Color Patents (Class 399/112)
  • Patent number: 11573508
    Abstract: A recording material cooling device includes a belt, a plurality of rollers, a belt cooling member, a recording material feeding member, a deposited matter removing member, a deposited matter receiving container, a roller holding member, and a supporting member for supporting the roller holding member so as to be swingable between a first position where the belt and the recording material feeding member contact each other and a second position where the belt is spaced from the recording material feeding member. The supporting member supports the roller holding member so that a swing center is positioned on one end side with respect to a rotational axis direction of the rollers. The receiving container includes a wall surface portion for preventing overflow of the deposited matter received through an opening of the receiving container when the roller holding member is positioned in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Tanaka, Keita Kondo, Yuki Inoue, Shingo Katano
  • Patent number: 11526119
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction; a casing having a first outer surface and a second outer surface spaced apart from each other in the first direction; a first separation member positioned at the first outer surface; and a second separation member positioned at the second outer surface. The second separation member has a first end portion configured to contact a body-side cam of an image-forming apparatus. In a state where a drum cartridge is attached to an apparatus body of the image-forming apparatus in an attached state of the developing cartridge to the drum cartridge, the first separation member is pressed by a drum cam of the drum cartridge, and the first end portion of the second separation member is pressed by the body-side cam to move the developing roller from a contacting position to a separated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei Hatano, Wataru Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro Hosokawa, Nao Itabashi
  • Patent number: 11500302
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive body, a light source, a deflector to deflect a light beam from the light source, a scanning optical system to image the deflected light beam onto the photoconductive body, a developing unit to supply developer to the photoconductive body, an optical sensor to detect the deflected light beam, a moving mechanism to move the developing unit to a first position and to a second position, and a controller configured to start driving the deflector, when the developing unit is in the second position, the light source to emit the light beam, thereby obtaining a detection signal of the light beam from the optical sensor, and after obtaining the detection signal of the light beam from the optical sensor, control the moving mechanism to move the developing unit to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sota Yanagihara, Yusuke Ikegami, Kotaro Haruta, Shoichiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11392082
    Abstract: A control member 76 for controlling transmission and blocking of a rotational force by a clutch is rotatably supported by a supporting member which supports a developing frame. a locking portion provided on the control member 76 rotates between a position retracted from a locked portion of the clutch and a position for engaging with the locked portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Nishida, Yuichi Fukui, Tetsushi Uneme, Yasuyuki Egami, Yohei Anzai, Takeo Kawanami, Toshiki Fujino, Sohta Sugimoto, Fumiya Sawashima
  • Patent number: 11307519
    Abstract: A recording material cooling device includes a belt, a plurality of rollers, a belt cooling member, a recording material feeding member, a deposited matter removing member, a deposited matter receiving container, a roller holding member, and a supporting member for supporting the roller holding member so as to be swingable between a first position where the belt and the recording material feeding member contact each other and a second position where the belt is spaced from the recording material feeding member. The supporting member supports the roller holding member so that a swing center is positioned on one end side with respect to a rotational axis direction of the rollers. The receiving container includes a wall surface portion for preventing overflow of the deposited matter received through an opening of the receiving container when the roller holding member is positioned in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Tanaka, Keita Kondo, Yuki Inoue, Shingo Katano
  • Patent number: 11307532
    Abstract: A control member 76 for controlling transmission and blocking of a rotational force by a clutch is rotatably supported by a supporting member which supports a developing frame. a locking portion provided on the control member 76 rotates between a position retracted from a locked portion of the clutch and a position for engaging with the locked portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Nishida, Yuichi Fukui, Tetsushi Uneme, Yasuyuki Egami, Yohei Anzai, Takeo Kawanami, Toshiki Fujino, Sohta Sugimoto, Fumiya Sawashima
  • Patent number: 11204566
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a tray movable between a position housed in a main body and a drawn-out position withdrawn from the main body. The tray includes a frame on which a developing cartridge is mountable, an image bearing member that faces a developer carrier when the developing cartridge is mounted on the frame, an electrical contact portion which abuts on and is electrically connected to a memory medium when the developing cartridge is mounted on the frame, a guide member provided at one end of the developing cartridge when it is mounted on the frame for guiding a protrusion portion and the memory medium unit, the guide member including a portion which abuts on the protrusion portion so that the protrusion portion is positioned, and a memory unit support portion which supports the memory medium unit when the developing cartridge is mounted on the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Fukasawa, Yukio Kubo, Daisuke Abe, Mitsuhiro Sato, Masahiro Suetsugu, Kengo Sakai
