Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
399112000 | Color | 25 |
20080286001 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which apparatus a process cartridge is detachably mountable, wherein said process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum unit and a developing unit, wherein said photosensitive drum unit includes a photosensitive drum, and said developing unit is rotatably engageable with said photosensitive drum unit and includes a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum, and wherein said developing unit is movable between a contact position in which said developing roller is in contact to said photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which said developing roller is spaced from said photosensitive drum, said image forming apparatus including means for exposing said photosensitive drum with light through a transmission member to form the electrostatic latent image, wherein said exposure means is positioned below said process cartridge when said process cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of the apparatus; moving means for moving said developing unit to the contact position or to the spaced position; and a cleaning member for cleaning said transmission member in interrelation with an operation of said moving means. | 11-20-2008 |
20080292356 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS UNIT - An image forming apparatus capable of reliably positioning a process unit in a main image forming apparatus body, without impairing ease of mounting/dismounting of the process unit achieved by a simple structure. A convex section that projects towards the insertion side is provided on the process unit, an engagement section that positions the process unit in its width direction by engaging with the convex section in the condition, where the process unit is mounted, is provided on the main apparatus body, and a guidance section that guides the convex section towards the guidance section when mounting the process unit is provided on at least one of the tip end of the convex section and the main apparatus body. | 11-27-2008 |
20080304862 | TANDEM PHOTOSENSITIVE-MEMBER UNIT HAVING GRIP PART - An image-forming device includes a main body and a tandem photosensitive-member unit. The tandem photosensitive-member unit includes a unit frame, a plurality of photosensitive members, a front-side grip part, and a rear-side grip. The unit frame is configured to be slidably installed to and removed from the main body in a predetermined direction. The unit frame has a leading side and a trailing side with respect to the predetermined direction. The plurality of photosensitive members is provided corresponding to a plurality of colors and is supported by the unit frame. The front-side grip part is provided at the leading side of the unit frame. The rear-side grip part is provided at the trailing side of the unit frame. | 12-11-2008 |
20080317499 | Image Forming Apparatus, Developer Cartridge and Photosensitive Unit - An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may include a developer cartridge and a photosensitive unit. The developer cartridge may include a first casing accommodating a developing agent, a developing agent carrier supported by the first casing and carrying the developing agent, a memory element storing predetermined information, and a first terminal electrically connected with the memory element. The photosensitive unit may include a second casing to which the developer cartridge is detachably attached, a photosensitive member, with which the developing agent carrier is brought into pressure contact when the developer cartridge is attached to the second casing, supported by the second casing, and a second terminal electrically connected with the first terminal when the developing agent carrier is brought into pressure contact with the photosensitive member. | 12-25-2008 |
20090220273 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a main body; a tandem type photosensitive unit, integrally retaining a plurality of photosensitive drums in a parallelly arranged state, mounted in the main body to be movable along the direction of the arrangement of the photosensitive drums; a developer cartridge provided correspondingly to each photosensitive drum, retaining a developing roller for feeding a developer to the corresponding photosensitive drum and detachably mounted on the tandem type photosensitive unit; a translation member provided in the main body to be linearly movable in the direction of the arrangement; and a link member provided correspondingly to each developer cartridge and displaced to a pressing position where a first end portion thereof is opposed to a prescribed portion of each developer cartridge while a second end portion opposite to the first end portion is pressed by the translation member following linear movement of the translation member so that the first end portion presses the prescribed portion in a direction for separating the developing roller from the photosensitive drum and a releasing position where the translation member is released from pressing the second end portion so that the first end portion is released from pressing the prescribed portion, while each developer cartridge is mounted on the tandem type photosensitive unit. | 09-03-2009 |
