Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Hiroshi Tokuda

Shinji Kimura

Shigeo Ishikawa

Hiroshi Igarashi

Makoto Ishii

Kazuhito Ishida

Takashi Nakata

Hikaru Kaga

Toshiaki Sugiura

Hiroo Ogawa

Makoto Hattori

Fumikazu Sato

Tomonori Watanabe

Fumio Morita

Hideaki Deguchi

Junki Ueyama

Seijiro Kadowaki

Akira Ninomiya

Hirokazu Kishimoto

An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance path configured to guide a recording sheet conveyed from a sheet placement portion, passing through a sheet feeder unit, a nip portion between a photoconductor and transfer member, a fixing device, and a sheet ejection unit in this order; and a re-conveyance path configured to guide the sheet conveyed from the fixing device to an upstream-side path which constitutes part of the conveyance path extending upstream from the photoconductor. The re-conveyance path branches off from the conveyance path at a position downstream from the fixing device and extends to pass through a space between the photoconductor and the exposure device. The re-conveyance path includes a switchback mechanism configured to reverse a traveling direction of a sheet conveyed along the re-conveyance path after passing through the space between the photoconductor and the exposure device and to convey the sheet toward the upstream-side path.

Image forming apparatus

A sheet feeding device for use in an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus may include a sheet holder configured to be removed from and attached to the apparatus body and to hold a stack of sheets therein; an actuator including a base portion pivotally attached to the apparatus body via a first shaft and a movable portion pivotally attached to the base portion via a second shaft and extending toward the sheet holder; and a detector configured to detect a position of the base portion. The actuator may be configured such that the base portion and the movable portion pivot in response to the detector detecting the position of the base portion. The movable portion may be configured to pivot in a removal direction in which the sheet holder is removed from the apparatus body.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus having the same

A process cartridge according to one aspect of the invention comprises: an image carrier configured to carry a developer image and having a transfer position capable of transferring the developer image to a recording sheet; and an elastically-deformable cantilever-shaped guide plate including a distal end portion being unsupported, and having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface. A leading end of the recording sheet is guided on the first surface in a conveying direction, such that the leading end is guided toward the transfer position after the leading end is brought into contact with the image carrier. The distal end portion of the guide plate is bent toward the second surface side to form a bent portion.

Process cartridge and image forming apparatus with guide plate

When a developer cartridge is not attached to an image formation apparatus body frame, a developer electrode included with the cartridge is disposed at a retract position at which the developer electrode does not protrude outside the cartridge. This protects the developer electrode from damage possibly caused by interference or contact with other components. After the developer cartridge is attached to the body frame, when the developer roller is rotated, the developer electrode is displaced to a connection position at which the developer electrode protrudes outside the cartridge (and is connected to a power supply electrode provided with the body frame).

Developer cartridges, process cartridges, and image formation devices

An image-reading portion switches between a storage state in which a conveying path extends substantially vertically along a front surface of a main unit and a usage state in which the conveying path extends diagonally downward. In the storage state, the entire device can be made suitably compact, whereas in the usage state, the operability of the image-reading portion is enhanced.

Image-forming device having both an image-reading unit and an image-forming unit being made compact

An image forming apparatus that includes: a process unit; a driving source; a first driving unit that rotates when a rotation driving force generated by the driving source is transmitted; and a connection switching unit that switches between a transmission state in which the rotation driving force is transmitted to the first driving unit and a non-transmission state. The process unit includes: a transmission permission unit that switches a state of the connection switching unit into the transmission state, when the process unit exists at a process mounting location with respect to the image forming apparatus; and a second driving unit that joints with the first driving unit when the process unit exists at the process mounting location and rotates a rotation driving subject in the process unit by a rotation force of the first driving unit.

Image forming apparatus, process unit, and developing cartridge

An image-forming device includes a photosensitive drum, a transfer roller, a guide plate for guiding the paper toward the photosensitive drum, and a sponge fixed to the bottom surface of the guide plate. The sponge is softer than the guide plate, so that it can absorb vibrations in the guide plate when the trailing edge of the paper leaves the guide plate.

Image-forming device for absorbing vibration of guide plate

An ink jet printer includes a print head having ink nozzles, which is movable in a direction across the feeding path. A supply mechanism is provided at one side of the feeding path, which supplies ink to the print head located in the ink supply station. A maintenance mechanism is provided at the other side of the feeding path, which operates a predetermined operation. The ink jet printer is further provided with a first clutch which transmits the rotation of the actuator to the supply mechanism only when the print head is located in the above-mentioned one side, and a second clutch which transmits the rotation of the actuator to the maintenance mechanism only when the print head is located in the above-mentioned the other side. With this, the supply mechanism and the maintenance mechanism are actuated by a common actuator.

