JP2014066978A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress, in an image forming apparatus having a filter disposed in a duct for regulating a channel of an air circulating through a housing of the apparatus, pressure loss of the channel by appropriately arranging the filter.SOLUTION: A duct 200 regulates a channel of an air that falls in a vertical direction and then is bent rearward at a right angle. Assuming that a filter 240 is laid across a communication hole 224 formed between a lower end of a front wall 223 and a lower wall 225 of a connection part 220 in the vertical direction, turbulences W1 and W2 are generated in areas passing a corner part of a bent part of the channel (B). In contrast, when the filter 240 is disposed across an inner wall surface of the duct 200 regulating the outer periphery of the corner part of the bent part of the channel to an inner wall surface of the duct 200 regulating an inside part of the bent part, an air flow is rectified when the air flow passes through the filter 240, and thereby the occurrence of the turbulences W1 and W2 can be suppressed (A).

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus that includes a duct that defines a flow path of air flowing through the housing of the apparatus. .

  Conventionally, for example, in an image forming apparatus adopting an electrophotographic method or an ink jet method, a developer (for example, toner) or ink droplets used for image formation floats inside the device to contaminate each part, or to the outside of the device. In order to suppress the release, it is considered that air in the vicinity of the image forming unit is circulated through a duct with a filter to remove developer and ink droplets in the air through the filter. . In an electrophotographic image forming unit, ozone is generated when the photosensitive member is charged by corona discharge or the like, or volatile organic compounds (VOC: toluene, xylene, etc.) are produced from Teflon (registered trademark) parts. Volatile Organic Compounds) are generated. Therefore, it is conceivable that air in the vicinity of the image forming unit is circulated through a duct with an ozone decomposition filter to decompose ozone in the air or to remove volatile organic compounds (VOC) and the like through the filter. ing. And in the apparatus using those filters, improving the efficiency of a filter is proposed by arrange | positioning a filter diagonally with respect to the flow path in a duct (for example, refer patent document 1, 2). ).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-240086 JP-A-2002-006699

  On the other hand, in recent years, these image forming apparatuses have been required to be downsized in order to save installation space in offices and the like, and with the downsizing of the housing, the air flow path defined by the ducts has become complicated. A bending case occurs. However, when the air flow path is bent, a turbulent flow is generated at the bent portion, resulting in a pressure loss, and air may not flow efficiently through the flow path. In addition, when arranging the filter as described above in the flow path, it may be possible to suppress the occurrence of turbulence by devising the arrangement of the filter, but such attempts have been made so far. There wasn't.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which a filter is disposed in a duct that defines a flow path of air flowing through the inside of the housing of the apparatus, and the pressure loss of the flow path is devised by devising the arrangement of the filter. It was made for the purpose of suppressing.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention made to achieve the above object includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, a housing that houses the image forming unit, and air that flows through the housing. A flow path is defined, and the defined flow path defines an inner portion of the bent portion from a duct having a bent portion at least in part and an inner wall surface of the duct defining a corner outer periphery of the bent portion. And a filter that is disposed over the inner wall surface of the duct and purifies the air flowing through the bent portion of the flow path.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, the duct defines a flow path of air that flows through the inside of the housing of the apparatus, and the defined flow path has a bent portion at least partially. ing. For this reason, if no measures are taken, air collides with the inner wall surface of the duct after the corner of the bent portion, and turbulent flow occurs. In the present invention, the inside of the duct defining the outer periphery of the corner A filter is disposed from the wall surface to the inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion of the bent portion. For this reason, the air flow is rectified when passing through the filter, and the generation of turbulent flow can be suppressed. Therefore, in the present invention, the pressure loss of the flow path at the bent portion can be suppressed, and the flow path resistance of the entire system can be reduced.

  The filter according to the present invention may have various forms for purifying the air flowing through the bent portion of the flow path, and may remove developer or ink splashes in the air as described above. The ozone in the air may be decomposed, the volatile organic compound (VOC) or the like may be adsorbed and removed, and the air may be purified by other methods.

  The filter is configured in a honeycomb shape in which flute portions and liner portions are alternately stacked between an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner portion and an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion. The flute part and the liner part may be curved along the bending direction of the flow path. In that case, when the air flows along the flute portion and the liner portion, the bent portion can be bent more smoothly. Therefore, the pressure loss of the flow path in the bent portion can be further suppressed, and the flow path resistance of the entire system can be further reduced.

