Heating system and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a heating system that, even during cleaning of a second rotating body, allows a cooling device to cause air to flow into a predetermined path to cool an outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body.SOLUTION: A heating system 5 comprises: a first rotating body 53 that rotates and is heated by heating means 54; a second rotating body 55 that rotates while in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body 53 to form a passage part FN for passing an object to be heated; a cooling device 60 that causes air to flow through a path to bring the air into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 55 and pass through, thereby cooling the outer peripheral surface; and a support member 72 that supports a cleaning member 71 that is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 55 so as to bring the cleaning member into contact with the outer peripheral surface and separate the cleaning member from the outer peripheral surface, and that has a blocking portion 72s that enters the inside of the path when bringing the cleaning member into contact with the outer peripheral surface to block the path. The blocking portion 72s of the support member 72 is provided with a vent hole 75 that communicates with the path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating system and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a printer that changes the air path for cooling depending on the parts that require cooling during printing or standby and when the power is turned off.

[0003] The following Patent Document 2 describes a fixing device having a first rotating body and a second rotating body that form a nip portion for fixing, a detection unit that detects the temperature of the first rotating body, and an air blowing unit that blows air toward the first rotating body. Patent document 2 also describes that the fixing device is arranged along the circumferential direction of the first rotating body so as not to come into contact with the first rotating body, and has a suppression section that suppresses air from the blowing section from flowing toward the detection section. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 also describes that the suppression portion has a concave portion that opens toward the circumferential surface of the first rotating body, and a partition portion that divides the concave portion into multiple spaces in the circumferential direction of the first rotating body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-188676 A (Claim 2, Figures 6 and 7) [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-71131 A (Amended Claim 1, Figures 2 and 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There is a heating system that includes a first rotating body, a second rotating body that contacts the first rotating body to form a passage for an object to be heated, and a cooling device that cools the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body by flowing air through a predetermined path that makes the air come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body. In this heating system, the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body may be cleaned by contacting it with a cleaning member. The present invention provides a heating system, etc., in which a cooling device can direct air through a predetermined path to cool the outer surface of a second rotating body even when the second rotating body is being cleaned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is a first rotating body that is heated by a heating means and rotates; a second rotor that rotates while contacting an outer circumferential surface of the first rotor to form a passage through which an object to be heated passes; a cooling device that cools the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body by flowing air through a path that causes the air to come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body and pass through the outer circumferential surface; a support member that supports a cleaning member that contacts and cleans the outer peripheral surface of the second rotor so as to bring the cleaning member into contact with and separate from the outer peripheral surface, the support member having a blocking portion that enters the path and blocks the path when the cleaning member is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface; Equipped with The support member is a heating system in which the blocking portion is provided with a vent hole communicating with the path.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is the heating system of the first aspect, The air vent is a heating system having a guide portion that guides the air to flow toward the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is the heating system of the second aspect, The guide portion is a heating system configured with a slope that is inclined so as to approach the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the heating system of the first aspect, The support member is a heating system having a suppression portion that suppresses the air from flowing toward a location outside the path when the second rotating body is being cleaned.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the heating system of the fourth aspect, A location off the path is the heating system where there are materials or components that are susceptible to adverse effects from hot air.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a heating system according to the first aspect, a passage forming member disposed opposite to a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor that overlaps with the path, and forming a passage through which the air flows along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface; The passage forming member is a heating system having a guide surface that guides the air that has passed through the vent hole so that it flows toward the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present invention is the heating system of the sixth aspect, The guide surface is a heating system formed by a slope that is inclined so as to approach the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

[0013] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a heating system according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, The object to be heated is a heating system that is a recording medium on which an unfixed image is formed.

[0014] The ninth aspect of the present invention is an image forming unit that forms an unfixed image on a recording medium; a fixing section for heating the unfixed image to fix it to the recording medium; Equipped with The image forming apparatus is such that the fixing unit is configured with a heating system according to any one of the first to seventh means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the heating system of the first means, even when the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body is being cleaned, the cooling device can cool the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body by causing air to flow through a predetermined path.

[0016] According to the heating system of the second means, the air that passes through the vent hole can more easily cool the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor, compared to when the vent hole does not have the guide portion. According to the heating system of the third means, the air passing through the vent hole can be more easily directed toward the outer peripheral surface of the second rotor than when the guide portion is not configured with the inclined surface.

[0017] According to the heating system of the fourth means, the air can be prevented from flowing toward a location deviating from the path, compared to when the support member does not have the suppression portion. According to the heating system of the fifth means, materials or parts that are easily affected by high-temperature air can be prevented from being exposed to unnecessary high temperatures.

[0018] According to the heating system of the sixth means, the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor is more easily cooled than when the path forming member does not have the guide surface. According to the heating system of the seventh means, the air that has passed through the ventilation hole can be more easily directed toward the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body than when the guide surface is not formed by the inclined surface.

[0019] According to the heating system of the eighth means, when the recording medium on which an unfixed image has been formed passes through the passage between the first rotating body and the second rotating body, the unfixed image is stably heated.

[0020] According to the image forming apparatus of the ninth means, in the heating system constituting the fixing device, even when cleaning the outer surface of the second rotating body, the cooling device can cool the outer surface of the second rotating body by directing air through a predetermined path. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a heating system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the second rotating body of the heating system has been separated from the first rotating body, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the state when the second rotating body of (A) is being cleaned. [Figure 4] FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the second rotating body is cooled with air during normal operation, and FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the second rotating body is cooled with air during cleaning. [Figure 5] FIG. 1A is a schematic front view showing a roll cleaning device in partial cross section, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the roll cleaning device of FIG. 1A taken along line QQ. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the air hole of the roll cleaning device, partially in cross section. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a heating system and its surroundings according to a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0023] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a heating system according to the first embodiment. In this specification and drawings, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations of the identical components will be omitted in this specification.

[0024] (Image forming device) The image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is configured as, for example, a printer. The image forming apparatus 1 has an image forming unit 2, a medium supply unit 40, a fixing unit 50, and the like arranged inside the housing 10.

[0025] The housing 10 is a structure formed in a predetermined shape and having an internal space. The housing 10 is divided into an upper housing 10A and a lower housing 10B, for example, by a partition plate 11. The image forming unit 2, the fixing unit 50, etc. are arranged in the upper housing 10A. The medium supply unit 40, etc. are arranged in the lower housing 10B.

[0026] (Image forming section) The image forming section 2 is a section that forms an unfixed image on a recording medium 9 . The image forming unit 2 includes an image creating unit 20, an intermediate transfer unit 30, and a medium supply unit 40.

[0027] The image forming unit 20 is a part that forms an unfixed image by developing a latent image corresponding to image information with a developer. As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging section 20 in the first embodiment is made up of four imaging units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D.

