JPH06190237A - Evacuating apparatus for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the thickness of an ozone filter without increasing its pressure drop and without degrading the cracking capacity of the ozone filter by using the ozone filter having meshes inclined in a flow direction of air with its thickness direction. CONSTITUTION:The meshes of the ozone filter 17 are so formed as to incline with the thickness direction of the ozone filter 17 and are consequently so set that the air passing the ozone filter 17 inclines with the thickness direction of the ozone filter 17. The ozone filter 17 is so formed that the number of its meshes is the same as the number of the meshes of the conventional ozone filters. The formation of the ozone filter 17 to the thickness smaller by (a-c) than heretofore is, therefore, possible, if the same air passage distance as the air passage distance of the conventional filters, i.e., the same ozone removal efficiency as the ozone removal efficiency of the conventional filters are to be obtained with the ozone filter 17. Then, the formation of a suction filter to a relatively large thickness is possible as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exhaust device used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, and more particularly to a shape of an ozone filter used in the exhaust device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an exhaust device of this type of image forming apparatus, there is the following one. As shown in FIG. 7, the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus includes an exhaust device main body 10
The air inside the image forming apparatus is sucked in through the air inlet 101 provided at the upper end of 0 as indicated by the arrow.
The air sucked from 01 through the intake duct 102,
It is supplied to the filter box 103. Inside the filter box 103, a suction filter 104 for removing dust and toner and an ozone filter 105 for removing ozone are housed.
A fan 106 for forcibly exhausting the air inside the image forming apparatus is accommodated below the filter box 103, and the air sucked by the fan 106 is exhausted from an exhaust port 108 via an exhaust duct 107. It is configured to be discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 8, an ozone filter 105 mounted on a filter case 109 is housed in the filter box 103, and the ozone filter 105 is filled with air along its thickness direction. A mesh is formed so that it can be distributed.

The air inside the image forming apparatus is
The air A that is forcibly exhausted by the fan 106 and contains harmful substances such as dust, toner, ozone, etc.
Dust and toner are collected when passing through the suction filter 104 that is taken in from the filter box 103 and held in the filter box 103, and when passing through the ozone filter 105, ozone is decomposed and clean air is obtained. Becomes the exhaust port 10 via the exhaust duct 107.
8 is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus.

By the way, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus, generally, in order to increase the collection amount of the suction filter 104, the size thereof may be increased. Further, in order to improve the decomposition performance of the ozone filter 105, there is a method of increasing the thickness of the filter or making the mesh of the filter finer.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems. That is, in the case of the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus, the exhaust ozone concentration that determines the thickness of the ozone and suction filters 105 and 104 and the suction collection amount are mutually contradictory factors.

That is, in order to reduce the exhaust ozone concentration, it is necessary to make the mesh of the ozone filter 105 fine or increase its thickness. However, if the mesh is made fine, the pressure loss becomes large and the air volume decreases. Therefore, there arises a problem that it becomes impossible to sufficiently suck dust and toner. Further, when the thickness of the ozone filter 105 is increased, the size of the filter box 103 is restricted, so that the thickness of the suction filter 104 is inevitably reduced, and the suction collection amount is reduced.

On the contrary, in order to increase the suction collection amount, the thickness of the suction filter 104 must be increased. In this case, the filter box 103 is required.
Ozone filter 1 is inevitably due to size restrictions
There is a problem that the thickness of 05 becomes small and the ozone decomposing ability is reduced.

Consequently, in the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus, the exhaust ozone concentration is prioritized, so that the thickness of the suction filter 104 is limited and a sufficient collection capacity of the suction filter 104 cannot be obtained. There was a problem. Therefore, there is a problem that the service life of the suction filter 104 and the like is shortened and maintenance becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The object of the present invention is to increase the pressure loss and to reduce the decomposition ability of the ozone filter. In the image forming apparatus, the thickness of the ozone filter can be reduced, the thickness of the suction filter can be relatively increased, and sufficient ozone decomposition efficiency and suction collection amount can be obtained. To provide an exhaust system.

[0011]

The above-mentioned technical problems are as follows.
In an exhaust device of an image forming apparatus in which a suction filter and an ozone filter are provided in series, by using, as the ozone filter, one having a mesh in which an air flow direction is inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the ozone filter, To be achieved.

[0012]

In the present invention, by using an ozone filter having a mesh in which the air flow direction is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the ozone filter, the ozone filter is The air circulation distance can be increased, and a sufficient ozone removing effect can be obtained without increasing the thickness of the ozone filter. Therefore, the size of the suction filter can be secured, and sufficient ozone decomposition efficiency and suction collection amount can be obtained.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows an electrophotographic copying machine to which an embodiment of the exhaust device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of a copying machine. Inside the main body 1 of the copying machine, a photosensitive drum 2 for copying an image of an original document and a peripheral portion of the photosensitive drum 2 are provided. A primary charging device 3, an image exposure unit 4, a developing device 5, a transfer charging device 6, a separation charging device 7, and a fixing device 8 that fixes a toner image on the transfer paper separated from the photosensitive drum 2 are provided. Is stored.

