Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Masatoshi Shiraki

Hiroki Mori

Hiroshi Handa

Fumikazu Sato

Mayu Wakamatsu

Yasushi Okabe

Keigo Nakajima

Shota Iriyama

Kei Katagiri

Shougo Sato

Junichi Hashimoto

Yasuo Fukamachi

Takahiro Ikeno

Masahiro Ishii

Tomitake Aratachi

Shunsuke Ishii

Yasutada Kato

Terumasa Ito

Yukimasa Yoshida

Naoya Kamimura

Hiroshi Igarashi

Koji Abe

Makoto Ishii

Yuichi Matsushita

Shota Shinoya

Aya Adachi

Hiroya Fukuta

Takeshi Fuwazaki

Daisuke Ishizuka

Naoto Ozeki

Aya Tamura

Manabu Kato

An image forming apparatus, having a main housing, a first photosensitive drum, a second photosensitive drum, a first developing device to supply toner to the first photosensitive drum, a second developing device to supply toner to the second photosensitive drum, a first reloading device to reload the first developing device with the toner, and a second reloading device to reload the second developing device with the toner, is provided. The first reloading device has a first reloading port, which accepts the toner for reloading the first developing device. The first reloading port is openable to an outside of the main housing. The second reloading device has a second reloading port, which accepts the toner for reloading the second developing device. The second reloading port is openable to the outside of the main housing.

Image forming apparatus and process cartridge

A process unit includes a drum frame supporting a photoconductor drum and a development frame supporting a development roller. The development cartridge is swingably supported by the drum frame at a coupling joint provided at a first side of the development frame and a support portion provided at a second side of the development frame. A center of rotation of the development roller is located in a position shifted from a line segment connecting a center of rotation of the coupling joint and a center of rotation of the photoconductor drum to an upstream side with respect to a direction of rotation of the coupling joint as viewed in an axial direction of the development roller, such that the development roller is pressed against the photoconductor drum by the action of the rotatory force received by the coupling joint.

Process unit

Image forming apparatus

There is provided an image forming apparatus including a body, a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge both of which are installable into the body, and a shutter attached to the body. The shutter is movable between a first position to prevent installation of the developing cartridge while allowing installation of the drum cartridge with the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge being removed from the body, and a second position to allow installation of the developing cartridge with the drum cartridge being installed in the body.

Image forming apparatus including drum cartridge

There is provided an image forming apparatus including a casing and a drum cartridge. The drum cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum having a circumferential surface which includes a first area and a second area; a first cover which pivotally moves between a first closed position where the first cover covers the first area of the photosensitive drum and a first open position where the first area is exposed; and a second cover which pivotally moves between a second closed position where the second cover covers the second area of the photosensitive drum and a second open position where the second area is exposed. A direction in which the second cover pivotally moves from the second closed position to the second open position is opposite to a direction in which the first cover pivotally moves from the first closed position to the first open position.

Image forming apparatus and drum cartridge

An apparatus main body includes a drum guide configured to guide installation of a drum cartridge into the apparatus main body and a developing guide configured to guide installation of a developing cartridge into the apparatus main body. A downstream end of the developing guide is located farther away from an opening than a downstream end of the drum guide is. The drum cartridge includes a first handle located inside the apparatus main body in a state where the drum cartridge is installed in the apparatus main body. The developing cartridge includes a second handle located inside the apparatus main body in a state where the developing cartridge is installed in the apparatus main body. The handle cover is located between the opening and the first handle to cover the first handle, in a state where the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are installed in the apparatus main body.

Image forming apparatus including handle cover configured to cover handle of drum cartridge

There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a casing having a drum guide and a developing guide, a drum cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a handle, and a developing cartridge having a developing roller. The developing guide is longer than the drum guide. With the drum cartridge being installed in the casing and with the developing cartridge being removed from the casing, the handle locates at the first position. Further, with the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge being installed in the casing, being pressed by the developing cartridge, the handle locates at the second position farther away from an opening than the first position.

A cartridge includes: a casing for accommodating developer; a rotatable body rotatably provided at the casing; a pivot member; and a biasing member. The rotatable body is rotatable about a rotational axis, the rotatable body having an outer circumference defining a rotational path during rotation. The pivot member is disposed at the rotatable body at a position offset from the rotational axis and is pivotable about a pivot fulcrum extending in a direction parallel to a tangential direction of the rotational path. The pivot member being pivotably movable between an erect position in which the pivot member erects to form a first angle relative to the rotatable body and a collapsed position in which the pivot member pivots toward the rotatable body to form a second angle smaller than the first angle relative to the rotational body. The biasing member biases the pivot member toward the erect position.

Cartridge provided with pivotable member for new product detection

An image forming apparatus including a main body, a photoconductive drum, a development cartridge including a development roller, a switching mechanism configured to switch between a contact state where the development roller and the photoconductive drum are in contact with each other, and a separate state where the development roller and the photoconductive drum are separated away from each other, and a controller configured to perform a preparatory mode to make preparations for forming a developer image on the photoconductive drum and transferring onto a transfer object the developer image formed on the photoconductive drum, and during execution of the preparatory mode, rotate the development roller while maintaining the separate state between the development roller and the photoconductive drum.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Masatoshi Shiraki