Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Masahito Hamaya

Katsumi Inukai

Tsuyoshi Maruyama

Hiroyuki Naganawa

Kazushi Fukuta

Masamitsu Takahashi

Hiroki Katoh

Tetsuya Okano

Osamu Takahashi

Tasuku Sugimoto

Yoshihiro Okamoto

Kentaro Sugiyama

Kazushi Shumiya

Nobuyuki Tanaka

Shiro Ueno

Takahito Yamaji

Yudai Minami

In an image forming apparatus, an image bearing member and a cleaning member are in contact with each other to form a collection nip. A conveyance member is in contact with the image bearing member to form a conveyance nip. The controller executes a maintenance mode including a toner supply process, an output process, and a sheet feeding process. The toner supply process supplies at least part of the image bearing member with a predetermined amount of toner. The output process controls a circuit to output the cleaning voltage to the cleaning member. The sheet feeding process controls the feeding member to start feeding the sheet so that the sheet passes the conveyance nip in coincidence with the at least part of the image bearing member passing the conveyance nip after the at least part of the image bearing member has once passed the collection nip.

Image forming apparatus executing maintenance mode for diagnosing cleaning member

An image forming apparatus includes: a main body housing; a drum cartridge; a toner cartridge, which is attachable to and detachable from the drum cartridge and includes a memory having an electrical contact surface; a connector, which is configured to be in contact with the electrical contact surface, and a controller is configured to execute: connection determination processing of determining whether electrical connection with the memory is made, electrical conduction determination processing of determining whether the applying circuit is electrically conducted with the charger, and notification processing of notifying information indicating whether the drum cartridge is mounted to the main body housing and information indicating whether the toner cartridge is mounted to the main body housing, in accordance with results of the connection determination processing and the electrical conduction determination processing.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor configured to be rotatable; a charger configured to charge the photoconductor; an overcurrent detector configured to output an overcurrent detection signal in response to detection of an overcurrent in the charger; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute: an obtaining process of obtaining the overcurrent detection signal output from the overcurrent detector; a first counting process of counting a first number of detections based on the overcurrent detection signal obtained in the obtaining process, the first number of detections being the number of the overcurrent detection signals synchronized with a first cycle corresponding to one rotation of the photoconductor; and a first determining process of determining whether the first number of detections is not smaller than a first threshold which is not smaller than 2.

Image forming apparatus having photoconductor and method of controlling the same

An image forming apparatus is provided with a first photosensitive body, a second photosensitive body, a first charger configured to charge the first photosensitive body, a second charger configured to charge the second photosensitive body, a voltage outputting circuit, a voltage dropping circuit, and a controller. The controller is configured to selectively execute a first charging control to apply a first voltage to the first charger and the second charger, the first voltage being an output of the voltage outputting circuit, and a second charging control to apply the first voltage to the first charger a second voltage to the second charger, the second voltage being less than the first voltage, the first voltage being an input of the voltage dropping circuit and the second voltage being an output of the voltage dropping circuit.

Image forming apparatus having a plurality of selectively charged photosensitive bodies and controlling method for same

An image forming apparatus is provided that includes an image forming unit including a process unit, a frame configured to hold the process unit detachably attached thereto, the frame including a first communication portion communicating with an outside of the frame in a first direction to detach the image forming unit from the frame, and a second communication portion communicating with the outside of the image forming apparatus in a second direction different from the first direction, and a material holder configured to hold material for image formation by the image forming unit and detachably attached to a predetermined portion of the frame that is close to the second communication portion relative to the voltage output terminal, so as to close the second communication portion.

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members arranged to align in parallel with one another, an exposure device arranged in an upper position with respect to the plurality of photosensitive members and configured to expose the photosensitive members to light, an exposure controller arranged in an upper position with respect to the exposure device and configured to control the exposure device according to inputted image data, a power board, arranged in a lower position with respect to the plurality of photosensitive members and configured to convert alternate current power to direct current power, and a voltage converter arranged in an upper position with respect to the exposure device and configured to convert the direct current power supplied from the power board into an at least single-leveled first voltage and supply the first voltage to the exposure controller.

Circuit board configuration for image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, comprising: a frame body to which an attachment unit is detachably attachable, the attachment unit being configured to have an input electrode and to be used for image formation on a recording medium; a power source substrate configured to have an output electrode for outputting a voltage and to be attached to the frame body from an opposite side with respect to a side on which the attachment unit is attached; and a connection electrode configured to electrically connect the output electrode to the input electrode of the attachment unit, wherein the frame body comprises an insertion part into which the connection electrode is inserted from an opposite side with respect to a side on which the power source substrate is attached.

