JP2009086100A - Image forming apparatus and cooling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus and a cooling apparatus which reduce noise itself leaked from an aperture 83 of the apparatus by changing a position of one end 82a of a duct 82 to change a suction/exhaust direction. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus or the cooling apparatus includes: the aperture 83 formed on an outer cover 1b of the apparatus; a fan 81 for sucking air into the inside of the apparatus or exhausting air to the outside of the apparatus; the dust 82, the one-end of which faces the aperture 83, the other end 82b of which is connected to the fan 81 and the length and the shape of which are variable; and a moving mechanism for moving the position of one-end 82a of the duct 82 on the aperture 83 so as to change noise leaked from the aperture 83. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a cooling apparatus that perform cooling by sucking or exhausting heat generated inside the apparatus.

  Various electric and electronic devices such as copiers, multifunction machines, printers, fax machines, and other electrical and electronic devices such as projectors, personal computers, game machines, etc. have many electronic components that generate heat, such as CPUs, resistors, and transistors. There are cases where a heat generating member such as a wiring board to be mounted or various heaters is provided. If the temperature in the device rises due to the influence of the heat generating member, the device may malfunction, shorten its life, change the characteristics of elements and members in the device, and the like. In order to prevent and reduce the adverse effects caused by these temperature rises, generally, an opening is provided in the exterior of the device, and a cooling device is provided that cools the inside of the device by performing intake or exhaust through a fan or a duct connected to the fan.

And when performing this exhaust etc., the change of an exhaust direction may be performed conventionally and such invention is described in patent document 1. FIG. Specifically, Patent Document 1 has an exhaust fan and an exhaust duct in the image forming apparatus main body, and the exhaust duct has a plurality of exhaust ports having different directions and a rectifying plate for changing the exhaust direction. Has a center of rotation, the rectifying plate has a knob that protrudes from the exterior surface, the exterior surface has a slit on the trajectory of the knob rotating, and the user rotates the rectifying plate by holding the knob portion of the rectifying plate. An image forming apparatus capable of rotating the center is described. With this configuration, the invention described in Patent Document 1 changes the exhaust direction, and the user near the exhaust port tries to reduce discomfort due to the exhaust air without reducing the cooling efficiency (Patent Document 1: Claim). 1, paragraphs 0010-0012, FIG. 1 etc.).
JP 2005-338572 A

  Here, when a fan is used for exhaust, etc., the wind noise, the driving sound of the motor that rotates the fan, and the sound generated by the operation inside the device become an exhaust port or an intake port. There is a problem of leakage as noise. In particular, there is a problem that noise increases when the rotational speed of the fan is high for improving the cooling capacity or when a plurality of fans are provided.

  Regarding this noise point, according to the invention described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to reduce the user's discomfort by changing the exhaust direction, but the noise is not reduced. In fact, the invention described in Patent Document 1 changes the exhaust direction by rotating the current plate, but the amount of noise leaking from the exhaust port itself does not change, and the above problem cannot be solved.

  Also, in order for the equipment to operate properly, if the temperature inside the equipment should be below a certain level (specific temperature), the cooling efficiency will always be kept high and noise leaking from the exhaust port (opening) will be reduced. There is no need to keep it large. In general, the amount of heat generated in the device varies depending on the amount of operation and processing performed by the device, and a high heat generation state is not always maintained in the device. In this case, there is a problem that it is sometimes advantageous from the viewpoint of noise prevention to lower the cooling efficiency and rather reduce the noise.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and by changing the position of one end of the duct and changing the direction of intake and exhaust, noise itself leaking from the opening of the device is reduced. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and a cooling device.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an image forming apparatus according to a first aspect includes an opening provided on an outer surface of the apparatus, a fan for performing intake to the inside of the apparatus or exhaust to the outside of the apparatus, and one end at the opening. A duct having a variable length and shape that is connected to the fan and having the other end connected to the fan, and one end of the duct in the opening to change noise leaking from the opening. A moving mechanism for moving the position is provided.

  According to this configuration, the position of one end of the duct arranged facing the opening can be moved by the moving mechanism, and the shape of the duct serving as the ventilation path is changed. The amount of noise leaking from the opening, such as sound, can be changed. In other words, if the shape of the duct is a shape that connects the fan and the opening in a straight line with the shortest distance, the cooling efficiency is the highest, but the noise leaks linearly from the opening, and the noise level also increases. By moving the position of one end of the duct while changing the shape of the duct, a part of the noise is reflected in the duct, and as a result, the noise can be reduced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, the duct has a bellows shape.

  According to this structure, the shape of a duct can be easily changed by making a duct into a bellows shape. One preferred embodiment is shown.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the moving mechanism moves one end of the duct in an oblique direction.

  According to this configuration, if the moving direction of one end of the duct can be moved in an oblique direction, the degree of freedom in designing the device can be increased. In other words, it is possible to cope with the case where the moving direction of one end of the duct can be ensured only in an oblique direction due to the design of the device.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first to third aspects, the moving mechanism includes a rack connected to one end of the duct, a gear connected to the rack, and the gear. The motor is attached to the rotary shaft, and the guide rail is configured to guide the movement of the rack.

  According to this configuration, since the moving mechanism for moving one end of the duct is constituted by these members, the moving mechanism is not complicated, and the present invention can be easily realized. Also, the members constituting the moving mechanism are relatively inexpensive, and the cost required for the image forming apparatus can be kept low.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first to third aspects, one end of the duct is attached to a cover having a vent hole and covering the opening, and the moving mechanism is A guide rail that guides the movement of the cover, a rack that is fixed to the cover, a gear that is connected to the rack, and a motor that is attached to the rotary shaft are configured.

  In this configuration as well as the fourth aspect, the moving mechanism is not complicated, the present invention can be easily realized, the constituent members are relatively inexpensive, and the cost required for the image forming apparatus is low. Can be suppressed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, an operation input unit for instructing / inputting a position of one end of the duct, and an instruction / input of the operation input unit. Based on this, a position control unit that controls the operation of the moving mechanism to move the position of one end of the duct is provided.

