Partial Cooler Airflow Volume Adjustment for Uniform Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems in image forming apparatuses fail to uniformly cool parts due to uneven airflow distribution, leading to insufficient cooling on the windward side and excessive cooling on the leeward side.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device comprising an overall cooler for cooling the entire apparatus and a partial cooler that adjusts the airflow volume to ensure uniform cooling by decreasing airflow volume from the windward to the leeward side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling air is blown uniformly to the part to be cooled, then uniform cooling is achieved, but cooling air cannot be effectively used due to overall cooling air flow direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the air volume from each opening according to its position relative to the overall cooling air flow. Openings on the windward side discharge larger air volumes while leeward side openings discharge smaller air volumes, creating locally optimized cooling that compensates for the directional flow of overall cooling air and achieves uniform temperature distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements asymmetry by making the air volume discharged from each opening asymmetric with respect to the overall cooling air flow direction. The air volume is deliberately made larger on the windward side and smaller on the leeward side, breaking the symmetry of uniform cooling and optimizing for both cooling uniformity and energy efficiency.
2Temperature
If cooling air volume is increased to improve cooling performance, then cooling effectiveness improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the air volume parameter discharged from each opening based on its positional parameters relative to the overall cooling air flow. By adjusting the air volume parameter according to location (windward vs. leeward), the system achieves optimal cooling effectiveness while minimizing total energy consumption compared to uniform high-volume discharge.
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 solution enables efficient use of cooling air, ensuring uniform cooling of the parts within the image forming apparatus, thereby improving cooling performance and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a partial cooler that blows cooling air to a part to be cooled to cool the part to be cooled
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device which cools an inside of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on paper, the cooling device includes an overall cooler that cools an entire inside of the image forming apparatus using overall cooling air flowing inside the image forming apparatus, and a partial cooler that blows cooling air to a part to be cooled to cool the part to be cooled, in which volume of the cooling air on a leeward side of the overall cooling air is smaller than volume of the cooling air on a windward side of the overall cooling air in the partial cooler.