Patents by Inventor Yasuko UCHINO

Yasuko UCHINO 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: 8867978
    Abstract: A method of forming an image comprising the steps of: forming an image on an image support to obtain an original image, and forming a gloss adjusting layer comprising a clear toner-fixed image comprising a clear toner on the original image, wherein the gloss adjusting layer comprises an aggregate of gloss adjusting units, wherein the gloss adjusting units each comprise a section where the clear toner is attached and a section where the clear toner is unattached, wherein a borderline between the section where the clear toner is attached and the section where the clear toner is unattached comprises a straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michiyo Fujita, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20140220488
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming method, in which excellent cleaning properties are obtained for a long period of time even when the process is employed to an image forming apparatus with a charging roller for charging a photoreceptor, and a favorable image can be formed while inhibiting occurrence of a black spots-like image defect even in a high temperature and high humidity environment. In the image forming method, charging of a photoreceptor in a charging step is performed by a charging roller. A toner for electrostatic image development includes toner base particles added with an external additive. The external additive contains at least first external additive particles composed of a polytetrafluoroethylene and second external additive particles composed of at least one selected from a fatty acid metal salt and an amide wax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Yukio HOSOYA, Futoshi KADONOME, Kazue NAKAMURA, Saburou HIRAOKA, Yasuko UCHINO
  • Patent number: 8768231
    Abstract: The image forming method including steps of forming a clear toner layer on a photoreceptor, transferring the clear toner layer onto a transfer member, transferring the clear toner layer on the transfer member onto an image support, heating the image support having the clear toner layer, bringing the clear toner layer into close contact with a belt to cool the image support, and separating the image support from the belt are provided, in this order; and the clear toner layer is formed with a plurality of independent linear protrusion portions and the independent linear protrusion portions are formed parallel or diagonally to the conveyance direction of an image support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michiyo Fujita, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 8750770
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming method in which a foil image exhibiting excellent finish without any wrinkle and strong adhesive strength is formed on a foil transferring face made of toner. The image forming method for transferring the transfer foil on the foil transferring face is conducted by contacting the transfer foil to the foil transferring face formed by using toner having a glass transition temperature of not more than 60° C., and by passing through a nip portion formed between a driving roller and a follower roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michiyo Fujita, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 8652742
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a print having a toner image and a foil image, the method containing the steps of forming a foil transferring toner image with a foil transferring toner on an image supporting substrate produced; heating and pressing by laminating the foil transferring toner image onto a transferring foil layer of a transferring foil sheet which is composed of the transferring foil layer and a base film; forming a foil image having the transferring foil layer on the foil transferring toner image by peeling off the base film after cooling the foil transferring toner image with the transferring foil layer; and forming a toner image with an image forming toner on the image supporting substrate having the foil transferring image, wherein the foil transferring toner contains a resin produced by a vinyl monomer represented by Formula (1) and a polyvalent metal compound:
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Asao Matsushima, Tatsuya Nagase, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Patent number: 8632934
    Abstract: Provided is a method for forming an image containing the sequential steps of: forming a foil adhesion toner image on an image supporting substrate with a foil adhesion toner (?) which comprises at least a binder resin containing a thermoplastic resin using an electrophotographic method; forming a foil image on the foil adhesion toner image by contacting a transfer foil on the foil adhesion toner image with applying heat; and forming a visible toner image on the image supporting substrate which has been formed with the foil image with at least one image forming toner (?) using an electrophotographic method, followed by fixing the visible toner image by applying heat and pressure thereto, wherein ?(Tsp(?)?Tsp(?)) is 5 to 50° C., provided that Tsp (?) is a softening point of the foil adhesion toner (?) and Tsp (?) is a softening point of the image forming toner (?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Aya Shirai, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Yasuko Uchino, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Patent number: 8530122
