Air-Blowing Portion for Uniform Cooling in Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, high-temperature recording materials discharged after the heating and fixing process can cause toner images to melt again, leading to image defects and uneven cooling, which results in contact marks due to the temperature difference between the recording material and the discharge rollers.
Innovation Solution
An air-blowing portion is integrated into the image forming apparatus to blow air specifically onto the recording material, using a guide portion with a blowing port positioned near the rollers to avoid direct cooling of the rollers, thereby preventing toner image melting and maintaining uniform cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If external air is blown onto the recording material to cool it, then the toner image is prevented from melting again, but the discharge roller and conveying portion are also cooled, causing uneven cooling and contact marks
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portion is designed to direct air flow specifically onto the recording material while avoiding the discharge roller and conveying portion. This creates localized cooling where needed (on the recording material) while preventing cooling in areas where it would cause harm (the conveying portions), thereby resolving the contradiction between cooling effectiveness and image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The guide portion acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the air source and the recording material. It shapes and directs the air flow to achieve the desired cooling effect on the recording material while preventing the air from contacting and cooling the discharge roller and conveying portion, thus avoiding contact marks
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively prevents toner image melting and reduces temperature differences, ensuring consistent image quality by cooling the recording material without cooling the rollers, thus avoiding contact marks and uneven cooling.
Implementation Method 1
external air that has been drawn by, e.g., a fan, is blown onto the recording materials discharged onto the discharge tray to cool the recording materials
Implementation Method 2
a guide portion configured to guide air blown by the air-blowing portion to a recording material conveyed by the pair of rollers
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus heats and fixes a toner image on a recording material, discharges and cools the recording material, and prevents the heated and fixed toner image on the recording material from being melted. The apparatus also has a conveying portion that is prevented from being cooled, so that unevenness of cooling of the toner image is prevented, and the image forming apparatus does not cause any contact mark of the conveying portion.