JP2006208678A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing energy consumption and reducing heat radiation and dispersion of an odor to outside the apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus has a fixing device 8 which thermally fixes toner on transfer paper, a looped sound tube 101, a loudspeaker 141 which generates a sound wave in the looped sound tube 101, a cool storage unit 130 arranged in the looped sound tube 101, a high-temperature side heat exchanger 132 which exchanges heat between a high-temperature part formed at one end of the cool storage unit 130 and the outside with the sound wave generated by the loudspeaker 141, a low-temperature side heat exchanger 131 which exchanges heat between a low-temperature part formed at the other end of the cool storage unit 130 and the outside with the sound wave generated by the loudspeaker 141, a heat transfer unit 830 which conducts heat from the high-temperature side heat exchanger 132 to the fixing device 8, and a heat transfer unit 913 which conducts heat from a heat generation portion in the apparatus to the low-temperature side heat exchanger 131. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that employs a thermal fixing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus that forms an image by a thermal fixing method, heat generated from a fixing unit or a CPU is large. In order to prevent this, heat is released to the outside of the apparatus by a fan or the like.

  Here, as a technique for cooling, there is known a refrigeration apparatus in which a speaker is attached to a loop-shaped acoustic tube, and cooling is performed by forming a temperature gradient in a regenerator by acoustic energy (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  Also known is a refrigerator that creates a temperature gradient in a looped acoustic tube, which generates a self-excited standing wave and a traveling wave of the acoustic wave to work, and takes out a temperature gradient greater than the given temperature gradient. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  In addition, a sheet regeneration apparatus that uses a heat pump as a water vapor liquefaction apparatus for taking out a liquid used for removing a printing material printed on a sheet and cools by the heat pump is known (see, for example, Patent Document 3). .

  Also known is a powder transfer device that uses a heat pump to cool the temperature rise due to frictional heat generated during the transfer of the developer (for example, see Patent Document 4).

JP 2000-337724 A Japanese Patent No. 3015786 JP 2002-55575 A JP-A-10-101212

  However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the heat generated inside the apparatus is exhausted to the outside of the apparatus by a fan or the like, so that there is a problem that the discharged heat energy is wasted. In addition, there is a problem that noise and odor inside the apparatus leak from the opening for discharging heat.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing energy consumption and reducing heat radiation to the outside of the apparatus and emission of odors. .

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a fixing unit that fixes toner onto transfer paper by heat, an acoustic resonance tube, an acoustic drive unit that generates sound waves inside the acoustic resonance tube, and an acoustic resonance tube disposed inside the acoustic resonance tube. The high temperature side heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the high temperature portion generated at one end of the livestock cooler and the outside by the sound wave generated by the acoustic drive portion, and the acoustic drive portion. The heat is transmitted from the high temperature side heat exchanger to the fixing means, the low temperature side heat exchanger exchanging heat between the low temperature portion generated at the other end of the animal cooler and the outside by the sound wave generated by It is characterized by comprising first heat transfer means and second heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heat generating part in the apparatus to the low temperature side heat exchanger.

  With this configuration, the acoustic resonance tube is caused to generate a temperature gradient by using the sound and heat from the heat generating part in the apparatus as an acoustic drive part, and the heat on the high temperature side of the temperature gradient is used as heat for fixing in the fixing means. Since the heat on the side is used for cooling the heat generating part in the apparatus, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat radiation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the second heat transfer unit includes a heat absorption unit that absorbs heat from the transfer paper heated by the fixing unit, and the heat absorbed from the heat absorption unit. It transmits to the said low temperature side heat exchanger, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  With this configuration, the transfer paper heated by the fixing means is cooled by the heat on the low temperature side of the temperature gradient in the acoustic resonance tube, so that energy consumption is suppressed, and heat radiation and odor divergence to the outside of the device are suppressed. Can be reduced.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the acoustic resonance tube is formed in an annular shape and includes a branch resonance tube branched from the acoustic resonance tube.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be efficiently suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention further includes a cooling unit that cools the transfer paper on which the toner is fixed by the fixing unit, the second heat transfer unit is connected to the cooling unit, and the cooling unit is configured to transfer the transfer sheet. The second heat transfer means transfers heat received from the paper to the low temperature side heat exchanger.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the cooling unit may include a duct that surrounds one end of the second heat transfer unit and a blower fan that circulates air in the duct, and heats the transfer paper. The blower fan moves to the second heat transfer means.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that water generated by condensation from the second heat transfer means surrounded by the duct is detachably provided.