  According to this configuration, the user can control noise leaking from the opening of the image forming apparatus by operating the operation input unit.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the fan and the opening are connected at a shortest distance, and an intake direction or an exhaust direction of the fan between the fan and the opening is determined. A normal mode in which one end of the duct is arranged so as to be in a straight line; and a silent mode in which the position of the one end of the duct in the normal mode is moved by the moving mechanism. The selection of the normal mode and the silent mode is accepted.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce noise generated by the image forming apparatus only by performing an input for instructing the operation input unit to shift to the silent mode. In addition, by simply selecting the normal mode, it is possible to maintain a high cooling capacity by connecting the fan with the opening at the shortest distance. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can be easily controlled so that the image forming apparatus is in a low noise state or a high cooling efficiency state.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the sixth or seventh aspect, the operation input unit accepts an instruction / input to move the one end of the duct stepwise. .

  According to this configuration, the user can set the position of one end of the duct in a stepwise manner, and the user can perform detailed input (for example, input of a detailed movement amount) in the silent mode. It is possible to easily adjust the position of one end of the duct and simplify the input to the operation input unit.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising a temperature detector for detecting the temperature inside the apparatus, wherein the temperature detector has a predetermined temperature inside the apparatus. When it is detected that the temperature has been exceeded, the position control unit moves the position of one end of the duct to the position of the normal mode.

  According to this configuration, in the silent mode, the cooling efficiency is slightly reduced, so that the temperature inside the apparatus can rise to a temperature at which it is difficult to perform appropriate image formation, but when the in-machine temperature rises above a predetermined temperature, Since it automatically shifts to the mode, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in the in-flight temperature.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the cooling device, an opening provided on an outer surface of a device to which the device is attached, a fan for performing intake to the inside of the device or exhaust to the outside of the device, and one end are provided. A duct arranged facing the opening and having the other end connected to the fan and having a variable length and shape; and the duct in the opening to change a noise state leaking from the opening. It has a moving mechanism that moves the position of one end.

  According to this configuration, the position of the duct arranged facing the opening can be moved by the moving mechanism, and the shape of the duct serving as the ventilation path can be changed. The amount of noise leaking from the opening, such as operation sound, can be changed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that reduces noise leaking from the image forming apparatus by changing the shape of the duct.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, each element such as configuration and arrangement described in this embodiment does not limit the scope of the invention and is merely an illustrative example. Although the cooling device 8 according to the present invention can be applied to various devices, a case where the cooling device 8 is applied to the multifunction machine 1 as an image forming apparatus will be described as an example.

  First, an outline of the configuration of the multifunction machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a schematic structure of a multifunction machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a front view illustrating an example of the operation panel 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a front view illustrating an example of display on the liquid crystal display unit 23 of the operation panel 2. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a document cover 1a at the top, and the lower part is covered with an exterior cover 1b, inside the document reading unit 3, the sheet supply unit 4, and the sheet. A conveyance path 5, an image forming unit 6, a fixing device 7, a temperature sensor S, and the like are provided. In addition, an operation panel 2 (corresponding to an operation input unit) is provided in the upper front portion of the multifunction machine 1 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

  The document cover 1a presses the document placed on the contact glass 31 from above. The document cover 1a is provided with a fulcrum at the back of the sheet of FIG. 1 and can be lifted. The document reading unit 3 located below the document cover 1a is provided with an exposure lamp, a reflector, a mirror, a lens, a CCD sensor as an image sensor, and the like (not shown), and makes full use of these optical system members. Then, the original is optically scanned to generate image data. Further, a contact glass 31 is provided on the upper surface of the document reading unit 3, and the document reading unit 3 reads a document placed on the contact glass 31.

  The sheet supply unit 4 supplies a sheet toward the image forming unit 6. The sheet supply unit 4 includes a cassette 41 that stores sheets such as sheets of various sizes, a pickup roller 42 that feeds the sheets from the cassette 41 one by one to the sheet conveyance path 5, and the like. For example, when the user presses the start key 22 (see FIG. 2), the pickup roller 42 is rotationally driven, and the sheets are sent one by one to the sheet conveyance path 5.

  The sheet conveyance path 5 conveys the sheet supplied from the sheet supply unit 4 to the discharge tray 51 through the image forming unit 6 and the fixing device 7. Therefore, the sheet conveying path 5 is appropriately provided with a guide for guiding the sheet, and a conveying roller pair 52 that is rotationally driven by a motor or the like (not shown). Further, in front of the image forming unit 6, there are provided a registration roller 53 and the like for waiting the sheet and feeding the sheet in accordance with the transfer timing of the toner image. In FIG. 1, the sheet conveyance direction is indicated by a broken line.

  The image forming unit 6 forms a toner image according to the image data, and transfers the toner image to the conveyed sheet. The image forming unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 61 supported so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1, a charging device 62 disposed around the photosensitive drum 61, an exposure device 63, a developing device 64, a transfer device A roller 65 and a cleaning unit 66 are provided.

  The photosensitive drum 61 is provided at substantially the center of the image forming unit 6 and is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction. The charging device 62 is provided obliquely above and to the right of the photosensitive drum 61 in FIG. 1 and uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 to a predetermined potential. The exposure device 63 is provided above the charging device 62, and the image data acquired by the document reading unit 3, the image data transmitted from the external computer 100 and the counterpart FAX device 200 (see FIG. 10) connected via a network or the like. Based on the above, the laser beam L is output, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 is scanned and exposed to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information. The developing device 64 is provided obliquely to the right of the photosensitive drum 61 and supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 61 for development. A nip is formed between the transfer roller 65 provided on the left side of the photosensitive drum 61 and the photosensitive drum 61, and a predetermined bias is applied when the sheet passes through the nip, and the toner on the photosensitive drum 61. The image is transferred to the sheet. The cleaning unit 66 cleans the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 after the transfer is completed.

  The fixing device 7 fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet. The fixing device 7 in the present embodiment is mainly composed of a heating roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 that incorporate a heating element. The heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 are pressed to form a nip. The sheet on which the toner image is transferred passes through the nip between the heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72, so that the toner is melted and heated, and the toner image is fixed on the sheet.

  The temperature sensor S (for example, a thermistor) can be appropriately provided in the multi function device 1 to detect the temperature inside the apparatus. The number may be one, but is not limited to one. For example, the control board 91, the fixing device 7, the exposure device 63, and the developing device 64 may be provided.

