Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Kazuya Taira

Atsushi Hayakawa

Takuya Yamaguchi

Takashi Arakawa

Mariko Uchida

Kazushi Suzuki

A groove has a first side surface and a second side surface. The second side surface faces the first side surface and is located downstream of the first side surface in a first direction. The first side surface has a first contact surface configured to contact one side surface of a protrusion. The second side surface having a second contact surface and a guide surface. The second contact surface is smaller than the first contact surface. The second contact surface is configured to contact an other side surface of the protrusion. The guide surface is inclined away from the first contact surface in a direction from a tip-side end of the second contact surface toward a tip end of a drive shaft. The tip-side end is an end facing toward the tip end of the drive shaft. The guide surface is configured to guide the protrusion to the groove.

Sheet conveyor and image forming apparatus

A first detector detects a sheet between a first conveyance roller and a confluence position in a conveyance path. The first detector includes a first actuator and a first sensor. The first actuator is rotationally movable by contacting the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance roller. The first sensor is an optical sensor that detects rotational movement of the first actuator. A second detector detects the sheet between a second conveyance roller and the confluence position in a reconveyance path. The second detector includes a second actuator and a second sensor. The second actuator is rotationally movable by contacting the sheet conveyed by the second conveyance roller. The second sensor is an optical sensor that detects rotational movement of the second actuator. A single sensor board supports the first sensor and the second sensor. The sensor board has a wiring pattern connected to the first sensor and the second sensor.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus has a drawer accommodating a plurality of photosensitive drums. The photosensitive drums are arranged in an arrangement direction. A supporting member is configured to support the drawer, inside the casing, such that the drawer is movable, in the arrangement direction, between an accommodated position and an exposed position at which the drawer is partially protruded outside the casing. A belt is arranged to convey the sheet, and has a stretched surface extending in the arrangement direction and facing the photosensitive drums. A registration roller pair serves to adjust an orientation of the sheet conveyed from the sheet feed tray and conveys the sheet through a nip between the first registration roller and the second registration roller toward the stretched surface of the belt. The registration roller pair is integrally secured to the drawer so as to be movable in the arrangement direction together with the drawer.

Image forming apparatus having drawer

A belt unit includes a roller, a belt, a first guide, a second guide and a regulating portion. The first guide is provided on a surface of the roller. The first guide is in a form of one of a convex shape and a concave shape. The belt is looped taut around the rollers, and has a second guide in a form of one of a concave shape and a convex shape. The first guide and the second guide are engaged with each other with an engagement depth in the radial direction. The regulating portion confronts the outer belt surface and provides a gap between the regulating portion and the outer belt surface, the gap being smaller than the engagement depth.

Image forming apparatus having belt unit

An image forming apparatus including an endless belt; a driving roller to move the endless belt in circulation; a driven roller to rotate along with circulation of the endless belt; a first bearing arranged on a first-side end of the driven roller along an axial direction to movable and to support the driven roller rotatably; a resilient member to apply a resilient force to the driven roller; and a frame having a first guide to the first bearing to move in an inclined direction, which inclines with respect to a virtual line extending through a rotation axis of the driving roller and the rotation axis of the driven roller, is provided. The first guide is formed to incline with respect to the virtual line to be closer to a virtual plane containing the strained plane of the endless belt as the first guide extends farther from the driving roller.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Kazuya Taira