  With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the transfer paper from being damaged or damaged by water generated by condensation.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the cooling means includes a transport roller member for transporting the transfer paper.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the cooling unit includes a conveyance belt member that conveys the transfer paper.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the fixing unit includes a heating roller that heats the transfer paper, and a pressure roller that presses the transfer paper against the heating roller. One end is arranged close to the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roller.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the fixing unit includes a heating roller that heats the transfer paper, and a pressure roller that presses the transfer paper against the heating roller. One end is disposed inside the heating roller.

  With this configuration, energy consumption can be suppressed, and heat dissipation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission can be reduced.

  Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention receives a sound generated by the acoustic resonance tube and converts the sound into an electric signal, and the frequency and phase of the sound received by the microphone from the electric signal of the microphone. A signal processing means for analyzing, a signal generating means for generating a signal having a phase opposite to the phase obtained by the analysis by the signal processing means, a signal generated by the signal generating means is converted into a sound and output, And a speaker for canceling and reducing the sound generated by the acoustic resonance tube.

  With this configuration, the sound emitted from the acoustic resonance tube to the outside can be canceled and reduced.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing energy consumption and reducing heat radiation to the outside of the apparatus and odor emission.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an automatic document conveying device 36 that conveys a read document, a reading unit 3 that reads a document conveyed by the automatic document conveying device 36, and an image formation that forms an image on a transfer sheet. A unit 1a and a paper feeding unit 2 for storing the transfer paper and supplying the transfer paper to the image forming unit 1a are provided.

  The reading unit 3 is arranged at the upper part of the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming unit 1 a is arranged at a substantially central part of the image forming apparatus 1, and the paper feeding unit 2 is arranged at the lower part of the image forming apparatus 1. It is arranged further above the part 3. The paper feed unit 2 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 21 for storing a bundle of transfer paper.

  A paper discharge storage unit 4 is provided on the left side of the image forming unit 1a, and the transfer paper on which an image is formed and discharged by the image forming unit 1a is stored. In the image forming unit 1a, an intermediate transfer belt 5 as an intermediate transfer member formed in an endless belt shape is stretched along a predetermined traveling path, and is suspended and driven by a plurality of support rollers. ing. Four image forming units 6 corresponding to the respective colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are arranged along the upper running surface of the intermediate transfer belt 5.

  Each image forming unit 6 includes a photoconductor 61 formed in a drum shape. Around each photoconductor 61, a charging device 62 that performs charging processing on the surface of the photoconductor 61, and image information on the surface of the photoconductor 61. An exposure device 7 for irradiating with laser light, a developing device 63 for visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 61, and a cleaning device 64 for removing and collecting toner remaining on the photoconductor 61 are provided. ing. Here, as an image forming process, the intermediate transfer belt 5 rotates to form one color image. Specifically, first, yellow toner is developed in the image forming unit 6 corresponding to yellow, and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt. Next, the magenta toner is developed in the image forming unit 6 corresponding to magenta and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt. Next, cyan toner is developed and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt by the image forming unit 6 corresponding to cyan. Finally, the black toner is developed and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt in the image forming unit 6 corresponding to black.

  Further, on the lower running surface of the intermediate transfer belt 5, a transfer device 51 for transferring the four color toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 5 onto the transfer paper, and a surface of the intermediate transfer belt 5 after the transfer. An intermediate transfer cleaning device 52 that removes and collects residual toner is provided.

  A fixing device 8 is provided below the intermediate transfer belt 5 for passing the transfer paper on which the toner image is transferred by the transfer device 51 and fixing the toner image by heat. The transfer sheet that has passed through the fixing device 8 is discharged and stored in the discharge storage unit 4 by the discharge roller 41. When double-sided printing is performed on the transfer paper, the transfer paper on which an image is formed on one side is positioned below the branching portion 91 in the branching portion 91 including the branching claws after passing through the fixing device 8. After being conveyed to the double-sided device 9 side and reversed by the double-sided device 9, the skew (skew) is corrected by the registration roller 23, and an image is formed on the other side. Further, in the present embodiment, the transfer paper on which the image is formed is stacked on the paper discharge storage unit 4 so that the surface of the first page is on the lower side. There is no need to rearrange the order of the transfer paper pages.

