Cooling Duct Design for Image Formers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face issues with toner scattering due to air currents during the cooling process, leading to image defects, and struggle to efficiently cool densely packed components in a narrow space without causing temperature rises.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a duct system where air is sucked in from outside and guided inside using a blower fan, featuring a component-facing section with a smaller cross-sectional area downstream, which enhances airflow rate and prevents toner scattering by using the duct walls as part of the accommodation space for internal components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air is blown into the housing to cool internal components, then cooling effect is improved, but toner scattering occurs causing image defects
Solution Approach 1:
A duct is introduced as an intermediary structure to guide air flow from the blower fan to specific cooling locations. The duct confines the air current within its passage, preventing direct exposure of toner to uncontrolled air flow while still achieving cooling of internal components such as the fixing device and developing device.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct includes a component-facing section with a smaller cross-sectional area positioned downstream, which concentrates the air flow to specific locations where cooling is most needed. This localized air flow approach provides targeted cooling to heat-generating components while minimizing overall air flow that could cause toner scattering.
2Volume of moving object
If components are densely packed to miniaturize the apparatus, then apparatus size is reduced, but heat conduction increases affecting more areas
Solution Approach 1:
The duct serves as a controlled thermal management intermediary, directing cooling air precisely to densely packed heat-generating components. This allows effective heat dissipation in the compact space without requiring increased separation between components, thus maintaining miniaturization while managing heat conduction issues.
3Area of stationary object
If duct cross-sectional area is reduced downstream to fit narrow space, then space utilization is improved, but airflow rate may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The duct is designed with a component-facing section that has a smaller cross-sectional area positioned downstream where cooling is most needed. This localized reduction concentrates the air flow velocity at the component-facing location, ensuring effective cooling despite the reduced overall duct size. The smaller cross-section at the target area increases air flow speed and cooling efficiency where required.
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 configuration effectively cools internal components, prevents toner fusion, and maintains efficient temperature control, reducing the risk of image defects while optimizing space usage in a densely packed environment.
Implementation Method 1
a blower fan that sucks in air from outside a housing and sends the air and a duct though which the air sent by the blower fan is guided into the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a duct through which air taken in from outside a housing is sent into the housing, a blower fan provided at an upstream end of the duct, a toner bottle provided facing a wall surface of the duct, and a fixing section provided on a downstream side of the toner bottle. A component-facing section facing the toner bottle is formed to be smaller in cross-sectional area than a fan placement section. Therefore, by absorbing heat of air around the toner bottle via a wall of the component-facing section, the component-facing section prevents the toner bottle from becoming hot.