Connection electrode, attachment unit, and image forming apparatus comprising the same

A printing apparatus to print an image on a sheet is provided. The printing apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a contiguous member arranged to contact the photosensitive member, and a protection sheet configured to protect the photosensitive member from the contiguous member. The protection sheet is arranged in an intervening position between the photosensitive member and the contiguous member but configured to be removed from the intervening position by a user before using the printing apparatus. The protection sheet interferes with at least one of the user's behavior conducted on the printing apparatus in order to use the printing apparatus and a detecting behavior of a sensor which is arranged in the printing apparatus to detect a condition of the printing apparatus.

Printing apparatus

An image forming apparatus is configured to electro-photographically form an image and includes a main body frame which includes a side wall, an outer cover which covers an outer face of the main body frame, a high-voltage board which includes a high-voltage generator circuit configured to generate a high voltage and supply an electric power to a device requiring a high-voltage power source, and a main board which includes a main control circuit configured to perform a control on an image forming process of the image forming apparatus. In a side region which is formed by the side wall of the main body frame and the outer cover, the high-voltage board and the main board are disposed along the side wall to overlap with each other at least partially, and the high-voltage board is disposed on an outer side relative to the main board.

An image forming apparatus includes: a process cartridge; a voltage applying unit; a contact; an electric line; a detection unit; and a control unit. The voltage applying unit generates a voltage and applies the voltage to the process cartridge. The contact is switched between an ON state and an OFF state based on a usage state of the process cartridge. The electric line electrically connects the voltage applying unit to the process cartridge. The detection unit is electrically connected to the electric line via the contact and provides either one of a first detection output corresponding to the ON state and a second detection output corresponding to the OFF state. The control unit executes a determination process in a determination mode for determining the usage state of the process cartridge based on either one of the first detection output and the second detection output of the detection unit.

Image forming apparatus capable of electrically detecting usage state of process cartridge mounted therein

An image forming apparatus includes a power supply circuit, at least one motor configured to receive electric power from the power supply circuit, a photosensitive body configured to be rotated by the motor for forming an image on a sheet, a charger configured to charge the photosensitive body, a high voltage generation circuit configured to receive electric power from the power supply circuit and generate a high voltage applied to the charger, and a control device. The control device is configured to determine whether a motor activation condition to activate the motor is satisfied, determine whether a limitation condition to limit a peak of a current output from the power supply circuit is satisfied, and regulate the current flowing through the high-voltage generation circuit if the motor activation condition and the limitation condition are satisfied.

An image forming apparatus, includes: at least one photosensitive element; a plurality of chargers configured to charge the at least one photosensitive element; a voltage applying circuit commonly connected to the plurality of chargers and configured to apply a voltage to the plurality of chargers; a current detecting unit configured to detect a current sum of current that flows to the plurality of chargers from the voltage applying circuit; and a control device configured to control the voltage applying circuit so that the current sum detected by the current detecting unit becomes equal to or larger than a reference value.

Image forming apparatus including chargers and a current detecing unit that detects a sum of currents of the chargers

An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, a cleaned body that is an intended body to be cleaned, a cleaning member configured to clean at least attached matter, which is generated in image formation by the image forming unit, on the cleaned body, a backup member disposed to face the cleaning member across the cleaned body, a voltage supply unit configured to supply the backup member with a cleaning voltage having a polarity identical to a charge polarity of the attached matter, in an operation of cleaning the cleaned body, a detector configured to detect an electric quantity of the cleaning member when the cleaning voltage is supplied to the backup member by the voltage supply unit, and a controller configured to control the detected electric quantity of the cleaning member to be a predetermined value.

Image forming apparatus having a configuration to prevent electric discharge in a cleaning member

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members arranged to align in parallel with one another, an exposure device arranged in an upper position with respect to the plurality of photosensitive members and configured to expose the photosensitive members to light, an exposure controller arranged in an upper position with respect to the exposure device and configured to control the exposure device according to inputted image data, a power board, arranged in a lower position with respect to the plurality of photosensitive members and configured to convert alternate current power to direct current power, and a voltage converter arranged in un upper position with respect to the exposure device and configured to convert the direct current power supplied from the power board into an at least single-leveled first voltage and supply the first voltage to the exposure controller.

An image forming apparatus including: a plurality of photosensitive drums; a plurality of scorotron chargers provided for the plurality of photosensitive drums, respectively, a voltage application circuit commonly connected to the plurality of scorotron chargers, a plurality of wires provided for the plurality of scorotron chargers, respectively; a plurality of grid electrodes provided for the plurality of scorotron chargers, respectively; at least one of current detecting units provided for at least one of the plurality of grid electrodes, respectively, and at least one of the current detecting units detecting grid current which flows into at least one of the grid electrodes, respectively; and a control device configured to control the voltage application circuit such that at least one of the grid currents detected by at least one of the current detecting units become equal to or higher than a reference value.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Masahito Hamaya