  • Patent number: 11194288
    Abstract: A control member 76 for controlling transmission and blocking of a rotational force by a clutch is rotatably supported by a supporting member which supports a developing frame. a locking portion provided on the control member 76 rotates between a position retracted from a locked portion of the clutch and a position for engaging with the locked portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Nishida, Yuichi Fukui, Tetsushi Uneme, Yasuyuki Egami, Yohei Anzai, Takeo Kawanami, Toshiki Fujino, Sohta Sugimoto, Fumiya Sawashima
  • Patent number: 10871744
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, a drawer, a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge. The drawer is movable in a first direction between an inner position at which the drawer is located inside the main body housing and an outer position at which the drawer is located outside the main body housing. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drawer. The toner cartridge accommodates toner. When the drum cartridge is attached to the drawer and the drawer is at the inner position, the toner conveyor conveys toner from the toner cartridge to the drum cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasumasa Fujii, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 10732542
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a unit holder, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit includes a color toner unit, a replaceable black toner unit, and a replaceable special toner unit that form a color toner image, a black toner image, and a special toner image, respectively. The unit holder selectively and detachably holds the replaceable black toner unit or the replaceable special toner unit. The circuitry controls the image forming unit to perform: a normal operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable black toner unit, that forms a color-black image; a special operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable special toner unit, that forms a color-special image; and a toner amount increase control that increases an amount of the color toner per unit area in the color toner image in the special operation than that in the normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Tanaka, Keiji Kunimi, Masanori Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 10663918
    Abstract: A support device and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The support device according to an example includes a first lever rotatably disposed at a door provided in a body of an image forming apparatus, and a first elastic member to rotate the first lever disposed at a first position based on the door being closed to a second position based on the door being opened, wherein, at the second position, the first lever supports a part of a toner cartridge tray pulled out from the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mintae Kim, Seongho Park
  • Patent number: 10576765
    Abstract: A printer includes a housing, a print engine within the housing, a door to cover a portion of the housing, and a hinge assembly coupled to the housing and the door to support the door in a closed position to cover the portion of the housing and an open position to uncover the portion of the housing, wherein, in the open position, the door is offset from the housing by the hinge assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Steve Brown, Kevin Lo, Tod Kinsley, Lynn A Collie, Peter G Hwang
  • Patent number: 10520886
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording material includes a main assembly and a supporting member for supporting a plurality of cartridges. The supporting member is movable to an outside position, a first inside position where the cartridges are positioned inside of the main assembly, and a second inside position where the supporting member is movable to the outside position and the first inside position. A first positioning portion positions an associated cartridge when the supporting member is located at the first inside position, and a first preventing portion prevents rotation of the associated cartridge about the first positioning portion. In addition, a second positioning portion positions the associated cartridge when the supporting member is located at the second inside position, and the second positioning portion is spaced from the associated cartridge when the supporting member is located at the first inside position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Masatoshi Yamashita, Toshiharu Kawai
  • Patent number: 10412243
    Abstract: An image formation device for executing a printing job to form a toner image on a record sheet includes: an operation panel configured to move between a first position at which the operation panel protrudes from a front of a device body and a second position at which the operation panel is retracted to a device body side with respect to the first position. The device further includes an acquisition device configured to obtain state information indicating a state of the device body; and a hardware processor configured to determine, based on the obtained state information, whether the state of the device body is a state requiring a user access to the device body or a state of accessing to the device body. The device retracts the operation panel to the second position when a determination result is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kamiya, Naoto Sugaya, Chao Ye
  • Patent number: 10234815
    Abstract: A contact point end portion of a second ring connected to a first ring portion on a power reception portion side protrudes further in the direction of a power reception portion than a contact point end portion of the first ring connected to a spring portion on a power reception portion side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Nakayashiki
  • Patent number: 10133209
