JPH0442857Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a flash fixing device that is suitably used in devices such as laser printers, copiers, and facsimile machines, and particularly relates to a flash fixing device that facilitates the replacement of flash lamps. The present invention relates to a fixing device.

[Background of the idea]

For example, in devices such as laser printers, copiers, and facsimile machines, a visible image is formed by fixing a toner image formed by development onto a fixing support, usually made of paper. As a method for fixing toner images, a heat roller fixing method using a heat roller is conventionally known. However, in this heat roller fixing method, at the beginning of image formation, a waiting time is required for the heat roller to rise to the temperature required for fixing the toner, and this waiting time is especially necessary when the environmental temperature is low such as in winter. The problem is that it becomes quite long.

For this reason, recently, a flash fixing method has been attracting attention, in which a flash lamp is used as a heat source for fixing, and a toner image is fixed using light energy from the flash lamp. According to such a flash fixing method, the flash lamp can be turned on instantly, and there is an advantage that the fixing process can be performed immediately without requiring standby time.

[Conventional technology]

An example of a conventional flash fixing device used, for example, in a laser printer is shown in FIG. The device of this example has a flash lamp 30, a gutter-like reflector 40, a light projection opening 51 at the bottom thereof, a casing 50 for holding the flash lamp 30 and the reflector 40, and a casing 50 for holding the flash lamp 30 and the reflector 40. A transparent glass plate 60 is arranged to close the light projection opening 51 of the casing 50. This transparent glass plate 60 is provided to prevent the flash lamp 30 or the reflection plate 40 from being contaminated.

The casing 50 has an upper plate and a side plate integrally formed, and the side plate 91 has a reflecting plate 4.
0 side parts 92 and 93 are fastening members 9 such as screws.
It is held and fixed by 4.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the flash fixing device, if the number of times the flash lamp emits light exceeds a predetermined number of times, the amount of light emitted by the flash lamp may become insufficient and fixing failure may occur. It is necessary to replace it with

This requirement becomes particularly great when a flash fixing device is used as a fixing device for a laser printer. This is because laser printers usually use a continuous, long fixing support, so the flash lamp is often emitted repeatedly many times in short cycles. As a result of this extremely high frequency, the flash lamp must be replaced within a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, since the reflectance of the reflector 40 gradually decreases, it may be necessary to replace it with a new reflector as necessary.

However, in the conventional flash fixing device as described above, the casing 50 has an upper plate and a side plate integrally formed, and the side plate 91
In addition, since the side parts 92 and 93 of the reflection plate 40 are held and fixed by fastening members 94 such as screws,
There is a problem in that the task of taking out the reflector 40 to the outside of the casing 50 is quite time-consuming, and as a result, the task of replacing the reflector 40 and the flash lamp 30 is troublesome.

[Purpose of invention]

The present invention has been developed based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a flash fixing device in which the flash lamp can be easily replaced.

[Means for solving problems]

The flash fixing device of the present invention includes a flash lamp as a heating source, a gutter-shaped metal reflecting plate that reflects light from the flash lamp toward a fixing support, and an opening for light projection at the bottom of the flash lamp. and a casing for holding the flash lamp and the reflector, and a transparent glass plate disposed to close the light projection opening of the casing, the casing comprising: , comprising a side plate and an upper plate removably provided on the upper part of the side plate, and the reflective plate is arranged between its back surface and the casing so that its lower side edge is in close contact with the upper surface of the transparent glass plate. It is characterized by being pressed against and held against the transparent glass plate by an elastic member disposed between the transparent glass plate and the upper plate.

[Function and effect of the idea]

According to the present invention, the casing has a side plate and an upper plate removably provided on the upper part of the side plate, and the lower side edge of the gutter-shaped metal reflecting plate is on the upper surface of the transparent glass plate. The reflective plate is held by an elastic member placed between the back surface of the reflective plate and the upper plate of the casing so that the reflective plate is pressed against the transparent glass plate, so that the upper plate of the casing By removing the plate, the reflector can be easily taken out of the casing, and when the reflector is taken out of the casing, the flash lamp can be easily removed. The replacement work of the lamp lamp becomes extremely easy.