  The operation panel 2 is provided at the upper front of the multifunction machine 1 and includes various keys for inputting and setting, such as a numeric keypad 21 and a start key 22, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 2 includes a liquid crystal display unit 23 that displays an operation state of the apparatus and various messages, and can perform various settings, mode selections, and the like using a touch panel. For example, in order to make full use of various functions such as copy, scanner, printer, FAX function selection, enlargement / reduction function for image processing, density adjustment function, etc., possessed by the multifunction device 1, the user can use the multifunction device 1 from the operation panel 2. It is possible to operate and set the operation.

  Although details will be described later, the multi-function device 1 according to the present embodiment has a silent mode in which the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 is moved and noise reduction is realized, compared to a normal state (normal mode). Then, switching between the normal mode and the silent mode can be performed by pressing the silent mode key 24 provided on the operation panel 2. That is, the operation panel 2 accepts selection of the normal mode and the silent mode. Note that the silent mode key 24 may not be provided, and the silent mode and the normal mode may be switched by input to the touch panel of the liquid crystal display unit 23. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the level setting (intensity setting) of the silent mode may be performed on the liquid crystal display unit 23. The auto button 23a is a button for automatically determining the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 in the quiet mode in consideration of the in-machine temperature and the noise.

  Next, the arrangement of the cooling device 8 provided in the multifunction machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for illustrating an example of the arrangement of the cooling device 8 provided in the multi-function device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of the multi-function device 1 as viewed from the front. FIG. 2B is a schematic view of the multifunction machine 1 as viewed from the back.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the multi-function device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of cooling devices 8A, 8B, and 8C as a configuration that keeps the temperature inside the device below a predetermined temperature. The cooling device 8 has a fan 81, a duct 82, an opening 83, and a moving mechanism (details will be described later) in common. In addition, although the shape, size, etc. of the fan 81, the duct 82, the opening 83, and the moving mechanism in each of the cooling devices 8A to C may be different, the functions are basically the same. The reference numerals assigned to the members of the fan 81, the duct 82, the opening 83, and the moving mechanism in C are common.

  Basically, the opening 83 is provided in the exterior cover 1b (that is, the outer surface of the apparatus) for discharging air inside the apparatus to the outside of the apparatus or sucking it into the apparatus. The fan 81 cools an object to be cooled in the apparatus, and performs intake to the inside of the apparatus or exhaust to the outside of the apparatus. The duct 82 has one end 82a facing the opening 83 and the other end 82b connected to the fan 81, and its length and shape are variable (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the duct 82 functions as a conduit for guiding the air flow between the opening 83 and the fan 81.

  Here, in the MFP 1 of the present embodiment, at least three cooling devices 8 are provided. Specifically, the cooling device 8A that cools the control substrate 91 (details will be described later), the developing device 64, and the exposure device. A cooling device 8B that cools 63 and a cooling device 8C that cools the fixing device 7 are provided. That is, the objects to be cooled are the control substrate 91, the fixing device 7, the exposure device 63, and the developing device 64.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the fan 81 of the cooling device 8 </ b> A is provided close to the control board 91 provided in the rear wall portion of the multifunction machine 1 (note that the opening 83 of the fan 81 is provided). (The duct 82 is not visible in FIGS. 1 and 3). The fan 81 is mounted with various electronic components such as a resistor, a coil, a CPU 92, a memory element, and a transistor, and cools the control board 91 that generates heat when energized by blowing or sucking air. As a result, malfunction of the multifunction device 1 is prevented, and damage to the electronic components and shortening of the life of the control board 91 are prevented.

  The fan 81 of the cooling device 8B is provided on a central right side portion (see FIGS. 1 and 3A) of the multifunction device 1 when viewed from the front, and mainly blows air toward the exposure device 63 and the developing device 64. Alternatively, the air in the vicinity of the exposure device 63 and the developing device 64 is discharged, and the temperature in the image forming unit 6 that actually performs image formation is set to a predetermined temperature or lower. Further, the duct 82 and the opening 83 of the cooling device 8 </ b> B are provided on the right side surface of the multifunction machine 1. Note that a duct extending toward the exposure device 63 and the developing device 64 is separately connected to the fan 81.

  The exposure apparatus 63 in the present embodiment performs scanning / exposure with laser light. The characteristics of the semiconductor laser device that irradiates this laser light change depending on the temperature. If the temperature rises too much, the scanning / exposure is affected. May occur and the image quality may be impaired. Further, in the developing device 64, for example, the developing roller 64a disposed to face the photosensitive drum 61 rotates, and the stirring mechanism 64b for stirring the toner in the developing device 64 also rotates (see FIG. 1). ), High heat may be generated by frictional heat. Therefore, the fan 81B prevents these problems by blowing or sucking outside air in the vicinity of the exposure device 63 and the developing device 64.

  The fan 81 of the cooling device 8C is provided on the central left side portion when the multifunction machine 1 is viewed from the front (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, duct not visible in FIG. 3B), and fixing. The device 7 is blown or sucked. Further, the duct 82 and the opening 83 are provided on the back side. If the temperature of the fixing device 7 rises too much, the toner is not ideally melted, so the fixing device 7 is cooled. On the other hand, when the multifunction device 1 is turned on in winter, if the multifunction device 1 is cold, condensation may occur in the device and image formation may not be performed properly, and the fan 81 blows air toward the inside. The heat generated by the fixing device 7 can also be sent into the apparatus.

  Here, in this embodiment, since each cooling device 8A to 8C has a feature in that one end 82a of the duct 82 facing the opening 83 is moved, this point will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. To do. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the movement of the duct 82 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 4A shows a state in which the cooling efficiency is the highest, and FIG. 4B reduces noise. Indicates the state of the case. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of the duct 82 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the shape of the duct 82 is made straight so as to connect the distance from the fan 81 to the opening 83 at the shortest distance, intake or exhaust of the fan 81 is performed most smoothly. . That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the intake and exhaust are performed in a straight line, the cooling efficiency becomes the highest. In the normal mode, the shape of the duct 82 is this shape.