    Abstract: A method for forming an image at least comprising steps of forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, forming a foil transferring face by supplying a toner onto the electrophotographic photoreceptor having the electrostatic latent image, transferring the foil transferring face formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a base substance, fixing the foil transferring face transferred on the base substance, supplying a transfer foil to the base substance fixed with the foil transferring face, adhering the transfer foil onto the foil transferring face by heating under a condition of contacting the transfer foil with the foil transferring face; and removing the transfer foil from the base substance while leaving the foil adhered onto the foil transferring face, wherein the toner comprises a binder resin having a softening temperature in the range of from not less than 105° C. to not more than 140° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuko Uchino, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Patent number: 8530130
    Abstract: A method of forming a glossy image is disclosed, comprising the steps of (a) forming a clear toner particle layer with clear toner particles on an image support, (b) heating and pressing the clear toner particle layer formed on the image support, while bringing the surface of the clear toner particle layer into contact with a belt, and (c) cooling the clear toner particle layer to form a clear toner layer, wherein the clear toner particles contain a binder resin and a releasing agent and exhibit a heat quantity of fusion of not less than 3.0 J/g and not more than 9.5 J/g, and the clear toner particles meeting the following requirement: 0.5?S2/S1?1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuko Uchino, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Patent number: 8475991
    Abstract: A transparent toner for forming a glossy surface is disclosed, wherein a critical surface tension of a glossy surface formed by the transparent toner at 20° C. is at least 50 mN/m, and the transparent toner comprises a resin composed of a polymer formed by employing at least a polymerizable monomer containing a carboxylic group (—COOH). An image forming method employing the transparent tone is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michiyo Fujita, Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20130043621
    Abstract: The method to make the toner container provides a toner container exhibiting reduced environmental load and excellent strength together with moldability. The method is a blow molding method. The method employs a resin containing at least one of polyethylene and polypropylene formed from raw material prepared via a fermentation method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Yasuko UCHINO, Tomomi OSHIBA
  • Publication number: 20120264045
    Abstract: A foil transferring method employing an electrophotography is disclosed, in which a toner used for forming a foil transferring layer contains at least a vinyl based resin and a polyester based resin as a binder resin and an amount of the vinyl based resin is 50 to 95% by weight based on the total amount of the binder resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC,.
    Inventors: Asao MATSUSHIMA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20120251174
    Abstract: Provided is a method for forming an image containing the sequential steps of: forming a foil adhesion toner image on an image supporting substrate with a foil adhesion toner (?) which comprises at least a binder resin containing a thermoplastic resin using an electrophotographic method; forming a foil image on the foil adhesion toner image by contacting a transfer foil on the foil adhesion toner image with applying heat; and forming a visible toner image on the image supporting substrate which has been formed with the foil image with at least one image forming toner (?) using an electrophotographic method, followed by fixing the visible toner image by applying heat and pressure thereto, wherein ?(Tsp(?)?Tsp(?)) is 5 to 50° C., provided that Tsp (?) is a softening point of the foil adhesion toner (?) and Tsp (?) is a softening point of the image forming toner (?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Aya SHIRAI, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20120177425
    Abstract: Disclosed is a glossy surface forming apparatus containing a heating member to heat an image support on which a toner has been supplied, a belt member with which the image support is brought into close contact via the toner having been melted via heating by the heating member to convey the image support in a state of being in close contact, a cooling member to cool the toner on the image support which is being conveyed in a state of being in close contact with the belt member, and a separating member to separate the image support on which the toner has been solidified via cooling by the cooling member from the belt member, and the belt member contains at least a polyimide resin having a fluorine atom in the molecular structure and the center line average roughness Ra of the surface making contact with a toner layer is at most 0.3 ?m. A glossy surface forming method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Aya SHIRAI, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20120177426
    Abstract: A method of forming an image comprising the steps of forming an image on an image support to obtain an original image, and forming a gloss adjusting layer comprising a clear toner-fixed image comprising a clear toner on the original image, wherein the gloss adjusting layer comprises an aggregate of gloss adjusting units, wherein the gloss adjusting units each comprise a section where the clear toner is attached and a section where the clear toner is unattached, wherein a borderline between the section where the clear toner is attached and the section where the clear toner is unattached comprises a straight line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michiyo FUJITA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120177417
