KR100873909B1 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An image forming apparatus capable of minimizing a phenomenon that heat of a fusing unit is transferred to a cover of an upper side is provided to minimize heat increase on a cover upper surface by preventing heat transferred to an upper portion from a fusing unit through a double layered heat block layer of the cover. Double layered shielding heat blocking spaces(62a,62b,62c,62d) are divided each other. At least one divider(63a,63b,63c) divides the heat blocking spaces vertically and horizontally. A plurality of partitions divides the inside of each heat blocking space in an intersection direction with the divider to block air flow in each heat block space.

Description

Image Forming Device {IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS}

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of part II of FIG. 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state of the cover and the paper guide member of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of part II of FIG. 1 and shows another embodiment of the cover.

Figure 4 is a graph showing the temperature change trend of the cover side of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention in comparison with the prior art.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

1: main body, 3: delivery unit,

10: paper feed unit, 20: feed unit,

30: image forming unit, 40: fixing unit,

50: discharge unit, 60: cover,

62a, 62b, 62c, 62d: insulation space, 63a, 63b, 63c: compartment,

65: extension part, 66: heat insulation part.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus capable of minimizing a phenomenon in which heat of a fixing unit is transferred to an upper cover.

Image forming apparatuses such as laser printers, copiers, fax machines, etc., which apply electrophotographic methods, develop an electrostatic latent image of a photoconductor as a developer, and fix the transferred image onto a paper by using heat and pressure. A fixing unit is provided. The paper supplied from the paper feeding unit inside the main body passes through the image forming unit and the fixing unit in order through the transfer path, and then is discharged to the discharge unit.

Typically, such an image forming apparatus maintains the fixing unit at a high temperature in order to speed up the fixing of the image transferred to the paper and increase the printing speed. However, since the heat of the fixing unit is transferred toward the cover of the upper part of the image forming apparatus, the user may feel hot when the user touches the cover. Users often remove the jammed paper inside the body or open the cover to check the machine, but it is inconvenient to use because the cover is hot.

Therefore, the image forming apparatus as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-463273 has also provided a heat blocking member for blocking heat between the fixing unit and the cover in order to reduce the transfer of heat of the fixing unit toward the cover. However, this image forming apparatus has only a heat shield member interposed between the cover and the paper guide member. Therefore, when the temperature of the heat shield member rises, heat may stagnate around the heat shield member, thereby limiting the temperature of the cover. there was.

The present invention is to solve such a problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can minimize the temperature rise of the upper surface of the cover.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a main body, a fixing unit installed in the main body, and a cover installed in the main body for opening toward the fixing unit, and the cover is transferred from the fixing unit. In order to minimize the transfer of heat to the upper surface is characterized in that it comprises a thermal insulation space of the interlayer partitioned layer.

In addition, the cover is characterized in that it comprises one or more partitions for partitioning the thermal insulation space of the layer up and down.

In addition, the cover is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of partitions provided in a direction intersecting with the partition to block the air flow in each of the insulating space partitions the interior of each of the insulating space into a plurality of spaces.

In addition, the cover is characterized in that it comprises a lower surface having a slope with respect to the horizontal and located in the lower portion of the heat insulating space for the discharge guidance of the heat rising from the bottom.

In addition, the cover includes a hinge coupling portion of the rear end rotatably coupled to the upper portion of the main body, and an extension extending bent downward from the front end of the opposite to the hinge coupling portion, the extension is covered in the form surrounding the outside It characterized in that it comprises a heat insulating portion to form a heat insulating space.

In addition, the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a paper guide member provided between the cover and the fixing unit for guiding the paper passing through the fixing unit toward the discharge unit of the main body.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding unit 10 for loading paper P, a conveying unit 20 for conveying paper P, an image forming unit 30 for forming an image on paper P, and a transfer to paper. A fixing unit 40 for fixing the old image and a discharge unit 50 for discharging the paper.

The paper feeding unit 10 is installed below the main body 1. The paper feeding unit 10 includes a paper feed tray 11 mounted in a cassette method, a pressure plate 12 and a pressure spring 13 for pushing the paper P inside the paper feed tray 11 to the pickup roller 15 on the upper side. It includes. The pressure spring 13 is installed under the pressure plate 12 and pushes the pressure plate 12 toward the pickup roller 15. The pickup roller 15 picks up the sheets one by one by rotation and supplies them to the transfer unit 20.

