Plural Diverse (e.g., Color) Patents (Class 399/223)
  • Patent number: 11858284
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, method, and a control program stored in a non-transitory recording medium, each of which: receives a plurality of input images corresponding to respective viewpoints; generates, based on the plurality of input images, a first output image and a second output image that are to be printed by duplex printing on at least one transmissive transfer medium having image layers on both sides thereof, so as to reproduce at least part of one of the input images corresponding to each of the viewpoints on the transmissive transfer medium; and instructs a printer to print the first output image and the second output image by duplex printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunari Tonami, Yu Yoneda
  • Patent number: 11841643
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which can be replenished with toner using a replenishment cartridge and communicates with a memory device of the replenishment cartridge via a first electric contact portion and a second electric contact portion after a replenishment cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus in an installation portion. The replenishment cartridge is prevented from being detached by a regulation unit when it is in the replenishment position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akinori Mitsumata, Takeo Kawanami, Shuma Hiasa
  • Patent number: 11281153
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a first photosensitive drum, a second photosensitive drum, a first developing roller, a second developing roller, a first moving mechanism, a second moving mechanism, a driving gear, a motor, a first gear train, a second gear train, and a third gear train, is provided. The first gear train having a first gear transmits a driving force from the motor to the first developing roller. The second gear train having a second gear transmits the driving force from the motor to the second developing roller. The second gear train is provided separately from the first gear train. The third gear train having a third gear transmits the driving force from the motor to at least one of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism. The third gear train is provided separately from the first gear train and the second gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Ikegami, Kotaro Haruta, Shoichiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11150570
    Abstract: A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having an electrophotography engine, a transfer medium, and a layer transfusion assembly includes providing a part material to the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material compositionally comprising a charge control agent, and a thermoplastic material having a heat deflection temperature greater than about 150° C., and has a powder form. The method includes triboelectrically charging the part material to a Q/M ratio having a negative charge or a positive charge, and a magnitude ranging from about 5 micro-Coulombs/gram to about 50 micro-Coulombs/gram and developing layers of the three-dimensional part from the charged part material with the electrophotography engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Evolve Additive Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Orrock, Steven A. Chillscyzn, Trevor I. Martin
  • Patent number: 10969737
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to, before driving a development motor, obtain a temperature inside a housing from a temperature sensor, determine whether the obtained temperature inside the housing is equal to or lower than a particular temperature, when determining that the temperature inside the housing is higher than the particular temperature, execute a full-speed mode to control the development motor to rotate at a first target speed and control a process motor to rotate at a second target speed, and when determining that the temperature inside the housing is equal to or lower than the particular temperature, execute a low-temperature mode to control the development motor to rotate at a third target speed lower than the first target speed and control the process motor to rotate at the second target speed that is the same as in the full-speed mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kotaro Haruta, Masahito Saeki, Shintaro Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 10824104
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form an image in a first mode and in a second mode in which the image forming apparatus is operated under an image forming condition in which developer supplying capability from a developer carrying member to an image bearing member is increased to form the image, the image forming apparatus including: a determination unit configured to determine whether an input image is an image in a predetermined condition in which the input image is a fine line having a predetermined width or less, a miniature image, or a character having predetermined points or less; and a correction unit configured to set a line width thin or lighten density for an image determined as the image in the predetermined condition by the determination unit at a time of forming the image in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Go Araki
  • Patent number: 10795275
    Abstract: A method for producing a chemically prepared magenta toner composition according to one example embodiment includes combining and agglomerating a first polymer emulsion with a magenta colorant dispersion containing a single azo magenta pigment and a release agent dispersion to form toner cores. A borax coupling agent is added to the toner cores. A second polymer emulsion is combined and agglomerated with the toner cores having the borax coupling agent to form toner shells around the toner cores. The aggregated toner cores and toner shells are fused to form magenta toner particles. The single azo magenta pigment in the magenta pigment dispersion does not aggregate into clusters on the outer surface of the surface core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Kasturi Rangan Srinivasan, Ashley Schafer Grant, Michael James Bensing
  • Patent number: 10775731
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms a first toner layer on a medium on which an image is to be formed, a foil layer forming unit that forms a foil layer on the first toner layer on a surface of the medium on which an image is to be formed, and a second image forming unit that forms a second toner layer below the foil layer on the surface of the medium, on which an image is to be formed, in such a manner as to compensate for image steps that are formed by the first toner layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Kakishima, Yuki Nagamori, Kunihiko Sato, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Keitaro Mori
  • Patent number: 10712683
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body that holds an image to be transferred to a recording material; a developing unit that causes a mixture, in which plural kinds of developers are mixed, to adhere to the image holding body and that forms an image on the image holding body; a transfer unit that transfers an image formed on the image holding body to a recording material; and a change portion that changes a transfer condition that is a condition under which the transfer unit performs transfer so that a ratio of the plural kinds of developers in the image to be transferred to a recording material becomes close to a predetermined ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukiko Miyakoshi, Miho Ikeda, Shinji Okuyama
