Image forming apparatus having duct with flow dividing plates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11526128-B2
Application number	US-202217665288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2022
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A duct for guiding air outside an image forming apparatus to a charging device includes: a first flow passage; a second flow passage bent from the first flow passage and extending in a direction orthogonal to a rotational direction and a rotational axis direction of a photosensitive drum, the second flow passage being provided with an outlet; and a plurality of flow dividing plates provided in the second flow passage, the plurality of flow dividing plates being disposed in parallel along the rotational axis direction and forming a third flow passage between the flow dividing plates adjacent to each other, in which a relationship between a length in the orthogonal direction and a length in the rotational axis direction of the third flow passage is a predetermined relationship.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a duct configured to guide air outside the image forming apparatus to a cooling target; and
a fan configured to generate an airflow for taking air outside the image forming apparatus into the duct, wherein
the duct includes:
a first flow passage;
a second flow passage bent from the first flow passage and extending in a first direction, the second flow passage being provided with an outlet of the duct; and
a plurality of flow dividing plates provided in the second flow passage, the plurality of flow dividing plates being disposed in parallel along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and forming a third flow passage between the flow dividing plates adjacent to each other, and
when a length in the first direction of the third flow passage is L (mm) and a length in the second direction of the third flow passage is D (mm), the L satisfies following conditions:
if 3.0≤ D≤ 5.5, L≥D× 3.04−6.72;

if 5.5≤ D≤ 6.5, L≥D× 4.0−12.0;

if 6.5≤ D≤ 9.0, L≥D× 8.40−40.60;

if 9.0≤ D≤ 13.0, L≥D× 10.50−59.50; and

if 13.0≤ D≤ 28.0, L≥D× 4.70+15.90.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the duct is disposed at a position within 17 mm from an end portion on a downstream side of the plurality of flow dividing plates in a direction in which air in the duct is directed toward the outlet.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the first direction, an end portion on a side close to the outlet in each of the plurality of flow dividing plates is located at an equal position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the duct is provided with a plurality of the third flow passages, and a length in the second direction of each of the plurality of the third flow passages is not equal.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the duct is provided with a plurality of the third flow passages, and a length in the first direction of each of the plurality of the third flow passages is not equal.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a photoreceptor; and
a charging member which is the cooling target and charges a surface of the photoreceptor.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a photoreceptor;
a transfer device configured to transfer a toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a sheet;
a fixing device configured to fix the toner image transferred onto the sheet by the transfer device to the sheet; and
a conveying device configured to convey the sheet having passed through the fixing device,
wherein the duct guides air toward a sheet on a conveying path of the sheet conveyed by the conveying device.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the conveying path includes a reverse conveying path that reverses the sheet to which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device and conveys the sheet to a transfer portion in the transfer device, and
the duct guides air toward the sheet on the reverse conveying path.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Otsuka Yuya
• Sato Hiroki
• Kojima Ryuichi

Classifications

• G03G15/0258 Primary

  provided with means for the maintenance of the charging apparatus, e.g. cleaning devices, ozone removing devices G03G15/0225, G03G15/0291 takes precedence · CPC title

• G03G21/206 Primary

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

• H02B1/56

  Cooling; Ventilation · CPC title

• G03G2221/1645

  for conducting air through the machine, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title