Cooling device having a turbulence generating unit

• US 8,606,138 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Okano, Satoshi, Nishimura, Takayuki, Takehara, Kenichi, Iijima, Yasuaki, Fujiya, Hiromitsu, Hirasawa, Tomoyasu, Saitoh, Masanori, Suzuki, Shingo, Yuasa, Keisuke, Ikeda, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GEOFFREY T
• Application Number:
  US12/844,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20110030927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 399/94, 399/341, 492/46
• US Class Current: 399/94
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/10 the conduits being arranged one within the other, e.g. concentrically multiple wall tubes for leak detection F28F1/003
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/12 the surrounding tube being closed at one end, e.g. return type F28D7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/405 and being formed of wires
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/06 by affecting the pattern of flow of the heat-exchange media F28F13/003 takes precedence; static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/08 by varying the cross-section of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/12 by creating turbulence, e.g. by stirring, by increasing the force of circulation F28F13/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 5/02 Rotary drums or rollers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2014 using contact heat
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/20 Humidity or temperature control also ozone evacuation; Internal apparatus environment control

Abstract

In a cooling device that includes a cooling roller that comprises a hollow tubular member and a cooling medium transport unit for transporting a cooling liquid to the inside of the cooling roller and contacts a sheet-like member to cool down the paper, a turbulence generating unit that generates turbulence in a cooling liquid is disposed near an inner wall of the outer tube.

Claims

1. A cooling device, comprising:

a cooling roller that comprises a hollow tubular member;

a cooling medium transport unit that transports a cooling liquid to an inside of the hollow tubular member; and

a turbulence generating unit that has a helical shape in a single winding direction and is disposed near an inner wall of the hollow tubular member to generate turbulence in the cooling liquid,

wherein the cooling device is configured to cause the cooling roller to contact a sheet-like member to cool down the sheet-like member,

wherein a winding direction of the helical shape is set to cause feeding in a direction reverse to a flow direction of a cooling liquid flowing near the inner wall of the hollow tubular member.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein the turbulence generating unit is detachably attached to the hollow tubular member.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling roller has a dual tube structure in which, in a hollow inside of an outer tube that is the hollow tubular member, an inner tube, which has a tube structure finer than an outer tube, is disposed and which has an outside flow passage in which a cooling liquid flows between the outer tube and the inner tube and an inside flow passage in which a cooling liquid flows inside the inner tube.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein the turbulence generating unit is disposed in an area extending in a circumferential direction of the outer tube where the sheet-like member is held.

5. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein the turbulence generating unit is a coil-like member.

6. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein the turbulence generating unit is a net-like member.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising the cooling device according to claim 1.

8. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein a winding direction of the helical shape is set to cause feeding in a same direction as a flow direction of the cooling liquid.

9. The cooling device according to claim 1,

wherein a winding direction of the helical shape is set to cause feeding in a direction reverse to a flow direction of the cooling liquid.