Patents by Inventor Fumikazu Sato

Fumikazu Sato 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: 20100329736
    Abstract: A developing cartridge is provided. The developing cartridge includes an input gear which receives an external driving force; a developing roller which carries developer; a supply roller that is in contact with the developing roller and supplies the developer to the developing roller; a supply roller gear that is meshed with the input gear to drive the supply roller using a driving force transmitted from the input gear; and a developing roller gear that drives the developing roller with a driving force transmitted from the supply roller gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fumikazu SATO
  • Patent number: 7844197
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a developer frame portion and a photosensitive member frame portion, wherein when the photosensitive member frame portion is attached to the developer frame portion, a first extension portion and a second extension portion are positioned in a substantially overlapping configuration and the first extension portion engages the second extension portion so as to urge a developer carrying member toward a photosensitive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Ishii, Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 7826767
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a developing cartridge including a developer carrier, a fitting part, and a pressed part, and a photosensitive cartridge, to which the developing cartridge is removably mounted. The photosensitive cartridge includes a photosensitive member, a positioning part which is fitted into the fitting part for positioning the developing cartridge, and a pressing part which contacts the pressed part for pressing the developing cartridge toward the photosensitive member, wherein the positioning part and the pressing part are provided longitudinally in an area in a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive member corresponding to an area on the photosensitive member in which a developer image is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumikazu Sato, Naoya Kamimura
  • Patent number: 7813673
    Abstract: A developing cartridge is provided. The developing cartridge includes an input gear which receives an external driving force; a developing roller which carries developer; a supply roller that is in contact with the developing roller and supplies the developer to the developing roller; a supply roller gear that is meshed with the input gear to drive the supply roller using a driving force transmitted from the input gear; and a developing roller gear that drives the developing roller with a driving force transmitted from the supply roller gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 7764406
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet discharge unit, a reading unit disposed above the sheet discharge unit, an operating panel, and an opening portion formed between the reading unit and the sheet mount unit such that the sheet can be taken out from the front side of the apparatus. The operating panel extends to the front side of the apparatus in the reading unit so that the tip thereof is located at the same position as the front end portion side of the sheet mount unit or projects from the front end portion side. There is provided an area where the projection amount from the reading unit is set to be smaller than the maximum projection amount of the operating panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 7761023
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is attachable to and detachable from an image forming unit. The developer cartridge includes a developer roller and an electrode member electrically connected to the developer roller. The electrode member faces in an attachment direction along which the developer cartridge is attached to the image forming unit. The electrode is configured to contact a power supply member disposed at the image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumikazu Sato
  • Publication number: 20100142995
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive cartridge and a developing cartridge. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller, an input gear, a transmission gear, and a supporting cover. The input gear includes a contact portion, an outer circumferential wall, and a gear portion. The contact portion is in contact with a coupling member to receive the driving force. The outer circumferential wall and the gear portion rotate about a rotational axis defining an axial direction when the contact portion receives the driving force. The outer circumferential wall has a curved surface whose center of radius of a curvature is coincident with the rotational axis. The transmission gear is meshingly engaged with the gear portion to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the developing roller. The supporting cover covers the curved surface of the outer circumferential wall to rotatably support the outer circumferential wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatoshi SHIRAKI, Fumikazu SATO
  • Publication number: 20100142993
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive cartridge that has a photosensitive drum and a developing cartridge that is detachably mounted on the photosensitive cartridge. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller, an input gear, and a transmission gear. The developing gear supplies toner to the photosensitive drum. The input gear includes a contact portion that is in contact with a coupling member to receive the driving force and a gear portion. The input gear rotates about a rotational axis defining an axial direction when the contact portion receives the driving force. The transmission gear is meshingly engaged with the gear portion to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the developing roller. The gear portion has a pitch circle defined by being meshingly engaged with the transmission gear. The pitch circle of the gear portion is arranged to overlap with the contact portion in the axial direction of the input gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatoshi SHIRAKI, Fumikazu SATO
  • Patent number: 7664426
    Abstract: A method of reusing a developing device that can be detachably mounted in a body of an image-forming device includes: preparing a used developing device that includes a developer-carrying member that carries a developer thereon, and a gear mechanism having a plurality of gears that transfer a driving force inputted from the image-forming device to the developer-carrying member; and replacing at least one gear in the gear mechanism with at least one replacement gear that has stronger gear teeth, gear teeth that have a larger module, or gear teeth that have a greater working depth than the at least one original gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Soichiro Nishimura, Shougo Sato, Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 7599640
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is attachable to and detachable from an image forming unit. The developer cartridge includes a developer carrier, an input gear rotatable about a rotating axis, the input gear communicating with the developer carrier, an electrode member that is electrically connected with the developer carrier, the electrode member including a first contact where the electrode member contacts a power supply member provided in the image forming unit, a supported member that includes a second contact where the supported member is supported by a supporting member provided in the image forming unit, an imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotating axis of the input gear is defined, the input gear, the electrode member, and the supported member being projected in the imaginary plane, and an imaginary line that connects the first contact and the second contact in the imaginary plane is defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 7577382
