Patents Examined by Robert B Beatty
  • Patent number: 11782664
    Abstract: A managing apparatus includes a processor configured to use continuous paper strips as recording media, receive multiple print jobs having different print speeds, and create print groups into which the multiple print jobs are classified according to print speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Kei Arakawa
  • Patent number: 11774881
    Abstract: A toner container for use with an image forming apparatus is provided with a toner accommodating portion in which toner is accommodated; a base portion including a receiving opening for receiving the toner accommodated in the toner accommodating portion, a discharge opening for permitting discharge of the toner, received through the receiving opening, to an outside of the toner container, and a passage which is a passage extending from the receiving opening to the discharge opening and which is for permitting passing of the toner; and a shutter constituted so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis relative to the base between an open position where the discharge opening is exposed to the outside and a closed position where the shutter covers the discharge opening, wherein the passage extends in a direction in which the passage is inclined relative to the rotational axis so that the receiving opening is in a position where the receiving opening crosses the rotational axis and so that the discharge opening
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Koji Wada, Hiroshi Takarada, Tsuyoshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11774906
    Abstract: To provide a process cartridge, a drum unit capable of receiving a driving force from the main assembly, and an image forming apparatus including the process cartridge. A cartridge is provided with a movable member having a driving force receiving portion. The movable member moves between an advanced position and a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Abe
  • Patent number: 11774878
    Abstract: An amount-of-remaining-toner detecting device includes: a toner housing portion in which a toner bottle is housed, the toner bottle having a bottle body that is cylindrical and in which toner is housed, and a cap that is attached to one end of the bottle body in an axial direction of the bottle body and from which the toner housed in the bottle body is discharged; and circuitry configured to detect an amount of remaining toner in the toner bottle housed in the toner housing portion. The toner housing portion includes a first pair of electrodes facing each other with the bottle body interposed between the first pair of electrodes, and a second pair of electrodes facing each other with the bottle body interposed between the second pair of electrodes, at respective positions closer to the cap than the first pair of electrodes are.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryotaro Konno, Junichi Matsumoto, Tatsuya Kubo, Yuki Osato, Yuusuke Tomura, Masashi Hommi
  • Patent number: 11774894
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body; a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge those attachable to the main body; a main memory; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform: determining a number of sheets printable using the toner cartridge attached to the main body; determining a number of sheets printable using the drum cartridge attached to the main body; determining a number of sheets printable using a new toner cartridge; and when determining that a sum of the number of sheets printable using the toner cartridge attached to the main body and the number of sheets printable using a new toner cartridge is greater than or equal to the number of sheets printable using the drum cartridge attached to the main body, transmitting to a server a signal for ordering a new drum cartridge together with a new toner cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Tadao Kyotani, Shingo Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11774898
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a print engine, a gloss treatment device, a medium conveying device, and a processor. The print engine is to form an image on a print medium. The gloss treatment device is to perform a gloss treatment on the print medium on which an image is formed. The medium conveying device to provide the print medium to the print engine and selectively provide the print medium on which an image is formed to the gloss treatment device. The processor is to control the print engine to form an image based on print data and control the medium conveying device to selectively provide the print medium to the gloss treatment device depending on whether a gloss treatment option is set in the print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sun Hyung Lee, Seung Jun Lee, Choong Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 11768454
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a circuit including both a circuit within a fixing unit and a power control circuit, provided with a first circuit which supplies power to a heater from an AC power supply, a second circuit electrically insulated from the first circuit, and a third circuit electrically insulated from both the first circuit and the second circuit, all of the first to third circuits are provided on at least one surface of a circuit board, and the first to third circuits are disposed on at least one straight line on which all of the first to third circuits are present on the one surface of the circuit board in the order of the first circuit, the third circuit and the second circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Fujiwara, Ryota Ogura, Keigo Akiya, Teruhiko Namiki
  • Patent number: 11762310