  The filter is configured in a honeycomb shape in which flute portions and liner portions are alternately stacked between an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner portion and an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion. In addition, at least one of the flute portion or the liner portion may be formed such that the front and rear ends with respect to the air flow direction are thinner than the center portion with respect to the flow direction. In that case, at least one cross section of the flute portion or the liner portion has a streamline shape or a shape close to a streamline shape, and resistance when air flows along the portion can be reduced. Therefore, the pressure loss of the flow path in the bent portion can be further suppressed, and the flow path resistance of the entire system can be further reduced.

  The filter is configured in a honeycomb shape in which flute portions and liner portions are alternately stacked between an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner portion and an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion. The pitch of the flute portion and the liner portion may be denser as it is closer to the inner portion. In that case, the flow resistance in the filter is higher on the inner side than on the outer side of the bent part, and the air flow rate is uniform between the inner side and the outer side of the bent part. And uniform.

  In each of the inventions, the image forming unit develops the photosensitive member on which the electrostatic latent image is formed and the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member with a charged developer. A process unit for forming a developer image, and a fixing unit for heating the developer image attached to the recording medium and fixing the developer image on the recording medium. A fan that exhausts the air that has circulated through the flow path to the outside on the fixing unit side in the horizontal direction and vertically below the process unit and the fixing unit, and the bent portion of the flow path May be disposed vertically below the process unit and the fixing unit, and the flow path may be bent from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction at the bent portion.

  In that case, since the fan is located below the process unit, ozone generated from a charger or the like provided in the process unit, air containing volatile organic compounds (VOC), etc. is removed by using a decomposition filter, an adsorption removal filter, or the like. Then, it can be efficiently discharged out of the housing. In addition, by discharging the air in the housing with a fan provided below the heat source such as the fixing portion, the air flowing into the housing can be discharged outside the housing through the vicinity of the fixing portion. In addition to being able to efficiently cool the peripheral members (members that do not contribute to heat fixing such as the housing) with air outside the housing, the filter is applied to the curved path of the flow path that is bent from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. Is disposed obliquely, it is possible to prevent developer and the like from being deposited on the filter.

1 is a central sectional view schematically showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 4 is a perspective view and a right side view illustrating a configuration in the vicinity of a duct of the image forming apparatus. It is sectional drawing showing the structure of the duct vicinity. It is a right view showing the structure of the single duct. It is a perspective view showing the composition of the filter of the duct typically. It is explanatory drawing which represents the effect of the filter typically. It is explanatory drawing which represents typically the structure of the modification of the filter.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below shows an example of the embodiment of the present invention. In other words, the invention specific items described in the claims are not limited to the specific means and structures shown in the following embodiments. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of color printing.

1. Schematic Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming unit 5 that forms an image on a sheet P as an example of a recording medium is housed in the housing 3 of the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. ing. The image forming unit 5 includes a process unit 7 (an example of a process unit), an exposure unit 9, a fixing unit 11 (an example of a fixing unit), and the like, and transfers a developer image onto a sheet P by an electrophotographic method. It is. In the following description, the left side in FIG. 1 of the image forming apparatus 1 (upstream side in the sheet conveying direction in the image forming unit 5) is referred to as the front, and the near side in FIG. Moreover, in FIG. 1, the shape of each member in the housing | casing 3 is drawn with the schematic shape.

  The image forming unit 5 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a direct tandem type image in which a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) process units 7 are arranged in series along the conveyance direction of the paper P. Forming part. Each process unit 7 has substantially the same structure and the like except that the color of the developer stored therein is different. Specifically, each process unit 7 includes a photoreceptor drum 7A (an example of a photoreceptor) on which a developer image is carried, a charger 7B that charges the photoreceptor drum 7A, and a developer on the photoreceptor drum 7A. A developing roller 7C to be supplied is provided.

  That is, in each process unit 7, the photosensitive drum 7A charged by the charger 7B is exposed by the exposure device 9, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 7A. When the developer is supplied from the developing roller 7C to the surface of the photosensitive drum 7A on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, a developer image to be transferred to the paper P is formed on the photosensitive drum 7A.

  The exposure device 9 according to the present embodiment is of a type in which a large number of light emitters are arranged in parallel with the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 7A. Therefore, the exposure unit 9 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of photosensitive drums 7A. Incidentally, LED is employ | adopted as this light-emitting body in this embodiment.

