The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 30, 2016
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2014
Takaaki Shirai, Tokyo, JP;
Satoru Tao, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuma Kasai, Kanagawa, JP;
Norikazu Okada, Kanagawa, JP;
Homare Ehara, Kanagawa, JP;
Keita Maejima, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomoyuki Yamashita, Tokyo, JP;
Ryohta Kubokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Takaaki Shirai, Tokyo, JP;
Satoru Tao, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuma Kasai, Kanagawa, JP;
Norikazu Okada, Kanagawa, JP;
Homare Ehara, Kanagawa, JP;
Keita Maejima, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomoyuki Yamashita, Tokyo, JP;
Ryohta Kubokawa, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a heat-generating component, a power generation device including a thermoelectric element, a heat radiation device, a cooling device, a temperature detector that detects a temperature increase of the heat-generating component, and a controller. The heat radiation device includes a first radiator plate interposed between the heat-generating component and a surface of the thermoelectric element and a second radiator plate attached to another surface of the thermoelectric element. The cooling device cools the first radiator plate. The controller controls operations of the cooling device and the power generation device by operating the cooling device if the detected temperature increase reaches at least a predetermined threshold value, and causing the power generation device to generate power without operating the cooling device to cool the first radiator plate passively if the detected temperature increase falls below the predetermined threshold value.