Patents by Inventor Yoshinori Mutoh

Yoshinori Mutoh 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).

  • Publication number: 20110059394
    Abstract: There are provided a capsule toner, a two-component developer, and a capsule toner manufacturing method. The capsule toner in which a resin coating layer made of fine release-agent particles and fine resin particles is made on the surfaces of toner base particles, and thus excellent offset resistance without impairing blocking resistance can be obtained. The capsule toner includes toner base particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and a resin coating layer made of fine release-agent particles and fine resin particles, for covering the surfaces of the toner base particles. The fine release-agent particles are dispersed in the resin coating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshinori MUTOH, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Keiichi Kikawa, Takashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20110053074
    Abstract: A capsule toner that a blocking resistance is improved without harming a low temperature fixation property, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A capsule toner includes a toner base particle containing a binder resin and a colorant, and a resin coating layer containing a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous resin, the resin coating layer coating a surface of the toner base particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Takashi HARA, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Yoshinori Mutoh, Keiichi Kikawa
  • Patent number: 7848665
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus include: a resistance detection section (14) for measuring a volume resistivity of a two component developer (11) on a surface of a developer bearing member (12); a resistance memory section (16) for storing therein a preset volume resistivity; a resistance comparison section (15) for comparing the volume resistivity of the two component developer (11) which has been measured by the resistance detection section (14) with the preset volume resistivity stored in the resistance memory section (16); and a control section (17) for carrying out a process for replacing the two component developer or carrier if the volume resistivity of the two component developer (11) is lower than the preset volume resistivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Mutoh
  • Publication number: 20100303506
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus provided with a rotary stirring section and a powder passage is used to manufacture the resin-layer coated carrier. At a fine resin particle adhering step, a magnetic base particle and a fine resin particle are inputted into the powder passage with the rotary stirring section rotating and the fine resin particle is adhered onto the surface of the magnetic base particle. At a spraying step, at least a liquid that plasticizes the fine resin particles is sprayed with spray gas from a spraying section on the magnetic base particle and the fine resin particle which are in a fluidized state in the powder passage. At a film-forming step, rotation by the rotary stirring section is continued to fluidize the magnetic base particles and the fine resin particles until the fine resin particles adhered to the magnetic base particles are softened to form a film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Takashi Hara, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Yoshinori Mutoh, Keiichi Kikawa
  • Publication number: 20100248114
    Abstract: There are provided a toner manufacturing method of manufacturing a toner which has excellent characteristics such as fluidity and preservation stability and in which a resin layer having uniform thickness is formed on a surface of tone core particle, a toner obtained by a method thereof, a one-component developer, a two-component developer, a developing device, and an image forming apparatus. By using a toner manufacturing apparatus, a stirring step S3 is performed, and during rotation of a rotary shaft section, after a completion of inputting the fine resin particles into a powder passage, and within a period satisfying 1.7?(load F?load F0)/(load Fcore?load F0)?5.7, a spraying step S4 is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Takashi HARA, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Keiichi Kikawa, Yoshinori Mutoh
  • Publication number: 20100248124
    Abstract: A toner manufacturing method, a toner obtained by the method, a one-component developer, a two-component developer, a developing device and an image forming apparatus are provided. By using a toner manufacturing apparatus including a powder passage, a spraying section for spraying a predetermined substance in the powder passage and a rotary stirring section, provided in the powder passage, and stirring particles in the powder passage to apply impact force to the particles so that the particles are fluidized in the powder passage, performed are a stirring step S3 of fluidizing toner core particles with fine inorganic particles adhering to the surfaces thereof and fine resin particles in the powder passage as the powder by the rotary stirring section, and a spraying step S5 of spraying a volatile liquid which softens fine resin particles as a predetermined substance by the spraying section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Yoshinori Mutoh, Keiichi Kikawa, Takashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20100209145
