Image forming apparatus with cooling configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298708-B2
Application number	US-202318486695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2023
Priority date	Oct 18, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus having front and rear surfaces, a photoreceptor having a rotation axis extending in a first direction, an exposure unit, and a cooling unit. The exposure unit includes a substrate having a longitudinal axis extending in the first direction, a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of light emitting elements that emit light toward the photoreceptor are mounted on the first surface of the substrate. The cooling unit includes an intake port that sucks air from outside of the image forming apparatus. The intake port is disposed at an intake port distance in the first direction to the rear surface. The intake port distance is shorter than a distance in the first direction of a center of the substrate to the rear surface. The cooling unit cools the substrate by blowing air sucked by the intake port onto the second surface of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a photoreceptor having a rotation axis extending in a first direction connecting a front surface and a rear surface of the image forming apparatus;
an exposure unit configured to expose the photoreceptor to form a latent image on the photoreceptor; and
a cooling unit configured to cool the exposure unit,
wherein the exposure unit includes a substrate that has a longitudinal axis extending in the first direction, has a first surface on which a plurality of light emitting elements configured to emit light toward the photoreceptor are mounted, and has a second surface opposite to the first surface,
wherein the cooling unit includes an intake port that is configured to suck air from outside of the image forming apparatus and that is disposed at an intake port distance in the first direction to the rear surface, the intake port distance being shorter than a first distance in the first direction from a center of the substrate to the rear surface,
wherein the cooling unit is configured to cool the substrate by blowing air sucked by the intake port onto the second surface of the substrate,
wherein the cooling unit further includes an exhaust port configured to exhaust air to the outside of the image forming apparatus, and
wherein the exhaust port is disposed at an exhaust port distance in the first direction to the front surface, the exhaust port distance being shorter than a second distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the front surface.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the exposure unit further includes a housing that defines a housing space where the second surface of the substrate is exposed,
wherein the cooling unit further includes a first duct coupled to the intake port,
wherein the first duct is provided with a first opening configured to introduce air into the housing space of the exposure unit, and
wherein the first opening faces the second surface of the substrate and is disposed at a first opening distance in the first direction to the rear surface, the first opening distance being shorter than the first distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the rear surface.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first duct has a longitudinal shape extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the first duct is disposed at a first duct distance in the first direction to the rear surface, the first duct distance being shorter than the first distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the rear surface.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the cooling unit further includes an intake fan disposed at the intake port, and
wherein the intake fan is configured to generate an airflow that sucks air from the outside of the image forming apparatus through the intake port into the first duct and that carries the air in the first duct to the first opening.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the intake port is disposed on one side surface of the image forming apparatus in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the exposure unit further includes a housing that defines a housing space where the second surface of the substrate is exposed,
wherein the cooling unit further includes a second duct coupled to the exhaust port,
wherein the second duct is provided with a second opening configured to suck air from the housing space of the exposure unit, and
wherein the second opening faces the second surface of the substrate and is disposed at a second opening distance in the first direction to the front surface, the second opening distance being shorter than the second distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the front surface.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second duct has a longitudinal shape extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the second duct is disposed at a second duct distance in the first direction to the front surface, the second duct distance being shorter than the second distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the front surface.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the cooling unit further includes an exhaust fan disposed at the exhaust port, and
wherein the exhaust fan is configured to generate an airflow that sucks air in the housing space of the exposure unit through the second opening into the second duct and that exhausts the air in the second duct through the exhaust port.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the intake port and the exhaust port are disposed on one side surface of the image forming apparatus in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support member configured to support the exposure unit so as to be lifted and lowered,
wherein the exposure unit further includes a housing that defines a housing space where the second surface of the substrate is exposed,
wherein the cooling unit further includes an exhaust port configured to exhaust air to the outside of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the exhaust port is disposed at an exhaust port distance in the first direction to the front surface, the exhaust port distance being shorter than a second distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the front surface,
wherein the cooling unit further includes a first duct coupled to the intake port,
wherein the first duct is provided with a first opening configured to introduce air into the housing space of the exposure unit, and
wherein the first opening faces the second surface of the substrate and is disposed at a first opening distance in the first direction to the rear surface, the first opening distance being shorter than the first distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the rear surface,
wherein the cooling unit further includes a second duct coupled to the exhaust port,
wherein the second duct is provided with a second opening configured to suck air from the housing space of the exposure unit, and
wherein the second opening faces the second surface of the substrate and is disposed at a second opening distance in the first direction to the front surface, the second opening distance being shorter than the second distance in the first direction of the center of the substrate to the front surface, and
wherein the support member has a longitudinal shape extending in an axial direction of the rotation axis of the photoreceptor and including the first opening to the second opening of the cooling unit, and forms a third duct that communicates the exposure unit and the cooling unit to form a flow path of an airflow.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a photoreceptor having a rotation axis extending in a first direction connecting a front surface and a rear surface of the image forming apparatus;
an exposure unit configured to expose the photoreceptor to form a latent image on the photoreceptor; and
a cooling unit configured to cool the exposure unit,
wherein the exposure unit includes:
a substrate that has a longitudinal axis extending in the first direction, has a first surface on which a plurality of light emitting elements configured to emit light toward the photoreceptor are mounted, and has a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
a housing that defines a housing space where the second surface of the s

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ishidate Takehiro
• Takano Hiroki
• Kawasumi Ryoichi

Classifications

• G06K15/1247

  using an array of light sources, e.g. a linear array · CPC title

• B41J29/377

  Cooling or ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• B41J2/45

  using light-emitting diode {[LED] or laser} arrays · CPC title

• G03G15/04054

  by LED arrays · CPC title

• G03G2221/1645

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