Patents Represented by Attorney Jordan B. Bierman, Muserlian and Lucas Bierman
  • Patent number: 6160960
    Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus includes: an image pick-up device for picking up an object image by converting the object image to an electric image signal; an image pick-up optical system having a variable aperture capable of changing an aperture value when an incident light beam on the image pick-up device is stopped down; a range-finder for measuring a distance to an object; an electronic flash mechanism for illuminating the object; and controller for determining an aperture value from the distance to the object measured by the range-finder and from a light emission capability of the electronic flash mechanism, and then for setting the variable aperture to the determined aperture value, when the controller makes the electronic flash mechanism to emit light so that the image pick-up device picks up the object image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hironobu Mikoshiba, Haruki Nakayama, Hiroyuki Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 6157805
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fixing toner images on a transfer material by applying heat on the transfer material, the fixing apparatus includes: a roll-shaped rotary member for applying heat, including a cylindrical ray-transmitting base member, and a ray absorbing layer for generating heat, provided on an outer side of the ray-transmitting base member; a ray irradiating device for irradiating ray, provided inside the cylindrical ray-transmitting base member; and flange members provided on both ends of the ray-transmitting base member, and each of the flange members being joined with the ray-transmitting base member through a joining elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Haneda, Kunio Shigeta, Hiroyuki Tokimatsu, Toshihide Miura
  • Patent number: 6152445
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a guide for the recording sheet formed by a discharging layer. The layer includes an electrically grounded conductive substrate and an organic conductive fiber thereon. The surface of the guide is in close proximity to the surface of the recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Endo, Mamoru Tomotsune, Yuji Kanazawa, Kazuyoshi Omi
  • Patent number: 6153305
    Abstract: Disclosed is a recording sheet for ink-jet recording comprising a support, and provided on one side of the support, an ink receiving layer, wherein the layer swelling amount of the ink receiving layer is 20 to 500 cc/m.sup.2, and the layer solubility time of the ink receiving layer is 10 minutes or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Uemura, Koji Takemura, Ichiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 6153366
    Abstract: A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material IS DISCLOSED. The light-sensitive material comprises a support, a silver halide emulsion layer provided on one side of the support, and a non-light-sensitive hydrophilic colloid layer provided on the other side of the support, in which the non-light-sensitive hydrophilic colloid layer comprises a polymer latex and gelatin and the weight ratio of the polymer latex to gelatin is from 0.5 to 3.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Arai
  • Patent number: 6153345
    Abstract: Disclosed is a color toner for developing an electrostatic latent image, wherein the colorant comprises a metal complex dye represented by Formula: ##STR1## wherein X is represented by Formula 2. ##STR2## The definitions are specified in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kaori Soeda, Meizo Shirose
  • Patent number: 6150080
    Abstract: A silver halide emulsion is disclosed, comprising tabular silver halide grains, wherein the tabular grains contain 50 mol % or more bromide, based on total silver and have parallel (111) major faces and a mean aspect ratio of not less than 2; and the tabular grains each comprising a central region accounting for at least 50% of the (111) major face, and an annular band accounting for not more than 5% of the (111) major face and containing not less than 0.05 mol % iodide and not more than 50 mol % chloride, based on silver forming the annular band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ando
  • Patent number: 6143452
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor characterized in comprising a resin layer containing a hardenable siloxane-based resin having a partial structure described below: ##STR1## wherein X represents a charge transportability providing group, which is a group bonding to Y in the formula via a carbon atom constituting said providing group, and Y represents at least a bivalent atom or group, excluding adjacent bonding atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoo Sakimura, Akihiko Itami, Kazumasa Watanabe, Shingo Fujimoto, Toyoko Shibata, Tomoko Sakimura
  • Patent number: 6140032
    Abstract: A silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material characterized in that the light-sensitive material contains a yellow coupler represented by the following Formula [I]; ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an amino group, a heterocyclic group or an aryl group, R.sup.2 represents a straight chain or branched unsubstituted alkyl group having not less than 2 carbon atoms, X represents a chlorine atom, an alkoxy group or aryloxy group. Y represents an acylamino group or a chlorine atom when R.sub.1 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group , and Y represents an sulfonylamino group, a chlorine atom or oxycarbonyl group when R.sub.1 represents an aryl group. n represents an integer of 0 to 4. When n is not less than 2, plural Y may be either the same or different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Ikesu, Katsuji Ota, Kazuhiko Kimura
  • Patent number: 6139998
    Abstract: A transparent substrate for the electrophotographic photoreceptor is disclosed. The substrate is cylindrical and made of a polymer resin, and Rz of an inner surface of the cylindrical substrate is not more than 0.5 .mu.m. The electrophotographic photoreceptor employing the substrate is suitably used for imagewise exposure of the electrophotographic photoreceptor from the inside of the cylindrical substrate. An image forming method employing the photoreceptor is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Fumitaka Mochizuki, Kenichi Yasuda, Masao Asano
  • Patent number: 6136520
