Patents by Inventor Shogo Yokota

Shogo Yokota 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: 7868272
    Abstract: In an external heating type induction heating device in which a magnetic field producing means is arranged in the outer circumferential portion of a heating roller 1, two heat generating layers, namely a conductive shaft 1a and a surface heat generating layer 1c, are provided in the heating roller 1, and the surface heat generating layer 1c is formed having a thickness through which passes a portion of an alternating magnetic field, and the conductive shaft 1a at a center of the heating roller 1 is heated by a portion of the alternating magnetic field produced by the magnetic field producing means passing through the surface heat generating layer 1c to link to the conductive shaft 1a present at the center of the roller, thereby preventing a drop in a surface temperature of the heating roller 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Yokota, Tomohiro Maeda, Toshiaki Kagawa
  • Patent number: 7801464
    Abstract: A surface of a discharge electrode of an ion generating device of the present invention, other than a surface in contact with a dielectric body, is coated with a protective layer made of a metal that is gold or a combination of gold and nickel. This allows the ion generating device to generate ions evenly and stably, and to have a longer life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota, Katsumi Adachi, Masashi Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090039244
    Abstract: A surface of a discharge electrode of an ion generating device of the present invention, other than a surface in contact with a dielectric body, is coated with a protective layer made of a metal that is gold or a combination of gold and nickel. This allows the ion generating device to generate ions evenly and stably, and to have a longer life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota, Katsumi Adachi, Masashi Hirai
  • Patent number: 7043184
    Abstract: A heating device of the present invention includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller placed in press contact with each other in a press contact region, wherein a recording material having formed thereon an unfixed toner image is heated (fixed) by passing through the press contact region, and is arranged so as to include a heat generating layer formed on the pressure roller, which generates heat by the induction heating, and an induction heating coil unit for heating the heat generating layer by the induction heating, which is formed so as to cover a part of an outer surface of the pressure roller. The heating device of the present invention having the foregoing structure permits the object to be heated in a short period time and shows excellent properties in terms of the saving of energy and the suppression of noise sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Publication number: 20060049175
    Abstract: In an external heating type induction heating device in which a magnetic field producing means is arranged in the outer circumferential portion of a heating roller 1, two heat generating layers, namely a conductive shaft 1a and a surface heat generating layer 1c, are provided in the heating roller 1, and the surface heat generating layer 1c is formed having a thickness through which passes a portion of an alternating magnetic field, and the conductive shaft 1a at a center of the heating roller 1 is heated by a portion of the alternating magnetic field produced by the magnetic field producing means passing through the surface heat generating layer 1c to link to the conductive shaft 1a present at the center of the roller, thereby preventing a drop in a surface temperature of the heating roller 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Yokota, Tomohiro Maeda, Toshiaki Kagawa
  • Patent number: 6949724
    Abstract: An upper heat roller with an external heat source and a lower heat roller with an internal heat source are arranged with a paper transport path therebetween, in such a manner as to be pressed against each other. The lower heat roller is heated sufficiently, thereby supplying a paper sheet with sufficient heat when the paper sheet is transported through a contact region between the upper and lower heat rollers to be heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Publication number: 20050061792
    Abstract: An upper heat roller with an external heat source and a lower heat roller with an internal heat source are arranged with a paper transport path therebetween, in such a manner as to be pressed against each other. The lower heat roller is heated sufficiently, thereby supplying a paper sheet with sufficient heat when the paper sheet is transported through a contact region between the upper and lower heat rollers to be heated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 6835918
    Abstract: An upper heat roller with an external heat source and a lower heat roller with an internal heat source are arranged with a paper transport path therebetween, in such a manner as to be pressed against each other. The lower heat roller is heated sufficiently, thereby supplying a paper sheet with sufficient heat when the paper sheet is transported through a contact region between the upper and lower heat rollers to be heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Publication number: 20040156661
    Abstract: A heating device of the present invention includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller placed in press contact with each other in a press contact region, wherein a recording material having formed thereon an unfixed toner image is heated (fixed) by passing through the press contact region, and is arranged so as to include a heat generating layer formed on the pressure roller, which generates heat by the induction heating, and an induction heating coil unit for heating the heat generating layer by the induction heating, which is formed so as to cover a part of an outer surface of the pressure roller. The heating device of the present invention having the foregoing structure permits the object to be heated in a short period time and shows excellent properties in terms of the saving of energy and the suppression of noise sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Publication number: 20030230561