[0028] The imaging units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D are electrophotographic units that create undeveloped images on the respective photosensitive drums 21 using developers of predetermined colors (A, B, C, and D). The predetermined colors (A, B, C, D) include, for example, yellow, magenta, cyan, black, and the like.

[0029] In addition, the imaging units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D are each provided with a charging device 22, an exposure device 23, a developing device 24, a drum cleaning device 26, and the like around the photosensitive drum 21. The reference numerals for the charging device 22, the exposure device 23, and the drum cleaning device 26 are shown only for the imaging unit 20D. The developing devices 24 are shown as developing devices 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D because they use different colors of developer (A, B, C, and D).

[0030] The intermediate transfer section 30 is a section that relays the toner images formed by the image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D of the image forming section 20 and transfers them onto the recording medium 9. The intermediate transfer unit 30 in the first embodiment includes an intermediate transfer belt 31, a primary transfer device 33, a secondary transfer device 34, a belt cleaning device 36, and the like.

[0031] The intermediate transfer belt 31 is an endless belt that can transport a toner image while holding it on its outer circumferential surface mainly by electrostatic force. The intermediate transfer belt 31 rotates while passing through each of the photosensitive drums 21 of the imaging units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D. Specifically, the intermediate transfer belt 31 is wound around a predetermined number of support rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, and 32f and rotates in the direction indicated by arrow B. Of these, the support roll 32a is a drive roll, and the support roll 32e is a secondary transfer back roll.

[0032] The primary transfer device 33 is a device that performs primary transfer of each toner image formed on each photosensitive drum 21 onto the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31. In the intermediate transfer section 30, the position where the primary transfer device 33 faces each photosensitive drum 21 with the intermediate transfer belt 31 therebetween is the primary transfer position TP1. The primary transfer device 33 is a device that uses a primary transfer roll that rotates in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 at the primary transfer position TP1. A predetermined primary transfer bias is supplied to the primary transfer roll from a power supply device (not shown).

[0033] The secondary transfer device 34 is a device that performs secondarily transferring the toner image that has been primarily transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 onto one side of the recording medium 9. In the intermediate transfer section 30, the position where the secondary transfer device 34 faces the support roll 32e with the intermediate transfer belt 31 sandwiched therebetween is the secondary transfer position TP2. The secondary transfer device 34 may be a device that uses a secondary transfer roll or a secondary transfer belt that rotates in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 at the secondary transfer position TP2. A predetermined secondary transfer bias is supplied to the secondary transfer roll or the roll that supports the secondary transfer belt from a power supply device (not shown). In the first embodiment, the secondary transfer device 34 is a device that rotatably supports the secondary transfer belt 34a with two support rolls 34b.

[0034] The medium supply unit 40 is a part that stores the recording medium 9 on which an image is to be formed and supplies it to a predetermined position in the image forming unit 2. The predetermined position in the first embodiment is the secondary transfer position TP2 of the intermediate transfer unit 30.

[0035] The medium supply unit 40 includes a container 41 that stores a plurality of recording media 9, and a delivery device 43 that delivers the recording media 9 one by one from the container 41. A loading plate on which the recording media 9 are loaded is arranged in the container 41. The recording medium 9 is a medium that can be conveyed to the image forming unit 2 and can hold a toner image transferred thereon as an unfixed image. As the recording medium 9, a medium such as paper cut to a predetermined size is used. A plurality of sets of the container 41 and the delivery device 43 may be provided.

[0036] In the housing 10, a medium transport path Rt is arranged, which is illustrated by a dashed line in FIG. The medium transport path Rt includes a supply transport section Rt1, a relay transport path Rt2, a discharge transport path Rt3, and the like.

[0037] The supply transport section Rt1 is made up of a predetermined number of transport roll pairs 45a, 45b, and 45c, transport guide members (not shown), and the like. The relay conveying path Rt2 is configured with a suction-type belt conveying device 46. As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the belt conveying device 46 is equipped with a suction device 46c. The belt conveying device 46 has a conveying belt 46a, which has a plurality of suction holes formed therein, wound around two support rolls 46b and rotated in a predetermined direction. The suction device 46c sucks air from the inner peripheral surface side of the conveying belt 46a, and adsorbs the recording medium 9 to the outer peripheral surface on the upper surface side of the conveying belt 46a. The discharge transport path Rt3 is a transport path that connects the fixing unit 50 and the discharge outlet 13. The discharge transport path Rt3 is made up of a predetermined number of transport roll pairs 47a, 47b, a transport guide member (not shown), etc. The discharge outlet 13 is an opening through which the recording medium 9 is conveyed out, and is provided at a predetermined position on one side of the housing 10.

[0038] The image forming unit 2 forms an unfixed image on the recording medium 9 as follows. Here, the description will be made assuming that unfixed images are formed in all of the image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D.

[0039] First, in the image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D of the image forming section 20, when a command for an image forming operation is received, each photosensitive drum 21 starts to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow A. In the intermediate transfer unit 30, the intermediate transfer belt 31 starts to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow B when the image forming operation starts.

[0040] Subsequently, in the imaging units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D, the charging devices 22 charge the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective photosensitive drums 21 to a predetermined surface potential. Thereafter, each exposure device 23 exposes the charged outer peripheral surface of each photosensitive drum 21 to light of each color component configured in accordance with the image information, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image divided into predetermined color components (A, B, C, D) on the outer peripheral surface of each photosensitive drum 21. Image information is input from an externally connected device (not shown), such as an information terminal or storage medium, connected to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0041] Next, each developing device 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D develops the electrostatic latent image on the outer circumferential surface of each photosensitive drum 21 with a developer of the corresponding color. As a result, an unfixed toner image of a predetermined color (A, B, C, or D) is formed separately on the outer circumferential surface of each photosensitive drum 21. Subsequently, in the image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D of the image forming section 20, the toner images on the photosensitive drums 21 are transferred to the intermediate transfer section 30.

[0042] Finally, in the imaging units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D, the drum cleaning device 26 cleans the outer circumferential surface of each photosensitive drum 21 after transfer. After the photosensitive drums 21 of the image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D of the image forming section 20 are cleaned, the image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D are each prepared for the next image forming process.

[0043] Meanwhile, in the intermediate transfer unit 30, the primary transfer device 33 sequentially performs primary transfer of the toner images on the photosensitive drums 21 onto the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 passing through the primary transfer position TP1. At this time, the intermediate transfer belt 31 carries the toner image that has been primarily transferred onto its outer circumferential surface to the secondary transfer position TP2. In addition, in the medium supply unit 40, in accordance with the secondary transfer timing, the delivery device 43 delivers a predetermined recording medium 9 from the container 41 toward the secondary transfer position TP2 of the intermediate transfer unit 30. At this time, the recording medium 9 is transported to the secondary transfer position TP2 via the supply transport unit Rt1.