  A transfer unit 15 for transferring the developer carried on each photoconductive drum 7A is disposed at a position facing each photoconductive drum 7A across the stretched surface 21A of the transfer conveyance belt 21. Then, the developer images carried on the respective photosensitive drums 7A are superimposed and transferred onto the paper P conveyed on the transfer conveyance belt 21.

  The transfer conveyance belt 21 is a belt-like endless belt that moves in a direction parallel to the alignment direction of the photosensitive drums 7A, and is stretched around at least the driving roller 23A and the driven roller 23B. The above-described extending surface 21A refers to the extending surface that faces the photosensitive drum 7A out of a pair of extending surfaces that are stretched around the driving roller 23A and the driven roller 23B to form a plate shape.

  The transfer conveyance belt 21, the driving roller 23A and the driven roller 23B, the frame (not shown) that supports the driving roller 23A and the driven roller 23B, and the like are unitized as one component (module). Hereinafter, the module is referred to as a belt unit 25.

  The fixing device 11 is arranged on one end side (in the present embodiment, on the forward end side) of the extending surface 21A in the moving direction. The fixing device 11 includes a heating roller 11A that rotates while heating the developer image transferred to the paper P, a pressure roller 11B that presses the paper P against the heating roller 11A, and the like. Therefore, the developer image transferred to the paper P is heated by the fixing device 11 and fixed on the paper P. Note that the paper P discharged from the fixing device 11 is turned by approximately 180 degrees in the transport direction, and the discharge tray provided in the upper part of the casing 3 from the discharge port 3A provided in the upper part of the casing 3. It is discharged on 3B.

  Further, a belt cleaner 27 for removing foreign matter adhering to the transfer conveyance belt 21 is disposed on the opposite side of the photosensitive drum 7A with the belt unit 25 interposed therebetween. The belt cleaner 27 includes a cleaning roller 27 </ b> A that rotates in contact with a tension surface opposite to the tension surface 21 </ b> A of the pair of tension surfaces.

  Below the belt cleaner 27, a paper tray 17 having a placement portion 17A on which the paper P is placed in a stacked state is disposed. The paper P placed on the placement portion 17A is fed to the transfer conveyance belt 21 side by sheet by the feeder mechanism 19.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has a double-sided printing function for forming images on both the front and back sides of the paper P. When the double-sided printing function is executed, the paper P on which image formation on one side (hereinafter referred to as “front side”) of the paper P has been completed is conveyed again to the image forming unit 5 and the other side (hereinafter referred to as “side”) of the paper P A new image is formed on the back side).

  That is, at the discharge port 3A, the discharge roller 31 that can switch the rotation direction between when the paper P conveyed from the fixing device 11 is discharged to the discharge tray 3B and when the conveyance direction of the paper P is reversed. Is provided. During single-sided printing in which an image is formed only on the surface of the paper P, the discharge roller 31 rotates so that the paper P conveyed from the fixing device 11 is discharged as it is to the discharge tray 3B. For this reason, the paper P on which an image is formed only on the front surface is placed on the discharge tray 3B.

  On the other hand, during double-sided printing, the rotation direction of the discharge roller 31 is reversed when a predetermined time elapses from the time when the rear end in the transport direction of the paper P on which image formation on the front surface is separated from the fixing device 11. To do. For this reason, the paper P whose transport direction is reversed is transported again to the image forming unit 5 via the re-transport path Lr. When the image formation on the back surface of the paper P is completed, the paper P is discharged from the discharge port 3A to the discharge tray 3B without reversing the transport direction.

  The re-conveying path Lr includes a first re-conveying path Lr1 extending from the discharge roller 31 to the paper tray 17 side, and a second re-conveying path Lr2 reaching the inlet side of the feeder mechanism 19 via the lower side of the placement unit 17A. Etc. That is, a part of the re-transport path Lr is provided in the paper tray 17.

  A chute 60 is provided between the image forming unit 5 and the heating roller 11A and the pressure roller 11B of the fixing device 11 to guide the paper P to the nip portion between the heating roller 11A and the pressure roller 11B. . This chute 60 is provided with at least a front end slightly below the extending surface 21A of the transfer conveyance belt 21, and the sheet P fed while being adsorbed to the expansion surface 21A of the transfer conveyance belt 21 is transferred from the expansion surface 21A. Strip and guide to the nip. The chute 60 is supported from below by a support member 70 supported via a device main body frame (not shown) at a predetermined position in the housing 3 so as to be swingable about the front end.