    Abstract: A capsule toner capable of enhancing low temperature fixation property without impairing preservation property under a high temperature environment, a two-component developer, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The capsule toner is constituted of toner particles having toner base particles and a coating layer for coating the surface thereof. The toner base particle includes styrene-acrylic resin or polyester resin as a binder resin, and the coating layer includes styrene-acrylic resin or polyester resin. The capsule toner contains 0.05% by weight or more and 0.70% by weight or less of volatile plasticizer based on a total amount of the capsule toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Keiichi KIKAWA, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Yoshinori Mutoh, Takashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20100159374
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner includes a pre-mixing step and a coating step. In the pre-mixing step, a secondary aggregate of the fine resin particles is disaggregated, while toner base particles and fine resin particles are mixed and stirred using a rotary stirring apparatus. Thus obtained disaggregated fine resin particles are fixed to the surface of the toner base particle. Thus, a fine resin particle-fixed toner is obtained. The rotary stirring apparatus includes a rotary stirring section, a temperature regulation section, a circulating section, and a spraying section. In the coating step, a liquid is sprayed to the fine resin particle-fixed toner with the spraying section using the rotary stirring apparatus. Thus, a film of the fine resin particles is formed. In the pre-mixing step and the coating step, temperature regulation is conducted in the temperature regulation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mutoh, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoshitaka Kawase, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Keiichi Kikawa, Takashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20100135700
    Abstract: A developer of the present invention includes a toner and a carrier. The toner contains a charge control agent, and the carrier has on its surface a coating layer to which a charge control agent and electrically conductive particles are added. All of constituent elements of one of the charge control agent of the toner and the charge control agent of the carrier are contained in constituent elements of the other one of the charge control agents. With the configuration, the developer of the present invention is capable of stably maintaining a toner charge amount and outputting high-quality images for long periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mutoh, Tadashi Iwamatsu, Takanori Kamoto, Nobuyuki Yoshioka, Hiroyuki Hirakawa, Takashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20100003614
    Abstract: The resin coated carrier is used with a toner in which an external additive having an average primary particle size of 50 nm or more is added to a toner particle, and has a carrier core and a resin coating layer on the surface of the carrier core. In the resin coated carrier, the following expression (1) is satisfied: 0.5??log {(A/C)/(B/C)}?2.5 ??(1) wherein A represents a volume resistance value (Q/cm) of the resin coated carrier in an electric field of 1000 V/cm that is obtained by conducting a stirring test, B represents a volume resistance value (?/cm) of the resin coated carrier in an electric field of 1000 V/cm before the stirring test, and C represents a volume resistance value (?/cm) of the carrier core in an electric field of 1000 V/cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Osamu Wada, Takanori Kamoto, Tadashi Iwamatsu, Nobuyuki Yoshioka, Hiroyuki Hirakawa, Yoshinori Mutoh, Takashi Hara, Hirofumi Kanda, Yoshio Ichii
  • Publication number: 20090297224
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner is provided. The method for manufacturing a toner uses a rotary stirring apparatus that includes a circulating section for repeatedly performing circulation in a powder passage having a rotary stirring chamber and a circulation tube to return to the rotary stirring chamber by a rotary stirring section having a rotary disc around which rotary blades are installed and a rotary shaft, and a temperature adjusting section provided at least on a part of the powder passage for adjusting temperatures in the powder passage and of the rotary stirring section to a predetermined temperature, and includes a temperature adjusting step; a fine resin particle adhering step; a spraying step; and a film-forming step. The temperature in the powder passage is adjusted to the predetermined temperature by the temperature adjusting section at the fine resin particle adhering step, the spraying step, and the film-forming step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kawase, Saori Yamada, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Yoshinori Mutoh, Keiichi Kikawa, Takashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20090225177
