Patents Examined by Arlene Heredia
  • Patent number: 11669030
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming device capable of performing an operation corresponding to a defect occurring in a fixing device at a desired timing. The image forming device includes a conveyance unit, an image forming unit, a fixing device, a motor, and a control unit. The motor drives the fixing device and outputs a signal having a magnitude corresponding to a value of a drive current. The control unit, when conveyance of a print medium is stopped and when the motor is driven in a first operation mode, continues to drive the motor in the first operation mode, and performs a first operation when the magnitude of the signal is out of a first range, and when the conveyance of the print medium is stopped and when the motor is driven in a second operation mode, stops driving the motor in the second operation mode and then drives the motor in the first operation mode, and performs the first operation when the magnitude of the signal is out of the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sasuke Endo
  • Patent number: 11656562
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a case in which a hollow transporting path is formed; a transporting member configured to transport a developer in the transporting path; a support portion fixed to an end portion of the case by a fastening member to support the transporting member at an end portion of the transporting path; and a cooling unit fixed by being sandwiched between the support portion and the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Tamai, Atsushi Funada, Mitsutoshi Hongo, Mizue Sekine
  • Patent number: 11656559
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charger, a developing member, a motor, a drive controller, and an application controller. The image carrier is rotatably provided. The charger charges the image carrier to a predetermined first polarity by receiving application of a voltage of the first polarity. The developing member develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier using the toner charged to the first polarity. The motor rotates the image carrier. The drive controller executes stop control for stopping driving of the motor. The application controller stops voltage application to the charger based on a current flowing through the motor after execution of the stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Hironori Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11644766
    Abstract: A region of an image bearing member that comes into contact with a recording material at a nip in a state in which the recording material is held by the nip is a first region, and a region of the image bearing member that does not come into contact with the recording material at the nip in a state in which the recording material is not held by the nip is a second region. A controller controls to apply a first developing voltage to a developer bearing member when the first region in which a first surface potential has been formed faces a developer bearing member and apply a second developing voltage lower than an absolute value of the first developing voltage to the developer bearing member when the second region in which a second surface potential has been formed faces the developer bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Okayasu
  • Patent number: 11644763
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a charger that charges a surface of the photoreceptor, an exposer that irradiates the charged surface of the photoreceptor with light to form an electrostatic latent image, a developer that develops the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, a transferer that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium, a cleaner that removes residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor, and an inductor. The photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate and a photoreceptive layer provided on the conductive substrate. The conductive substrate is connected to a ground via the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Kurauchi, Shintaro Miyanishi, Norihide Momose
  • Patent number: 11635715
    Abstract: A planar heater includes a base, a resister pattern, a conductor pattern, a power supply electrode, and a base pattern. The base includes a surface portion made of an insulative material. The resistor pattern is on the base. The conductor pattern is on the base and electrically coupled to the resistor pattern. The power supply electrode is electrically coupled to the conductor pattern. The base pattern is on the base and made of a material different from a material of the surface portion of the base to print visible identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi, Yukimichi Someya
  • Patent number: 11635710
    Abstract: A first development chamber accommodates an agitator. A second development chamber accommodates a development roller and a supply roller. The second development chamber is located above the first development chamber. A toner cartridge contains toner to be supplied to the first development chamber. A transfer device is located above a photosensitive drum in a state where a drum unit is attached to a main housing. The transfer device transfers toner on the photosensitive drum to a sheet. An agitator includes a shaft and a blade. The shaft is rotatably supported by a development housing. The blade is rotatable together with the shaft. The blade has a first end fixed to the shaft and a second end located away from the first end. The agitator is configured such that, when rotated, the second end of the blade reaches a height of an opening in the development housing in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Kazuna Taguchi
  • Patent number: 11630412
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging roller, a development device, a transfer roller, a first electricity eliminator and a controller. The photosensitive drum is provided on a conveyance path along which a sheet is conveyed. The charging roller charges the photosensitive drum. The development device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum charged by the charging roller. The transfer roller faces the photosensitive drum across the conveyance path and generates a transfer bias. The first electricity eliminator irradiates the photosensitive drum with light on a downstream side of the development device in a rotational direction of the photosensitive drum and on an upstream side of the transfer roller in the rotational direction. The controller which controls the first electricity eliminator so as to irradiate only a non-sheet passing area of the photosensitive drum with the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11624991
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container having a first stirring chamber and a second stirring chamber that are arranged in juxtaposition with each other and a developer carrier that carries toner in the second stirring chamber. The developing container includes a duct, an air suction port, a first filter, and a second filter. The duct is arranged adjacently to the second stirring chamber and allows air in the second stirring chamber to flow out to an exterior. The air suction port is open along a longitudinal direction of the second stirring chamber and allows communication between inside the second stirring chamber and inside the duct. The first filter covers the air suction port. The second filter is arranged on a downstream side of the first filter in an air circulation direction in the duct and covers an air circulation path in the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuzo Harada
  • Patent number: 11624997
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that is disposed on a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, a rotating body that rotates in such a manner as to press the member to be heated against the contact portion of the heating unit, and a power input unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that inputs a rotational force at least to the rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Sou Morizaki, Toru Inoue, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toshiyuki Miyata, Motoharu Nakao, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Toko Hara
  • Patent number: 11609510