  However, in this state, the wind noise of the fan 81, the driving sound of the motor that rotates the fan, the rubbing sound of the guide and the sheet during sheet conveyance, the rotating sound of the drum and rollers, etc. from the opening 83 in the multifunction machine 1 The operating noise that occurs is leaked most. That is, the sound propagates linearly to the outside. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the multi-function device 1 of this embodiment, the position of one end 82a of the duct 82 facing the opening 83 is moved, and the shape of the duct 82 is changed. As a result, the length of the duct 82 and the angle with respect to the opening 83 change, so that part of the sound reverberates in the duct 82 and the sound does not leak linearly from the opening 83.

  And in order to make the shape of the duct 82 variable, in the multi-function device 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. The end portion of the duct 82 shown in FIG. 5 shows a portion (one end 82 a of the duct 82) arranged facing the opening 83, and this portion introduces outside air depending on the rotation direction of the fan 81. It becomes an exhaust port from which the air in the machine is exhausted or air in the machine is exhausted. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the other end 82 b is connected to the fan 81 as described above.

  Next, a mechanism for moving the one end 82a of the duct 82 corresponding to the intake port or the exhaust port will be described with reference to FIGS. The multi-function device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the cooling devices 8A to 8C including the plurality of fans 81, the opening 83, the duct 82, and the like, but the following description can be similarly applied to all the cooling devices 8.

  FIG. 6 is a front view of the opening 83 of the multifunction device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view of the duct 82 of the multifunction device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the moving mechanism as seen from the right side, FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of the rack 86 of the moving mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is the first view of the present invention. In order to explain the shape change of the duct 82 by the moving mechanism according to the embodiment, it is a schematic view seen from above, (a) is a normal mode, (b) shows a state moved to the maximum in the silent mode. . 7 and 9, when viewed from each direction, the opening 83 is not visible due to the presence of the exterior cover 1b, but is illustrated as being visible for convenience of explanation (the same applies hereinafter).

  An opening 83 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6) for intake or exhaust is provided on the outer surface constituted by the exterior cover 1b and the like of the multifunction machine 1. Then, from the viewpoint of preventing entry of dust and the like, a cover 84 that covers the opening 83 is provided as shown in FIG. The cover 84 is formed in, for example, a louver (armor door) shape, and a plurality of ventilation openings 84a are provided.

  As shown by a broken line in FIG. 6, the motor M provided inside the multifunction device 1 (inside the exterior cover 1 b) is provided at a substantially central position of the left and right width of the opening 83 and above the upper edge of the opening 83. A gear 85 attached to the rotation shaft Ma of the motor M, and a rack 86 connected to the gear 85 and provided with a tooth surface so as to mesh with the gear 85. In FIG. 6, one end 82 a of a duct 82 is connected to the rack 86 as shown by a one-dot chain line (details of connection will be described later). That is, one end 82a of the duct 82 serving as an exhaust port or an intake port is connected to the rack 86 so as to face the opening 83 (cover 84).

  Here, the motor M is rotatable forward and backward. For example, when the motor M is driven to move the rack 86 to the right in FIG. 6, the end 82 a of the duct 82 connected to the rack 86 is also adjusted. Moving. That is, the exhaust surface or the intake surface of the duct 82 moves in a direction parallel to the opening surface of the opening 83. Further, the motor M, the gear 85, the rack 86, a guide rail 87 to be described later, and the like function as a moving mechanism for moving the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 in the opening 83 in order to change noise leaking from the opening 83. .

  The details of the mechanism for moving the one end 82a of the duct 82 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, the bellows shape of the duct 82 is shown in a simplified manner.

  First, as shown on the left side of FIG. 7, an opening 83 is provided in a part of the exterior cover 1b, and a cover 84 that covers the opening 83 is attached. A guide rail 87 extending above the upper edge of the opening 83 and extending in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 7 (a direction parallel to the opening of the opening 83) is provided inside the multi-function device 1. A rack 86 is fitted into the groove portion 87 a of the guide rail 87 to guide the movement of the rack 86. A gear 85 is connected to a tooth surface provided on the upper portion of the rack 86, and the gear 85 is attached to the rotation shaft Ma of the motor M. With these configurations, the rotational motion of the motor M is converted into a linear motion, and the rack 86 moves in a direction parallel to the exterior cover 1b. That is, the moving mechanism includes a rack 86 connected to one end 82 a of the duct 82, a gear 85 connected to the rack 86, a motor M to which the gear 85 is attached to the rotation shaft Ma, and a guide for guiding the movement of the rack 86. A rail 87 is provided.

  A connecting member 88 for connecting the rack 86 and the duct 82 is provided at the left and right ends of the rack 86, and the movement of the end 82 a of the duct 82 and the movement of the rack 86 is interlocked by the connecting member 88. The position of the duct 82 at 83 is moved (details of the connecting member 88 will be described later).

  As shown in FIG. 7, a fall prevention portion 82 c is provided on the upper surface of the duct 82 so as to extend in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the rack 86. The fall prevention part 82c is composed of a pillar part 82d and a top board part 82e provided at the upper end of the pillar part 82d.

  A duct guide member 89 is provided on the lower surface of the motor M corresponding to the fall prevention portion 82c. The duct guide member 89 is a member obtained by bending a plate-shaped metal or the like into a U shape on the lower surface of the motor M (for example, fitted into the case of the motor M), and the bottom of the U shape is moved to one end 82 a of the duct 82. It is formed with a hole 89a cut in a direction parallel to the direction. Then, the column portion 82d of the fall prevention portion 82c is inserted into the hole 89a, and the top plate portion 82e is in contact with the inside of the lower surface of the duct guide member 89, thereby preventing the duct 82 from falling. still. The duct guide member 89 may be provided by fixing the L-shaped member to the motor M at a certain interval so that the hole 89a is formed.

