Exposure Head Cooling Duct with Retractable Sealing Rib
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing exposure head configurations in image forming apparatuses face challenges in effectively cooling the light emitting elements due to the difficulty in directly applying airflow, leading to potential heat-related issues and toner scattering, and require a mechanism to retract the exposure head to prevent contact and damage during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus incorporates a rotatable photoconductor with a movable exposure portion, a fan for generating airflow, and an elevating duct that guides the airflow to the substrate, featuring opening portions and a sealing member to ensure efficient cooling and prevent toner scattering, while allowing the exposure head to retract from the photoconductor for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the exposure head is disposed close to the photoconductor together with the developing device, then the space utilization is improved, but the heat from the exposure head affects the toner and cooling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The exposure head is divided into functionally independent sections: the light emitting element mounting section and the cooling airflow path section. This segmentation allows the cooling airflow to be directed specifically at the light emitting elements without interfering with the toner in the developing device, thus maintaining close proximity arrangement while preventing heat influence on toner.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling airflow path is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the exposure head and the surrounding environment. This airflow path acts as a mediator that carries heat away from the light emitting elements, enabling the exposure head to be disposed close to both the photoconductor and developing device without causing harmful heat influence on the toner.
2Device complexity
If the exposure head is disposed close to the photoconductor, then the structural compactness is improved, but the photoconductor and exposure head may come into contact and cause scratches
Solution Approach 1:
The exposure head is designed with movable components that allow it to dynamically adjust its position relative to the photoconductor. The attachment and detachment mechanism enables the exposure head to be retracted when not in use, maintaining close proximity for compactness while preventing contact damage during maintenance or replacement operations.
3Temperature
If a cooling airflow is formed around the exposure head, then the cooling effect is improved, but the toner is scattered to the inside of the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling airflow path is designed to provide localized cooling specifically at the light emitting elements rather than creating a general airflow around the entire exposure head. This localized approach maintains effective cooling while preventing the scattering of toner to the inside of the apparatus, as the airflow is confined to a specific region that does not interfere with the toner.
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 enables effective cooling of the exposure head, reduces toner scattering, and facilitates safe maintenance by ensuring the exposure head can be retracted from the photoconductor, thereby preventing damage and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fan that generates an airflow for cooling the exposure portion
Implementation Method 2
a lens that condenses light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements
Implementation Method 3
exposure portion that includes a substrate on which a plurality of chips each including a plurality of light emitting portions that emit light for exposing the photoconductor
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an exposure portion that exposes the photoconductor; a fan that generates an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; a duct portion that communicates with the fan; and an elevating duct that relatively moves with respect to the duct portion integrally with the exposure portion, in which the elevating duct includes a rib protruding in a direction away from the exposure portion in a vertical direction, the duct portion includes a sealing member surrounding an opening portion that communicates with the elevating duct, when the elevating duct is located at an exposure position, a surface of the rib intersecting a rotation axis of the photoconductor is in contact with the sealing member, and when the elevating duct is located at a retracted position, a surface of the rib intersecting with the rotation axis of the photoconductor is in contact with the sealing member.