Patents by Inventor Kenjiro Yoshioka
Kenjiro Yoshioka 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: 8229337Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier that carries an image; a transfer roller having a transfer material-gripping member that grips a transfer material, the transfer roller transferring the image carried by the image carrier to the transfer material; a transfer material-transporting belt that transports the transfer material onto which the image has been transferred while subjecting the transfer material to suction; a fixing section that fixes the transferred image on the transported transfer material; and a transfer material-guiding section having a guiding surface that guides the transported transfer material to the fixing section, the guiding surface being disposed in a direction in which the transfer material is sucked onto the transfer material-transporting belt relative to a transfer material-transporting surface of the transfer material-transporting belt.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yoshiyuki Nagai, Katsuhito Gomi, Kenjiro Yoshioka
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Patent number: 8103203Abstract: A fixing device that includes a first fixing unit including a first heating roller having a metallic roller and a resin layer formed on the metallic roller, and a first pressure roller coming into abutment with the first heating roller; and a second fixing unit having a second heating roller being configured to heat a transfer material heated by the first fixing unit and including a metallic roller, a elastic layer formed on the metallic roller, and a resin layer formed on the elastic layer, and a second pressure roller coming into abutment with the second heating roller is provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2009Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yoshiyuki Nagai, Kenjiro Yoshioka, Katsuhito Gomi
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Patent number: 7990408Abstract: An exposing device includes a light-emitting element array including plural light-emitting elements disposed in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a lens array including plural lenses that focus lights from the light-emitting elements, a supporting member that supports the light-emitting element array and the lens array, and an exposure-position adjusting mechanism including a rotation adjusting unit that rotates the supporting member around or substantially around an axis in the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2008Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kenjiro Yoshioka, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
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Publication number: 20110076066Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: a first fixing unit including a first heating unit heats to a transfer material onto which an image has been transferred and a first pressure unit that forms a first nip portion; a second fixing unit including a second heating unit heats to the transfer material fixed in the first fixing unit and a second pressure unit that forms a second nip portion; and a fixing unit suction guide, including a suction surface that sucks the transfer material fixed in the first fixing unit upward with a surface of the transfer material onto which the image has been transferred facing downward, an end of the suction surface on a side toward the second fixing unit in a transport direction of the transfer material being located higher in the vertical direction than an imaginary line that connects the first nip portion and the second nip portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2010Publication date: March 31, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Katsuhito GOMI, Yoshiyuki NAGAI, Kenjiro YOSHIOKA
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Publication number: 20110076067Abstract: A fixing apparatus for forming an image on a transfer material includes first and second fixing roller units, a suction guide, and a movement member. The first fixing roller unit includes a first heating roller that heats the transfer material bearing the image and a first pressure roller being in contact with the first heating roller. The suction guide guides the transfer material, and includes a suction surface that vertically upwardly sucks the transfer material after being heated by the first fixing roller unit. The second fixing roller unit fixes the transfer material after being guided by the suction guide, and includes a second heating roller heating the transfer material and a second pressure roller being in contact with the second heating roller. The second pressure roller is disposed above the second heating roller in the vertical direction. The movement member causes the second pressure roller to move vertically upwardly.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2010Publication date: March 31, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshiyuki NAGAI, Kenjiro YOSHIOKA, Katsuhito GOMI
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Publication number: 20100272479Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier that carries an image; a transfer roller having a transfer material-gripping member that grips a transfer material, the transfer roller transferring the image carried by the image carrier to the transfer material; a transfer material-transporting belt that transports the transfer material onto which the image has been transferred while subjecting the transfer material to suction; a fixing section that fixes the transferred image on the transported transfer material; and a transfer material-guiding section having a guiding surface that guides the transported transfer material to the fixing section, the guiding surface being disposed in a direction in which the transfer material is sucked onto the transfer material-transporting belt relative to a transfer material-transporting surface of the transfer material-transporting belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshiyuki NAGAI, Katsuhito GOMI, Kenjiro YOSHIOKA
