Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Kazumasa Makino

Kazuhito Ishida

Eiji Shibata

Masahiro Kamimura

Tetsuo Asada

Kazuhiko Takagi

Osamu Nagata

Hiroyuki Kashima

Mitsuaki Inoue

Hiroshi Nakano

Shigeyuki Hayashi

Soichiro Nishimura

Yumio Matsumoto

Toshio Sugiura

Makoto Yamada

Yoichi Horaguchi

Tsuyoshi Suzuki

Takashi Nakata

Atsuo Hirose

Takashi Tomizawa

Motoshi Ohno

Osamu Takagi

Akira Sago

Masashi Ueda

Hirotaka Mori

Makoto Suzuki

Makoto Ishii

Kenji Sakakibara

Michitoshi Akao

Kiyoharu Hayakawa

Hiroshi Morisaki

Takeshi Izaki

Yoshiyuki Ito

Kazunori Tanabe

Tokunori Katoh

Hideo Yoshihara

Yasuhito Bandai

Masanari Kobayashi

Eiji Yokota

Shin Asai

Takami Takeuchi

Hiroaki Nishimura

An image forming unit includes an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium disposed at a lower portion thereof, a device frame that supports the image forming device at the lower portion, having a first attaching portion to which to attach a first storage frame and a second attaching portion to which to attach a second frame. Either a first storage unit or a second storage unit is attached to the image forming unit. The first storage unit includes a first storage tray having a first storage capacity, a first guide member and the first storage frame. The second storage unit includes a second storage tray having a second storage capacity larger than the first storage capacity, the second guide member and the second storage frame.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus having the same

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus having the same to which storage trays having various storage capacities can be removably attached

An image-forming device includes an image-forming section, a separating/feeding section that separates and feeds sheets of paper from a stack into the image-forming section one sheet at a time, a pressing plate disposed on the opposite side of the stacked paper from the separating/feeding section, and a drive section that drives the pressing plate. The drive section drives the pressing plate toward the separating/feeding section when the separating/feeding section is in contact with the paper and driving of the separating/feeding section has stopped.

Image forming device capable of feeding paper smoothly

A lever is provided in a photosensitive member frame of a photosensitive member cartridge that accommodates a developing cartridge in a cartridge accommodating portion. The lever is engaged with an engaging shaft of the developing cartridge, and is movable between a contact position and a separation position. When the lever is in the contact position, a developing roller and a photosensitive drum make contact with each other, and when the lever is in the separation position, the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are separated.

Developing cartridge, photosensitive member cartridge, process unit, and image forming apparatus

The invention addresses the problem of providing a steady drive to the photosensitive drum when all loads are driven from a common motor. To address the issue, the invention includes three drive trains. A first drive train that extends from the drive shaft of the motor to the photosensitive drum; a second drive train that extends from the drive shaft of the motor to the heating mechanism; and a third drive train that extends from the drive shaft of the motor to the toner cassette and drives the toner feed elements contained therein. A first drive element for each of the first and second drive trains is independently rotatably mounted on a common axis. Positioned on substantially an opposite side of the drive shaft is a first drive element of the third drive mechanism. As a result, the forces applied to the drive shaft as reaction forces to driving the various loads are substantially counterbalanced. Further, because the first drive element of each of the first and second drive trains are separate from one another in rotation, the second drive train has no effect on the first drive train driving the photosensitive drum.

Drive train for an image forming apparatus

An image forming device for forming an image on a cut image recording medium that includes a sheet feeder unit storing a stack of image recording mediums, and a separation unit that intermittently separates one sheet of the stack from a remaining stack at a separating position and feeds the one sheet in a sheet feeding direction. The image forming device also includes an image forming unit at which a visible image is formed on the image recording medium fed from the sheet feeder unit, a conveying path extending between the sheet feeder unit and the image forming unit, and a sheet leading edge position regulating unit having a part selectively protrudable into the sheet conveying path to provide a protruding position. Finally, the leading edge position of the image recording medium is regulated upon protrusion of the part into the sheet conveying path.

Image forming device regulating sheet conveying timings

An image forming device having a sheet conveying path extending from a feeder unit to an image forming unit. A convey roller positioned downstream of the sheet supply roller is rotated at a peripheral speed V3. Additional convey roller positioned downstream of the first convey roller is rotated at a peripheral speed V2 lower than V3. A register roller positioned downstream of the second convey roller is rotated at a peripheral speed V1 lower than V2. A transfer roller of the image forming unit is rotated at a peripheral speed V0 lower than V1. Each convey roller, the register roller, the sheet supply roller is connected to each clutch. Sheet sensors are provided between neighboring rollers for detecting a leading edge of the sheet. Upon detection of the leading edge, the roller positioned immediately upstream of the one of the sensors is shifted to its non-driving state.

