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US 8,509,646 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorKeisuke Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus such as a color printer including a fixing device and air supply and exhaust members, capable of effectively exhausting hot, moist air and preventing condensation from forming in and around a sheet conveyance path. The image forming apparatus includes an exhaust fan mounted at a predetermined angle to the sheet conveyance path above the fixing device, with an exhaust airflow path of the exhaust fan narrowing toward a downstream side in the air exhaust direction.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a fixing device to fix an image to a sheet with heat and pressure;
- an air exhaust member to exhaust air having a high temperature and moisture generated by the fixing device;
- an exhaust fan provided in the air exhaust member, mounted at an angle to a sheet conveyance path internal to the apparatus above the fixing device,
- an exhaust airflow path internal to the apparatus narrowing toward a downstream side in an air exhaust direction of the exhaust fan, and
- a deflection plate provided across the exhaust airflow path downstream from the exhaust fan,
- wherein the exhaust air discharged from the exhaust fan is deflected substantially orthogonally by the deflection plate, and
- wherein the deflection plate is provided with a deflector section substantially arc-shaped in cross-section to reduce pressure loss at a portion where air pressure of the exhaust fan is received.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a fixing device to fix an image to a sheet with heat and pressure;
- an air exhaust member to exhaust air having a high temperature and moisture generated by the fixing device;
- an exhaust fan provided in the air exhaust member, mounted at an angle to a sheet conveyance path internal to the apparatus above the fixing device,
- an exhaust airflow path internal to the apparatus narrowing toward a downstream side in an air exhaust direction of the exhaust fan, and
- a deflection plate provided across the exhaust airflow path downstream from the exhaust fan,
- wherein the exhaust air discharged from the exhaust fan is deflected substantially orthogonally by the deflection plate,
- wherein the deflection plate narrows the exhaust airflow path toward the downstream side thereof, and
- wherein an electronic board is provided opposite the exhaust fan, with the deflection plate interposed between the exhaust fan and the electronic board.
5 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a fixing device to fix an image to a sheet with heat and pressure;
- an air exhaust member to exhaust air having a high temperature and moisture generated by the fixing device;
- an exhaust fan provided in the air exhaust member, mounted at an angle to a sheet conveyance path internal to the apparatus above the fixing device,
- an exhaust airflow path internal to the apparatus narrowing toward a downstream side in an air exhaust direction of the exhaust fan,
- a deflection plate provided across the exhaust airflow path downstream from the exhaust fan, and
- an air supply fan configured to take in outside air and provided at an inner side of an air supply opening provided in the image forming apparatus, the air supply fan being provided with an air supply duct to guide the supplied air from the air supply fan toward a lower surface of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus configured to form an image,
- wherein the exhaust air discharged from the exhaust fan is deflected substantially orthogonally by the deflection plate, and
- wherein the air supply fan is provided near a back of the image forming apparatus and the exhaust fan is provided near a front of the image forming apparatus.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.