Patents by Inventor Kenji Shindo
Kenji Shindo 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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Patent number: 10921741Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of a direct transfer system, when in a region where a transfer nip portion of a photosensitive drum is formed, a region in which the toner image can be formed is defined as a first region, and a region where the recording medium does not pass while the recording medium is conveyed by the transfer nip portion is defined as a second region, in forming the toner image on the recording medium, the photosensitive drum enters the transfer nip portion in a state where the second region of the photosensitive drum includes a region in which an absolute value of a surface potential is smaller than an absolute value of a surface potential of a region in which the toner image is not formed in the first region.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenji Shindo, Takayuki Kanazawa
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Patent number: 10747140Abstract: A developing apparatus, includes: a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer; and a regulating member that is disposed in contact with a surface of the developer bearing member, and configured to regulate the developer borne on the developer bearing member. On the surface of the developer bearing member, a conductive portion having a first surface roughness and first electric resistance, and a dielectric portion having a second surface roughness, which is smaller than the first surface roughness, and second electric resistance, which is larger than the first electric resistance, are disposed. In a case where the developer borne on the developer bearing member is charged by friction with the regulating member, a charging polarity of the dielectric portion is the same polarity as a charging polarity of the developer.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2019Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takuya Kitamura, Kenji Shindo, Kazunari Hagiwara, Takahiro Kawamoto, Ryo Sugiyama
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Publication number: 20200133161Abstract: A developing apparatus, includes: a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer; and a regulating member that is disposed in contact with a surface of the developer bearing member, and configured to regulate the developer borne on the developer bearing member. On the surface of the developer bearing member, a conductive portion having a first surface roughness and first electric resistance, and a dielectric portion having a second surface roughness, which is smaller than the first surface roughness, and second electric resistance, which is larger than the first electric resistance, are disposed. In a case where the developer borne on the developer bearing member is charged by friction with the regulating member, a charging polarity of the dielectric portion is the same polarity as a charging polarity of the developer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Takuya Kitamura, Kenji Shindo, Kazunari Hagiwara, Takahiro Kawamoto, Ryo Sugiyama
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Publication number: 20190339639Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of a direct transfer system, when in a region where a transfer nip portion of a photosensitive drum is formed, a region in which the toner image can be formed is defined as a first region, and a region where the recording medium does not pass while the recording medium is conveyed by the transfer nip portion is defined as a second region, in forming the toner image on the recording medium, the photosensitive drum enters the transfer nip portion in a state where the second region of the photosensitive drum includes a region in which an absolute value of a surface potential is smaller than an absolute value of a surface potential of a region in which the toner image is not formed in the first region.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2019Publication date: November 7, 2019Inventors: Kenji Shindo, Takayuki Kanazawa
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Patent number: 10444673Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a configuration in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a toner charging polarity is applied. In the image forming apparatus, a guide region of a pre-transfer guide is located on a photosensitive drum side with respect to a common tangent line of a photosensitive drum and a development roller to reduce contamination of the pre-transfer guide and prevent contamination of recording materials.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2018Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenji Shindo, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Takehiko Suzuki
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Patent number: 10386755Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
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Publication number: 20190079434Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a configuration in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a toner charging polarity is applied. In the image forming apparatus, a guide region of a pre-transfer guide is located on a photosensitive drum side with respect to a common tangent line of a photosensitive drum and a development roller to reduce contamination of the pre-transfer guide and prevent contamination of recording materials.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Kenji Shindo, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Takehiko Suzuki
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Patent number: 10216112Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit which develops a toner image on a surface of a photosensitive member and which collects toner which remains on the surface of the photosensitive member after the developed toner image is transferred to a transfer member. The image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to determine whether a cleaning operation of cleaning the surface of the photosensitive member is to be performed after an image forming operation is performed or control a period of time in which the cleaning operation is performed in accordance with a measured downtime of the image forming apparatus which is a period of time after the image forming operation is terminated and before a next image forming operation is started.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Sasame, Kohei Okayasu, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Takehiko Suzuki, Hironori Kato
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Publication number: 20180307162Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2018Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
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Patent number: 10073383Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2016Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
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Patent number: 10031446Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2016Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
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Patent number: 10025236Abstract: A relationship 150?Rs (?)/Rm (?)?4000 is established in an environment of a temperature of 15° C. and a humidity of 10% in a case where a surface resistance of a transfer roller is Rs (?) when a current is fed between a pair of electrodes facing each other in an axial direction of the transfer roller and arranged on a surface of the transfer roller with an interval of 5 mm therebetween, the electrodes having a width of 20 mm in a circumferential direction of the transfer roller in a state of being arranged on the transfer roller, and in a case where a combined resistance of a first layer and a second layer is Rm (?) when the current is fed from a core portion to an outer peripheral surface of the second layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2017Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroki Sasame, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Kenji Shindo
