Patents by Inventor Masanao Kunugi

Masanao Kunugi 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: 5296266
    Abstract: A method for producing microcapsules in which various coats can be applied to various cores at any desired but uniformly controllable thickness comprises the steps of:(a) providing microcapsule cores,(b) depositing resin particles uniformly onto the surfaces of the microcapsule cores to form resin particle-deposited-onto-cores,(c) putting the resin particle-deposited-onto-cores in a monodisperse state,(d) bringing the resin particle-deposited-onto-cores in the monodisperse state into contact with a solvent in which the resin of the resin particles can dissolve, and(e) drying the resin particle-deposited-onto-cores which has been brought into contact with the solvent, while kept in the monodisperse state and, then, recovering the dried cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Hiroshi Itoh, Hajime Kurihara
  • Patent number: 5214239
    Abstract: A developing device having a toner carrier for feeding a toner through pressure contact with a latent image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image pattern has been formed. The toner carrier comprises a foam member having a foam portion and a solid surface layer portion. The foam portion and the solid surface layer portion comprise an identical material and are continuous with each other substantially without the presence of any interface therebetween. The foam member has a density gradient in the direction of the thickness. The developing device of the present invention enables a soft pressure contact development to be stably conducted, has advantageously low production and operation cost, and can form an image having a high resolution without a significant variation in the density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiro Koga, Masanao Kunugi, Mamoru Egi
  • Patent number: 5192636
    Abstract: A toner material comprises toner particles containing at least a coloring matter and a binder, said toner particle having electrically insulating properties and comprising an inside portion having a relatively high relative permittivity and a surface portion having a relatively low relative permittivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Hidenori Kin, Tsuneo Handa
  • Patent number: 5053821
    Abstract: A photoconductive image forming apparatus in which charged photoconductive toner contacts a transparent insulating substrate and is exposed from within the substrate. Exposure reduces the resistivity of the toner so that its charge can be reversed by a bias voltage and the exposed toner will adhere to the image forming substrate simultaneously with exposure and then transfer to a transfer medium. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a layer of toner is applied to an electroconductive substrate and the toner layer is exposed with a latent image. The charge of the exposed toner is reversed and the exposed toner is removed by an intermediate toner removal device. The remaining toner is then transferred to a transfer medium. Toner suitable for use includes azo-type metal containing black dyes which do not absorb the exposure and can be sensitized to the near infrared region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation, A Corporation of Japan
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Hajime Kurihara, Teruyuki Mizumoto
  • Patent number: 4948692
    Abstract: A combination toner for xerographic image formation having conductive portions and insulating portions is provided. The conductive portions function to accumulate a charge in the toner particles and the insulating portions function to lengthen the period of discharge of the accumulated charge. The toner can be either magnetic or non-magnetic and improves image formation and transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Higashimura, Yoshinori Miyazawa, Tsuneo Handa, Teruyuki Mizumoto, Hiroshi Ito, Atsushi Uchino, Masanobu Motoki, Masanao Kunugi, Tahei Ishiwatari, Hidetsugu Shimura
  • Patent number: 4921768
    Abstract: A photoconductive image forming method in a which charged toner contacts a transparent insulating substrate and is exposed from within the substrate. Exposure reduces the resistivity of the toner so that its charge can be reversed by a bias voltage and the exposed toner will adhere to the image forming substrate simultaneously with exposure and then transfer to a transfer medium. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a layer of toner is applied to an electroconductive substrate and the toner layer is exposed with a latent image. The charge of the exposed toner is reversed and the exposed toner is removed by an intermediate toner removal device. The remaining toner is then transferred to a transfer medium. Toner suitable for use includes azo-type metal containing black dyes which do not absorb the exposure and can be sensitized to the near infrared region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Hajime Kurihara, Teruyuki Mizumoto