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming method in which a foil image exhibiting excellent finish without any wrinkle and strong adhesive strength is formed on a foil transferring face made of toner. The image forming method for transferring the transfer foil on the foil transferring face is conducted by contacting the transfer foil to the foil transferring face formed by using toner having a glass transition temperature of not more than 60° C., and by passing through a nip portion formed between a driving roller and a follower roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michiyo FUJITA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120177427
    Abstract: Provided are an image forming method by which an image in which arbitrary glossiness is adjusted to any section is formed, and an image forming apparatus thereof. It is a feature that an image forming method possesses the steps of forming a gloss adjusting layer possessing a gloss adjusting toner-fixed image formed with a gloss adjusting toner, on an image support, and forming a toner-fixed image obtained from a toner, on the gloss adjusting layer, wherein the gloss adjusting layer possesses an aggregate of gloss adjusting units; the gloss adjusting units each possess a section where the gloss adjusting toner is attached and another section where the gloss adjusting toner is unattached; and a borderline between the section and the another section is a straight line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michiyo FUJITA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120156609
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a print having a toner image and a foil image, the method containing the steps of forming a foil transferring toner image with a foil transferring toner on an image supporting substrate produced; heating and pressing by laminating the foil transferring toner image onto a transferring foil layer of a transferring foil sheet which is composed of the transferring foil layer and a base film; forming a foil image having the transferring foil layer on the foil transferring toner image by peeling off the base film after cooling the foil transferring toner image with the transferring foil layer; and forming a toner image with an image forming toner on the image supporting substrate having the foil transferring image, wherein the foil transferring toner contains a resin produced by a vinyl monomer represented by Formula (1) and a polyvalent metal compound:
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Asao MATSUSHIMA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20120141176
    Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a printed mater having high glossiness (for example, glossiness 80 or more by measuring angle of 20°) via high glossiness providing apparatus. A method for forming a high glossy printed matter comprising at least steps of (a) heating and melting a clear toner supplied on an image support material, (b) bringing the image support material at a side in which the a clear toner is supplied into contact with a belt, and cooling the transparent toner while contacting with the belt, and (c) releasing the image support material from the belt, wherein the clear toner comprises at least a resin and a wax, a glass transition point (Tg) of the resin is not less than 30° C. and not more than 70° C., and a crystallization temperature (Tc) of the wax is not less than 60° C. and not more than 99° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Asao Matsushima, Tatsuya Nagase, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Publication number: 20120128393
    Abstract: The image forming method including steps of forming a clear toner layer on a photoreceptor, transferring the clear toner layer onto a transfer member, transferring the clear toner layer on the transfer member onto an image support, heating the image support having the clear toner layer, bringing the clear toner layer into close contact with a belt to cool the image support, and separating the image support from the belt are provided, in this order; and the clear toner layer is formed with a plurality of independent linear protrusion portions and the independent linear protrusion portions are formed parallel or diagonally to the conveyance direction of an image support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michiyo FUJITA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120122021
    Abstract: A method of forming a hologram image comprising the steps of forming an electrophotographic image by forming an electrophotographic image area on an image support via an electrophotographic image forming method using a toner containing at least a thermoplastic resin; laminating an emboss hologram transferring member over the electrophotographic image so that a surface on which a corrugation profile is formed of the emboss hologram transferring member is in contact with the electrophotographic image area heating the electrophotographic image and the emboss hologram transferring member at a temperature not lower than a softening temperature of the toner while pressurizing the emboss hologram transferring member onto the electrophotographic image; cooling the electrophotographic image and the emboss hologram transferring member, and peeling the emboss hologram transferring member from the electrophotographic image, whereby the corrugation profile of the emboss hologram transferring member is transferred onto the
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Michiyo FUJITA