2. Configuration of Duct of Image Forming Apparatus 1 A fan 100 that exhausts the air in the housing 3 to the outside of the apparatus is provided at a position below the fixing device 11 and the chute 60. As shown in FIG. 1, the fan 100 is the process unit on the rearmost side (the most downstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper P) of the right side frame 3 </ b> C (see FIG. 3) that constitutes a part of the housing 3. 7 on the rear side (fixer 11 side) and below the heating roller 11A and the pressure roller 11B.

  As a result, the air taken into the apparatus from the discharge port 3A above the fixing device 11 passes through the fixing device 11 and is then discharged outside by the fan 100 below the fixing device 11. It is possible to efficiently cool the surrounding members. Further, even if ozone heavier than air is generated from each charger 7B, the ozone that naturally falls from each charger 7B is efficiently sucked by the fan 100 below each charger 7B and discharged outside the apparatus. It is possible to do. Not only ozone but also, for example, volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as toluene and xylene heavier than air may be generated from the image forming unit 5 and each of its neighboring parts. If a filter having a function capable of adsorbing and removing the volatile organic compound (VOC) is used, it can be efficiently discharged as in the case of ozone. The air flow path by the fan 100 will be described in detail later.

  Further, the fan 100 is provided so as to overlap with a portion of the fixing device 11 below the heating roller 11A when viewed from the left-right direction. Thereby, the image forming apparatus 1 can be downsized vertically.

  Further, only one fan 100 is provided in the housing 3. As a result, the air taken into the apparatus from the discharge port 3A is not exhausted outside the apparatus by another fan before reaching the fan 100 through the fixing device 11, and is thus overheated by the fixing device 11. The peripheral members can be efficiently cooled.

  A duct 200, a substrate container 300, and a power supply substrate 400 are respectively provided at positions facing the fan 100 in the left-right direction (positions overlapping when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the fan 100). .

  FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing in detail the configuration of the fan 100, the duct 200, and the substrate container 300, FIG. 2B is a right side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is A in FIG. FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the duct 200 is formed in a substantially L shape in a top view, and mainly includes a left and right extending portion 210 extending in the left and right direction, a connecting portion 220 connected to the fan 100, and a connection. And a filter holding unit 230 provided adjacent to the front side of the unit 220. The left and right extending portion 210 is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape penetrating left and right, and its left end is joined to a left side frame (not shown) constituting a part of the housing 3 and its right end. Are integrally connected to the connecting portion 220.

  In the left and right extension portion 210, a rib 212 that defines a first re-transport path Lr1 (see FIG. 1) is formed on the rear side surface of the rear wall 211. The first re-transport path is formed on the rear wall 211. A rear intake port (not shown) facing Lr1 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. As a result, air in the first reconveying path Lr1 can be sucked into the duct 200, so that air outside the apparatus can be taken into the first reconveying path Lr1 from the discharge port 3A shown in FIG. It has become.

  In the duct 200, as shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of upper air inlets 214 that are open to the fixing device 11 side are formed in the upper wall 213 of the left and right extending portion 210. As a result, the air around the fixing device 11 can be sucked into the duct 200, so that the outside air taken in from the discharge port 3A or the like is surrounded by the periphery of the fixing device 11 as shown by thin arrows in FIG. It becomes possible to distribute to.

  The connection part 220 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens to the right, and the opening serves as a connection port 221 to which the fan 100 is connected as shown in FIG. The left and right extending portions 210 are integrally connected to the left wall 222 corresponding to the bottom wall of the connecting portion 220 in a state where the left and right extending portions 210 communicate with the connecting portion 220, and the inside of the connecting portion 220 and the filter holding portion 230 are connected to the front wall 223. A communication hole 224 that communicates with the inside is formed. As shown in FIG. 4 as a left side view representing the duct 200 alone, the connection part 220 shares the left wall 222 and the lower wall 225 with the filter holding part 230, and the front wall 223 hangs down from above. Accordingly, the communication hole 224 is formed below the communication hole 224.

