JP2007322642A - Exhaust device and image forming apparatus with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make exhaust efficiency less likely to degrade even in the case where an apparatus incorporating an exhaust device is installed in the vicinity of a wall or the like. <P>SOLUTION: An exhaust port 21 is formed in the side face 15 of the housing 13 of an apparatus main body 11. A blower fan 29 is supported in the housing 13 so as to face the exhaust port 21. A plurality of louvers 23 are disposed in the exhaust port so as to be displaceable obliquely to the side face 15. Vicinity sensors 31 detect the vicinity of a wall located outside. Each sensor 31 projects from the side wall 15 toward the outside of the housing 13 and is supported by the housing 13 while being pressed in the projecting direction. Support rods 27 connect the plurality of louvers 23 and displace the louvers 23 obliquely to the side face 15 when each sensor 31 comes into contact with the wall 45 and is slid into the housing 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an exhaust device and an image forming apparatus including the exhaust device, and more particularly to an exhaust device suitable for being mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, and improvement of the image forming apparatus itself including the exhaust device.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, many components that generate heat during operation are mounted, and in order to prevent deterioration of component performance and life due to temperature rise in the apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 is provided with an exhaust device in which an exhaust port 5 for discharging the air flow from the blower fan 3 to the outside is formed on the back surface of the casing 7 of the apparatus body 1. Air inside the housing 7 is blown to the outside to cool the inside.

  However, as shown in FIG. 5, when the apparatus main body 1 is installed with the back surface side of the housing 7 being brought close to the wall 9, the wall 9 near the exhaust port 5 becomes an obstacle, so that the airflow from the blower fan 3 is The air flow from the blower fan 3 does not flow out to the outside due to being returned to or disturbed by the wall 9, and the exhaust efficiency is significantly lowered, and the cooling efficiency in the apparatus main body 1 is likely to deteriorate.

Therefore, for example, as in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-248836), in an exhaust apparatus having a fan motor that forcibly discharges hot air generated inside the image forming apparatus main body to the outside, the fan motor is fixed. A configuration has been proposed in which the discharge direction of the hot air can be changed by attaching a rectifying louver to the supporting body and making the supporting body rotatable.
JP 2002-248836 A

   However, in the configuration shown in Patent Document 1, the discharge direction can be simply changed by attaching a rectifying louver to a support that fixes the fan motor and making the support rotatable, as shown in FIG. When the image forming apparatus main body is installed close to the wall 9, the support must be adjusted according to the installation situation, and the air flow from the rectifying louver hits the wall 9 slightly obliquely, but the rectifying louver Since the wind flow from the outside is difficult to flow out to the outside and the exhaust efficiency is likely to be lowered, improvement is desired.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and provides an exhaust device that hardly lowers the exhaust efficiency of the apparatus main body even if the apparatus main body is brought close to an obstacle, and an image forming apparatus including the same. Objective.

  In order to solve such a problem, an exhaust device according to the present invention includes a housing that forms a device main body, an exhaust port that is formed on a side surface that forms a part of the housing, and a surface that faces the exhaust port. And a blower fan supported in the housing, and is disposed in the housing in a state of being projected toward the outside of the housing at the side surface portion and biased in the projecting direction. A proximity sensor for detecting the proximity of the detected object to the exhaust port, a plurality of louvers arranged so as to be obliquely displaceable with respect to the side surface in the vicinity of the exhaust port between the blower fan and the exhaust port, and the louvers When the proximity sensor abuts against the object to be detected and is slid into the housing against the urging force, the louvers are inclined with respect to the side surface in conjunction with the displacement. And a variable member to be displaced.

  And in this invention, the structure by which the said louver is displaced diagonally in the corner | angular direction of the housing | casing which follows the side part is also possible.

  In the present invention, the variable member may be a long support that abuts the proximity sensor with a biasing force and supports the ends of the louvers.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the variable member may be brought into contact with the slope of the proximity sensor and interlocked with the slide displacement of the proximity sensor, and the louvers may be displaced obliquely by the displacement of the slope.