20100080617 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus wherein cartridges are detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, includes a supporting member for supporting the cartridge, movable between an inside position and an outside position; an outer wall; an opening provided in the outer wall, the opening being passed through by the supporting member, when the supporting member moves between the inside position and the outside position; a guiding member for supporting the supporting member movably so that the supporting member moves linearly between the inside position and the outside position, wherein when the supporting member is in the outside position, the guiding member supports the supporting member, so that a downstream side thereof is pivotable downwardly about an upstream side of the supporting member with respect to a movement direction to the outside position from the inside position, wherein in the state that the downstream side is pivoted downwardly about an upstream side of the supporting member with respect to a movement direction to the outside position from the inside position, the cartridge is mounted to the supporting member from above the supporting member, and the cartridge supported on the supporting member is dismounted upwardly of the supporting member. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080618 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material in the state that cartridge is detachably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising an opening; a cartridge supporting member linearly movable through the opening between an inside position, in the main assembly of the apparatus, for forming an image using the cartridge and an outside position which is outside the main assembly of the apparatus; retracting means for retracting the cartridge supporting member from a region in which the cartridge supporting member faces the opening, in the state that cartridge supporting member is in the outside position; and locking means for releasably locking the cartridge supporting member at the retracted position. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080619 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of cartridges is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, includes a cartridge supporting member movable between an inside position which is inside the main assembly and an outside position which is outside the main assembly, supporting the cartridges, wherein the cartridges are mounted to and dismounted from the cartridge supporting member placed in the outside position, and wherein the cartridge supporting member is movable between the inside position and the outside position intersecting a feeding path of a recording material. | 04-01-2010 |
20100111562 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a main body, an endless belt, and a drum unit. The drum unit is detachably mounted on the main body. The drum unit is inserted in a mounting direction to mount on the main body. The drum unit has a first end and a second end that is disposed downstream in the mounting direction. The drum unit supports a plurality of photosensitive drums including a black photosensitive drum and color photosensitive drums. The black photosensitive drum has a first axis extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the mounting direction. Each of the color photosensitive drums has a second axis extending in a direction parallel to the axial direction. The black and color photosensitive drums are arranged in the mounting direction. The black photosensitive drum is disposed at a position nearest to the first end. The second end is pivotable about the first axis to be movable between an initial position and a pivot position. The black and color photosensitive drums contact the endless belt when the drum unit is disposed in the initial position. The black photosensitive drum contacts the endless belt and the color photosensitive drums are separated from the endless belt when the drum unit is disposed in the pivot position. | 05-06-2010 |
20100221037 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a color image on a recording material includes a plurality of cartridge mounting portions for demountably mounting cartridges; a single intermediary transfer member provided opposed to the electrophotographic photosensitive member drums, wherein developed images formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member drums are to be transferred; an image forming unit including the cartridge mounting portions and the intermediary transfer member, wherein the image forming unit is movable between a transfer position for transferring to the recording material a developed image transferred onto the intermediary transfer member from the electrophotographic photosensitive member drums and a mounting and demounting position for mounting and demounting the cartridge relative to the cartridge mounting portion; and a mounting and demounting position locking member for locking the image forming unit to the mounting and demounting position relative to a main assembly of the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus when at least one of the cartridges mounted to the cartridge mounting portions is removed in a state in which image forming unit is placed in the mounting and demounting position. | 09-02-2010 |
20100239313 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus including: an opening in a main body; a door opening and closing the opening; a first tray movable between an inside position and an outside position through the opening while removably supporting drum cartridges having photosensitive drums; a second tray movable between the inside position and the outside position through the opening while removably supporting developing cartridges having developing rollers; a transfer member to which toner images are transferred from the photosensitive drums; and a positioning member, which releases, when the door is opened, an engagement between engaging portions of the developing cartridges and engaged portions of the drum cartridges to hold the developing cartridges so that the second tray can be pulled out, and which engages, when the door is closed, the engaging portion with the engaged portion to position the developing cartridges for image formation. | 09-23-2010 |
