Cooling Belt Separation Mechanism for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cooling devices for image forming apparatuses face issues with the cooling belt becoming fixed to the cooling plate, leading to inability to drive the belt, and potential wrinkling or breaking when trying to separate them, due to prolonged contact and complex tension release methods.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device design featuring a conveying portion with two endless belts, a stretching roller, a cooling portion with a flow-passage for cooling, and a press roller that can contact and separate from the cooling surface by moving the press roller, allowing easy separation and maintaining uniform tension to prevent excessive load on rollers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cooling belt is kept in contact with the cooling plate for prolonged periods to maintain cooling efficiency, then cooling performance is improved, but the cooling belt becomes fixed to the cooling plate causing inability to drive the belt and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the contact state between the cooling belt and cooling plate dynamic rather than static. The press roller can be moved between a pressing position (where the cooling belt contacts the cooling plate for cooling) and a separated position (where the cooling belt is released from the cooling plate). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to switch between cooling mode and separation mode, preventing belt fixation while maintaining cooling efficiency when needed.
2Reliability
If the press roller continuously presses the cooling belt against the cooling plate to ensure good contact, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the cooling belt may become wrinkled or broken due to excessive load
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements periodic pressing action where the press roller applies pressure to the cooling belt against the cooling plate only during the cooling operation, and releases the pressure when separation is needed. This periodic engagement and disengagement prevents continuous excessive loading on the cooling belt, thereby maintaining belt integrity while achieving good contact and cooling efficiency during the active cooling phase.
3Ease of operation
If the tension of the cooling belt and conveying belt is released to separate the cooling belt from the cooling plate, then belt separability is improved, but the separation method becomes complicated requiring release of all belt nips
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the separation function from the complex global tension release process. Instead of requiring release of all belt tensions and nips throughout the entire system, the press roller is designed to locally separate the cooling belt from the cooling plate by simply moving the press roller to a retracted position. This localized separation approach maintains simplicity while achieving the desired belt separability.
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
Enables easy separation of the cooling belt from the cooling plate, prevents belt fixation and damage, and maintains efficient cooling performance by ensuring uniform tension and stable contact between the belts and the cooling plate, improving maintainability and reducing the risk of belt deformation.
Implementation Method 1
heat of the sheet is transferred to the cooling liquid having flowed into the flow passage
Implementation Method 2
cooling liquid flows into the flow passage... heat of the sheet is transferred to the cooling liquid having flowed into the flow passage
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device includes a conveying portion configured to convey a sheet while holding the sheet between a first belt and a second belt; a stretching roller configured to drive the first belt inside the first belt; and a cooling portion having a flow-passage forming portion for forming a flow passage of a cooling medium and configured to cool the sheet through the first belt. Moreover, the cooling device includes a press roller provided inside the second belt and facing the flow-passage forming portion through the second belt and the first belt; and a contacting/separating portion configured to have the second belt contact with/separate from the cooling portion through the first belt by moving the press roller. The stretching roller has a lower end portion located below a cooling surface of the cooling portion.