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Publication number: 20100272472Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a developing portion for developing a image carrier with liquid developer including a toner and a carrier liquid, a transfer portion for transferring the image developed on the image carrier in the developing portion onto a surface of the recording medium, and a recording medium transporting portion for transporting the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred with surface of the recording medium onto which the image has been transferred facing downward, with the upward facing surface being sucked and held by air flow.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Katsuhito GOMI, Kenjiro YOSHIOKA, Yoshiyuki NAGAI
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Publication number: 20100054787Abstract: A fixing device that includes a first fixing unit including a first heating roller having a metallic roller and a resin layer formed on the metallic roller, and a first pressure roller coming into abutment with the first heating roller; and a second fixing unit having a second heating roller being configured to heat a transfer material heated by the first fixing unit and including a metallic roller, a elastic layer formed on the metallic roller, and a resin layer formed on the elastic layer, and a second pressure roller coming into abutment with the second heating roller is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2009Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshiyuki NAGAI, Kenjiro YOSHIOKA, Katsuhito GOMI
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Publication number: 20090074464Abstract: An exposing device includes a light-emitting element array including plural light-emitting elements disposed in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a lens array including plural lenses that focus lights from the light-emitting elements, a supporting member that supports the light-emitting element array and the lens array, and an exposure-position adjusting mechanism including a rotation adjusting unit that rotates the supporting member around or substantially around an axis in the first direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2008Publication date: March 19, 2009Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Kenjiro YOSHIOKA, Yujiro NOMURA, Ken IKUMA
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Patent number: 7406286Abstract: In a fixing device for causing a pressurizing roller to come in pressure contact with a heating roller including a central region heating heater for heating a central region and a side end region heating heater for heating a side end region on an outside of the central region, thereby fixing an unfixed toner, or an image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device, an outside of an image region of the heating roller is caused to have a peak of heat distribution of the central region heating heater and heat radiated from both side ends of the heating roller is compensated to flatten the temperature distribution of the image region, thereby preventing a deterioration in an image.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2004Date of Patent: July 29, 2008Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kenjiro Yoshioka, Kiyoteru Katsuki, Tomoe Aruga
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Patent number: 6993270Abstract: A belt member is formed with a seam portion by overlapping and adhering both longitudinal end portions thereof to constitute an endless belt stretched and circulated by a rotative, first stretching member and a second stretching member. A length of the seam portion is no less than a length between a first point at which the endless belt is separated from one of the first stretching member and the second stretching member and a second point at which the endless belt is brought into contact with the other one of the first stretching member and the second stretching member.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2003Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kenjiro Yoshioka, Kiyoteru Katsuki, Tomoe Aruga
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Publication number: 20040256372Abstract: In a fixing device for causing a pressurizing roller to come in pressure contact with a heating roller including a central region heating heater for heating a central region and a side end region heating heater for heating a side end region on an outside of the central region, thereby fixing an unfixed toner, or an image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device, an outside of an image region of the heating roller is caused to have a peak of heat distribution of the central region heating heater and heat radiated from both side ends of the heating roller is compensated to flatten the temperature distribution of the image region, thereby preventing a deterioration in an image.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2004Publication date: December 23, 2004Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Kenjiro Yoshioka, Kiyoteru Katsuki, Tomoe Aruga
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Patent number: 6792236Abstract: A recording medium having a toner image formed thereon is moved to pass through a press contact portion between an endless belt being heated and an pressure roller pressed against the endless belt. When passing through the press contact portion, the toner image is fused and permanently affixed onto the recording medium. An oil application width O of an oil application roller is shorter than belt width B of the endless belt, and a maximum passing width P of a recording medium that may be supplied for the image formation, but is longer than a maximum image-forming width I within which an image may be formed on the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kaneo Yoda, Kazutoshi Fujisawa, Naoyuki Okumura, Tahei Ishiwatari, Hiroshi Tanaka, Kenjiro Yoshioka
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Publication number: 20040136750Abstract: A belt member is formed with a seam portion by overlapping and adhering both longitudinal end portions thereof to constitute an endless belt stretched and circulated by a rotative, first stretching member and a second stretching member. A length of the seam portion is no less than a length between a first point at which the endless belt is separated from one of the first stretching member and the second stretching member and a second point at which the endless belt is brought into contact with the other one of the first stretching member and the second stretching member.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Kenjiro Yoshioka, Kiyoteru Katsuki, Tomoe Aruga