[0044] Subsequently, in the intermediate transfer unit 30, the secondary transfer device 34 performs secondary transfer of the toner image onto the recording medium 9 from the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer unit 30 which passes through the secondary transfer position TP2. Finally, in the intermediate transfer unit 30, the belt cleaning device 36 cleans the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 after the secondary transfer. After the intermediate transfer belt 31 is cleaned, the intermediate transfer unit 30 prepares for the next transfer step.

[0045] The recording medium 9 onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred in the intermediate transfer unit 30 is transported to be introduced into the fixing unit 50 via a relay transport path Rt2. In the relay transport path Rt2, a suction type belt transport device 46 transports the recording medium 9 while sucking it.

[0046] (Fuser and heating system) The fixing unit 50 is a part that heats the unfixed toner image transferred onto the recording medium 9 to fix it onto the recording medium 9 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing section 50 is configured with the heating system 5 according to the first embodiment.

[0047] The heating system 5 constituting the fixing section 50 is a system that combines a heating type fixing device 51, a cooling device 60, and a roll cleaning device .

[0048] (fixing device) The fixing device 51 includes a fixing housing 52 and includes a first rotating body 53 having a heating means 54, a second rotating body 55, and the like.

[0049] The fixing housing 52 is a heat-resistant structure having an internal space and a predetermined shape. The fixing housing 52 has an elongated shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper of FIG. The fixing housing 52 is formed with an inlet 52a for introducing the recording medium 9 and an outlet 52b for discharging the recording medium 9. The fixing housing 52 is also provided with an introduction guide member 56a extending from the introduction port 52a to a position just before a passage FN, which will be described later. Furthermore, the fixing housing 52 is provided with discharge guide members 56b and 56c that extend from a position on the discharge side of a passage FN (to be described later) to the discharge opening 52b.

[0050] First rotator 53 rotates fixing belt 531 by wrapping it around pad portion 532, first heating roll 533, and second heating roll 534. First rotator 53 in the first embodiment is, so to speak, a belt-shaped rotator.

[0051] Fixing belt 531 is an endless belt that rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow, and rotates while being heated to a predetermined temperature by first heating roll 533 and second heating roll 534. Pad portion 532 is a portion that supports fixing belt 531 so that it can pass through. Pad portion 532 also forms a passing portion FN, which will be described later, between fixing belt 531 and second rotating body 55. Pad portion 532 may have a built-in heating means.

[0052] The first heating roll 533 and the second heating roll 534 are rolls that are heated by the heating means 54 and rotatably support the fixing belt 531 . The heating means 54 is disposed inside the hollow of the rolls and heats the first heating roll 533 and the second heating roll 534. The heating type of the heating means 54 is not particularly limited.

[0053] The second rotating body 55 is a pressure roll composed of a roll main body 551 and shafts 552 provided at both ends thereof. The second rotating body 55 in the first embodiment is a rotating body in the form of a roll. The roll main body 551 is a roll body having a cylindrical or columnar shape, and is made of metal or the like.

[0054] Second rotor 55 contacts the outer peripheral surface of fixing belt 531, which is first rotor 53, and forms a passage FN through which an object to be heated passes. In the first embodiment, the object to be heated is recording medium 9 on which an unfixed toner image is formed. Passage FN can also be called a fixing nip, which sandwiches the unfixed image between recording medium 9 and heats and fixes it to recording medium 9.

[0055] Furthermore, second rotating body 55 is supported by a movable frame (not shown) that supports first rotating body 53 so as to come into contact with and separate from first rotating body 53. One end of the movable frame swings around a shaft 58 that is located at a predetermined position as a fulcrum, and moves up and down in the directions indicated by arrows D1 and D2 (see FIG. 4, etc.). As a result, the second rotating body 55 forms a passing portion FN when it moves upward in the direction indicated by arrow D1 and comes into contact with the first rotating body 53. On the other hand, when the second rotating body 55 moves downward in the direction indicated by arrow D2 and separates from the first rotating body 53, the passing portion FN disappears and is opened.

[0056] The second rotor 55 receives pressure from a pressure mechanism (not shown) via a movable frame, which may be, for example, a spring mechanism or a cam mechanism. As a result, the second rotor 55 comes into contact with the first rotor 53 at a predetermined pressure.

[0057] In the fixing device 51, for example, the first heating roll 533 and the second rotating body 55 receive rotational power from a rotation drive device (not shown) and are driven to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, causing the fixing belt 531 and the like in the fixing device 51 to also rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0058] The fixing of the unfixed image by the fixing device 51 is carried out as follows.

[0059] First, in the fixing device 51, when an image forming operation is started, the pressure roll as the second rotating body 55 comes into contact with the fixing belt 531 as the first rotating body 53 to form a passing portion FN. Next, in fixing device 51, pressure roll, which is second rotator 55, starts to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. Also, fixing belt 531, which is first rotator 53, is heated via first heating roll 533 and second heating roll 534. Furthermore, fixing belt 531, which is first rotator 53, receives the rotational power of the pressure roll and rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0060] Next, the recording medium 9 on which the unfixed toner image is formed is introduced via the relay conveyance path Rt2 into the fixing device 51. At this time, the recording medium 9 is conveyed by the suction-type belt conveyance device 46 after the secondary transfer, and is introduced into the passage FN from the introduction port 52a. The fixing device 51 heats the toner image under pressure to fix it onto the recording medium 9 when the recording medium 9 is introduced into and passes through the passage FN. After fixing, the recording medium 9 is conveyed via a discharge conveyance path Rt3 after being discharged from the fixing device 51. At this time, the recording medium 9 is discharged from a discharge port 52b of the housing 10 to a discharge storage section (not shown). The discharge storage section is configured, for example, by a plate-shaped member having a storage surface.

[0061] (cooling device) The cooling device 60 is a device that cools the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55, by passing air through the outer peripheral surface. Here, during image formation operation, the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll rotates while coming into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the first rotor 53, which rotates in a heated state, at the passage FN. In other words, the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll may become unnecessarily hot due to direct heat transfer from the first rotor 53, especially when the recording medium 9 is not passing through. For this reason, the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll must be cooled by the cooling device 60 to maintain the temperature at or below a predetermined surface temperature.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the cooling device 60 in the first embodiment includes an air blower 61, an exhaust device 65, passage forming members 66 and 67, a temperature measuring device 68, and the like.

