Patent ID: 7230636

Claim:
An image recording apparatus having a drum for supporting a photosensitive material mounted on a peripheral surface thereof, a drive device for rotating the drum about an axis thereof, and a recording device for recording an image on the photosensitive material mounted on the peripheral surface of the drum, said recording device comprising: a light emitting device for emitting a light beam to said photosensitive material on said drum; a jetting device including a jet port disposed upstream of said light emitting device with respect to a direction of rotation of said drum for jetting a first gas for diffusing a second gas generated by irradiation of the light from said light emitting device; and a suction device including a suction opening disposed downstream of said light emitting device with respect to the direction of rotation of said drum and having a larger diameter than said jet port for sucking the second gas diffused by said jetting device, the gases being sucked at a velocity higher than a velocity of the first gas jetted from said jetting device and in a larger volume per unit time than a volume per unit time of the first gas jetted from said jetting device; wherein the ratio of the velocity of the gases sucked by said suction device to the velocity of the first gas jetted from said jetting device, or the ratio of the volume per unit time of the gases sucked by said suction device to the volume per unit time of the first gas jetted from said jetting device, is increased in relation to increased drum rotating speed.