Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080224385 | Feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion. | 09-18-2008 |
20080226358 | Image forming apparatus - A reciprocating-motion converting mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a rotation center; a reciprocating member that is reciprocated due to rotation of the cam; and a pressing unit that presses the reciprocating member to the cam. A first load torque is generated by a load applied at a point of contact of the cam and the reciprocating motion member. A load applying unit applies a load to the cam to generate a second load torque having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the first load torque. | 09-18-2008 |
20090174135 | Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus - A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet containing unit that contains sheets; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheets; a separating unit that separates a single sheet from the sheets; a holding unit that holds the separating unit; and a vibration applying unit that applies a vibration to any one of the sheets conveyed by the sheet conveying unit and the separating unit before starting conveyance of the sheets. | 07-09-2009 |
20090302521 | Image forming apparatus, optional sheet feeder, and base plate member - A base plate is selectively attached to a lower surface of a main body of an image forming apparatus or to an optional sheet feeder attachable to the main body. | 12-10-2009 |
20090315250 | Sheet feeding device, image forming apparatus, and sheet feeding method - A sheet feeding device includes a first roller that draws a recording medium at a first position and feeds the recording medium; a friction pad that comes into contact with the first roller with a predetermined contact pressure at a second position that is close to and downstream of the first position in a conveying direction of the recording medium and nips the recording medium with the first roller to convey the recording medium in the conveying direction; and a second roller that comes into contact with the first roller at a third position that is close to and downstream of the second position in the conveying direction and nips the recording medium with the first roller. | 12-24-2009 |
20100067942 | Housing Structure and Image Forming Apparatus - A housing structure includes a first structure, which has body frames and a first shaft supported by the body frames, a second structure to be movably supported between an opened position and a closed position by the first shaft, and a positioning device to position the second structure in relation to the first structure in the closed position. The positioning device includes a first engagement portion provided on the first structure, a second engagement portion provided on the second structure and engaged with the first engagement portion in the closed position, a first biasing device to bias the second engagement portion toward the second structure, and a second biasing device to bias the second engagement portion toward the first structure. The positioning device positions the second structure in relation to the first structure by biasing forces of the first biasing device and the second biasing device. | 03-18-2010 |
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 |
20110204556 | Feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion. | 08-25-2011 |
20120007307 | Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus - A conveying device conveys a sheet of non-blank recording medium recorded with an image formed in an image forming unit, and includes a container that is detachable and contains a sheet of blank recording medium, a feeding unit that feeds the blank recording medium from the container, and a recirculating path that leads the non-blank recording medium to the feeding unit. The recirculating path is disposed lateral to the image forming unit. A part of the recirculating path is integrated into the container and forms a reversing path that leads to the feeding unit. At least one of surfaces of the reversing path can be exposed. | 01-12-2012 |
20120063829 | Sheet supplying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, and a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed upstream or downstream by the sheet feeding unit, and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the sheet feeding unit with the sheet feeding unit remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the sheet feeding unit. | 03-15-2012 |
20120315061 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an outer cover in which an air intake and an exhaust outlet are formed, an image forming unit, a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium and including a fixing casing in which a sheet inlet and a first exhaust opening are formed, and a thermal shield disposed above the sheet inlet of the fixing device and between the fixing device and a component adjacent to the fixing device, an air channel to guide air sucked in through the air intake to the exhaust outlet, defined by the thermal shield as well as the fixing casing. The first exhaust opening formed in the fixing casing communicates with the air channel formed by the thermal shield and the fixing casing to merge the hot air discharged from the fixing device into the air flowing in the air channel. | 12-13-2012 |
20130243445 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an upper cover, an image forming unit including an image carrier and a developing device, a toner container detachably connectable to the developing device to supply toner to the developing device through an opening in the toner container, a shutter provided to the toner container and biased by a first elastic member in a direction to close the opening of the toner container, a link member integrated with the shutter, a shutter switching member to switch a position of the shutter to an open position by moving the link member to a pressing position, and an interlock mechanism to retract the shutter switching member from the pressing position in conjunction with opening of the upper cover. The opening is closed with the shutter by switching the shutter switching member to a retracted position in conjunction with the opening of the upper cover. | 09-19-2013 |
20130266340 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a developer container to contain a developer therein and a developer supply port; an image forming unit to form an image with the developer from the developer container and including a developer intake port; an openable/closable upper cover configured to cover an upper part of the developer container in a closed state and take out the developer container in an open state; an openable/closable retention cover to hold the developer container and configured to allow the image forming unit to be removed when the retention cover is opened; a coupling device to secure a coupled state of the developer supply port of the developer container with the developer intake port of the image forming unit when the upper cover is in a closed state; and a disconnection preventer to prevent the developer container from disconnecting from the retention cover when the upper cover is opened. | 10-10-2013 |