Ink jet printer

An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a head for ejecting ink and a carriage for conveying the head. When the cartridge has moved to a maintenance area and rotates a lever, the rotational force is transformed into a force for causing a pressing plate supporting a strip to move against the nozzle, by means of bevel gears, a pressing piece and a pivot arm. The strip comes in contact with the nozzle surface to wipe ink. The recording apparatus has a pump for applying a pressure to the interior of the head for purging the head and a conveyer for conveying the strip to refresh the part of the strip opposing the head. The pump and conveyer can be driven by a common motor which is also used for conveying the recording medium. The driving source used for the recording apparatus is shared thus making it possible to achieve a simplified configuration of the recording apparatus.

Ink jet recorder

An ink jet recorder includes a recording head, a carriage for reciprocating the head, a sheet conveying roller, a motor for driving the roller, a maintenance mechanism and an ink supply mechanism. The driving force from the motor can be transmitted through a first clutch to the maintenance mechanism, and through a second clutch to the ink supply mechanism. One of the clutches is connected to a turn lever, and the other is connected to a shift lever. Each of the clutches can be switched mechanically by the carriage engaging with the associated lever. The single motive power source can drive a plurality of mechanisms. There is no need of a special switch for changing over the source.

A detector detects the presence of a roll of a strip-like material within a cassette in a maintenance unit used in an ink-jet printer. The detector has a first movable part to rotate and press a switch when the cassette is not positioned at the predetermined mounting position, and a second movable part to rotate and press the switch when less than a predetermined amount of the strip resides in the cassette. The detector, based on the pressed state of the switch, detects whether the maintenance operation can be started. The detector has a pair of pivot arms which each have a similar shaped portion to the other so as to fold into each other and which project into the interior of the cassette when no roll resides in the cassette. When there is a roll inside the cassette, one arm comes in contact with the roll so that the arms retract from the cassette by folding the similar shaped portions into each other.

Sensor and ink jet recorder including same

An elongated toner box extending in a horizontal direction has a cylindrical portion where a toner discharge port is formed. A wrapping member serving as a shutter is rotatably disposed over the cylindrical portion for selectively shutting off the toner discharge port. The wrapping member has a circular shape concentrical with the cylindrical portion. A developing case is provided to which the toner box is detachably installable. The developing case has a wall confronting the toner box, and a toner inlet port is formed at the wall. A toner inlet shutter is slidably movably supported to the partition wall. When the wrapping member opens and closes the toner discharge port, the wrapping member is positioned close to the outer surface of the toner box and does not largely protrude from the toner box. Further, the discharge port shutter and the inlet port shutter are movable in interlocking relation with each other.

Toner box having axially spaced and trapezoidal, flexible agitating

Developing device having detachable toner box for use in image recording

In a cassette type sheet supplying device, two or more adjoining spaces for installing standard cassettes therein are joined into a continuous space to enable a large cassette to be installed in the space in lieu of two stantard cassettes. When no cassette is installed or a standard cassette is installed, a paper feeding unit is pulled to the paper feeding position by a spring, and a claw portion of a lock material engages lock holes formed on paper feeding unit side frames so that the paper feeding unit is held to the paper feeding position. When the large cassette is inserted in the cassette installation space, a lock release projection formed on the large cassette comes in contact with a projection of the lock material and extends it to the outside. At this time, the claw portion comes off from the lock hole. When the large cassette is further inserted, the paper feeding unit is pushed through a cushion material. A paper feeding unit guide roller retreats to the retracted position being guided by a guide hole. According to the cassette type sheet supplying device thus constructed, a plurality of standard cassettes can be installed in a continuous space or one large cassette can be installed in the space in lieu of the standard cassettes.

Cassette type sheet supplying device for using a plurality of standard

A sheet feeding device for automatically feeding sheet paper from a cassette or feeding one sheet of paper at a time as the sheets are inserted into an insertion guide. The paper is fed in the automatic feed mode by bringing the stacked paper and a rotating sheet feeding roller into contact with one another. When the manual feed mode is selected, the stacked paper and the rotating roller are separated. A sheet of paper placed in the insertion guide is fed to a contact point between the sheet feeding rollers, now rotating counter to the rotational direction during automatic sheet feeding, and an opposing pressure rollers.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi-ken, Japan

Hiroshi Tokuda