Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Oki Data Corporation

Yukio Ota

Hiroshi Kikuchi

Shigeki Nakajima

Yoshiharu Momiyama

Shyoichi Watanabe

Jiro Tanuma

Hisao Ono

Takashi Itaya

Yoshinori Koshida

Kuniharu Hayashi

Yoshitomo Koga

Kazuki Obara

Akira Nagumo

Takao Uchida

Hidenori Ueda

Naoji Akutsu

Tadao Shimizu

Masanori Maekawa

Kiyoshi Matsuda

Toshihiro Nakano

Masato Takano

A toner cartridge is removably attached to a printer and discharges toner into a hopper of the printer. When the toner is to be discharged into the hopper for a first time after the toner cartridge has been attached to the printer, the toner cartridge discharges a certain amount of toner for immediate printing operations. Thereafter, a toner-discharging mechanism operates to discharge fractions of the toner held in the toner cartridge in succession into the hopper. The printer has a controller and a detector. The detector detects an amount of toner remaining in the hopper. The controller controls the toner-discharging mechanism in accordance with the detection signal of the detector such that the toner in the hopper is replenished depending on the amount of toner consumed. The controller controls the toner-discharging mechanism only when the toner remaining in the hopper is below a threshold.

Toner cartridge with a toner-discharging mechanism and printer to which the toner cartridge is removably attachable

Toner cartridge and printer to which the toner cartridge is attached

An electrophotographic recording apparatus has a lid movable to open and close relative to a body of the apparatus, the lid having an exposing unit mounted thereto. The recording apparatus includes a collapsible mechanism and a drive mechanism (gear mechanism). The exposing unit is suspended from the collapsible mechanism. The gear mechanism is operatively connected to the lid so that when the lid is opened and closed, the gear mechanism drives the collapsible mechanism to deform selectively into the collapsed position and the expanded position, respectively. When the collapsible mechanism is at the expanded position, the exposing unit is accurately positioned relative to an image-forming unit. When the collapsible mechanism is at the collapsed position, the exposing unit is at a retracted position so that the exposing unit allows easy access to the interior of the apparatus. The gear mechanism may include a torque limiter.

Electrophotographic recording apparatus having lid with mechanism to retract exposing unit

A needle disposal apparatus for melting a needle to be disposed of by passage of electrical current through it, has a guide member having an inlet which permits the needle to be inserted; an upper electrode roller, to which a first voltage is applied, the inserted needle making contact with an outer surface of the upper electrode roller; a lower electrode roller to which a second voltage is applied, the inserted needle making contact with an outer surface of the lower electrode roller; and a drive mechanism which rotates the electrode rollers in each direction so that the inserted needle is drawn between the electrode rollers; wherein the electrode rollers are disposed so that a part of the lower electrode roller is hidden behind the upper electrode roller when viewed from the inlet in a direction of insertion of the needle.

Apparatus for melting a needle using an electric current

A printer for printing image on a paper according to the print data output from a notebook computer. The printer has a paper-feed unit including a paper holding section for holding the paper to be printed on and a table on which the notebook computer can be placed; a print unit including a print section for printing image according to the print data on a paper supplied from the paper-feed unit and a receiving section for receiving a printed paper; and a joint mechanism for rotatably fitting the print unit on the paper-feed unit. The joint mechanism includes a shaft on which said print unit is carried so as to be turned with respect to the paper-feed unit, and the print unit has an open state in which the print unit is remote from said table of the paper-feed unit and a closed state in which the print unit folds flat on the table of the paper-feed unit.

Printer having a joint mechanism for fitting a paper feed unit

Toner cartridge

A paper guide is movably disposed on a paper cassette according to the present invention. One edge of a link member is rotatably pivoted on a paper rear edge guide. A gear is formed on a pivoting side of the arm member. The gear is engaged with a gear formed on a signal output drum disposed in the paper cassette. As the paper guide is moved, one train of protrusions corresponding to the size of papers stored in the paper cassette is selected. A printer to which the paper cassette is attached according to the present invention has switches that are pressed by the selected train of protrusions. The switches detect the sizes of papers stored in the paper cassette.

Paper cassette and printer therewith

Image drum cartridge

A developing device suitable for use in an electrophotographic recording apparatus includes either a toner stirring portion arranged in a toner hopper portion, the toner stirring portion being provided with a portion for varying toner conveying speed, or in the toner a toner stirring and moving means provided in a toner cartridge. A printing irregularity does not occur on a printing paper even if the printing is performed at the state where the amount of toner, which is collected in the toner hopper portion, is too reduced to sufficiently cover the toner hopper stirring portion.

Developing device including toner hopper and toner cartridge stirring

Replaceable toner cartridge with internal stirring member, and

A toner residual amount detecting mechanism comprises a stirring device and a photosensor. The photosensor has a protrusion, and rotates together with a stirring shaft while the protrusion contacts with a pin planted on the stirring shaft. The stirring device rotates by its gravity when it reaches a top dead point thereof. The stirring device also includes a magnetic rotor attracted by a permanent magnet in a sensor lever to thereby turn the sensor lever about the fulcrum of the sensor lever to a predetermined position. The sensor lever is stopped by a stopper when the stirring device reaches the bottom dead point thereof. The photosensor cannot detect light when the sensor lever is positioned at the bottom dead point since the light is intercepted by the sensor lever but can detect the light when the sensor lever reaches the predetermined position. The mechanism can inform an operator of a toner supply time since the photosensor operates depending on the resistance of toner against the stirring device.

Toner residual amount detecting mechanism

A printer capable of selective printing of a relatively narrow uncut sheet or a relatively wide cut sheet has a paper feeding apparatus for such selective printing. The paper feeding apparatus includes an uncut sheet feeding mechanism for feeding the uncut sheet from a roll of the uncut sheet to a gap formed between a printing head and a platen, and a cut sheet feeding mechanism for feeding the cut sheet to a gap between the printing head and the uncut sheet on the platen. The uncut sheet feeding mechanism and the cut sheet feeding mechanism are selectively driven to feed either the uncut sheet or the cut sheet.

Printer having a single platen with multiple paper feed

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yukio Ota