Air cleaner and image forming device with air cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016246254-A1
Application number	US-201615015544-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air cleaner having a filter, causing air to pass through the filter and discharging the filtered air. The air cleaner includes: an air duct having an inlet via which air is received and an outlet facing a first part of a main surface of the filter and via which the received air is output towards the first part of the main surface; a fan causing air to be received by the air duct via the inlet, to be output from the air duct via the outlet, and to pass through the filter; and a flow distributer disposed between the outlet and the filter. The flow distributer changes a direction of flow of air output from the air duct from towards the first part of the main surface to towards a second part of the main surface of the filter that does not facing the outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air cleaner having a filter, causing air from an image forming device to pass through the filter and discharging the filtered air, the air cleaner comprising:
an air duct having an inlet via which air from the image forming device is received and an outlet facing a first part of a main surface of the filter and via which the received air is output in a direction towards the first part of the main surface; a fan causing air from the image forming device to be received by the air duct via the inlet, to be output from the air duct via the outlet, and to pass through the filter; and a flow distributer disposed between the outlet and the filter, the flow distributer changing a direction of flow of air output from the air duct from the direction towards the first part of the main surface to a direction towards a second part of the main surface of the filter, the second part being a part of the main surface that does not face the outlet.

2 . The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein
the air duct has a curve between the inlet and the outlet, and a path of air flow has greater cross-sectional area between the outlet and the main surface of the filter than at the outlet.

3 . The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein
the flow distributer has a mountain-shaped protrusion protruding towards the outlet.

4 . The air cleaner of claim 3 , wherein
a slope of the mountain-shaped protrusion is curved to form a concave shape.

5 . The air cleaner of claim 3 , wherein
the mountain-shaped protrusion has a conical shape.

6 . The air cleaner of claim 5 , wherein
the fan takes in air from the image forming device at a position upstream from the inlet along the path of air flow, and discharges the air taken-in in a direction along the main surface of the filter to be received by the inlet, and the flow distributer has an asymmetric conical shape with an apex thereof offset from a center of the outlet in the direction in which air is discharged from the fan.

7 . The air cleaner of claim 1 further comprising
a plurality of ribs disposed about the outlet, wherein
the flow distributer is supported by the ribs.

8 . The air cleaner of claim 7 , wherein
the ribs are disposed spirally about the outlet.

9 . The air cleaner of claim 1 , wherein
the flow distributer has at least one through hole penetrating through a main surface thereof facing the outlet.

10 . An image forming device comprising:
the air cleaner of claim 1 .

11 . The image forming device of claim 10 , wherein
the air cleaner is disposed at a rear side of the image forming device.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Michibata Takumi
• Ohno Yoshinori

Classifications

• G03G15/2025

  with special means for lubricating and/or cleaning the fixing unit, e.g. applying offset preventing fluid · CPC title

• G03G21/206 Primary

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

• G03G2221/1645

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

• B01D46/0045

  by using vanes · CPC title

• G03G21/0052 Primary

  using an air flow; Details thereof, e.g. nozzle structure · CPC title