Patents Assigned to Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
  • Publication number: 20250110446
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, including a housing; a drum cartridge; a developing cartridge; a drawer movable between an inner position and an outer position; and a lock member provided on the drawer and movable between a lock position at which the lock member locks the drum cartridge to the drawer, and a release position at which a lock between the drum cartridge and the drawer is released. The lock member includes an operation portion for moving the lock member between the lock position and the release position. The developing cartridge includes a cover member that covers at least a portion of the operation portion in a state in which the drum cartridge is mounted to the drawer, and the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shougo SATO
  • Publication number: 20250110444
    Abstract: A developing cartridge may include a developing roller and a casing capable of containing a developer material, a member having a first end portion and a second end portion, the member being movable together with the casing and the developing roller, and the member having a first hole extending in a direction between the first end portion and the second end portion; and a first lever movable relative to the casing between a first position and a second position, the first lever including one end portion that functions as the point of effort, an other end portion that functions as the point of application, and a cam surface that is located between the one end portion and the other end portion and that functions as a pivot point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nao Itabashi
  • Publication number: 20250110674
    Abstract: A data processing method is for managing first and second image processing devices using a server. In the method, the server receives a request to replace the first image processing device, acquires from the first image processing device data, and stores the acquired data as data originally stored in the first image processing device. The data originally stored in the first image processing device includes settings information. In the method, the server communicates with the second image processing device which is a replacement device. In a case that a prescribed condition is satisfied, the server sends the data originally stored in the first image processing device to the second image processing device. For satisfying the prescribed condition, satisfying a condition that a prescribed function of the first image processing device has been deactivated on the basis of the request received by the server is necessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takatsugu YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20250110422
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a casing, a developing roller, a first agitator, a supply roller, and a second agitator. The casing is configured to accommodate toner. The developing roller is rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis extending in a first direction. The first agitator is configured to agitate the toner. The first agitator is rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction. The supply roller is positioned between the first agitator and the developing roller. The supply roller is rotatable about a supply roller rotation axis extending in the first direction. The second agitator is positioned between the supply roller and the first agitator. The second agitator is rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction. A rotation locus of the second agitator is positioned outside of a rotation locus of the first agitator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuaki Ooka, Junichi Hashimoto, Shota Iriyama, Keigo Nakajima, Kengo Yada
  • Publication number: 20250110447
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a drawer, and a process cartridge attachable to the drawer. The drawer can be drawn out of the housing toward one side in a first direction. The process cartridge includes: a process housing; a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a second direction; a developing roller movable between a separated position and a contacting position relative to the photosensitive drum; and a locking member. The locking member is movable between a locking position for locking the developing roller at the separated position and an unlocking position for allowing the developing roller to move to the contacting position. The process cartridge is configured to contact a first surface of the drawer to be guided toward an attachment position on the drawer while the locking member is at the locking position during attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nao ITABASHI
  • Publication number: 20250108617
    Abstract: A liquid discharge device includes: a head configured to discharge a liquid from a nozzle opening on a nozzle surface; a wiper configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle surface at a front surface of the wiper and be movable relative to the head in a first direction; a support portion configured to support at least a rear surface of the wiper and be movable relative to the wiper in a second direction intersecting the nozzle surface and the first direction; and a controller configured to: acquire an elapsed time from when the liquid is discharged from the nozzle; determine, based on the elapsed time, a first support position which is a position of the support portion in the second direction; and position the support portion at the determined first support position, and move the wiper relative to the head in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mikio OGAWA, Hiroyuki TANAKA, Ryuji KATO
  • Publication number: 20250108611
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including a head, a moving mechanism and a controller is provided. The controller is configured to execute causing the head to not eject liquid in an acceleration section and to eject liquid in a constant speed section during a second movement, in a case where it is determined that a stop position in a first movement is not on one side of a scanning direction relative to a target position. The controller is configured to execute causing the head to eject liquid in the acceleration section and the constant speed section during the second movement, in a case where it is determined that the stop position in the first movement is on the one side of the scanning direction relative to the target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru ARAKANE
