when a plurality of fans are provided, all the filters can be exchanged by operating one cover body, and the workability of the exchange is improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a part of the cover body is rotatably supported by the housing. With this configuration, the cover body is separated from the housing. The air filter body can be exchanged without being removed and placed in another position.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, a holding portion that holds the air filter body is provided on the inner wall portion of the cover body. Since the air filter body is held by the cover body, the air filter body can be easily handled when the cover body is opened and closed, and the replacement work can be easily performed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the air filter body can be held by shifting the installation position of the cover body with respect to the air circulation opening. With this configuration, it is possible to use the filter a plurality of times by shifting the installation position without discarding the filter after a single use.

  According to the present invention, since the air filter body such as the dust filter and the ozone filter is provided in the removable cover body independent of the fan, the filter body can be easily and easily replaced when clogged, Filter replacement work is improved.

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

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an image forming apparatus for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. An electrophotographic image forming unit (not shown) is built in an apparatus main body 1 of the image forming apparatus. In the present example, the casing cover 2 of the main body 1 is provided with two air inlets 3, and a suction fan 4 is installed inside each air inlet 3.

  Each intake port 3 is covered with a cover body 6 in which a plurality of horizontally long air circulation openings 5 are provided on both sides. The cover body 6 is detachably held so that it can be easily detached from and attached to the exterior cover 2.

  An air filter body (dust-proof filter) 7 is interposed inside the cover body 6 between the air circulation opening 5 of the cover body 6 and the suction fan 4 of the intake port 3 so that dust or the like enters the apparatus main body 1 from the outside. It is preventing.

  On the lower side of the cover body 6 (on the right side in FIG. 1), a pair of projecting portions 9 that are fitted and inserted into the first insertion port 8 provided in the exterior cover 2 are provided. On the left side in FIG. 1, there is provided a claw-shaped member 11 having a U-shaped side view that is fitted into a second insertion port 10 provided in the exterior cover 2.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the open state of the cover body of the present embodiment by cross-sectioning the AA portion of FIG.

  The claw member 11 has a flexible and elastic structure. When the filter is replaced, the tip 11a of the U-shaped portion of the claw member 11 is pushed down against the elastic force, and the claw member 11 is pressed. Is pulled forward (leftward in FIG. 2) to disengage the claw portion 11b from the peripheral portion of the second insertion port 10, and the portion of the intake port 3 covered by the cover body 6 is opened. Is done. Even in this opened state, the cover body 6 is held obliquely with the protruding portion 9 hooked on the first insertion port 8 of the exterior cover 2.

  For this reason, since the air filter body 7 is removed and attached without removing the cover body 6 from the exterior cover 2 and placing it at another position, the filter body can be easily replaced.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a rib 6a having a shape matching the outer peripheral shape of the air filter body 7 is provided on the back side (inner wall portion) of the cover body 6 so that the air filter body 7 does not move carelessly. It is.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion-shaped portion 6 b is provided on the back side of the cover body 6, and a notch 7 a is provided at a position corresponding to the protrusion-shaped portion 6 b in the air filter body 7. The air filter body 7 can be reliably held by fitting the notch portion 7a to 6a.

  Further, in the modification of the air filter body shown in FIG. 4, the first cut portion 7 a-1 and the second cut portion 7 a-2 are provided on the upper side portion and the lower side portion of the air filter body 7, and the cover body 6. In the state of being fitted to the protrusion-shaped portion 6b provided on the back side, the first cut portion 7a-1 and the second cut portion 7a-2 have an air flow opening of the cover body 6 in the air filter body 7. The position with respect to 5 is shifted in the vertical direction.

  As a result, even if dirt, dust, or the like adheres to the portion of the air filter body 7 that faces the air flow opening 5 of the cover body 6 due to long-term operation of the apparatus, in this example, the protrusion-shaped portion 6b By replacing the fitted first cut-in part 7a-1 with the second cut-in part 7a-2 and fitting it, the part B to which the dirt, dust, etc. of the air filter body 7 are attached is covered. It is possible to hold a portion C that is displaced from the air circulation opening 5 and is not attached with B such as dirt and dust so as to face the air circulation opening 5.

  Therefore, it is possible to use the air filter body 7 that is partially contaminated a plurality of times by shifting the installation position without discarding the air filter body 7 by one use.

  In addition, although the structural example regarding the inlet port 3 was demonstrated in the said embodiment, the structure of a cover body and a filter similar to the above, and the related structure with those other members are also employ | adopted also at the exhaust port part in which an ozone filter etc. are provided. can do.

  The present invention is applied to an intake / exhaust portion of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, and the like, and is particularly effective when applied to an image forming apparatus requiring easy and simple filter replacement and handling.

1 is an exploded perspective view of an image forming apparatus for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing which shows the open state of the cover body of this embodiment by sectioning AA part of FIG. The perspective view which shows the holding structure of the air filter body which concerns on this embodiment The perspective view which shows the modification of the air filter body which concerns on this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body 2 Exterior cover 3 Intake port 4 Suction fan 5 Air distribution opening 6 Cover body 6a Rib 6b Projection shape part 7 Air filter body 7a, 7a-1, 7a-2 Cutting part 8, 10 Insertion port 9 Protrusion part 11 Claw member 11a Tip portion 11b Claw portion

Claims (5)

In the image forming apparatus in which the image forming unit is mounted in the apparatus main body, and the intake port and the exhaust port are installed in the housing of the apparatus main body.
A fan is installed in the intake port or the exhaust port, and a cover body in which an air circulation opening is formed so as to cover the intake port or the exhaust port is detachably attached to the housing, and the intake port or the An image forming apparatus, wherein an air filter body is installed to face an exhaust port.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the intake ports or the exhaust ports are covered with the cover body, and the air filter bodies are respectively installed corresponding to the intake ports or the exhaust ports.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the cover body is rotatably supported by the housing.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a holding portion that holds the air filter body is provided on an inner wall portion of the cover body.   5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air filter body can be held by shifting an installation position of the cover body with respect to the air circulation opening.

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