# US 11,442,407 B2 · Cooling device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,407 B2 - Document ID: US11442407B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/324,510 - Filed: 2021-05-19 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-22 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Jun Okamoto - Inventors: Jun Okamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442407B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/206: {Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone} - G03G 15/2017: {Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means (G03G15/2053 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/2021: {Plurality of separate fixing and/or cooling areas or units, two step fixing} - G03G 15/2039: {with means for controlling the fixing temperature} - G03G 15/2042: {specially for the axial heat partition} - G03G 2221/1645: for conducting air through the machine, e.g. cooling - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A cooling device cools, with air, a heating member having a longitudinal direction. The cooling device includes a blower, an air duct, and an air-volume varying mechanism. The blower blows the air. The air passes through the air duct. The air duct has a first opening to which the air is supplied by the blower, a second opening to face a portion of the heating member, and a third opening to face another portion of the heating member. The air-volume varying mechanism changes an air volume of the air discharged from the second opening and the third opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling device configured to cool, with air, a heating member having a longitudinal direction, the cooling device comprising: a blower configured to blow the air; an air duct through which the air passes, the air duct having a first opening to which the air is supplied by the blower, a second opening configured to face a portion of the heating member, and a third opening configured to face another portion of the heating member, the second opening being spaced from the third opening in the longitudinal direction of the heating member; and an air-volume varying mechanism configured to change an air volume of the air discharged from the second opening and the third opening, wherein the air-volume varying mechanism includes a slide member in the air duct on a downstream side of the first opening in a direction in which the blower is configured to blow the air and the slide member being configured to move in its entirety in the longitudinal direction of the heating member within the air duct in order to vary an amount of air directed to the second opening and the third opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a rack and a pinion gear configured to move the slide member in the longitudinal direction of the air duct. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the slide member has an inclined surface configured to guide the air supplied from the blower in the longitudinal direction of the air duct. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detector configured to detect temperatures of both end portions of the heating member in the longitudinal direction of the heating member, wherein the air-volume varying mechanism is configured to operate to increase a ratio of an air volume distributed to an end portion having a higher temperature of both end portions of the heating member in the longitudinal direction of the heating member, based on the temperatures detected by the temperature detector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus, comprising the cooling device according to claim 1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detector configured to detect temperatures of the heating member, wherein the air-volume varying mechanism is configured to vary an air blowing amount of the blower according to the temperatures detected by the temperature detector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cooling device according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of temperature detectors, including the temperature detector, configured to detect temperatures of both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the heating member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A fixing device comprising the heating member configured to heat and fix a toner image borne on a sheet, wherein the heating member is configured to be cooled by the cooling device according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An image forming apparatus, comprising the fixing device according to claim 8. ### Claim 10 A cooling device configured to cool, with air, a heating member having a longitudinal direction, the cooling device comprising: a blower configured to blow the air; an air duct through which the air passes, the air duct having a first opening to which the air is supplied by the blower, a second opening configured to face a portion of the heating member, and a third opening configured to face another portion of the heating member; and an air-volume varying mechanism configured to change an air volume of the air discharged from the second opening and the third opening; wherein the air-volume varying mechanism includes a swing mechanism configured to swing the blower in a longitudinal direction of the air duct. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cooling device according to claim 10, wherein the swing mechanism is configured to swing the blower around an axis of rotation.