JPH09211919A - Exhauster for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the leakage of a mechanical noise, etc., generated inside an image forming device main body, while securing a sufficient intake and exhaust by constituting exhaust paths so as to bend or curve them. SOLUTION: First and second exhaust paths 26 and 27 bent to orthogonally cross once are connected to an exhaust port opened in the bottom surface 1a of the image forming device main body 1. Therefore, air exhausted from the exhaust port is not immediately exhausted outside the device main body 1, but exhausted outside from an opening port 28 provided at the top end of the second exhaust path 27 through the bent first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27. Thus, the mechanical noise generated inside the image forming device is damped by the bent first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27 and further, absorbed by foamed urethane 30 as a sound absorbing member forming the first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exhaust device capable of preventing noise of an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to a structure of a soundproof duct for reducing the noise.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the above-mentioned image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, the surface of a photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by a primary charger, and then the surface of the photosensitive drum is exposed to an image. To form an electrostatic latent image,
A toner image is formed by developing this electrostatic latent image with a developing device. Then, in the image forming apparatus, the toner image formed on the photoconductor drum is transferred onto the transfer sheet supplied to the surface of the photoconductor drum at a predetermined timing by the charging of the transfer charger, and then the toner image is transferred. The transfer paper on which the image has been transferred is separated from the photoconductor drum by the charging of the separation charger. Then, the transfer sheet on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to a fixing device, and the toner image is fixed on the transfer sheet by heat and pressure to form an image.

Further, in the image forming apparatus constructed as described above, it is possible to prevent the internal temperature of the apparatus main body from rising due to the heat generated by the fixing device, and to prevent the scattering of toner and paper dust from the developing device. In order to remove suspended matter that floats inside the main body of the apparatus, an opening for intake and an opening for exhaust are provided on the side surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the air inside the main body of the apparatus is exhausted from the opening for exhaust. An exhaust fan for exhausting air to the outside is provided.

By the way, in recent years, there has been a strong demand for further improvement of the office environment, and even in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer used in an office, it goes without saying that the apparatus is not in operation. In particular, there is a demand for quietness that reduces noise generated by the device as much as possible even during operation of the device. The causes of noise generated by the image forming apparatus such as the electrophotographic copying machine and the printer are roughly classified into those caused by the flow of air, which is a fluid for intake and exhaust, which is caused by an exhaust fan, and the image forming apparatus itself. Some of them are mechanical in accordance with the operation of parts for performing a copying operation or the like.

However, in the case of the exhaust device of the conventional image forming apparatus described above, an opening for intake is provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body, and external air is sucked into the inside of the apparatus main body from the opening for intake. At the same time, the air inside the apparatus main body is discharged to the outside by an exhaust fan to cool and ventilate the inside of the apparatus main body. Therefore, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus, since the intake opening and the exhaust opening are present on the side surface of the apparatus main body, the exhaust mechanism is generated from the drive mechanism of the image forming apparatus and various mechanical parts driven. There is a problem that noise leaks to the outside from the intake and exhaust openings provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body, which causes noise and the quietness in the office environment cannot be reduced. .

[0006] Therefore, as a technique for solving such problems and enabling noise reduction and the like, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-3
Those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3448 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-132638 have already been proposed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 6
The exhaust device according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-33448 is a device in which a diffusion space is provided in an exhaust device that heats and cools the inside of a body by a fan, and the exhaust flow velocity is reduced by the diffusion space. It also includes a configuration provided on at least two surfaces of the machine body and a configuration in which a space between the machine body and the floor surface is used as an exhaust port. The exhaust device according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 64-33448 provides a diffusion space between the body of the image forming apparatus and the floor surface so that the air discharged by the fan to the outside of the image forming apparatus is diffused. By expanding the air discharged to the outside of the machine body through this diffusion space, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing the generation of noise accompanying the exhaust flow and the like.

