Patents by Inventor Hiromitsu Kumada

Hiromitsu Kumada 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: 9110422
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit arranged in the vicinity of the circumference of each photosensitive member and the process unit is configured to act on the photosensitive member in forming a toner image thereon. The image forming apparatus detects a time period since a laser beam emission unit emits a laser beam to the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image for detection until the formed electrostatic latent image for detection or a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image for detection reaches the process unit, and performs color misregistration correction control based on the result of detection. In this case, a control unit at least decreases the light amount of a pre-exposure LED when the electrostatic latent image for detection passes through a position facing the pre-exposure LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takamitsu Soda, Akinobu Hirayama, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 9091989
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive section driven to rotate, a light emission unit configured to emit light to form electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive section, a process section configured to form images on the photosensitive section, a detection unit configured to detect an output generated via the process section when an electrostatic latent image for correction passes through a position facing the process section, and a control unit configured to execute a correction of a position of an electrostatic latent image in image formation based on a detection result from the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiro Uchiyama, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Ken-ichi Iida, Toshiaki Sako, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Patent number: 9075370
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit arranged in the vicinity of the circumference of each photosensitive member and the process unit is configured to act on the photosensitive member in forming a toner image thereon. The image forming apparatus detects a time period since a laser beam emission unit emits a laser beam to the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image for detection until the formed electrostatic latent image for detection or a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image for detection reaches the process unit, and performs color misregistration correction control based on the result of detection. In this case, a control unit at least decreases the light amount of a pre-exposure LED when the electrostatic latent image for detection passes through a position facing the pre-exposure LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takamitsu Soda, Akinobu Hirayama, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Publication number: 20150117887
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit arranged in the vicinity of the circumference of each photosensitive member and the process unit is configured to act on the photosensitive member in forming a toner image thereon. The image forming apparatus detects a time period since a laser beam emission unit emits a laser beam to the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image for detection until the formed electrostatic latent image for detection or a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image for detection reaches the process unit, and performs color misregistration correction control based on the result of detection. In this case, a control unit at least decreases the light amount of a pre-exposure LED when the electrostatic latent image for detection passes through a position facing the pre-exposure LED.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takamitsu Soda, Akinobu Hirayama, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Publication number: 20150030341
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive section driven to rotate, a light emission unit configured to emit light to form electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive section, a process section configured to form images on the photosensitive section, a detection unit configured to detect an output generated via the process section when an electrostatic latent image for correction passes through a position facing the process section, and a control unit configured to execute a correction of a position of an electrostatic latent image in image formation based on a detection result from the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Takehiro UCHIYAMA, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Ken-ichi Iida, Toshiaki Sako, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Patent number: 8938190
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit arranged in the vicinity of the circumference of each photosensitive member and the process unit is configured to act on the photosensitive member in forming a toner image thereon. The image forming apparatus detects a time period since a laser beam emission unit emits a laser beam to the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image for detection until the formed electrostatic latent image for detection or a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image for detection reaches the process unit, and performs color misregistration correction control based on the result of detection. In this case, a control unit at least decreases the light amount of a pre-exposure LED when the electrostatic latent image for detection passes through a position facing the pre-exposure LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takamitsu Soda, Akinobu Hirayama, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Publication number: 20150016832
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to form electrostatic latent images for correction on a photosensitive member a voltage application unit configured to apply a voltage to a process unit; a current detection unit configured to detect a current to the voltage application unit via the process unit when the voltage is applied to the process unit; and a conversion unit configured to convert an output value detected by the current detection unit such that a variation range of the output value detected by the current detection unit at a formation period of the electrostatic latent image for correction becomes larger than a variation range of the output value detected by the current detection unit at a one-rotation period of the photosensitive member on which the electrostatic latent image is not formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kumada, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takateru Ohkubo, Akinobu Hirayama, Yoshiko Kubo
  • Patent number: 8891984
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes process units that are closely arranged around respective photosensitive members and act on the photosensitive members, a light emission section that forms an electrostatic latent image for detection on the photosensitive member and a detection section that detects that the electrostatic latent image passes through a position facing the process unit, and a control section that performs misregistration correction control based on the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiro Uchiyama, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Kenichi Iida, Toshiaki Sako, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Patent number: 8879970
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to form electrostatic latent images for correction on a photosensitive member; a voltage application unit configured to apply a voltage to a process unit; a current detection unit configured to detect a current to the voltage application unit via the process unit when the voltage is applied to the process unit; and a conversion unit configured to convert an output value detected by the current detection unit such that a variation range of the output value detected by the current detection unit at a formation period of the electrostatic latent image for correction becomes larger than a variation range of the output value detected by the current detection unit at a one-rotation period of the photosensitive member on which the electrostatic latent image is not formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kumada, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takateru Ohkubo, Akinobu Hirayama, Yoshiko Kubo
  • Publication number: 20140314433
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member configured to be rotated; scanning means for scanning, by light corresponding to image data, the photosensitive member that is charged, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member; and a contacting member in contact with the photosensitive member to form a nip portion. In a correction mode in which a shift of an image is corrected based on a detection result obtained by detecting, at the nip portion, an electrostatic latent image for correction formed on the photosensitive member by the scanning means, a width of the electrostatic latent image for correction is equal to or more than a width of the nip portion in a rotation direction of the photosensitive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI kAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Yamashita, Yasuo Yoda, Akinobu Hirayama, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Shuhei Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8744296