  • Publication number: 20250108620
    Abstract: For an image forming apparatus including first and second storage chambers, an inequality expression of “R2>A×R1” is met. R1 is a sum of a passage resistance value obtained by flowing air through a first air communication portion and a passage resistance value obtained by flowing liquid through a supply portion. R2 is a passage resistance value obtained by flowing air through a second air communication portion. A is a cross-sectional area ratio obtained by dividing a first average cross-sectional area of a first space of the first storage chamber taken along a plurality of horizontal planes by a second average cross-sectional area of a second space of the second storage chamber taken along the plurality of horizontal planes. The first space contains at least a portion adjacent to the supply portion and accumulating the liquid. The second space contains at least a portion accumulating the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito KOBAYASHI, Akinari ISHIBE, Yuma TANABE, Masahiro HAYASHI, Masatake SATO
  • Publication number: 20250108466
    Abstract: The machine tool includes a main shaft, a workpiece support part, a tool magazine, a moving mechanism, and an opening-closing mechanism. The main shaft holds a tool. The workpiece support part supports a workpiece processed by the tool. The tool magazine is provided on the workpiece support part and includes a tool holder supporting tools, and an openable and closable magazine cover covering a periphery of the tool holder. The moving mechanism includes a motor and moves the workpiece support part in a first direction. The opening-closing mechanism is configured to open and close the magazine cover. The opening-closing mechanism includes a first cam, and a link mechanism connected to the magazine cover. When the workpiece support part is moved by the moving mechanism, the link mechanism displaces the magazine cover from a closed state to an open state when the link mechanism abuts the first cam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato KONDO, Hiroyuki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20250108610
    Abstract: A printing method using a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including: a liquid ejecting head including: a channel substrate having an individual channel; and a piezoelectric actuator having an individual electrode, a high potential electrode and a low potential electrode and applying pressure to liquid inside the individual channel, a driving power source circuit electrically connected to the individual electrode; a high potential power source circuit electrically connected to the high potential electrode; and a conveyor to convey a medium, the printing method comprising: ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting head with respect to the medium conveyed by the conveyor so as to print an image on the medium; and changing an output voltage value of each of the driving power source circuit and the high potential power source circuit while printing the image on the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: FUMIKA HATTA
  • Patent number: 12263675
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus including: a holder; an image recorder; a receiver; a cutter; a first conveyor; and a controller. The controller is configured to execute: a first conveying process of conveying a recording medium by the first conveyor along a first conveying direction to the image recorder; an image recording process of recording an image on the recording medium by the image recorder; a second conveying process of conveying the recording medium with the image recorded in a second conveying direction opposite to the first conveying direction by a predetermined amount, after the image recording process; and a cutting process of cutting the recording medium by the cutter, after the second conveying process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 12263681
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a controller configured to make a transition of an operational mode of the controller between a first mode and a second mode. The first mode represents an operational state where a contract for a service using a first cartridge has been made. The second mode represents an operational state where the contract for the contract for the service has not been made. In the first mode, the controller stores a first tank liquid volume and a second tank liquid volume in a memory. The first tank liquid volume represents, when the first cartridge is attached to an attachment case, an amount of liquid supplied from the first cartridge and stored in a tank. The second tank liquid volume represents, when a second cartridge is attached to the attachment case, an amount of liquid supplied from the second cartridge and stored in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taichiro Kimoto
  • Patent number: 12267673
    Abstract: A terminal device may be configured to receive support information from a communication device by using a first wireless connection which has been established between the terminal device and the communication device. The support information may indicate whether the communication device supports a predetermined scheme. The terminal device may be configured to, in a case where the support information indicates that the communication device supports the predetermined scheme, execute a first control process for executing wireless communication in conformity with the predetermined scheme between the terminal device and the communication device. The terminal device may be configured to, in a case where the support information indicates that the communication device does not support the predetermined scheme, execute a second control process for executing wireless communication in conformity with a different scheme different from the predetermined scheme between the terminal device and the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Shibata, Hirotaka Asakura
  • Patent number: 12263677