  Next, the connection between the duct 82 and the rack 86 will be described with reference to FIG. Although the duct 82 in the present embodiment has a bellows shape, FIG. 8 illustrates the duct 82 in a simplified manner, and the configuration other than the rack 86, the connecting member 88, and the duct 82 is omitted for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 8, at the end portion of the rack 86, one end portion 88 a of a thread-like or linear connection member 88 is penetrated from the direction of the opening 83. The connecting member 88 is made of, for example, an elastic resin or metal (for example, a wire). Then, the connecting member 88 penetrating from the direction of the opening 83 is bent toward the right end of the rack 86 in FIG. 8, and further bent while contacting the corner of the rack 86 so as to contact the right end of the rack 86. It is done.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the connecting member 88 is U-shaped by this two-folding, and the end portion 88 b facing the in-machine direction and not penetrating through the rack 86 is provided on the projecting portion 82 f of the duct 82. It is inserted into the connected part 82g. By fixing the connecting member 88 at both ends of the rack 86, the rack 86 and the duct 82 are firmly connected. A stopper member 87b (illustrated by a broken line in FIG. 8) for restricting the rack 86 from moving beyond the guide rail 87 may be provided at the end of the guide rail 87. The stopper member 87b may be extended to the left and right ends of the guide rail 87, for example.

  Next, the movement of the one end 82a of the duct 82 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, since the duct 82 is configured to be movable, the opening 83 provided in the exterior cover 1 b of the multifunction machine 1 needs to be opened in accordance with the moving range of the one end 82 a of the duct 82. There is. Accordingly, the size of the opening 83 and the cover 84 covering the opening 83 is larger than the case where the one end 82a of the conventional duct 82 is not moved. However, since the cover 84 covers the opening 83, dust and the like are prevented from entering the machine, and the appearance is not inferior.

  Here, as described above, the multifunction device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the normal mode in which the one end 82a of the duct 82 is positioned as shown in FIG. 1 has a silent mode for reducing the noise generated from 1. Then, the silent mode in which the noise state generated from the multifunction machine 1 is changed is realized by moving the one end 82a of the duct 82. FIG. 9B shows a state in which the one end 82a of the duct 82 is moved to the maximum in the silent mode. In the state of FIG. 9B, noise such as wind noise of the fan 81 and operation sound in the machine via the fan 81 does not leak out from the opening 83 linearly compared to the state of FIG. So noise is reduced.

  Next, based on FIG. 10, the control unit 9 and the hardware configuration of the multifunction machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the multifunction machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The control unit 9 is provided on the control board 91 and controls the overall operation of the multifunction machine 1 and includes, for example, a CPU 92, a storage unit 93, an image processing unit 94, and the like.

  The CPU 92 is a central processing unit, and controls the operation of each part of the multifunction machine 1 based on a control program stored in the storage unit 93 and developed. The storage unit 93 includes a ROM, a RAM, an HDD, and the like. The ROM stores a control program and control data for the multifunction machine 1, and the CPU 92 reads the control program and the like. The RAM is used when the control program is temporarily expanded or when image data is temporarily stored. The HDD is a large-capacity storage device, and stores control programs, control data, image data read by the document reading unit 3, image data by FAX communication (transmission / reception), and the like. Note that the control program in the silent mode according to the present embodiment is also stored in the storage unit 93. The image processing unit 94 is a part that performs various types of image processing on the image data read by the document reading unit 3 and image data to be communicated with the external computer 100 or the counterpart FAX apparatus 200.

  The control unit 9 is connected by signal lines to control each unit such as the document reading unit 3 and the image forming unit 6 and controls the multifunction device 1 to operate reliably. Further, the control unit 9 is connected to a plurality of external computers 100 and a counterpart FAX apparatus 200 via an interface (not shown) through a network or a public line. As a result, a copy function is realized if image formation is performed based on image data read by the document reading unit 3, a scanner function is realized if image data is transmitted to the storage unit 93 or the external computer 100, and an external computer. When image formation is performed on the image data transmitted from 100, a printer function is realized. Further, the FAX function is realized by transmitting / receiving image data to / from the counterpart FAX apparatus 200 (Internet FAX may be used).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 9 is connected to rotation control units 10A, 10B, and 10C for controlling the number of rotations of the motor M that moves the rack 86 and one end 82a of the duct 82. To each rotation control unit 10, a signal indicating ON / OFF of the rotation of the motor M, the number of rotations, and the driving time of each motor M is transmitted.

  Here, the rotation control unit 10A controls the motor M that moves the one end 82a of the duct 82 of the cooling device 8A. The rotation control unit 10B controls the motor M that moves one end 82a of the duct 82 of the cooling device 8B. The rotation control unit 10C controls the motor M that moves the one end 82a of the duct 82 of the cooling device 8C.

  Each rotation control unit 10 is connected to a power supply device 11 provided in the multifunction device 1 as appropriate, and turns on / off power supply from the power supply device 11 to each motor M required for rotation. That is, each rotation control unit 10 controls the rotation of the motor M, and controls the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 in the opening 83 (position control unit). Specifically, in order to detect the number of rotations of each motor M and the position of the rack 86, for example, if the number of rotations of the motor M is grasped by changing the motor M to a motor M with an encoder, the opening 83 is obtained. The position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be freely controlled. That is, if the movement distance and position of the rack 86 are calculated from the number of rotations of the motor M by the CPU 92 or the like, the position control of the duct 82 can be performed.

  Each rotation control unit 10 is also connected to each fan motor FM for rotating each fan 81 of the cooling devices 8A to 8C. The CPU 92 transmits to each rotation control unit 10 a signal that indicates ON / OFF of the rotation of the fan motor FM and the number of rotations thereof. Then, each rotation control unit 10 receives a command from the CPU 92 for each fan 81, and when it is necessary to rotate each fan 81, such as when the internal temperature of the multifunction machine 1 is lowered, each fan motor Electric power is supplied to the FM. That is, each rotation control unit 10 also functions as a switch for rotating each fan motor FM. Further, upon receiving a signal for instructing the rotation speed of each fan motor FM from the control unit 9, each rotation control unit 10 changes the voltage, current, frequency, etc. supplied to rotate each fan 81 to rotate. Control the number. Note that the control performed by each rotation control unit 10 varies depending on the motor M employed in each fan motor FM, such as a difference between direct current and alternating current, a rating, and the like, but may be appropriately set according to each fan motor FM to be used.

