JPH0328443Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (1) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in the structure of a flash fixing device used in electrophotographic printing devices and the like.

(2) Background of the Technology In recent years, so-called non-impact printers such as electrophotographic printing devices have come to be frequently used in offices and the like due to their high speed and noiseless nature.

For this reason, it is desired that a device for purifying harmful substances generated from a flash fixing device used in an electrophotographic printing device or the like has high performance and a long replacement period.

(3) Prior art and problems Conventionally, flash-type fixing devices record developer powder by using a flash lamp, and the light energy is instantaneously applied to the developer powder forming an unfixed image. It fuses to the medium and fixes it.

At this time, a huge amount of light energy is instantaneously applied to the developer powder, and when it fuses to the recording medium, part of it becomes evaporated gas, and when this evaporated gas is generated, the developer powder particles If the particles are left as they are, the fixing device will be contaminated and the performance of the fixing device will deteriorate.

For this purpose, the fixing device is usually equipped with a purifying device that removes the evaporated gas and fine particles and discharges or circulates them to the outside air.

FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of a fixing device provided with a purifying device. In the figure, 1 is a flash lamp, 2 is a reflection plate for efficiently transmitting light from the flash lamp 1, 3 is a protective glass plate for protecting the lamp, 4 is a heat dissipation fin that also serves as a reflector, and 5 is a radiation fin. An air suction duct, 6 a filter that collects evaporated gas and fine particles generated during fixing, that is, flashing from a flash lamp, 7 an exhaust blower, 8 a recording medium, and 9 a filter that collects developer powder on the recording medium. It shows the image formed by

FIG. 2 shows a conceptual diagram of a surface filtration type filter, and FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of an internal filtration type filter. Both figures are diagrams for explaining the filter 6 shown in FIG. 1, which has conventionally been commonly used in flash fixing devices. In each figure, A indicates the direction of air flow. Moreover, in each figure, figure b is a BB sectional view of figure a.

FIG. 2 shows a surface filtration type filter using filter paper or the like as a filtration member. This surface filtration type filter is intended to collect even small particles such as evaporated gas of developer powder.

However, the mesh of this filter is made very fine in order to collect even the smallest particles. Therefore, particles larger than the mesh of the filter, especially developer powder particles scattered during image fixation, clog the surface of the filter and cause clogging, requiring frequent replacement of the filter. It has its drawbacks. In addition, if the filter is made coarse to prevent clogging, it will not be able to completely capture the evaporated gas from the developing powder, and the evaporated gas will pass through the filter and be discharged to the outside. It has the disadvantage of having a negative impact on the environment.

FIG. 3 shows an internal filtration type filter using glass wool, maltblane, or the like as a filtration member. This filter can trap a large amount of particles inside the filter and can be used for a long time.

However, this filter has the disadvantage that particles collected inside the filter leak to the outside due to changes in the flow rate of air passing through the filter, vibrations of the device, etc. Furthermore, if the filter is made fine in order to collect fine particles, the pressure loss will increase and the exhaust efficiency of the purifier will decrease. In other words, when the filter has a fine mesh, the exhaust blower 7 has the disadvantage that the driving power must be increased compared to when a coarse filter is used.

(4) Purpose of the invention In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the object of the invention is to provide a flash fixing device that can sufficiently collect even fine particles and can sufficiently increase the amount of collected particles. .

(5) Structure of the invention The purpose of this invention is to provide a flash lamp for fixing an unfixed developer powder image formed on a recording medium by irradiating the unfixed developer powder image on the recording medium with light. and a purifying means for purifying unclean air generated during fixing, the purifying means comprising a filter provided above the flash lamp and a filter for purifying the unclean air near the flash lamp. The filter includes a duct leading to the filter and an exhaust blower for exhausting air from the filter, and the filter includes a cylindrical surface filtration type filter and a cylindrical internal filtration disposed to cover the surface filtration type filter. The present invention is achieved by a flash fixing device comprising a surface filtration type filter and configured such that the air in the interior space of the surface filtration type filter is sucked by the exhaust blower.

(6) Embodiment of the invention Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail using the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the flash fixing device according to the present invention.

In the figure, 10, 11 are flanges, 12, 1
3 is a gasket that prevents air leakage; 14 is an internal filtration type filter that removes evaporated gas and fine particles from the developing powder inside the filter; 15 is an internal filtration type filter that removes evaporated gas and fine particles from the developing powder that cannot be removed completely by the internal filtration type filter 14. This is a surface filtration type filter that removes the water on the surface of the filter. A indicates the direction of air flow.
Figure b is a sectional view taken along line B-B in figure a.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained.

As described above, the vaporized gas and particles of the developer powder generated by flashing light from the flash lamp in the fixing device are carried by the exhaust blower 7 to the filter 6 via the air duct. The evaporated gas and fine particles of the developing powder transported to the filter 6 are first collected by the internal filtration type filter 14 in such a state that most of the evaporated gas and fine particles of the developing powder adhere to the internal filtration type filter 14.

Next, the small amount of particles that have passed through the internal filtration type filter 14 is sufficiently absorbed by the evaporated gas of the developing powder.
It is collected at 5. That is, most of the vaporized developer powder and fine particles generated in the flash fixing device are first collected by the internal filtration type filter 14, and then the particles that were not completely collected by the internal filtration type filter 14 are collected by the internal filtration type filter 14. Since the fine particles are collected by the surface filtration type filter 15, the time required for the surface filtration type filter 15 to become clogged is 6 6 times shorter than the time required when only a conventional surface filtration type filter is used. This will be more than twice as much, and the amount collected will be more than 6 times as much. Furthermore, the leakage of vaporized developer powder and fine particles to the outside, which would occur if only the internal filtration type filter was used, does not occur at all because they are completely collected by the surface filtration type filter 14. .

In other words, with the internal filtration type filter 14, no matter how fine the filter mesh is, it is not possible to remove all the evaporated gas and particulates of the developing powder due to vibrations of the device, exhaust pressure, and other influences, but it is possible to remove them. By using the surface filtration type filter 15, it becomes possible to completely remove the waste.

(7) Effects of the invention As explained above, according to the present invention, all of the above-mentioned drawbacks can be eliminated.

Moreover, specifically, the amount collected by the filter is six times or more compared to the case where only a surface filtration type filter is used, and the time required until the surface filtration type filter becomes clogged is six times or more. Therefore, the effect of significantly reducing running costs can be obtained. Further, since both filters have a cylindrical shape, they can be made smaller without reducing their surface area, which is effective in reducing the size of the flash fixing device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a fixing device equipped with a purification device, Figure 2 is a diagram showing a surface filtration type filter, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing a surface filtration type filter.
The figure shows an internal filtration type filter, and FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the flash fixing device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a flash lamp, 2 is a reflector, 3 is a protective glass plate, 4 is a heat radiation fin, 5 is an air suction duct, 6 is a filter, 7 is an exhaust blower, 8 is a recording medium, and 9 is an image , 10 and 11 are flanges, 12 and 13 are packings, 14 is an internal filtration type filter, and 15 is a surface filtration type filter.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A flash lamp for fixing an unfixed developer powder image formed on a recording medium by irradiating the unfixed developer powder image onto the recording medium; A flash fixing device is provided with a purifying means for purifying the generated unclean air, the purifying means comprising: a filter provided above the flash lamp; and a duct that guides unclean air near the flash lamp to the filter. and an exhaust blower that exhausts air from the filter, and the filter includes a cylindrical surface filtration type filter and a cylindrical internal filtration type filter disposed to cover the surface filtration type filter. . A flash fixing device characterized in that the air in the inner space of the surface filtration type filter is configured to be sucked by the exhaust blower.