When attaching the reflector, the reflector is held by pressing the back side of the reflector with an elastic member so that the lower side edge of the reflector comes into close contact with the top surface of the transparent glass plate. , it becomes possible to always hold the reflector in a constant position with respect to the flash lamp, and the work of positioning the reflector becomes extremely simple.

And to cool the flash lamp,
When supplying cooling air around the flash lamp, the cooling air is normally flowed along the length of the flash lamp, but the lower side edge of the reflector is pressed against the transparent glass plate by the pressing force of the elastic member. Since they are in close contact, cooling air can flow stably around the flash lamp without leaking.
It is also possible to increase cooling efficiency.

As described above, since the flash lamp is easy to replace, a particularly excellent effect can be achieved when the flash lamp is used as a fixing device for a laser printer, in which the flash lamp repeatedly emits light many times in a short cycle. Ru.

[Specific configuration]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams schematically showing an example of a case where a flash fixing device according to the present invention is used as a fixing device for a laser printer.

In these figures, 30 is a flash lamp as a heating source, such as a xenon flash lamp, 40 is a reflector, 50 is a casing, and 6 is a flash lamp as a heating source.
0 is a transparent glass plate, and S is a fixing support.

As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 50 basically includes four side plates surrounding the four sides, that is, a front side plate 52, a rear side plate 53, side plates 54 and 55, and these side plates 52, 53, 54,55
The casing 50 has an upper plate 56 removably connected by a fastening member 57 such as a screw, and a light projection opening 51 provided at the lower part. 40 is retained. Each plate is made of, for example, an iron plate with a thickness of about 0.8 to 1 mm.

Side plates 52, 53, 54, 55 of casing 50
A bent pressing portion 58 is provided at the lower end portion of the transparent glass plate 60, and the lower surface 6 of the transparent glass plate 60 is
2 is held in contact with these bending retainers 58 so as to close the light projection opening 51 of the casing 50.

The reflecting plate 40 reflects the light from the flash lamp 30 toward the fixing support S, and is made of a metal plate having elasticity, such as aluminum. It has a gutter-like form extending in the longitudinal direction of 30 mm,
The thickness is, for example, about 0.5 to 1 mm. This reflective plate 40 is designed so that its lower side edges 41 and 42 are in close contact with the upper surface 61 of the transparent glass 60, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. The transparent glass plate 60 is pressed and held by an elastic member 70 fixedly arranged therebetween.

The number of elastic members 70 to be provided is appropriately selected depending on the length of the reflecting plate 40, but in the example shown in FIG. , are respectively arranged at three positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the reflecting plate 40.

In FIG. 3, 71 is a fixed frame, 72 is a connecting bolt, 73 is a fixing screw, 74 and 75 are insertion holes, and 76 is a screw hole. The fixed frame 71 is fixed to the upper plate 56 of the casing 50 by fixing screws 73 at the side portions. An elastic member 70 made of, for example, a leaf spring is disposed between the lower surface of the central convex portion 77 of the fixed frame 71 and the upper back surface 43 of the reflecting plate 40. The bolt 72 inserted into the insertion hole 75 is screwed into the screw hole 76 of the fixed frame 71, so that the upper and lower surfaces of the elastic member 70 are respectively attached to the fixed frame 7.
1 and the upper back surface 43 of the reflecting plate 40 against the elastic force, the elastic member 70
is said to be in a compressed state. The diameters of the insertion holes 74 and 75 are large enough to allow the connecting bolt 72 to move freely in the direction in which it extends.

In FIG. 2, 78A and 78B are a cooling air inlet and a cooling air outlet, respectively, and these cooling air inlets 78A and cooling air outlets 78B are
They are provided at one end and the other end of the casing 50, respectively. Cooling air sent from a cooling air supply mechanism (not shown) is supplied from the cooling air inlet 78A to the space surrounding the flash lamp 30 surrounded by the reflector 40, and this cooling air
0 and the cooling air outlet 7
It is discharged from 8B.

