Liquid Cooling Tank Layout for Compact Leak-Safe Image Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses, particularly electrophotographic devices, experience increased temperatures due to frictional heat generated during the print process, leading to toner agglomeration and decreased image quality.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a tank, pump, heat exchanging portions, and radiator, utilizing liquid refrigerant circulation to cool the developing devices, equipped with a tank design that facilitates easy refilling and leak detection, and a compact configuration to minimize height and prevent refrigerant leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tank is positioned lower than the main tray to enable gravity-based liquid discharge, then the liquid discharge function is improved, but the refrigerant may leak onto the main tray causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediate container is introduced between the tank and the main tray to receive discharged liquid. This intermediary structure prevents direct contact between discharged refrigerant and the main tray, eliminating the harmful effect while preserving the gravity-based discharge function.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid discharge function is extracted from the main tray system and relocated to a separate intermediate container. This separation removes the source of potential refrigerant leakage from the main tray area, preventing harmful effects while maintaining the discharge capability.
2Ease of operation
If the tank is disposed at a position lower than the main tray, then liquid can be discharged by gravity, but the height of the cooling device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is repositioned from a vertical arrangement (lower than main tray) to a horizontal arrangement (adjacent to main tray). This dimensional change eliminates the need for vertical height difference while preserving gravity-based discharge through the intermediate container, thereby reducing the overall height of the cooling device.
3Length of stationary object
If the tank is disposed adjacent to the pump and radiator on the main tray, then the height of the cooling device is reduced, but the refrigerant may leak onto the main tray
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate container serves as a mediator between the tank and the main tray, allowing the tank to be positioned adjacent to the pump and radiator for compact height while preventing refrigerant from contacting the main tray through the containment function of the intermediate container.
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
Effectively reduces temperature fluctuations in the developing devices, preventing toner agglomeration and maintaining image quality by efficiently circulating and containing liquid refrigerant, while allowing for easy maintenance and leak prevention.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanging portion (6b) configured to exchange heat between the liquid refrigerant and a cooling target
Implementation Method 2
The pump (62) circulates the liquid refrigerant through the circulation path
Implementation Method 3
a radiator (63) disposed on the main tray (601) and configured to radiate heat of the liquid refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device includes a tank, a main tray, a pump, a heat exchanging portion, a radiator, and a plurality of tubes. The pump and the radiator are disposed on the main tray. The tank includes an upper surface tray, a tube fixing portion, and a liquid discharging portion. The upper surface tray forms an upper surface of the tank. The tube fixing portion fixes a portion of a pair of specific tubes to the upper surface tray with the pair of specific tubes penetrating the upper surface tray. The liquid discharging portion forms a discharge path of liquid from the upper surface tray to the main tray.