Ventilation system for an image forming apparatus
US6173132A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jan 9, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G21/206
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy-saving image forming apparatus capable of fixing toner in a reliable manner to enhance the quality of images, control the temperature of toner residue to reuse the toner in a reliable manner, and reduce the power consumption of the apparatus. In a copier, a photoconductive drum carries a toner image to be transferred to a recording medium, a heater of a fixing unit fixes the transferred toner image on the recording medium, and a cleaning unit removes toner residue on the photoconductive drum after transfer. The whole copier is covered with a housing, a first ventilation system ventilates the inside and outside of the housing, and a controlling section regulates the amount of ventilation by the first ventilation system in accordance with an output from a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cleaning unit. As a result, it is possible to effectively reuse the collected toner and ensure excellent quality images.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.