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cover, a cartridge, and a controller. The cartridge includes a second memory storing lifetime information indicating lifetime of the cartridge and identification information unique to the cartridge. In a case where the lifetime information indicates the initial value for the lifetime, the controller is configured to perform setting the cartridge to be usable in the image forming apparatus. In a case where the controller determines that the lifetime information does not indicate the initial value for the lifetime of the cartridge, the controller is configured to perform judging whether the identification information stored in the second memory matches a registration identification information stored in a first memory of the apparatus body. In a case where the identification information matches the registration identification information, the controller is configured to perform determining that the cartridge is usable for the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadao Kyotani
  • Patent number: 11754945
    Abstract: A toner storage apparatus to which a toner cartridge is mountable by being moved in a moving direction includes a toner storage frame that has a reception port and a seal attachment surface, stores toner supplied from the cartridge via the reception port, and has a protrusion from the attachment surface, and a seal portion that is attached to the attachment surface, has a rubbing surface that rubs against the cartridge when the cartridge is moved in the moving direction, and has a communication hole with the reception port. At least part of the protrusion is inside the communication hole and upstream of the reception port in the moving direction. An end of the protrusion is closer to the attachment surface than the rubbing surface in a direction perpendicular to the attachment surface. The seal portion contacts an outer peripheral surface of the protrusion extending in the perpendicular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsukasa Abe
  • Patent number: 11754970
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion for mounting a process cartridge, the process cartridge including a first unit having an image bearing drum, and a second unit having a developing roller, the second unit being movable between a contact position in which the roller contacts the drum and a spaced position in which they are mutually spaced; an engageable member engageable with a force receiving portion provided on the second unit; wherein the engageable member is movable between a first position for maintaining the second unit in the spaced position by engaging with the force receiving portion, a second position for permitting movement of the second unit from the spaced position to the contact position; and a third position for permitting the process cartridge to be mounted, by being pressed by the process cartridge to retract, when the process cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Yoshimura, Tomio Noguchi, Yukio Kubo, Masaaki Sato, Satoshi Nishiya, Yosuke Kashiide
  • Patent number: 11752780
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus that can restrict reduction in the accuracy of image formation onto a recording material is provided. An image-forming apparatus includes an image-former that discharges ink to a conveyed recording material; a recording-material heating unit that is disposed in an upstream side of the image-former; a chassis that covers the recording-material heating unit; and a shielding member that is disposed between the chassis and the image-former and shields inflow of air, which is discharged from a recording-material outlet, into the image-former.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Shinichi Nagao
  • Patent number: 11747755
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to identify a selected sheet size setting as defined by a dimension in the width direction and a dimension in the conveyance direction, set a cooling threshold at a first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a first size having a dimension in the width direction larger than a predetermined dimension, and a dimension in the conveyance direction larger than the dimension in the width direction, and set the cooling threshold at a second threshold lower than the first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a second size having a dimension in the width direction that is the same as the dimension in the width direction of the first size, and a dimension in the conveyance direction smaller than the dimension in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11740578
    Abstract: A monitoring device is configured to monitor image recordation by a recorder using a recording material supplied from a first cartridge and a second cartridge. the monitoring device includes a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain number-of-sheet information indicating a number of sheets on which the image recordation has been performed, first consumption amount information indicating a consumption amount of a recording material consumed from the first cartridge, and second consumption amount information indicating a consumption amount of a recording material consumed from the second cartridge, determine ratio information indicating a ratio of the recording material consumed from the second cartridge to a total consumption amount of the recording material consumed from the first and second cartridges based on the obtained first and second consumption amount information, and store the obtained number-of-sheet information and the determined ratio information in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yushi Deura, Shinya Esaki, Shunsuke Minamikawa, Tetsuya Okuno, Haruka Azechi
  • Patent number: 11740573
