Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Tasuku Sugimoto

Hironori Hirata

Katsumi Inukai

Akihiro Shibasaki

Masahito Hamaya

Osamu Takahashi

Mamoru Imaizumi

Toshiaki Mizuno

Shinji Kimura

Kentaro Sugiyama

Toshiaki Sugiura

Mikio Sakuma

Masafumi Ito

Yoshiyuki Tsujimoto

Kazushi Shumiya

Nobuyuki Tanaka

Ryo Ito

Hisanori Okamoto

Takayuki Tsuji

An image recording apparatus includes a print engine, a sensor, a controller, and a memory. The print engine is configured to record an image on a recording medium. The sensor is configured to detect whether the image recording apparatus is moved. The memory is configured to store particular information. The memory stores instructions, the instructions, when executed by the controller, causing the controller to perform: a first deletion process of, in response to determining that a first condition is satisfied, deleting the particular information stored in the memory, the first condition being that movement of the image recording apparatus is detected by the sensor.

Image recording apparatus

A brushless motor device configured to: determine a first upper limit of a current value which flows through a coil when a rotation speed of a rotor is accelerated from a first speed to a second speed, wherein, in a case where the current value of the first upper limit flows through the coil when the rotor is rotated at the second speed, a first time period, which is from a start of a non-energization time period of the coil until an induced voltage reaches a threshold value, is longer than a second time period, which is from the start of the non-energization time period until a counter-electromotive voltage becomes zero; and change switching of each switching element of an inverter circuit by using a second upper limit greater than the first upper limit and the first upper limit.

Brushless motor device, image forming apparatus, and control method for controlling brushless motor

A brushless motor has a rotor and a stator, the stator having coils corresponding to respective phases of the brushless motor. A polygon mirror has a plurality of mirror surfaces and is configured to rotate together with the rotor. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to: detect first timing at which the light sensor receives a light beam emitted from the light source and reflected by one of the plurality of mirror surfaces when the rotor is rotating; acquire first information identifying a relationship between the first timing and second timing at which an inductive voltage reaches a particular reference value, the inductive voltage being generated in at least one coil in a non-energization state due to rotation of the rotor; and perform a phase switching control of the brushless motor based on the first timing and the first information.

Image forming apparatus

An electric power system includes: a switching power supply converting an AC into a DC and operating in an on mode and an off mode; a power supply control unit activated when electric power is supplied from the AC power supply, and the power supply control unit being configured to control an oscillation operation of the switching power supply according to the mode designation signal; a mode control unit generating the mode designation signal; and an auxiliary power supply configured to supply electric power to the mode control unit when the switching power supply does not oscillate. In one of the on mode and off mode, the mode control unit performs outputs a consecutive-pulse signal to the power supply control unit. In the other mode, the mode control unit performs a restriction process of restricting output of the consecutive-pulse signal.

Electric power system and image forming apparatus

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 includes a control unit performing a first rotation control process of switching on and off current-supplying in accordance with a change in a first deviation between a first rotation speed of a brushless motor and a target speed regardless of a change in an integrated value of the first deviation; a second rotation control process of calculating an integrated value of a second deviation between a second rotation speed of the brushless motor and the target speed, and switching on and off the current-supplying in accordance with a change in the second deviation and a change in the integrated value of the second deviation; and a rotation control switching process of switching to the second rotation control process when it is determined that the first deviation has entered a prescribed range during the first rotation control process.

A sheet conveying device includes a conveying path, a brushed motor, a motor drive unit, a conveying unit, a sensor, and a processor. The motor drive unit is configured to rotate and halt the brushed motor. The conveying unit is configured to convey a sheet along the conveying path by driving force of the motor. The sensor is configured to detect the sheet. The processor is configured to function as a halting unit configured to control the motor drive unit to halt the brushed motor in different methods depending on detection result of the sensor.