An image forming device feeding one cut sheet consecutively from a feeding unit to a image forming unit where a printed image is formed on the cut sheet. During feeding, a uniform interval between a trailing edge of a preceding sheet and a leading edge of a subsequent sheet is maintained. By setting a nip area between a sheet supply roller and a separating pad as a reference position for separating one sheet from a stack of sheet in the feeding unit. Sheet leading edge sensors including a light projecting element and a light receiving element are positioned downstream from the reference position exactly a distance L . When the leading edge of a subsequent sheet is detected by the leading edge sensors and found to be less than a prescribed interval from the trailing edge of the preceding sheet, the feed timing for the subsequent sheet is delayed a prescribed amount.

Image forming device having sheet sensors

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a heat roller that heats toner of a toner image formed on a printing medium to fix the toner image, a heat roller gear that transmits a rotational driving force to the heat roller, a fixing device frame that supports the heat roller and the heat roller gear and is attached to the main body so as to rotate on a fixing point, a gear supporting member that supports a drive gear that transmits the driving force in engagement with the heat roller gear and is attached to the main body, a frame contact part that is provided in the fixing device frame, and a gear contact part that makes contact with the frame contact part. The fixing device frame is rotated on the fixing point by the rotational driving force the drive gear applies to the heat roller and the frame contact part makes contact with the gear contact part.

Image forming apparatus having a fixing device

A developing unit includes a photosensitive drum, a developing drum, and an agitator. When a charge of toner has dropped below a predetermined charging amount before a subsequent image forming operation starts, a pre-driving operation is performed so that the developing drum and the agitator are rotated before a sheet feed operation starts. Therefore, sufficient charge can be applied to the toner before a developing operation starts, thereby providing a high-quality image. Also, because the photosensitive drum and the developing roller are separated from each other during the pre-driving operation, the photosensitive drum and the developing roller are prevented from being worn down.

Developing device capable of reliably charging developing agent

A recording medium discharging apparatus which can be mounted on top of the image forming apparatus includes a plurality of recording medium storers and a locking mechanism for locking the discharging apparatus to the image forming apparatus when the discharging apparatus is mounted on the image forming apparatus. The locking mechanism includes a release lever for unlocking the discharging apparatus by being manipulated to shift in the same direction as the discharging apparatus moves away from the image forming apparatus to be dismounted from it. The locking mechanism prevents the discharging apparatus from falling off the image forming apparatus even if external force is applied to the discharging apparatus mounted on the image forming apparatus. The release lever for unlocking the discharging apparatus makes it easy to dismount the discharging apparatus from the image forming apparatus.

Recording medium discharging apparatus and image forming apparatus provided therewith

A paper sheet discharge apparatus comprises a transport roller that transports paper sheets discharged from an image-forming apparatus, a plurality of switching flappers that guide the paper sheets to desired bins, and a plurality of delivery rollers that discharge the paper sheets via the switching flappers to the bins. The paper sheets are reliably stored in the desired bins without decreasing their transport speed by the aid of the transport roller, the switching flappers, and the delivery rollers. The power from a motor is transmitted only to the delivery rollers which are used to discharge the paper sheets while being interlocked with the specified switching flapper.

Paper sheet discharge apparatus

A recording medium discharge apparatus includes bins for storing sheets of paper therein. The apparatus also includes level sensors for each detecting one of the bins having been filled with paper sheets. Each sensor consists of a light emitter and a light receiver, which are positioned on both sides of the associated bin. The emitter and the receiver are aligned on a line extending across the direction in which paper sheets can be discharged. This prevents paper sheets from coming into direct contact with the sensors. Even if paper sheets discharged into each bin are once taken out and then returned to it, the returned sheets do not come in contact with the associated sensor. It is therefore possible to keep the discharge of paper sheets in good condition.

Recording medium discharge apparatus and image forming apparatus equipped with recording medium discharge apparatus

A sheet feeder provided with a feed roller having a circumferential surface portion and a cutout surface portion and capable of reliably feeding sheets regardless of the thickness and weight of the recording medium. The feed roller has a roller shaft extending from both side thereof. Each roller has an inner peripheral surface through which the roller shaft extends, and has an outer peripheral portion serving as a contact portion for contacting with a separation pad when the cutout surface portion is in confrontation with the pad. An annular space is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the roller and an outer peripheral surface of the roller shaft. A spacer is movable over the roller shaft and is insertable into and rectactable from the annular space. In the insertion position, a distance between an axial center of the roller shaft and the contact portion is increased. In the retracted position, the distance is decreased because of the urging of the separation pad toward the roller.

Sheet feeder for feeding one sheet at a time from sheet stack regardless of thickness and weight of sheets

A sheet feeder provided in an image forming device and includes a sheet feed roller, a pair of rollers provided at both ends of the sheet feed roller and rotatable independent of the sheet feed roller, and a separation pad provided in confronting relation to the sheet feed roller and the pair of rollers. The sheet feed roller has a circumferential surface portion and a cut-out surface portion. When the cut-out surface portion is opposite a sheet and the separating pad, outer peripheral surface portions of the pair of rollers contact the sheet at approximately the same level position that the circumferential surface portion of the feed roller contacts the sheet. This maintains the separating pad in approximately the same position.

Sheet feeder capable of eliminating overlapping sheet feed

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Kazumasa Makino