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Patent number: 9946216Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device; a transfer member; a contact member provided downstream of the transfer member and upstream of the developing device with respect to a movement direction of a surface of the image bearing member and contacting the image bearing member at a contact portion, wherein the surface of the image bearing member passed through a transfer portion reaches the contact portion without being cleaned, a detecting portion for detecting a size of the sheet; and a controller for executing an operation in a cleaning mode for cleaning the contact member. The controller executes the operation in the cleaning mode when the controller discriminates that the size of the sheet detected by the detecting portion is smaller than a size of the toner image.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2016Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kohei Okayasu, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Hiroki Sasame, Takuya Hayato
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Publication number: 20180095386Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a configuration in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a toner charging polarity is applied. In the image forming apparatus, a guide region of a pre-transfer guide is located on a photosensitive drum side with respect to a common tangent line of a photosensitive drum and a development roller to reduce contamination of the pre-transfer guide and prevent contamination of recording materials.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Kenji Shindo, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Takehiko Suzuki
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Publication number: 20180024458Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit which develops a toner image on a surface of a photosensitive member and which collects toner which remains on the surface of the photosensitive member after the developed toner image is transferred to a transfer member. The image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to determine whether a cleaning operation of cleaning the surface of the photosensitive member is to be performed after an image forming operation is performed or control a period of time in which the cleaning operation is performed in accordance with a measured downtime of the image forming apparatus which is a period of time after the image forming operation is terminated and before a next image forming operation is started.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2017Publication date: January 25, 2018Inventors: Hiroki Sasame, Kohei Okayasu, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Takehiko Suzuki, Hironori Kato
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Publication number: 20170363993Abstract: A relationship 150?Rs (?)/Rm (?)?4000 is established in an environment of a temperature of 15° C. and a humidity of 10% in a case where a surface resistance of a transfer roller is Rs (?) when a current is fed between a pair of electrodes facing each other in an axial direction of the transfer roller and arranged on a surface of the transfer roller with an interval of 5 mm therebetween, the electrodes having a width of 20 mm in a circumferential direction of the transfer roller in a state of being arranged on the transfer roller, and in a case where a combined resistance of a first layer and a second layer is Rm (?) when the current is fed from a core portion to an outer peripheral surface of the second layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2017Publication date: December 21, 2017Inventors: Hiroki Sasame, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Kenji Shindo
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Publication number: 20170115622Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device; a transfer member; a contact member provided downstream of the transfer member and upstream of the developing device with respect to a movement direction of a surface of the image bearing member and contacting the image bearing member at a contact portion, wherein the surface of the image bearing member passed through a transfer portion reaches the contact portion without being cleaned, a detecting portion for detecting a size of the sheet; and a controller for executing an operation in a cleaning mode for cleaning the contact member. The controller executes the operation in the cleaning mode when the controller discriminates that the size of the sheet detected by the detecting portion is smaller than a size of the toner image.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2016Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Kohei Okayasu, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Hiroki Sasame, Takuya Hayato
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Publication number: 20170097590Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2016Publication date: April 6, 2017Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
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Patent number: 9052678Abstract: A cleaning device includes a fixing portion provided on a frame, a cleaning member, and an accommodating portion. The cleaning member includes a blade portion contacted to an image bearing member (drum) and a supporting member. The supporting member includes one end portion where the blade portion is provided, another end portion including a portion-to-be-fixed for being fixed at the fixing portion, and a bent portion between the one end portion and the other end portion in a side remote from a surface of the drum toward an outside with respect to a line connecting the portion-to-be-fixed and a contact portion where the blade portion is contacted to the drum. The portion-to-be-fixed is provided downstream of the contact portion with respect to movement direction of the drum. Between the frame and the other end portion, a gap for permitting elastic deformation of the other end portion is provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2012Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideto Oka, Masao Uyama, Kenji Shindo, Nobuyoshi Yoshida, Ryosuke Kanai, Satoru Inami
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Patent number: 8995900Abstract: A cleaning member includes a blade portion contacted to a member-to-be-cleaned with respect to a direction counter to a movement direction of the member-to-be-cleaned, and a flexible supporting member. The supporting member includes one end portion where the blade portion is provided, another end portion including a portion-to-be-fixed for being fixed at the fixing portion, and a bent portion between the one end portion and the other end portion in a side remote from a surface of the member-to-be-cleaned toward an outside with respect to a line connecting the portion-to-be-fixed and a contact portion where the blade portion is contacted to the member-to-be-cleaned. The portion-to-be-fixed is provided downstream of the contact portion with respect to the movement direction of the member-to-be-cleaned. The blade portion is supported by the supporting member in contact to only the one end portion.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenji Shindo, Masao Uyama, Masaki Ojima