Inside the main body 1 of the copying machine, as shown in FIG. 3, intake ducts 9 and 10 for sucking ozone generated from the primary charger 3, the transfer charger 6, and the separation charger 7. And a suction duct (not shown) for sucking toner and dust floating around the photosensitive drum 2. These intake ducts 9 and 10 are connected to an exhaust device 11 arranged on the back side between the photoconductor drum 2 and the fixing device 8 in the copying machine main body 1.

The exhaust device 11 is, as shown in FIG.
The air inside the image forming apparatus is sucked through the air inlet 13 provided at the upper end of the exhaust device body 12 as shown by the arrow,
The air taken in from the intake port 13 is supplied to the filter box 15 via the intake duct 14. Inside the filter box 15, a suction filter 16 for removing dust and toner and an ozone filter 17 for removing ozone are housed.
A fan 18 for forcibly exhausting the air inside the image forming apparatus is housed below the filter box 15, and the air sucked by the fan 18 is
It is configured to be discharged from the exhaust port 20 to the outside of the copying machine through the exhaust duct 19. In addition, the fan 1
As 8, a fan of axial flow type is used,
The present invention is not limited to this, and a cross-flow type fan or the like may be used.

In the filter box 15 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the ozone filter 17 attached to the filter case 21 is stored with the filter case 21 placed on the flange portion 15a.

The air inside the copying machine is forcibly exhausted by the fan 18, and the air A containing harmful substances such as dust, toner and ozone is taken in from the intake duct 14 and held in the filter box 15. When passing through the suction filter 16, dust and toner are collected, and when passing through the ozone filter 17, ozone is decomposed into clean air and exhausted through the exhaust duct 19 to the exhaust port. It is designed to be discharged to the outside of the copying machine from 20.

By the way, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the mesh of the ozone filter 17 is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the ozone filter 17, and as a result, it passes through the ozone filter 17. The air to be used is set to be inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the ozone filter 17. In addition, the ozone filter 17
Are formed so that the number of meshes is the same as that of the conventional ozone filter.

Therefore, the ozone filter 17 is
If the same air passage distance, that is, the same ozone removal efficiency as that of the conventional ozone filter shown in FIG. 8 is obtained, the thickness of the ozone filter 17 can be reduced by (a-c) as compared with the conventional one.

Therefore, even if the size of the filter box 15 is not changed, the thickness of the suction filter 16 can be increased by that much (a-c), and a sufficient suction collection amount can be secured. .

As described above, since it is not necessary to make the mesh of the ozone filter 17 fine, the thickness of the ozone filter 17 can be reduced without increasing the pressure loss and reducing the decomposition ability of the ozone filter 17. Can be relatively suction filter 1
The thickness of 6 can be increased, and sufficient ozone decomposition efficiency and suction collection amount can be obtained.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those of the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, two thin films are formed. The ozone filters 17 are configured to be laminated with a slight gap 30 so that the mesh directions of the ozone filters 17 are opposite to each other.

By doing so, the air that has passed through the first ozone filter 17 can be temporarily retained in the gap 30 and then passed through the second ozone filter 17, thus increasing the pressure loss. In addition, the decomposition efficiency of ozone can be improved.

The other structure and operation are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the mesh of the ozone filter 17 is It is formed to have a wavy shape instead of a straight shape.

By doing so, the ozone decomposition efficiency of the ozone filter 17 can be further improved.

The other structure and operation are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0030]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention has the above-mentioned constitution and operation, and the thickness of the ozone filter can be reduced without increasing the pressure loss and reducing the decomposing ability of the ozone filter. It is possible to provide an exhaust device of an image forming apparatus that can relatively increase the thickness of the suction filter and can obtain sufficient ozone decomposition efficiency and suction collection amount.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of essential parts showing an embodiment of an exhaust device of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a copying machine to which an embodiment of an exhaust device for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of the copying machine.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the exhaust device.

FIG. 5 is a main part configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a main part configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view showing a conventional exhaust device.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part of a conventional exhaust device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 copy machine body, 9, 10 intake duct, 11 exhaust device, 16 suction filter, 17 ozone filter, 18 fan.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An exhaust device of an image forming apparatus, wherein a suction filter and an ozone filter are provided in series, wherein the ozone filter has a mesh in which an air flow direction is inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the ozone filter. An exhaust device for an image forming apparatus, wherein the exhaust device is used.