Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Tsuji
Hirofumi Tsuji 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).
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Publication number: 20200142346Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning roller, a bearing member, a guiding member and an energizing member. The cleaning roller includes a second gear meshed with a first gear of an image carrier. The cleaning roller is rotationally driven in an opposite direction to the image carrier by driving force transmitted from the first gear to the second gear. The bearing member supports a core metal of the cleaning roller. The guiding member has a placement face on which the bearing member is placed. The placement face is inclined with regard to a straight line passing through a rotation center of the first gear and a rotation center of the second gear so that a distance between the straight line and the placement face becomes larger, the closer to the first gear. The energizing member energizes the bearing member so as to press the cleaning roller to the image carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Masahiro UENO, Hirofumi TSUJI
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Publication number: 20200142335Abstract: A toner conveying device includes a case, a conveying screw, a film member and a supporting member. The conveying screw conveys a toner stored in the case in a predetermined direction inside the case. The film member includes a base part elongated in an axial direction of the conveying screw as a longitudinal direction and a plurality of protruding pieces formed so as to protrude in one direction intersecting the longitudinal direction from the base part, and has flexibility. The supporting member includes an attaching part elongated in the axial direction as the longitudinal direction to which the film member is attached, and an axis part being in parallel to the longitudinal direction. The film member and the supporting member are disposed at an upper side of the conveying screw so that the protruding pieces come into contact with the conveying screw, and are rotatable around the axis part.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Hirofumi TSUJI, Masahiro UENO
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Patent number: 10599080Abstract: A fixing device includes a casing, a fixing member, a pressuring member, a pressure adjusting part and a correction biasing part. The fixing member heats a toner image on a medium while rotating inside the casing. The pressuring member forms a pressuring area with the fixing member while rotating inside the casing to pressure a toner on the medium passing through the pressuring area. The pressure adjusting part presses one of the fixing member and the pressuring member to the other to pressurize the pressuring area, and releases pressing of the one to depressurize the pressuring area. The correction biasing part, in a case where a supporting shaft part supporting the other by the casing penetrates the casing, biases both sides in an axial direction of the supporting shaft part extended to the outside of the casing in a similar direction to a pressurizing direction of the pressure adjusting part.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2019Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Publication number: 20190324392Abstract: A fixing device includes a casing, a fixing member, a pressuring member, a pressure adjusting part and a correction biasing part. The fixing member heats a toner image on a medium while rotating inside the casing. The pressuring member forms a pressuring area with the fixing member while rotating inside the casing to pressure a toner on the medium passing through the pressuring area. The pressure adjusting part presses one of the fixing member and the pressuring member to the other to pressurize the pressuring area, and releases pressing of the one to depressurize the pressuring area. The correction biasing part, in a case where a supporting shaft part supporting the other by the casing penetrates the casing, biases both sides in an axial direction of the supporting shaft part extended to the outside of the casing in a similar direction to a pressurizing direction of the pressure adjusting part.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2019Publication date: October 24, 2019Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Hirofumi TSUJI
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Patent number: 10175630Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a cleaning blade, and a movement mechanism. The movement mechanism reciprocates the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum in a specific cycle. The movement mechanism includes a first cam gear and a second cam gear. The first cam gear rotates about an axis of the photosensitive drum together with the photosensitive drum. The second cam gear is restricted in position in the axial direction and rotates at a rotational speed different from that of the first cam gear. The first and second cam gears each have a plurality of coaxial cam portions. When top points and bottom points of the respective cam portions come in contact with one another by turns, the photosensitive drum moves in the axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Patent number: 10114313Abstract: In a toner conveying device, a conveyance path of toner is formed in the casing. A conveyance screw is supported by two support portions of the casing so as to be rotated in the conveyance path and convey the toner along the conveyance path. A low friction portion is provided on an inner side surface of the casing facing the conveyance screw, in a middle of the two support portions. The low friction portion has a lower friction coefficient with the conveyance screw than the other portions of the inner side surface. In a region along a longitudinal direction of the conveyance screw including the low friction portion, a space between the low friction portion and the conveyance screw is narrower than a space between the conveyance screw and portions