[0063] The air blower 61 is composed of an air blower housing 62, an air blower fan 63, and a blowing duct 64. The air blower housing 62 and the air blower fan 63 are arranged to face the lower part of the side surface of the fixing housing 52 where the inlet 52a is provided.

[0064] The air blower housing 62 is a structure of a predetermined shape having an internal space in which the air blower fan 63 is disposed. The air blower housing 62 has an elongated shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper of FIG. 2, etc. The direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper of FIG. 2, etc. is a direction parallel to the axial direction J (FIG. 5(B)) of the pressure roll which is the second rotating body 55. The direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper of FIG. 2, etc. is also the depth direction of the fixing device 51. The air blower housing 62 is also provided with an air intake port and an air exhaust port (not shown). The air blower housing 62 is arranged so that the exhaust port is connected to the air blow inlet 52c of the fixing housing 52. The air intake port takes in air that is cooler than the hot air inside the fixing housing 52.

[0065] The blower fan 63 is a fan that generates air Ac that cools the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotor 55. A plurality of blower fans 63 are arranged along the axial direction J of the pressure roll, which is the second rotor 55.

[0066] The blowing duct 64 is a duct that guides the air Ac generated by the blower fan 63 so as to blow it onto the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the pressure roll. A passage space is formed inside the blowing duct 64, extending from the exhaust port of the blower housing 62 toward the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the pressure roll. In Fig. 4, reference numeral 64a denotes a duct lower surface portion that forms the lower surface of the passage space, and reference numeral 64b denotes a duct upper surface portion that forms the upper surface of the passage space. The blowing duct 64 is provided with an outlet 64c at the front end of the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the pressure roll. The outlet 64c is formed as a substantially rectangular opening that is long along the axial direction J of the pressure roll.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the fixing device 51 has a partition plate 57 disposed inside the fixing housing 52. The partition plate 57 is arranged from the upper edge of the outlet 64c of the blow duct 64 to a predetermined position past the temperature measuring device 68. The partition plate 57 is also arranged at a predetermined distance from the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll.

[0068] The exhaust device 65 is composed of an exhaust duct and an exhaust fan (not shown). The exhaust device 65 is disposed facing the lower part of the side surface where the exhaust port 52b is provided of the fixing housing 52. The fixing housing 52 has an exhaust port 52g provided in the lower part of the side surface.

[0069] The exhaust duct is arranged to connect the exhaust port 52 g of the fixing housing 52 to an exhaust port (not shown) provided on the rear part of the housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 or the like. The exhaust fan operates to suck in and exhaust air (mainly air Ac sent by blower 61) inside fixing housing 52. The exhaust fan is disposed at a predetermined position downstream in the direction in which air flows through the exhaust duct.

[0070] The passage forming members 66, 67 are members that form a passage (space) through which the air Ac blown from the blower 61 flows along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotor 55. The passage forming members 66, 67 form a main portion of a route Ra1 (described later) through which the air Ac flows so as to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll and pass through. The route Ra1 is the route through which the cooling air Ac flows, as illustrated by the two-dot chain arrows in Figures 2 and 4(A).

[0071] The passage forming members 66, 67 are disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface portion of the lower part of the pressure roll on the side opposite to the first rotary body 53. The passage forming member 66 is disposed at a position closer to the blower 61, with the vicinity of the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll as the boundary. The passage forming member 67 is disposed at a position closer to the exhaust device 65, with the vicinity of the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll as the boundary. The passage forming members 66, 67 are arranged with a gap therebetween along the axial direction J of the pressure roll near the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 4, the passage forming members 66 and 67 are formed with passage forming surfaces 66a and 67a, respectively. The passage forming surface 66a is a surface that is curved from the lower side of the outlet 64c of the blow duct 64 to near the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. An upstream end 66s of the passage forming surface 66a is at approximately the same height as the lower side of the outlet 64c of the blow duct 64 (see FIG. 4). The passage forming surface 67a is a surface that is curved from near the lower end to near the middle of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. Both the passage forming surfaces 66a and 67a are surfaces that extend along the axial direction J of the pressure roll.

[0073] The temperature measuring device 68 is a device that measures the surface temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55. The temperature measuring device 68 is disposed in a position downstream in the rotation direction of the pressure roll from the position where the pressure roll passes through FN. In other words, the temperature measuring device 68 is disposed within a range between the position where the pressure roll passes through FN and the blowing duct 64 of the cooling device 60. The temperature measuring device 68 is arranged with its detection section 68a (see FIG. 4) penetrating the partition plate 57 toward the pressure roll. The detection section 68a faces the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll at a fixed distance. Furthermore, the temperature measuring device 68 is configured to measure the surface temperature at a plurality of predetermined locations on the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll in the axial direction J. The predetermined locations are, for example, near both ends and the center of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll in the axial direction J. The information from the measurement results of the temperature measuring device 68 is used to control the operation of the cooling device 60.

[0074] The cooling device 60 cools as follows. Incidentally, the cooling device 60 operates during image forming operation and when cleaning the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55.

[0075] When the image forming operation begins, the cooling device 60 operates the air blower 61 to generate cooling air Ac, as shown in FIG. 2 and other figures. The cooling device 60 blows this air Ac from a blowing duct 64 toward a lower region of the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll which is driven to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. The cooling device 60 also causes the blown air Ac to flow through a cooling path Ra1 that passes through the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll so as to come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll, and then sucks the air into the exhaust duct of the exhaust device 65.

[0076] Specifically, the air Ac from the blower 61 is blown out from the outlet 64c of the blowing duct 64 as shown in FIG. 4(A). The blown air Ac flows to pass through a first passage formed between the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll and the passage forming surface 66a of the passage forming member 66. Thereafter, the air Ac flows to pass through a second passage formed between the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll and the passage forming surface 67a of the passage forming member 67. After passing through the second passage, the air Ac is sucked in by the suction force of the exhaust device 65. At this time, the air Ac passes through the exhaust port 52g of the fixing housing 52 and flows so as to be sucked into the exhaust duct of the exhaust device 65.

[0077] As a result, the air Ac passing through the above-mentioned passages comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, thereby cooling the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll in the cooling device 60. In other words, the cooling device 60 is a device that generates forced convection that passes through the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, thereby cooling the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. The cooling device 60 also efficiently cools the pressure roll by causing air Ac to flow in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the pressure roll. Furthermore, the cooling device 60 is configured so that the strength of the airflow of the air blower 61 and the like are controlled in accordance with the information on the measurement result of the temperature measuring device 68 .

[0078] (Roll cleaning device) The roll cleaning device 70 is a device that cleans the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55. As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the roll cleaning device 70 in the first embodiment includes a cleaning member 71, a support member 72, and other components.

