Image Forming Apparatus Cooling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses using electrophotography face issues with paper sticking due to insufficient cooling, particularly in duplex printing and with low melting point toners, where conventional cooling methods either fail to cool non-duplex printed paper or waste energy maintaining the fixing device's temperature.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a cooling mechanism and exhausting mechanism where the blowoff and suction ports are arranged on the same surface conveyance side, allowing for efficient paper cooling without affecting the fixing device's temperature, and the blowoff port is positioned distant from the conveying rollers to prevent airflow into the post-fixing conveying path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air blowing is performed in the duplex printing paper path to cool the paper, then duplex printing paper can be cooled, but non-duplex printed paper cannot be cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling mechanism is designed to serve multiple functions: it cools paper in both duplex and single-sided printing modes by positioning the blowoff port and suction port on the same surface conveyance side, allowing the airflow to effectively cool paper regardless of whether it passes through the duplex path or direct output path
2Temperature
If air blowing is performed in the paper path directly after fixing to cool the paper, then all paper can be cooled, but waste power is consumed to maintain the fixing device temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling airflow is locally directed only where needed - on the surface conveyance side opposite to where the proximate post-fixing conveying path joins. This localized cooling approach prevents airflow from reaching the fixing device while still effectively cooling the paper, thereby avoiding unnecessary energy loss for maintaining fixing device temperature
3Temperature
If the length of the conveying path from the fixing portion to the paper output tray is made long to cool the paper, then paper cooling time is increased, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the mechanical conveying path, the invention uses pneumatic cooling by introducing airflow through strategically positioned blowoff and suction ports. This allows rapid paper cooling without requiring a longer physical path, thereby maintaining compact apparatus dimensions while achieving effective cooling
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 solution effectively cools the paper while preventing waste power consumption in maintaining the fixing device's temperature, ensuring efficient heat discharge and reducing paper sticking issues.
Implementation Method 1
a scheme is adopted in which the paper after passage of the fixing portion is cooled by blowing air while it is being conveyed
Implementation Method 2
an exhausting mechanism having a suction port that suctions and discharges the cooling air
Data Source
AI summary
At the start of paper conveyance, a gate is turned upwards to a first position to thereby close a sixth conveying path and establish communication between a first conveying path and a second conveying path so that the paper having passed through a fixing unit starts to be conveyed from first conveying path to second conveying path. At the same time, air is exhausted from an exhausting mechanism arranged upstream of a cooling mechanism. When a first paper sensor detects the leading end of the paper, a cooling fan starts to rotate at a predetermined rotational rate to start blowing air at a predetermined volume of cooling airflow.