Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080253796 | Image forming apparatus - An image writing unit causes, upon being set in a write position, an optical system unit to be movable and positions the optical system unit, with a hitting portion of the optical system unit hitting a blocking portion in a chassis. A holding unit includes, in a state in which the image writing unit is set in the write position, a portion defining an opening that faces either one of an air intake unit and an air exhaust unit. The air intake unit blows an intake air to the optical system unit through the opening, or the air exhaust unit draws an exhaust air around the optical system unit through the opening. | 10-16-2008 |
20080279585 | Image forming apparatus - A holding unit turns, while holding a latent image writing unit, centered on a turning axis that is arranged on a main body of an image forming apparatus between an opening position and a closing position with respect to the main body. A positioning unit arranged on the main body positions the latent image writing unit with respect to the image carrier, when the holding unit is at the closing position. A biasing unit biases the latent image writing unit to make a contact with the positioning unit. A shock absorbing unit absorbs a shock received by the holding unit and the latent image writing unit when the holding unit is moved from the closing position to the opening position. | 11-13-2008 |
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 |
20090074446 | Image forming apparatus - A biasing unit biases an exposing unit with respect to a main unit in at least one direction in a direction approaching the main body, so that the exposing unit makes contact with the main body in at least one portion to determine a position of the exposing unit with respect to the main body. A buffer unit relieves an impact the exposing unit receives from the main body, provided at or near the portion where the exposing unit makes contact with the main body. An attachment forming portion is provided for attaching the buffer unit in switching a functional state of the buffer unit between a buffer functional state and a buffer non-functional state. | 03-19-2009 |
20090074456 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a removable body that is removably set in a main body of the image forming apparatus, and an engaging mechanism that causes the removable body and the main body to engage with each other when the removable body is lifted by a user. | 03-19-2009 |
20090080937 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a holding mechanism that holds an optical writing unit such that, at an operating position, the latent image writing unit is supported at three points with respect to the apparatus main body, and the latent image writing unit and the rotation axis are not in contact with each other. | 03-26-2009 |
20090110432 | Image forming apparatus - When a lever is pulled upwards, an engaging member comes into contact with a retracted contacting member. An optical writing device rotates with a hooking member at a center and is lifted. As a result, positions of a first reference position component and a second reference position component switches from a contacting position to a retracted position. When the lever is pulled downward, the engaging member separates from the retracted contacting member. The optical writing device rotates in a counter-clockwise direction with the hooking member as the center. As a result, the positions of the reference position components switch from the retracted position to the contacting position. The reference position components come into contact with positioning members. | 04-30-2009 |
20090152435 | Attaching structure of supporting legs for apparatus - An attaching structure of supporting legs for an apparatus is disclosed. The attaching structure of the supporting legs for the apparatus includes plural supporting leg attaching sections on a bottom section of a main body of the apparatus, and plural supporting legs each of which is attached to one of the supporting leg attaching sections in which the number of the supporting leg attaching sections is greater than the number of the supporting legs. Each of the supporting legs includes an elastic member which contacts an apparatus setting up surface and an elastic member holding section having a concave section inside which the elastic member is engaged. An exposure distance of the elastic member from the elastic member holding section in the height direction of the apparatus is less than a distance between the bottom section of the main body of the apparatus and the apparatus setting up surface in the height direction. | 06-18-2009 |
20090285588 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier, at least one developing device disposed to contact the latent image carrier to develop the latent image with developer stored therein, a cooling mechanism including at least one cooling device disposed close to the developing device to cool the developing device, a developer amount detector electrically connected to the developing device to detect an amount of the developer remaining in the developing device, and a cooling mechanism controller connected to the cooling mechanism to change a cooling power of the cooling mechanism according to a detection result generated by the developer amount detector. The developing device includes a rotary member whose shaft is rotationally supported by at least one bearing and is not to be supplied with new developer while any developer remains therein. | 11-19-2009 |
20100061755 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member carrying a latent image and a development device disposed along a surface of the image carrying member. The development device includes a developer storing case storing a developer, a developer carrying member carrying the developer to develop the latent image with the developer in an area in which the surface of the developer carrying member faces the surface of the image carrying member, a developer supplying member supplying the developer carrying member with the developer, a metal member extending in an axial direction of the developer carrying member to receive heat conducted from the developer, and a heat releasing device provided on at least one of the outer sides of the developer storing case in the axial direction of the developer carrying member and disposed in contact with the metal member to release the heat conducted from the metal member. | 03-11-2010 |
20110058847 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt that conveys a transfer material, and a photosensitive body that catches the transfer material between the photosensitive body and the transfer belt and that transfers a toner image to the transfer material. The transfer belt is driven in conjunction with the opening action of the front cover, and the photosensitive body is separated from the transfer belt in conjunction with the opening action of the front cover. | 03-10-2011 |
20110064456 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a handle member that is held by an operator when an orientation of the image forming apparatus is changed from a predetermined use orientation to a different orientation; and a blocking unit that is caused to block a path between the inside and an opening of a toner container, without being powered, in association with an operator operation performed to the handle member upon changing the orientation of the image forming apparatus from the use orientation to the different orientation. | 03-17-2011 |
20110229197 | Process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus - A process cartridge includes an image carrier unit which is equipped with an image carrier, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a developer supply unit which supplies developer to the image carrier unit | 09-22-2011 |
20110298171 | Paper feeder and image forming apparatus - In a paper feeder, a signal switching unit switches a paper present signal output from a paper detector to a paper absent signal indicative of absence of a paper in the second paper cassette if a first paper cassette is pulled out from a specific position. | 12-08-2011 |
20120002997 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an intake opening from which an outside air is drawn, a fixing device disposed above the intake opening to heat a recording medium to fix an image onto the recording medium, and a flow path for the air drawn from the intake opening to direct the air onto devices or components provided near the fixing device inside the image forming apparatus by negative pressure generated by an upward current of hot air generated from the fixing device. | 01-05-2012 |
20130136516 | TONER CONVEYOR, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner conveyor includes a noncircular conveyance member rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation to convey toner to a toner container and a plate-shaped metal scraper slidably contacting the conveyance member with predetermined pressure therebetween to scrape the toner off the conveyance member. The scraper includes a contact end contacting the conveyance member, at least one through-hole spaced apart from the contact end, and a toner carrying face contacting the toner accumulated in the toner container. A lid is attached to the toner carrying face of the scraper to cover the at least one through-hole of the scraper and includes a separation region extending from an upper edge thereof to at least a position disposed opposite a lower edge of the at least one through-hole in a short direction of the scraper. The separation region is separatable from the scraper. | 05-30-2013 |
20130236209 | DEVELOPING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A developing apparatus, including: a developer container; a toner bearing member including a roller portion; a seal; a regulating member; and a development entrance sealing member,
| 09-12-2013 |
20150063865 | TONER CONTAINER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner container includes a substantially tetrahedral toner-containing portion having an openable edge to discharge toner contained in the toner-containing portion, and a reference fold along which the toner container is foldable after the openable edge is opened. The reference fold extends from the openable edge and is provided on medians of two triangular faces of the toner-containing portion adjoining each other along the openable edge. | 03-05-2015 |