[0079] The cleaning member 71 is a member that comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll during cleaning to clean the outer peripheral surface. The cleaning member 71 in the first embodiment is made up of two square bar-shaped cleaning members extending along the axial direction J of the pressure roll.

[0080] The support member 72 is a member that supports the cleaning member 71 so as to bring it into contact with and separate it from the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll. As shown in Fig. 5(A), the support member 72 is a plate-like member having at least a main body portion 72a, a rising surface portion 72b, and an attachment surface portion 72c. Also, as shown in Fig. 5(B), the support member 72 is a plate-like member having a shape extending in the axial direction J of the pressure roll.

[0081] The main body 72a is a part having a flat plate shape. The main body 72a has an attachment protrusion 73 at the end opposite to the raised surface 72b. The attachment protrusion 73 is rotatably attached to a shaft 74 disposed on a part of the fixing housing 52 or the passage forming member 67. Furthermore, the main body portion 72a in the first embodiment is disposed so as to be present below the passage forming member 67.

[0082] The raised surface portion 72b is a portion that protrudes almost vertically upward from the end of the main body portion 72a on the opposite side from the mounting protrusion portion 73. The raised surface portion 72b is also a flat plate-shaped portion that rises up so as to approach the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. The raised surface portion 72b is formed to rise a predetermined height from the main body portion 72a. In addition, the raised surface portion 72b in the first embodiment rises upward so as to pass through the gap between the passage forming member 66 and the passage forming member 67.

[0083] The attachment surface portion 72c is a portion where the cleaning member 71 is attached and held. The mounting surface portion 72c is formed as a plate-like portion extending from the upper end of the rising surface portion 72b to the opposite side from the main body portion 72a. The mounting surface portion 72c is formed as a portion that bends and extends obliquely upward from the upper end of the rising surface portion 72b so as to substantially follow the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. The mounting surface portion 72c in the first embodiment is disposed so as to be above the passage forming member 66. Two cleaning members 71 are fixedly attached to the upper surface of the attachment surface portion 72c with a predetermined gap therebetween.

[0084] The support member 72 is arranged in the following manner. The support member 72 is arranged in a state in which the raised surface portion 72 b passes through the gap between the passage forming member 66 and the passage forming member 67 . The support member 72 is disposed so that the attachment protrusion 73 is located below the passage forming member 67. The support member 72 is disposed so that the attachment surface 72c is located above the passage forming member 66.

[0085] The support member 72 can swing about a shaft 74 and move up and down in the directions indicated by arrows E1 and E2. The support member 72 moves up and down using the power of a drive device (not shown).

[0086] When cleaning begins, the support member 72 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E1 to a cleaning position where the cleaning member 71 comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll, as shown in FIG. 4(B). When the support member 72 moves to this contact position, the rising surface portion 72b mainly enters the path Ra1 and blocks the path Ra1. Therefore, the raised surface portion 72b of the support member 72 becomes a portion that blocks the path Ra1 when the cleaning member 71 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. In other words, the support member 72 has a shape that has a blocking portion 72s that blocks the path Ra1. Strictly speaking, when the support member 72 is moved to the cleaning position, the attachment surface portion 72c enters the path Ra1 together with the cleaning member 71, blocking the path Ra1.

[0087] On the other hand, when not cleaning, the support member 72 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E2 to a predetermined retreat position where the cleaning member 71 is separated from the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll. When the support member 72 is moved to the retracted position, the attachment surface portion 72c thereof is brought into close proximity to the passage forming surface 66a of the passage forming member 66.

[0088] Cleaning by the roll cleaning device 70 is performed as follows.

[0089] First, in the roll cleaning device 70, when cleaning is performed, the support member 72 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E1 with the shaft 74 as a fulcrum (see FIG. 4(B)). As a result, the cleaning member 71 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55. At this time, the cleaning member 71 comes into contact with a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll that faces the passage forming surface 66a of the passage forming member 66.

[0090] During cleaning, the pressure roll rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow. The rotation direction is the same as that during image formation. The rotation speed may be the same as or different from that during image formation. Furthermore, during this cleaning, the pressure roll is separated from the fixing belt 531, which is the first rotating body 53, before cleaning (see FIG. 3A). When the pressure roll is separated before cleaning, for example, the rotation of the pressure roll is stopped.

[0091] As a result, the roll cleaning device 70 brings the cleaning member 71 into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll that is driven to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, and as a result, the roll cleaning device 70 removes unnecessary matter such as paper dust adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, thereby cleaning the outer peripheral surface. After the cleaning is completed, the support member 72 of the roll cleaning device 70 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E2, with the shaft 74 as the fulcrum. As a result, the cleaning member 71 is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotor 55 (see FIG. 3(A)).

[0092] (Problem when cooling the second rotating body during cleaning) Incidentally, in the heating system 5 constituting the fixing unit 50, when the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55, is cooled by the cooling device 60 during cleaning, the following problem occurs. The pressure roll is cooled during cleaning because it is necessary to cool the pressure roll during cleaning as well.

[0093] Here, the above-mentioned problem will be described based on a heating system 5X as a comparative example illustrated in FIG. The heating system 5X has the same configuration as the heating system 5 according to the first embodiment, except that a comparative roll cleaning device 70X is used. The comparative roll cleaning device 70X differs from the roll cleaning device 70 in the first embodiment in the following respects: The roll cleaning device 70X differs in that it uses a comparative support member 72X in which the raised surface portion 72b remains as the blocking portion 72Xs. The rising surface portion 72b remaining as the blocking portion 72Xs means that the rising surface portion 72b is configured to enter and block the path Ra1 during cleaning. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 67X denotes a downstream passage forming member, and reference numeral 67Xa denotes a passage forming surface of the passage forming member 67X.

[0094] First, the heating system 5X activates the cooling device 60 when the roll cleaning device 70X brings the cleaning member 71 into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll to clean it. At this time, in the heating system 5X, the raised surface portion 72b, which is the blocking portion 72Xs of the support member 72X, blocks and blocks the front position of the second passage between the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll and the passage forming member 67. The second passage is also part of the main portion (downstream portion) of the predetermined path Ra1 (see FIG. 2, etc.) for cooling during image forming operations. As a result, in the heating system 5X, the air Ac generated by the blower 61 of the cooling device 60 cannot pass through the cooling path Ra1 midway and almost does not flow.

[0095] Meanwhile, the air Ac at this time flows inside the fixing housing 52 along an unexpected path Rax as illustrated by the dashed line with an arrow in FIG. This unexpected path Rax initially becomes a path along which the air Ac moves upward from the outlet 64c of the blow duct 64 along the rotation direction of the pressure roll.

