Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Yukichi Sawaki

Kenji Sakakibara

Michitoshi Akao

Tokunori Katoh

Takashi Ohama

Kazuhito Ishida

Yuji Asano

Osamu Takagi

Tetsuo Asada

Akira Sago

Masashi Ueda

Yumio Matsumoto

Kiyoharu Hayakawa

Koji Akagi

Masatoshi Yamada

Teruo Deshimaru

Kazuhiro Hayamizu

Shunichi Higashiyama

Makoto Suzuki

Jun Sakai

Toshio Sakai

Yoichi Horaguchi

Masatoshi Yoshiyama

Satoru Kuwabara

Masanari Kobayashi

Keiichi Matsunaga

Tsuyoshi Kushida

Keiko Suzuki

Takakuni Sonoda

Hisanori Okamoto

Shin Asai

Kanae Imaeda

A cordless communication system includes a base unit and a handset. The base unit is connectable to a communication line. The handset includes a handset wireless communicating unit, a handset communicating unit, a handset switching unit, and a handset starting unit. The handset wireless communicating unit implements wireless communications with the base unit wireless communicating unit. The handset communicating unit is capable of communicating signals with the base unit. The handset switching unit switches between a handset normal mode in which power is supplied to the handset wireless communicating unit and a handset power-saving mode in which power to the handset wireless communicating unit is interrupted. The handset starting unit controls the handset switching unit to supply power to the handset wireless communicating unit in order to switch to the handset normal mode from the handset power-saving mode if the handset communicating unit receives a handset start signal instructing the handset to cancel the handset power-saving mode during the handset power-saving mode.

Cordless communication system

An image recording apparatus includes an image recording unit that records an image on a recording medium; a supply unit that supplies a recording medium to the image recording unit; a discharging unit that discharges the recording medium having the image recorded thereon to an outside of the image recording apparatus; and a control unit having a circuit board that controls a driving of the image recording unit. The control unit is in alignment with the image recording unit at at least one of an upper side of the supply unit and the discharge unit within a height of the located image recording unit.

Image recording apparatus

A multifunctional device including a lower frame, a main control board, and a cartridge holder. A conveying space is formed in the lower frame farther forward than a recording unit and includes a discharge space for receiving discharged recording sheet. The main control board is disposed horizontally above the conveying space when viewed from the front. The recording unit is disposed farther rearward than the conveying space, with its topmost part substantially equal in height to the main control board. The cartridge holder is disposed to the side of the conveying space and the main control board and fits vertically within the top part.

Image-forming device

The ink cartridge has a first detection target portion for detecting ink level and a second detection target portion for identifying the type of an ink cartridge. The ink level detection device uses an optical sensor to scan the first and second detection target portions of the ink cartridge, and detects ink level and the type of the ink cartridge, that is, whether the ink cartridge is containing standard amount of ink or large amount of ink. Therefore, the number of image formation on recording media can be estimated, and failure in image formation due to a shortage of ink in the middle of image formation can be inhibited.

Ink cartridge, detection device for cartridge identification and ink level detection, and image formation apparatus comprising thereof

A power supply device and power supply method that may be used with an electronic apparatus, such as a facsimile machine. In the device and method, a communication device is placed in a sleep mode while a copy process is conducted. During the sleep mode, power is not supplied to the circuits of the communication device that are necessary for transmission with an external transmission line. Thus, a load current loaded to a DC voltage of &plus;5V can be efficiently reduced. As a result, the energy quantity consumed in a regulator of the power supply device may be reduced. Accordingly, heating of the regulator can be restrained and useless energy consumption may be prevented.

Power supply device and method utilizable in electronic apparatus

An image recording unit is provided with a developing bias voltage output circuit for outputting a developing bias voltage to a developing unit, to thereby cause the developing unit to develop, using toner, an electrostatic latent image, formed on an electrically-charged body, into a visible toner image. A CPU serves to output a developing bias voltage control signal to a developing bias voltage varying circuit. The CPU outputs a developing bias voltage control signal based on manual key operations performed by a user. In response to the developing bias voltage control signal, the developing bias voltage varying circuit controls the developing bias voltage output circuit to change the developing bias voltage to be outputted therefrom.

