Segmented Cooling Members for Uniform Sheet Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for image forming apparatuses, such as printers and copiers, face inefficiencies in cooling due to temperature gradients along the cooling members, leading to inadequate cooling of sheets at the downstream end, which results in toner blocking and image degradation.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device comprising multiple cooling members arranged to form a single stepless plane, with a coolant circulation unit and tubing to circulate coolant through each member, ensuring efficient heat absorption and distribution across the sheet, preventing thermal transmission between members and maintaining effective cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a single cooling member is used to cool the sheet from upstream to downstream, then the sheet can be cooled along the conveyance direction, but heat from the hotter upstream portion is transmitted to the downstream portion, preventing sufficient cooling at the downstream end
Solution Approach 1:
The single cooling member is divided into multiple cooling members (first cooling member and second cooling member) arranged in the conveyance direction. Each cooling member has independent coolant circulation, preventing heat transmission from upstream to downstream portions and enabling sufficient cooling at the downstream end.
2Temperature
If multiple cooling members are used to improve downstream cooling, then cooling efficiency increases, but device complexity increases due to multiple cooling members and coolant circulation systems
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling members are arranged adjacently with their heat-absorbing surfaces forming a continuous stepless plane, merging their cooling functions while maintaining independent coolant circulation. This configuration improves downstream cooling efficiency without excessive complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
Each cooling member can be independently controlled with separate coolant circulation, allowing localized optimization of cooling conditions for different portions of the sheet (upstream vs. downstream) based on their specific thermal requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If cooling members are arranged to form a single stepless plane, then cooling uniformity across the sheet width is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-absorbing surfaces of multiple cooling members are arranged to form a continuous stepless plane, merging their cooling surfaces into a unified cooling zone. This ensures uniform cooling across the sheet width while the modular structure facilitates precise assembly.
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 ensures consistent and efficient cooling of sheets, preventing toner blocking and image degradation by maintaining a lower temperature at the downstream end of the cooling members, thereby enhancing the overall cooling performance and image quality.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling members respectively include heat-absorbing surfaces each contacting an inner circumference of the belt to cool the recording medium by absorbing heat from the recording medium via the belt
Implementation Method 2
a coolant circulation unit to circulate a coolant, and tubing that connects the coolant circulation unit to the cooling members and through which the coolant circulates
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device including at least two cooling members to cool a recording medium passing thereover, a coolant circulation unit to circulate a coolant, and tubing that connects the coolant circulation unit to the cooling members and through which the coolant circulates. Each of the cooling members includes a heat-absorbing surface that directly contacts the recording medium or indirectly contacts the recording medium via a thermal transmission member, an internal channel provided within each of the cooling members through which the coolant circulates, and a channel inlet and outlet formed at downstream and upstream ends of each of the cooling members in a direction of conveyance of the recording medium, respectively. One of an interval and a thermal insulator is provided between the cooling members.