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a channel unit having a nozzle and an individual channel; an actuator applying pressure to liquid in the individual channel to discharge the liquid from the nozzle; a driving circuit electrically connected to the actuator and supplying driving signal to the actuator; and a controller. In a case of determining that a single-sided recording is to be executed, the controller supplies the driving signal corresponding to each of gradation values for each of pixels when discharging the liquid toward one of a first surface and a second surface of a recording medium; in a case of determining that the double-sided recording is to be executed, the controller supplies the driving signal corresponding to each of the gradation values for each of the pixels when discharging the liquid toward the first surface and when discharging the liquid toward the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Tomoya Kondo
  • Patent number: 12263685
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a thermal head in which a plurality of heating elements is arranged in a main scanning direction, a moving mechanism configured to relatively move a print medium with respect to the thermal head in a sub-scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction, a controller configured to control the thermal head and the moving mechanism, and a storage unit configured to store first print data in which pixels are arranged in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, the pixels including print pixels indicating pixels with which corresponding dots are formed on the print medium by heat generated by the heating elements and non-print pixels with which no dot is formed on the print medium, the first print data being for printing a first print image represented by the print pixels. The controller executes generation processing and control processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sachiko Murakami, Akira Minami
  • Patent number: 12267768
    Abstract: A terminal device may, in a case where a first type of related information including a public key is obtained due to a first type of communication device outputting the first type of related information, send first connection information to the first type of communication device. The first type of communication device may be capable of executing a wireless communication complying with a predetermined rule of Wi-Fi scheme. The terminal device may, in a case where a second type of related information different from the first type of related information is obtained due to a second type of communication device outputting the second type of related information, send second connection information to the second type of communication device. The second type of communication device may be incapable of executing a wireless communication complying with the predetermined rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryoya Tsuji
  • Patent number: 12263674
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor to convey a sheet medium, a print engine to form an image on the sheet medium, a cutter to cut the sheet medium, a signal output device, and a controller. The cutter includes a first blade, a second blade, and a moving device to move at least one of the first and second blades. The controller receives, from the signal output device, a signal indicating a variation over time in a value correlated with a moving load for the at least one blade, and determines, based on the received signal, which state the sheet medium is in among a plurality of states including a first state where the sheet medium is cut normally, a second state where there is an abnormality in cutting the sheet medium, and a third state where there is a different abnormality in cutting the sheet medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideaki Yoshimune, Masatomo Yamaguchi, Yuya Tatematsu, Takashi Suzuki, Yuto Chiba
  • Patent number: 12263680
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a head configured to eject a liquid from nozzles being open in a nozzle surface, a liquid absorbing wiper, and a support supporting the liquid absorbing wiper. The supporter is movable relative to the head, between a first position where the liquid absorbing wiper is in contact with the nozzle surface, and a second position where the liquid absorbing wiper is away from the nozzle surface, the supporter has a flow channel for a liquid cleaner to flow therethrough, and the liquid absorbing wiper sucks in the liquid cleaner from below by way of contact with the liquid cleaner flowing in the flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mikio Ogawa, Rikuto Mitoka, Motoki Yamada
  • Patent number: 12263696
    Abstract: A layer transfer device includes a supply reel, a take-up reel, a driving source, a releasable restraining device, a heating roller, a pressure roller, and a controller. The driving source drives the take-up reel. The releasable restraining device is capable of switching to a restraining state in which a multilayer film is put under restraint in being drawn out from the supply reel and to a release state in which the restraint is lifted. The controller is configured such that when the driving source is generating the mechanical power, the releasable restraining device is in the restraining state if an image area in which an image is formed on the sheet is not present in a layer transfer position between the heating roller and the pressure roller, and the releasable restraining device is in the release state if the image area is present in the layer transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Yamamoto, Takashi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20250102953
    Abstract: A developing cartridge may include: a casing configured to accommodate developer therein, the casing extending in the first direction; a coupling rotatable about a first axis extending in the first direction, the coupling being positioned at one side of the casing in the first direction; a detection gear rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction, the detection gear being positioned at another side of the casing in the first direction; and a storage medium including an electric contact surface, the electric contact surface being positioned at the one side of the casing in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nao Itabashi, Junichi Yokoi