[0096] More specifically, in the path Rax, the air Ac first comes out of the outlet 64c, and then moves upward through the gap between the partition plate 57 and the pressure roll. Subsequently, in the path Rax, the air Ac passes through the gap between the introduction guide member 56a and the pressure roll, and then flows out of the fixing housing 52 through the introduction port 52a of the fixing housing 52.

[0097] The air Ac that has flowed out of the fixing housing 52 flows into a closed space that is also part of the periphery of the fixing housing 52 and temporarily accumulates there. The closed space is a space surrounded by the intermediate transfer belt 31, the secondary transfer device 34, and the belt conveying device 46. The closed space is also a location outside the predetermined cooling path Ra1. At this time, the air Ac flows through the pressure roll in the initial stage of the route Rax, and is heated to a high temperature. Therefore, high-temperature air Ah accumulates in the closed space. Furthermore, the temperature inside the housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 rises due to the accumulation of this high-temperature air Ah.

[0098] Incidentally, the heating system 5X may have a suction-type belt conveying device 46 operating at this time. In this case, a part Ae1 of the high-temperature air Ah remaining in the closed space is sucked into the belt conveying device 46 and exhausted to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. 7, an exhaust duct 69 may be provided in the heating system 5X. The exhaust duct 69 is disposed above the fixing housing 52 of the fixing device 51 and exhausts high-temperature air generated inside the fixing housing 52. In this case, a portion Ae2 of the high-temperature air Ah is sucked into the exhaust duct 69 and exhausted to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0099] However, in the heating system 5X, materials or components that are easily affected by high-temperature air may be present in the closed space. In other words, materials or components that have lower heat resistance than other surrounding materials or components may be present in the closed space. Examples of such materials include toner. Examples of such components include the secondary transfer belt 34a of the secondary transfer device 34 and the intermediate transfer belt 31. In other words, in this case, the material or part is exposed to unexpectedly high temperature air. As a result, there is a risk that materials such as toner present on the secondary transfer belt 34a, the intermediate transfer belt 31, the recording medium 9, etc. may melt or change in quality. In addition, there is a risk that filming may occur on the secondary transfer belt 34a and the intermediate transfer belt 31, for example. Filming is a problem in which unwanted matter adhering to the surface of the secondary transfer belt 34a or the intermediate transfer belt 31 adheres to the belt surface due to an increase in temperature. The unwanted matter includes residual toner, paper dust, and the like.

[0100] Such defects caused by exposure to high-temperature air are likely to be induced by the following factors: For example, this is a factor that increases the amount of heat generated by the first rotating body 53 of the fixing device 51 in order to improve productivity, and a factor that brings the secondary transfer position TP2 and the fixing device 51 closer together due to high-density packaging between components.

[0101] As a countermeasure to the above-mentioned problem, it is conceivable to increase the air volume of the air blower 61 of the cooling device 60. However, this countermeasure induces a problem in that noise increases as the airflow rate increases. Also, this countermeasure causes the air Ac blown from the blower device 61 to still flow through the above-mentioned unexpected path Rax. In other words, this countermeasure does not solve the above-mentioned problem.

[0102] (Details of the roll cleaning device) Therefore, the heating system 5 according to the first embodiment employs the support member 72 provided with the ventilation holes 75 in the roll cleaning device .

[0103] As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, the ventilation holes 75 in the roll cleaning device 70 are provided in the raised surface portion 72b that becomes the blocking portion 72s. The ventilation hole 75 is a ventilation hole that is connected to the path Ra1.

[0104] The phrase "connected to the path Ra1" means connecting to a path portion of the path Ra1 that exists downstream of the raised surface portion 72b of the support member 72 during cleaning. The above-mentioned path portion in the first embodiment is a path that passes through the second path between the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotor 55, and the path forming member 67. The above-mentioned path portion also includes the path from the second path to the exhaust port 52g.

[0105] 5(A), the ventilation hole 75 in the first embodiment is formed as a hole that extends linearly and penetrates substantially parallel to the main body 72a of the support member 72. The ventilation hole 75 extends substantially horizontally in the support member 72 during cleaning.

[0106] 5(B), the ventilation hole 75 in the first embodiment is formed as a slit-like elongated hole extending parallel to the axial direction J of the pressure roll. The ventilation hole 75 formed as this elongated hole has a length equal to or slightly longer than the length of the axial direction J of the roll main body 551. The length of the roll main body 551 in the axial direction J corresponds to the width of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll.

[0107] Furthermore, the ventilation holes 75 in the first embodiment are formed as a plurality of holes (for example, three holes) arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 5. The number of ventilation holes 75 is not limited to a plurality of holes, and may be one.

[0108] <Cooling during image formation> In the heating system 5 equipped with this roll cleaning device 70, the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55, is cooled by the cooling device 60 during the image forming operation, as already described.

[0109] At this time, in the roll cleaning device 70, the support member 72 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E2 to separate the cleaning member 71 from the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll (see FIG. 4(A), etc.). As a result, a first passage (gap) is formed between the support member 72 of the roll cleaning device 70 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the pressure roll. In addition, a second passage (gap) is formed between the passage forming member 67 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the pressure roll, in a state continuous with the first passage.

[0110] In the cooling device 60, the air Ac generated by the air blower 61 flows through the cooling path Ra1 (see FIG. 4(A), etc.). Specifically, the air Ac blown out from the blow duct 64 flows so as to be sucked into the exhaust device 65 after passing through the first and second passages. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll during the image forming operation is cooled by the air Ac flowing through the path Ra1 passing through the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. In this case, the path Ra1 serves as a predetermined path for cooling during the image forming operation.

[0111] <Cooling during cleaning> Furthermore, in the heating system 5 equipped with the roll cleaning device 70, the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55, is cooled by the cooling device 60 even when the outer peripheral surface is being cleaned.

[0112] At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the roll cleaning device 70 is in a state where the support member 72 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow E1 and the cleaning member 71 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. As a result, a third passage (gap) is formed between the pressure roll and the passage forming member 66 on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part thereof, with the support member 72 of the roll cleaning device 70 interposed therebetween. Also, a second passage (gap) is formed between the pressure roll and the passage forming member 67 on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part thereof. Here, the blocking portion 72s of the support member 72 is interposed between the third passage and the second passage. However, the third passage and the second passage are connected via the ventilation hole 75 .

[0113] In the cooling device 60, the air Ac generated by the blower 61 flows through a route Ra2 illustrated by a chain double-dashed line with an arrow in FIG. 4(B). Specifically, the air Ac coming out of the blowing duct 64 flows into the third passage and then flows into the second passage through the ventilation holes 75 of the support member 72. At this time, the air Ac flows into the second passage through the ventilation holes 75, thereby connecting to the middle of the path Ra1 during the image forming operation. Thereafter, the air Ac that has flowed into the second passage flows so as to be sucked into the exhaust device 65. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll during cleaning is cooled by the air Ac flowing through the path Ra2 passing through the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. In this case, the path Ra2 serves as a cooling path during cleaning.