  Further, a communication hole 226 for taking in the air in the substrate container 300 into the connection part 220 is formed in a portion of the left wall 222 of the connection part 220 facing the substrate container 300. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication holes 226 are formed in a slit shape that is long in the vertical direction, and are arranged in a large number in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate container 300 is provided below the fixing device 11 and the transfer conveyance belt 21, and a plate-like power supply to which electricity is supplied from a power supply outside the apparatus. A substrate 400 is accommodated. For this reason, the overheating of the power supply board 400 can be suppressed by taking the air in the board container 300 into the connection part 220 along the arrow shown in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, the filter holding part 230 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens upward as a whole by sealing the right side surface to the right side frame 3C, as shown in FIG. A filter 240 is obliquely spanned between the front lower corner portion 231 and the lower end of the front wall 223 of the connecting portion 220. As shown in FIG. 5A, the filter 240 has a honeycomb structure in which flute portions 241 having a wave shape and liner portions 242 having a flat shape are alternately stacked. The flute portions 241 and the liner portions are formed. The material (for example, paper) constituting 242 is impregnated with various chemicals. The filter 240 configured as described above has a small pressure loss with respect to the air flow along the arrow F perpendicular to the laminating direction and the corrugation direction of the flute 241 and captures dust such as toner contained in the air flow. Or decompose ozone and adsorb volatile organic compounds (VOC). The filter 240 that exhibits the function of decomposing ozone and adsorbing volatile organic compounds (VOC) can be expected to capture the dust such as toner. The ozonolysis function or the VOC adsorption function is deteriorated. Therefore, it is desirable to use a dedicated filter for capturing dust such as toner, separately from the filter for decomposing ozone or the filter for removing VOC. FIG. 3B shows an embodiment of the filter 240 suitable for such a case, and a filter 240A for capturing dust such as toner, and ozone are decomposed or VOC is removed by adsorption. Are arranged in a stacked state so as to be positioned on the upstream side and the downstream side in the air flow direction. These filters 240 </ b> A and 240 </ b> B may be configured as an integral filter as a single component, or may be configured by using components configured as separate components in a stacked state.

  The filter 240 configured as described above is arranged so that the direction from the corner portion 231 of the filter holding portion 230 to the lower end of the front wall 223 of the connection portion 220 coincides with the stacking direction. The direction of the air flow along the direction is a direction from the front top to the rear bottom as indicated by an arrow F in FIG. This direction also coincides with the direction from the charger 7B of each process unit 7 toward the fan 100. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the front wall 223 of the connection part 220 is also a rear wall of the filter holding part 230.

3. For this reason, the air containing ozone generated in the charger 7 </ b> B flows in the vertical direction formed between the front wall 223 of the connection part 220 and the front wall 233 of the filter holding part 230. After flowing through the path, it flows through a horizontal flow path formed between the lower end of the front wall 223 of the connecting portion 220 and the lower wall 225. That is, the duct 200 defines an air flow path that bends in the vertical direction and then bends backward at a right angle in the filter holding unit 230.

  Here, if the filter 240 is stretched in the vertical direction in the communication hole 224 formed between the lower end of the front wall 223 of the connecting portion 220 and the lower wall 225, the following problem occurs. . That is, as shown in FIG. 6B, after the corner of the bent portion of the flow path, air collides with the inner wall surface of the lower wall 225 to generate turbulent flow W1 or the lower end of the front wall 223. In the vicinity, the atmospheric pressure decreases and turbulent flow W2 is generated. Then, a pressure loss is generated by the turbulent flows W1 and W2, and it may be difficult to circulate air against the pressure loss of the filter 240 itself.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the inner wall surface of the duct 200 that defines the inner portion of the bent portion from the inner wall surface (that is, the corner portion 231) of the duct 200 that defines the outer periphery of the bent portion of the flow path. In other words, the filter 240 is arranged over the lower end of the front wall 233. For this reason, as shown to FIG. 6 (A), when passing the filter 240, an air flow is rectified and generation | occurrence | production of the turbulent flows W1 and W2 can be suppressed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressure loss in the bent part of the air flow path defined by the duct 200 can be suppressed, and the flow path resistance of the entire system can be reduced. Therefore, even when the dense filter 240 having a large pressure loss is used, the above-described ozone and volatile organic compound (VOC) can be removed well.

