Mysterious Object on Printer

[Scumston]

I just received a LaserJet Pro 3001dw printer to replace my stumbling M203dw, which was excellent until it wasn't excellent. It has a very odd feature that no HP depiction shows and which no one I have spoken with can explain, including someone at HP alleged support. It is a sort of racetrack shaped thing on the back of the top. It looks sort of like a cutout with a cover that doesn't fit right, with space all around that a flashlight reveals some stuff underneath.

What on earth is this? Why would this be present? What is its purpose? Is it a vent, and if so, how can I clean underneath it when dust balls inevitably accumulate? And if it is a vent, why would it be on top and of such a size as to invite junk, insects, etc. to jump right in? Can that cover, or whatever it is, be removed? Can I just tape up the open spaces---and why should anyone even have to worry about such things?

[Repairatrooper]

A picture would really help to illustrate what you are looking at. You can insert a photo by clicking the camera icon in the tool bar.

[Scumston]

At last I discovered what this seeming anomaly is by going to a Best Buy and asking the senior "Geek Squad" person there about it. He didn't know but took a few minutes to consult proprietary sources to find out.

This object is actually a vent, for exhausting cooing air that has been pulled into the housing by the fan. A sillier looking vent I cannot imagine, but there it is. Because the gap around the perimeter is 3/16ths inches, I'm going to cut some screening to fit neatly and apply that so that dust balls and insects don't get in. The Geek Squad guy said that would be just fine.

He learned the function of this weird configuration by consulting what's called HP Repair Manual for HP LaserJet Pro 3001-3008 series • 3001e-3008e series • HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101-3108 series • 3101e-3108e series and dated 2022. A clear photo of this new configuration appears on page 27. 

One might think that a company like HP would have a better idea how to serve customers than to let a design change go unillustrated and unexplained.

[Repairatrooper]

I would advise caution in restricting the vent too much. If it is on top it is likely to assist in dispersing hot air from around the fuser. If this model is based on a Samsung engine, those models have a proclivity to emit steam, it became such a problem that Samsung started putting warnings on the printers to cut down on panic "my printer is on fire" calls. Restricting airflow will encourage condensation to build up inside the printer and could lead to other problems. 

Just my 2 cents

[Scumston · Accepted solution]

Thank you for the input. The Geek Squad guy (I should have mentioned this) said that window screen would not appreciably restrict the air flow so long as it was kept decently clean. He told me this when I asked how to keep gunk from getting into such a gunk-inviting opening.