Image forming apparatus including duct structure that supports light emitting elements for exposing a photoconductor
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsRyoichi Kawasumi, Takehiro Ishidate, Hiroki Takano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable photoconductor; an exposure portion including a substrate on which a plurality of chips each including a plurality of light emitting portions that emit light for exposing the photoconductor is mounted, and a support portion configured to support the substrate; a fan configured to generate an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; and a duct configured to communicate with the fan and to communicate with the support portion to guide the airflow generated by the fan to the substrate.
Claims14
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable photoconductor;
- an exposure portion including:
- a substrate on which a light-emitting chip, including a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged along a rotational axis direction of the photoconductor, is mounted;
- and
- a support portion configured to support the substrate;
- a fan configured to generate an airflow for cooling the exposure portion;
- and
- a duct connecting with the fan,
- wherein the support portion directs the airflow generated by the fan along a longitudinal direction of the substrate,
- wherein the exposure portion is movable between an exposed position where the photoconductor is exposed and a retracted position where the photoconductor is retracted from the exposed position,
- wherein, in a state where the exposure portion is at the exposure position:
- the duct is connected to the support portion,
- the fan-generated airflow is directed through the duct, and
- a gap between the support portion and the duct is sealed by a seal member, and the support portion and the duct communicate with each other.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable photoconductor;
- an exposure portion including:
- a substrate on which a light-emitting chip, including a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged along a rotational axis direction of the photoconductor, is mounted;
- and
- a support portion configured to support the substrate;
- a fan configured to generate an airflow for cooling the exposure portion;
- and
- a duct connecting with the fan,
- wherein the support portion directs the airflow generated by the fan along a longitudinal direction of the substrate,
- wherein the exposure portion is movable between an exposed position where the photoconductor is exposed and a retracted position where the photoconductor is retracted from the exposed position,
- wherein, in a state where the exposure portion is at the exposure position:
- the duct is connected to the support portion, and
- the fan-generated airflow is directed through the duct, and
- wherein, in a state where the exposure portion is located at the retracted position:
- a gap exists between the support portion and the duct, and
- the support portion and the duct do not communicate with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.