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: a process unit; a driving source; a first driving unit that rotates when a rotation driving force generated by the driving source is transmitted; and a connection switching unit that switches between a transmission state in which the rotation driving force is transmitted to the first driving unit and a non-transmission state. The process unit includes: a transmission permission unit that switches a state of the connection switching unit into the transmission state, when the process unit exists at a process mounting location with respect to the image forming apparatus; and a second driving unit that joints with the first driving unit when the process unit exists at the process mounting location and rotates a rotation driving subject in the process unit by a rotation force of the first driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumikazu Sato, Hiroshi Tokuda
  • Publication number: 20090180816
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes a first frame including a first wall at one end thereof, a second frame including a pair of second walls facing with each other and a third wall that connects the pair of second walls, an opening that is formed by the first wall, the pair of second walls and the third wall, and a support that is interposed between the third wall and the first wall so as to support the first wall by the third wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumikazu SATO, Hideshi Nishiyama, Tsutomu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7561827
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, an image carrier unit configured to move along a first direction between a first position and a second position in the housing and to hold image carriers, developing cartridges configured to be removably mounted in the image carrier unit, and an exposure unit disposed in the housing and for generating light to irradiate each image carrier. Each developing cartridge includes a developer carrier for supplying developer to the image carrier, a case configured to contain the developer and having a support portion for supporting the developer carrier at a first side of the case and a pair of sidewalls facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an urging mechanism disposed at a second side of the case opposite to the first side for contacting the exposure unit when the image carrier unit is in the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatoshi Shiraki, Fumikazu Sato
  • Publication number: 20090175651
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first developing cartridge and a first photosensitive cartridge. The first developing cartridge is removably mounted in the first photosensitive cartridge and includes a toner hopper, a supply roller and a developing roller. The first photosensitive cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a charger provided at a position adjacent to the photosensitive drum, a first wall provided adjacent to the supply roller, the toner hopper, and the developing roller when the first developing cartridge is mounted in the photosensitive cartridge, the first wall including a first opening, and a second wall which faces the first wall and is provided adjacent to the charger, the second wall including a second opening on an opposite side of the charger from the photosensitive drum. A portion of a wall of the first developing cartridge projects through the first opening in the first wall of the first photosensitive cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya KAMIMURA, Fumikazu SATO
  • Publication number: 20090169257
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a developing cartridge including a developer carrier, a fitting part, and a pressed part, and a photosensitive cartridge, to which the developing cartridge is removably mounted. The photosensitive cartridge includes a photosensitive member, a positioning part which is fitted into the fitting part for positioning the developing cartridge, and a pressing part which contacts the pressed part for pressing the developing cartridge toward the photosensitive member, wherein the positioning part and the pressing part are provided longitudinally in an area in a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive member corresponding to an area on the photosensitive member in which a developer image is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumikazu Sato, Naoya Kamimura
  • Publication number: 20090169255
    Abstract: A developing cartridge is provided. The developing cartridge includes an input gear which receives an external driving force; a developing roller which carries developer; a supply roller that is in contact with the developing roller and supplies the developer to the developing roller; a supply roller gear that is meshed with the input gear to drive the supply roller using a driving force transmitted from the input gear; and a developing roller gear that drives the developing roller with a driving force transmitted from the supply roller gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumikazu SATO
  • Publication number: 20090169248
    Abstract: A developer cartridge including a frame, a developer supplying section, a developer housing section, and an extension portion is provided. The frame includes a first side wall and a second side wall, and the first side wall and the second side wall extend substantially in a length direction. The developer supplying section supplies a developer to a photosensitive body cartridge, and the developer supplying section extends in a width direction substantially perpendicular to the length direction from the first side wall to the second side wall. The developer housing section houses the developer, and the developer housing section extends in the width direction between the first side wall and the second side wall. The developer housing section includes an open end at which the developer housing section adjoins the developer supplying section, and a closed end opposite from the open end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Ishii, Fumikazu Sato
  • Publication number: 20090169256
    Abstract: A process cartridge, which includes a developing cartridge and a photosensitive cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus including a driving force output part and a feeding part, is provided. The developing cartridge includes a developer carrier, a first electrode provided at one side thereof, and a driving force receiving part provided at another side thereof and aligned with the first electrode such that the driving force receiving part overlaps the first electrode in a side view. The photosensitive cartridge, to which the developing cartridge is removably mounted, includes a photosensitive member, and a second electrode that contacts the first electrode when the developing cartridge is mounted in the photosensitive cartridge and that contacts the feeding part when the photosensitive cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus. The first electrode is pressed toward the driving force receiving part by contact with the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya KAMIMURA, Fumikazu SATO
  • Patent number: 7522859
    Abstract: A developer cartridge including a frame, a developer supplying section, a developer housing section, and an extension portion is provided. The frame includes a first side wall and a second side wall, and the first side wall and the second side wall extend substantially in a length direction. The developer supplying section supplies a developer to a photosensitive body cartridge, and the developer supplying section extends in a width direction substantially perpendicular to the length direction from the first side wall to the second side wall. The developer housing section houses the developer, and the developer housing section extends in the width direction between the first side wall and the second side wall. The developer housing section includes an open end at which the developer housing section adjoins the developer supplying section, and a closed end opposite from the open end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Ishii, Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: D590992
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ishii, Fumio Morita, Fumikazu Sato