Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Tsubakimoto Chain Company

Kubota Corporation

Akira Ishii

Osamu Yoshida

Yuji Kurematsu

Munehiro Maeda

Masayuki Yamada

Masuo Kawamoto

Ryoichi Ito

Osamu Murakami

Hisato Katoh

Toyonaga Saitoh

Tadashi Kusunoki

Naozumi Ogawa

Koshiro Tomimori

Koji Iwai

Kenzi Ueno

Yuuji Kurematsu

Masakazu Shiotsuki

A sheet feeding device includes a cassette storage part, a sheet feed cassette, a pickup roller, a feed roller, a retard roller, a retaining member, and a pushing mechanism. The pushing mechanism pushes the retaining member so that the retard roller is pushed to contact with the feed roller. The pushing mechanism includes a pushing member that contacts and pushes the retaining member, and a biasing member that biases the pushing member. In a plane perpendicular to a rotation shaft of the retard roller, a pushing direction of the pushing member in a push contact position against the retaining member forms an angle of 45 degrees or less, with a straight line connecting the center of the rotation shaft of the retard roller and the center of a rotation shaft of the feed roller.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet feeder includes: a sheet feed roller holding member that holds a pick-up roller capable of coming into contact with and away from a top surface of a sheet, supports the pick-up roller rotatably, and pivotally moves while urging the pick-up roller toward contact with the top surface of the sheet; a restricting member that restricts pivotal movement of the sheet feed roller holding member, resulting in restriction of movement of the pick-up roller toward the contact with the top surface of the sheet; and a restriction cancelling portion that is provided in a sheet feed cassette and abuts against the restricting member to apply to the restricting member a pressing force from the sheet feed cassette, thus cancelling the restriction of the restricting member.

Sheet feeder capable of accommodating and feeding sheets

A sheet feeding cassette () includes a body part (), a placement plate () disposed on a bottom plate () of the body part (), a shaft () extending along a width direction, a lift plate () configured to be turned around the shaft () to lift and lower a downstream end portion of the placement plate (), and a pair of side cursors (F,R). Both end portions of the shaft () are rotatably supported by the body part (), outside in the width direction of the side cursors (F,R) disposed at the most separate position. The side cursors (F,R) each has an abutment wall (F,R) abutting on a side surface of the sheet and a recess () externally fitted to the shaft () from above, and the recess () slides on the shaft () when the side cursors (F,R) move in the width direction.

Sheet feeding cassette and image forming apparatus

A positioning structure includes a positioning aiding member attached to a horizontal beam of a sheet feeder and having a positioning hole formed at an opposed portion thereof opposed to the horizontal beam. The positioning aiding member has a guide part that, when an image forming apparatus is installed onto a top of the sheet feeder, guides a horizontal beam of the image forming apparatus such that a positioning hole formed in a lower surface of the horizontal beam of the image forming apparatus approaches a first positioning pin coupled with the positioning aiding member as viewed in an extending direction of the horizontal beam of the sheet feeder.

Positioning structure between sheet feeder and image forming apparatus to be installed onto top of the sheet feeder

An electrical connector of an image forming apparatus exposes outward from a bottom surface of the image forming apparatus. An electrical connector of a sheet feeder protrudes from a top surface of the sheet feeder. The sheet feeder has a slider configured to be horizontally movable, while holding the electrical connector of the sheet feeder, between a connecting position at which the electrical connectors of the sheet feeder and image forming apparatus are connected and a disconnecting position at which the electrical connectors are disconnected. A locking member having a locking engaged part is fixed to the image forming apparatus. When the slider is moved to the connecting position, a locking engaging part of the slider engages the locking engaged part of the locking member so that the locking member and the slider are locked such that they cannot be separated vertically from each other.

Connecting structure between electrical connector of sheet feeder and electrical connector of image forming apparatus to be installed onto top of the sheet feeder

A toner case includes a case main body, first and second agitators, and a transmitting mechanism. The case main body is configured to store a toner. The first and second agitators are configured to rotate and to agitate the toner in the case main body. A transmitting mechanism is configured to transmit rotation to the first and second agitators. The transmitting mechanism stops transmission of the rotation to the second agitator while the transmitting mechanism continues the transmission of the rotation to the first agitator, when driving torque of the second agitator is equal to or more than a first set value.

Toner case including agitator agitating toner and image forming apparatus including toner case

A toner container includes a container body, a first projecting member, a second projecting member, and a plurality of rotational members. The first projecting member and the second projecting member are provided on a bottom surface of the container body, configured to divide an inner space of the container body into a plurality of storage chambers that are juxtaposed in a width direction of the container body, and formed parallel to one another. The plurality of rotational members are rotatably provided, respectively, in the plurality of storage chambers, and juxtaposed in the width direction. Each rotational member includes a rotational shaft body, and a film-like stirring member that is attached to the rotational shaft body and extends in a direction perpendicular to that of the rotational shaft body. A height of the first projecting member from the bottom surface is different from that of the second projecting member.

