Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Fan Xu

Mitsuru Horinoe

Yuichi Matsushita

Takashi Yasuda

Hiroki Mori

Yukiko Nakaya

Shougo Sato

Hiroya Fukuta

Koji Ogawa

Junichi Hashimoto

Takashi Shimizu

Isao Kishi

Keita Shimizu

Yuwen Wang

Toshio Furukawa

Masahiro Ishii

Yoshinori Ito

Keigo Nakajima

Shota Iriyama

Masahiko Hayakawa

Kazuma Hinoue

Kengo Yada

Miho Ishida

Hotaka Kakutani

Soun Kanada

Shintaro Fukuoka

Ayaka Komori

Enao Yamada

Masaki Ueji

Marika Ozaki

A memory of an image forming apparatus is configured to store drum cartridge information and toner cartridge information. The drum cartridge information includes at least a number of drum printed sheets or a number of drum rotations. The toner cartridge information includes at least a number of toner printed sheets, a number of development rotations, or a toner dot count. A controller updates the drum cartridge information and the toner cartridge information stored in the memory in association with execution of image formation. The controller performs a rotation continuation operation of continuing rotations of a photosensitive drum and a development roller until a rotation continuation time elapses after a last sheet in a print job passes the photosensitive drum. The rotation continuation time is determined based on the drum cartridge information and the toner cartridge information.

Image forming apparatus having drum cartridge, toner cartridge and memory with stored information to determine drum rotation continuation operation

An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a magnetic roller; a transfer belt; a drum cleaning roller for collecting toner on the photosensitive drum and discharging collected toner to the photosensitive drum; a belt cleaner; a waste toner accommodating unit; and a controller configured to perform a printing operation for forming an image on a sheet and a cleaning operation for cleaning the drum cleaning roller. The controller is configured to perform: when performing the printing operation, collecting toner on the photosensitive drum using the drum cleaning roller; and when performing the cleaning operation, discharging the toner on the drum cleaning roller collected in the collecting to the photosensitive drum; transferring the toner on the photosensitive drum onto the transfer belt; and collecting the toner on the transfer belt using the belt cleaner so that the collected toner is accommodated in the waste toner accommodating unit.

Image forming apparatus configured to perform cleaning operation for cleaning drum cleaning roller configured to collect toner on photosensitive drum

A developing device includes: an agitation member including an agitation film; and a housing including a first frame and a second frame jointed to the first frame. The second frame includes: a first contact part configured to contact the agitation film, and a second contact part configured to contact the agitation film, arranged at a downstream side of the first contact part, the second contact part protruding towards the first frame. A first distance from the rotational axis line to the first contact part, as seen from a direction of the rotational axis line, is gradually increased towards a downstream side with respect to the rotating direction. A second distance from the rotational axis line to the second contact part is equal to or greater than a maximum distance from the rotational axis line to the first contact part.

Developing device including housing having first frame that supports agitation member and second frame jointed to first frame and configured to accommodate developer

A developing device includes a casing configured to store a developing agent and a developing agent carrier configured to carry the developing agent in the casing. The developing agent carrier is configured to rotate about an axis extending in a first direction. The developing device further includes a layer-thickness regulating member configured to regulate a thickness of a layer of the developing agent carried on the developing agent carrier and a first seal member disposed between the layer-thickness regulating blade and the casing. The first seal member extends along the first direction. The casing includes a first regulating portion configured to regulate a movement of the first seal member in the first direction by contacting a surface of the first seal member non-parallel to the first direction. The first regulating portion may include protrusions and/or indentations to regulate the movement of the first seal member.

Developing device having regulating portions that regulate movement of a seal member

A developing cartridge includes a housing configured to accommodate a developing agent and including a first frame and a second frame, a developing agent carrying member rotatable on an axial line and configured to carry the developing agent, and a layer thickness regulating member configured to regulate a layer thickness of the developing agent carried by the developing agent carrying member. The first frame has a first facing surface facing the layer thickness regulating member. The second frame has a second facing surface facing the layer thickness regulating member. A welded region where the first frame and the second frame are welded and include a first welded portion extending from the first facing surface in a first direction intersecting with and away from the first facing surface, and a second welded portion extending from the first welded portion inward in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

Developing cartridge

A developing unit includes a housing, a developing roller and a seal contacting an outer peripheral surface of the developing roller. The seal includes a first part disposed inward in an axial line direction of the developing roller and contacting the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller, and a second part contacting an outer edge of the first part in the axial line direction and disposed outward from the first part in the axial line direction and contacting the outer peripheral surface. The first part has a contact surface contacting the developing roller and a plurality of first grooves each of which is recessed from the contact surface and extends along the contact surface. The plurality of first grooves extends from outward to inward in the axial line direction, as the plurality of first grooves extends from upstream to downstream in a rotational direction of the developing roller.