of the inner side surface other than the portion on which the low friction portion is provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Publication number: 20180307161Abstract: A developer conveying mechanism has a pipe-shaped conveyance passage, a shutter, a sealing member, and a biasing member. Through the pipe-shaped conveyance passage, developer is conveyed, and a discharge port is formed in a part of a side surface of the pipe-shaped conveyance passage. The shutter is arranged to be slidable along the outer circumferential surface of the pipe-shaped conveyance passage, and opens and closes the discharge port. The sealing member is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the shutter. The biasing member biases the shutter in a direction in which the discharge port is closed. The sealing member has a frame-shaped contact portion making contact with the pipe-shaped conveyance passage, and a non-contact portion in the contact portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2018Publication date: October 25, 2018Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Hirofumi TSUJI, Yoshitaka TOKORO
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Patent number: 10088800Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit is attached to a position in the main body portion from a front side of the main body portion along the depth direction in a detachable manner. A cover portion extends in the depth direction and along a region of the outer circumferential surface of a rotating image carrying member that is more on a downstream side in a rotation direction of the image carrying member than the top region of the rotating image carrying member that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt. A shield portion is provided on a portion of an upper surface of the cover portion that is closer to a front surface of the main body portion than the intermediate transfer belt. The shield portion has a taper surface that is inclined diagonally downward from a top surface of the shield portion toward the intermediate transfer belt.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Publication number: 20180203404Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a cleaning blade, and a movement mechanism. The movement mechanism reciprocates the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum in a specific cycle. The movement mechanism includes a first cam gear and a second cam gear. The first cam gear rotates about an axis of the photosensitive drum together with the photosensitive drum. The second cam gear is restricted in position in the axial direction and rotates at a rotational speed different from that of the first cam gear. The first and second cam gears each have a plurality of coaxial cam portions. When top points and bottom points of the respective cam portions come in contact with one another by turns, the photosensitive drum moves in the axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2017Publication date: July 19, 2018Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Hirofumi TSUJI
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Publication number: 20170315478Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit is attached to a position in the main body portion from a front side of the main body portion along the depth direction in a detachable manner. A cover portion extends in the depth direction and along a region of the outer circumferential surface of a rotating image carrying member that is more on a downstream side in a rotation direction of the image carrying member than the top region of the rotating image carrying member that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt. A shield portion is provided on a portion of an upper surface of the cover portion that is closer to a front surface of the main body portion than the intermediate transfer belt. The shield portion has a taper surface that is inclined diagonally downward from a top surface of the shield portion toward the intermediate transfer belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2017Publication date: November 2, 2017Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Publication number: 20170315475Abstract: In a toner conveying device, a conveyance path of toner is formed in the casing. A conveyance screw is supported by two support portions of the casing so as to be rotated in the conveyance path and convey the toner along the conveyance path. A low friction portion is provided on an inner side surface of the casing facing the conveyance screw, in a middle of the two support portions. The low friction portion has a lower friction coefficient with the conveyance screw than the other portions of the inner side surface. In a region along a longitudinal direction of the conveyance screw including the low friction portion, a space between the low friction portion and the conveyance screw is narrower than a space between the conveyance screw and portions of the inner side surface other than the portion on which the low friction portion is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2017Publication date: November 2, 2017Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Patent number: 9329568Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller and a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the developing roller between a contact position where the developing roller is in contact with a photosensitive drum and a separate position where the developing roller is away from the photosensitive drum. The transfer mechanism includes a bearing unit supporting a rotary shaft of the developing roller to allow rotation of the rotary shaft, a pressing member pressing the bearing unit, a shaft member, an urging member, and a wire member. The wire member connects the bearing unit and the shaft member and is configured to experience an urging force of the urging member to urge the bearing unit toward moving away from the photosensitive drum and, upon release of the urging force of the urging member, move the bearing unit close to the photosensitive drum under a pressing force of the pressing member.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Masahiro Kashimoto, Hirofumi Tsuji
