Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080205951 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, an optical unit provided below the photosensitive drum and including a cover glass for transmitting light emitted toward the photosensitive drum, and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the cover glass. The cleaning member includes a cleaning sheet configured to move foreign substances on the surface, and a wiping member configured to wipe foreign substances from the surface. The cleaning sheet and the wiping member move in contact with the surface of the cover glass when the cleaning member cleans the surface. The wiping member moves in contact with a portion of the surface of the cover glass after the cleaning sheet moves in contact with the portion. Accordingly, the cover glass can be reliably cleaned even when an unexpectedly large number of foreign substances that vary in particle size and shape adhere to the cover glass. | 08-28-2008 |
20090245866 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING A CLEANING MEMBER THAT CLEANS A TRANSMITTING MEMBER PROVIDED IN AN OPTICAL DEVICE - An image forming apparatus including a cartridge that has a photosensitive drum and can be attached to and detached from a main body of the image forming apparatus, an optical device that has a cover glass through which light emitted toward the photosensitive drum passes, a cleaning member that can move from a cleaning start position to a cleaning end position for cleaning the cover glass, and a lock member that prevents the cleaning member from moving. Before the cartridge is attached, the lock member prevents the cleaning member from moving in the longitudinal direction of the cover glass. During the attachment of the cartridge, the cartridge engages with the lock member and unlocks the cleaning member and enables the cleaning member to move from the cleaning start position. | 10-01-2009 |
20090269102 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING A CLEANING MEMBER CONFIGURED TO CLEAN A TRANSPARENT MEMBER OF AN OPTICAL DEVICE - An image forming apparatus including a laser scanner configured to irradiate a photoconductive drum with light and having a cover glass transmitting the light, a laser shutter movable between a closed position, where the laser shutter blocks an optical path of the light emitted from the laser scanner through the cover glass toward the photoconductive drum, and an open position, where the laser shutter opens the optical path, and a cleaning member with which the cover glass is cleaned, the cleaning member being supported by the laser shutter in such a manner as to be movable along the laser shutter. | 10-29-2009 |
20110024978 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus, which includes: a pressing lever and a pressing arm for pushing up a sheet stacking plate so that sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate are brought into pressure contact with a sheet feeding portion; a lifter driving mechanism for driving the pressing lever and the pressing arm; and a setting mechanism disposed between the pressing lever and the pressing arm, and the lifter driving mechanism. The setting mechanism is capable of setting a pressure contact force for bringing the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate into pressure contact with the sheet feeding portion, to be appropriate for a size of the sheets to be stacked and an amount of the sheets to be stacked. | 02-03-2011 |
20110140341 | SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet accommodating unit which is detachably attached to an apparatus main body and configured to accommodate sheets, a sheet stacking unit which is provided in the sheet accommodating unit and can move while supporting the sheet, a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and a lift unit configured to move the sheet stacking unit toward the sheet feeding unit, wherein, before feeding of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit by the sheet feeding unit, the lift unit increases and then reduces press contact force between the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit and the sheet feeding unit. | 06-16-2011 |
20110140347 | SHEET FEEDING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet feeding device that feeds sheets by a sheet feeding unit from a sheet feeding cassette storing the sheets, in which positions of rotation centers of a lifting plate and a lifting plate pressing member are varied from each other in such a manner that a rotation track of an edge of an opening of the lifting plate pressing member and a rotation track of a vertical surface of an engaging member provided on the lifting plate intersect with each other, so that the edge is engaged with the vertical surface at the intersection position of the rotation tracks to restrict rotation of the lifting plate when the lifting plate moves upward before a lifting operation of the lifting plate pressing member. | 06-16-2011 |
20110286761 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, an optical unit provided below the photosensitive drum and including a cover glass for transmitting light emitted toward the photosensitive drum, and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the cover glass. The cleaning member includes a cleaning sheet configured to move foreign substances on the surface, and a wiping member configured to wipe foreign substances from the surface. The cleaning sheet and the wiping member move in contact with the surface of the cover glass when the cleaning member cleans the surface. The wiping member moves in contact with a portion of the surface of the cover glass after the cleaning sheet moves in contact with the portion. Accordingly, the cover glass can be reliably cleaned even when an unexpectedly large number of foreign substances that vary in particle size and shape adhere to the cover glass. | 11-24-2011 |
20120061908 | SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A movable side regulating plate is provided on a frame body. The movable side regulating plate regulates side edges in a width direction of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking plate, and is movable in the width direction. A sheet pressing portion configured to press the side edges of the sheets and press the sheets onto a stationary side regulating plate is provided on the movable side regulating plate. The sheet pressing portion has a relief shape for reducing a pressing force exerted on the sheets when an amount of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The relief shape is formed so that a downstream edge in a sheet feeding direction of a lower surface is located higher than an upstream edge in the sheet feeding direction of an upper surface. | 03-15-2012 |
20120119434 | SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet feeding apparatus that can prevent changes at the time of mounting a sheet cassette, and deformation and changes of the sheets after the sheet cassette is mounted regardless of a sheet size are provided. A movable side regulating plate provided in a frame, regulates positions of width direction side ends of sheets is provided with sheet pressing portions and that press the side ends of the sheets to press the sheets against a fixed side regulating plate in a biasing manner. An indented configuration against which, when short sheets are pressed by the sheet pressing portion are stacked on a sheet stacking plate, upstream ends of the sheets do not abut is formed upward from a bottom end of the sheet pressing portion to a predetermined dimension at a sheet feeding direction center of the sheet pressing portion. | 05-17-2012 |
20130001861 | SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet accommodating unit which is detachably attached to an apparatus main body and configured to accommodate sheets, a sheet stacking unit which is provided in the sheet accommodating unit and can move while supporting the sheet, a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and a lift unit configured to move the sheet stacking unit toward the sheet feeding unit, wherein, before feeding of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit by the sheet feeding unit, the lift unit increases and then reduces press contact force between the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit and the sheet feeding unit. | 01-03-2013 |
20130043644 | SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A movable side regulating plate is provided on a frame body. The movable side regulating plate regulates side edges in a width direction of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking plate, and is movable in the width direction. A sheet pressing portion configured to press the side edges of the sheets and press the sheets onto a stationary side regulating plate is provided on the movable side regulating plate. The sheet pressing portion has a relief shape for reducing a pressing force exerted on the sheets when an amount of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The relief shape is formed so that a downstream edge in a sheet feeding direction of a lower surface is located higher than an upstream edge in the sheet feeding direction of an upper surface. | 02-21-2013 |
20140161499 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a cylindrical film; a roller contacting the film; a nip forming member contacting an inner surface of the film and cooperating with the roller to form a nip for nipping a sheet carrying an image; an opposing member opposing an inner surface of an end portion of the film along generatrix direction the film. A lubricant is provided between the film and the nip forming member. The film is longer than the roller. At least a part of the curved surface portion is provided in a region outside a contact region of the film and the roller. A portion of the curved surface portion outside the contact region is provided with a groove extending in a rotational moving direction of the film, the groove having a wall effective to remove from the film the lubricant. | 06-12-2014 |