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, a temperature detection element, and a power control portion. The power control portion is capable of setting a first power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle, a second power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle and a third power supply control mode for supplying predetermined power, and switches, immediately before a leading edge of the recording material enters the fixing portion, a state of supplying the power in the first power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode, and then switches the state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the third power supply control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daizo Fukuzawa, Toru Imaizumi, Mahito Yoshioka, Noriaki Sato, Munehito Kurata, Kuniaki Kasuga, Yoshimichi Ikeda, Hiromitsu Kumada, Satoru Koyama, Toshifumi Kitamura, Atsunobu Mori
  • Patent number: 8649698
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing part and a controller controlling power to be supplied to the heating unit so as to keep the temperature of the heating unit at a control target temperature. When the fixing process is ended, in a standby-mode, the supply of power to the heating unit is started to keep the temperature of the heating unit at the control target temperature, and the start time of the supply of power to the heating unit is set to a time when the temperature of the heating unit is lowered to a predetermined temperature lower than the control target temperature, thereby reducing the power consumption of the image forming apparatus in the standby-mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruhiko Namiki, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Publication number: 20140016955
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes process units that are closely arranged around respective photosensitive members and act on the photosensitive members, a light emission section that forms an electrostatic latent image for detection on the photosensitive member and a detection section that detects that the electrostatic latent image passes through a position facing the process unit, and a control section that performs misregistration correction control based on the detection result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Uchiyama, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Kenichi Iida, Toshiaki Sako, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Patent number: 8600274
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes process units that are closely arranged around respective photosensitive members and act on the photosensitive members, a light emission section that forms an electrostatic latent image for detection on the photosensitive member and a detection section that detects that the electrostatic latent image passes through a position facing the process unit, and a control section that performs misregistration correction control based on the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiro Uchiyama, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Ken-ichi Iida, Toshiaki Sako, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Publication number: 20130004204
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit arranged in the vicinity of the circumference of each photosensitive member and the process unit is configured to act on the photosensitive member in forming a toner image thereon. The image forming apparatus detects a time period since a laser beam emission unit emits a laser beam to the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image for detection until the formed electrostatic latent image for detection or a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image for detection reaches the process unit, and performs color misregistration correction control based on the result of detection. In this case, a control unit at least decreases the light amount of a pre-exposure LED when the electrostatic latent image for detection passes through a position facing the pre-exposure LED.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takamitsu Soda, Akinobu Hirayama, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 8331819
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, a temperature detection element, and a power control portion. The power control portion is capable of setting a first power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle, a second power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle and a third power supply control mode for supplying predetermined power, and switches, immediately before a leading edge of the recording material enters the fixing portion, a state of supplying the power in the first power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode, and then switches the state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the third power supply control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daizo Fukuzawa, Tooru Imaizumi, Mahito Yoshioka, Noriaki Sato, Munehito Kurata, Kuniaki Kasuga, Yoshimichi Ikeda, Hiromitsu Kumada, Satoru Koyama, Toshifumi Kitamura, Atsunobu Mori
  • Patent number: 8244150
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus allows harmonic noise and flicker noise caused by alternating current to be reduced. To accomplish this, the fixing apparatus has a power supply unit that supplies AC power from a commercial power supply to a heater, a temperature detection element that detects the temperature of the heater, a setting unit that sets a duty ratio for providing power to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection element maintains a target temperature, and a control unit that controls the power supply unit such that an average power duty ratio of a single cycle equals the power duty ratio based on the detected temperature, where a single cycle is three or more full waves of the commercial power supply, there being three or more power duty ratios per one half wave of the commercial power supply in a single cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kumada, Teruhiko Namiki, Atsunobu Mori
  • Publication number: 20120003016
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes process units that are closely arranged around respective photosensitive members and act on the photosensitive members, a light emission section that forms an electrostatic latent image for detection on the photosensitive member and a detection section that detects the electrostatic latent image passes through a position facing to the process unit and a control section that performs misregistration correction control based on the detection result. It achieves to resolve a problem that is caused in detection of a conventional toner image for detection by an optical sensor and to enhance usability of an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Uchiyama, Takateru Ohkubo, Kenji Watanabe, Ken-ichi Iida, Toshiaki Sako, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Publication number: 20100322657
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus allows harmonic noise and flicker noise caused by alternating current to be reduced. To accomplish this, the fixing apparatus has a power supply unit that supplies AC power from a commercial power supply to a heater, a temperature detection element that detects the temperature of the heater, a setting unit that sets a duty ratio for providing power to the heater such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection element maintains a target temperature, and a control unit that controls the power supply unit such that an average power duty ratio of a single cycle equals the power duty ratio based on the detected temperature, where a single cycle is three or more full waves of the commercial power supply, there being three or more power duty ratios per one half wave of the commercial power supply in a single cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kumada, Teruhiko Namiki, Atsunobu Mori
  • Publication number: 20100316404
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, a temperature detection element, and a power control portion, wherein the power control portion is capable of setting a first power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle, a second power supply control mode for supplying power according to the detected temperature for each one control cycle and a third power supply control mode for supplying predetermined power, and switches, immediately before a leading edge of the recording material enters the fixing portion, a state of supplying the power in the first power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode, and then switches the state of supplying the power in the second power supply control mode to a state of supplying the power in the third power supply control mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daizo Fukuzawa, Tooru Imaizumi, Mahito Yoshioka, Noriaki Sato, Munehito Kurata, Kuniaki Kasuga, Yoshimichi Ikeda, Hiromitsu Kumada, Satoru Koyama, Toshifumi Kitamura, Atsunobu Mori