[0114] As a result of the above, in the heating system 5, even when cleaning the outer surface of the pressure roll, which is the second rotating body 55, the cooling device 60 can cool the outer surface of the pressure roll by directing air Ac through a predetermined path Ra1. This makes it possible to stably maintain the surface temperature of the pressure roll at or below a predetermined temperature in the fixing device 51 of the heating system 5. As a result, in the fixing device 51, there is no risk that the pressure roll will heat the recording medium 9 to a temperature higher than necessary at the passage FN.

[0115] (Other configurations) In the heating system 5, as shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 5, a suppressing section 77 is provided on the support member 72 of the roll cleaning device .

[0116] The suppression section 77 is a section that suppresses the air Ac generated by the cooling device 60 when cleaning the pressure roll from flowing toward a location outside the above-mentioned route Ra2. The location outside the route Ra2 in the first embodiment is a location other than the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the pressure roll from the outlet 64c of the blow duct 64. Specifically, it is a location extending upward from the gap between the outlet 64c of the blow duct 64 and the pressure roll.

[0117] The suppressing portion 77 is formed as a portion extending from the end of the attachment surface portion 72c of the cleaning member 71 to the opposite side to the main body portion 72a (see FIG. 5(A)). In detail, the suppression portion 77 is formed as a part that is interposed in the gap between the end of the mounting surface portion 72c of the support member 72 and the upper edge portion of the air outlet 64c when the cleaning member 71 is moved to the cleaning position (see Figure 4 (B)). That is, the suppressing portion 77 is present so as to close the gap when the supporting member 72 moves the cleaning member 71 to the cleaning position. Furthermore, when the cleaning member 71 is moved to the retracted position, the tip 77e of the suppression portion 77 approaches or comes into contact with the lower edge of the air outlet 64c (see FIG. 4(A)). On the other hand, when the cleaning member 71 is moved to the cleaning position, the tip 77e of the suppression portion 77 approaches or comes into contact with the upper edge of the air outlet 64c (see FIG. 4(B)).

[0118] Furthermore, in the heating system 5, the air Ac generated in the cooling device 60 is prevented from flowing toward a location deviating from the route Ra2, compared to a case in which the suppression section 77 is not provided in the support member 72. In other words, in the heating system 5, the air Ac is prevented from flowing along the unexpected route Rax (see FIG. 7) through the gap when cleaning the pressure roll in the heating system 5X of the comparative example.

[0119] In addition, in the heating system 5, as shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 6, the passage forming member 67 in the cooling device 60 is provided with a guide surface 67b.

[0120] The guide surface 67b is a surface that guides the air Ac that has passed through the ventilation holes 75 of the support member 72 of the roll cleaning device 70 so that it flows toward the outer circumferential surface of the pressure roll. The guide surface 67b is formed at the upstream end of the passage forming member 67 as a slope that slopes toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll (see FIG. 4, etc.). More specifically, the guide surface 67b is formed at the end of the passage forming member 67 that faces the air hole 75, as a slope that slopes upward at a predetermined angle from the lower end and intersects with the passage forming surface 67a.

[0121] In the heating system 5, part of the air Ac that has passed through the vent hole 75 moves forward so as to come into contact with the guide surface 67b. At this time, the air Ac is guided by the guide surface 67b and flows toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll as illustrated by the dashed two-dot line Ad with an arrow in FIG. Therefore, in the heating system 5, the air Ac that has passed through the ventilation holes 75 can be more easily made to flow toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll than when the guide surface 67b is not formed with the above-mentioned inclined surface.

[0122] Variations. The present invention is not limited to the configuration exemplified above as Embodiment 1. In other words, the present invention can be modified and altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the inventions described in the claims. The present invention also includes, for example, the following modifications.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 6, the ventilation hole 75 of the support member 72 in the roll cleaning device 70 may be a ventilation hole 75B provided with a guide portion 76. The guide section 76 is a section that guides the air Ac generated by the cooling device 60 so that it flows toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll.

[0124] 6 is configured with inclined surfaces 76a and 76b that incline the inner wall surface of the vent hole 75B so that it approaches the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll. The inclined surface 76a is an inner wall surface that inclines on the lower side of the vent hole 75B. The inclined surface 76b is an inner wall surface that inclines on the upper side of the vent hole 75B.

[0125] In this heating system 5, when the air Ac generated by the cooling device 60 passes through the ventilation hole 75B, it is guided by the slopes 76a and 76b of the guide portion 76. As a result, after passing through the ventilation hole 75B, the air Ac is caused to flow toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll as illustrated by the dashed two-dot line Ae with an arrow in FIG.

[0126] Therefore, in the heating system 5 in this case, compared to when the vent hole 75B does not have the guide portion 76, the cooling device 60 can more easily cool the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll with the air Ac that has passed through the vent hole 75B. Furthermore, in this case, the heating system 5 allows the air Ac passing through the ventilation holes 75B to flow toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll more easily than when the guide portion 76 is not configured with the inclined surfaces 76a, 76b.

[0127] As the guide portion 76, a guide plate 78 provided on the downstream side (outlet side) of the vent hole 75B may be used, as illustrated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 is provided together with the inclined surface 76a of the vent hole 75B. However, the guide plate 78 may be provided on the downstream side (outlet side) of the vent hole 75 (see FIG. 5(A)) that does not have the inclined surface 76a. Even when this guide plate 78 is provided, the air Ac passing through the ventilation holes 75B and 75 can be easily directed toward the outer peripheral surface of the pressure roll.

[0128] The ventilation holes 75, 75B provided in the support member 72 of the roll cleaning device 70 are not limited to the continuous (slit-shaped) elongated hole exemplified in Embodiment 1. Other ventilation holes 75, 75B may be, for example, a plurality of holes formed with a predetermined opening shape so as to be evenly spaced.

[0129] The passage forming members 66, 67 in the cooling device 60 are not limited to those configured as separate members from the fixing housing 52. For this reason, the passage forming members 66, 67 may be changed to a part (bottom surface portion) of the fixing housing 52 molded into a shape that serves as the passage forming portion.

[0130] In the fixing device 51 of the heating system 5 according to the first embodiment, a rotating body in the form of a roll may be used as the first rotating body 53. An example of a rotating body in the form of a roll is a heating roll.

