Patents by Inventor Hibiki SASAKI

Hibiki SASAKI 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).

  • Patent number: 11726423
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a transport belt that is disposed in such a manner as to face an image holding unit holding an image and that is capable of moving circularly so as to transport a medium, a first stretching roller that stretches a portion of the transport belt and that is disposed in such a manner as to face the image holding unit, the first stretching roller being configured to transport the medium by nipping the medium between the image holding unit and the transport belt and configured to transfer the image held by the image holding unit onto the medium, a second stretching roller that stretches a portion of the transport belt that is located downstream from the portion of the transport belt stretched by the first stretching roller in a transport direction of the medium, a contact adjusting unit that causes a second end of the first stretching roller in an axial direction of the first stretching roller to swing while a first end of the first stretching roller serves as a fulcrum and adjus
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kaoru Matsushita, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama, Koichi Sato, Kentaro Iwamoto, Hibiki Sasaki, Toshihiko Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 11204578
    Abstract: A cleaning device is provided with: a cleaning component that cleans waste toner from an image holder, the image holder holding, on a surface thereof, a toner image formed by an image forming component and moving in a circulating manner; and a waste toner conveying component that conveys the waste toner toward a waste toner storage unit. The cleaning device has a receiving opening through which waste powder recovered from the image forming component is received, and the waste powder received through the receiving opening is conveyed to the waste toner storage unit by being passed through inside the cleaning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Sugitani, Koichi Sato, Masakazu Shirai, Hibiki Sasaki, Kaoru Matsushita, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama, Toshihiko Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 11188017
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit, a first adjusting member, and a second adjusting member. The first unit includes an endless first belt member and a first rotating member that rotates while supporting the first belt member. The second unit includes a rotatable second rotating member that opposes the first rotating member with the first belt member interposed therebetween. The first adjusting member is disposed on either one of the first unit and the second unit to adjust a load between the first rotating member and the second rotating member. The second adjusting member is disposed on the other one of the first unit and the second unit to adjust parallelism between the first rotating member and the second rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Koichi Sato, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama, Hibiki Sasaki, Kaoru Matsushita, Kentaro Iwamoto, Toshihiko Kamiyama, Takaya Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11188018
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a transport member and a guide member. The transport member supports and transports a medium. The guide member is shifted from the transport member in a width direction of the medium to guide the medium. The guide member includes contact portions that come into contact with the medium. The contact portions are spaced apart from one another in a transport direction of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kentaro Iwamoto, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama, Koichi Sato, Kaoru Matsushita, Hibiki Sasaki, Toshihiko Kamiyama, Mabumi Kashihara, Daisuke Tanaka, Takeshi Yasuda, Hiromoto Yamaki
  • Publication number: 20210302892
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit, a first adjusting member, and a second adjusting member. The first unit includes an endless first belt member and a first rotating member that rotates while supporting the first belt member. The second unit includes a rotatable second rotating member that opposes the first rotating member with the first belt member interposed therebetween. The first adjusting member is disposed on either one of the first unit and the second unit to adjust a load between the first rotating member and the second rotating member. The second adjusting member is disposed on the other one of the first unit and the second unit to adjust parallelism between the first rotating member and the second rotating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Koichi SATO, Kiyotoshi KANEYAMA, Hibiki SASAKI, Kaoru MATSUSHITA, Kentaro IWAMOTO, Toshihiko KAMIYAMA, Takaya YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210302891
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a transport belt that is disposed in such a manner as to face an image holding unit holding an image and that is capable of moving circularly so as to transport a medium, a first stretching roller that stretches a portion of the transport belt and that is disposed in such a manner as to face the image holding unit, the first stretching roller being configured to transport the medium by nipping the medium between the image holding unit and the transport belt and configured to transfer the image held by the image holding unit onto the medium, a second stretching roller that stretches a portion of the transport belt that is located downstream from the portion of the transport belt stretched by the first stretching roller in a transport direction of the medium, a contact adjusting unit that causes a second end of the first stretching roller in an axial direction of the first stretching roller to swing while a first end of the first stretching roller serves as a fulcrum and adjus
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kaoru MATSUSHITA, Kiyotoshi KANEYAMA, Koichi SATO, Kentaro IWAMOTO, Hibiki SASAKI, Toshihiko KAMIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210302890
