The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 10, 2026
Filed:
Feb. 07, 2024
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Hirotaka Imaeda, Nagoya, JP;
Tokifumi Tanaka, Komaki, JP;
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device and a main housing. The main housing includes a contact portion that contacts the fixing device. The fixing device includes a fixing device housing having an opening, a shutter configured to move between an open position in which the shutter opens the opening and a close position in which the shutter closes the opening, a spring, and a moving member interlocking with the shutter that moves between a first position and a second positon. In a process of attaching the fixing device to the main housing, the moving member moves from the first positon to the second positon, thereby causing the shutter to move to the open position against the biasing force of the spring. In a process of detaching the fixing device from the main housing, the biasing force of the spring causes the shutter to move to the close position.