    Abstract: A photographic element is disclosed. The element comprises fine composite particles composed of fine inorganic particles bonded with a high boiling point compound. An excellent photographic element which exhibits high sensitivity, minimum fog, improved pressure resistance, no roller marks, and sufficient layer strength, all under low-replenished processing, protecting environmental pollution is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Takamuki
  • Patent number: 6137978
    Abstract: A toner replenishing apparatus includes: a toner reservoir section for reserving a toner therein; and scraper for scraping out the toner in the toner reservoir section and for supplying the toner to a developing device. The scraper is composed of a plurality of scraping members each having a different capability of scrape-out from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tsuchiya, Isao Matsuoka, Hiroshi Fuma, Kenji Taki
  • Patent number: 6127109
    Abstract: A silver halide light sensitive photographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having thereon hydrophilic colloid layers including a silver halide emulsion layer, wherein (i) at least 50% of the total projected area of silver halide grains contained in the emulsion layer is accounted for by tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 3 to 15, (ii) the tabular grains each comprising an inner region which accounts for 70% by volume of the grain and a residual outer region, the outer region containing at least 75% of total iodide contained in the grain, and (iii) the tabular grains each having an outermost layer, a halide content distribution among the tabular grains with respect to the outermost layer being not more than 20%; and wherein at least one of the hydrophilic colloid layers contains a sulfur containing compound, which has a water-solubilizing group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Goan
  • Patent number: 6127108
    Abstract: A silver halide color photographic material wherein a cyan dye image density reduction is prevented in time of bleach fixing processing or bleach fixing, and its processing method by incorporating an oil soluble organic basic compound in the silver halide color photographic material. The compound oil soluble organic basic compound is represented by Formulas (I) to (V) defined in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kita, Kazuhiro Murai
  • Patent number: 6127003
    Abstract: In a method of coating a first surface of a web, a second surface of the web reverse to the first surface is charged, wherein a surface specific resistance of the second surface is 10.sup.12 .OMEGA..multidot.cm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Fukuda, Yuichiro Maehara
  • Patent number: 6120980
    Abstract: A silver halide emulsion is disclosed, comprising silver halide grains having a variation coefficient of a grain diameter of 20% or less, at least 50% of total grain projected area being accounted for by tabular silver halide grains having an aspect ratio of 2 or more, said tabular grains each having 10 or more dislocation lines per grain in the peripheral region of the grain and having a variation coefficient of dislocation line length of 20% or less. A color photographic material by use of the emulsion is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromoto Ii, Rieko Ren, Sadayasu Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6120308
    Abstract: electrical connector assembly including a first connector supported by a holder and a second connector coupled to the first connector. At least one rocking lever is supported rotatably by a support pin with driving means for moving the rocking lever in accordance with a sliding displacement of the first connector along the holder when interconnecting the first and second connectors. Actuating means displaces the second connector toward the first connector by transmitting the driving force of the rocking lever to the second connector. Each pair of protection ribs is provided on the opposite sides of the mounting portion of the rocking lever to protect the lever. A pair of support lances formed on the holder holds the first connector temporarily in a waiting position for coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignees: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Harness System Technologies Research, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6118941
    Abstract: A lens-fitted film unit includes: a first member for constituting an external surface of the lens-fitted film unit; a second member for constituting the external surface together with the first member; and an external member adhered to at least a part of the first or second member so that at least one portion of a boundary portion of the first and second members is covered. A direction in which the external member is easily torn, is a direction intersecting with the boundary portion of the first and second members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuaki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 6114104
    Abstract: A direct positive silver halide photographic light sensitive material is disclosed, having yellow, magenta and cyan image forming units, wherein at least one of the color image forming units contains at least two internal latent image forming silver halide emulsions which are different in a factor of contribution to image formation, a silver halide emulsion having a lower factor of contribution to image formation having a part common to sensitivity of a silver silver halide emulsion contained in one of the other two image forming units, and the photographic material is subjected to exposure, based on digitized image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Masumi, Shigeo Tanaka
  • Patent number: RE36935
    Abstract: A method of reproducing multiplex images wherein an electrostatic image is formed on an image retainer by using a common electrostatic image forming device, the electrostatic image formed on the image retainer is developed, the steps of the above are repeated to superpose a plurality of toner images on the image retainer, and the toner images is transferred on a recording paper by one step. The developings other than the first time developing are carried out in such a manner that the surface of a developer layer on a developer feeding carrier does not contact with the surface of the toner image on the image retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Haneda, Hisashi Shoji, Seiichiro Hiratsuka