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US-12619194-B2 - Image forming apparatus having widthwisely extending exhaust fan

US12619194B2US 12619194 B2US12619194 B2US 12619194B2US-12619194-B2

Abstract

An image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a sheet conveyance direction includes a frame including a first side plate and a second side plate disposed in parallel in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, an intake unit disposed on an outer side of the frame in the width direction and configured to draw air into an interior of the frame, an exhaust unit disposed between the first side plate and the second side plate and configured to discharge air outside of the frame, and a cooling object unit disposed on a path of the air which is drawn into the interior of the frame by the intake unit and moves toward the exhaust unit.

Inventors

  • Takehiro Miyashita
  • Takeo Kawanami
  • Ryosuke Takahashi

Assignees

  • CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20241030
Priority Date
20220622

Claims (16)

  1. 1 . An image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a sheet conveyance direction, the image forming apparatus comprising: a frame including a first frame and a second frame disposed apart from each other in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction; an exhaust unit disposed on a space between the first frame and the second frame and configured to discharge air outside of the frame; an intake unit disposed on an outside of the space in the width direction and configured to draw air from the outside of the space into the space; and a unit disposed on the space, the air drawn by the intake unit being sent to the unit, wherein the exhaust unit includes a rotation shaft extending in the width direction and at least one blade configured to send the air by rotating along with the rotation shaft, wherein the at least one blade includes a first end in a width direction and a second end opposite to the first end in the width direction, and wherein a distance between the first end and the second end in the width direction is longer than a diameter of a rotation locus of the at least one blade.
  2. 2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust unit is disposed above the intake unit in a vertical direction, and wherein at least a part of the unit is disposed between the intake unit and the exhaust unit in the vertical direction.
  3. 3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the width direction, a width of the intake unit is shorter than a width of the exhaust unit.
  4. 4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a stacking portion on which the sheet discharged outside of the image forming apparatus is stacked; and a duct configured to guide the air discharged from the exhaust unit toward the stacking portion.
  5. 5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an airflow quantity of the exhaust unit is equal to or more than an airflow quantity of the intake unit.
  6. 6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the width direction, a width of the at least one blade is shorter than a width of a maximum size sheet usable by the image forming apparatus.
  7. 7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a connection frame extending in the width direction and configured to connect the first frame and the second frame, and wherein the exhaust unit is fixed to the connection frame.
  8. 8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the unit includes an exposure unit configured to expose a photosensitive member.
  9. 9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the unit includes a cartridge including a developing unit configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member.
  10. 10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the intake unit is disposed on an opposite side to the first frame with respect to the second frame in the width direction.
  11. 11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the intake unit is disposed between an exterior member of the image forming apparatus and the second frame.
  12. 12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the unit includes a driving source configured to drive the cartridge, the exhaust unit and the intake unit, and wherein the driving source is fixed to the second frame and is disposed on the space.
  13. 13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a drive transmission unit configured to transmit driving force of the driving source to the exhaust unit, wherein the drive transmission unit includes a plurality of bevel gears.
  14. 14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising: a first driving source configured to drive the cartridge and the exhaust unit; and a second driving source configured to drive the intake unit.
  15. 15 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust unit is disposed in a position closer to the second frame than the first frame in the width direction.
  16. 16 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the unit includes an electric board capable of providing a power source.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 18/335,693 filed Jun. 15, 2023, currently pending; and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japan Application No. JP2022-100483 filed in Japan on Jun. 22, 2022 and to Japan Application No. JP2022-100037 filed in Japan on Jun. 22, 2022 and to Japan Application No. JP2023-077857 filed in Japan on May 10, 2023; and the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-218333 proposes an image forming apparatus including a fixing unit fixing a toner image transferred onto a sheet, and a cooling unit arranged above the fixing apparatus. The cooling apparatus includes a drive motor, a cylindrically shaped fan body, which is driven by the drive motor and in which a plurality of blades are disposed around a shaft, and a housing rotatably supporting the fan body. A blower port is disposed in the housing, and a direction of the blower port is switched by rotating the housing using a switching motor. The blower port is, in a normal state, directed toward a reverse conveyance path through which the sheet passes at the time of printing on both surfaces of the sheet, and, in a case where a temperature of a heating roller of the fixing unit has risen excessively, is directed toward the fixing unit. However, since the colling unit described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-218333 includes a mechanism for rotating the housing to switch the blower port, there was a problem of being large and costly. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a sheet conveyance direction includes a frame including a first side plate and a second side plate disposed in parallel in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, an intake unit disposed on an outer side of the frame in the width direction and configured to draw air into an interior of the frame, an exhaust unit disposed between the first side plate and the second side plate and configured to discharge air outside of the frame, and a cooling object unit disposed on a path of the air which is drawn into the interior of the frame by the intake unit and moves toward the exhaust unit. Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus of a first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating the image forming apparatus in a state in which a cover is positioned in a closed position. FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating the image forming apparatus in a state in which the cover is positioned in an opening position. FIG. 3A is a front view illustrating a second side plate. FIG. 3B is a perspective view illustrating a sheet metal frame. FIG. 3C is the other perspective view illustrating the sheet metal frame. FIG. 4A is a perspective view illustrating the sheet metal frame and an exhaust unit. FIG. 4B is a perspective view illustrating the sheet metal frame and an intake unit. FIG. 5A is a perspective view illustrating a drive motor, an intake fan, a drive train, and an exhaust fan. FIG. 5B is the other perspective view illustrating the drive motor, the intake fan, the drive train, and the exhaust fan. FIG. 6A is a front view illustrating the exhaust unit. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 6B-6B of FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 6C-6C of FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating the width of a blade. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating blades of variant examples. FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating blades of variant examples. FIG. 7D is a diagram illustrating blades of variant examples. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating airflow paths generated by the exhaust unit. FIG. 9A is a perspective view illustrating intake holes of an exterior member. FIG. 9B is a perspective view illustrating the intake unit. FIG. 9C is a perspective view illustrating the intake fan. FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating an apparatus body. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 11A-11A of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 12A-12A of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 13A-13A of FIG. 10. FIG. 14A is a front view illustrating the intake unit and the second side plate. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 14B-14B of FIG. 14A. FIG. 14C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section 14C-14C of FIG. 14A. FIG. 15A is a front view illustrating