  In the paper feed unit 2 including the paper feed cassette 21 that accommodates the transfer paper, the bottom plate of the paper feed cassette 21 that is rotatably supported to a position where a pickup roller (not shown) can contact the uppermost transfer paper is provided. It is going to rise. By the rotation of the paper feed roller, the uppermost transfer paper is sent out from the paper feed cassette 21 and conveyed to the registration roller 23. The registration roller 23 is controlled so that the transfer of the transfer paper is temporarily stopped and the rotation is started at a timing at which the position of the toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 61 and the position of the leading edge of the transfer paper are in a predetermined relationship.

  In the reading unit 3, in order to read and scan a document placed on the contact glass 31, reading traveling bodies 32 and 33 including a document illumination light source and a mirror (not shown) reciprocate. The image information of the original scanned by the reading traveling bodies 32 and 33 is read as an image signal into the CCD 35 provided behind the lens 34. The image signal read into the CCD 35 is digitized and then subjected to image processing. Next, based on the image-processed signal, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 61 by light emission of a laser diode (not shown) in the exposure device 7. The optical signal from the laser diode reaches the photosensitive member 61 via a polygon mirror and a lens (not shown).

  The image forming apparatus 1 scans and reads an original as described above, digitizes it, and copies it onto a transfer sheet. And a so-called printer function for printing image information handled by a computer on transfer paper. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the image processing substrate 201 of the control device is provided in the acoustic tube storage box 100 on the back surface of the image forming apparatus 1.

  FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an acoustic tube storage box 100 on the back surface.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the acoustic tube storage box 100. The acoustic tube storage box 100 stores a loop-shaped acoustic tube 101 formed in a substantially annular shape, and a resonance tube 102 as a branch resonance tube is connected to the loop-shaped acoustic tube 101. The loop acoustic tube 101 is made of stainless steel having an inner diameter of 20 to 50 mm. Also, inside the acoustic tube storage box 100, a metal electrical board storage box 200 is disposed so as to be substantially flush with the looped acoustic tube 101 and surrounded by the looped acoustic tube 101. The acoustic tube storage box 100 is provided with a first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 and a first low temperature side heat exchanger 121, and is sandwiched between the first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 and the first low temperature side heat exchanger 121. A tubular stack 120 is disposed in the region. In addition, the acoustic tube storage box 100 is provided with a second high temperature side heat exchanger 111 and a second low temperature side heat exchanger 112, and is sandwiched between the second high temperature side heat exchanger 111 and the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112. A tubular regenerator 110 is disposed in the region. Stacked metal meshes are provided inside the stack 120 and the regenerator 110. The first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 is constituted by a sheath heater, and the sheath heater is heated by an external power source (not shown). The resonance tube 102 is for improving the thermal efficiency of the heat pump effect of the looped acoustic tube 101.

  The second low-temperature side heat exchanger 112 is a heat pumping source, and is connected to a portion of the image forming apparatus 1 that needs heat countermeasures. In the present embodiment, the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112 is thermally connected to the electrical board storage box 200 and a paper cooling device 900 described later, and the electrical board storage box 200 and the paper cooling device 900 are cooled. It has become so.

  The electrical board storage box 200 has a CPU with a high-speed clock and reduces the sound emitted from the image processing board 201 that performs high-speed computation for image processing and control of the image forming apparatus 1 and the looped acoustic tube 101. The active noise controller 202 is housed. The heat generated by the image processing substrate 201 is pumped out to the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112 through the electrical substrate storage box 200.

  Since the electrical board storage box 200 is generally formed in a sealed structure and is electrically grounded to the casing of the image forming apparatus 1, leakage of electromagnetic noise to the outside of the electrical board storage box 200 is greatly reduced. The

  The acoustic tube storage box 100 includes a plurality of speakers 301 and microphones 302 around it, and the speakers 301 and microphones 302 are connected to an active noise controller 202. In this embodiment, the acoustic tube storage box 100 includes six speakers 301 and six microphones 302 each.

