Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Junichi Hiraoka

Junichi Yokoi

Yohei Hashimoto

Hikaru Iino

An image forming apparatus includes a housing having an opening, a cover movable between an open position and a closed position, a first photoconductive drum and a second photoconductive drum, a first exposing head having a first boss and rotatably coupled to the cover, a second exposing head having a second boss and rotatably coupled to the cover, and a cam rotatably coupled to each of the first exposing head and the second exposing head. The cam is configured to rotate each of the first exposing head and the second exposing head. The cam includes (i) a first elongated hole into which the first boss fits and extending a direction intersecting a movement direction in which the cam moves and (ii) a second elongated hole into which the second boss fits and extending in a direction intersecting the movement direction of the cam.

Image forming apparatus having cover with link to support exposure heads

An image forming apparatus is disclosed which includes a housing, one or more drum cartridges, and one or more exposure heads. Each of the one or more drum cartridges includes a photoconductor drum and is installable in the housing. Each of the one or more exposure heads is configured to expose a corresponding photoconductor drum to light, and to be movable between an exposure position fit to expose the corresponding photoconductor drum to light and a retreated position away from the corresponding photoconductor drum. The housing has a groove through which to guide installation of the drum cartridge and in which to cause an exposure head in a corresponding exposure position to be located in place in a sub scanning direction.

Image forming apparatus having exposure head configured to expose a photoconductor drum

A first joint rotatably couples a link member with a first exposure head unit. A second joint rotatably couples the link member with a second exposure head unit. A first rotation center of the first exposure head unit is closer to an end of a top cover than a second rotation center of the second exposure head unit is. The link member is configured to, when the top cover moves from a closed position to an open position, cause the first exposure head unit to rotatably move in a direction in which a first optical member approaches the end of the top cover and cause the second exposure head unit to rotatably move in a direction in which a second optical member approaches the end. A distance between the first rotation center and the first joint is larger than a distance between the second rotation center and the second joint.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Junichi Hiraoka