  In the present invention, it is also possible to configure an image forming apparatus provided with these exhaust devices.

  In such an exhaust device according to the present invention, an exhaust port is formed in a side surface portion which is a part of a housing forming the device main body, and a blower fan is disposed in the housing so as to be obliquely displaceable with respect to the exhaust port. Supporting and projecting out of the casing at the side surface and urged in the projecting direction, it is placed inside the casing and detects the proximity of the detected object outside the casing to the exhaust port. The proximity sensor is arranged in the housing, and a plurality of louvers are arranged in the vicinity of the exhaust port so as to be able to be displaced obliquely with respect to the side surface. When the object is slid into the housing in contact with an object, a variable member is arranged to move the louvers diagonally with respect to the side surface in conjunction with this displacement, so the proximity of the detected object is automatically detected. To change the direction of wind flow. Difficult to reduce the exhaust efficiency of the body.

  And in the structure by which the said louver is displaced to the said case corner | angular part continuous to the side part, the wind flow from a ventilation fan flows out smoothly outside, and it is easy to ensure favorable exhaust efficiency.

  Further, in the configuration in which the variable member is a long support that abuts the proximity sensor with a biasing force and supports the end portions of the louvers, the louver can be displaced obliquely with a simple configuration. Moreover, if the detected object is removed, the louver can be automatically returned to its original position.

  Further, in the configuration in which the variable member abuts on the slope formed on the proximity sensor and the louvers are displaced obliquely, the louver can be easily displaced obliquely with a simple configuration. .

  Further, an image forming apparatus provided with such an exhaust device can be expected to have a particularly cooling effect.

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

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment of an exhaust device according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, an apparatus main body 11 indicates the main body of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a printer. In FIG. 1, a rear side of a casing 13 as an exterior cover that forms the apparatus main body 11 is shown. The side part 15 and the corner part 19 formed by the side part 17 in a different direction continuous therewith are shown in a simplified manner. The same applies to the subsequent drawings.

  A large number of components forming the image forming apparatus are arranged in the housing 13, but illustration and description thereof are omitted because they are not the main part of the present invention.

  In the vicinity of the corner portion 19, an exhaust port 21 communicating with the inside and outside of the housing 13 is formed through the side surface portion 15, and a plurality of rectangular plate-like louvers 23 are spaced apart from each other at the exhaust port 21. In parallel and along the wind.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the louver 23 supports supporting pins 25 protruding from the center portions of the opposite side surfaces by appropriate supporting means (not shown), and the supporting pins 25 are the center. And is supported by the housing 13 so as to be slightly rotatable.

  The plurality of louvers 23 are a pair of elongated support rods that are disposed on the both side surfaces described above and far from the exhaust port 21 (the blower fan 29 side described later) in the housing 13 in parallel with the side surface 15. 27, and they are connected with play so as to be sandwiched between them.

  For this reason, the support rod 27 is slidably displaced in this longitudinal direction so that each louver 23 can be slightly rotated and displaced in a direction that intersects obliquely from a position orthogonal to the exhaust port 21 and the side surface portion 15. Other functions of the support rod 27 will be described later.

  A position where each louver 23 is orthogonal to the exhaust port 21 and the side surface portion 15 is a fixed position of the louver 23, and the wind flows out so as to be orthogonal to the exhaust port 21.

  In the housing 13, a conventionally known relatively flat blower fan 29 is arranged substantially in parallel with the side surface portion 15 so as to blow air toward the louver 23 and the exhaust port 21.

  Between the exhaust port 21 and the corner 19, a pair of bar-shaped proximity sensors 31 protrude from the inside of the housing 13 to the outside with a space between the exhaust ports 21 (see FIG. 2).

  Each proximity sensor 31 has a compression coil spring 33 whose one end protrudes to the outside from the side surface portion 15 and whose other end located in the housing 13 is in contact with an appropriate member in the housing 13. It abuts against the end in the housing 13 and is biased in the protruding direction.