Developing unit

In a developing apparatus, a sealing member has a first part contacting an axial end part of a developing roller and a second part including a first side surface. A roller body of a supply roller includes a contact surface that contacts the peripheral surface, and a second side surface located at an end of the contact surface in the axial direction. The restricting member has a one side and another side. The one side is opposed to the second side surface in the axial direction. The another side is opposed to the first side surface in the axial direction with a gap. The gap is communicated with an interior space of a developer accommodating frame such that the developer is capable of moving away from a nip position between the supply roller and the developing roller toward the bottom wall of the developing frame in the gap.

Developing apparatus having thickness regulating member, sealing member, and restricting member

A developing device includes a frame, a developing roller, and first and second seals. The frame has a seal adhesion surface and a seal placement portion. The first seal is provided between the frame and a peripheral surface at an end portion of the developing roller. The second seal is in contact with the peripheral surface and has an end region positioned between the first seal and the peripheral surface. The second seal has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is adhered to the seal adhesion surface and has an end part adhered onto the first seal. The second end portion is in contact with the peripheral surface of the developing roller. The first seal is compressed in the seal placement portion by the second seal to abut on a stepped portion of the seal placement portion.

Developing device capable of restraining leakage of developing agent

Developing cartridge includes doctor blade in contact with developer carrying member. The doctor blade includes supporting plate having proximal end portion and distal end portion. Pressing portion is provided on the distal end portion to define contacting portion at which the doctor blade contacts surface of the developer carrying member. The pressing portion has end face extending in a direction away from the developer carrying member from the contacting portion and facing an upstream side in rotational direction of the developer carrying member. The proximal end portion is positioned downstream from the contacting portion in the rotational direction of the developer carrying member. Angle &#x3b1; between the end face and a plane tangent to the contacting portion, at a position in proximity to the developer carrying member, is not smaller than 90 degrees, as viewed in cross section orthogonal to axis of rotation of the developer carrying member.

Developing cartridge including doctor blade regulating developer on developer carrying member

A developing device comprising: a developing roller; a casing that includes a developer storage unit; a roller supporting unit and an opening; and a seal member that is mounted on the casing outside the opening in the central axis direction and faces an end portion of the developing roller, the seal member configured to rub against the end portion of the developing roller when the seal member is elastically deformed, wherein the casing includes: an outer projection that is provided along a moving direction of the developing roller to abut on an outer end portion of the seal member, the outer projection protruding in a position which is inside the roller supporting unit; and an inner projection provided along the outer projection so as to abut on an inner end portion of the seal member, the inner projection protruding in a position which is outside the opening.

Casing projections of an image forming apparatus configured to support a seal of a developing device

A development device includes a casing storing development agent, a developing member that is rotatably supported in an opening of the casing and configured to hold development agent thereon, a first seal member that extends in a first direction parallel to a rotational axis of the developing member and has a base end at a side of the casing and a free end contacting an entire length, in the first direction, of the developing member, and an elastic member disposed between the casing and the free end so as to face the entire length, in the first direction, of the developing member. The elastic member presses the free end against the entire length, in the first direction, of the developing member.

Development device having a seal member and an elastic member and image forming device having the same

A developing device includes a developer carrier, a developing unit housing which rotatably supports the developer carrier, a side seal member which comes into slidable contact with both ends of the developer carrier, a sheet-like elongated seal member which extends in the axial direction of the developer carrier so as to come into slidable contact with the developer carrier, a side seal attachment surface which is formed in the developing unit housing and to which the side seal member is attached, and a support portion which is formed in the developing unit housing and protrudes toward the developer carrier from the side seal attachment surface to support the elongated seal member. The elongated seal member is attached onto the support portion in a state where both ends thereof overlap the side seal member and are opposite the side seal attachment surface.

Developing device having seal member including base member and surface member having side surface disposed inward from side surface of base material

Developing device

A development device has a casing configured with a first frame and a second frame. The first frame includes attachment surfaces to which a regulating member is attached. A facing surface of the second frame is disposed between the attachment surfaces, in a predetermined plane including the attachment surfaces, and configured to face a portion of the regulating member between the attachment surfaces. A seal member is disposed between the regulating member and opposite surfaces including the attachment surfaces and the facing surface, and configured to seal first gaps each of which is formed between the facing surface and one of the attachment surfaces, in a first direction parallel to a rotational axis of a developing member rotatably supported by the casing.

Development device and printer having the same

A developing device includes a developer carrier which carries a developer, a developing unit housing which rotatably supports the developer carrier, a side seal member which comes into slidable contact with both ends of the developer carrier, a sheet-like elongated seal member which extends in the axial direction of the developer carrier so as to come into slidable contact with the developer carrier, a side seal attachment surface which is formed in the developing unit housing and to which the side seal member is attached, and a support portion which is formed in the developing unit housing and protrudes toward the developer carrier from the side seal attachment surface to support the elongated seal member. The elongated seal member is attached onto the support portion in a state where both ends thereof overlap the side seal member and are opposite the side seal attachment surface. A filler is filled in a gap surrounded by the elongated seal member, the side seal member, the support portion, and the side seal attachment surface. A protrusion for suppressing the spread of the filler is formed at the side seal attachment surface at a predetermined interval from the support portion.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Fan Xu