    Abstract: A developing device includes a first transport member and a second transport member that are respectively disposed in a first transport path and a second transport path arranged in a vertical direction and that transport developer so as to circulate the developer between the first transport path and the second transport path. The developing device includes a developing device body in which the first transport path and the second transport path are formed. The developing device also includes a developer discharging structure that discharges excess developer discharged from the first transport path to outside through the second transport path or through a space between an end portion of the second transport path and the developing device body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Katsumi Yamada, Yoshihisa Nakao, Masanori Kato, Shota Igawa, Atsushi Funada, Mitsutoshi Hongo, Makoto Kanno, Daisuke Uchimitsu
  • Patent number: 11609511
    Abstract: A developing device including a first transport path in which the developer to be supplied to the development-region passing body is transported at least in a first transport direction; a second transport path in which the developer to be sent to the first transport path is transported at least in a second transport direction; and a first connection portion through which a portion of the first transport path positioned short of a first-transport-direction-downstream end of the first transport path and a portion of the second transport path positioned short of a second transport-direction-upstream end of the second transport path are connected to one another. A first transport member in the first transport path has a helical reverse-transport blade that reverse-transports the developer in a reverse direction reverse to the first transport provided adjacent to the first connection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kenta Urayama, Yoshifumi Ozaki, Tomoyuki Yoshii, Norihiro Tamazawa
  • Patent number: 11609525
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes an output unit that outputs a medium; a stacking unit on which the medium that is output is stacked; and a blow-out unit that is disposed below the output unit and that blows gas toward the medium that is output, wherein an amount of the gas blown is adjusted in accordance with a type of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshiji Kano, Shinya Takahashi, Tomoko Taguchi, Masaaki Takahashi, Hiroshi Ashizawa
  • Patent number: 11599059
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a belt, a development unit having a development member in contact with the image bearing member to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member using toner, and a collection unit having a contacting member in contact with the belt to collect toner remaining on the belt adjacent to the contacting member. If condensation is detected inside the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus performs predetermined control to separate the development member from the image bearing member and drive the belt in such a manner that the belt moves at a second surface speed different from a first surface speed while driving the image bearing member in such a manner that the image bearing member rotates at the first surface speed in a state where the image bearing member is in contact with the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Katagiri, Shuichi Tetsuno, Keisuke Ishizumi, Yuichiro Inaba
  • Patent number: 11599051
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charger, a detection unit, and a determination unit. The charger charges the photoconductor. The detection unit detects an actual charging potential of the photoconductor after the photoconductor is charged by the charger. The determination unit determines one of a plurality of causes related to a charging abnormality of the photoconductor based on a relationship between a standard charging potential of the photoconductor to be obtained by charging by the charger and a charging potential detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasunari Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11599044
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a development device, a toner storage part, a drive unit, a control unit, and an image carrying member. The development device includes a development casing, a developer carrying member, a first stirring transport member, a second stirring transport member, a discharge impeller, and a reverse transport impeller. The development casing includes a first partition wall, a communication part, a developer replenishment port, and a developer discharge part. The first stirring transport member includes a first rotation shaft and a first transport impeller. The second stirring transport member includes a second rotation shaft and a second transport impeller. The control unit can perform a developer discharge mode, in which the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are rotated reversely during a non image formation period, so that the developer around the reverse transport impeller is discharged through the developer discharge part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Suenami
  • Patent number: 11599043
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a replenishment conveyance screw portion to convey replenishment developer from a developer replenishment portion toward a first communication portion. First, second and third blade portions are formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of a rotation shaft of the replenishment conveyance screw portion. A pitch of the first blade portion, a pitch of the second blade portion, and a pitch of the third blade portion are each larger than a pitch of a blade of a second conveyance screw portion, and the third blade portion is continuously formed in a region between a terminal end of the first blade portion and a starting end of the second blade portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Shigehiro
  • Patent number: 11592773
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a converter configured to convert image data with use of a tone correction condition corresponding to a position in a main scanning direction of the image data, and an image forming unit, which includes a photosensitive member and an exposure portion configured to expose the photosensitive member to light based on the converted image data, and is configured to form an image on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus further includes a holding portion configured to hold a plurality of feedback conditions corresponding to a plurality of tones and a controller configured to control the image forming unit to form a plurality of test images, acquire measurement results for the plurality of test images, and generate the tone correction condition based on the measurement results and the plurality of feedback conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihito Yokote
  • Patent number: 11592760
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that forms a toner image, by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor drum, a charging device that electrically charges the photoconductor drum, a developing power source that applies a predetermined developing bias voltage to the developing device, and a calculation device that calculates a surface potential of the photoconductor drum, on a basis of the developing current flowing in the developing device. The developing power source applies the developing bias voltage in a plurality of levels, to the developing device. A current measurement device measures a developing current, with respect to the developing bias voltage of each level. The calculation device calculates the surface potential, on the basis of each developing current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Kazunori Tanaka, Yoshihiro Yamagishi, Tamotsu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11586124
    Abstract: An example method of operating an image forming apparatus includes measuring a toner concentration supplied to a developing apparatus and increasing a driving speed of the developing apparatus based on the toner concentration not reaching a target toner concentration. The toner concentration is measured in a state where the driving speed of the developing apparatus is increased, and, based on the toner concentration not reaching the target toner concentration based on the driving speed of the developing apparatus being increased, an operating state of the image forming apparatus is determined based on a remaining amount of toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Youngjin Park