Image forming apparatus including exposure unit and exposure cooling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12386308-B2
Application number	US-202318175659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2023
Priority date	Mar 10, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an exposure unit that forms a latent image on the photoconductor by a substrate that is long in a rotational axis direction of the photoconductor and a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a connector for energizing the exposure unit, the connector being arranged at a position biased to one end side from the center in the longitudinal direction of the substrate; and an exposure cooling unit that causes an airflow to flow through an opening formed in the exposure unit to cool the exposure unit, in which in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the opening is located on the other end side from the connector, and a shielding wall is provided between the opening and the connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a photoconductor;
an exposure unit configured to form a latent image on the photoconductor and including a substrate that is long in a rotational axis direction of the photoconductor, the substrate having a first surface on which a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a connector mounted on the second surface of the substrate and configured to energize the exposure unit;
an exposure cooling unit configured to cause-including a duct to guide an airflow to flow along the second surface of the substrate to cool the substrate of the exposure unit; and
a shielding wall, wherein
the substrate has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the longitudinal direction,
the duct is provided with an opening through which the airflow is blown into the duct, the opening facing the second surface of the substrate,
in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the connector is located closer to the first end of the substrate than to the second end of the substrate,
in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the opening is located closer to the second end of the substrate than the connector is to the second end of the substrate, and
in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the shielding wall is provided between the opening and the connector.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the duct is provided with a second opening through which the airflow in the duct is blown out,
the second opening faces the second surface of the substrate, and
the shielding wall is provided between the second opening and the connector.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the exposure cooling unit includes:
an intake port formed on an outer surface of a main body of the image forming apparatus;
an intake fan configured to suck the airflow from the intake port;
an intake duct configured to guide the airflow to the duct of the exposure unit;
an exhaust port formed on the outer surface of the image forming apparatus;
an exhaust fan configured to discharge the airflow to the exhaust port; and
an exhaust duct that guides the airflow from the duct of the exposure unit to the exhaust port.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the exposure unit is detachably attachable to a main body of the image forming apparatus, and
the first end is provided on a direction side in which the exposure unit is taken out.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the exposure unit performs exposure by organic EL.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a front plate and a back plate, wherein
the photoconductor is attached to the front plate and the back plate.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ishidate Takehiro
• Takano Hiroki
• Kawasumi Ryoichi

Classifications

• G03G15/04054

  by LED arrays · CPC title

• G03G21/206 Primary

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