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a transport member and a guide member. The transport member supports and transports a medium. The guide member is shifted from the transport member in a width direction of the medium to guide the medium. The guide member includes contact portions that come into contact with the medium. The contact portions are spaced apart from one another in a transport direction of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kentaro IWAMOTO, Kiyotoshi KANEYAMA, Koichi SATO, Kaoru MATSUSHITA, Hibiki SASAKI, Toshihiko KAMIYAMA, Mabumi KASHIHARA, Daisuke TANAKA, Takeshi YASUDA, Hiromoto YAMAKI
  • Patent number: 11067941
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a roller including a rotational shaft supported by a bearing; a support unit that movably supports the bearing and an attached component of the bearing between a use position of the roller and a retraction position away from the use position; and a contact portion that is provided in one or both of the bearing and attached component, and the support unit, and when the roller is moved to the retraction position, comes into contact with part of the support unit or the attached component opposed to the bearing and the attached component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masakazu Shirai, Koichi Sato, Kazutoshi Sugitani, Hibiki Sasaki, Kaoru Matsushita, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama
  • Patent number: 11009813
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer belt that carries a toner image first transferred and is rotated to transport the toner image to a second transfer position; a second transfer belt that is rotated to come into contact with the intermediate transfer belt and pass through the second transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt; a plate-like cleaning unit that comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the second transfer belt to clean the outer circumferential surface; and a dispersion unit that comes into contact with a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second transfer belt to disperse toner which passes through the portion on a downstream side of the cleaning unit and on an upstream side of the second transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kaoru Matsushita, Koichi Sato, Kazutoshi Sugitani, Masakazu Shirai, Hibiki Sasaki, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama
  • Publication number: 20210088943
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a roller including a rotational shaft supported by a bearing; a support unit that movably supports the bearing and an attached component of the bearing between a use position of the roller and a retraction position away from the use position; and a contact portion that is provided in one or both of the bearing and attached component, and the support unit, and when the roller is moved to the retraction position, comes into contact with part of the support unit or the attached component opposed to the bearing and the attached component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Shirai, Koichi Sato, Kazutoshi Sugitani, Hibiki Sasaki, Kaoru Matsushita, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama
  • Publication number: 20210072670
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer belt that carries a toner image first transferred and is rotated to transport the toner image to a second transfer position; a second transfer belt that is rotated to come into contact with the intermediate transfer belt and pass through the second transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt; a plate-like cleaning unit that comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the second transfer belt to clean the outer circumferential surface; and a dispersion unit that comes into contact with a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second transfer belt to disperse toner which passes through the portion on a downstream side of the cleaning unit and on an upstream side of the second transfer position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kaoru MATSUSHITA, Koichi SATO, Kazutoshi SUGITANI, Masakazu SHIRAI, Hibiki SASAKI, Kiyotoshi KANEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210055685
    Abstract: A cleaning device is provided with: a cleaning component that cleans waste toner from an image holder, the image holder holding, on a surface thereof, a toner image formed by an image forming component and moving in a circulating manner; and a waste toner conveying component that conveys the waste toner toward a waste toner storage unit. The cleaning device has a receiving opening through which waste powder recovered from the image forming component is received, and the waste powder received through the receiving opening is conveyed to the waste toner storage unit by being passed through inside the cleaning device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi SUGITANI, Koichi SATO, Masakazu SHIRAI, Hibiki SASAKI, Kaoru MATSUSHITA, Kiyotoshi KANEYAMA, Toshihiko KAMIYAMA
  • Patent number: 10732547
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an opening and closing unit that is openable and closable with respect to an apparatus main body; a transfer unit that is provided in the apparatus main body and transfers an image from an image holding unit to a recording medium at a transfer position; an attaching unit that attaches the transfer unit to the opening and closing unit so as to be movable between the transfer position and a temporary holding position when the opening and closing unit is opened and closed; and a rotating unit that is provided in the apparatus main body, has a cutout portion that rotates while being in contact with the attaching unit when the opening and closing unit is closed, and moves the transfer unit toward the transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Deguchi, Tsutomu Komiyama, Hibiki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9829854
    Abstract: An opening/closing mechanism is provided between a powder transport container removably attached to an apparatus housing and a powder receiving container provided in the apparatus housing to receive powder in the powder transport container as a result of a connection port communicating with a discharging port of the powder transport container. The opening/closing mechanism opens and closes the discharging port along with attachment and detachment of the powder transport container, and includes an opening/closing lid that opens the discharging port by being stopped by a part of the powder receiving container when the powder transport container is attached to the apparatus housing, a seal member, and a covering material that is provided on a surface of the opening/closing lid opposed to the seal member and has a protruding piece in contact with an edge portion of the connection port when the powder transport container is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Sato, Yoshiyuki Takashima, Hibiki Sasaki, Tadashi Suto
