Apparatus and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11677889-B2
Application number	US-202117154095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus includes a body, an object to be cooled, a unit, a structural frame, and a ventilation duct. The unit is disposed detachably from the body of the apparatus. The structural frame constitutes a part of the body or the unit. The ventilation duct includes a plurality of ducts connected to each other. The ventilation duct is configured to guide air sucked from outside of the body through an intake of the body to an exhaust port to blow the air to the object to be cooled. The structural frame includes a part of at least one of the plurality of ducts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a body; an object to be cooled;
a unit configured to detach from the body of the apparatus;
a structural frame constituting a part of the body or the unit; and
a ventilation duct including a plurality of ducts connected to each other, the ventilation duct being configured to guide air sucked from outside of the body through an intake of the body to an exhaust port to blow the air to the object to be cooled, the structural frame having a part used as a part of at least one of the plurality of ducts, an intake of the ventilation duct facing the intake of the body, the structural frame includes the exhaust port on a surface of the structural frame; and
wherein the part of the structural frame is nested into at least one of the plurality of ducts.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one of the plurality of ducts includes a fitted member having a substantially U-shaped cross section substantially orthogonal to a ventilation direction of the air, and
wherein the part of the structural frame having a substantially U-shaped cross section substantially orthogonal to a ventilation direction is fitted to the fitted member to form the at least one of the plurality of ducts.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the object to be cooled is provided on the structural frame.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one of the plurality of ducts includes the exhaust port being open toward the object to be cooled.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the exhaust port includes a plurality of exhaust ports at positions spaced apart from each other in a ventilation direction of the air, and
wherein an opening area of at least one of the plurality of exhaust ports is larger than an opening area of another one of the plurality of exhaust ports.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the object to be cooled is a powder carrier pipe including a conveyance member configured to convey powder, and
wherein the at least one of the plurality of exhaust ports is open toward a portion of the powder carrier pipe corresponding to an end of the conveyance member or a switching portion at which a conveyance direction of the powder carrier pipe is switched.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a fan configured to suck air into the ventilation duct.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a temperature detector at a position near the object to be cooled, the temperature detector being configured to detect an internal temperature of the apparatus; and
a partition isolating the temperature detector from the exhaust port,
wherein the fan is configured to be driven when a temperature detected by the temperature detector exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heat source configured to raise a temperature inside the apparatus,
wherein the object to be cooled is disposed in a vicinity of the heat source.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an image forming device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising an airflow path, the airflow path extending from the intake of the body, through the intake of the vent, through the fan, through the plurality of ducts, and through the part of the structural frame to the exhaust port.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is integral to the surface of the structure frame.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a body;
an object to be cooled;
a unit configured to detach from the body of the apparatus;
a structural frame constituting a part of the body or the unit; and
a ventilation duct including a plurality of ducts connected to each other, the ventilation duct being configured to guide air sucked from outside of the body through an intake of the body to an exhaust port to blow the air to the object to be cooled, the structural frame having a part used as a part of at least one of the plurality of ducts,
wherein the at least one of the plurality of ducts includes a fitted member having a substantially U-shaped cross section substantially orthogonal to a ventilation direction of the air, and
wherein the part of the structural frame having a substantially U-shaped cross section substantially orthogonal to the ventilation direction is fitted to the fitted member to form the at least one of the plurality of ducts.

14. An apparatus comprising:
a body;
an object to be cooled;
a unit configured to detach from the body of the apparatus;
a structural frame constituting a part of the body or the unit;
a ventilation duct including a plurality of ducts connected to each other, the ventilation duct being configured to guide air sucked from outside of the body through an intake of the body to an exhaust port to blow the air to the object to be cooled, the structural frame having a part used as a part of at least one of the plurality of ducts;
a fan configured to suck air into the ventilation duct;
a temperature detector at a position near the object to be cooled, the temperature detector being configured to detect an internal temperature of the apparatus; and
a partition isolating the temperature detector from the exhaust port,
wherein the fan is configured to be driven when a temperature detected by the temperature detector exceeds a predetermined value.

Assignees

• Narai Satoshi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Narai Satoshi

Classifications

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title

• H04N1/00981 Primary

  by forced convection, e.g. using fans · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

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