  The microphone 302 receives sound generated by the looped acoustic tube 101 and converts it into an electric signal. The active noise controller 202 is composed of a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) controller, which analyzes the frequency and phase of the sound received by the microphone 302 and generates a signal having a phase opposite to that obtained by the analysis. . The speaker 301 converts the signal generated by the active noise controller 202 into sound and outputs it, and cancels and reduces the sound emitted from the looped acoustic tube 101 to the outside.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, when the first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 is heated, a traveling wave sound wave is generated in the looped acoustic tube 101 due to a thermoacoustic phenomenon, and the heat is a sound wave. The energy storage device 110 is cooled and the regenerator 110 is cooled. Therefore, the low temperature generated by the regenerator 110 cools the members connected to the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112 such as the image processing board 201 in the electrical board storage box 200.

  Further, instead of the heat-driven acoustic tube storage box 100 shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to include the acoustic drive-type acoustic tube storage box 150 shown in FIG. 4.

  In FIG. 4, the acoustic tube storage box 150 includes an annular loop acoustic tube 140, a high temperature side heat exchanger 132, a low temperature side heat exchanger 131, and a regenerator 130. A regenerator 130 is formed in the loop-shaped acoustic tube 140 in a region sandwiched between the high-temperature side heat exchanger 132 and the low-temperature side heat exchanger 131, and a speaker 141 as an acoustic drive unit is provided inside the loop-shaped acoustic tube 140. Is provided. The speaker 141 outputs sound into the looped acoustic tube 140 to provide a temperature gradient in the regenerator 130. Inside the regenerator 130, similarly to the regenerator 110 of the acoustic tube storage box 100 shown in FIG. 3, stacked metal meshes are provided. In the acoustically driven acoustic tube storage box 150, the heat-driven acoustic tube is adjusted by adjusting the loop length of the looped acoustic tube 140, the distance from the speaker 141 to the regenerator 130, and the frequency of the sound emitted from the speaker 141. The same effect as the storage box 100 can be obtained. The loop acoustic tube 140 may also be configured to include the resonance tube 102 in the same manner as the loop acoustic tube 101 described with reference to FIG.

  Further, in place of the loop-shaped acoustic tube 140, the same effect as the loop-shaped acoustic tube 140 can be obtained by using an acoustic tube 160 including a single tube 161, a regenerator 163, and a speaker 162 as shown in FIG. Can do.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B are respectively a top view and a cross-sectional view of the fixing device 8 and the sheet cooling device 900 of the image forming apparatus 1 described in FIG. In the figure, the sheet cooling device 900 is provided downstream of the fixing device 8 in the transfer sheet conveyance direction.

  The fixing device 8 includes a heating roller 801 and a pressure roller 803, and both are configured to rotate in a state where the pressure roller 803 is in pressure contact with the heating roller 801. In addition, a gear (not shown) is provided at the end of the heating roller 801, and this gear is adapted to receive a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown).

  The heating roller 801 is formed in a hollow shape and includes a heater 802 that is composed of a halogen lamp and heats the heating roller 801. The transfer paper is nipped between the heating roller 801 and the pressure roller 803 from the right side of the figure and conveyed to the left side of the figure. At this time, the transfer paper is transferred by the heat of the heating roller 801 and the pressure between the heating roller 801 and the pressure roller 803. The toner on the paper is fixed.

  In addition, the fixing device 8 includes a cleaning roller 804 that rotates in contact with the heating roller 801. The cleaning roller 804 removes a small amount of toner attached to the surface of the heating roller 801.

  In addition, the fixing device 8 includes metal heat shields 810 and 811 and a heat transfer device 913 that are disposed so as to surround the heating roller 801 and the pressure roller 803. The heat shields 810 and 811 shield the heat generated by the heating roller 801 so that the heat is not released to the outside of the fixing device 8. The heat shields 810 and 811 transfer heat with the second low-temperature side heat exchanger 112 described in FIG. It is coupled via a heat exchanger 913 to transfer the received heat to the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112.