  If an input for selecting the silent mode is made on the operation panel 2 (see FIG. 2), the control unit 9 receives the input and shifts from the normal mode to the silent mode. The CPU 92 transmits a signal for moving the one end 82 a of the duct 82 to each rotation control unit 10. Receiving this signal, each rotation control unit 10 drives each motor M and moves one end 82 a of the duct 82. That is, in order to instruct and input the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82, based on the instruction and input to the operation panel 2 by the user, the position control for moving the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 by controlling the operation of the moving mechanism. As the unit 9, the control unit 9 also functions.

  Specifically, by driving each motor M, the position of the rack 86 and one end 82a of the duct 82 connected to the rack 86 is set at the shortest distance between the opening 83 and the fan 81 in the normal mode shown in FIG. The position of one end 82a of the duct 82 in the normal mode is moved by the moving mechanism from the position where the intake direction or the exhaust direction of the fan 81 in the duct 82 is in a straight line so as to be connected, so that the shape of the duct 82 is inclined. The silent mode is realized by moving to a position as shown in FIG. 9B at the maximum. That is, in the silent mode, the one end 82a of the duct 82 is moved from the position in the normal mode. When shifting from the silent mode to the normal mode, the motor M may be rotated in the reverse direction and moved to the position shown in FIG.

  Further, by selecting the silent mode, each rotation control unit 10 sets the rotation speed of the fan in the normal mode (for example, the rated rotation of the fan motor FM) to 100%, and reduces it to, for example, 50%. Alternatively, the speed of each fan 81 may be controlled to reduce the noise generation itself. The number 50% is an example, and may be set as appropriate within a range of 1% to less than 100% in consideration of a target noise level, exhaust heat efficiency for each image forming apparatus, and the like.

  Here, the level setting of the silent mode and the movement of the one end 82a of the duct 82 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining that the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is made stepwise.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 1 of the present embodiment, the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be arbitrarily determined by the number of rotations of the motor M. Therefore, based on the silent mode level setting on the operation panel 2 shown in FIG. 2B, as the silent mode level is increased as shown in FIG. 11, the movement from the position of the duct 82 in the normal mode is performed. The amount can be increased step by step. In other words, the operation panel 2 receives an instruction / input to move the one end 82a of the duct 82 in stages, and the control unit 9 controls the moving mechanism based on the instruction. In other words, when the silent mode is selected, the position of the end 82a of the duct 82 in the normal mode is not always moved as much as possible within the movable range, but the number of rotations of the motor M is controlled according to the user's setting. Thereby, the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be made into 3 or more types. Accordingly, the user can set the amount of movement of the one end 82a of the duct 82 while taking into consideration the cooling efficiency and noise, or the control unit can automatically control it, which is highly convenient. Note that as the amount of movement from the normal mode increases, the number of rotations of the fan motor FM may be reduced to reduce the noise generation itself.

  Specifically, FIG. 11 will be described. The position of one end 82a of the duct 82 in the normal mode is indicated by a solid line. For example, the position indicated by the broken line indicates the position where the end 82a of the duct 82 is moved to the maximum. . As described above, by controlling the number of rotations of the motor M, the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be set in multiple stages, such as a position indicated by a two-dot chain line and a position indicated by a one-dot chain line. it can.

  Returning to FIG. 10, the description will be continued. As shown in FIG. 10, a temperature sensor S (only one is shown for convenience in FIG. 10, see FIG. 1) connected to the multifunction device 1 is connected to the controller 9. The temperature sensor S detects the temperature of each part in the multifunction machine 1.

  However, the multifunction device 1 according to the present embodiment realizes a silent mode by moving the duct 82 and performs intake and exhaust for cooling in the device even in the silent mode. However, in this silent mode, the cooling efficiency is slightly lower than in the normal mode. It has a side. Then, for example, when image formation is continuously performed in large quantities (for example, about 100 sheets), or when the outside air temperature is high, the temperature in the multifunction device 1 may rise above a predetermined temperature.

  Here, the predetermined temperature is, for example, a design specification temperature of the multifunction device 1 such that each element on the control board 91 does not malfunction or break, and the change in characteristics of the semiconductor laser device of the exposure device 63 falls within an allowable range. It is. That is, the predetermined temperature is a reference temperature that the temperature in the multifunction device 1 should not exceed when the multifunction device 1 is used appropriately. The predetermined temperature varies depending on the type and type of the image forming apparatus, and may vary depending on the control substrate 91, the exposure apparatus 63, the fixing apparatus 7, and the respective components inside the apparatus. And usually, exhaust heat design by intake and exhaust is made so that the in-machine temperature does not exceed the predetermined temperature in the use environment. Therefore, the present embodiment is also designed not to exceed the predetermined temperature in the normal mode.

  In the silent mode, if the in-machine temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature due to continuous image formation, the image formation cannot be performed properly as it is, and thus it is necessary to increase the cooling efficiency. Therefore, when the temperature sensor S monitors the in-machine temperature and detects that the temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, the control unit 9 automatically shifts from the silent mode to the normal mode. That is, when the temperature sensor S detects that the temperature inside the apparatus exceeds the predetermined temperature, the control unit 9 moves the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 to the position of the normal mode. In other words, the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 is returned to the position with the highest cooling efficiency, and the rotational speed of the fan 81 is also set to the maximum rotational speed.

  In this case, the control unit 9 may shift from the silent mode to the normal mode only for the duct 82 and the fan 81 for cooling the portion where the temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature. That is, when the control board 91 exceeds a predetermined temperature, the duct 82 of the cooling device 8A is controlled. When the exposure device 63 and the developing device 64 exceed the predetermined temperature, the duct 82 of the cooling device 8B is controlled. When the fixing device 7 exceeds a predetermined temperature, the duct 82C of the cooling device 8C may be controlled. Thus, the in-machine temperature of the multifunction device 1 is maintained so as not to exceed the predetermined temperature.

  Thus, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the position of the duct 82 that faces the opening 83 can be moved by the moving mechanism, and the shape of the duct 82 that becomes the ventilation path can be changed. Therefore, the amount of noise leaking from the opening 83, such as the noise generated by the fan 81 and the operating sound inside the apparatus, can be changed. In other words, when the shape of the duct 82 is a shape in which the fan 81 and the opening 83 are connected in a straight line at the shortest distance, the cooling efficiency is the highest, but the noise leaks linearly from the opening 83 and the noise increases. A part of the noise is reflected in the duct 82 by moving the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 while changing the shape of the duct 82 from that state. As a result, the noise can be reduced.

