Image Forming Apparatus Ventilation Passage Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in forming airflow between image forming parts and image transport paths, leading to inefficient heat dissipation and air circulation, which can result in trapped heated air and reduced cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a ventilation passage between image forming units, with inclined design and vent holes on either side, along with a drawing device to generate airflow, ensuring easy airflow generation and efficient cooling by introducing fresh air and removing heated air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If image forming parts are disposed adjacent to multiple image transport paths opposed to a medium transport path, then the apparatus can perform multiple image forming operations, but airflow formation between the image forming parts and image transport paths becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ventilation passage that extends in the width direction (perpendicular to the medium transport direction) to connect the interior space between image forming parts with the external environment. This dimensional approach creates airflow paths that do not interfere with the tandem arrangement of image transport paths, allowing both multiple image forming operations and effective ventilation to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation system is segmented into multiple vent holes distributed across different image forming parts, with each part having its own ventilation openings. This segmentation allows independent airflow management for each image forming unit, enabling effective heat dissipation while maintaining the compact tandem configuration of multiple image transport paths.
2Area of stationary object
If image forming parts are arranged in tandem configuration, then space utilization is improved, but heated air becomes trapped reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation passage acts as an intermediary channel that connects the confined interior space between tandem image forming parts with the external environment. This intermediary structure enables heat-carrying airflow to be extracted from the compact tandem arrangement without requiring increased spacing between image forming parts, thus maintaining space utilization while improving heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces natural convection (which would be insufficient in the compact tandem arrangement) with a mechanically-driven fan to generate forced airflow through the ventilation passages. This mechanical substitution ensures reliable heat dissipation performance in the space-constrained tandem configuration.
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 facilitates efficient airflow generation and cooling, replacing heated air with fresh air, thereby improving heat dissipation and preventing air trapping, enhancing the overall performance of the image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a drawing device to generate airflow, ensuring easy airflow generation and efficient cooling by introducing fresh air and removing heated air
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a medium transport path; a first image transport path that is disposed so as to oppose the medium transport path and along which an image to be formed on the medium is transported; an image forming part that forms the image and is disposed adjacent to the first image transport path; and a second image transport path that is disposed so as to oppose the medium transport path, that is located at a distance from the image forming part, and along which an image to be formed on the medium is transported, the second image transport path, the first image transport path, and the medium transport path, together surrounding the image forming part.