US 12,443,135 B2
Image forming device
Kenji Kawatsu, Kodaira (JP)
Assigned to KONICA MINOLTA INC., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Konica Minolta, Inc., Toyko (JP)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/731,910.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-077344 (JP), filed on Apr. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0350286 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G03G 21/20 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/657 (2013.01) [G03G 21/206 (2013.01); G03G 2215/00616 (2013.01); G03G 2215/00675 (2013.01); G03G 2215/00679 (2013.01); G03G 2221/1645 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming device comprising:
a conveyance path that conveys a continuous printing medium,
an image former that is arranged in a first place in the middle of the conveyance path, forms an image on one surface of the continuous printing medium, and fixes the formed image by heating,
a cooler that is arranged in a second place downstream in a conveyance direction from the first place in the middle of the conveyance path, and cools the continuous printing medium by blowing air for cooling to the continuous printing medium, the cooler being configured to blow the air without being in contact with the one surface of the continuous printing medium on which the image is formed, the conveyance path in the second place being different in a conveyance direction from the conveyance path in the first place; and
a reader that is arranged in a third place downstream in the conveyance direction from the second place in the middle of the conveyance path, and reads the image formed on the continuous printing medium by the image former, and
a guide member that changes the conveyance direction of the continuous printing medium between the first place and the second place of the conveyance path in a manner that the continuous printing medium is vertically conveyed from an upper side to a lower side and the one surface on which the image is formed is conveyed vertically and simultaneously cooled by the blowing air,
wherein the guide member does not come into contact with the one surface being formed with the image and comes into contact with the other surface not being formed with the image.