  In addition, by making the duct 82 into a bellows shape, the shape of the duct 82 can be easily changed. Further, the moving mechanism for moving the one end 82a of the duct 82 is not complicated, and the present invention can be easily realized. Also, the members constituting the moving mechanism are relatively inexpensive, and the cost required for the image forming apparatus can be kept low.

  Further, the user can control noise leaking from the opening 83 of the image forming apparatus by operating the operation input unit (operation panel 2). In addition, since the user can set the position of the one end 82a of the duct 82 in a stepwise manner, the one end 82a of the user's duct 82 can be performed without performing fine input (for example, inputting a detailed movement amount). Can be easily adjusted, and the input to the operation input unit can be simplified.

  Further, the noise generated by the image forming apparatus can be reduced only by inputting an instruction to the operation input unit to shift to the silent mode. In addition, by simply selecting the normal mode, the duct 82 can be connected to the fan 81 and the opening 83 at the shortest distance to maintain a high cooling capacity. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can be easily controlled so that the image forming apparatus is in a low noise state or a high cooling efficiency state. In the silent mode, the cooling efficiency is slightly reduced, so the temperature inside the device can rise to a temperature that makes it difficult to form an appropriate image. However, if the internal temperature rises above the specified temperature, the normal mode is automatically entered. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in the in-flight temperature.

  Next, based on FIG.12 and FIG.13, the multifunctional device 1 which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the moving mechanism of the duct 82 of the multifunction machine 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the right side, and FIG. 13 is based on the moving mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In order to explain the shape change of the duct 82, it is a schematic view seen from above, where (a) shows a state in the normal mode, and (b) shows a state in which the rack 86 is moved to the maximum in the silent mode. .

  The second embodiment according to the embodiment of the present invention is different only in the configuration for moving the one end 82a of the duct 82, and the other configurations can be applied in the same manner as in the first embodiment, so that the description thereof is omitted. Only the differences will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the opening 83 is provided in the exterior cover 1 b of the multifunction device 1, and the cover 84 is provided in the opening 83, but the upper surface of the cover 84 is the same as that of the multifunction device 1. The difference is that the cover 84 is formed so as to extend in the inner direction and the cover 84 does not cover the entire opening 83. A rack 86 is provided on the upper surface of the cover 84, and a gear 85 is engaged with the rack 86, and the gear 85 is attached to the motor M.

  As shown in FIG. 12, one end 82 a of the duct 82 is directly attached to the cover 84, and the one end 82 a of the duct 82 moves as the cover 84 moves. In addition, a guide rail 87 for guiding the movement of the cover 84 is provided in the exterior cover 1b of the multifunction machine 1 in the outward direction of the machine. The guide rail 87 is inserted under the cover 84 and guides the movement of the cover 84. With such a configuration, the motor M rotates while being controlled by the rotation control unit 10, so that the cover 84 moves along the guide rail 87, and the one end 82 a of the duct 82 is also parallel to the opening surface. Move in the direction. That is, a cover 84 having a vent hole 84 a is attached to one end 82 a of the duct 82, and the moving mechanism includes a guide rail 87 that guides the movement of the cover 84, a rack 86 that is fixed to the cover 84, and a rack 86. A gear 85 to be connected and a motor M to which the gear 85 is attached to the rotation shaft Ma are configured.

  FIG. 13 shows the movement. Here, FIG. 13A shows the shape of the duct 82 and the positions of the rack 86 and the cover 84 in the state where the cooling efficiency is highest in the normal mode. On the other hand, FIG. 13B shows the shape of the duct 82 and the positions of the rack 86 and the cover 84 when the one end 82a of the duct 82 is moved to the maximum in the silent mode. Further, one end 82a of the duct 82 may be moved stepwise until reaching from FIG. 13 (a) to FIG. 13 (b), and also in this embodiment, noise leaking from the multi-function device 1 is reduced stepwise. It is possible.

  Since the cover 84 is formed smaller than the opening 83, the inside of the apparatus is exposed from the opening 83 as it is. If the inside is exposed, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of dust and dust entering the machine, so that the end of the cover 84 and the end of the opening 83 can be connected to each other, for example, a mountain fold and valley fold can be repeatedly expanded and contracted. A curtain-like member 83a may be attached.

  In this way, the moving mechanism of the present embodiment is not complicated, can easily realize the present invention, the constituent members are relatively inexpensive, and the cost required for the image forming apparatus is kept low. be able to.

  Next, based on FIG. 14, a multi function device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic view seen from above for explaining the shape change of the duct 82 by the moving mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  Note that the third embodiment according to the embodiment of the present invention is greatly different in that the endless belt 101 is used to move the one end 82a of the duct 82, and other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. Since this is applicable, the description is omitted, and only the differences are described.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the opening 83 is provided in the exterior cover 1 b of the multifunction machine 1, and the cover 84 is provided so as to cover the opening 83 as in the first embodiment. However, the moving mechanism is different in that the end 82 a of the duct 82 is moved using the endless belt 101 instead of the rack 86 and the gear 85.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the rotating shafts 102 and 103 are rotatably supported on the outer cover 1 b of the multi-function device 1 further outside the left and right edges of the opening 83. The rotating shafts 102 and 103 are provided above the upper edge of the opening 83 or below the lower edge. For example, an endless belt 101 made of resin is stretched around the two rotating shafts 102 and 103. Furthermore, one of the rotation shafts 102 and 103 is connected to the rotation shaft Ma of the motor M. Further, one end 82a of the duct 82 is attached to the outer surface of the endless belt 101 by various methods.

  Therefore, when the motor M is rotated, the endless belt 101 circulates, and the one end 82a of the duct 82 moves along with this, and the exhaust port or intake port of the duct 82 facing the opening 83 moves. . Here, in FIG. 14, the shape of the duct 82 in the state where the cooling efficiency is highest in the normal mode is indicated by a solid line, and the shape of the duct 82 in a state where the end 82 a of the duct 82 is moved to the maximum in the silent mode is indicated by a broken line. ing. In addition, by controlling the rotation speed of the motor M, the position of the duct 82 facing the opening 83 can be moved stepwise.