According to the device having the above configuration, the casing 50
has side plates 52, 53, 54, 55 and an upper plate 56 removably provided above these side plates, and the lower side edges 41 and 42 of the gutter-shaped metal reflecting plate 40 are The upper back surface 43 of the reflective plate 40 is pressed by the elastic member 70 disposed between the upper back surface 43 of the reflective plate 40 and the upper plate 56 of the casing 50 so as to be in close contact with the upper surface 61 of the transparent glass plate 60. By removing the upper plate 56 of the casing 50, the reflecting plate 40 is held by the upper plate 56 of the casing 50.
Moreover, when the reflector plate 40 is taken out from the casing 50, the flash lamp 30 can be easily removed.As a result, the work of replacing the flash lamp 30 is simplified. It becomes extremely easy.

When attaching the reflector 40, the upper back surface 43 of the reflector 40 is pressed by the elastic member 70 so that the lower side edges 41 and 42 of the reflector 40 are brought into close contact with the upper surface 61 of the transparent glass plate 60. By doing so, since the reflector 40 is held, it becomes possible to always maintain the reflector 40 in a constant posture with respect to the flash lamp 30,
Reflector plate 4 after replacing flash lamp 30
0 positioning work becomes extremely easy.

And lower side edges 41 and 42 of the reflector 40
is in close contact with the transparent glass plate 60 due to the pressing force of the elastic member 70, so that when cooling the flash lamp 30, the cooling air can stably flow around the flash lamp 30 without leaking. , cooling efficiency can be increased.

Since the reflecting plate 40 is connected to the upper plate 56 of the casing 50 via the elastic member 70 and the fixed frame 71, when the upper plate 56 is removed from the side plate, the reflecting plate 40 automatically follows this. This improves the work efficiency of removal.

As described above, since the flash lamp 30 is easy to replace, it is particularly effective when used as a fixing device of a laser printer, in which the flash lamp 30 repeatedly emits light many times in a short cycle. is played.

Although an example of the flash fixing device according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above example, and various embodiments can be adopted as described below.

(1) The elastic member is not limited to a leaf spring, but may also be a coiled spring or other forms.

(2) The means for arranging the elastic member between the back surface of the reflector and the upper plate of the casing is not particularly limited. For example, it may be directly fixed to the upper plate without using any other member. Also, for example, the first
In the examples shown in FIGS. 7 to 3, the insertion position of the connecting bolt may be reversed so that the threaded portion of the bolt protrudes from the reflective surface of the reflective plate, and the nut may be screwed into this.

Further, the flash fixing device of the present invention can be suitably used as a fixing device for laser printers, and can also be used as a fixing device for devices such as copying machines and facsimile machines.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are an explanatory longitudinal front view and an explanatory longitudinal side view schematically showing an example of a flash fixing device according to the present invention, respectively; FIG. 3 is an explanatory sectional view showing an enlarged main part; FIG. 4 is an explanatory longitudinal sectional front view showing an example of a conventional flash fixing device. 30...flash lamp, 40...reflector,
41, 42... lower side edge, 43... upper back side,
50... Casing, 51... Light projection opening, 5
2... Front side plate, 53... Rear side plate, 54, 55
... Lateral side plate, 56 ... Top plate, 57 ... Fastening member, 58 ... Bend holding part, 60 ... Transparent glass plate, 61 ... Top surface, 62 ... Bottom surface, 70 ... Elastic member, 71 ... ... Fixed frame, 72 ... Connection bolt,
73... Fixing screw, 74, 75... Insertion hole, 76
...Screwing hole, 77...Central convex portion, 78A...Cooling air inlet, 78B...Cooling air outlet, 91...Side plate,
94... Fastening member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A flash lamp as a heating source, a gutter-shaped metal reflecting plate that reflects light from the flash lamp toward a fixing support, and an opening for light projection at the bottom of the flash lamp. A flash fixing device comprising: a casing for holding the flash lamp and a reflector; and a transparent glass plate disposed to close the light projection opening of the casing, the casing comprising: , comprising a side plate and an upper plate removably provided on the upper part of the side plate, and the reflective plate is arranged between its back surface and the casing so that its lower side edge is in close contact with the upper surface of the transparent glass plate. A flash fixing device characterized in that the flash fixing device is pressed against and held against the transparent glass plate by an elastic member disposed between the flash fixing device and the top plate.