    Abstract: In a toner container, a powder container that includes a container body configured to store toner, and is rotated by input of rotational drive of a drive output section of an image forming device while being set in the image forming device, the toner container includes an incompatible hole group, as a container-side engagement portion, on a front end surface facing downstream in an insertion direction when inserted in a direction parallel to a rotational center line of the rotational drive and set in the image forming device, the incompatible hole group has a hole shape that is engaged with a body-side projection portion of the drive output section protruding upstream in the insertion direction, and the rotational drive is input by rotation of the drive output section with the incompatible hole group and the body-side projection portion engaged with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Junji Yamabe
  • Patent number: 9958822
    Abstract: An electrical connecting member electrically connects between two conductive members. The electrical connecting member includes a coil spring part formed by winding a wire around a coil axis. The electrical connecting member comes into contact with one of the conductive members with elastic force in a circumferential direction around the coil axis and comes in contact with the other of the conductive members with elastic force in an axial direction of the coil axis so that the conductive members are electrically connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyonori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9921542
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a lock mechanism, a first determination processing portion, and a regulation processing portion. The lock mechanism is configured to regulate attachment and detachment of the developer storage portion attached to the attachment portion. The first determination processing portion determines whether or not the developer storage portion attached to the attachment portion is a developer storage portion of a predetermined specific type. The regulation processing portion, when the developer storage portion attached to the attachment portion has been determined to be a developer storage portion of the specific type, causes the lock mechanism to regulate attachment and detachment of the developer storage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masayuki Mochizuki, Tsuyoshi Terada
  • Patent number: 9904215
    Abstract: A drive system includes multiple vibrating members that tend to vibrate when these members are driven and a holding system to hold the multiple vibrating members. The holding system at least includes a first holding unit and a second holding unit superimposed on and partially connected to each other. The multiple vibrating members include a first vibrating member and a second vibrating member. The first vibrating member is held by the first holding unit and is not held by the second holding unit. The second vibrating member is held by the second holding unit and is not held by the first holding unit. At least one of the first vibrating member and the second vibrating member is a driving device to drive another member as a drive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Matsuda, Masahiro Ishida, Jun Yasuda, Shinya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9834094
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mass-decoupling device for a motor vehicle, having: a mass-receiving element (10) and a mass object (11) accommodated therein, which mass-receiving element (10) and mass object (11) are point symmetrically formed and mounted opposite a body (36) of the motor vehicle; at least one guide means (13) that moveably mounts the mass-receiving element (10) and the mass object (11) accommodated therein along a longitudinal axis (L) of the vehicle; decoupling means (14) designed to decouple the mass-receiving element (10) and the mass object (11) accommodated therein from the body (36) of the motor vehicle; first energy-receiving means (15) designed to transmit kinetic energy of a movement of the mass-receiving element (10) and the mass object (11) accommodated therein to the body (36) of the motor vehicle in a predetermined time interval, said movement occurring along the longitudinal axis (L) of the vehicle, from a first position (P1) to a second position (P2); and second energy receiving m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Paweletz
  • Patent number: 9836009
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a rotatable image bearing member, a first support side plate, and a second support side plate; a development device; a transfer device; a rotatable stay; an operation portion; and a toner containing portion. The rotatable stay is disposed at a position downstream of the development device and upstream of the transfer device with respect to a rotation direction of the image bearing member to face the image bearing member and to connect the first support side plate and the second support side plate. The operation portion is provided at an end portion of the stay to rotate the stay. The toner containing portion contains the toner accumulated on the stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shotaro Ishihara, Tomoharu Kitajima, Masato Yuasa
  • Patent number: 9535397
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a support body provided in an apparatus body to be drawn out from the apparatus body while supporting a supported body, and having a support portion on a front side of the supported body in a drawing direction, and an image forming body on which an image to be transferred on the supported body or a recording medium transported by the support body is formed, the image forming body being provided in the apparatus body to be drawn out from the apparatus body in the drawing direction of the support body and being positioned relative to the apparatus body in an intersecting direction intersecting the drawing direction with an end portion on a front side in the drawing direction abutting on the support portion in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takayuki Kondo
  • Patent number: 9519262
