Patents by Inventor Tetsuko Omoto

Tetsuko Omoto 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: 7003240
    Abstract: An induction-heating fixing apparatus comprising: a heating member for fixing a toner image to a recording material carrying the toner image by heating the toner image; an induction-heating coil divided into a plurality of coils and comprising a first induction-heating coil and a second induction-heating coil adjacent to each other; and a power-distribution control member for controlling power distribution by supplying a driving-current to the plurality of induction-heating coils in order to heat the heating member, wherein the power-distribution control member comprises a determining section for selecting whether to supply the driving-current to the first induction-heating coil or the second induction-heating coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Naohiko Hanyu, Miho Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20050013622
    Abstract: An induction-heating fixing apparatus comprising: a heating member for fixing a toner image to a recording material carrying the toner image by heating the toner image; an induction-heating coil divided into a plurality of coils and comprising a first induction-heating coil and a second induction-heating coil adjacent to each other; and a power-distribution control member for controlling power distribution by supplying a driving-current to the plurality of induction-heating coils in order to heat the heating member, wherein the power-distribution control member comprises a determining section for selecting whether to supply the driving-current to the first induction-heating coil or the second induction-heating coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Naohiko Hanyu, Miho Toyoda
  • Patent number: 6768882
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fixing temperature of a fixing device having a heat roller provided with a heat source and a first temperature detector provided at the vicinity of the heat roller, and having a pressure roller, which is in pressure contact with the heat roller, provided with a second temperature sensor at the vicinity of the pressure roller, having the steps of; detecting a temperature of the pressure roller by the second temperature detector; and varying a control temperature of the heat roller according to a detected temperature of the pressure roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Junichi Hamada, Kiyoaki Kawamoto, Haruo Iwahashi, Kazuhiko Uneme
  • Patent number: 6584298
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat applying coil formed by winding a wire around the circumference of a coil supporting member disposed along the inside of the cylindrical fixing roller, for heating the fixing roller by inducing an induced current therein, and a pressing roller which forms a nip portion with the fixing roller, and conveys a transfer material gripped by the nip portion between the fixing roller and the pressing roller, thereby fixing a toner image formed on the transfer material by heat energy given from the fixing roller. The heat applying coil is formed by winding a wire so as to have a shape which has parts parallel to the longitudinal direction of the coil supporting member and parts lying along the circumference of the coil supporting member. The winding density of the latter parts is higher than that of the former parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Miho Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20030039480
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fixing temperature of a fixing device having a heat roller provided with a heat source and a first temperature detector provided at the vicinity of the heat roller, and having a pressure roller, which is in pressure contact with the heat roller, provided with a second temperature sensor at the vicinity of the pressure roller, having the steps of; detecting a temperature of the pressure roller by the second temperature detector; and varying a control temperature of the heat roller according to a detected temperature of the pressure roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Junichi Hamada, Kiyoaki Kawamoto, Haruo Iwahashi, Kazuhiko Uneme
  • Patent number: 6463252
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet, wherein the toner image is formed by a thermally meltable toner. The fixing device includes an induction heater to heat the toner image. The induction heater includes a hollow rotatable conductive member, a heating member provided inside the hollow rotatable conductive member, and a sendust layer provided inside the hollow rotatable conductive member. The fixing device also includes a pressing member to press the toner image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Miho Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20020098020
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat applying coil formed by winding a wire around the circumference of a coil supporting member disposed along the inside of the cylindrical fixing roller, for heating the fixing roller by inducing an induced current therein, and a pressing roller which forms a nip portion with the fixing roller, and conveys a transfer material gripped by the nip portion between the fixing roller and the pressing roller, thereby fixing a toner image formed on the transfer material by heat energy given from the fixing roller. The heat applying coil is formed by winding a wire so as to have a shape which has parts parallel to the longitudinal direction of the coil supporting member and parts lying along the circumference of the coil supporting member. The winding density of the latter parts is higher than that of the former parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: KONICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Miho Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20020006296
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet, wherein the toner image is formed by a thermally meltable toner, comprises: an induction heater to heat the toner image, the induction heater comprising a hollow rotatable conductive member, a heating member provided inside the hollow rotatable conductive member, and a sendust layer provided inside the hollow rotatable conductive member; and a pressing member to press the toner image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Applicant: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuko Omoto, Miho Toyoda
  • Patent number: 5987296
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: a cylindrical heat roller having a heating resistor layer on an inside surface thereof; a pressure member in pressure contact with the cylindrical heat roller; and a pair of electrodes provided in the cylindrical heat roller for supplying electricity to the heating resistor layer so that the heating resistor layer generates heat. Both ends of the cylindrical heat roller are formed so as to restrain radiating heat in the cylindrical heat roller from openings at the both ends of the cylindrical heat roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Takeichi Shimada, Tetsuko Omoto, Seiji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 5608506
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with a registering device to make copy paper temporarily halt before the copy paper is conveyed to an image forming section whereby the image formation of the copy sheet is in synchronization with the working of the image forming section and while the copy paper is halted, an electric resistance of the recording member is measured and an image forming condition is determined in accordance with the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuko Omoto
  • Patent number: 5250998
    Abstract: In a toner image fixing device, there are provided an endless belt being looped up around a heating roller and a conveyance roller, a pressure roller for pressing a sheet having a toner image onto the heating roller with the endless belt intervening between the pressure roller and the heating roller. A sensor is disposed inside the loop of the belt so as to come in contact with the heating roller, for detecting the temperature of the heating roller. The fixing temperature for the toner image is controlled on the basis of the temperature of the heating roller detected by the sensor. A first nip region is formed on a pressing portion located between the heating roller and the fixing roller. A second nip region is formed between the belt and the fixing roller, continuing from the first nip region but without contacting the heating roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Ueda, Tadashi Miwa, Satoshi Haneda, Yasuhiko Tanaka, Kiyoaki Kawamoto, Tetsuko Omoto, Toshinori Yamazaki, Masakazu Fukuchi, Shizuo Morita