Patents by Inventor Katsuyuki Hirata
Katsuyuki Hirata 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: 20240160230Abstract: The flow rate control device 10 includes a control valve 11, a restriction part 12 provided downstream of the control valve 11, an upstream pressure sensor 13 for measuring a pressure P1 between the control valve 11 and the restriction part 12, a differential pressure sensor 20 for measuring a differential pressure ?P between the upstream and the downstream of the restriction part 12, and an arithmetic control circuit 16 connected to the control valve 11, the upstream pressure sensor 13, and the differential pressure sensor 20.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2024Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATEDInventors: Kaoru HIRATA, Keisuke IDEGUCHI, Shinya OGAWA, Katsuyuki SUGITA, Masaaki NAGASE, Kouji NISHINO, Nobukazu IKEDA, Hiroyuki ITO
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Patent number: 11914407Abstract: The flow rate control device 10 includes a control valve 11, a restriction part 12 provided downstream of the control valve 11, an upstream pressure sensor 13 for measuring a pressure P1 between the control valve 11 and the restriction part 12, a differential pressure sensor 20 for measuring a differential pressure ?P between the upstream and the downstream of the restriction part 12, and an arithmetic control circuit 16 connected to the control valve 11, the upstream pressure sensor 13, and the differential pressure sensor 20.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2020Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATEDInventors: Kaoru Hirata, Keisuke Ideguchi, Shinya Ogawa, Katsuyuki Sugita, Masaaki Nagase, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda, Hiroyuki Ito
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Patent number: 9686428Abstract: In image-checking equipment, a detector reads a line-shaped check image formed on a sheet and acquires image data on the check image. A controller calculates an edge blur in a rising edge and a falling edge of the image data, calculates a line width of the check image. The controller refers to a correction table with the measured values of the edge blur and the line width of the check image, and acquires a corrected line width value based on the correction table to obtain the real line width of the check image.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2016Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Takashi Harashima, Takaaki Kooriya, Katsuyuki Hirata
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Patent number: 9442413Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, exposure timings for a plurality of light beams are adjusted on the basis of a toner concentration of a boundary part between line images formed by one light beam and line images formed by another light beam neighboring the one light beam and a toner concentration of a part except the boundary part in a pattern image. Here, in the pattern image, line images extending in the main-scan direction of a photoreceptor are formed while having a predetermined pitch in the sub-scan direction of the photoreceptor and also the boundary part is arranged so as to be shifted from the sub-scan direction of the photoreceptor, by an image forming section.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2015Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Yuji Okugawa, Katsuyuki Hirata
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Publication number: 20160255241Abstract: In image-checking equipment, a detector reads a line-shaped check image formed on a sheet and acquires image data on the check image. A controller calculates an edge blur in a rising edge and a falling edge of the image data, calculates a line width of the check image. The controller refers to a correction table with the measured values of the edge blur and the line width of the check image, and acquires a corrected line width value based on the correction table to obtain the real line width of the check image.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2016Publication date: September 1, 2016Inventors: Takashi HARASHIMA, Takaaki KOORIYA, Katsuyuki HIRATA
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Patent number: 9420133Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit and first and second image scanning devices. The first and second image scanning devices scan the same surface of the same sheet with an image formed thereon on a sheet-conveying pathway. The image forming apparatus adjusts an image forming condition based on information acquired through the scan by the first and second image scanning devices. The first image scanning device scans only a part of an area in the main scanning direction. The second image scanning device scans an area across the image forming width in the main scanning direction. The control unit detects an anomalous value based on the information acquired through the scan by the second image scanning device, and prompts cleaning of the first and second image scanning devices in response to detection of the anomalous value.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2015Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Katsuyuki Hirata, Kazuomi Sakatani
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Patent number: 9354541Abstract: According to an image forming apparatus and an exposure position adjusting method of one aspect of the present invention, an exposure section scans a plurality of light beams to form a plurality of electrostatic latent images periodically along a main-scanning direction of the photoreceptor at a predetermined pitch in a sub-scanning direction of the photoreceptor. Next, a surface potential detecting section detects electric potentials of the plurality of electrostatic latent images formed on the surface of the photoreceptor, along the main-scanning direction. Furthermore, a controller calculates exposure timings by the plurality of light beams in the exposure section on the basis of a detection result by the surface potential detecting section.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2015Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Ryo Hasegawa, Katsuyuki Hirata
