Patents by Inventor Akio Shimonaga

Akio Shimonaga has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240106962
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a reading unit that reads an image on a surface of a medium; and a calibrating unit that is disposed to face the reading unit with the medium disposed therebetween and that calibrates the reading unit. The calibrating unit is supported such that the calibrating unit is movable about a rotating shaft between a closing position at which the calibrating unit faces the reading unit and an opening position at which the calibrating unit is separated from the reading unit. The calibrating unit is positioned with respect to the reading unit when the calibrating unit is moved to the closing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masakazu SHIRAI, Taketoshi TANAKA, Akio SHIMONAGA, Masaaki TAKENOUCHI, Takuma AYABE
  • Publication number: 20240091818
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a cleaning unit that cleans a cleaning section by coming into contact with the cleaning section, the cleaning section being disposed in a transport space through which a medium is transported; a support unit that supports the cleaning unit, the support unit rotating about a rotation center to cause the cleaning unit to pass the cleaning section in a direction along a transporting direction in which the medium is transported; and a removing unit that is disposed upstream of the cleaning section in the transporting direction of the medium and that comes into contact with the cleaning unit to remove a substance adhering to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Akio SHIMONAGA, Masakazu SHIRAI
  • Patent number: 11599060
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, a fixing member, a guide member, and an attraction member. The transfer member transfers a developer to a medium. The fixing member fixes onto the medium the developer transferred to the medium. The guide member is disposed between the transfer member and the fixing member to guide the medium. The attraction member attracts the developer through the opening. An opening is located upstream of the guide member in a medium transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazunari Ishii, Akio Shimonaga, Tetsuya Kawatani
  • Patent number: 11561505
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, a fixing member, a guide member, and an attraction member. The transfer member transfers a developer to a medium. The fixing member fixes onto the medium the developer transferred to the medium. The guide member is disposed between the transfer member and the fixing member to guide the medium. The attraction member attracts the developer through the opening. An opening is located upstream of the guide member in a medium transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazunari Ishii, Akio Shimonaga, Tetsuya Kawatani
  • Publication number: 20200292968
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member, a fixing member, a guide member, and an attraction member. The transfer member transfers a developer to a medium. The fixing member fixes onto the medium the developer transferred to the medium. The guide member is disposed between the transfer member and the fixing member to guide the medium. The attraction member attracts the developer through the opening. An opening is located upstream of the guide member in a medium transport direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunari ISHII, Akio Shimonaga, Tetsuya Kawatani
  • Patent number: 10168666
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a waste toner housing container, an open/close member, and an air blowing unit. The image forming portion forms an image. The waste toner housing container is disposed on one side surface of the image forming portion to house a waste toner discharged from the image forming portion. The open/close member opens and closes an opening portion provided in a side surface of an apparatus body to mount and remove the waste toner housing container. The air blowing unit is provided close to the waste toner housing container on a side surface of the apparatus body that is adjacent to a side surface on which the open/close member is installed. The air blowing unit feeds air to the image forming portion from a side of the waste toner housing container toward an opposite side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunari Ishii, Akio Shimonaga, Masayuki Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20180101132
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a waste toner housing container, an open/close member, and an air blowing unit. The image forming portion forms an image. The waste toner housing container is disposed on one side surface of the image forming portion to house a waste toner discharged from the image forming portion. The open/close member opens and closes an opening portion provided in a side surface of an apparatus body to mount and remove the waste toner housing container. The air blowing unit is provided close to the waste toner housing container on a side surface of the apparatus body that is adjacent to a side surface on which the open/close member is installed. The air blowing unit feeds air to the image forming portion from a side of the waste toner housing container toward an opposite side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunari ISHII, Akio SHIMONAGA, Masayuki YAMAGISHI
  • Patent number: 9075384
    Abstract: A storage device includes a housing including a storage space that stores a structural member; a cover member that is mounted on the housing, and causes an entrance of the storage space of the housing to be in a covered state and an uncovered state; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the cover member to the housing that is in the covered state. The structural member is stored at a first position and at a second position in an unfixed state in the storage space that is caused to be in the covered state by the cover member. The second position is closer to the cover member than the first position is. When the structural member has moved from the first position to the second position, the fixing mechanism causes the cover member to be more firmly fixed than when the structural member is stopped at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akio Shimonaga
  • Publication number: 20140306403
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding member that rotates and feeds a sheet; a resistance member that contacts the feeding member with the sheet interposed therebetween, the resistance member contacting the sheet fed by the feeding member and applying a resistance against the feeding of the sheet; a holding unit that holds the resistance member so that the resistance member is movable to a position where the resistance member does not contact the feeding member; and an urging unit that urges the resistance member held by the holding unit in a direction opposite to a feeding direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akio SHIMONAGA
  • Publication number: 20140112682
    Abstract: A storage device includes a housing including a storage space that stores a structural member; a cover member that is mounted on the housing, and causes an entrance of the storage space of the housing to be in a covered state and an uncovered state; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the cover member to the housing that is in the covered state. The structural member is stored at a first position and at a second position in an unfixed state in the storage space that is caused to be in the covered state by the cover member. The second position is closer to the cover member than the first position is. When the structural member has moved from the first position to the second position, the fixing mechanism causes the cover member to be more firmly fixed than when the structural member is stopped at the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akio SHIMONAGA
  • Patent number: 8231126
    Abstract: A medium-directing device includes: first-third roll members, the third roll member contacting the first and second roll members in first and second regions, respectively; and a directing member having first and second directing surfaces and being rotatable between first and second positions such that the directing member, when located at the first position, directs a medium conveyed along a first conveyance path toward the first region via the first directing surface and directs a medium conveyed from the second region toward a second conveyance path via the second directing surface, the directing member including a region of the second directing surface on a side closer to the second region relative to a bent portion, in which, when the directing member is at the first position, a distance between the second directing surface and a tangential line between the second and third roll members increases toward the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Shimonaga
  • Publication number: 20110062661
    Abstract: A medium-directing device includes: first-third roll members, the third roll member contacting the first and second roll members in first and second regions, respectively; and a directing member having first and second directing surfaces and being rotatable between first and second positions such that the directing member, when located at the first position, directs a medium conveyed along a first conveyance path toward the first region via the first directing surface and directs a medium conveyed from the second region toward a second conveyance path via the second directing surface, the directing member including a region of the second directing surface on a side closer to the second region relative to a bent portion, in which, when the directing member is at the first position, a distance between the second directing surface and a tangential line between the second and third roll members increases toward the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akio SHIMONAGA