Patents by Inventor Marika OZAKI

Marika OZAKI has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240103429
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a movable drawer, and a process cartridge attachable to the drawer. The process cartridge includes a drum unit, and a developing unit. The drum unit includes a drum housing, and a photosensitive drum rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction. The photosensitive drum is positioned at one end portion of the drum housing at one side in a second direction. The developing unit includes a developing casing, a developing roller, and a developing handle for detaching the process cartridge from the drawer toward another side in the second direction. The developing roller is positioned at one end portion of the developing casing at the one side in the second direction. The developing handle is positioned apart from the drum unit toward the another side in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuo FUKAMACHI, Yuki NAGASHIMA, Junya SUMIDA, Sakiho HAYAKAWA, Marika OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230408954
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a magnetic roller; a transfer belt; a drum cleaning roller for collecting toner on the photosensitive drum and discharging collected toner to the photosensitive drum; a belt cleaner; a waste toner accommodating unit; and a controller configured to perform a printing operation for forming an image on a sheet and a cleaning operation for cleaning the drum cleaning roller. The controller is configured to perform: when performing the printing operation, collecting toner on the photosensitive drum using the drum cleaning roller; and when performing the cleaning operation, discharging the toner on the drum cleaning roller collected in the collecting to the photosensitive drum; transferring the toner on the photosensitive drum onto the transfer belt; and collecting the toner on the transfer belt using the belt cleaner so that the collected toner is accommodated in the waste toner accommodating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio FURUKAWA, Koji OGAWA, Fan XU, Kazuma HINOUE, Hotaka KAKUTANI, Shintaro FUKUOKA, Soun KANADA, Masahiko HAYAKAWA, Marika OZAKI, Masaki UEJI, Ayaka KOMORI, Enao YAMADA, Miho ISHIDA, Keigo NAKAJIMA, Shota IRIYAMA, Kengo YADA, Yuwen WANG, Junichi HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11624996
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a motor, a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a main memory, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform storing a first rotation number and a second rotation number in the main memory. The first rotation number is the rotation number of the photosensitive drum rotated in a first state where the photosensitive drum rotates and the developing roller is stopped. The second rotation number is the rotation number of the photosensitive drum rotated in a second state where the photosensitive drum rotates and the developing roller rotates. The controller is further configured to perform, in a case where the photosensitive drum rotates, determining a total deterioration quantity of the photosensitive drum which is a cumulative deterioration quantity of the photosensitive drum based on the first rotation number and the second rotation number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ayaka Komori, Shintaro Suzuki, Sota Hirano, Kazuma Hinoue, Marika Ozaki
  • Patent number: 11500321
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum, a motor, and a drum gear train configured to transmit a driving force from the motor to the photosensitive drum. The drum gear train includes a first gear, a second gear and a first clutch. The first gear is rotatable about a first axis upon receipt of the driving force. The second gear is rotatable about the first axis and configured to receive the driving force from the first gear and to transmit the driving force to the photosensitive drum. The first clutch is switchable between a first transmission state where the driving force is transmitted from the first gear to the second gear and a first transmission cutoff state where the transmission of the driving force from the first gear to the second gear is cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nakamura, Tomitake Aratachi, Sota Hirano, Kazuma Hinoue, Shintaro Suzuki, Ayaka Komori, Marika Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20220091553
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a motor, a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a main memory, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform storing a first rotation number and a second rotation number in the main memory. The first rotation number is the rotation number of the photosensitive drum rotated in a first state where the photosensitive drum rotates and the developing roller is stopped. The second rotation number is the rotation number of the photosensitive drum rotated in a second state where the photosensitive drum rotates and the developing roller rotates. The controller is further configured to perform, in a case where the photosensitive drum rotates, determining a total deterioration quantity of the photosensitive drum which is a cumulative deterioration quantity of the photosensitive drum based on the first rotation number and the second rotation number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ayaka KOMORI, Shintaro SUZUKI, Sota HIRANO, Kazuma HINOUE, Marika OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210356900
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum, a motor, and a drum gear train configured to transmit a driving force from the motor to the photosensitive drum. The drum gear train includes a first gear, a second gear and a first clutch. The first gear is rotatable about a first axis upon receipt of the driving force. The second gear is rotatable about the first axis and configured to receive the driving force from the first gear and to transmit the driving force to the photosensitive drum. The first clutch is switchable between a first transmission state where the driving force is transmitted from the first gear to the second gear and a first transmission cutoff state where the transmission of the driving force from the first gear to the second gear is cut off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazutoshi NAKAMURA, Tomitake ARATACHI, Sota HIRANO, Kazuma HINOUE, Shintaro SUZUKI, Ayaka KOMORI, Marika OZAKI