  The sheet cooling device 900 is disposed downstream of the fixing device 8 in the transfer sheet conveyance direction, and supports a cooling roller 901 made of a metal pipe, an endless belt 903 wound around the cooling roller 901 by a predetermined angle, and an endless belt 903. And a rotational drive shaft 902 for rotationally driving. The transfer paper is cooled when being nipped between the cooling roller 901 and the endless belt 903 and conveyed.

  One end side of the rotating shaft of the cooling roller 901 is extended by a predetermined length, and is provided with heat radiation fins 904 made of a plurality of metal discs arranged at predetermined intervals.

  The sheet cooling apparatus 900 includes a cooling duct 910 at a position surrounding the heat dissipating fins 904, and includes a metal cooling fin 912 and a fan 911 inside the cooling duct 910. The cooling fins 912 are connected to the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112 via the heat transfer device 913.

  The fan 911 blows air so that air circulates inside the cooling duct 910, and the air circulated in the cooling duct 910 by the fan 911 transmits heat taken from the radiation fins 904 to the cooling fins 912. It is like that. Specifically, the heat of the transfer paper heated to about 100 ° C. or more immediately after fixing is sequentially transferred to the cooling roller 901, the heat radiation fin 904, the cooling fin 912, the heat transfer unit 913, and the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112. Communicated. In other words, the low temperature generated by the regenerator 110 is transmitted to the sheet cooling device 900 via the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112 and the heat transfer device 913 and used for cooling the cooling roller 901. Further, the low temperature generated by the regenerator 110 is similarly used for cooling the heat shields 810 and 811 of the fixing device 8.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, as described with reference to FIG. 3, when the first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 is heated, traveling wave sound waves are generated in the looped acoustic tube 101 due to the thermoacoustic phenomenon. Since the heat is generated, the heat is converted into energy called a sound wave and the regenerator 110 is cooled. Therefore, the low temperature generated by the regenerator 110 cools the cooling fins of the sheet cooling device 900 and the heat shields 810 and 811 of the fixing device 8 via the heat transfer device 913.

  Instead of the sheet cooling device 900 shown in FIG. 6, the image forming apparatus 1 may be provided with the sheet cooling device 920 shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are a top view and a cross-sectional view of the fixing device 8 and the sheet cooling device 920, respectively. In the figure, the sheet cooling device 920 is provided downstream of the fixing device 8 in the transfer sheet conveyance direction.

  The sheet cooling device 920 is arranged on the downstream side of the fixing device 8 in the transfer paper conveyance direction, and cools the transfer paper fixed by the fixing device 8 and the housing 920a corresponding to the cooling duct 910 of the sheet cooling device 900. A lower guide 805 and an upper transport guide 922 that lead to the apparatus 920, a transport roller pair 921 that pivotally supports a plurality of rollers, and a fan 911 that circulates air in the housing 920a are provided.

  The lower guide 805 guides the transfer paper that is fixed and conveyed by the heating roller 801 and the pressure roller 803 of the fixing device 8 to the conveyance roller pair 921 of the paper cooling device 920. The transfer paper is on the lower guide 805. Is moved from the fixing device 8 to the sheet cooling device 920.

  The upper conveyance guide 922 regulates the upward movement of the transfer paper that moves from the fixing device 8 to the paper cooling device 920. In addition, a plurality of slits are formed in the upper conveyance guide 922 as shown in FIG. 7A, and a part of the air circulated in the housing 920a by the fan 911 passes through the transfer paper on the lower guide 805. Thus, the transfer paper is cooled. Note that the air hitting the transfer paper is sucked into the housing 920a again by the influence of the flow of circulating air in the housing 920a.

  In addition, the sheet cooling device 920 includes metal cooling fins 912 on the rear side in the air blowing direction of the fan 911 in the upper part of the housing 920a, and the cooling fins 912 are connected to the second low temperature side heat exchanger 112 via the heat transfer device 913. It is connected to the. The air circulated through the cooling duct 910 by the fan 911 transmits heat taken from the transfer paper to the cooling fins 912. Further, since the transfer paper immediately after fixing generates water vapor of several percent by weight of the paper and causes condensation on the cooling fins 912, the cooling fins 912 are caused by condensation by being disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction. In addition, a water receiving box 923 containing a sponge is provided below the cooling fins 912 to absorb water. The water receiving box 923 is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus 1 by sliding in the horizontal direction, that is, the front side or the back side in FIG.

