Patents by Inventor Mitsukiyo Okamura

Mitsukiyo Okamura 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: 8639166
    Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a casing including a developer storage section at a bottom portion therein and an opening formed at an end thereof away from the developer storage section, development agent chargeable with a predetermined polarity, stored in the developer storage section, and a transfer board that is disposed in the casing and configured to transfer the development agent stored in the developer storage section when a multi-phase alternating-current voltage is applied to transfer electrodes of the transfer board. The development agent includes a mother particle having, around an outer surface thereof, an electrically insulating layer without a polar group having a charge polarity identical to the predetermined polarity, and an external additive, absorbed to around the mother particle in an easily desorbable manner, which is an electrically insulating fine particle having a charge polarity identical to the predetermined polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Uno, Mitsukiyo Okamura, Keisuke Takahashi, Suzue Onoda
  • Patent number: 8606151
    Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving board disposed in closest proximity to a developer holding surface parallel to a first direction, across a predetermined distance in a retrieving proximity position that is downstream relative to a first position where a developer holding surface faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent and upstream relative to a second position that is upstream relative to the first position and a position where the development agent is transferred onto the developer holding surface, in a second direction as a moving direction of the developer holding surface which direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The developer retrieving board retrieves the development agent from the developer holding surface in a position downstream relative to the retrieving proximity position in a developer transfer direction along a developer retrieving path perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsukiyo Okamura
  • Patent number: 8401445
    Abstract: A developer supply apparatus is provided which supplies a toner to a supply object, the developer supply apparatus including a developer storage body which stores a powdery developer, and a transfer body which transfers the developer along the developer transfer path with traveling wave electric fields. The developer includes a toner having a predetermined charging characteristic and an electric neutralizer having an opposite charging characteristic, which is opposite to the predetermined charging characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Uno, Mitsukiyo Okamura, Kenjiro Nishiwaki, Yasuhiro Maruyama, Tomoaki Hazeyama, Masataka Maeda, Tomoaki Hattori
  • Patent number: 8311462
    Abstract: A developer supply device, including a developer holding body having a cylindrical developer holding surface so that the developer holding surface moves in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction and a developer held on the developer holding surface is carried to a developer supply position; a developer amount limiting member that limits an amount of the developer held on the developer holding surface by contacting the developer holding surface on an upstream side in a moving direction of the developer holding surface with respect to the developer supply position; and a carrying substrate that carries the developer to the developer holding body through a traveling electric field, wherein the carrying substrate faces the developer holding surface at a developer holding position, and wherein a position to which the developer scraped off the developer holding surface falls is different from the developer holding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsukiyo Okamura
  • Patent number: 8275298
    Abstract: A developer supply device, comprising: a developer holding body having a circumferential surface and a rotation axis extending in a main scanning direction and being placed to face a supply target at a developer supply position; a carrying substrate that has a plurality of electrodes arranged along a direction intersecting with the main scanning direction and that carries a developer in a developer transport direction through a traveling electric field generated by application of a multiphase alternating voltage to the plurality of electrodes, the carrying substrate being located such that an end of the carrying substrate in the developer transport direction is positioned to face the developer holding body; and a voltage application unit configured to apply, to the plurality of electrodes and the developer holding body, the multiphase alternating voltage having alternating components synchronizing with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masataka Maeda, Mitsukiyo Okamura
  • Publication number: 20120201576
    Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a casing including a developer storage section at a bottom portion therein and an opening formed at an end thereof away from the developer storage section, development agent chargeable with a predetermined polarity, stored in the developer storage section, and a transfer board that is disposed in the casing and configured to transfer the development agent stored in the developer storage section when a multi-phase alternating-current voltage is applied to transfer electrodes of the transfer board. The development agent includes a mother particle having, around an outer surface thereof, an electrically insulating layer without a polar group having a charge polarity identical to the predetermined polarity, and an external additive, absorbed to around the mother particle in an easily desorbable manner, which is an electrically insulating fine particle having a charge polarity identical to the predetermined polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori UNO, Mitsukiyo OKAMURA, Keisuke TAKAHASHI, Suzue ONODA
  • Publication number: 20110311282
    Abstract: A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving board disposed in closest proximity to a developer holding surface parallel to a first direction, across a predetermined distance in a retrieving proximity position that is downstream relative to a first position where a developer holding surface faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent and upstream relative to a second position that is upstream relative to the first position and a position where the development agent is transferred onto the developer holding surface, in a second direction as a moving direction of the developer holding surface which direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The developer retrieving board retrieves the development agent from the developer holding surface in a position downstream relative to the retrieving proximity position in a developer transfer direction along a developer retrieving path perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsukiyo OKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20110064483
    Abstract: A developer supply device, comprising a developer holding body having a cylindrical developer holding surface so that the developer holding surface moves in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction and a developer held on the developer holding surface is carried to a developer supply position; a developer amount limiting member that limits an amount of the developer held on the developer holding surface by contacting the developer holding surface on an upstream side in a moving direction of the developer holding surface with respect to the developer supply position; and a carrying substrate that carries the developer to the developer holding body through a traveling electric field, wherein the carrying substrate faces the developer holding surface at a developer holding position, and wherein a position to which the developer scraped off the developer holding surface falls is different from the developer holding position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsukiyo Okamura
  • Publication number: 20110013947
    Abstract: A developer supply apparatus is provided which supplies a toner to a supply object, the developer supply apparatus including a developer storage body which stores a powdery developer, and a transfer body which transfers the developer along the developer transfer path with traveling wave electric fields. The developer includes a toner having a predetermined charging characteristic and an electric neutralizer having an opposite charging characteristic, which is opposite to the predetermined charging characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Uno, Mitsukiyo Okamura, Kenjiro Nishiwaki, Yasuhiro Maruyama, Tomoaki Hazeyama, Masataka Maeda, Tomoaki Hattori
  • Publication number: 20100303511
    Abstract: A developer supply device, comprising: a developer holding body having a circumferential surface and a rotation axis extending in a main scanning direction and being placed to face a supply target at a developer supply position; a carrying substrate that has a plurality of electrodes arranged along a direction intersecting with the main scanning direction and that carries a developer in a developer transport direction through a traveling electric field generated by application of a multiphase alternating voltage to the plurality of electrodes, the carrying substrate being located such that an end of the carrying substrate in the developer transport direction is positioned to face the developer holding body; and a voltage application unit configured to apply, to the plurality of electrodes and the developer holding body, the multiphase alternating voltage having alternating components synchronizing with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Maeda, Mitsukiyo Okamura