Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Yasuyuki Otsuki

Hiroshi Ichikawa

An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit, a sheet supplying unit, a register roller, and a paper particle removing unit which includes a paper particle removing roller arranged to face the register roller and configured to collect paper particles on the sheet which is nipped between the register roller and the paper particle removing roller, a paper particle container configured such that the paper particles removed by the paper particle removing roller are accumulated therein, and an auger arranged inside the paper particle container. The paper particle removing roller, the paper particle container and the auger of the paper particle removing unit are configured to move together between a contact position where the paper particle removing roller contacts the register roller and a spaced position where the paper particle removing roller is spaced from the register roller.

Image forming apparatus

Torque is applied to a separation roller of an image processing apparatus when a leading edge of the sheet in a transport direction reaches a first transport roller and when the leading edge of the sheet in the transport direction reaches a transport unit. Torque to the separation roller is cut off after the leading edge of the sheet has reached the transport unit but before the leading edge of the sheet reaches the image processing unit.

Image processing apparatus, controlling method thereof, and computer-readable medium for controlling torque applied to a separation roller of image processing apparatus

A placement plate for placing a recording sheet is provided in a case to be movable upward and downward. A regulating member is supported by the case to be slidable in the width direction of the recording sheet. A locking section is provided on at least one of the placement plate and the regulating member so as to lock the placement plate with respect to the regulating member when the regulating member is located in an area different from an area between the maximum size and the minimum size at the edge of the recording sheet in the width direction.

Recording-sheet retaining device

A sheet feed device includes: a sheet accommodation unit; a separation roller that applies conveyance force to sheets; and a separation resistance body including a friction portion facing the separation roller for separating the sheets one at a time. The sheet accommodation unit includes a guide portion provided at an upstream of the separation roller in a sheet feed direction for guiding the sheet. The separation resistance body includes an extension portion, which is pressed toward the separation roller while being supported to be contacted/separated to/from the separation roller, and which is extended upstream in the sheet feed direction from an upstream end portion of the separation resistance body. The guide portion and the extension portion are arranged in a line in a width direction. An upstream end portion of the extension portion is retreated with regard to a guide surface of the guide portion when feeding the sheets.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Yasuyuki Otsuki