  The filter 240 also removes the developer floating in the air sent from the process unit 7, but in this embodiment, the filter 240 is disposed obliquely, so that the developer or the like is deposited on the filter 240. This can also be suppressed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment at all, It can implement with a various form in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, as the filter 240, a filter having a special honeycomb structure schematically shown in FIG. 7 may be used. In FIG. 7, the cross-sectional shape of the filter 240 at the joint portion between the flute portion 241 and the liner portion 242 is schematically illustrated.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in this filter 240, both the flute portion 241 and the liner portion 242 are curved along the bending direction of the flow path, and the flute portion 241 is at the front and rear ends with respect to the air flow direction. Compared with the flow direction, the central part is formed thick. In addition, the flute part 241 which has such a structure can be easily manufactured by performing the process which gives a change of thickness and a curvature to the flat material before processing into a waveform, for example. . The filter 240 becomes denser as the pitch of the flute portion 241 and the liner portion 242 goes to the inside of the bent portion of the flow path.

  In the filter 240 configured as described above, the bent portion can be bent more smoothly by flowing air along the curvature of the flute portion 241 and the liner portion 242. In addition, the flute 241 has a thick central portion with respect to the flow direction and a cross-sectional shape that is close to a streamline. Therefore, resistance when air flows along that portion can be reduced. Therefore, when such a filter 240 is used, the pressure loss in the bent portion can be further suppressed, and the flow path resistance of the entire system can be further reduced. In addition, the inner wall surface of the flow path of the bent portion may be rounded. In that case, the pressure loss in the bent portion can be further suppressed, and the flow resistance of the entire system can be further reduced. it can. The cross-sectional shape of the liner portion 242 may be a shape close to a streamline as described above.

  Further, since the pitch of the flute portion 241 and the liner portion 242 becomes denser toward the inner side, the flow resistance in the filter 240 is higher on the inner side than on the outer side of the bent portion, and the air flow velocity is bent. It becomes uniform on the inside and outside of the part. Therefore, the effect of the filter 240 can be made uniform between the inside and outside of the bent portion.

  Further, the filter in the present invention is not limited to the one that decomposes ozone. For example, air passing through the periphery of the fixing device 11 is introduced, and Teflon (registered trademark) parts in the image forming unit 5 are used. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and the like generated from the water may be removed.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the electrophotographic color image forming apparatus as described above, but can be applied to a monochrome image forming apparatus, an ink jet printer, or the like. When applied to an ink jet printer, the filter may remove ink droplets floating in the air.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus 3 ... Housing | casing 3A ... Discharge port 3B ... Discharge tray 5 ... Image forming part 7 ... Process unit 7A ... Photoconductor drum 7B ... Charger 7C ... Developing roller 9 ... Exposure device 11 ... Fixing device 15 ... Transfer Part 21: Transfer conveyance belt 100 ... Fan 200 ... Duct 210 ... Left and right extension part 220 ... Connection part 223, 233 ... Front wall 224, 226 ... Communication hole 225 ... Lower wall 230 ... Filter holding part 231 ... Corner part 233 ... Front Wall 240 ... Filter 241 ... Flute part 242 ... Liner part W1, W2 ... Turbulent flow

Claims (5)

An image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium;
A housing for housing the image forming unit;
Defining a flow path of air flowing through the inside of the housing, the defined flow path having a bent portion at least partially;
The air that flows from the inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner of the bent portion to the inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion of the bent portion, and purifies the air flowing through the bent portion of the flow path. A filter to
An image forming apparatus comprising:   The filter is configured in a honeycomb shape in which flute portions and liner portions are alternately stacked between an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner portion and an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flute portion and the liner portion are curved along a bending direction of the flow path.   The filter is configured in a honeycomb shape in which flute portions and liner portions are alternately stacked between an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner portion and an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the flute portion and the liner portion has a front and rear end with respect to a flow direction of the air that is thinner than a central portion with respect to the flow direction.   The filter is configured in a honeycomb shape in which flute portions and liner portions are alternately stacked between an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the outer periphery of the corner portion and an inner wall surface of the duct that defines the inner portion, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein pitches of the flute portion and the liner portion are denser as they are closer to the inner portion. The image forming unit includes:
A photoreceptor having an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface;
A process unit for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor with a charged developer to form a developer image;
A fixing unit that heats the developer image attached to the recording medium and fixes the developer image on the recording medium;
With
A fan that discharges air that has circulated through the flow path to the outside on the fixing unit side in the horizontal direction from the process unit and vertically below the process unit and the fixing unit;
The bent part of the flow path is disposed vertically below the process part and the fixing part, and the flow path is bent in the horizontal direction from the vertical direction at the bent part. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

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