  Each proximity sensor 31 is restricted in position so as not to protrude from the side surface portion 15 as a large-diameter base 35 in the housing 13, and on the side facing the above-described louver 23 in the base 35. Each of the support rods 27 is formed with an inclined surface 37 with which one end of the support rod 27 abuts.

  The inclined surface 37 is inclined so that the base portion 35 has a larger diameter toward the side surface portion 15, that is, the base portion 35 has a smaller diameter toward the end portion where the spring 33 contacts.

  Therefore, when the proximity sensor 31 is slid into the housing 13 from the state in which each support bar 27 is in contact with the base 35 so that the louver 23 is in a fixed position in the state where the proximity sensor 31 protrudes, the support bar The tip of 27 is moved backward by the inclined surface 37 of the base portion 35, and each louver 23 is slightly rotated and displaced in a direction crossing obliquely from a position orthogonal to the exhaust port 21 (see FIG. 3).

  The support rods 27 are supported through the support pieces 39 and 41 formed in the housing 13 so as to be substantially parallel to the exhaust port 21 or the side surface portion 15 with the louvers 23 interposed therebetween. At the end opposite to the base 35, it is locked by a compression coil spring 43 that is in contact with an appropriate member in the housing 13 and is biased toward the proximity sensor 31 (base 35).

  Next, the operation of the above-described exhaust apparatus according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  First, the apparatus main body 11 in a state in which the louver 23 is in a fixed position and the airflow flows out from the inside of the housing 13 through the exhaust port 21, as shown in FIG. When installed close to each other, the proximity sensor 31 comes into contact with the wall 45 to detect it, and slides into the housing 13 against the urging force.

  Then, the support rod 27 in contact with the inclined surface 37 of the base portion 35 of the proximity sensor 31 is displaced so as to move backward in conjunction with the slide displacement of the proximity sensor 31, and the tip of each louver 23 is displaced toward the corner portion 19 side. Thus, the louvers 23 are slightly rotated and displaced.

  Therefore, the wind flow that flows from the blower fan 29 so as to intersect the exhaust port 21 at right angles is deflected by the louver 23 in an oblique direction toward the corner portion 19, passes through the exhaust port 21, and hits the wall 45. To flow outside.

  When the side surface portion 15 of the apparatus main body 11 is separated from the wall 45, the proximity sensor 31 protrudes greatly out of the housing 13 by the urging force, and the support bar 27 moves forward to the original position by the urging force and returns. The louver 23 also returns to a fixed position, and the wind flow from the blower fan 29 flows through the exhaust port 21 so as to be orthogonal.

  In such an exhaust device according to the present invention, the exhaust port 21 is formed in the side surface portion 15 forming a part of the housing 13 forming the device body 11, and the exhaust port 21 faces the exhaust port 21 in the housing 13. The proximity sensor 31 that supports the blower fan 29 and detects the proximity of the wall 45 to the exhaust port 21 is arranged on the housing 13 so as to protrude outward from the housing 13 in an urged state, and the side surface portion 15. A plurality of louvers 23 are disposed in the vicinity of the exhaust port so as to be able to be displaced obliquely with respect to each other, and a support rod 27 connecting the louvers 23 is brought into contact with the inclined surface 37 of the base portion 35 of the proximity sensor 31 in a biased state. When the proximity sensor 31 comes into contact with the wall 45 and slides into the housing 13, the louvers 23 are displaced obliquely toward the corners 19 in conjunction with the proximity sensor 31.

  Therefore, the proximity of the wall 45 can be automatically detected just by installing the apparatus main body 11 such as the image forming apparatus so that the side surface portion 15 is the back surface, and the air flow from the blower fan 29 is sent to each louver. Since the air flow from the blower fan 29 strikes the wall 45 obliquely and flows smoothly in the direction of the corner 19, good exhaust efficiency can be secured, and the adjustment of each louver 23 Is also unnecessary.

  When the displacement of the proximity sensor 31 is released, the support rod 27 is biased by the spring 43 so as to return to the fixed position with respect to the exhaust port 21. Therefore, the louver 23 returns to the original position, and no adjustment is necessary from this viewpoint.

