Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Junji Uehara

Katsumi Inukai

Satoru Ishikawa

Hideaki Deguchi

Yasushi Fujiwara

Junki Ueyama

Hiroyuki Naganawa

Kyoko Tsutsui

There is provided an image forming apparatus including a transferring unit, fixing unit, a first sheet conveying path section, a re-conveying unit and a charge-removing member. The transferring unit transfers developer onto a sheet. The fixing unit fixes the developer transferred to the sheet to form a visible image on the sheet. The first sheet conveying path section extends through the transfer unit and the fixing unit, the sheet being conveyed from the transfer unit to the fixing unit along the first sheet conveying path section. The re-conveying unit constitutes a second sheet conveying path section for re-conveying the sheet from the fixing unit to an inlet side of the transfer unit, the second sheet conveying path section being positioned below the first sheet conveying path section. The charge-removing member is disposed between the first sheet conveying path section and the second sheet conveying path section, the charge-removing member constituting a part of the second sheet conveying path section and removing charges from the sheet conveyed along the first sheet conveying path section.

Image forming apparatus with reduced height

An image forming device includes a casing formed with an opening, a pivot member pivotably disposed in the casing so as to be selectively opened and closed, a cover disposed outward of the pivot member, a lock mechanism that maintains a closed state of the pivot member, a link mechanism and a first roller and a second roller that together convey a recording medium, the first roller being supported by the pivot member, wherein the first roller moves away from the second roller when the pivot member is in the opened state.

Image forming device including outer cover and jam cover linked to the outer cover

A positioning guide is configured to guide a rotational axis of a photosensitive body when a process cartridge is mounted on a main body, and to determine a position of the rotation axis of the photosensitive body with respect to the main body in a mounting state in which the process cartridge has been mounted on the main body. A photosensitive body drive gear is configured to be capable of rotating in a forward and reverse direction and to transmit a rotational drive force to the photosensitive body in the mounting state. A regulating member is configured to be in a lock state and an unlock state. In the lock state, the regulating member prohibits the rotational axis of the photosensitive body from moving in the mounting/removing direction. The rotational axis of the photosensitive body is released from the regulating member in the unlock state.

Image forming device having regulating member configured to prohibit movement of photosensitive body in lock state

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet cassette which accommodates stacked sheets. The sheet feeding device further includes a pickup roller, a separation pad, a separating roller pressing the sheet against the separating pad and a holder arm which holds the pickup roller and the separating roller. The sheet feeding device still further includes an urging member configured to urge the separating roller toward the separating pad and includes a supporting portion configured to support a specific portion of the holder arm. When the sheet cassette is removed, the support portion supports the specific portion of the holder arm at a supporting position and the pickup roller is positioned at an upper position.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

An image forming device includes a casing formed with an opening, a pivot member pivotably disposed in the casing so as to be selectively opened and closed, a cover disposed outward of the pivot member, a lock mechanism that maintains a closed state of the pivot member, and a link mechanism. When a first force is applied on the cover to open the cover beyond a predetermined angle, the link mechanism transmits the first force as a second force to the pivot member. The second force is in an opening direction of the pivot member.

A bearing includes a first bearing portion, a second bearing portion, and a connection portion. The first bearing portion assumes a generally C-like shape and opens in a first direction perpendicular to the rotational center axis. The second bearing portion assumes a generally C-like shape and opens in a second direction opposite the first direction. A gap is formed between the first and second bearing portions along the rotational center axis. The connection portion connects the first and second bearing portions at a position opposite the gap with respect to the rotational center axis.

Bearing

An image forming apparatus capable of shortening a time needed for the assembly work is provided. The image forming apparatus of the invention comprises a low-voltage power supply and a housing, wherein the low-voltage power supply includes a substrate provided with a low-voltage power supply circuit, a pair of connection cords each connected to the substrate and an external power supply, a casing made of metal and provided with an accommodation portion inside which the substrate is fixed and a notch located on an opening edge of the accommodation portion, a lid body made of metal and configured to cover the accommodation portion and to define a cord insertion port by closing the notch, and a ring body made of resin and inserted into the notch in a state where both the connection cords are inserted in the ring body and to be attached to the cord insertion port.

Image forming apparatus with low voltage power supply

An image forming apparatus includes: a main body; a process cartridge detachably attachable to the main body, the process cartridge including an image carrier configured to carry a developer image thereon and a cartridge frame; a feeding path configured to feed a recording sheet to a transfer position where the developer image carried on the image carrier is transferred to the recording sheet; and a returning path configured to return the recording sheet that has passed the transfer position to the feeding path. The cartridge frame defines at least a part of the feeding path and at least a part of the returning path.

Image forming apparatus and process cartridge

An image forming apparatus includes: a discharge wall including a discharge port that discharges a sheet; a first roller; a second roller, the first roller and the second roller transferring the sheet toward the discharge port; a discharge tray including a stacking plate that receives the sheet discharged from the discharge port; and an uncurling device configured to be detachably mounted on the image forming apparatus, the uncurling device including: a curl correcting unit that corrects a curl of the sheet discharged from the discharge port by curving the sheet; and a pushing member including an elastic member, the pushing member pushing the second roller toward the first roller by an elastic force of the elastic members in a state where the uncurling device is mounted on the image forming apparatus.

Image forming apparatus and uncurling device for image forming apparatus

In an image-forming device including a photosensitive drum, a transfer roller, and a guide plate for guiding a recording sheet toward the photosensitive drum, a sponge is disposed between the guide plate and a transfer position where a developer image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the recording sheet. The sponge can receive the trailing edge of the paper leaving the guide plate to suppress flapping of the trailing edge.

Image-forming device for suppressing recording sheet from flapping when transferring toner images thereon

A pressure roller support member that rotatably supports a pressure roller is supported to a fixing unit case so as to be capable of swaying. A spacer member is supported to the pressure roller support member so as to be capable of swaying. A spacer section is formed at an end of the spacer member. When the spacer member sways, the spacer section moves between a first position where the spacer section is clamped between the fixing unit case and the pressure roller support member and a second position where the clamp between the fixing unit case and the pressure roller support member is released.

Growing community of inventors

Inazawa, Japan

Junji Uehara