Further, the cooling and ventilating device for electronic equipment according to the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-132638 is an electronic equipment having an exhaust fan on the bottom surface of the housing, and the fan unit including the exhaust fan is an exhaust plate of the equipment bottom plate. Is configured to be capable of raising and lowering a lifted position which is in close contact with the peripheral edge of the exhaust port immediately below and a lowered position which is separated from each other. Further, when in the lowered position, the fan unit is configured to be capable of moving the bottom of the device in a predetermined direction. It is a thing. The cooling / ventilating device for an electronic device according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-132638 reduces noise while maintaining cooling / ventilation capacity while suppressing the number of fans and the area of the opening to the minimum necessary. This is a low point.

[0008]

However, the prior art described above has the following problems. That is, in the case of the former exhaust system according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-33448, the noise emitted from the apparatus body to the outside is provided by providing the diffusion space between the body of the image forming apparatus and the floor surface. However, in the case of the exhaust system, since the diffuser space is simply provided between the airframe of the device and the floor surface, the noise generated in the device main body is diffused space. However, there is a problem in that noise generated by the image forming apparatus that leaks to the outside cannot be effectively reduced.

On the other hand, in the latter case of the cooling and ventilating apparatus for electronic equipment disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-132638, the exhaust fan is made large in size and concentrated in one place, and is exhausted downward by this large fan. Therefore, it is configured to reduce the generation of noise, and simply making the exhaust fan large and concentrating it in one place has the same problem as the above-mentioned exhaust device. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 132638/1990, when a sound absorbing member is spread on the outlet side of an exhaust fan provided on the bottom surface of the apparatus body, it is possible to enhance the noise prevention effect. However, a new problem arises in that the fluid resistance of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust fan is increased, a sufficient air flow cannot be obtained, and an undesired temperature rise in the apparatus body is caused.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The purpose of the present invention is to secure a sufficient amount of intake and exhaust air inside the main body of the image forming apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus capable of significantly reducing the leakage of mechanical noise or the like that occurs to the outside.

[0011]

That is, according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, the air in the image forming apparatus is exhausted by discharging the air in the image forming apparatus main body to the outside by the exhaust fan. In the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus for performing the above, the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and in the space portion between the image forming apparatus main body and the floor on which the image forming apparatus is installed, An exhaust path connected to the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is formed, and this exhaust path is
It is configured to bend or curve at least once.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus for exhausting the air inside the image forming apparatus by exhausting the air inside the image forming apparatus main body by an exhaust fan is provided. In the exhaust device, the intake port and the exhaust port of the exhaust fan are opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and the exhaust fan of the exhaust fan is provided in the space between the image forming apparatus main body and the floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed. An intake path and an exhaust path connected to the intake opening and the exhaust opening are formed, and these intake path and exhaust path are configured to bend or curve at least once in the same direction.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the wall surface forming the exhaust path or the intake path and the exhaust path is a porous member. Is formed by.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the member in which the exhaust passage or the intake passage is formed is different from the main body of the image forming apparatus. It is configured to be removable.

Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the exhaust path or the intake path is on a path forming substrate. Is formed by attaching a path forming member that constitutes the exhaust path or the intake path to the path forming member, and the path forming member can be freely attached to and removed from the path forming substrate. By arriving at the substrate, the exhaust path or the intake path can be changed.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and the image forming apparatus main body and the floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed are arranged. An exhaust path connected to the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is formed in the space between them, and the exhaust path is configured to be bent or curved at least once, and thus is exhausted from the exhaust port. The air is not immediately discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body, but is discharged to the outside through an exhaust path configured to bend or curve. Therefore, mechanical noise generated inside the image forming apparatus, which is going to propagate to the outside together with the air discharged from the exhaust port, is generated while passing through the exhaust path configured to be bent or curved. Attenuated by the path itself. As a result, the mechanical noise that attempts to propagate from the exhaust port to the outside is significantly attenuated by the exhaust path that is configured to bend or bend, and the noise that leaks to the outside of the device body can be significantly reduced. it can. Moreover, since an exhaust path configured to bend or curve is connected to the exhaust port opened on the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body, the exhaust port is not blocked and the exhaust amount is sufficient. Therefore, it is possible to prevent undesired temperature rise and ozone removal in the main body of the image forming apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the intake port and the exhaust port of the exhaust fan are opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus body, and the image forming apparatus body and the image forming apparatus are installed. An intake path and an exhaust path connected to the intake opening and the exhaust opening of the exhaust fan, and the intake path and the exhaust path are at least once in the same direction. Since it is configured to bend or bend, it is possible to prevent noise from leaking outside from the intake path as well as the exhaust path.