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotatable member with a heater, a second rotatable member contacting the first rotatable member and forming a fixing nip, a pressing unit pressing the first rotatable member to the second rotatable member in a pressing direction, a pair of side boards disposed with a space in the widthwise direction, and first, second and third stays supporting the pair of side boards. The first stay is provided upstream of a center of the fixing nip in the pressing direction and upstream of the center in a feeding direction of a recording material. The second stay is provided upstream of the center in the pressing direction and downstream of the center in the feeding direction. The third stay is provided downstream of the center in the pressing direction and at least one of upstream and downstream of the center in the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Takematsu, Tatsuo Yasui, Keiichi Mizukami, Takuya Hasegawa, Tomoaki Tanto, Kazuki Tada
  • Patent number: 11733633
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that makes it possible to obtain a result of prediction of a consumption degree (remaining amount) of a consumable at a desired timing. The information processing apparatus is capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus that forms an image using toner supplied from a toner container mounted thereon. A reception unit receives first information on a consumption amount of the toner by the image forming apparatus. A controller acquires date information on a designated date, and determines second information on a consumption amount of the toner by the designated date, based on the first information in an amount corresponding to a predetermined number of days before a certain day before the designated date.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Tanaka, Jiro Shirakata, Shun Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11720058
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first housing inside an image forming unit, a second housing that includes a fixing unit, a conveyance belt provided in the first housing to convey a sheet, first and second intake fans, and first and second duct units. The first intake fan takes in air to suction the sheet to an outer peripheral surface of the conveyance belt. The first duct unit provided in the first housing forms an air path for exhausting air from the first intake fan. The second intake fan provided in the second housing takes in air near the fixing unit. The second duct unit provided in the second housing passes air flowing in from the first duct unit and the air taken in by the second intake fan. The second duct unit includes an exhaust port for exhausting air outside and a filter through which the exhausted air passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nojima, Keiko Fujita
  • Patent number: 11714369
    Abstract: A heating device includes a substrate, one or more heating elements arranged along the substrate, a heat conductor contacting the substrate, a plurality of thermometers each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor, and a plurality of thermostats each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor and interrupt electrical power supplied to the heating elements. The thermometers and the thermostats are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11714377
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a first unit, a second unit, a cover, and a restrictor. The apparatus body includes a body-side connection terminal. The first unit is detachably attached to the apparatus body. The second unit detachably attached to the first unit and includes a unit-side connection terminal. The cover covers the body-side connection terminal disposed in the apparatus body and is movable between a covering position at which the cover covers the body-side connection terminal and a retracted position at which the cover is retracted from the covering position. The restrictor restricts movement of the cover from the covering position to the retracted position in a state in which the first unit is detached from the apparatus body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11709459
    Abstract: An exhaust device includes: a flow path section through which gas containing ozone generated inside a device body flows; a joint section connected to the flow path section with an inlet opening where hot gas generated inside the device body flows, and where gas containing ozone and hot gas are joined internally; a first air flow generator that generates an air flow which causes the gas containing ozone to flow through the flow path section and to the joint section; and a second air flow generator that causes the gas containing ozone and the hot gas to be joined and discharged from the joint section to outside the device body so that a flow rate of the joint gas discharged from the joint section to outside the device body is higher than a flow rate of the gas containing ozone to the joint section by the first air flow generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shinya Mitorida
  • Patent number: 11703797
    Abstract: A first guide member guides a sheet from a sending roller pair to a discharge port. A second guide member is disposed above the first guide member such that an upstream end of the second guide member in a sheet discharge direction overlaps the first guide member, and forms an upper partition of a discharge path in an area extending from a position above an end of the first guide member to a position of a discharge roller pair. The second guide member guides the sheet to the discharge roller pair. A cooling fan blows air from below the discharge path toward a lower surface of the second guide member. The lower surface of the second guide member is formed convexly curved upward when viewed in a width direction intersecting the sheet discharge direction. The lower surface of the second guide member guides air toward the first guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Fumito Nakamoto