    Abstract: A photoconductor unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a first end wall positioned at a first end of the housing. A photoconductive drum is mounted on the housing and has a rotational axis that runs from the first end to a second end of the housing. An electrically conductive first biasing member extends axially inward with respect to the photoconductive drum from an inner axial side of the first end wall. The first biasing member is exposed on the inner axial side of the first end wall to contact and force a developer unit toward the second end of the housing when the developer unit is operably mated with the photoconductor unit and to contact and form an electrical path with a corresponding electrical contact on the developer unit when the developer unit is operably mated with the photoconductor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Lawrence Tonges, Benjamin Erich Kant
  • Patent number: 9465355
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body of the apparatus, a cartridge support member, an openable and closable member configured to open and close an opening portion, a linkage mechanism configured to link the openable and closable member and the cartridge support member to each other, and a locking portion configured to prevent the cartridge support member from being detached from the main body of the apparatus. The locking of the cartridge support member by the locking portion is released by releasing the linkage by the linkage mechanism to move the cartridge support member relative to the locking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichiro Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9454124
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a movable member configured to move with respect to the main body while supporting an image bearing member and a developer bearing member. The movable member is movable to a position located inside the main body, where the two bearing members is in an image formable state, and a position located outside the main body, where a cartridge including the developer bearing member is detachable from the movable member. The apparatus further includes an exposure device configured to expose the image bearing member via a light transmission member, and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the light transmission member opposed to the movable member. The cleaning member is provided on the movable member and is movable to a contact position for contacting the light transmission member and a noncontact position when the movable member moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Takasaka, Noriyuki Komatsu, Osamu Anan, Tetsuya Numata
  • Patent number: 9405218
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a plurality of developing devices, and a plurality of sloping members disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of developing devices. Each developing device includes a developer accommodating chamber and a developing roller disposed above the developer accommodating chamber. Each developing device is movable between a first position and a second position lower than the first position in a height direction generally parallel to a vertical direction. Each sloping member has a sloped surface movable in the height direction and a biasing member biasing the sloped surface upward in the height direction. Each sloping member is movable between a third position where the corresponding developing device is placed on the sloped surface and a fourth position where the corresponding developing device is released from being pressed by the sloped surface in a predetermined direction generally perpendicular to the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoh Nishimura, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9323210
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing including a first side frame, a second side frame, and an opening, a cartridge configured to be attached to and removed from the casing through the opening, and an openable member configured to open and close the opening. A first side and a second side of the cartridge are supported by the first side frame and the second side frame, respectively, when the cartridge is attached to the casing. A part of the cartridge attached to the casing protrudes in a removal direction of the cartridge relative to an end of each of the first side frame and the second side frame in the removal direction. The openable member includes a wall portion. When the openable member closes the opening, the wall portion of the openable member is spaced apart in the removal direction from the part of the cartridge attached to the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Morita, Hikaru Iino
  • Patent number: 9274484
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus on which a toner accommodation container accommodating toner is insertably/removably mounted to discharge the toner from the toner accommodation container by rotating the toner accommodation container includes a phase detection sensor that detects a rotation phase of the toner accommodation container by detecting a phase detection portion provided in the toner accommodation container and detects removal/mounting of the toner accommodation container from/on the image forming apparatus through the phase detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takao Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9224622
    Abstract: In order to shield the light incident from the chip side surface or chip rear surface of a semiconductor chip that forms an LCD driver, a light-shielding film is formed over the chip side surface and chip rear surface of the semiconductor chip itself, not using a light-shielding tape that is a component separate from the semiconductor chip. Accordingly, the light-shielding tape as a separate component is not used, and hence the trouble that the light-shielding tape may protrude from the surface of a glass substrate whose thickness has been made small can be solved. As a result, the thinning of a liquid crystal display, and the subsequent thinning of the mobile phone in which the liquid crystal display is mounted can be promoted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Ichihara, Hisao Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9201390