20100239314 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, wherein a plurality of cartridges are detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, the apparatus includes a cartridge supporting member movable between an inside position inside the main assembly of the apparatus while supporting the cartridge and an outside position outside the main assembly of the apparatus; an opening for permitting the cartridge supporting member between the inside position and the outside position; an openable member movable between a close position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening; positioning urging device for urging in the of positioning the cartridge to a positioning portion of the main assembly of the apparatus by closing the openable member and for releasing the cartridge from the urging by opening the openable member; and spacing urging device for urging the cartridge in a direction of spacing from the positioning portion; wherein an urging force of the spacing urging device is smaller than a resultant force of an urging force of the positioning urging device and a force applied to the spacing urging device by a weight the cartridge and is larger than the force applied to the spacing urging device by the weight the cartridge. | 09-23-2010 |
20100247142 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a color image on a recording material, the apparatus includes an image forming unit rotatable relative to a main assembly of the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the image forming unit including a plurality of mounting portions for demountably mounting cartridges each provided with a developing member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member drum with a developer, and a transfer member for transferring the developed image on the recording material, wherein the image forming unit is rotatable between a transfer position for transferring the developed image from the transfer member onto the recording material and a mounting and demounting position, different from the transfer position, for mounting and dismounting the cartridge relative to the mounting portion in a state in which cartridges containing different color developers are mounted to the mounting portion; and a grip portion usable for rotating the image forming unit between the transfer position and the mounting and demounting position. | 09-30-2010 |
20100247143 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus including: a cartridge supporting member supporting a plurality of cartridges and moving between an inside position in the main body and a mounting and detaching position for mounting and detaching the cartridges; an engaging portion provided to one of the supporting member and the main body at a position corresponding to the mounting and detaching position for at least one cartridge; and a pressure member provided to the other and elastically urged to disengageably engage with the engaging portion, wherein when the supporting member is moved from the inside position to the mounting and detaching position, a load required for movement of the supporting member at the mounting and detaching position is made larger than a load required for the movement at other positions than the mounting and detaching position, by engagement of the pressure member with the engaging portion. | 09-30-2010 |
20110116833 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color image forming apparatus to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted, including: main body side positioning portions provided on an apparatus main body; a cartridge supporting member detachably supporting the cartridges having cartridge side electric contacts and cartridge side positioned portions, and movable among a first position for forming images, a second position retracted from the first position, and a third position where the cartridges are pulled out of the main body; a pressing member pressing the positioned portions on the positioning portions; and main body side electric contacts provided on the main body, wherein the electric contacts are directly and electrically connected to the electric contacts when the positioned portions are pressed on the positioning portions by the pressing member. | 05-19-2011 |
20110217074 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of cartridges is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, includes a cartridge supporting member movable between an inside position which is inside the main assembly and an outside position which is outside the main assembly, supporting the cartridges, wherein the cartridges are mounted to and dismounted from the cartridge supporting member placed in the outside position; an opening which is provided in the main assembly and through which the cartridge supporting member is passed when the cartridge supporting member moves between the inside position and the outside position; a receiving member for receiving developed images from photosensitive members provided on the cartridge supporting member in the state that cartridge supporting member is placed in the inside position, the receiving member is rotatable along below the photosensitive members; a transfer member for transferring the developed images transferred on the receiving member onto a recording material at a transfer position; a fixing member for fixing the developed images transferred onto the recording material on the recording material; and a feeding path for feeding the recording material to a removing position by way of the transfer position, the inside of the opening and the fixing member from a stacking portion for stacking the recording material, wherein the cartridge supporting member is movable between the inside position and the outside position intersecting the feeding path. | 09-08-2011 |
20110249985 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus having an apparatus main body to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted adjacently in one direction for forming a color image on a recording medium, wherein each of the plurality of cartridges has a gripping portion disposed on a rear end of the corresponding cartridge in a mounting direction in which the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus main body, the gripping portion being protruding from the rear end to an upstream side, wherein when the corresponding cartridge is mounted to and detached from the apparatus main body, a user grips the gripping portion, and wherein in a state in which the plurality of cartridges are mounted to the apparatus main body, at least one gripping portion is disposed out of line with a gripping portion of an adjacent cartridge in a direction orthogonal to the mounting direction. | 10-13-2011 |