Sheet-conveying device halting brushed motor in different methods

An electronic apparatus is provided that can include a circuit board; a switch attached to the circuit board; an electronic part mounted on the circuit board; a wiring pattern extending between the switch and the electronic part; and a protrusion protruding from a surface of the wiring pattern. The protrusion may be disposed adjacent to the switch on the circuit board and overlapping the wiring pattern.

Electronic apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes: a cartridge attachment portion; an image forming unit; a reading unit; and a control unit. A toner cartridge configured to accommodate toner is removably attached to the cartridge attachment portion. The toner cartridge includes a cartridge mechanism unit mechanically driven and a storage medium for storing torque information including information indicating torque used for a mechanical drive of the cartridge mechanism unit. The image forming unit is configured to print an image on a surface of a printing medium using toner accommodated in the toner cartridge. The reading unit is configured to read the torque information from the toner cartridge attached to the cartridge attachment portion. The control unit is configured to determine a number of printing media to be printed by the image forming unit per unit time, according to the torque information read by the reading unit.

Image forming apparatus, toner cartridge, and computer-readable medium

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a semiconductor laser that emits a laser beam, a light power of the laser beam being controllable by a current applied to the semiconductor laser; a scanner unit that exposes a photosensitive element by scanning the photosensitive element using the laser beam; a light power detection unit that detects a light power of the laser beam; a current control unit that controls the current applied to the laser based on the light power of the laser beam; a home position detection unit that detects whether the laser beam is positioned at a scan home position; and a continuous illumination unit that commences continuous illumination of the laser at a time which is prior to a forecast time at which the home position detection unit is forecast to detect the laser beam.

An electronic apparatus that includes: a circuit board; a switch attached to the circuit board; an electronic part mounted on the circuit board; a wiring pattern extending between the switch and the electronic part; and a protrusion protruding from a surface of the wiring pattern, the protrusion being disposed adjacent to the switch on the circuit board and overlapping the wiring pattern.

A status information notification system includes a network terminal device and a communication processing device that enables the network terminal device to communicate with another terminal device through a communication network. The network terminal device includes a terminal controlling system that controls processing of functional units and outputs status information representing operational status of the network terminal device, and a sleeping system that lowers a power consumption of the terminal control system when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The communication processing device has an examining system that examines whether a request for the status information is received from the another terminal device. A communication controlling system obtains the status information from a storing system or the terminal controlling system, and transmits the obtained status information to the communication network. The status information is obtained from the storing system when the terminal control system is in the sleep status.

Status information notification system

A printer includes: a main substrate that includes electronic parts for controlling an operation of a printer main body; and a wireless communication module that transmits and receives data, wherein: the main substrate is disposed in one side of the printer main body; and the wireless communication module is disposed in another side of the printer main body.

Printer including wireless communication module

An image processing device emphasizes edges of an image without changing the image. A differential operation is performed on pixel values of a subject pixel and surrounding pixels to calculate a vector magnitude and a vector direction of a differential vector. Then, a new pixel value of the subject pixel is calculated based on the original pixel value of the subject pixel, a value determined dependently on the vector magnitude, and a pixel value of an adjustment pixel. The adjustment pixel is one of a first candidate surrounding pixel positioned in the vector direction and a second candidate surrounding pixel positioned in an opposite vector direction, and has a pixel value closer to the original pixel value of the subject pixel than the other candidate surrounding pixel.

Image processing device for processing an image including multiple pixels to create a new image by emphasizing edges of an image

An electronic device includes a motor, a detector, and a controller. The detector detects a rotational speed of the motor. The controller selects a gain from a plurality of gains based on the rotational speed and controls rotation of the motor through feedback control. The controller uses a first gain from startup of the motor until the motor initially reaches a predetermined rotational speed after the startup. The controller switches to a second gain smaller than the first gain when the motor initially reaches the predetermined rotational speed after the startup, and uses the second gain in a predetermined range with respect to the rotational speed. The predetermined range is defined between a lower limit smaller than the predetermined rotational speed and a higher limit larger than the predetermined rotational speed.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Tasuku Sugimoto