Further, in the invention described in claim 3 of the present invention, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the wall surface forming the exhaust path or the intake path and the exhaust path is made porous. Since it is configured to be formed by a member, mechanical noise generated inside the image forming apparatus, which tries to propagate to the outside together with the air discharged from the exhaust port, is generated by the exhaust gas while passing through the exhaust path. After being attenuated by the path itself, it is further absorbed by the porous member forming the exhaust path and the like. As a result, the mechanical noise that propagates from the exhaust port to the outside is more effectively attenuated by the exhaust path, and the noise leaking to the outside of the device body can be further reduced.

Further, in the invention described in claim 4 of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the member in which the exhaust path or the intake path is formed is the main body of the image forming apparatus. Since the image forming apparatus is detachable from the image forming apparatus, the member having the exhaust path or the intake path may be removed from the image forming apparatus main body when the image forming apparatus is transported to a user's office or the like. The member provided with the exhaust path or the intake path does not interfere with the transportation of the sheet.

Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the exhaust path or the intake path is a path forming substrate. It is formed by attaching a path forming member that constitutes the exhaust path or the intake path on the top, and the path forming member is attachable to and detachable from the path forming substrate, and the path forming member is freely formed by the path forming member. Since the exhaust path or the intake path can be changed by mounting the exhaust path or the intake path on the circuit board, the exhaust path or the intake path can be freely set according to the installation location of the image forming apparatus. it can.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying apparatus to which the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the image forming apparatus. Inside the main body 1 of the image forming apparatus, an exposure device for illuminating an original and guiding the image of the original to a photosensitive drum 2, A photoconductor drum 2 for copying the image of the original document, a primary charger 3 provided around the photoconductor drum 2, an exposure device to image exposure 4, a developing device 5, a transfer charger 6, and a separation charger 7. Further, an image forming means such as a fixing device 8 for fixing a toner image on a transfer sheet separated from the photosensitive drum 2 and a plurality of sheet feeding trays T are stored.

Inside the main body 1 of the image forming apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, if necessary, a primary charging device 3, a transfer charging device 6, a separation charging device 7 and the like are generated. Intake ducts 9 and 10 for sucking ozone and hot air discharged from the fixing device 8 are provided, and not shown for sucking toner, dust, and the like floating around the photosensitive drum 2. An intake duct is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the intake ducts 9 and 10 are connected to the image forming apparatus main body 1 via connection ducts 21 and 22.
Is connected to the ozone treatment device 11 arranged on the back side of the.

In the ozone processing apparatus 11, as shown in FIG. 4, the air inside the image forming apparatus main body 1 is drawn from the intake port 13 provided at the upper end portion of the ozone processing apparatus main body 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow A. The air that has been taken in and the air that has been taken in through this intake port 13 is passed through the intake duct 14 to the filter box 1
5 An ozone filter 17 for removing ozone is housed inside the filter box 15. Air is exhausted from the lower part of the filter box 15 through the exhaust duct 19 through the exhaust port 20.

Further, below the ozone processing device 11, an exhaust fan 23 of the exhaust device according to this embodiment is arranged. As the exhaust fan 23, for example, a sirocco fan is used as shown in FIG. 5, and the exhaust fan 23 is connected to the exhaust port 20 of the ozone processing apparatus 11 at the center of the upper end portion thereof. In addition, the exhaust fan 23
Is connected to an exhaust port 25 provided on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 1 via an exhaust duct 24.
The air inside is forcedly exhausted to the outside by the exhaust fan 23 through the exhaust port 25. The exhaust fan 23 is not limited to a sirocco fan, and it goes without saying that an axial flow type, a cross flow fan or the like may be used.

The exhaust device according to this embodiment has an exhaust path formed in the space between the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body and the floor surface, and the exhaust path is bent or curved at least once. Is configured.

