US3901591A - Mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine - Google Patents

Mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine Download PDF

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Publication number
US3901591A
US3901591A US433970A US43397074A US3901591A US 3901591 A US3901591 A US 3901591A US 433970 A US433970 A US 433970A US 43397074 A US43397074 A US 43397074A US 3901591 A US3901591 A US 3901591A
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United States
Prior art keywords
air
nozzle
cooling
blower
directing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US433970A
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English (en)
Inventor
Sakae Mitsumasu
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Xerox Ltd
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Rank Xerox Ltd
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Publication date
Application filed by Rank Xerox Ltd filed Critical Rank Xerox Ltd
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Publication of US3901591A publication Critical patent/US3901591A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/20—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat
    • G03G15/2003—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat
    • G03G15/2007—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using radiant heat, e.g. infrared lamps, microwave heaters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G21/00—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
    • G03G21/20—Humidity or temperature control also ozone evacuation; Internal apparatus environment control
    • G03G21/206—Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine, comprising cooling means for blowing a first air stream onto the surface of a photosensitive material, air directing means for producing a second air stream directed through a thermal fixing device, said second air stream directed through a thermal fixing device, said second air stream operating also to draw the first air stream into and through the fixing device, and ventilator means for collecting and discharging the air streams produced by the cooling means and the air directing means out of the copying machine after passing through the fixing device.
  • the present invention relates to a mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine. More precisely, it relates to a mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in a copying machine by providing a cooling device for actively blowing air from outside the machine onto the surface of photosensitive material and a ventilating device for drawing the heated air generated by a thermofixing device away from the photosensitive materials and discharging it to the outside'of the machine.
  • thermofixing device has electrographic copy machines using photosensitive materials easily damaged by heat in combination with fixing arrangements which produce large amounts of heat it has heretofore been required to provide some means for maintaining the photosensitive material at an acceptable temperature.
  • the photosensitive material in some prior art copy machines has been insulated from the thermofixing device by providing an air curtain therebetween or by directing air toward both the photosensitive materials and the thermofixing device from a blower located therebetween.
  • the efficiency of the thermofixing device is apt to decrease, and the heat emanating therefrom tends to be drawn in the direction of the photosensitive material.
  • the invention therefore has the primary object of providing an arrangement for cooling photosensitive materials to more effectively protect them from a heat generating fixing device in the environment of an electrophotographic copy machine.
  • a mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine comprising cooling means for blowing a first air stream onto the surface of a photosensitive material, air directing means for producing a second air stream directed through a thermal fixing device, said second air stream operating also to draw the first air stream into and through the fixing device, and ventilator for collecting and discharging the air streams produced by the cooling means and the air directing means out of the copying machine after passing through the fixing device.
  • an electrophotographic copy machine comprising an enclosure 30 in which is located adjacent one side thereof a photosensitive material 1 carried on an rotatable drum. By rotating the drum, the material 1 is processed through a pre-exposure charging station 2, ex-
  • a cooling device 8 including a nozzle 10 for directing an air stream into contact with the surface of the photosensitive material 1, between the charging station 2 and a cleaning station 9.
  • the nozzle 10 is connected to a blower 11 via a duct 12.
  • the blower 11 has an intake opening exiting to the exterior of the machine and is designed to take air from outside of the copying machine and direct it onto the surface of the photosensitive material 1 via the nozzle 10.
  • a stream directing device 13 is also provided for directing a second air stream through the fuser 7 in the direction of paper travel.
  • the second air stream emitted by the device 13 also serves to draw the air stream generated by the cooling device 8 around the drum photosensitive material 1 into the fuser 7.
  • the streamdirecting device 13 comprises a square tube 15 terminating in a nozzle 14 and connected to a blower 17 via a duct 16.
  • the duct 16 is coupled to the exterior of the machine enclosure so that the blower 17 operates to draw air from outside the machine and direct it through the nozzle 14.
  • the nozzle 14 is located adjacent to the entrance opening in the fuser 7 and is oriented in a direction so as to direct air into the opening and through the fuser 7.
  • the movement of the air from nozzle 14 also causes the air surrounding the photosensitive material 1, including the air emitted by nozzle 10, to be drawn toward, into and through the fuser 7.
  • the velocity of the air exiting the nozzle 14 is relatively small compared with the velocity of the air stream from nozzle 10.
  • a ventilator 18 having its intake opening located adjacent to the exit opening of the fuser 7 is provided for withdrawing the air within the fuser 7 (including air provided by the nozzles 10 and 14) and discharging it to the exterior of the machine enclosure.
  • the ventilator 18 includes a duct 19, a blower 20 and a discharge duct (not shown), which is coupled to the exterior of the machine enclosure With the cooling arrangement as described above, a series of air streams are generated which reduce the influence of the heat generated by the fixing device 7 on the photosensitive material 1.
  • the cooling device 8, stream directing device 18 and ventilating device 20 also serve in combination to reduce the amount of ozone generated from the transfer corotron 5 and the pre-clean corotron 21 by drawing it into the fuser 7 by means of the above-described series of air streams, to thereby decompose this ozone by heating it.
  • the temperature of the surface of the photosensitive material may be reduced from approximately 50C (as is the usual case in conventional copy machines) to a temperature below 40C.
  • the temperature around the photosensitive material may be reduced below 60C using the cooling arrangement of the present invention as compared with 80C in the conventional arrangements.
  • the temperature thereacross may be made more uniform than in prior art machines.
  • the central portion of the fuser is ordinarily approximately 60C while the terminal or end portions thereof are approximately 100C, thus, a 40C variance.
  • the temperature variation between these portions may be reduced to 30C.
  • a copy machine comprising an enclosure, a rotatable photosensitive material, means for creating a toner image on said material, copy paper, transfer means for transferring said image to said paper, fixing means having an entrance opening and an exit opening through which said paper is moved for permanently fixing said toner to said paper by application of heat thereto, first cooling means for blowing a first air stream onto the surface of said photosensitive material.
  • said first cooling means comprising a blower, ducting, and a nozzle
  • said blower coupled by said ducting to said nozzle and the outside of said enclosure for drawing air into said enclosure by said blower and directing it through said nozzle toward the surface of said material
  • second air directing means for directing a second air stream into said entrance opening of said fixing means
  • said second air directing means comprising a blower, a nozzle, and duct means operating in conjunction with said blower and said nozzle to withdraw air from outside of said enclosure and to direct it into said fixing means in the general direction of travel of said copy paper through said fixing means
  • ventilator means for withdrawing air from said exit opening of said fixing means and discharging said air to the outside of said machine.
  • said means for creating a toner image on said material comprises a preexposure corotron and a cleaning arrangement for removing excess toner from said photosensitive material subsequent to transfer thereof, said nozzle being located to direct air from said first cooling means into contact with the portion of said photosensitive surface intermediate said pre-exposure corotron and said

