Patents by Inventor Koichi Mihara

Koichi Mihara 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: 8831483
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank and a developing roller, an internal space of the developer tank is divided into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path and a second communication path, by a partition wall. A first developer conveying section which conveys a developer in the developer tank in a conveying direction X is disposed in the first conveying path. A second developer conveying section which conveys the developer in the developer tank in a conveying direction Y is disposed in the second conveying path. The first developer conveying section includes a plurality of inner spiral blade pieces, a rotation tube, an upstream spiral blade, a downstream spiral blade, support members, and a first gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8744320
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank and a developing roller, an internal space of the developer tank is divided by a partition wall into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a communication path and a pumping path. In the pumping path, there is disposed a developer pumping section including a pumping spiral blade, a pumping rotation shaft member, and a pumping gear. A developer in the pumping path is pumped up by the developer pumping section, so that a part of the developer is moved to a side of the first conveying path while another part of the developer is moved to a side of the second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8731443
    Abstract: A developing device has a first and a second developer conveyance path configured to convey and circulate the two-component developer; a first and a second conveyance member each having a helical blade for conveying the developer in one direction; a first communicating path for guiding the developer in the first developer conveyance path to the second developer conveyance path; a second communicating path. The second developer conveyance path includes a second upstream side end section having a bottom in a conical shape having an inner diameter conically increasing. The helical blade of the second conveyance member has a second conical helix portion having an outer diameter conically increasing along an inner wall surface of the bottom of the second upstream side end section. The bottom of the second upstream side end section is at a level lower than a bottom of the first developer conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8682226
    Abstract: A development device mounted on an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a photoconductive drum in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on a surface thereof, the development device comprising: a developer tank; a development roller that is provided in the developer tank; first and second developer conveying paths; and first and second developer conveying spiral members that conveying the developer in the circulating manner in the first and second developer conveying paths, wherein at least one of the first and second developer conveying spiral members further includes an end blade that is provided at one end of the rotary shaft, the end blade includes: a spiral blade portion that is fixed to the circumferential surface of the rotary shaft; and a circumferential agitating plate portion that is fixed to a circumferential portion of the spiral blade portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8666291
    Abstract: A developer container 1 includes (i) a developer vessel 2, having a cylindrical shape, that carries and discharges toner contained therein through its first discharge opening 31 while the developer vessel 2 is being driven to rotate, and (ii) a developer supply section 3 which (a) supports the developer vessel 2 such that the developer vessel 2 can rotate, (b) temporarily stores the toner discharged from the first discharge opening 31, and (c) discharges the toner outside of the developer supply section 3 from a second discharge opening 5. The first discharge opening 31 is formed in an inclined surface 31a of an edge part of the developer vessel 2. The inclined surface 31a inclines, upstream of a direction in which the toner is carried along a shaft line L1, so as to be at angles with a surface perpendicular to the shaft line L1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihide Ohgoshi, Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8660466
    Abstract: A development device comprising a developer conveying member and a developer raking member that are rotatably disposed in the developer conveyance path to conveying and agitating the developer in the developer conveyance paths, wherein the developer conveyance path includes first and second developer conveyance paths and first and second communication paths that communicating the first and second developer conveyance paths on both sides, the developer conveying member includes first and second developer conveying members that are disposed in the first and second developer conveyance paths, the developer raking member is disposed in at least one of the first and second communication paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8594538
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer tank and a developing roller. An internal space of the developer tank is divided into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path, and a second communication path by a partition wall. In the first conveying path, there is disposed a first developer conveying section that conveys the developer within the developer tank in a conveying direction X. In the second conveying path, there is disposed a second developer conveying section that conveys the developer within the developer tank in a conveying direction Y. The first developer conveying section includes an inner spiral blade, an outer spiral blade, an upstream spiral blade, a rotation tube, a delivery portion, support members, and a first gear. The rotation tube has an admission port portion and a discharge port portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8588656
    Abstract: A developer tank of a developing device is partitioned into a first conveyance path, a second conveyance path, a first communicating path and a second communicating path with a partition. A first developer conveying member that conveys a developer in a first developer conveying direction is provided in the first conveyance path. A second developer conveying member that conveys the developer in a second developer conveying direction is provided in the second conveyance path. In the first developer conveying member, a double spiral blade is provided on a downstream side in the first developer conveying direction from a first conveying blade of the first developer conveying member, the double spiral blade including an inner spiral blade that conveys the developer in a first direction and an outer spiral blade that conveys the developer in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8554117
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner containing section which contains a toner therein; a toner discharging unit which is disposed in one side of the toner containing section and has a toner discharging port; a screw member which is disposed inside the toner containing section and transports a toner inside the toner containing section to the toner discharging unit; a bearing member which holds an end of the screw member; a rotary shutter which is disposed in the toner discharging unit to be rotatable about a rotation axial line of the screw member and has a circular-arc-shaped cross-section; and a shutter opening and closing mechanism which opens the rotary shutter in conjunction with rotation of the screw member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Okuda, Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8532523
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a container for containing toner, a toner discharge section having a toner discharge port, an auger screw provided in the container, for conveying toner in the container to the toner discharge section, a shutter for opening and closing the toner discharge port, and a toner flowing-out preventing member provided in a communicating part between the container and the toner discharge section, for preventing flowing out of toner by closing an opening of the communicating part. The toner flowing-out preventing member is configured so as to open the opening in conjunction with an opening operation of the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8488999