20110293324 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a cartridge tray supporting a plurality of cartridges is movable through a plurality of opening portions to respective outside positions outside an apparatus main body. In the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the plurality of cartridges are removably mounted to the apparatus main body to form an image on a recording medium. The color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes: a cartridge tray ( | 12-01-2011 |
20110305480 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a color image on a sheet includes cartridge mounting portions for mounting cartridges; an intermediary transfer member onto which developed images formed electrophotographic photosensitive drums are transferred, the transfer member being opposed to the drums; an image forming unit comprising the cartridge mounting portions and the transfer member, the unit being movable between a transfer position for transferring, onto the sheet, the developed images transferred onto the transfer member from the drums, and a mounting and demounting position for mounting and demounting the cartridges relative to the cartridge mounting portions; an opening for permitting mounting and demounting of the cartridges relative to the cartridge mounting portions of the unit placed in the mounting and demounting position; an openable member capable of opening and closing the opening, the openable member being movable between a closing position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening; an interrelating member for moving the unit from the transfer position to the mounting and demounting position in interrelation with manual movement of the openable member from the closing position to the open position and for moving the unit from the mounting and demounting position to the transfer position in interrelation with manual movement of the openable member from the open position to the closing position. | 12-15-2011 |
20110311273 | DEVELOPING-TRANSFERRING MODULE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developing-transferring module includes a sub frame which is detachably mounted to a main frame, a plurality of photosensitive units which are disposed inside the sub frame with a predetermined interval and includes a photosensitive body to which a developer is attached, and a intermediate transferring unit which are provided inside the sub frame disposed opposite the plurality of photosensitive units so that the developer of the photosensitive units can be primarily transferred thereto and secondarily transfers the primarily transferred developer to a record medium of the main frame. | 12-22-2011 |
20110318053 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC TONER, ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC TONER, FULL-COLOR IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND FULL-COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A method for producing an electrophotographic toner including forming a toner base particle by emulsifying or dispersing a solution or dispersion of a toner material comprising a colorant, and any one of a binder resin and a binder resin precursor in an aqueous medium, and adding crystalline organic fine particles having an acid value of 20 mgKOH/g to 80 mgKOH/g into the aqueous medium, before, during or after the forming so as to attach the crystalline organic fine particles onto a surface of the toner base particle. | 12-29-2011 |
20120114376 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus for forming a color image on a recording material includes mounting means for detachably mounting a plurality of process cartridges each including a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. Movable members are provided that are actable on first and second clutches for switching between an operation state for transmitting the driving force to the developing rollers and a non-operation state not transmitting the driving force thereto. Also provided is a switching member for switching among a first mode for transmitting the driving force to the developing rollers of all of the process cartridges, a second mode for not transmitting the driving force to any one of the developing rollers, and a third mode for transmitting the driving force only to the developing roller of a black process cartridge. | 05-10-2012 |
20120195632 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - 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. | 08-02-2012 |
20120269546 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus and an image forming method are provided that realize both the use of a decolorizing toner and a non-decolorizing toner and miniaturization of the apparatus. | 10-25-2012 |
20120321344 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus detachably mounts cartridges and includes a support supporting a cartridge, movable between inside and outside positions, an outer wall having an opening through which the support passes through when moving between the inside and outside positions, and a guide supporting the support to linearly move between the inside and outside positions so that when the support is in the outside position, the guide supports the support so that a downstream side thereof is pivotable downwardly about an upstream side of the support with respect to a movement direction to the outside position from the inside position. In this state, the cartridge is mounted to the support from above the support and is dismounted upwardly of the support. | 12-20-2012 |