That is, on the lower surface 1a of the image forming apparatus main body 1, as shown in FIG.
Further, the exhaust port 25 is opened. A first exhaust path 26 is linearly connected to the exhaust port 25 toward the other side surface 1c of the image forming apparatus main body 1 from the central portion of the lower surface of the apparatus main body 1 to the other side surface 1c. Has been done. A second exhaust passage 27 is formed at the tip of the first exhaust passage 26, and a side surface 1d on the back side of the image forming apparatus main body 1 is provided.
Are connected so as to be orthogonal to each other, and the tip end 28 of the second exhaust path 27 is located at the rear side surface 1 of the apparatus main body 1.
It opens at d.

The first and second exhaust paths 26, 27
Is formed by a square-shaped urethane foam 30 as a sound absorbing member, and the square-shaped urethane foam 30 is
A piece cut into a predetermined length is fixed to the lower surface 1a of the image forming apparatus main body 1 by means such as bonding or screwing. The rectangular urethane foam 30 forming the first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27 has a lower end portion as shown in FIG. 2 in a state where the image forming apparatus main body 1 is installed in a predetermined place. Is configured to come into contact with the floor surface 31 at the place where the image forming apparatus main body 1 is installed by blocking passage of air in the thickness direction and contacting the lower surface 1 of the image forming apparatus main body 1.
First and second exhaust paths 26 and 27 are formed in a space region 32 between a and the floor surface 30. In addition, the urethane foam 30 in the shape of the square bar naturally acts as a sound absorbing member itself, and
0 has a certain thickness, and blocks the passage of air in the thickness direction, so that the first and second exhaust paths 26,
27 is formed. The urethane foam 30 is
By stacking synthetic resin plate materials and the like, it is possible to achieve both sound absorption and air passage prevention in the thickness direction even if the urethane foam 30 is made thin. In such a case, the exhaust path should be wide. You can In FIG. 2, reference numeral 33 indicates a caster for moving the image forming apparatus main body 1.

With the above structure, the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment has the following mechanical structure which is generated inside the image forming apparatus main body while securing a sufficient intake and exhaust amount. It is possible to significantly reduce the leakage of noise to the outside.

That is, in the image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 2, when a copy operation of an image of a document is performed, ozone is emitted from the primary charger 3, the transfer charger 6, and the separation charger 7 due to corona discharge. While being discharged into the apparatus main body 1, toner, dust, etc. float around the photosensitive drum 2,
Further, by the heat emitted from the fixing device 8, the main body 1 of the apparatus
The temperature inside rises. Therefore, the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiment, at the same time as the start of the image forming operation,
By driving the exhaust fan 23 arranged in the lower part of the apparatus main body 1, suspended matter such as ozone, toner and dust, and further air whose temperature has risen are connected from the intake ducts 9 and 10 to the connection duct 2.
1, ozone is removed through the ozone treatment device 11, and then ozone is discharged to the outside of the device main body 1 through the exhaust port 25.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust port 23 opened on the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 has a first exhaust path 26 and a second exhaust path 26 which are bent so as to be orthogonal to each other once.
27 are connected. Therefore, the air discharged from the exhaust port 25 is not immediately discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 1, but the first and second bent portions are bent so as to be orthogonal to each other.
After passing through the exhaust paths 26 and 27, the gas is discharged to the outside from the opening 28 provided at the tip of the second exhaust path 27. Therefore, mechanical noise generated inside the image forming apparatus, which tends to propagate to the outside together with the air discharged from the exhaust port 25, is generated while passing through the bent first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27. After being attenuated by the first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27 themselves, they are further absorbed by the urethane foam 30 as a sound absorbing member forming the first and second exhaust paths 26 and 27. As a result, the mechanical noise that tries to propagate from the exhaust port 25 to the outside is generated by bending the first and second exhaust paths 26, 2
Noise that is greatly attenuated by 7 and leaks to the outside of the apparatus body 1 can be significantly reduced. Moreover, since the bent exhaust paths 26 and 27 are connected to the exhaust port 24 opened on the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1, the exhaust port 24 is not blocked and a sufficient exhaust amount is provided. It is possible to ensure the temperature, and it is possible to prevent undesired temperature rise and ozone removal in the image forming apparatus main body 1.

