Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429816-B2
Application number	US-202418424692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2024
Priority date	Jan 31, 2023
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet storage portion, and an air blowing portion disposed within the apparatus body. The apparatus body includes a body portion oriented toward an upstream side in an attaching direction of the sheet storage portion, the body portion including an air intake port, and a cover member provided to be openable and closable with respect to the body portion. The sheet storage portion includes a storage portion body and a storage portion cover. In a state where the cover member is closed with respect to the body portion and the sheet storage portion is attached to the apparatus body, the air intake port is disposed to be overlapped with the cover member and the storage portion cover when viewed in the attaching direction and is covered by the cover member and the storage portion cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body including an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet;
a sheet storage portion configured to store the sheet and configured to be drawn out of and attached to the apparatus body; and
an air blowing portion disposed within the apparatus body and configured to generate an airflow,
wherein the apparatus body includes:
a body portion oriented toward an upstream side in an attaching direction of the sheet storage portion, the body portion including an air intake port through which air taken in by the air blowing portion passes; and
a cover member that is disposed upstream of the body portion in the attaching direction and provided to be openable and closable with respect to the body portion, and that covers a part of the body portion in a closed state,

wherein the sheet storage portion includes:
a storage portion body configured to store the sheet; and
a storage portion cover arranged upstream of the storage portion body in the attaching direction, and

wherein, in a state where the cover member is closed with respect to the body portion and the sheet storage portion is attached to the apparatus body, the air intake port is disposed to be overlapped with each of the cover member and the storage portion cover when viewed in the attaching direction and is covered by each of the cover member and the storage portion cover.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air blowing portion is configured to take in outer air to an inner side of the apparatus body through the air intake port.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air intake port is disposed such that at least a part of the air intake port is overlapped with the air blowing portion when viewed in the attaching direction.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air blowing portion includes a rotary member configured to generate an airflow by rotating about a rotational axis, and
wherein the rotational axis is inclined with respect to the attaching direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the air blowing portion is an axial fan configured to take in and discharge air along the rotational axis, that is arranged on a first side of the apparatus body in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction and a vertical direction, and that is arranged on an upstream side of the apparatus body in the attaching direction, and
wherein the rotational axis is extended from the first side to a second side in the orthogonal direction of the apparatus body toward a downstream side in the attaching direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the air blowing portion is a centrifugal fan configured to take in air along the rotational axis and discharge air to a direction intersecting the rotational axis, that is arranged on a first side of the apparatus body in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction and a vertical direction, and that is arranged on an upstream side of the apparatus body in the attaching direction, and
wherein the rotational axis is extended from a second side to the first side in the orthogonal direction of the apparatus body toward a downstream side in the attaching direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus body includes a duct member configured to guide air discharged through the air blowing portion toward a cooling target.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cooling target includes a substrate.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus body includes a wall portion configured to divide a space disposed between the air intake port and the air blowing portion from a space in which the substrate is disposed.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus body includes a holder configured to support the air blowing portion, and
wherein the wall portion is formed integrally with the holder.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus body includes a side cover configured to constitute one side surface, of an exterior of the image forming apparatus, in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction and a vertical direction, and
wherein the wall portion is disposed between the side cover and the substrate in the orthogonal direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a part of the substrate is disposed to be overlapped with the wall portion when viewed in the orthogonal direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a part of the substrate is disposed to be overlapped with the air blowing portion when viewed in the orthogonal direction.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the wall portion is configured to form, together with the side cover, an air flow passage through which air blowing from the air intake port toward the air blowing portion passes.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus body includes a side cover configured to constitute one side surface, of an exterior of the image forming apparatus, in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction and a vertical direction,
wherein the substrate includes a first surface being opposed to the side cover, and a second surface disposed on an opposite side from the first surface in the orthogonal direction, and
wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises:
a first heat generating component mounted on the first surface; and
a second heat generating component mounted on the second surface.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the air blowing portion includes a rotary member configured to generate an airflow by rotating about a rotational axis,
wherein the rotational axis is inclined with respect to the first surface of the substrate,
wherein a part of an outer edge of the substrate is disposed to be overlapped with the air blowing portion when viewed in the orthogonal direction, and
wherein the airflow generated by the air blowing portion is divided by the substrate into an airflow along the first surface of the substrate and an airflow along the second surface.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein at least a part of an upstream end of the substrate in the attaching direction is disposed to be overlapped with the air blowing portion when viewed in the orthogonal direction.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the apparatus body includes an air discharge port through which the airflow generated by the air blowing portion is discharged.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the substrate includes an opening that is disposed to pass through the first surface and the second surface and that is disposed to be overlapped with the air blowing portion when viewed in the orthogonal direction.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the apparatus body includes a side panel made of a sheet metal, and
wherein the substrate is configured to be electrically grounded by being retained by the side panel.

21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the side panel includes an opening through which a part of the airflow flowing along the second surface

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Oguni Atsushi
• Toyota Akitoshi
• Yoshimura Akira
• Tatsuzue Akira

Classifications

• G03G15/6502

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G21/1633

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G2221/1645

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

• G03G15/2053

  Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating · CPC title

• G03G21/206 Primary

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