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:
Jul. 21, 2026
Filed:
Nov. 19, 2024
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Saya Minoshima, Gifu, JP;
BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
An image-forming apparatus includes a housing, a cartridge, a fixing device, a shutter, a link connected to the shutter, and an electrical contact. The fixing device includes a heating unit. The shutter is movable between a closing position for covering an upstream end of the heating unit in a sheet conveying direction and an opening position for uncovering the upstream end of the heating unit. The link is provided on the housing and is configured to abut on the cartridge to move the shutter between the closing position and the opening position. The electrical contact is provided on the housing and contacts an electrical contact surface of a memory of the cartridge attached to the housing. In the housing, the link and the electrical contact are positioned on opposite sides of a center line of the attached cartridge in a widthwise direction orthogonal to an attachment/detachment direction of the cartridge.