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is described. The developer cartridge detachably mountable on a tandem type photosensitive unit slidable to a drawn-out position and a mounted position with respect to an image forming apparatus body may include a casing; a developer carrier rotatably supported on one end portion of the casing for carrying a developer; a pair of upright portions arranged on another end portion of the casing at an interval from each other in the axial direction of the developer carrier to extend from another end portion of the casing in a detaching direction for the developer cartridge; and an elastically deformable coupling portion extending in the axial direction of the developer carrier for coupling the upright portions with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Hashimoto, Isao Kishi, Yasushi Okabe
  • Patent number: 9182734
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is described. The developer cartridge detachably mountable on a tandem type photosensitive unit slidable to a drawn-out position and a mounted position with respect to an image forming apparatus body may include a casing; a developer carrier rotatably supported on one end portion of the casing for carrying a developer; a pair of upright portions arranged on another end portion of the casing at an interval from each other in the axial direction of the developer carrier to extend from another end portion of the casing in a detaching direction for the developer cartridge; and an elastically deformable coupling portion extending in the axial direction of the developer carrier for coupling the upright portions with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Hashimoto, Isao Kishi, Yasushi Okabe
  • Patent number: 9182735
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is described. The developer cartridge detachably mountable on a tandem type photosensitive unit slidable to a drawn-out position and a mounted position with respect to an image forming apparatus body may include a casing; a developer carrier rotatably supported on one end portion of the casing for carrying a developer; a pair of upright portions arranged on another end portion of the casing at an interval from each other in the axial direction of the developer carrier to extend from another end portion of the casing in a detaching direction for the developer cartridge; and an elastically deformable coupling portion extending in the axial direction of the developer carrier for coupling the upright portions with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Hashimoto, Isao Kishi, Yasushi Okabe
  • Patent number: 9046867
    Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer casing, a developer carrying member, and a receptacle. The developer carrying member is mounted on the developer casing. The receptacle is supported on the developer casing to be slidable linearly with respect to the developing casing, and is configured to accommodate a waste developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kensuke Miyahara, Hikaru Yoshizumi, Susumu Sakuma, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9037039
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a cartridge including a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the cartridge containing a developer for effecting development and including a force receiving portion, wherein the cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; and an urging member for urging the cartridge; wherein by mounting the cartridge, the force receiving portion receives a force from the urging member to urge the developing roller to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Kikuchi, Tsutomu Nishiuwatoko, Takashi Akutsu
  • Patent number: 9014595
    Abstract: In an image forming device, a drawer may move in a moving direction between an accommodated position, in which the drawer is accommodated in a main casing, and a pull-out position, in which at least part of the drawer is outside of the main casing. Toner boxes may be detachably attachable to the drawer. Each toner box may include: a toner container that may accommodate toner therein and that may be formed with an opening; and a shutter that may move between an open position for opening the opening and a closed position for closing the opening. The drawer may include a plurality of operation portions in one to one correspondence with the plurality of toner boxes. Each operation portion may move the shutter of a corresponding toner box between the open position and the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nao Itabashi
  • Patent number: 9014597
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a holder and an exposure unit. The holder holds a plurality of photosensitive drums arrayed in a predetermined array direction, and movable in an accommodating direction to be accommodated in the main frame. The holder includes a pair of metal plates each positioned at each axial end portion of each photosensitive drum. Each of the pair of metal plates has a downstream end portion in the accommodating direction provided with a positioning portion. The main frame includes a pair of first side walls, a pair of second side walls, a linking member, and a support portion. Each of the pair of second side walls is fixed to each first side wall and made from a metal. Each second side wall includes a major portion supporting the exposure unit, and an extension portion extending from the major portion toward the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiya Tomatsu
  • Patent number: 9002230
    Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus is usable with process cartridges that each include an electrophotographic photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus includes a movable member that is movable between an inside of the main assembly of the apparatus and an outside of the main assembly of the apparatus in a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the drum while carrying the cartridges. A main assembly electrical contact is provided inside the main assembly along a movement path of the movable member. An intermediary electrical contact is provided and includes a first electrical contact portion that is disposed inside the movable member, with the intermediary electrical contact being electrically connectable to a cartridge electrical contact of a cartridge, and a second electrical contact portion is disposed outside the movable member, with the second electrical contact portion electrically connectable to a main assembly electrical contact provided in the main assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chikara Imaizumi, Takeo Kawanami, Tomio Noguchi, Hiromi Fujinaka