    Abstract: A developing device that is capable of securing an amount of developer that can be stored in a developer tank while suppressing the bending of a developer conveying section, as well as an image forming apparatus are provided. In a developer tank of a developing device, there is provided a first developer conveying section that includes a first rotation shaft member having a columnar shape in which grooves extending in an axial line direction are formed, and a first spiral blade that is spirally wound around the first rotation shaft member and conveys the developer by rotation around the axial line of the first rotation shaft member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8452215
    Abstract: A developing device and an image forming apparatus which suppress unevenness of image density are provided. A developing device includes a developer tank storing a developer, a first conveying member and a second conveying member conveying the developer, and a developing roller bearing the developer thereon. In the developing device, the first conveying member is constituted by a first rotating shaft and a plurality of first conveying blades provided along a first imaginary spiral surrounding the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft and advancing in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft at a predetermined lead angle ?X. The individual first conveying blades are separated from each other in the axial direction and are provided along the portion of less than one cycle of the first imaginary spiral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8417160
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner container for containing toner, a toner discharge section provided on one side part of the toner container and having a toner discharge port, an auger screw provided in the toner container, for conveying toner in the toner container to the toner discharge section, and a toner flowing-out preventing valve provided in a communicating part between the toner container and the toner discharge section to prevent flowing out of toner. The toner flowing-out preventing valve is configured to open and close the communicating part in conjunction with rotation of the auger screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8412077
    Abstract: The developing device includes: a developing container for storing a developer; first and second conveying passages that are formed in the developing container and sectioned by a partition; first and second conveying members disposed inside the first and second conveying passages, respectively, to agitate and circulatively convey the developer through the first and second conveying passages in opposite directions; a developing roller that supplies the developer in the second developer conveying passage to a photoreceptor drum; first and second communication paths that connect between the first and second conveying passages at both ends of the partition; and, a developer flow regulator that regulates the flow of developer moving from the first conveying passage to the second conveying passage, in accordance with the height of the developer surface of the developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8406650
    Abstract: A developing device is disclosed which includes a developing tank, a developing roller, a carrying member, and a filter. Rotation of the developing roller causes a first airflow directed from the outside of the developing tank through an air path to the inside of the developing tank. Rotation of the carrying member causes a second airflow directed from below in an upward direction inside the developing tank. Collision between the first airflow and the second airflow causes a third airflow directed from the inside of the developing tank through the filter to the outside of the developing tank and further from the outside through the filter back to the inside of the developing tank. This arrangement prevents not only filter clogging but also a toner leak to the outside of the developing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisashi Kunihiro, Jun Yamaguchi, Shuichi Akedo, Koichi Mihara
  • Publication number: 20120328334
    Abstract: A developing device has a first and a second developer conveyance path configured to convey and circulate the two-component developer; a first and a second conveyance member each having a helical blade for conveying the developer in one direction; a first communicating path for guiding the developer in the first developer conveyance path to the second developer conveyance path; a second communicating path. The second developer conveyance path includes a second upstream side end section having a bottom in a conical shape having an inner diameter conically increasing. The helical blade of the second conveyance member has a second conical helix portion having an outer diameter conically increasing along an inner wall surface of the bottom of the second upstream side end section. The bottom of the second upstream side end section is at a level lower than a bottom of the first developer conveyance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8340556
    Abstract: A toner stirring section provided in a toner cartridge includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body. The first rotating body is rotated around an axis J13 to stir a toner. The second rotating body includes a conveying sheet for conveying the toner to a toner replenishing roller which is a conveying destination, to be rotatably provided around the axis J13, and to rotate by being pressed by the first rotating body being rotated. The first rotating body and the second rotating body are provided so that the first rotating body presses the second rotating body after the first rotating body is rotated by a predetermined degrees relative to the second rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisashi Kunihiro, Koichi Mihara
  • Patent number: 8270882
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developing vessel for storing a developer, a first conveying passage, a second conveying passage, a first conveying member, a second conveying member and a developing roller, the first conveying member has a first rotary shaft and a first conveying blade formed on the periphery of the first rotary shaft, the first conveying blade has a first inner helical blade formed on the periphery of the first rotary shaft and a first outer helical blade arranged along the axis of the first rotary shaft and radially outside the outer periphery of the first inner helical blade, and the helical pitch of the first outer helical blade is specified to be shorter than the helical pitch of the first inner helical blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Yasuyuki Ishiguro
  • Publication number: 20120219327
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank and a developing roller, an internal space of the developer tank is divided into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path and a second communication path, by a partition wall. A first developer conveying section which conveys a developer in the developer tank in a conveying direction X is disposed in the first conveying path. A second developer conveying section which conveys the developer in the developer tank in a conveying direction Y is disposed in the second conveying path. The first developer conveying section includes a plurality of inner spiral blade pieces, a rotation tube, an upstream spiral blade, a downstream spiral blade, support members, and a first gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8238797
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes: a toner storing portion for storing toner; a toner discharger having a toner discharge port; a screw auger having a rotary shaft and a helical blade for conveying the toner in the toner storing portion to the toner discharger; and an inner shutter that sections between the toner storing portion and the toner discharger. The inner shutter is provided so as to be movable to such a position as to create communication between the toner storing portion and the toner discharge port in linkage with rotation of the screw auger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Koichi Mihara