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Patent number: 9244422Abstract: A toner crushing wire is disposed in a cleansing housing so as to extend along a rotating shaft of the cleaning roller. The toner crushing wire is allowed to swing along a cleaning housing inner wall facing the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller in non-contact with the cleaning housing inner wall. In this way, remaining toner scraped off from the peripheral surface of a photosensitive drum by a cleaning blade is crushed by the toner crushing wire.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2015Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
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Publication number: 20150346674Abstract: A toner crushing wire is disposed in a cleansing housing so as to extend along a rotating shaft of the cleaning roller. The toner crushing wire is allowed to swing along a cleaning housing inner wall facing the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller in non-contact with the cleaning housing inner wall. In this way, remaining toner scraped off from the peripheral surface of a photosensitive drum by a cleaning blade is crushed by the toner crushing wire.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventor: Hirofumi TSUJI
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Patent number: 9176456Abstract: An image forming unit includes a charging roller, a cleaning roller, a bush member, and a shifting mechanism. A first journal portion of the bush member allows the charging roller to shift in a direction of abutment against and separation from a photosensitive drum and journals the charging roller with play in the direction of abutment and separation when the charging roller is free from nip with the photosensitive drum. When the charging roller forms a nip with the photosensitive drum by the movement of the bush member actuated by the shifting mechanism, the first journal portion journals the charging roller so that the charging roller is pressed by the photosensitive drum to shift to a position within the first journal portion close to the cleaning roller.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2014Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventors: Hirofumi Tsuji, Mitsuhiro Goda
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Patent number: 9075375Abstract: A driving device includes a motor, a pulley, a metal belt, a first unit, a second unit, a biasing member and a detector. The motor includes a drive shaft. The pulley includes an output shaft extending in parallel to the drive shaft. The pulley is rotatably supported on the first unit with the output shaft as a rotary shaft and the circumferential surface is arranged at a distance from the drive shaft in a radial direction of the rotation. The second unit supports the motor and is slidable relative to the first unit. The biasing member biases the second unit in a direction to move the drive shaft away from the output shaft in a state where the metal belt is mounted between the drive shaft and the pulley. The detector detects a change in an inter-axial distance between the drive shaft and the output shaft.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Hirofumi Tsuji, Akihiro Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 9058012Abstract: An image forming apparatus gas a photosensitive drum, an anti-static lamp, and a drum unit, The drum unit includes a unit main frame for holding the photosensitive drum, and a holder frame for holding the anti-static lamp, The holder frame is detachably attached to the unit main frame.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2013Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventors: Susumu Hanano, Hirofumi Tsuji
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Publication number: 20150043940Abstract: An image forming unit includes a charging roller, a cleaning roller, a bush member, and a shifting mechanism. A first journal portion of the bush member allows the charging roller to shift in a direction of abutment against and separation from a photosensitive drum and journals the charging roller with play in the direction of abutment and separation when the charging roller is free from nip with the photosensitive drum. When the charging roller forms a nip with the photosensitive drum by the movement of the bush member actuated by the shifting mechanism, the first journal portion journals the charging roller so that the charging roller is pressed by the photosensitive drum to shift to a position within the first journal portion close to the cleaning roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2014Publication date: February 12, 2015Inventors: Hirofumi Tsuji, Mitsuhiro Goda
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Patent number: 8867963Abstract: The belt driving mechanism of the present invention includes: a driving pulley; a driven pulley; a looped transmission belt extended over the driving pulley and the driven pulley; a first holding member that bearing-supports and holds the driving pulley; a second holding member that bearing-supports and holds the driven pulley, and is combined with the first holding member; and a biasing member that biases the first holding member and the second holding member to be separated, in a state in which the first holding member and the second holding member are combined.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2011Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Hirofumi Tsuji, Akihiro Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20140161480Abstract: An image forming apparatus gas a photosensitive drum, an anti-static lamp, and a drum unit, The drum unit includes a unit main frame for holding the photosensitive drum, and a holder frame for holding the anti-static lamp, The holder frame is detachably attached to the unit main frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2013Publication date: June 12, 2014Inventors: Susumu HANANO, Hirofumi TSUJI