  • Patent number: 8989623
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges, and a moving member to which the plurality of cartridges is detachably attached. Of a pair of cartridges attached to the moving member and adjacent to each other, one cartridge has a recessed portion recessed from a frame member thereof and extending in an attachment direction of the cartridge, and the other cartridge has a raised portion protruding from the frame member thereof and extending in the attachment direction. The raised portion provided on the other cartridge enters the recessed portion provided in the one cartridge when the pair of cartridges is attached to the moving member. Positions of the raised portion and the recessed portion overlap each other as viewed in an axial direction of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Koishi, Masanari Morioka, Tetsuya Numata, Hiroyuki Munetsugu
  • Patent number: 8983334
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including a door 10 openable with respect to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, a drum cartridge 8 detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus main assembly, and detachably mountable developing cartridges 4k-4y provided above the drum cartridge 8, wherein the door 10 includes a positioning urging portion 26 contacting the developing cartridges in a state in which the door 10 is closed, the door 10 includes drum cartridge mounting and demounting guides 28R and 28L for regulating the drum cartridge 8 so as to pass along a non-interference path with the positioning urging portion 26 in contact to the drum cartridge 8 when the drum cartridge 8 is demounted from the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Hiramatsu, Takashi Akutsu, Tsutomu Nishiuwatoko, Ken Kikuchi, Kensuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8948652
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, photosensitive bodies are mounted in a first frame. Developing units are detachably mounted in the first frame. A second frame is movable relative to the first frame. Each developing unit is movable relative to the first frame between a separate position, at which a developing roller is separate from a photosensitive body, and a contact position, at which the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive body. The second frame moves relative to the first frame, thereby moving the developing units relative to the first frame between the separate positions and the contact positions. The second frame positions each developing unit relative to the first frame in a direction to move the developing roller toward the corresponding photosensitive body when the developing unit is in the contact position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Abe
  • Patent number: 8929770
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a frame, a photosensitive drum, an endless belt disposed above the photosensitive drum, and a pressing member. The photosensitive drum includes a drum body and a flange portion that is provided on one end portion of the drum body. The flange portion has a contacted portion and a pressed portion. The pressing member presses the pressed portion upward to permit the photosensitive drum to be in contact with the endless belt. The frame has a positioning portion disposed above the pressing member and above the photosensitive drum. The positioning portion is configured to be in contact with the contacted portion and to position the photosensitive drum when the pressing member presses the pressed portion. The pressed portion is disposed farther from the drum body in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum than the contacted portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 8913919
    Abstract: A moving mechanism is configured to move a cartridge supporting unit to a mounted position, a retracted position, and a pulled-out position. The cartridge supporting unit is mounted in a main casing and a supply opening of each developer cartridge and a reception opening of each image forming unit are in communication with each other when the cartridge supporting unit is in the mounted position. The cartridge supporting unit is moved away from a plurality of image forming units in an axial direction of a photosensitive drum to interrupt a communication between the supply opening and the reception opening when the cartridge supporting unit is in the retracted position. The cartridge supporting unit is pulled outside the main casing from the retracted position in a predetermined direction perpendicular to the axial direction when the cartridge supporting unit is in the pulled-out position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 8902465
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mechanism that more appropriately evaluates an image defect caused by a specific process in an image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus of this invention performs colorimetry of a patch image at a spatial resolution corresponding to the spatial frequency of color unevenness caused by a specific process included in an image forming process. A statistic value based on the n-th (n is an integer of 2 or more) order central moment of a specific color component of a colorimetric value obtained by performing colorimetry at the spatial resolution is compared with a reference value, thereby detecting that the color unevenness caused by the specific process has occurred in the patch image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Yokoyama, Akihito Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8897671