The transfer unit 20 transfers the paper picked up by the pickup roller 15 to the printing path A. FIG. The transfer unit 20 includes a transfer roller 21 and a transfer backup roller 22, a transfer guide 23 forming a printing path A, a register roller 24 and a register backup roller to align the leading edge of the paper during the transfer process. (25).

The image forming unit 30 uses a photosensitive roller 31 positioned on the printing path A, a charging roller 32 for charging the photosensitive roller 31, and a charged photosensitive roller 31 for applying a laser beam in accordance with an image signal. A laser scanning unit (LSU) 33 for irradiating and forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive roller 31, a developing roller 34 for supplying a developer to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive roller 31, and a photosensitive image. And a transfer roller 35 for causing the image formed on the roller 31 to be transferred onto the paper. The photosensitive roller 31 is negatively charged by the charging of the charging roller 32, and the electrostatic latent image is generated on the surface of the photosensitive roller 31 by the laser beam irradiated from the LSU 33. The developing roller 34 attaches a negatively charged developer to the electrostatic latent image of the photosensitive roller 31 to form an image. The positively charged transfer roller 35 transfers the developer attached to the photosensitive roller 31 to the paper.

The fixing unit 40 is provided at the exit side of the printing path A. The fixing unit 40 includes a heating roller 41 and a pressure roller 42. The fixing unit 40 applies the heat and pressure to the developer (image) transferred to the paper during the passage of the paper between the heating roller 41 and the pressure roller 42 so that the developer is fused to the paper.

The discharge unit 50 transfers the paper having passed through the fixing unit 40 to the discharge unit 3 on the upper portion of the main body 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge unit 50 is installed above the fixing unit 40 and guides the paper to the discharge unit 3, and a plurality of discharge rollers disposed in the discharge path. (52,53).

The upper part of the main body 1 is provided with a fixing unit 40 and a cover 60 capable of opening the upper part of the paper discharge path B. The paper discharged through the fixing unit 40 toward the discharge unit 3 tends to be caught in the discharge path B after the fixing unit 40 because the paper is softened by the heating of the fixing unit 40. As described above, the cover 60 is opened so that the jammed paper P2 can be easily removed. To this end, the cover 60 is rotatably coupled to the upper part of the main body 1 by the hinge coupler 61 to be opened and closed by rotation, and the paper guide member 51 is also rotatable by the hinge coupler 54. To be combined.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover 60 includes a plurality of layers of sealed insulation spaces 62a, 62b, and 62c arranged up and down to minimize the heat transferred from the fixing unit 40 to its upper surface. It is provided. These adiabatic spaces 62a, 62b, 62c are formed by a plurality of partitions 63a, 63b, 63c partitioning the space inside the cover 60 up and down. The partitions 63a, 63b, and 63c may be integrally formed with the cover 60 by injection molding, or may be separately provided and then coupled to the cover 60. The heat transfer from the lower surface of the cover 60 to the upper surface direction is blocked by the plurality of thermal insulation spaces 62a, 62b, 62c (air layer) partitioned vertically up and down so that the heat of the fixing unit 40 Even if it is transmitted to (64), the temperature rise of the upper surface of the cover 60 is to be prevented.

The lower surface 64 of the cover 60, that is, the lower surface 64 of the lowermost partition 63c that defines the lowermost heat insulation space 62c, is inclined with respect to the horizontal. In other words, the lower surface 64 of the cover 60 rises in height from the rear to the front (in the discharge direction of the paper). As shown in FIG. 2, the paper discharge port 55 is formed along the lower surface 64 of the air (C (air rising by the convection)) rising from the inside of the main body 1 by the heat of the fixing unit 40 inclined. After being guided toward) will be discharged to the outside of the main body (1). That is, the heat rising from the fixing unit 40 can be smoothly discharged to the outside.

The cover 60 has an extension 65 which is bent downwardly at an end opposite to the hinge coupler 61, that is, at the paper discharge port 55 side. This is for the extension part 65 to improve the aesthetics by covering the upper portion of the paper outlet (55). In addition, the extension part 65 includes a heat insulating part 66 covering the outer side in a form surrounding the outside and forming a heat insulating space 62d. This is to prevent the temperature rise of the extension portion 65 by forming a heat insulation space 62d around the extension portion 65. The heat insulation portion 66 surrounding the extension portion 65 may be formed integrally with the partition portions 63a and 63b, as shown in FIG.

Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the cover. The cover 70 of FIG. 4 is provided with the heat insulation space 72a, 72b, 72c, 72d of a layer, and the several partition part 73a, 73b, 73c which divides these. In addition, a plurality of partitions (77a, 77b, partitioning the interior of each insulation space (72a, 72b, 72c, 72d) into a plurality of spaces to block the air flow in each of the insulation space (72a, 72b, 72c, 72d) 77c, 77d). The upper two insulating spaces 72a and 72b are partitioned inside by a plurality of partitions 77a and 77b in a direction intersecting the partitions 73a and 73b, and the lower insulating space 72c having an inclined bottom surface is inside. Is partitioned into a plurality of spaces by a plurality of partitions 77c spaced up and down. In addition, the heat insulation space 72d around the extension portion 75 is divided by a plurality of partitions 77d which are generally formed perpendicular to the outer surface of the extension portion 75d. This configuration is to minimize the heat transfer by preventing the air flow due to convection in each of the insulating space (72a, 72b, 72c, 72d).

Next, the heat insulation function by such a cover is demonstrated.

As shown in Fig. 2, when the image forming apparatus is operated, the heating roller 41 of the fixing unit 40 maintains a temperature of approximately 160 to 200 degrees. Therefore, the air C around the fixing unit 40 is heated by the fixing unit 40, and the heated air rises due to convection. The heated air C is discharged to the paper discharge port 55 along the inclined lower surface 64 of the cover 60, as shown in FIG.

Air C rising from the periphery of the fixing unit 40 does not directly raise the temperature of the upper side of the cover 60 because it contacts the lower surface of the cover 64 and does not directly contact the upper surface of the cover 60. In addition, since the air C is naturally guided toward the paper discharge port 55 by the inclined lower surface 64 of the cover 60, the air C is quickly discharged to the outside. The flow of air allows the air circulation inside the main body 1 to be smooth, so that the stagnation of heat in the main body 1 can be minimized. Therefore, the phenomenon in which heat of the fixing unit 40 is transferred toward the cover 60 may be reduced.

The lower surface 64 of the cover may be heated by the rising air (C). However, since the cover 60 includes a plurality of insulating layers 62a, 62b, and 62c air layers partitioned from each other, the heat transferred to the lower side of the cover 60 can be minimized. In addition, since the cover 60 is formed with a heat insulation space 62d around the extension part 62 of the front end, it is possible to minimize the temperature rise on the front end side.

4 is a graph showing a temperature change trend toward the cover 60 side of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The solid line H of FIG. 4 shows the temperature change trend of the cover side of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and the broken line I shows the temperature change trend of the cover side of the image forming apparatus to which the conventional cover is applied. The heating roller 41 maintained approximately 180-200 degrees.

As shown, the temperature of the cover 60 to which the present invention was applied was maintained at an average of about 44 degrees, and the temperature of the cover without applying the insulating structure as the present invention was maintained at an average of about 55 degrees. In the image forming apparatus to which the cover 60 of the present invention is applied, the temperature of the upper surface of the cover 60 can be reduced by about 10 compared with the conventional example.

As described above in detail, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of minimizing the temperature rise of the upper surface of the cover because the heat insulation space (air layer) of the layer provided on the cover can block the heat transferred from the fixing unit to the upper portion. There is.

In addition, the present invention can prevent the phenomenon of heat stagnation inside the main body, especially the fixing unit upper area because the air rising by the convection from the inside of the main body is guided along the inclined lower surface of the cover and quickly discharged to the paper outlet. Therefore, there is an effect that can minimize the temperature rise of the cover.

Claims (6)

An image forming apparatus comprising a main body, a fixing unit provided in the main body, and a cover provided in the main body for opening toward the fixing unit. The cover includes a layered enclosed thermal insulation space formed to be partitioned with each other, at least one partition portion for partitioning the thermal insulation spaces up and down, and in a direction intersecting the partition portion to block air flow in the respective insulation spaces. And a plurality of partitions for partitioning the inside of each insulation space into a plurality of spaces. delete delete The method of claim 1, The cover is an image forming apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a lower surface which is inclined with respect to the horizontal position below the heat insulating space for guiding the discharge of heat rising from the bottom. The method of claim 4, wherein The cover includes a rear hinge hinge portion rotatably coupled to an upper portion of the main body, and an extension portion bent downward from a front end opposite to the hinge coupling portion, And the extension part includes a heat insulation part covering an outer side of the extension part and forming a heat insulation space. The method of claim 1, And a paper guide member provided between the cover and the fixing unit to guide the paper having passed through the fixing unit toward the discharge unit of the main body.

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