Image forming apparatus including a cooling device
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorHisao Chikano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an image forming apparatus including a cooling device that efficiently cools an inside of a main body of the image forming apparatus, the cooling device has an airflow path in which air taken in the main body of the image forming apparatus flows through a drum-shaped image carrier from a first end side of the image carrier, flows through the image carrier, and is discharged from a second end side of the image carrier, then makes a U-turn on the second end side of the image carrier, and flows through space between a toner storing device and a fixing device, and returns to a position on the first end side of the image carrier in the main body of the image forming apparatus. A fan may be provided at a position where the air makes a U-turn in the airflow path.
Claims18
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a drum-shaped image carrier, wherein the image carrier has a first end side and a second end side on opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the image carrier;
- a toner storing device disposed adjacent to the image carrier;
- a fixing device disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the image carrier;
- and
- a cooling device, wherein the cooling device comprises an airflow path in which air enters a side of the main body of the image forming apparatus, enters the image carrier through the first end side of the image carrier, flows through the image carrier, and is discharged from the second end side of the image carrier, makes a U-turn on the second end side of the image carrier, and flows through a space between the toner storing device and the fixing device, and returns to a position on the first end side of the image carrier in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- image carrying means for carrying a latent image on the image carrying means, wherein the image carrying means comprises a first end side and a second end side on opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the image carrying means;
- toner storing means for storing toner disposed adjacent to the image carrying means;
- fixing means for fixing the toner image on a transfer material by heat, disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the image carrying means;
- and
- cooling means for cooling the inside of a main body of the image forming apparatus, wherein the cooling means comprises an airflow path in which air enters a side of the main body of the image forming apparatus, enters the image carrying means through the first end side of the image carrying means, flows through the image carrying means, and is discharged from the second end side of the image carrying means, makes a U-turn on the second end side of the image carrying means, and flows through a space between the toner storing means and the fixing means, and returns to a position on the first end side of the image carrying means in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
A method of cooling an inside of a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising;
- flowing air into an image carrier from a first end side of the image carrier;
- discharging the air from a second end side of the image carrier;
- causing the air to make a U-turn in a U-turn duct;
- flowing the air through a space between a toner storing device and a fixing device;
- and
- returning the air to a position on the first end side of the image carrier in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a drum-shaped image carrier comprising a first end side and a second end side;
- a toner storing device;
- a fixing device;
- and
- a cooling device, wherein the cooling device comprises an airflow path in which air enters a side of the main body of the image forming apparatus, enters the image carrier through the first end side of the image carrier, flows through the image carrier, and is discharged from the second end side of the image carrier, makes a U-turn on the second end side of the image carrier, and flows through a space between the toner storing device and the fixing device, and returns to a position on the first end side of the image carrier in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.