  Further, in place of the fixing device 8 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the image forming apparatus 1 may be provided with the fixing device 8 a shown in FIG. 8.

  8A and 8B are a schematic view of the fixing device 8a as viewed from the conveyance direction, and a cross-sectional view of the fixing device 8, respectively. Note that the same components as those of the fixing device 8 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the fixing device 8a has a metal auxiliary heater 821 whose surface is painted black in order to improve the radiation efficiency as a heat source separately from the halogen heater 802 inside the heating roller 801. ing. Further, the fixing device 8 a has a metal auxiliary heater 820 whose surface is painted black in order to improve the radiation efficiency in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the pressure roller 803.

  The auxiliary heaters 820 and 821 are coupled to the first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 via the heat transfer device 830. Here, a sheath heater is used as the first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 in order to generate a heat pump effect in the loop acoustic tube 101.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, as described with reference to FIG. 3, when the first high temperature side heat exchanger 122 is heated, traveling wave sound waves are generated in the looped acoustic tube 101 due to the thermoacoustic phenomenon. Since the heat is generated, the heat is converted into energy called a sound wave, the regenerator 110 is cooled, and the stack 120 is heated. The heat of the stack 120 is transmitted to the auxiliary heaters 820 and 821 through the heat transfer device 830 and used for fixing the toner in the fixing device 8. That is, in the above configuration, the heat on the high temperature side of the temperature gradient generated in the looped acoustic tube 101 due to the heat pump effect is returned to the fixing device 8, so that the heat transfer unit 913 has the cooling fins 912 and the heat shields 810 and 811. The heat recovered from the can be reused.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the looped acoustic tubes 101 and 140 or the acoustic tube 160 has no moving part and functions as a highly reliable acoustic resonance heat pump, and the heat generated in the fixing device 8 and the sheet cooling devices 900 and 902. The heat absorbed from the air and the heat from the electrical parts are cooled without being released to the outside of the device, that is, recovered, so that the odor and noise inside the device are discharged to the outside, causing discomfort, or by exhaust heat. It is possible to prevent the room temperature from rising.

  In the present embodiment, the recovered heat is reused as heat for heating the transfer paper in the fixing device 8a, so that energy consumption can be suppressed.

  Further, in this embodiment, water generated by condensation by the cooling fins 912 inside the paper cooling device 902 is stored in the water receiving box 923, so that water adheres to the transfer paper and a problem occurs. Can be prevented. Moreover, since it has comprised so that the water receiving box 923 can be removed, a maintenance can be made easy.

  In the present embodiment, since the active noise controller 202 generates sound from the speaker 301 so that the sound having the opposite phase of the sound acquired by the microphone 302 reaches the position of the microphone 302, the loop-shaped acoustic tube 101 is externally connected. It is possible to reduce the sound emitted to the.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has an effect that energy consumption can be suppressed, heat radiation to the outside of the apparatus and odor divergence can be reduced, and an image forming apparatus adopting a heat fixing method. Useful as.