Second Embodiment FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. The intake port and the exhaust port of the exhaust fan are opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and the intake port and the exhaust port of the exhaust fan are provided in the space between the image forming apparatus main body and the floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed. To form an intake path and an exhaust path, and these intake path and exhaust path are configured to bend or curve at least once in the same direction.

That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, an intake port 40 and an exhaust port 41 are formed in the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 at a substantially central portion with a predetermined interval. A first exhaust path 42 extending from the exhaust port 41 toward the front surface 1e of the image forming apparatus main body 1 in a short manner;
A second exhaust path 43, which is arranged so as to be bent 90 degrees leftward in the drawing from the tip of the first exhaust path 42 and is longer than the first exhaust path 42, and a tip of the second exhaust path 43 The third exhaust path 44 is arranged so as to be bent upward by 90 degrees in the figure, and is longer than the second exhaust path 43, and the third exhaust path 44 is bent 90 degrees rightward in the figure from the tip of the third exhaust path 44. The fourth exhaust passage 45 is disposed and is longer than the third exhaust passage 44. The tip 46 of the fourth exhaust path 45 is open toward the one side surface 1b of the image forming apparatus main body 1.

On the other hand, the intake passages 47 to 50, which are arranged in a generally B-shaped configuration with respect to the exhaust passages 42 to 45, are located outside the second exhaust passage 43 and are located on the front side surface 1e of the image forming apparatus main body 1. And a first intake path 47 having one end 51 opened to the side surface 1c of the image forming apparatus main body 1, and an end 51 of the first intake path 47 that is bent 90 degrees upward in the drawing from the tip of the first intake path 47. , A second intake path 48 shorter than the first intake path 47, and a second intake path 48 arranged so as to be bent 90 degrees leftward in the drawing from the tip of the second intake path 48 and shorter than the second intake path 48. The third intake passage 49 and the fourth intake passage 49 are arranged so as to bend downward by 90 degrees from the tip of the third exhaust passage 49 and are shorter than the third exhaust passage 49.
And an intake path 50 of The opening at the tip of the fourth intake path 50 is connected to the intake port 40 of the intake fan 52, as shown in FIG.

The air sucked by the intake fan 52 from the intake port 40 formed on the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 is supplied to the entire image forming apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. A duct, a partition wall, and the like (not shown) are provided inside the apparatus body 1.

With the above structure, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the intake port 40 of the intake fan 52 and the exhaust fan 23.
Of the intake fan 5 in the space portion 32 between the image forming apparatus body 1 and the floor surface 30 on which the image forming apparatus body 1 is installed.
The intake paths 47 to 50 and the exhaust paths 42 to 45 connected to the intake port 40 of No. 2 and the exhaust port 40 of the exhaust fan 23 are formed, and the intake paths 47 to 50 and the exhaust path 42 to
Since 45 is configured to be bent in the same direction a plurality of times in the same direction, it is possible to prevent noise from leaking outside from the intake paths 47 to 50 in addition to the exhaust paths 42 to 45. Moreover, the opening 5 of the intake paths 47 to 50
1 and the openings 46 of the exhaust paths 42 to 45, side surfaces 1 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 facing each other as shown in FIG.
b, 1c, the exhaust paths 42 to 4 concerned
It is possible to prevent the air containing toner, dust, etc. discharged from the opening 46 of No. 5 from being sucked again from the opening 51 of the suction paths 47 to 50, so that the toner, dust, etc. are sucked again. By doing so, it is possible to prevent image quality defects from occurring.

The other structure and operation are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

Third Embodiment FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and explained. In 3, the member in which the exhaust path or the intake path is formed is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.

That is, in this embodiment, the exhaust path and the intake path are not formed directly on the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body, but the exhaust paths 42 to 45 and the intake paths 47 to 50 are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, it is formed inside a thin unit box 60, and the unit box 60 is provided with guide rails 61 provided at both ends thereof, as shown in FIG.
It is removable by sliding to the bottom. The side surface of the unit box 60 has 42
To 45 and the intake passages 47 to 50 have openings 46 and 51 formed therein.