  In the present invention, the position where the plurality of louvers 23 are disposed may be in the vicinity of the exhaust port 21 in the flow path between the blower fan 29 and the exhaust port 21, and is preferably not protruded from the side surface portion 15.

  Further, the configuration described above was not connected to the exhaust port 21 from the blower fan 29 via the duct 27. However, in the present invention, it is connected to the exhaust port 21 from the blower fan 29 via the duct having good stretchability. Then, there is little leakage of wind current.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the support rod 27 for displacing each louver 23 was a long support, but the present invention is not limited to this, but can be implemented in various variable members. Since there are a plurality of louvers 23 that are displaced, a long support that can be easily supported is suitable.

  By the way, in the exhaust apparatus of this invention, although not limited to the structure which inclines the ventilation fan 29 toward the corner | angular part 19, the structure inclined to face the corner | angular part 19 direction from a viewpoint of ensuring the smooth flow of a wind flow is preferable.

  Further, in the exhaust device of the present invention, although not shown, the proximity sensor 31 may be arranged at a position far from the corner portion 19 with the exhaust port 21 in between.

  In this configuration, when the wind flow is deflected toward the corner 19, for example, the slope 37 formed on the base 35 of the proximity sensor 31 is a spring so that the base 35 has a smaller diameter toward the side 15. It may be good to incline so that it may become a large diameter toward the edge part direction to which 33 contacts | abuts, and to press the support rod 27 to this.

  In addition, the present invention can be implemented on either one of the side surfaces 15 and 17 of the housing 13 that forms the apparatus main body 11, and the proximity sensor 31 and the like may be formed accordingly.

  The above-described image forming apparatus is equipped with, for example, a heat fixing roller and many other components that generate heat during operation. Therefore, when the above-described exhaust device according to the present invention is mounted, the image forming apparatus is preferable. A cooling effect can be expected.

  However, the exhaust device according to the present invention is not limited to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, and is preferably mounted on various devices.

It is a principal part schematic sectional drawing (cross section between II in FIG. 2) which shows one Embodiment of the exhaust apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part schematic rear view of the exhaust apparatus which concerns on FIG. It is a principal part schematic sectional drawing explaining operation | movement of the exhaust apparatus which concerns on FIG. It is a principal part schematic sectional drawing which shows the conventional exhaust apparatus. It is a principal part schematic sectional drawing explaining operation | movement of the exhaust apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,11 Apparatus body 3,29 Blower fan 5,21 Exhaust port 7,13 Housing | casing 9,43 Wall 15,17 Side surface part 19 Corner part 23 Louver 25 Support pin 27 Support rod (Variable member, elongate support body)
31 Proximity sensor 33, 43 Spring 35 Base 37 Slope 39, 41 Support piece 45 Wall (detected object)

Claims (5)

A housing forming the apparatus body;
An exhaust port formed in a side surface part of the housing;
A blower fan supported in the housing facing the exhaust port;
Projected toward the outside of the housing at the side surface portion and disposed in the housing in a state of being biased in the projecting direction, and detects the proximity of the detected object outside the housing to the exhaust port. A proximity sensor;
A plurality of louvers disposed in an obliquely displaceable manner with respect to the side surface portion in the vicinity of the exhaust port between the blower fan and the exhaust port;
A variable member for connecting these louvers, wherein when the proximity sensor abuts on the object to be detected and is slid and displaced in the housing against the biasing force, A variable member that is displaced obliquely with respect to,
An exhaust apparatus comprising: The exhaust device according to claim 1, wherein the louver is obliquely displaced in a direction of a corner of the casing that is continuous with the side surface. 3. The exhaust device according to claim 1, wherein the variable member is a long support that abuts the proximity sensor with an urging force and supports an end portion of the louver. The variable member is brought into contact with a slope formed on the proximity sensor, and when the proximity sensor detects the object to be detected and is slid into the housing, the variable member is displaced by the slope to displace the louver. The exhaust device according to claim 3, wherein the exhaust device is displaced. An image forming apparatus comprising the exhaust device according to claim 1.

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