Toner container

A toner container includes a container body, a first bearing portion, and a rotational member. The container body in which toner is stored includes a pair of side walls that face one another across a specific distance. The first bearing portion is provided in an inner surface of at least one side wall of the pair of side walls. The rotational member includes a rotational shaft that is rotatably supported by the first bearing portion. The first bearing portion includes a terminal end portion on one side and an open portion on another side, and further includes a first long groove in which the rotational shaft is inserted, and a projection protruding from a groove bottom surface that extends from the open portion to the terminal end portion of the first long groove.

An image reading device includes a placing plate, a frame, a scanner, and a flat cable. The flat cable has a flat surface, has one end connected to a cable port provided in the scanner and the other end connected to the frame, and transmits/receives a signal to/from the scanner. The flat cable extends in the frame such that a width direction of the flat surface is along a direction perpendicular to a lower surface of the placing plate.

Image reading device having a flat cable that transmits/receives a signal to/from the scanner and image forming apparatus

An image reading apparatus includes a contact glass, a frame in a box shape, a scanner, a flat cable, and a control unit. The flat cable contains core wires and has a flat shaped flat surface. The flat cable runs inside the frame such that a width direction of the flat surface runs along a direction perpendicular to the lower surface of the contact glass. The flat cable has a side that opposes to the lower surface of the contact glass. The side includes a plurality of document detection sensors in a state where detection directions face the lower surface side of the contact glass. The plurality of document detection sensors are electrically connected to any of the core wires among the plurality of core wires contained in the flat cable, the plurality of document detection sensors outputting detection signals transmitted to the control unit via the core wires.

Image reading apparatus that inhibits flat cable from contacting contact glass, and image forming apparatus

A developer stirring member is supported by a rotation portion in a container that stores developer and is configured to stir the developer. The developer stirring member includes a base portion and a reinforcement portion. The base portion is a film-like member including a first supported portion and an end portion, the first supported portion being supported by the rotation portion, the end portion being a free end to pivot. The reinforcement portion is a film-like member overlapping only a part of the base portion that is on a first supported portion side.

Developer stirring member and image forming apparatus

There is provide a ratchet-type tensioner that enables to readily disengage a plunger from a ratchet element in maintaining an engine, that engages the plunger reliably with the ratchet element in operating the engine so as to reduce flapping noise, and that prevents seizure of the plunger. A ratchet releasing mechanism X configured to release an engagement of the ratchet teethof the ratchet elementwith the rack teethof the plungerby means of a tool pin T includes a ratchet releasing pin guide holeformed through the housing bodyto insert a pin edge portion Tof the tool pin T into a plunger-side edge region of the ratchet elementand a ratchet releasing pin engaging holeformed in the plunger-side edge region of the ratchet elementto guide and engage the pin edge portion Tof the tool pin T inserted from the ratchet releasing pin guide hole

Ratchet tensioner

Deaeration of the high pressure oil chamber of a hydraulic tensioner takes place though a helical orifice formed by opposed flanks of the threads of a threaded hole in the tensioner housing and the threads of a screw inserted into the hole. The opposed flanks are maintained in spaced relationship by a force exerted by a spring washer disposed between the head of the screw and a surface of the tensioner housing surrounding the opening of the threaded hole. The flank of the thread of the hole that forms part of the boundary of the helical orifice can have a concave curvature in order to increase the aperture of the air flow path. A groove in the surface surrounding the opening of the threaded hole prevents the washer from sealing off the flow of air. This groove is disposed with its exit end at a level above its entry end.

Hydraulic tensioner

There is provided a ratchet-type tensioner whose spring stopping washer for seating a ratchet biasing spring is rigidly and readily assembled to a ratchet-receiving hole so as not to fall out of the ratchet-receiving hole and which reduces flapping noise and prevents seizure of the plunger by securely and stably operating a ratchet mechanism in operating an engine. The ratchet-type tensioneris arranged so that the spring stopping washer has a C-ring anchored in the rear-end area of the ratchet-receiving hole by fitting in a diameter-reduced state and by enlarging its diameter within an anchoring circumferential groove of the ratchet-receiving hole and a spring stopping piece extended from the C-ring to a ring center area to seat the ratchet biasing spring.

Ratchet-type tensioner

In a ratchet-type tensioner having a plunger with rack teeth formed thereon and a piston with ratchet teeth that engage the rack teeth, the ratchet teeth can be disengaged from the rack teeth by insertion of a tool through a tool insertion hole in the tensioner housing and exerting a prying action on the toothed end of the piston to move the piston away from the plunger. Alternatively if an oblique camming surface is formed on the toothed end of the piston, the ratchet teeth can be disengaged from the rack teeth by pushing the tool inward against the oblique camming surface. The piston and the hole in which it slides are shaped to prevent rotation of the piston. The ratchet teeth on the piston and the rack teeth on the plunger can be oblique to allow setback of the plunger when excessive force is exerted on the plunger.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Akira Ishii