    Abstract: An upper heat roller with an external heat source and a lower heat roller with an internal heat source are arranged with a paper transport path therebetween, in such a manner as to be pressed against each other. The lower heat roller is heated sufficiently, thereby supplying a paper sheet with sufficient heat when the paper sheet is transported through a contact region between the upper and lower heat rollers to be heated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 6118967
    Abstract: Curling of edges of recording paper in a toner-image fixing device is prevented. A temperature control unit controls the operation of a heater-lamp for heating a fixing roller in such a way that the fixing roller temperature when the front edge of recording paper enters into the fixing device is lower than the fixing roller temperature when a tail end of the recording paper enters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Toshihiro Tamura, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 6083588
    Abstract: A heat-resistant sheet is provided between a fusing roller and a pressing member made of a resilient material. The heat-resistant sheet is composed of a glass fiber substrate coated with or impregnating a fluororesin having good mold lubrication and heat-resistance, such as PFA and PTFE. A paper having a pre-fused toner image is carried through a section between the fusing roller and heat-resistant sheet. Accordingly, wear or separation of the heat-resistant sheet caused by friction with the fusing roller can be prevented, thereby improving durability of the heat-resistant sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Toshihiro Tamura, Shogo Yokota, Tatuya Shinkawa, Hiroyuki Sawai
  • Patent number: 5918097
    Abstract: A toner image fixing device possesses excellent toner-releasing property and paper-carrying ability. A fixing roller is covered with a layer of compound of PTFE and fluoroelastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Toshihiro Tamura, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 5890031
    Abstract: Energy saving in a fixing unit having a low heat capacity is achieved by reducing a loss of heat transferring from a temperature sensing element to temperature sensing unit and by improving response of the safety device. A heat-insulating member is formed to cover a temperature fuse being a temperature sensing element and a heat-conductive filler or heat-conductive elastic member is formed between the temperature fuse and a sliding sheet. A temperature sensing means having the temperature sensing element abuts on a fixing roller through a sliding sheet interposed therebetween. A contacting portion of the temperature sensing means with the heat-insulating member and the filler or elastic member has a curved contacting surface fitting a cylindrical surface of the fixing roller. The heat-insulating member has a groove or a slit for engaging with a protrusion of the temperature sensing element to be secured to the heat-insulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Yokota, Toshiaki Kagawa, Toshihiro Tamura, Yoshiya Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 5809389
    Abstract: A fixing device has a fixing roller, a press member disposed in a press state in an axial direction of the fixing roller on the periphery surface thereof, and a transport guide for guiding transport of paper. The press member is formed so that the free height of a guide part on an upstream side with respect to the transport direction of the paper is lower than that of the pressure portion pressed to the fixing roller via a heat resistant sheet. Therefore, since the apparent elasticity hardness of the pressure portion can be made relatively small, the nip width formed by the fixing roller and the press member can be made large. Consequently, the fixing of toner to the paper is improved. Even when, for example, a thin sheet of paper or an envelope is used as the paper, the fixing device can suppress the occurrence of paper jam, such as paper lodging, and improper paper insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Tamura, Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 5724639
    Abstract: The inner surface of a fixing roller is divided into two areas in the lengthwise direction thereof. In one of the areas where the increase rate of the surface temperature of the fixing roller is small, and improper fixing to recording paper is likely to occur, black heat resistant coating is applied to the inner surface of the fixing roller to improve heat absorption. In addition, in the other area where the surface state of the inner surface of the fixing roller is non-uniform, and heat absorption is not stable, transparent heat resistant coating is applied to the inner surface of the fixing roller to stabilize the heat absorption. It is attempted in this manner to make uniform the temperature of the fixing roller in the lengthwise direction thereof and thus to make uniform the fixing in the whole paper-passing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp, Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Tamura, Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 5708947
    Abstract: A toner image fixing device has a heat-resistant sheet that possesses excellent durability, fixing ability, transporting ability and working reliability. In a toner image fixing device that has a fixing roller, a pressure member disposed as pressed against the fixing roller, and a heat-resistant sheet secured between the fixing roller and the pressure member and fixes a toner image on a recording medium by heat while the latter passing through nip portion formed between the fixing roller and the heat-resistant sheet. The heat-resistant sheet is a sheet made of synthetic resin PTFE containing polyimide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Toshihiro Tamura, Shogo Yokota