Image Forming Apparatus Cooling Control for Toner Protection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Image forming apparatuses face challenges in cooling the vicinity of toner bottles to prevent heat effects on toners while minimizing operation noise from fans, especially when a post-processing apparatus is connected, as the power source circuit for the delivery conveyance path can generate heat that affects toners and results in audible noise during sleep states.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus is designed with a detection unit to monitor temperature and a control unit that manages the rotation and stoppage of cooling fans based on detected temperature, allowing for intermittent operation or speed adjustment of fans to cool the toner bottles effectively while reducing noise, especially during standby states.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the power source circuit is mounted to the delivery conveyance path to supply electric power to the motor, then the image forming apparatus can be downsized, but heat generated by the power source circuit may affect the toners in the toner bottles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage forming apparatus sizeVSAvoidheat effect on toners

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The power source circuit is extracted from the delivery conveyance path and mounted on the rear surface of the housing instead. This removes the heat source from proximity to the toner bottles, eliminating the harmful thermal effect while preserving the compact overall apparatus design through alternative spatial arrangement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The power source circuit is relocated to a different spatial dimension - specifically to the rear surface of the housing rather than being integrated into the delivery conveyance path. This dimensional repositioning allows the apparatus to maintain compact size while separating the heat-generating component from the toner storage area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a cooling unit such as a fan is used to cool the vicinity of the toner bottles, then heat effects on toners are reduced, but operation noise of the fan becomes remarkably audible during sleep state

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat effect on tonersVSAvoidoperation noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The power source circuit, which generates heat that could harm the toners, is repositioned to serve as a beneficial heat source for warming the toner bottles. By mounting it on the rear surface near the toner storage area, the previously harmful thermal energy is converted into a useful function that prevents toner solidification, eliminating the need for active cooling fans and their associated noise during sleep state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a fan to actively cool the toner bottles, the invention inverts the approach by using the power source circuit's heat to warm the toners. This reverse strategy eliminates the need for mechanical cooling components during standby periods, thereby reducing operation noise while still protecting the toners from harmful temperature effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 reduces the impact of heat on toners and minimizes operation noise by strategically controlling fan operation based on temperature, ensuring efficient cooling and noise reduction.

Implementation Method 1

a first cooling unit configured to cool the image forming portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 2

a detection unit configured to detect a temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature Detection:

Implementation Method 3

heat generated by the power source circuit of the delivery conveyance path

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule Heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS9910407B2Image forming apparatus and image forming system

Publication Date: 2018.03.06 CANON KK

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; a discharge portion configured to discharge a recording material on which an image is formed by the image forming portion, wherein a delivery conveyance portion having a power source circuit is mountable in a space adjacent to the image forming portion and configured to convey the recording material to a post-processing apparatus; a detection unit configured to detect a temperature; a cooling unit configured to cool the image forming portion; and a control unit configured to control, in a case where the delivery conveyance portion is mounted, rotation of the cooling unit based on the temperature detected by the detection unit in a standby state in which an image forming operation is not performed.