| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which, while minimizing the number of ducts and fans, gives priority cooling to the process cartridge closest to a heat fixing unit rather than the rest of the plurality of process cartridges, thereby efficiently cooling the overall apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus has a plurality of process cartridges capable of forming images of different colors and disposed parallel to one another in the body of the apparatus. Each of the process cartridges includes: a heat fixing unit for heat fixing a toner image transferred to paper; a photoreceptor drum; and a developing unit. The image forming apparatus has at least one or more cooling ducts and fans for cooling the process cartridges. At least one of the cooling duct branches into two air current passages upstream of the fan. One of the separate air current passages cools the process cartridge closest to the heat fixing unit whereas the other air current passage has a plurality of openings to cool the other process cartridges. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT |
