US 7,680,449 B2 · Image-forming apparatus

Abstract

A guide body for guiding the back surface of toner-image-bearing paper is formed from an insulating material and is disposed so as to face a paper transport path. A paper-transport-path-facing portion of the guide body, which faces the paper transport path, has guide ribs projecting upward toward the paper. A covering metal sheet is configured such that a covering portion thereof partially covers a guide surface of the paper-transport-path-facing portion which faces the paper transport path. The covering metal sheet has slits formed therein and corresponding to the guide ribs. The slits allow the guide surface to be partially exposed therethrough.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims27

Dependent claims

An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a developing-agent-image-forming section configured to affix a charged-developing agent to a surface of a recording medium in a pattern corresponding to an image;
a fixing section configured to fix the image in the developing agent on the recording medium;
and
a recording-medium guide section disposed between the developing-agent-image-forming section and the fixing section to face a back surface of the recording medium and configured to guide transport of the recording medium bearing the image formed at the developing-agent-image-forming section to the fixing section, wherein the recording-medium guide section comprises:
a guide member having a facing surface in opposition to the back surface of the recording medium and a plurality of ribs provided on the facing surface in a standing condition;
and
an electrically conductive member having opening portions for allowing exposure therethrough of a portion of the facing surface of the guide member and the ribs of the guide member toward the back surface of the recording medium, and configured to cover the remaining portion of the facing surface,
wherein the electrically conductive member is configured such that the opening portions are greater in width than portions covering the facing surface,
wherein the facing surface has an electrical insulation property, and
wherein the rib and the opening portion are formed along the recording-medium transport direction, and the width of the opening portion is along a direction which is perpendicular to the recording-medium transport direction.

7 more elements

An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a developing-agent-image-forming section configured to affix a charged-developing agent to a surface of a recording medium in a pattern corresponding to an image;
a fixing section configured to fix the image in the developing agent on the recording medium;
and
a recording-medium guide section disposed between the developing-agent-image-forming section and the section to face a back surface of the recording medium and configured to guide transport of the recording medium bearing the image formed at the developing-agent-image-forming section to the fixing section, wherein the recording-medium guide section comprises:
a guide member having a facing surface in opposition to the back surface of the recording medium and a plurality of ribs provided on the facing surface in a standing condition;
and
an electrically conductive member having opening portions for allowing exposure therethrough of a portion of the facing surface of the guide member and the ribs of the guide member toward the back surface of the recording medium, and configured to cover the remaining portion of the facing surface, wherein the electrically conductive member is configured such that the opening portions are greater in width than the portions covering the facing surface as compared in a central region thereof with respect to a transport direction of the recording medium.

4 more elements

An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a developing-agent-image-forming section configured to affix a charged-developing agent to a surface of a recording medium in a pattern corresponding to an image;
a fixing section configured to fix the image in the developing agent on the recording medium;
and
a recording-medium guide section disposed between the developing-a gent-image-forming section and the fixing section to face a back surface of the recording medium and configured to guide transport of the recording medium bearing the image formed at the developing-agent-image-forming section to the fixing section, wherein the recording-medium guide section comprises:
a guide member having a facing surface in opposition to the back surface of the recording medium and a plurality of ribs provided on the facing surface in a standing condition;
and
an electrically conductive member having opening portions for allowing exposure therethrough of a portion of the facing surface of the guide member and the ribs of the guide member toward the back surface of the recording medium, and configured to cover the remaining portion of the facing surface, wherein the electrically conductive member is configured such that the opening portions are greater in area than the portions covering the facing surface.

4 more elements

An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a developing-agent-image-forming section configured to affix a charged-developing agent to a surface of a recording medium in a pattern corresponding to an image;
a fixing section configured to fix the image in the developing agent on the recording medium;
and
a recording-medium guide section disposed between the developing-agent-image-forming section and the fixing section to face a back surface of the recording medium and configured to guide transport of the recording medium bearing the image formed at the developing-agent-image-forming section to the fixing section, wherein the recording-medium guide section comprises:
a guide member having a facing surface in opposition to the back surface of the recording medium and a plurality of ribs provided on the facing surface in a standing condition;
and
an electrically conductive member having opening portions for allowing exposure therethrough of a portion of the facing surface of the guide member and the ribs of the guide member toward the back surface of the recording medium, and configured to cover the remaining portion of the facing surface, wherein the electrically conductive member is configured such that the area of each opening portion differs between a central region and end regions thereof with respect to a width direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the recording medium and to the transport direction of the recording medium.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description11,874 words

Summary2,368 words

#This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 2005-373891 filed in Japan on Dec. 27, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus in which, after a charged-developing agent is affixed to the surface of a recording medium in image-wise arrangement, the image in the developing agent is fixed on the recording medium, thereby forming the image on the recording medium.

Brief description of the drawings8 figures

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a laser printer, which is an embodiment of an image-forming apparatus of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an unfixed-image-bearing-paper transport guide shown in FIG. 1 and of its periphery;

#FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the unfixed-image-bearing-paper transport guide shown in FIG. 2;

Detailed description9,348 words

#An embodiment of the present invention (an embodiment which the applicants of the present invention considered the best at the time of filing the present patent application) will next be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

#Overall Configuration of Laser Printer:

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a laser printer 100, which is an embodiment of an image-forming apparatus of the present invention.

Facts

Application

11/613,547Filed 20 Dec 2006

Priority

JP 2005-37389127 Dec 2005

Published

US 2007/0147920 A128 Jun 2007

Granted

16 Mar 2010

Term ends

9 Feb 2028

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 416 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification7 codes

G03G 15/657
Handling of sheet copy material taking place in a specific part of the copy material feeding path: feeding path after the transfer point and up to…
B65H 5/38
Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation: immovable in operation
B65H 2404/513
Cross section, i.e. section perpendicular to the direction of displacement: with limited number of active areas
G03G 2215/00649
Stable handling of copy medium: electrodes close to the copy feeding path

Timeline

27 Dec 2005Priority claimedJP 2005-373891
20 Dec 2006Application filedUS 11/613,547
20 Dec 2006Assigned to Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaishaassignment of assignor's interest
28 Jun 2007PublishedUS 2007/0147920 A1
16 Mar 2010GrantedUS 7,680,449 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
9 Feb 2028Term endsEstimated, includes 416 days of adjustment

Image-forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image-forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims27

Description11,874 words

Drawings

Description11,874 words

Classification7 codes

Life of this patent