In this embodiment, the exhaust paths 42 to
Since the unit box 60 in which 45 and the intake paths 47 to 50 are formed is removable from the image forming apparatus main body 1, the exhaust path 42 is used when the image forming apparatus is transported to a user's office or the like. ~ 45 and intake path 47
It suffices to remove the unit box 60 in which the .about.50 are formed from the image forming apparatus main body 1, and the members in which the exhaust paths 42 to 45 and the intake paths 47 to 50 are formed are an obstacle to the transportation of the image forming apparatus. There is no.

The other structure and operation are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Fourth Embodiment FIGS. 11 to 14 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those of the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and explained. Then, the exhaust path or the intake path is formed by mounting a path forming member forming the exhaust path or the intake path on the path forming substrate, and the path forming member is detachable from the path forming substrate. The exhaust passage or the intake passage can be changed by freely arriving at the passage forming member on the passage forming substrate.

That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the square urethane foam 70 forming the exhaust passages 42 to 45 and the intake passages 47 to 50 is
A connecting plate 71 made of synthetic resin or the like is buried, and exhaust paths 42 to 45 and intake paths 47 to 50 are provided.
Is formed on the bottom surface 60a of the unit box 60,
Recessed grooves 72 for fitting the connecting plate material 71 of the urethane foam 70 are formed in a grid pattern. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the unit plate 60 is formed by connecting the connecting plate 71 of the urethane foam 70 in the shape of a square bar cut into a predetermined length.
The exhaust passages 42 to 45 and the intake passages 47 to 50 can be formed by fitting the recessed grooves 72 formed in the bottom surface 60a of the base into predetermined positions.

In this case, when the intake ports 51 of the intake paths 47 to 50 and the exhaust ports 46 of the exhaust paths 42 to 45 cannot be formed on the corresponding side surfaces of the image forming apparatus main body 1, as shown in FIG. 14, urethane foam 70
In combination with the intake ports 51 of the intake paths 48 to 50 and the exhaust ports 46 of the exhaust paths 42 to 45.
Can be formed on the adjacent side surfaces 1b, 1e.

In this embodiment, the exhaust paths 42 to
45 and the intake paths 48 to 50 are the unit box 60.
Is formed by attaching the urethane foam 70 forming the exhaust path or the intake path to the bottom surface 60a of the unit box 60.
0a, and the exhaust path or the intake path can be changed by freely mounting the urethane foam 70 on the unit box 60. The exhaust path or the intake path can be freely set according to the installation location or the like.

The urethane foam 70 is not detachably attached to the bottom surface 60a of the unit box 60 by the combination of the connecting plate 71 and the concave groove 72, but is detachable by the combination of the magnet and the metal plate. Of course it is also good.

The other structure and operation are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the exhaust passage and the like are formed to be bent has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 15, the exhaust passage 81 and the intake passage 80 may be curved once or more in an arc shape or the like. You may form.

Further, in the above embodiment, the exhaust fan 2
Although the case where 3 and the like are arranged on the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 has been described, as shown in FIG. 16, a duct 90 through which an air flow flows is formed on the back side of the image forming apparatus main body 1, and the duct 90 is formed in the middle thereof. The image forming unit 9 of the image forming apparatus main body 1
An exhaust fan 92 for exhausting the air in the inside 1 may be arranged.

[0051]

According to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and the above-mentioned image is formed. An exhaust path connected to the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is formed in a space portion between the main body of the forming apparatus and a floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed, and the exhaust path is bent or curved at least once. Therefore, the air discharged from the exhaust port is not immediately discharged to the outside of the main body of the apparatus but is discharged to the outside through an exhaust path configured to bend or curve. Will be done. Therefore, mechanical noise generated inside the image forming apparatus, which is going to propagate to the outside together with the air discharged from the exhaust port, is generated while passing through the exhaust path configured to be bent or curved. Attenuated by the path itself. As a result, the mechanical noise that attempts to propagate from the exhaust port to the outside is significantly attenuated by the exhaust path that is configured to bend or bend, and the noise that leaks to the outside of the device body can be significantly reduced. it can.
Moreover, since an exhaust path configured to bend or curve is connected to the exhaust port opened on the lower surface of the image forming apparatus main body, the exhaust port is not blocked and the exhaust amount is sufficient. Therefore, it is possible to prevent undesired temperature rise and ozone removal in the main body of the image forming apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the intake port and the exhaust port of the exhaust fan are opened on the bottom surface of the apparatus body, and the image forming apparatus body and the image forming apparatus are installed. An intake path and an exhaust path connected to the intake opening and the exhaust opening of the exhaust fan, and the intake path and the exhaust path are at least once in the same direction. Since it is configured to bend or bend, it is possible to prevent noise from leaking outside from the intake path as well as the exhaust path.