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a rear perspective view illustrating an outline of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; Sectional drawing of the acoustic tube storage box 100 provided in the image forming apparatus of the embodiment Sectional view of acoustic tube storage box 150 provided in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment The figure which shows the acoustic tube 160 with which the image forming apparatus of one embodiment is provided (A) Top view of fixing device 8 and paper cooling device 900 of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment (b) Cross-sectional view of fixing device 8 and paper cooling device 900 of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. (A) Top view of sheet cooling device 920 of image forming apparatus of one embodiment (b) Cross-sectional view of fixing device 8 and sheet cooling device 920 of image forming apparatus of one embodiment (A) Top view showing another example of fixing device 8a of image forming apparatus according to one embodiment (b) Cross-sectional view showing another example of fixing device 8a of image forming apparatus according to one embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 1a Image forming part 2 Paper feed part 3 Reading part 4 Discharge storage part 5 Intermediate transfer belt 6 Image forming part 7 Exposure apparatus 8, 8a Fixing apparatus (fixing means)
9 Double-sided device 21 Paper feed cassette 23 Registration roller 31 Contact glass 32, 33 Reading traveling body 34 Lens 35 CCD
36 automatic document feeder 41 discharge roller 51 transfer device 52 intermediate transfer cleaning device 61 photoconductor 62 charging device 63 developing device 64 cleaning device 91 branching portion 100, 150 acoustic tube storage box 101, 140 loop acoustic tube (acoustic resonance tube) )
102 Resonance tube (branch resonance tube)
110, 130, 163 regenerator (regenerator)
111 2nd high temperature side heat exchanger 112 2nd low temperature side heat exchanger (low temperature side heat exchanger)
120 stack 121 first low temperature side heat exchanger 122 first high temperature side heat exchanger (acoustic drive unit, high temperature side heat exchanger)
131 Low temperature side heat exchanger (low temperature side heat exchanger)
132 High temperature side heat exchanger (High temperature side heat exchanger)
141, 162 Speaker (acoustic drive unit)
160 Acoustic tube 161 Single tube 200 Electrical board storage box 201 Image processing board 202 Active noise controller (signal processing means, signal generation means)
301 Speaker
302 Microphone (microphone)
801 Heating roller (heating roller)
803 Pressure roller (Pressure roller)
830 heat transfer device (first heat transfer means)
900, 920 Paper cooling device (cooling means)
901 Cooling roller (conveyance roller member)
903 Endless belt (conveyance belt member)
910 Cooling duct (duct)
911 fan (fan)
913 Heat transfer device (second heat transfer means, heat absorption part)
920a Case (duct)
923 Water receiving box (water receiving part)

Claims (11)

Fixing means for fixing the toner to the transfer paper by heat;
An acoustic resonance tube;
An acoustic drive for generating sound waves inside the acoustic resonance tube;
A cooler placed inside the acoustic resonance tube;
A high temperature side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a high temperature portion generated at one end of the cooler and the outside by sound waves generated by the acoustic drive unit, and
A low-temperature side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a low-temperature part generated at the other end of the animal cooler and the outside by sound waves generated by the acoustic drive unit;
First heat transfer means for transferring heat from the high temperature side heat exchanger to the fixing means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a second heat transfer means for transferring heat from a heat generating part in the apparatus to the low temperature side heat exchanger.   The second heat transfer means has at its end a heat absorption part that absorbs heat from the transfer paper heated by the fixing means, and the low-temperature side heat exchanger absorbs heat absorbed from the heat absorption part. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic resonance tube is formed in an annular shape, and further includes a branch resonance tube branched from the acoustic resonance tube. A cooling means for cooling the transfer paper on which the toner is fixed by the fixing means;
The second heat transfer means is connected to the cooling means, and the second heat transfer means transfers the heat received from the transfer paper by the cooling means to the low temperature side heat exchanger. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The cooling means has a duct surrounding one end of the second heat transfer means and a blower fan for circulating the air in the duct,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the heat of the transfer paper is moved to the second heat transfer unit by the blower fan.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a water receiving unit that detachably receives water generated by dew condensation from the second heat transfer unit surrounded by the duct.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cooling unit includes a conveyance roller member that conveys the transfer paper.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cooling unit includes a conveyance belt member that conveys the transfer paper. The fixing unit includes a heating roller that heats the transfer paper, and a pressure roller that presses the transfer paper against the heating roller.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of the first heat transfer unit is disposed close to an outer peripheral surface of the pressure roller. The fixing unit includes a heating roller that heats the transfer paper, and a pressure roller that presses the transfer paper against the heating roller.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of the first heat transfer unit is disposed inside the heating roller. A microphone that receives the sound generated by the acoustic resonance tube and converts it into an electrical signal;
Signal processing means for analyzing the frequency and phase of the sound received by the microphone from the electric signal of the microphone;
Signal generating means for generating a signal having a phase opposite to the phase obtained by analysis by the signal processing means;
The speaker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: a speaker that converts the signal generated by the signal generation means into sound and outputs the sound, and cancels and reduces the sound generated by the acoustic resonance tube. The image forming apparatus described.

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