    Abstract: An image blur correcting unit allows the optical axis of a lens system to coincide with the center of an imager, thus correcting an image blur. The unit includes a stationary member and a holder member. The holder member holds either one of the elements of the lens system or the imager and moves relative to the stationary member in a first direction and a second direction, the first and second directions being orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis. The unit further includes a first guide section and a second guide section for guiding the holder member in the first and second directions during movement, and a driving section moving the holder member in the first and second directions. The one of the elements of the lens system or the imager is disposed outside an area surrounded by the first and second guide sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ippei MAEDA, Tatsuyuki NAKAYAMA, Hiroto OGIYAMA, Yoshinori MUTOH, Yasuto MATSUBARA
  • Publication number: 20090169229
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus include: a resistance detection section (14) for measuring a volume resistivity of a two component developer (11) on a surface of a developer bearing member (12); a resistance memory section (16) for storing therein a preset volume resistivity; a resistance comparison section (15) for comparing the volume resistivity of the two component developer (11) which has been measured by the resistance detection section (14) with the preset volume resistivity stored in the resistance memory section (16); and a control section (17) for carrying out a process for replacing the two component developer or carrier if the volume resistivity of the two component developer (11) is lower than the preset volume resistivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventor: Yoshinori Mutoh
  • Publication number: 20090122093
    Abstract: A printing device (10) includes: an inkjet head (30) ejecting ink to paper (20); a tube (32) supplying ink to the inkjet head (30); an ink tank (36) connected to the tube (32) and storing the ink supplied by the tube (32); a housing (38) housing the ink tank (36); a detection device detecting the volume of the ink tank (36); a regulator adjusting the negative pressure of the space between the ink tank (36) and the housing (38); a pump connected to the regulator for generating a negative pressure having a constant value used by the regulator for adjusting the negative pressure of the space; and a CPU (70) controlling the regulator so that the negative pressure of the space between the ink tank (36) and the housing (38) corresponds to the volume detected by the detection device. Accordingly, the small-sized device can be used to reduce waste of the stored fluid and shorten the takt time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2005
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Mutoh
  • Publication number: 20080299471
    Abstract: A carrier of the present invention is used in a developer including a toner which includes at least a binder resin and an organic colorant, and the carrier has a core and a coating formed on the surface of the core, the coating including (i) a charge control agent for controlling a charge whose polarity is the same as a polarity of a charge controlled by a charge control agent included in the toner, and (ii) a conductive particles. The use of the carrier of the present invention enables: prevention of decrease in the charging amount of the toner which includes at least a binder resin and an organic colorant; and formation of a stable, high-resolution, high-quality image which has very few image defects such as a photographic fog.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Takanori Kamoto, Tadashi Iwamatsu, Nobuyuki Yoshioka, Yoshinori Mutoh, Hiroyuki Hirakawa, Takashi Hara
  • Patent number: 7407241
    Abstract: In an ink-jet head device, a main tank, a sub tank and an ink-jet head are mounted in this order in a carriage, with the main tank placed at the top. The main tank, sub tank and ink-jet head are connected to one another by a three-way ink conduit. At a junction of the ink conduit is disposed a three-way switching valve, which selectively switch a path connecting the sub tank to the main tank and a path connecting the sub tank to the ink-jet head, without causing the ink-jet head and the main tank to communicate with each other. As a result, an ink-jet head device and an ink-supplying method are realized, in which the ink-jet head can maintain suitable negative pressure and in which consumption of ink is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mutoh, Kaoru Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20060044369
    Abstract: In an ink-jet head device, a main tank, a sub tank and an ink-jet head are mounted in this order in a carriage, with the main tank placed at the top. The main tank, sub tank and ink-jet head are connected to one another by a three-way ink conduit. At a junction of the ink conduit is disposed a three-way switching valve, which selectively switch a path connecting the sub tank to the main tank and a path connecting the sub tank to the ink-jet head, without causing the ink-jet head and the main tank to communicate with each other. As a result, an ink-jet head device and an ink-supplying method are realized, in which the ink-jet head can maintain suitable negative pressure and in which consumption of ink is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mutoh, Kaoru Higuchi