Patents by Inventor Masayo Higashimura

Masayo Higashimura 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: 11204563
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit that faces an image holding unit and is configured to come into contact with and separate from the image holding unit with a continuous form paper continuous in a transport direction interposed between the transfer unit and the image holding unit and to transfer an image held by the image holding unit onto the continuous form paper; a displacement unit that displaces the continuous form paper to a position closer to the image holding unit when the transfer unit separates from the image holding unit; and a contact portion that contacts the continuous form paper from a downstream side in a displacement direction before the continuous form paper displaced by the displacement unit contacts the image holding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Yutaka Kiuchi, Tokuya Sakamoto, Tetsuro Kodera, Masayo Higashimura
  • Publication number: 20200301305
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit that faces an image holding unit and is configured to come into contact with and separate from the image holding unit with a continuous form paper continuous in a transport direction interposed between the transfer unit and the image holding unit and to transfer an image held by the image holding unit onto the continuous form paper; a displacement unit that displaces the continuous form paper to a position closer to the image holding unit when the transfer unit separates from the image holding unit; and a contact portion that contacts the continuous form paper from a downstream side in a displacement direction before the continuous form paper displaced by the displacement unit contacts the image holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Yutaka KIUCHI, Tokuya SAKAMOTO, Tetsuro KODERA, Masayo HIGASHIMURA
  • Patent number: 10359719
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer member that transfers a toner image to a continuous sheet, the transfer member having a lower hardness than a member opposed thereto with the continuous sheet therebetween when the continuous sheet is transported; and a moving unit that moves the transfer member in a direction intersecting the direction in which the continuous sheet is transported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Yamaura, Satoshi Shigezaki, Yutaka Kanai, Masayo Higashimura, Toshiaki Baba
  • Publication number: 20180292770
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer member that transfers a toner image to a continuous sheet, the transfer member having a lower hardness than a member opposed thereto with the continuous sheet therebetween when the continuous sheet is transported; and a moving unit that moves the transfer member in a direction intersecting the direction in which the continuous sheet is transported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki YAMAURA, Satoshi SHIGEZAKI, Yutaka KANAI, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Toshiaki BABA
  • Patent number: 9958821
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium, wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kiuchi, Masayo Higashimura, Kazuhiko Arai
  • Patent number: 9658587
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member that has a heat source, comes into contact with a surface of a continuous medium having an image transferred thereto and heats the surface; a pressure member that is provided so as to oppose the heating member with the medium therebetween and applies pressure to the medium; and a tensioning member that is provided on a downstream side of a fixing area, where the heating member and the pressure member oppose each other, in a medium-transport direction, applies tension to the medium by pressing the medium toward the pressure member, and wraps the medium around the pressure member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keitaro Mori, Yuki Yokoyama, Masayo Higashimura, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170090372
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member that has a heat source, comes into contact with a surface of a continuous medium having an image transferred thereto and heats the surface; a pressure member that is provided so as to oppose the heating member with the medium therebetween and applies pressure to the medium; and a tensioning member that is provided on a downstream side of a fixing area, where the heating member and the pressure member oppose each other, in a medium-transport direction, applies tension to the medium by pressing the medium toward the pressure member, and wraps the medium around the pressure member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keitaro MORI, Yuki YOKOYAMA, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170075282
    Abstract: A pasting device includes a contact member disposed at a position that is downstream of a fixing unit that heats and fixes a developer transferred to a surface of a medium and that is upstream of a position at which a temperature of the heated developer decreases to a glass transition temperature with respect to a direction in which the medium is transported, the contact member contacting an image that has passed through the fixing unit; and a pasting member that is disposed downstream of the contact member with respect to the direction in which the medium is transported and that pastes a multilayered object to the surface of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Keitaro MORI, Yuki YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20160320736
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium, wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka KIUCHI, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Kazuhiko ARAI
  • Publication number: 20160320719
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium, wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka KIUCHI, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Kazuhiko ARAI
  • Patent number: 9483001