  • Publication number: 20170285565
    Abstract: An opening/closing mechanism is provided between a powder transport container removably attached to an apparatus housing and a powder receiving container provided in the apparatus housing to receive powder in the powder transport container as a result of a connection port communicating with a discharging port of the powder transport container. The opening/closing mechanism opens and closes the discharging port along with attachment and detachment of the powder transport container, and includes an opening/closing lid that opens the discharging port by being stopped by a part of the powder receiving container when the powder transport container is attached to the apparatus housing, a seal member, and a covering material that is provided on a surface of the opening/closing lid opposed to the seal member and has a protruding piece in contact with an edge portion of the connection port when the powder transport container is attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi SATO, Yoshiyuki TAKASHIMA, Hibiki SASAKI, Tadashi SUTO
  • Publication number: 20170075296
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including plural developing devices that are provided side by side in a direction that is defined by an image forming apparatus main body and respectively form insertion sections into or from which housings including photoreceptors are inserted or withdrawn in a longitudinal direction on one side in a direction in which the plural developing devices are arranged, an exit mechanism that is provided in the developing device, is disposed on an inlet side of the insertion section, and exits a developer on an inside of the developing device, and guide sections of at least two portions that are provided in at least one of the developing devices adjacent to the housing and guide the housing before a surface of the photoreceptor faces the exit mechanism in an insertion direction of the housing when the housing is inserted or withdrawn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hibiki SASAKI, Koichi SATO, Yoshiyuki TAKASHIMA, Atsushi FUNADA
  • Patent number: 9594344
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including plural developing devices that are provided side by side in a direction that is defined by an image forming apparatus main body and respectively form insertion sections into or from which housings including photoreceptors are inserted or withdrawn in a longitudinal direction on one side in a direction in which the plural developing devices are arranged, an exit mechanism that is provided in the developing device, is disposed on an inlet side of the insertion section, and exits a developer on an inside of the developing device, and guide sections of at least two portions that are provided in at least one of the developing devices adjacent to the housing and guide the housing before a surface of the photoreceptor faces the exit mechanism in an insertion direction of the housing when the housing is inserted or withdrawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hibiki Sasaki, Koichi Sato, Yoshiyuki Takashima, Atsushi Funada
  • Patent number: 9002246
    Abstract: A transfer device includes a first support member that supports a wound member, an endless transferred body being wound around the wound member; a second support member that supports a transfer member, the transfer member and the wound member pinching the transferred body and a recording medium, the transfer member causing a developer image on the transferred body to be transferred onto the recording medium; a coupling portion that couples the second support member to the first support member so that an angle of the second support member is changeable relative to the first support member; and an urging portion that is provided at the first support member and urges the second support member in a direction in which the transfer member presses the wound member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Deguchi, Akihiro Ouchi, Hiroaki Yagi, Arichika Tanaka, Koichi Sato, Kazuyuki Yagata, Hibiki Sasaki, Kaoru Matsushita, Yuichi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 8879956
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer device includes an intermediate transfer member, intermediate transfer member support members, and two frame members each including first and second positioning members each having a positioning portion. At least one of the frame members satisfies a condition L1:L2=2.85:x 0?x?1, where L1 is the length of a line segment connecting an intersection point to the positioning portion of one of the positioning members on a side opposite to a side toward which a line of action of a force applied by a second-transfer unit is inclined and L2 is the length of a line segment connecting the intersection point to the positioning portion of the other of the positioning members on the side toward which the line of action is inclined, the intersection point being an intersection of the line of action and a line segment connecting the positioning portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hibiki Sasaki, Akihiro Ouchi, Hirofumi Goto, Hiroaki Yagi, Kenji Suzuki, Yoshihisa Nakao, Ayaka Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 8774651
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image to be formed on a recording medium. The image formed by the image forming unit has a size larger than a size of the recording medium that is transported, the image forming unit causing the image to adhere to the entire area of the recording medium. A width of the image in a direction substantially orthogonal to a transporting direction of the recording medium increases from a front end toward a rear end of the recording medium in the transporting direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayaka Miyoshi, Hirofumi Goto, Yoshihisa Nakao, Akihiro Ouchi, Hiroaki Yagi, Kenji Suzuki, Hibiki Sasaki