Image Forming Apparatus Cross-Flow Cooling for Compact Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining efficient cooling performance while minimizing size and ensuring uniform cooling across multiple cooling targets, particularly due to the directionality of cooling gas flow which can lead to increased size or uneven cooling.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a cooling mechanism where cooling gas is introduced through one lateral side and guided to flow from the operation surface to the opposite side, with angled flow paths and adjustable outlet port sizes to optimize gas flow and cooling efficiency, reducing the apparatus' size and enhancing uniformity of cooling across multiple targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling gas flows along the front-rear direction, then cooling performance is improved, but the size of the image forming apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cooling gas flow direction from the conventional front-rear direction to a right-left direction that is oblique to the operation direction. This dimensional change allows the cooling gas to efficiently reach multiple cooling targets (development container, photoreceptor, charger) without extending the apparatus length in the front-rear direction, thus improving cooling performance while suppressing size increase
2Length of stationary object
If cooling gas flows in a right-left direction, then apparatus size is suppressed, but cooling uniformity across multiple targets deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling gas flow into multiple independent streams by providing separate air outlet ports at different positions (front surface and facing surface). Each outlet port directs cooling gas to specific cooling targets, ensuring uniform cooling distribution across the development container, photoreceptor, and charger while maintaining compact apparatus size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides different outlet port configurations at different locations (front surface and facing surface) to match the specific cooling requirements of different components. The front surface outlets serve the development container while facing surface outlets serve the photoreceptor and charger, ensuring each component receives appropriate cooling intensity and uniformity
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 suppresses the increase in size and improves cooling performance by ensuring uniform gas flow and efficient cooling of operation targets, addressing the inefficiencies of previous directional cooling methods.
Implementation Method 1
a guide part that guides the gas introduced through the introduction part at any one of the surface at which the operation is performed or the facing surface facing the surface at which the operation is performed, the guided gas being blown out from any one of the surface at which the operation is performed or the facing surface to the other of the surface at which the operation is performed or the facing surface through the guide part
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an operation target part that is disposed in a body of the image forming apparatus and on which an operation is performed by an operator with respect to the image forming apparatus, plural cooling target parts that are disposed in the body of the image forming apparatus, that are cooled, and that extend in a direction from a surface of the body of the image forming apparatus at which the operation is performed toward a facing surface facing the surface at which the operation is performed, an introduction part that is disposed on one lateral side with respect to the surface of the body of the image forming apparatus at which the operation is performed and through which a cooling gas is introduced, a guide part that guides the gas introduced through the introduction part at any one of the surface at which the operation is performed or the facing surface facing the surface at which the operation is performed, the guided gas being blown out from any one of the surface at which the operation is performed or the facing surface to the other of the surface at which the operation is performed or the facing surface through the guide part, and a discharge part that is disposed at one side portion facing another side portion, at which the introduction part is disposed, and through which the gas is discharged.