Image recording device having a developing bias voltage output circuit

An image forming apparatus includes a machine body provided with a cartridge mounting portion, and a process cartridge removably mounted in the machine body for forming images on a recording paper. The process cartridge is provided with a first terminal, whereas the machine body is provided with a second terminal for contact with the first terminal when the process cartridge is loaded at the cartridge mounting portion. Further, the machine body is also provided with a charge removing member which comes into contact with the first terminal when the process cartridge is mounted at the cartridge mounting portion but before the first terminal comes into contact with the second terminal.

Image forming apparatus

A control apparatus controls power supply to a first load which generates a higher counterelectromotive force upon interruption of power supply and a second load which generates a lower counterelectromotive force upon interruption of power supply. The control apparatus includes a CPU of a facsimile machine for example. Before interrupting power supply to the first load, the CPU determines whether or not the second load is under power supply. When the second load is determined to be under power supply, the CPU immediately interrupts power supply to the first load. When the second load is determined not to be under power supply, the CPU first starts power supply to the second load and subsequently interrupts power supply to the first load.

Controlling apparatus for loads

A digital electronic circuit device includes a CPU provided with multiplexed address/data terminals and exclusive address terminals, an expansion port provided with data terminals and exclusive address terminals, a multiplexed address/data bus connecting the multiplexed address/data terminals with the data terminals and an address bus connecting the address terminals of the CPU with the address terminals of the expansion port. If a program for the CPU is likely to contain many bugs, a detachable external ROM for storing the program and an address latch are connected with the multiplexed address/data bus. The address latch receives address signals from the multiplexed address/data bus, temporarily stores these signals and addresses the external ROM.

Microprocessor with an exclusive address terminal for selecting at least

An image recording apparatus which records an image of an original document on an image receiving sheet with the use of a photosensitive recording medium, the image receiving sheet having front and rear faces differing in reflection ratio. To detect error in sheet face orientation, a sheet face sensor unit is provided upstream of a pressure developing unit which discriminates a face of the image receiving sheet. The sensor unit includes a light emitting element for emitting light toward the face of the image receiving sheet and a light receiving element for receiving light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected on the face of the image receiving sheet. A central processing unit is supplied with data representative of amounts of light emitted from the light emitting element and light received at the light receiving element, wherein the central processing unit computes a reflection ratio based on the data supplied thereto and produces a discrimination signal indicative of an error in sheet face orientation of the image receiving sheet based on the reflection ratio being computed.

Image recording apparatus having front/rear sheet face sensor

An image recording apparatus for recording an image of an original on a photosensitive recording medium. Light emitted from a light source is irradiated onto the original to optically scan the original, and light reflected from or transmitted through the original is applied to the recording medium to thereby record the image on the recording medium. The density of an image to be recorded on the photosensitive recording medium is adjusted by changing the scanning speed while maintaining an amount of light emitted from a light source at constant, whereby a load imposed to the light source is reduced which may otherwise be increased if an amount of light emitted therefrom is changed to adjust the image density.

Image recording apparatus capable of adjusting a density of an image

An image recording apparatus for recording an image corresponding to an original on a recording medium including a photosensitive recording medium and an image forming sheet. The apparatus comprises a light source for irradiating the original, scanning device for moving the light source and the original relatively to each other during exposure, moving device for moving the photosensitive recording medium during exposure, transferring device for transferring an image on the photosensitive recording medium to the image forming sheet, thermal fixing device for fixing the transferred image on the image forming sheet, temperature detecting device for detecting temperature of the thermal fixing device, first control device for controlling the quantity of current to be supplied to the light source, and second control device for controlling speeds of the scanning device and the moving device. The quantity of current to be supplied to the light source is controlled in accordance with the quantity of current to be supplied to the thermal fixing device by the first control device, and the speeds of the scanning device and the moving device are controlled by the second control device in accordance with the quantity of light of the light source controlled by the first control device.

An exposure unit in an image recording apparatus for exposing a photosensitive image recording medium to light is disclosed. The exposure unit includes a light source, and other optical components for directing light to an original and for introducing light reflected at or transmitted through an original to an exposure zone. The light source and the optical components define in combination a light path which has a first light path and a second light path. The first light path extends between the light source and the original and the second light path extends between the original and the exposure zone. An infrared rays non-transmissive filter is disposed at the first light path. Therefore, light directed toward the original is subjected to filtering so that infrared ray components contained in the light is blocked and does not reach the original.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Yukichi Sawaki