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. 24, 2026
Filed:
Nov. 27, 2024
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Ayaka Ohira, Nagoya, JP;
BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing chute located upstream of a fixing device in a sheet conveying direction; a fixing guide opposing the fixing chute and including a guide conveying surface; and a fixing shutter opposing the fixing chute and configured to move between a closed position and an opened position. In a state in which the fixing shutter is positioned at the opened position, a shutter conveying surface of the fixing shutter is inclined in a direction approaching the fixing chute toward a downstream side in a sheet conveying direction such that an end portion of the shutter conveying surface on the downstream side is located closer to the fixing chute than an end portion of the guide conveying surface on an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction.