Patents by Inventor Munenobu OKUBO

Munenobu OKUBO 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: 10146152
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer holder that holds developer, the developer holder being disposed so as to oppose an image holder that holds a latent image and developing the latent image with the developer; a housing that accommodates the developer holder with the developer holder being exposed from an opening portion; a wall section that is provided over an entire region in an axial direction of the developer holder from an edge portion, which is a downstream side in a rotation direction of the developer holder, of the opening portion of the housing, the wall section having an opposing surface that opposes an outer peripheral surface of the image holder to form a gap; and a blocking member that is disposed on one side of the opposing surface in the axial direction and that blocks part of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Munenobu Okubo
  • Publication number: 20180284642
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer holder that holds developer, the developer holder being disposed so as to oppose an image holder that holds a latent image and developing the latent image with the developer; a housing that accommodates the developer holder with the developer holder being exposed from an opening portion; a wall section that is provided over an entire region in an axial direction of the developer holder from an edge portion, which is a downstream side in a rotation direction of the developer holder, of the opening portion of the housing, the wall section having an opposing surface that opposes an outer peripheral surface of the image holder to form a gap; and a blocking member that is disposed on one side of the opposing surface in the axial direction and that blocks part of the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Munenobu OKUBO
  • Patent number: 10031440
    Abstract: A developing device includes a supply member, a developing device body, and a closing member. The supply member supplies a developer to an image holding element that holds a developer image. The developing device body rotatably supports the supply member. The closing member closes a clearance formed between the developing device body and the supply member with one end of the closing member fixed to the developing device body and the other end, which is a free end, contacting the supply member. The closing member has plural grooves formed to extend from the other end toward the one end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Takashi Sakamoto, Munenobu Okubo, Takafumi Wakai
  • Publication number: 20160238989
    Abstract: A developing device includes a supply member, a developing device body, and a closing member. The supply member supplies a developer to an image holding element that holds a developer image. The developing device body rotatably supports the supply member. The closing member closes a clearance formed between the developing device body and the supply member with one end of the closing member fixed to the developing device body and the other end, which is a free end, contacting the supply member. The closing member has plural grooves formed to extend from the other end toward the one end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi NAKAMURA, Takashi SAKAMOTO, Munenobu OKUBO, Takafumi WAKAI
  • Patent number: 9164418
    Abstract: There is provided a developing device including a toner holding member that is rotatably provided to face an image holding member and holds and transports a nonmagnetic single-component toner toward a development region to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image holding member, a supplying member that is rotatably provided in elastic contact with the toner holding member to supply the toner from a contact region therebetween to the toner holding member, a toner replenishing unit that faces a replenishment region at a portion apart from the contact region to replenish a new toner, and a regulating member that is provided on a downstream side of the contact region in a rotation direction thereof and on an upstream side of the development region to triboelectrically charge the toner held on the toner holding member and regulate the amount of toner provided for the development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakuma, Munenobu Okubo, Shinji Mitsui, Yasuyuki Tsutsumi, Kazuaki Iikura, Yosuke Ninomiya, Yoshifumi Ozaki, Akihiko Noda, Hirokazu Hamano, Takafumi Wakai
  • Patent number: 9128413
    Abstract: A developing device includes a toner holding member that is rotatably installed opposite to an image holding member which holds a latent image and circularly moves, a supply member that has a rough surface capable of capturing toner, a toner supply portion that supplies new toner, and a restriction member that restricts an amount of toner used for development, wherein the toner supply portion connects an accommodation chamber to a developing chamber via a toner transport path, wherein a developing chamber side opening is located on a lower side of an accommodation chamber side opening of the toner transport path, and wherein a width size in a direction following a rotation direction of the supply member in the developing chamber side opening of the toner transport path is set to be smaller than an outer diameter of the supply member in a projection plane viewed from the supply member side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsui, Munenobu Okubo, Yasuyuki Tsutsumi, Kazuaki Iikura, Yosuke Ninomiya, Yoshifumi Ozaki, Akihiko Noda, Hirokazu Hamano, Takafumi Wakai, Masaru Sakuma
  • Patent number: 9063466
    Abstract: A developing device includes a transporting unit that rotates while facing an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image, the transporting unit transporting developer toward the image carrier; a feeding unit that contacts the transporting unit to feed the developer to the transporting unit; a transport path that connects a containing chamber that contains the developer to a feeding chamber that houses the feeding unit; a supplying unit that retains the developer to be supplied in the transport path and supplies the developer to the feeding unit in a supply region that is separated from a contact region in which the feeding unit contacts the transporting unit; and an attaching unit that is disposed downstream of the contact region and upstream of the supply region in a rotation direction of the feeding unit and that attaches the developer to the feeding unit at a location below the contact region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Munenobu Okubo, Yasuyuki Tsutsumi, Shinji Mitsui, Kazuaki Iikura, Yosuke Ninomiya, Yoshifumi Ozaki, Akihiko Noda, Hirokazu Hamano, Takafumi Wakai, Masaru Sakuma
  • Patent number: 9037049
    Abstract: A developing device includes a transporting unit that rotates while being opposed to an image holding member and that transports a developer toward the image holding member to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image holding member, a supplying unit that has the developer adhered onto a circumferential surface thereof being rotated and that supplies the developer to the transporting unit in contact with the transporting unit, and a replenishing unit that includes a transporting path connected between a containing chamber and supplying chamber, that keeps the developer, with which the supplying unit is replenished, remaining, and that replenishes the supplying unit with the developer, wherein the replenishing unit is provided with an opening on a developing chamber side of the transporting path facing the supplying unit, and includes a downstream side counter member, and wherein the downstream side counter member has a regulating surface with a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Munenobu Okubo
  • Patent number: 9002244
    Abstract: A developing device including a toner holding member that faces but is not in contact with an image carrier carrying a latent image and that rotates while holding a nonmagnetic toner, a charging member that charges the toner, and a developing electric field forming unit that forms a developing electric field at least including a direct current component to cause the charged toner to fly and adhere to the latent image to develop the latent image. When the developing electric field is applied such that the toner is caused to fly toward the image carrier by the direct current component of the developing electric field, maintaining a non-electrostatic adhesion of the toner to the toner holding member to be about 2 nN or more under a low-temperature low-humidity environment of a temperature of 10° C. and a relative humidity of 15%. The toner holding member's surface has a specific surface roughness specified by a specific oil retention volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ozaki, Shinji Mitsui, Akihiko Noda, Masahiro Andoh, Hisashi Murase, Takafumi Wakai, Munenobu Okubo, Masaru Sakuma, Yasuyuki Tsutsumi, Hirokazu Hamano, Kazuaki Iikura, Yosuke Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20140147141
    Abstract: A developing device includes a transporting unit that rotates while facing an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image, the transporting unit transporting developer toward the image carrier; a feeding unit that contacts the transporting unit to feed the developer to the transporting unit; a transport path that connects a containing chamber that contains the developer to a feeding chamber that houses the feeding unit; a supplying unit that retains the developer to be supplied in the transport path and supplies the developer to the feeding unit in a supply region that is separated from a contact region in which the feeding unit contacts the transporting unit; and an attaching unit that is disposed downstream of the contact region and upstream of the supply region in a rotation direction of the feeding unit and that attaches the developer to the feeding unit at a location below the contact region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Munenobu OKUBO, Yasuyuki TSUTSUMI, Shinji MITSUI, Kazuaki IIKURA, Yosuke NINOMIYA, Yoshifumi OZAKI, Akihiko NODA, Hirokazu HAMANO, Takafumi WAKAI, Masaru SAKUMA
  • Publication number: 20140147142
    Abstract: There is provided a developing device including a toner holding member that is rotatably provided to face an image holding member and holds and transports a nonmagnetic single-component toner toward a development region to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image holding member, a supplying member that is rotatably provided in elastic contact with the toner holding member to supply the toner from a contact region therebetween to the toner holding member, a toner replenishing unit that faces a replenishment region at a portion apart from the contact region to replenish a new toner, and a regulating member that is provided on a downstream side of the contact region in a rotation direction thereof and on an upstream side of the development region to triboelectrically charge the toner held on the toner holding member and regulate the amount of toner provided for the development.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru SAKUMA, Munenobu OKUBO, Shinji MITSUI, Yasuyuki TSUTSUMI, Kazuaki IIKURA, Yosuke NINOMIYA, Yoshifumi OZAKI, Akihiko NODA, Hirokazu HAMANO, Takafumi WAKAI
  • Publication number: 20140147144
    Abstract: A developing device includes a toner holding member that is rotatably installed opposite to an image holding member which holds a latent image and circularly moves, a supply member that has a rough surface capable of capturing toner, a toner supply portion that supplies new toner, and a restriction member that restricts an amount of toner used for development, wherein the toner supply portion connects an accommodation chamber to a developing chamber via a toner transport path, wherein a developing chamber side opening is located on a lower side of an accommodation chamber side opening of the toner transport path, and wherein a width size in a direction following a rotation direction of the supply member in the developing chamber side opening of the toner transport path is set to be smaller than an outer diameter of the supply member in a projection plane viewed from the supply member side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji MITSUI, Munenobu OKUBO, Yasuyuki TSUTSUMI, Kazuaki IIKURA, Yosuke NINOMIYA, Yoshifumi OZAKI, Akihiko NODA, Hirokazu HAMANO, Takafumi WAKAI, Masaru SAKUMA
  • Publication number: 20140147143
    Abstract: A developing device includes a transporting unit that rotates while being opposed to an image holding member and that transports a developer toward the image holding member to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image holding member, a supplying unit that has the developer adhered onto a circumferential surface thereof being rotated and that supplies the developer to the transporting unit in contact with the transporting unit, and a replenishing unit that includes a transporting path connected between a containing chamber and supplying chamber, that keeps the developer, with which the supplying unit is replenished, remaining, and that replenishes the supplying unit with the developer, wherein the replenishing unit is provided with an opening on a developing chamber side of the transporting path facing the supplying unit, and includes a downstream side counter member, and wherein the downstream side counter member has a regulating surface with a gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Munenobu OKUBO
  • Publication number: 20140056623
    Abstract: A development method is used for a developing device including a toner holding member that faces but is not in contact with an image carrier carrying a latent image and that rotates while holding a nonmagnetic toner, a charging member that charges the toner, and a developing electric field forming unit that forms a developing electric field at least including a direct current component to cause the charged toner to fly and adhere to the latent image to develop the latent image. The method includes, when the developing electric field is applied such that the toner is caused to fly toward the image carrier by the direct current component of the developing electric field alone, maintaining a non-electrostatic adhesion of the toner to the toner holding member to be about 2 nN or more under a low-temperature low-humidity environment of a temperature of 10° C. and a relative humidity of 15%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi OZAKI, Shinji MITSUI, Akihiko NODA, Masahiro ANDOH, Hisashi MURASE, Takafumi WAKAI, Munenobu OKUBO, Masaru SAKUMA, Yasuyuki TSUTSUMI, Hirokazu HAMANO, Kazuaki IIKURA, Yosuke NINOMIYA