  In this manner, the moving mechanism of the present embodiment is not complicated, and the present invention can be easily realized, the constituent members are relatively inexpensive, and the cost required for the image forming apparatus is kept low. be able to.

  Next, based on FIG. 15, a multi-function device 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 15A is a schematic view of the multifunction machine 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back side, and FIG. 15B is an enlarged view of the cover 84 portion.

  For example, an opening 83 for cooling the control board 91, a fan 81, and a duct 82 are provided on the rear surface of the multifunction machine 1. The present invention is characterized in that one end 82a of the duct 82 facing the opening 83 is moved. However, the one end 82a of the duct 82 cannot always be moved in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, and the opening 83 and the moving direction may be secured only in an oblique direction for design reasons. .

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15A, for example, a plurality of louvered vents 84a are provided, and a cover 84 having a slanted shape is attached to the back of the main body. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 15B, an opening 83 is provided on the back side of the cover 84. Then, one end 82a of a duct 82 serving as an exhaust port or an intake port faces the opening 83 (illustrated by a one-dot chain line or a two-dot chain line). The other end 82 b of the duct 82 is connected to the fan 81.

  And the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be moved to the position of the one-dot chain line or the two-dot chain line by the movement mechanism as raised in the above embodiment. That is, the moving mechanism moves one end 82a of the duct 82 in an oblique direction.

  In this way, if the moving direction of the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be moved in an oblique direction, the degree of freedom in designing the device can be increased. In other words, it is possible to cope with the case where the moving direction of the one end 82a of the duct 82 can be ensured only in an oblique direction due to the design of the device.

  Hereinafter, another embodiment will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the multi-function device 1 has been described. The invention is applicable.

  Moreover, although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention can be used for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a multifunction peripheral, a printer, and a facsimile machine, and the cooling device 8.

1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a schematic structure of a multifunction machine 1 according to a first embodiment. (A) is a front view which shows an example of the operation panel which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (b) is a front view which shows an example of the display of the liquid crystal display part. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of arrangement | positioning of the cooling device 8 with which the multifunctional device which concerns on 1st Embodiment is equipped, (a) is the schematic diagram which looked at the multifunction device from the front, (b) is the schematic diagram seen from the back. is there. It is explanatory drawing about the movement of the duct which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (a) shows a state with the highest cooling efficiency, (b) shows the state in the case of reducing noise. It is the elements on larger scale which show an example of the duct which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the opening part of the compound machine concerning a 1st embodiment from the front. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the moving mechanism of the duct concerning a 1st embodiment from the right side. It is an expansion perspective view of the rack edge part of the moving mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. In order to explain the shape change of the duct by the moving mechanism according to the first embodiment, it is a schematic view seen from above, (a) is a normal mode, (b) shows a state moved to the maximum in the silent mode. . 1 is a block diagram of a multifunction machine according to a first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating that the position of the end of the duct which concerns on 1st Embodiment is made into steps. It is a schematic diagram from the right side of the moving mechanism of the duct which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. In order to explain the shape change of the duct by the moving mechanism according to the second embodiment, it is a schematic view seen from above, (a) is a state in the normal mode, (b) is a rack in the silent mode. Indicates the state moved to the maximum. It is the schematic diagram seen from upper direction in order to demonstrate the shape change of the duct by the moving mechanism which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. (A) is the schematic diagram which looked at the multifunctional machine which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention from the back, (b) is an enlarged view of a cover part.

Explanation of symbols

1 MFP (image forming device) 85 Gear (part of moving mechanism)
1b Exterior cover (outer surface) 86 Rack (part of moving mechanism)
2 Operation panel (operation input section) 87 Guide rail (part of moving mechanism)
8 Cooling devices (8A, 8B, 8C) 9 Control unit (position control unit)
81 Fan (part of cooling device) 10 Rotation control unit (position control unit)
82 Duct (part of cooling device) M Motor (part of moving mechanism)
83 Opening (part of cooling device) Ma Rotating shaft (Motor M)
84 Cover S Temperature sensor (temperature detector)
84a Ventilation opening

Claims (10)

An opening provided on the outer surface of the device;
A fan for intake into the apparatus or exhaust to the outside of the apparatus;
A duct having one end facing the opening, the other end connected to the fan, and a variable length and shape;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism that moves a position of one end of the duct in the opening to change noise leaking from the opening.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the duct has a bellows shape.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism moves one end of the duct in an oblique direction.   The moving mechanism includes a rack connected to one end of the duct, a gear connected to the rack, a motor to which the gear is attached to a rotating shaft, and a guide rail that guides the movement of the rack. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. One end of the duct is attached to a cover having a ventilation opening and covering the opening,
The moving mechanism includes a guide rail that guides the movement of the cover, a rack that is fixed to the cover, a gear that is connected to the rack, and a motor that is attached to the rotating shaft. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. An operation input unit for instructing and inputting the position of one end of the duct;
6. The position control unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a position control unit configured to control an operation of the moving mechanism based on an instruction / input of the operation input unit to move a position of one end of the duct. The image forming apparatus described. A normal mode in which the fan and the opening are connected at a shortest distance, and one end of the duct is arranged so that an intake direction or an exhaust direction of the fan between the fan and the opening is in a straight line; and the normal mode A silent mode that is realized by moving the position of one end of the duct by the moving mechanism,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the operation input unit receives selection of the normal mode and the silent mode.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the operation input unit receives an instruction / input for performing stepwise movement of one end of the duct. Equipped with a temperature detector to detect the temperature inside the device,
The said position detection part moves the position of the one end of the said duct to the position of a normal mode, when the said temperature detection body detects that the temperature inside an apparatus exceeded predetermined temperature, The position of the one end of the said duct is moved to the position of a normal mode. Or the image forming apparatus of 8. An opening provided on the outer surface of the device to which the device is attached;
A fan for intake into the apparatus or exhaust to the outside of the apparatus;
A duct having one end facing the opening, the other end connected to the fan, and a variable length and shape;
In order to change the noise state which leaks from the said opening part, it has a moving mechanism which moves the position of the end of the said duct in the said opening part, The cooling device characterized by the above-mentioned.

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