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Patent number: 6750891Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of the present invention, the voltage of a chargeable layer 2b of an image carrier 2 at the portion to be in contact with writing electrodes 3b is adjusted by a surface potential adjusting member 8 which is disposed to be in contact with the chargeable layer 2b between the writing electrodes 3b and a transfer roller 6a. That is, even if the reverse charge injection occurs because the transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 6a and the transfer roller 6a is in contact with the chargeable layer 2b of the image carrier 2 at an interval between a printed paper 5 and the next paper 5, the potential of the chargeable layer 2b at the portion to be in contact with the writing electrodes 3b is adjusted not to exceed the withstand voltage of IC drivers 7 of the writing electrodes 3b by the surface potential adjusting member 8.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2002Date of Patent: June 15, 2004Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Shinichi Kamoshida, Kenjiro Yoshioka
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Publication number: 20040021759Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an image carrier which is capable of securely preventing the leakage of charge in lateral direction so as to stably conduct the application or removal of charge and which can be easily manufactured. An image carrier comprises a dielectric layer, wherein charge is transferred between the dielectric layer and a charge-transfer controlling means so as to apply charge to or remove charge from the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is formed in such a structure that a large number of conductive portions are formed to be separately dispersed in its outer surface. Charge is transferred between the conductive portions and the charge-transfer controlling means so as to apply charge to or remove charge from the conductive portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2003Publication date: February 5, 2004Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Shinichi Kamoshida, Kaneo Yoda, Kenjiro Yoshioka, Mikio Furumizu
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Publication number: 20040004655Abstract: In order to obtain image with high resolution and eliminate the nonuniformity of written latent images and toner images by achieving the formation of electrostatic latent images corresponding to the widths of driven writing electrodes, a writing head 3 has a plurality of writing electrodes 3b which are arranged along the axial direction of an image carrier 2 such that the writing electrodes 3b are in contact with the image carrier, wherein the writing electrodes 3b are aligned in the axial direction Y and the circumferential direction X of the image carrier 2 such that the writing electrodes 3b which are most adjacent to each other in the axial direction Y are not overlapped with each other as seen in the circumferential direction of the image carrier. (FIG.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2003Publication date: January 8, 2004Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Shinichi Kamoshida, Atsunori Kitazawa, Kenjiro Yoshioka
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Patent number: 6646663Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an image carrier which is capable of securely preventing the leakage of charge in lateral direction so as to stably conduct the application or removal of charge and which can be easily manufactured. An image carrier comprises a dielectric layer, wherein charge is transferred between the dielectric layer and a charge-transfer controlling means so as to apply charge to or remove charge from the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is formed in such a structure that a large number of conductive portions are formed to be separately dispersed in its outer surface. Charge is transferred between the conductive portions and the charge-transfer controlling means so as to apply charge to or remove charge from the conductive portions.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2002Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Shinichi Kamoshida, Kaneo Yoda, Kenjiro Yoshioka, Mikio Furumizu
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Publication number: 20030113142Abstract: A recording medium having a toner image formed thereon is moved to pass through a press contact portion between an endless belt being heated and an pressure roller pressed against the endless belt. When passing through the press contact portion, the toner image is fused and permanently affixed onto the recording medium. An oil application width O of an oil application roller is shorter than belt width B of the endless belt, and a maximum passing width P of a recording medium that may be supplied for the image formation, but is longer than a maximum image-forming width I within which an image may be formed on the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2002Publication date: June 19, 2003Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Kaneo Yoda, Kazutoshi Fujisawa, Naoyuki Okumura, Tahei Ishiwatari, Hiroshi Tanaka, Kenjiro Yoshioka
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Patent number: 6574449Abstract: A fixing device includes a pressure application roller 120 pressed against a fixing belt 110 (or fixing roller) to be heated. One of the them is driven while the other follows the one in rotation. A recording medium S having a toner image thereon is moved to pass through a central part N1 of a press contact portion N, whereby the toner image is fused and fixed on the recording medium. High grip portions G are provided on both side ends of the fixing belt or the pressure application roller.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2002Date of Patent: June 3, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kaneo Yoda, Takao Kagami, Kazutoshi Fujisawa, Hiroshi Tanaka, Kenjiro Yoshioka, Naoyuki Okumura, Shuhei Mori, Yoshiyuki Takeda