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Publication number: 20150350460Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit and first and second image scanning devices. The first and second image scanning devices scan the same surface of the same sheet with an image formed thereon on a sheet-conveying pathway. The image forming apparatus adjusts an image forming condition based on information acquired through the scan by the first and second image scanning devices. The first image scanning device scans only a part of an area in the main scanning direction. The second image scanning device scans an area across the image forming width in the main scanning direction. The control unit detects an anomalous value based on the information acquired through the scan by the second image scanning device, and prompts cleaning of the first and second image scanning devices in response to detection of the anomalous value.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Katsuyuki HIRATA, Kazuomi SAKATANI
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Publication number: 20150346627Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, exposure timings for a plurality of light beams are adjusted on the basis of a toner concentration of a boundary part between line images formed by one light beam and line images formed by another light beam neighboring the one light beam and a toner concentration of a part except the boundary part in a pattern image. Here, in the pattern image, line images extending in the main-scan direction of a photoreceptor are formed while having a predetermined pitch in the sub-scan direction of the photoreceptor and also the boundary part is arranged so as to be shifted from the sub-scan direction of the photoreceptor, by an image forming section.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Yuji OKUGAWA, Katsuyuki HIRATA
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Publication number: 20150277270Abstract: According to an image forming apparatus and an exposure position adjusting method of one aspect of the present invention, an exposure section scans a plurality of light beams to form a plurality of electrostatic latent images periodically along a main-scanning direction of the photoreceptor at a predetermined pitch in a sub-scanning direction of the photoreceptor. Next, a surface potential detecting section detects electric potentials of the plurality of electrostatic latent images formed on the surface of the photoreceptor, along the main-scanning direction. Furthermore, a controller calculates exposure timings by the plurality of light beams in the exposure section on the basis of a detection result by the surface potential detecting section.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2015Publication date: October 1, 2015Inventors: Ryo HASEGAWA, Katsuyuki HIRATA
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Patent number: 8971740Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a detector that includes a toner density sensor arranged on the downstream side of a fixing section. When performing a control to determine an image forming condition of an image forming section based on the detection result of an image-adjusting pattern image obtained by the detector, the temperatures of a plurality of points in the axial direction of the fixing section are detected by a fixing temperature detector. Further, based on the temperature detection values obtained by the fixing temperature detector, a controller sets a detection area of the detector in a place where the fixing temperature is equal to a desired temperature, so that the detector detects the information about the image-adjusting pattern image at such place.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2013Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Takashi Harashima, Katsuyuki Hirata
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Patent number: 8938174Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit detecting information about an image-adjusting pattern image fixed to a paper; a determination unit which, on the basis of an image-noise detecting pattern image that is formed on the paper prior to forming the image-adjusting pattern image, determines the presence or absence of an image noise generated in the image-adjusting pattern image; and a control unit. On the basis of the determination result of the determination unit, the control unit sets a detection region where the detection unit detects information about the image-adjusting pattern image, to a region where the image noise is not generated, and determines the image forming condition by using the information detected in the detection region.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2013Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki Hirata, Takashi Harashima
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Patent number: 8837001Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a gradation correction method for the same are provided. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms a plurality of patch bands in a plurality of positions in a main scanning direction on an image bearing member, each of the plurality of patch bands having a plurality of gradation patches disposed in a sub-scanning direction; a density detection section that detects densities of the plurality of patch bands; and a control section that performs gradation correction based on detection results from the density detection section. The plurality of patch bands differs from each other.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2012Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hideaki Tanaka, Takashi Harashima, Katsuyuki Hirata, Daiki Yamanaka, Kazuhiro Saito
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Patent number: 8804194Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a storage unit, an image processing unit and a control unit. The image processing unit (i) calculates a summed height of a color toner image formed on a sheet by summing up a height of the color toner image on the basis of input image data, (ii) calculates, on the basis of a target value for glossiness stored in the storage unit, a target total height of the color toner image and a clear toner image to realize the target value for glossiness, and (iii) calculates a height of the clear toner image by subtracting the summed height from the target total height. On the basis of the calculated height of the clear toner image, the control unit adjusts the height of the clear toner image formed on the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2013Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiro Saito, Hideaki Tanaka, Katsuyuki Hirata, Takashi Harashima
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Patent number: 8797600Abstract: Image forming apparatus (100) creates a toner pattern on intermediate transfer belt (11) as a preprocessing of gradation correction, and calculates a cycle at which density unevenness is largest. Then, a toner image for gradation correction is formed so as to cancel cyclic unevenness at a cycle at which the largest density unevenness occurs. As a result of this, it becomes possible to suppress the deterioration of density detection accuracy and perform a highly accurate gradation correction even if density unevenness of any cycle occurs.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2012Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Takashi Harashima, Hideaki Tanaka, Katsuyuki Hirata, Toru Yamaguchi, Takaaki Kooriya
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Patent number: 8781349Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries a toner image, an image forming device that forms the toner image on the image carrier, a sensing device that senses a toner concentration of the image carrier and a control device that makes the image forming device form a test toner image on the image carrier, and determines necessity to execute each adjustment operation for adjusting a plurality of kinds of driving conditions for the image forming device at the time of forming the toner images, based upon a toner concentration of the test toner image.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki Hirata, Tomiko Imoto, Yoshinori Tsutsumi
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Publication number: 20140133875Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a detector that includes a toner density sensor arranged on the downstream side of a fixing section. When performing a control to determine an image forming condition of an image forming section based on the detection result of an image-adjusting pattern image obtained by the detector, the temperatures of a plurality of points in the axial direction of the fixing section are detected by a fixing temperature detector. Further, based on the temperature detection values obtained by the fixing temperature detector, a controller sets a detection area of the detector in a place where the fixing temperature is equal to a desired temperature, so that the detector detects the information about the image-adjusting pattern image at such place.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2013Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Takashi HARASHIMA, Katsuyuki HIRATA
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Publication number: 20140112675Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit detecting information about an image-adjusting pattern image fixed to a paper; a determination unit which, on the basis of an image-noise detecting pattern image that is formed on the paper prior to forming the image-adjusting pattern image, determines the presence or absence of an image noise generated in the image-adjusting pattern image; and a control unit. On the basis of the determination result of the determination unit, the control unit sets a detection region where the detection unit detects information about the image-adjusting pattern image, to a region where the image noise is not generated, and determines the image forming condition by using the information detected in the detection region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki HIRATA, Takashi HARASHIMA
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Patent number: 8626017Abstract: There are provided a powder supply element adapted to supply powders containing at least toner; developing element adapted to develop an electrostatic latent image by agitating and conveying a developer containing the powders that are supplied by the powder supply element; a toner amount detecting element that is placed in the middle of a conveyance path to connect the powder supply element with the developing element and detects a toner amount per unit volume to be supplied to the developing element; and control element that controls a correction amount with respect to a reference supply amount due to the powder supply element on the basis of a toner amount per unit volume that is detected by the toner amount detecting element.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2009Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kazuomi Sakatani, Katsuyuki Hirata, Yoshinori Tsutsumi
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Publication number: 20130258367Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a storage unit, an image processing unit and a control unit. The image processing unit (i) calculates a summed height of a color toner image formed on a sheet by summing up a height of the color toner image on the basis of input image data, (ii) calculates, on the basis of a target value for glossiness stored in the storage unit, a target total height of the color toner image and a clear toner image to realize the target value for glossiness, and (iii) calculates a height of the clear toner image by subtracting the summed height from the target total height. On the basis of the calculated height of the clear toner image, the control unit adjusts the height of the clear toner image formed on the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2013Publication date: October 3, 2013Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiro SAITO, Hideaki TANAKA, Katsuyuki HIRATA, Takashi HARASHIMA