Image forming apparatus with condensation prevention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513472-B2
Application number	US-202017034482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An image forming apparatus configured to perform simplex printing and duplex printing includes a recording medium ejection device, a suction duct, a blower, and a pair of rotating members. The recording medium ejection device includes a recording medium outlet through which a recording medium is ejected outside of the image forming apparatus and a recording medium reverse port through which a part of the recording medium is ejected to reverse the recording medium in the duplex printing. The suction duct includes a suction port to suck air. The blower is disposed in the suction duct and sucks air from the recording medium ejection device to the suction port. The pair of rotating members is disposed between the suction port and at least one of the recording medium outlet and the recording medium reverse port and reverses both sides of the recording medium in the duplex printing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus configured to perform simplex printing and duplex printing, the apparatus comprising:
a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image to a recording medium;
a recording medium ejection device including:
a recording medium outlet through which the recording medium is to be ejected outside of the image forming apparatus, and
a recording medium reverse port through which a part of the recording medium is to be ejected outside of the image forming apparatus to reverse the recording medium in the duplex printing; and

a suction duct having a suction port configured to suck air;
a blower disposed in the suction duct and configured to suck air from the recording medium ejection device to the suction port;
a pair of rotating members disposed between the suction port and the recording medium reverse port, the pair of rotating members being configured to reverse both sides of the recording medium in the duplex printing; and
wherein the suction duct includes an opening between the suction port and the blower, the opening in a vicinity of a longitudinal end of the fixing unit, and the suction duct includes a filter configured to discharge merged air sucked from both the suction port and the opening, outside of the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing device configured to fix an image on the recording medium,
wherein the suction duct is configured to suck air around the fixing device.

3. An image forming apparatus configured to perform simplex printing and duplex printing, the apparatus comprising:
a recording medium ejection device including:
a recording medium outlet through which a recording medium is to be ejected outside of the image forming apparatus, and
a recording medium reverse port through which a part of the recording medium is to be ejected outside of the image forming apparatus to reverse the recording medium in the duplex printing; and

a suction duct having a suction port configured to suck air;
a blower disposed in the suction duct and configured to suck air from the recording medium ejection device to the suction port; and
a pair of rotating members disposed between the suction port and at least one of the recording medium outlet and the recording medium reverse port, the pair of rotating members being configured to reverse both sides of the recording medium in the duplex printing;
control circuitry configured to stop the blower in a case in which the duplex printing is performed.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to stop the blower at a start of printing and start an operation of the blower after a preset time has elapsed from the start of printing.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to stop the blower at a start of the simplex printing and start an operation of the blower after a preset time elapses from the start of the simplex printing.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to set the blower to an operating state after a preset number of sheets has been printed from the start of the simplex printing.

Assignees

• Ishikawa Taisuke
• Murano Junichi
• Ishimitsu Hiroki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishikawa Taisuke
• Murano Junichi
• Ishimitsu Hiroki

Classifications

• G03G21/206 Primary

  Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone · CPC title

• G06K15/4025

  Managing optional units, e.g. sorters, document feeders · CPC title

• G03G15/234

  by inverting and refeeding the image receiving material with an image on one face to the recording member to transfer a second image on its second face, e.g. by using a duplex tray; Details of duplex trays or inverters · CPC title

• G06K15/16

  Means for paper feeding or form feeding · CPC title