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a driving source configured to supply a rotational driving force in a predetermined direction, a particular developing unit having a developing roller and accommodating particular color developer, a first gear configured to receive the driving force of the driving source, a second gear configured to transmit the driving force to the developing roller, a particular intermediate gear configured to be engaged with the first and the second gears. A rotational center of the particular intermediate gear is arranged on an upstream side in a moving direction of teeth of the second gear, and a translation member is configured to linearly move between a first position where the particular intermediate gear engages with the first and second gears, and a second position where the particular intermediate gear disengages from the particular intermediate gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiya Tomatsu
  • Patent number: 8892002
    Abstract: A holder is movable in a horizontal direction between an internal position within the main casing and an external position outside of a main casing. The holder has a first opening extending in the horizontal direction. A drum unit is configured to be held by the holder and is movable in a vertical direction with respect to the holder. The drum unit includes a photosensitive drum having an axis extending in an axial direction, a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion in the axial direction. A particular pressure member is positioned in confrontation with the drum unit and urges the first end portion upward through the first opening to permit the photosensitive drum to be in contact with an endless belt when the holder is in the internal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 8886086
    Abstract: An image forming device including a casing having a front wall formed with a first opening and an upper wall continuous to the front wall and formed with a second opening. The first and second openings together form a single opening. The device further includes a door for covering the single opening, a belt unit, and a guide member. The belt unit includes first and second rollers, and a conveyer belt. The drawer is configured to accommodate a plurality of cartridges. The guide member is configured to movably guide the drawer. The first roller is disposed nearer to the single opening than the second roller to the single opening. In a state where the door is opened and the drawer is inside the casing, one of the plurality of cartridges closest to the door is detachably attachable to the drawer through the single opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Kimura, Yasushi Okabe
  • Patent number: 8886084
    Abstract: A pressing member applies a pressing force to a trailing end in a direction which intersects a predetermined reference direction, allowing the pressing force to have both a first component in the predetermined reference direction and a second component perpendicular to the predetermined reference direction. A trailing end is pressed in the predetermined reference direction by the first component. In the mounted state, the leading end is in contact with the reference member at two contact surfaces including a first contact surface and a second contact surface. The first contact surface defines a first positioning direction being perpendicular to the first contact surface and intersecting the predetermined reference direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Okabe, Yoshiya Tomatsu
  • Patent number: 8867958
    Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes plural cartridge mounting portions for demountably mounting independently removable cartridges, a moving unit that includes the cartridge mounting portions and is movable between an image forming position and a mounting and demounting position for mounting and demounting the cartridges, and a mounting and demounting position locking member for locking the moving unit in the mounting and demounting position to prevent movement to the image forming position when at least one of the cartridges is not mounted in the corresponding cartridge mounting portion. The mounting and demounting position locking member is movable from an unlocking position to a locking position in interrelation with demounting of any one of the cartridges from its corresponding cartridge mounting portion, and to the unlocking position when all of the plurality of cartridges are mounted in their corresponding plurality of cartridge mounting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8862014
    Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a movable member for supporting and moving a cartridge. The movable member is movable between (i) a first position in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member carried on the movable member is contacted to a belt member and a latent image can be formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member and (ii) a second position in which the electrophotographic photosensitive member is spaced from the belt member inside a main assembly frame. The movable member is also movable between the second position and a third position in which the cartridge is mountable and demountable relative to the movable member outside of the main assembly frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chikara Imaizumi, Takeo Kawanami, Tomio Noguchi, Hiromi Fujinaka
  • Patent number: 8849156
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material. A process cartridge, including a photosensitive drum and a process device actable on the drum, is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus in a direction of an axis of the drum. The image forming apparatus includes a first positioning portion, provided above the cartridge, for positioning, with respect to a direction crossing with the axis of the drum, the drum at an upstream position with respect to a mounting direction in which the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, and a second positioning portion, provided above the cartridge at a downstream position with respect to the mounting direction, for positioning the drum with respect to a direction crossing with the axis of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsubumi Mizuno, Kazufumi Muto