Further, in the invention described in claim 3 of the present invention, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the wall surface forming the exhaust path or the intake path and the exhaust path is made porous. Since it is configured to be formed by a member, mechanical noise generated inside the image forming apparatus, which tries to propagate to the outside together with the air discharged from the exhaust port, is generated by the exhaust gas while passing through the exhaust path. After being attenuated by the path itself, it is further absorbed by the porous member forming the exhaust path and the like. As a result, the mechanical noise that propagates from the exhaust port to the outside is more effectively attenuated by the exhaust path, and the noise leaking to the outside of the device body can be further reduced.

Further, in the invention described in claim 4 of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the member in which the exhaust path or the intake path is formed is the main body of the image forming apparatus. Since the image forming apparatus is detachable from the image forming apparatus, the member having the exhaust path or the intake path may be removed from the image forming apparatus main body when the image forming apparatus is transported to a user's office or the like. The member provided with the exhaust path or the intake path does not interfere with the transportation of the sheet.

Further, in the invention described in claim 5 of the present invention, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the exhaust path or the intake path is a path constituting substrate. It is formed by attaching a path forming member that constitutes the exhaust path or the intake path on the top, and the path forming member is attachable to and detachable from the path forming substrate, and the path forming member is freely formed by the path forming member. Since the exhaust path or the intake path can be changed by mounting the exhaust path or the intake path on the circuit board, the exhaust path or the intake path can be freely set according to the installation location of the image forming apparatus. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which an exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of an ozone removing device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an ozone removing device.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an arrangement of exhaust fans.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing an arrangement of exhaust fans.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the second embodiment of the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing a third embodiment of an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

10 (a) and 10 (b) are a bottom view and a sectional view showing a third embodiment of an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

11 (a) and 11 (b) are a bottom view and a cross-sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing urethane foam.

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a unit box.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view showing the fourth embodiment of the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view showing a modified example of the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a configuration diagram showing a modified example of the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 image forming apparatus main body, 1a bottom surface of the apparatus main body, 23
Exhaust fan, 25 exhaust ports, 26, 27 exhaust path, 3
0 Urethane foam.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In an exhaust device of an image forming apparatus for exhausting air in the image forming apparatus by exhausting air in the image forming apparatus main body by an exhaust fan, the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is provided in the apparatus main body. And an exhaust path connected to the exhaust port of the exhaust fan is formed in the space between the image forming apparatus main body and the floor on which the image forming apparatus is installed. , At least 1
An exhaust device for an image forming apparatus, which is configured to bend or curve more than once. 2. An exhaust device of an image forming apparatus, which exhausts air in the image forming apparatus by exhausting air in the image forming apparatus main body by an exhaust fan, wherein an intake port and an exhaust port of the exhaust fan are provided. An opening on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and an intake path and an exhaust gas connected to the intake port and the exhaust port of the exhaust fan in the space between the image forming apparatus main body and the floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed. An exhaust device for an image forming apparatus, wherein a path is formed, and the intake path and the exhaust path are configured to bend or curve at least once in the same direction. 3. The exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a wall surface forming the exhaust passage or the intake passage and the exhaust passage is formed of a porous member. 4. The exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member in which the exhaust path or the intake path is formed is detachable with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. 5. The exhaust path or the intake path is formed by attaching a path forming member forming the exhaust path or the intake path on the path forming substrate, and the path forming member is formed on the path forming substrate. 5. The exhaust passage or the intake passage can be changed by freely arriving at the passage forming substrate to the passage forming substrate. An exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1.