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Atmospheric Sciences (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Ecology (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Fixing For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Control Or Security For Electrophotography (AREA)
US433970A 1973-05-18 1974-01-16 Mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine Expired - Lifetime US3901591A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1973057835U JPS5225152Y2 (de) 1973-05-18 1973-05-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3901591A true US3901591A (en) 1975-08-26

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US433970A Expired - Lifetime US3901591A (en) 1973-05-18 1974-01-16 Mechanism for cooling photosensitive materials in an electrophotographic copying machine

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US (1) US3901591A (de)
JP (1) JPS5225152Y2 (de)
CA (1) CA1021013A (de)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4154521A (en) * 1977-02-01 1979-05-15 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Air flow line system for image forming apparatus
EP0167716A1 (de) * 1980-04-15 1986-01-15 Mita Industrial Co. Ltd. Elektrostatisches Kopiergerät
US4693588A (en) * 1986-04-09 1987-09-15 Xerox Corporation Thermal air curtain for a copying/printing machine
EP0316010A2 (de) * 1987-11-12 1989-05-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Bilderzeugungsgerät mit Luftsauger
US5235393A (en) * 1992-01-06 1993-08-10 Eastman Kodak Company Toner image-fixing apparatus having air cooling device
US5307132A (en) * 1987-11-12 1994-04-26 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus having a controller for discharging air in response to a heating condition of an image fixing device
US5797065A (en) * 1990-03-19 1998-08-18 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Electrophotographic recording apparatus
DE19749385A1 (de) * 1997-11-07 1999-05-27 Oce Printing Systems Gmbh Gerät mit mehreren Funktionseinheiten
US6173132B1 (en) * 1998-07-27 2001-01-09 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Ventilation system for an image forming apparatus
US6259871B1 (en) 1998-11-02 2001-07-10 Xerox Corporation Paper cooling system
US6665516B2 (en) * 2000-12-22 2003-12-16 Nexpress Solutions Llc Fixation device for fixation of toner material
US20050271413A1 (en) * 2004-06-08 2005-12-08 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Image forming apparatus and exhaust mechanism
US20060257161A1 (en) * 2005-05-10 2006-11-16 Takefumi Adachi Heat exhausting structure and image forming apparatus
US9360820B2 (en) * 2014-10-23 2016-06-07 Xerox Corporation Single blower providing cooling and air knife