[0131] In the first embodiment, the heating system 5 constituting the fixing unit 50 is exemplified, but the heating system of the present invention is not limited thereto. In the heating system 5 according to the first embodiment, a recording medium 9 on which an unfixed image is formed is used as the object to be heated. The heating system of the present invention may be, for example, a heating system that uses a substrate coated with powder paint as the heating object and heats the powder paint to fix it to the substrate. In this case, the heating system includes a first rotating body 53, a second rotating body 55, a cooling device 60, a roll cleaning device 70, etc. In this case, the first rotating body 53 and the second rotating body 55 are roller-shaped rotating bodies or the like.

[0132] In the first embodiment, the image forming unit 2 of the image forming apparatus 1 is configured from the image creating unit 20 and the intermediate transfer unit 30 as an example. However, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present invention is not particularly limited in the configuration of the image forming unit 2, and may be an image forming apparatus that requires a fixing unit 50 made up of a heating system 5. The image forming section 20 is not limited to being composed of four image forming units 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D. The number of image forming units may be one or more other than four. The image forming section 2 may not have the intermediate transfer section 30.

[0133] Alternatively, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured such that the upper housing 10A and the lower housing 10B are separate and independent bodies that are connected together when in use. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured such that the medium supply unit 40 is separate from the image forming apparatus 1 and is a medium supply device that is connected to the image forming apparatus 1 when in use. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 may be a post-processing device in which the discharge and storage unit also has a function of performing predetermined post-processing on the recording medium 9.

[0134] (Addendum) (((1))) a first rotating body that is heated by a heating means and rotates; a second rotor that rotates while contacting an outer circumferential surface of the first rotor to form a passage through which an object to be heated passes; a cooling device that cools the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body by flowing air through a path that causes the air to come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body and pass through the outer circumferential surface; a support member that supports a cleaning member that contacts and cleans the outer peripheral surface of the second rotor so as to bring the cleaning member into contact with and separate from the outer peripheral surface, the support member having a blocking portion that enters the path and blocks the path when the cleaning member is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface; Equipped with A heating system in which the support member has an air hole in the blocking portion that connects to the path. (((2))) The heating system described in (((1))), wherein the air vent has a guide portion that guides the air to flow toward the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body. (((3))) The heating system according to (((2))), wherein the guide portion is configured as a slope that is inclined so as to approach the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body. (((4))) A heating system described in any one of (((1))) to (((3))), wherein the support member has a suppression section that suppresses the air from flowing toward a location outside the path when cleaning the second rotating body. (((5))) The heating system described in (((4))) above, wherein the location outside the path contains materials or components that are susceptible to adverse effects from high-temperature air. (((6))) a passage forming member disposed opposite to a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor that overlaps with the path, and forming a passage through which the air flows along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface; The passage forming member has a guide surface that guides the air that has passed through the air vent toward the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body. A heating system described in any of (((1))) to (((5))). (((7))) The heating system according to (((6))), wherein the guide surface is formed as a slope that is inclined so as to approach the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body. (((8))) The heating system according to any one of ((1))) to (((7))), wherein the object to be heated is a recording medium on which an unfixed image has been formed. (((9))) an image forming unit that forms an unfixed image on a recording medium; a fixing section for heating the unfixed image to fix it to the recording medium; Equipped with An image forming apparatus, wherein the fixing unit is configured with the heating system described in any one of (((1))) to (((7))).

[0135] According to the heating system of (((1))), even when the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body is being cleaned, the cooling device can cool the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body by directing air through a predetermined path. According to the heating system of (((2))), the air that passes through the vent hole can more easily cool the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body, compared to when the vent hole does not have the guide portion. According to the heating system of (((3))), the air passing through the ventilation hole can be more easily directed toward the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body than when the guide portion is not configured as the above-mentioned inclined surface. According to the heating system of (((4))), air can be prevented from flowing toward a location outside the path, compared to when the support member does not have the suppression portion. The heating system according to (((5))) can prevent materials or parts that are susceptible to adverse effects from hot air from being exposed to unnecessary high temperatures. According to the heating system of (((6))), the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor is more easily cooled than when the passage forming member does not have the guide surface. According to the heating system of (((7))), the air that has passed through the ventilation hole can be more easily directed toward the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body than when the guide surface is not formed by the above-mentioned inclined surface. According to the heating system of (((8))), when the recording medium on which an unfixed image has been formed passes through the passage between the first rotating body and the second rotating body, the unfixed image is stably heated. According to the image forming apparatus of (((9))), in the heating system constituting the fixing device, even when the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body is being cleaned, the cooling device can cool the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body by causing air to flow through a predetermined path. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1...Image forming device 2...Image forming unit 5. Heating system 9...Recording media (an example of an object to be heated) 50...Fixing part 53...First rotating body 55...Second rotating body 60…Cooling device 67...Passage forming member 67b...Guide surface 70...Roll cleaning device (an example of a cleaning device) 71...Cleaning materials 72...Support member 72s...Cutting section 75,75B...Ventilation holes 76…Information Department 77…Suppression part Ac...air FN…passing section Ra1: Cooling path (an example of a flow path) Ra2: Cooling path during cleaning

Claims

1. a first rotating body that is heated by a heating means and rotates; a second rotor that rotates while contacting an outer circumferential surface of the first rotor to form a passage through which an object to be heated passes; a cooling device that cools the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body by flowing air through a path that causes the air to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body and pass through the outer peripheral surface; a support member that supports a cleaning member that contacts and cleans the outer peripheral surface of the second rotor so as to bring the cleaning member into contact with and separate from the outer peripheral surface, the support member having a blocking portion that enters the path and blocks the path when the cleaning member is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface; Equipped with A heating system in which the support member has an air hole in the blocking portion that connects to the path.

2. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the air vent has a guide portion that guides the air to flow toward the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

3. The heating system according to claim 2 , wherein the guide portion is configured as a slope that is inclined so as to approach the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating body.

4. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the support member has a suppression portion that suppresses the air from flowing toward a location outside the path when the second rotating body is being cleaned.

5. 5. The heating system of claim 4, wherein the out-of-path location contains materials or components that are susceptible to adverse effects from hot air.

6. a passage forming member disposed opposite to a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the second rotor that overlaps with the path, and forming a passage through which the air flows along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface; The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the passage forming member has a guide surface that guides the air that has passed through the vent hole so that the air flows toward the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

7. The heating system according to claim 6 , wherein the guide surface is formed as a slope that is inclined so as to approach the outer circumferential surface of the second rotor.

8. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the object to be heated is a recording medium on which an unfixed image is formed.

9. an image forming unit that forms an unfixed image on a recording medium; a fixing section for heating the unfixed image to fix it to the recording medium; Equipped with An image forming apparatus, wherein the fixing unit is configured with the heating system according to claim 1 .

Images