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member provided in a fixing area where an unfixed image on surface of a medium is fixed, the fixing member including at least a thermoplastic surface layer that softens at a temperature below a fixing temperature at which the image is fixed; and a cleaning member provided on a downstream side with respect to the fixing area in a direction of rotation of the fixing member and that cleans the fixing member while coming into contact with a hardened portion of the fixing member in a cleaning area, the cleaning area being at a temperature below the temperature at which the thermoplastic surface layer of the fixing member softens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Yokoyama, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Keitaro Mori, Masayo Higashimura
  • Publication number: 20160282799
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer unit that transfers a toner image on the image carrier to a continuous medium including an intermediate layer that is an adhesive layer, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the medium, a supply unit that is disposed upstream of the transfer unit in a direction in which the medium is transported and that supplies an anti-adhesive agent to an end portion of the medium in a width direction of the medium, a removing unit that is disposed downstream of the fixing unit and that removes the anti-adhesive agent from the medium, and a pasting unit that is disposed downstream of the removing unit and that pastes a protection member to a surface of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko SATO, Kosuke YAMADA, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Kazunori NUMAO
  • Patent number: 9411263
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium, wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kiuchi, Masayo Higashimura, Kazuhiko Arai
  • Patent number: 9411310
    Abstract: A cooling device cools a continuous resin film, which is transported and onto which a toner image is transferred, after the toner image is heated so that the toner image is fixed to the resin film. The resin film to which the toner image is fixed is cooled in such a manner that an image surface side of the resin film is convexly curved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kiuchi, Kazuhiko Arai, Kazunori Numao, Masayo Higashimura, Masayoshi Nakao, Kunihiko Sato
  • Publication number: 20160216660
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating unit that heats an unfixed image on a recording medium, which is deformed by heating, and hence fixes the unfixed image; and a transport member that closely contacts a no-image surface of the recording medium and transports the recording medium while causing a close contact force to act on the recording medium against a deformation force, which is generated at the recording medium by the heating of the heating unit. The close contact force of the recording medium with respect to the transport member is larger than the deformation force generated at the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki YOKOYAMA, Kazuhiko ARAI, Kazunori NUMAO, Atsumi KURITA, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Keitaro MORI
  • Publication number: 20160216689
    Abstract: A cooling device cools a continuous resin film, which is transported and onto which a toner image is transferred, after the toner image is heated so that the toner image is fixed to the resin film. The resin film to which the toner image is fixed is cooled in such a manner that an image surface side of the resin film is convexly curved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka KIUCHI, Kazuhiko ARAI, Kazunori NUMAO, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Masayoshi NAKAO, Kunihiko SATO
  • Patent number: 9400461
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating unit that heats an unfixed image on a recording medium, which is deformed by heating, and hence fixes the unfixed image; and a transport member that closely contacts a no-image surface of the recording medium and transports the recording medium while causing a close contact force to act on the recording medium against a deformation force, which is generated at the recording medium by the heating of the heating unit. The close contact force of the recording medium with respect to the transport member is larger than the deformation force generated at the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Yokoyama, Kazuhiko Arai, Kazunori Numao, Atsumi Kurita, Masayo Higashimura, Keitaro Mori
  • Patent number: 9274483
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a controller. The image forming unit forms an image on a continuous recording medium by transferring to the continuous recording medium a toner image obtained by developing a latent image formed on a photoreceptor. The controller controls the image forming unit such that an image based on image information is formed in a specific image area on the continuous recording medium, and at the same time, a specific image pattern is formed in a specific side area outside the image area on the continuous recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kiuchi, Kazuhiko Arai, Kunihiko Sato, Sakon Takahashi, Masayo Higashimura, Kosuke Yamada, Atsumi Kurita, Daisuke Nakai
  • Publication number: 20150370194
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium, wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Yutaka KIUCHI, Masayo HIGASHIMURA, Kazuhiko ARAI
  • Patent number: 9195167
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image holding member, a transfer unit, and a supply unit. The toner image holding member holds a toner image. The transfer unit transfers the toner image held by the toner image holding member to a recording medium. The supply unit supplies powder such that the powder is interposed between an end portion of the recording medium and the toner image holding member and/or the transfer unit if the recording medium includes an intermediate adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kiuchi, Sakon Takahashi, Masayo Higashimura, Atsumi Kurita, Kunihiko Sato, Kosuke Yamada, Kazuhiko Arai