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS53127731A (en) * 1977-04-14 1978-11-08 Ricoh Co Ltd Reflux fan in copier
JP4653563B2 (ja) * 2005-05-31 2011-03-16 株式会社リコー 画像形成装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3332328A (en) * 1965-03-01 1967-07-25 Xerox Corp Xerographic developer seal and process
US3448970A (en) * 1967-08-04 1969-06-10 Addressograph Multigraph Fuser for electrostatic images
US3492458A (en) * 1967-10-30 1970-01-27 Eastman Kodak Co Thermofusing device
US3741157A (en) * 1969-12-29 1973-06-26 Ibm Electrophotographic plate cleaning apparatus

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3332328A (en) * 1965-03-01 1967-07-25 Xerox Corp Xerographic developer seal and process
US3448970A (en) * 1967-08-04 1969-06-10 Addressograph Multigraph Fuser for electrostatic images
US3492458A (en) * 1967-10-30 1970-01-27 Eastman Kodak Co Thermofusing device
US3741157A (en) * 1969-12-29 1973-06-26 Ibm Electrophotographic plate cleaning apparatus

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4154521A (en) * 1977-02-01 1979-05-15 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Air flow line system for image forming apparatus
EP0167716A1 (de) * 1980-04-15 1986-01-15 Mita Industrial Co. Ltd. Elektrostatisches Kopiergerät
US4693588A (en) * 1986-04-09 1987-09-15 Xerox Corporation Thermal air curtain for a copying/printing machine
EP0316010A2 (de) * 1987-11-12 1989-05-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Bilderzeugungsgerät mit Luftsauger
FR2623305A1 (fr) * 1987-11-12 1989-05-19 Canon Kk Appareil de formation d'images avec evacuation d'air
EP0316010A3 (de) * 1987-11-12 1991-03-06 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Bilderzeugungsgerät mit Luftsauger
US5307132A (en) * 1987-11-12 1994-04-26 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus having a controller for discharging air in response to a heating condition of an image fixing device
US5797065A (en) * 1990-03-19 1998-08-18 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Electrophotographic recording apparatus
US5235393A (en) * 1992-01-06 1993-08-10 Eastman Kodak Company Toner image-fixing apparatus having air cooling device
DE19749385C2 (de) * 1997-11-07 1999-08-26 Oce Printing Systems Gmbh Gerät mit mehreren Funktionseinheiten
DE19749385A1 (de) * 1997-11-07 1999-05-27 Oce Printing Systems Gmbh Gerät mit mehreren Funktionseinheiten
US6173132B1 (en) * 1998-07-27 2001-01-09 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Ventilation system for an image forming apparatus
US6259871B1 (en) 1998-11-02 2001-07-10 Xerox Corporation Paper cooling system
US6665516B2 (en) * 2000-12-22 2003-12-16 Nexpress Solutions Llc Fixation device for fixation of toner material
US20050271413A1 (en) * 2004-06-08 2005-12-08 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Image forming apparatus and exhaust mechanism
US7409173B2 (en) * 2004-06-08 2008-08-05 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Image forming apparatus and exhaust mechanism
US20080267656A1 (en) * 2004-06-08 2008-10-30 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Image forming apparatus and exhaust mechanism
US7546059B2 (en) 2004-06-08 2009-06-09 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Image forming apparatus and exhaust mechanism
US20060257161A1 (en) * 2005-05-10 2006-11-16 Takefumi Adachi Heat exhausting structure and image forming apparatus
US7526223B2 (en) * 2005-05-10 2009-04-28 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Heat exhausting structure and image forming apparatus
US9360820B2 (en) * 2014-10-23 2016-06-07 Xerox Corporation Single blower providing cooling and air knife

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1021013A (en) 1977-11-15
JPS507046U (de) 1975-01-24
JPS5225152Y2 (de) 1977-06-08

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