Fuser Roller Cooling Venting During Cleaning Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating systems in image forming apparatuses face challenges in effectively cooling the outer peripheral surface of rotating bodies during cleaning operations, leading to potential overheating and adverse effects on components.
Innovation Solution
A heating system with a cooling device that allows air to flow along a predetermined path in contact with the outer peripheral surface of a second rotating body, incorporating a support member with a vent hole and guide portion to facilitate airflow, and a suppression portion to direct air away from sensitive components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning member is made to contact the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body during cleaning, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the cooling airflow path is blocked causing the second rotating body to overheat
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is divided into multiple functional portions: a blocking portion that enters the cooling airflow path when the cleaning member contacts the rotating body, and a vent hole portion that provides an alternative airflow route. This segmentation allows the system to maintain cooling functionality while enabling effective cleaning contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent hole acts as an intermediary element that allows cooling air to bypass the blocking portion created by the cleaning member. Instead of completely blocking the cooling path, the vent hole provides a mediated route for airflow, ensuring continuous cooling while allowing cleaning contact.
2Temperature
If cooling air is blown toward the second rotating body, then the cooling effectiveness is improved, but high-temperature air may adversely affect other components
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed with localized airflow control where the suppression portion directs cooling air specifically to the second rotating body while preventing it from reaching other components. This local quality approach ensures cooling effectiveness at the target location while avoiding harmful effects on surrounding components.
Solution Approach 2:
The suppression portion converts the potentially harmful dispersion of high-temperature cooling air into a beneficial directed flow. By suppressing the air flow in unwanted directions and guiding it back toward the second rotating body, the system transforms what would be harmful scattered hot air into useful concentrated cooling flow.
3Temperature
If the cleaning member is separated from the outer peripheral surface, then the cooling airflow path is maintained, but the cleaning function cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed to dynamically change position between a cleaning state where it blocks the cooling path and a non-cleaning state where it allows airflow. This dynamic positioning capability enables the system to alternate between cleaning and cooling functions as needed, with the blocking portion entering or exiting the cooling airflow path based on operational requirements.
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
The system ensures efficient cooling of the rotating body during cleaning, preventing overheating and protecting components from high-temperature air, while maintaining stable heating of unfixed images on recording media.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling device that causes air to flow along a predetermined path, which allows air to pass in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body, to cool the second rotating body
Implementation Method 2
a first rotating body that is heated by a heating unit and is rotated
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A heating system includes a first rotating body that is heated by a heating unit and is rotated, a second rotating body that is rotated while being in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body to form a passage portion through which an object to be heated passes, a cooling device that causes air to flow along a path, which allows the air to pass in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body, to cool the outer peripheral surface, and a support member that supports a cleaning member, which is to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body to clean the outer peripheral surface, to allow the cleaning member to be in contact with and separated from the outer peripheral surface and includes a blocking portion entering and blocking the path in a case where the cleaning member is in contact with the outer peripheral surface, in which the blocking portion of the support member is provided with a vent hole that is connected to the path.