  • Patent number: 10649362
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes light sources, a deflector deflecting light beams emitted from the light sources, a first lens transmitting the light beams deflected by the defector, and second lenses guiding the light beams transmitted from the first lens to respective surfaces to be scanned. The second lenses are arranged so that a first incident position of a first light beam emitted by a first light source and entering one of the second lenses is closer to the respective surface to be scanned along an optical axis of the first lens than a second incident position of a second light beam emitted by a second light source and entering another of the second lenses, and an incident angle of the second light beam with respect to the optical axis along a deflection direction by the deflector is greater than the incident angle of the first light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasushi Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 10635954
    Abstract: A printer includes a plurality of dot clock signal generators, each of which generates dot clock signals for operating ejectors in a printhead in a color station of the printer. The dot clock signal generators are connected in a chain that corresponds to the process direction of the color stations in the printer. Each dot clock signal generator is configured to count dot clock signals of a preceding dot clock signal generator in the chain or a reference clock generator to determine when the dot clock signal generator turns on and to count encoder signals corresponding to movement of a substrate through the printer to determine when to generate dot clock signals for a color station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Patricia J. Donaldson, Michael B. Monahan
  • Patent number: 10534307
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that includes a rotating shaft, and is rotatable around the rotating shaft; a plurality of functional members disposed along an outer periphery of the image carrier; and a plurality of distance regulating members that maintains a constant distance between each of the plurality of functional members and the image carrier, wherein the plurality of functional members includes a first functional member and a second functional member, the plurality of distance regulating members includes a first distance regulating member and a second distance regulating member, the first distance regulating member includes a first abutting surface, the second distance regulating member includes a second abutting surface, and the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface are disposed side by side in a circumferential direction on the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mizuno, Hideaki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10483109
    Abstract: A method of self-aligned spacer formation is described. According to one embodiment of the invention, a substrate processing method is provided, where the method includes forming a sacrificial film over a substrate, creating a pattern in the sacrificial film, conformally depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned sacrificial film, removing horizontal portions of the first spacer layer while substantially leaving vertical portions of the first spacer layer, and selectively depositing a second spacer layer on the first spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kandabara N. Tapily, Robert D. Clark
  • Patent number: 10466621
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a photosensitive unit; a developing unit coupled to the photosensitive unit to be movable between a release position and a developing position; an elastic member to provide an elastic force in a direction to maintain the developing unit at the developing position; a movable member including a gear portion, the movable member and capable of moving to a first position to move the developing unit to the release position and second position to move the developing unit to the developing position; and a switching member connected to a driving gear, wherein as the driving gear rotates in a first direction or a second direction, the switching member is switched between a third position at which the switching member is connected to the gear portion to move the movable member from the second position to the first position and a fourth position at which the switching member is spaced apart from the gear portion to allow the movable member to move from the first position to the second pos
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: HP PRINTING KOREA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ho-jin Jang, Young-chae Kim, Yun-kyu Sim, Gun-soo Chang
  • Patent number: 10423102
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section, a fixing section and a controller. The image forming section forms a toner image with at least one selected from a first toner having a first fixing temperature area and a second toner having a second fixing temperature area of which a lower limit fixing temperature is higher than the first toner. The fixing section fixes the toner image on the sheet. The controller controls a standby temperature of the fixing section to a temperature lower than the lower limit fixing temperature of the second fixable temperature area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Katakura
  • Patent number: 10416586
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section. The image forming section includes: a first toner image forming unit that forms a textile printing toner image with a textile printing toner; and a second toner image forming unit that forms a first dyeing-target toner image with a dyeing-target toner. The image forming section disposes the textile printing toner image and the first dyeing-target toner image in this order on a print medium. The textile printing toner includes a textile printing dye. The dyeing-target toner includes a polymer compound that is to be dyed with the textile printing dye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Takino, Naoki Masui
  • Patent number: 10359730
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that includes a first image holding member and a first developing unit, the first developing unit accommodating a first developer that includes a first toner and a first carrier; a first transfer unit; a second image forming unit that is disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a traveling direction of the transfer medium and includes a second image holding member and a second developing unit, the second developing unit accommodating a second developer that includes a second toner and a second carrier; and a second transfer unit, in which a volume resistivity of the first carrier is lower than a volume resistivity of the second carrier, and a volume average particle diameter of the first carrier is less than a volume average particle diameter of the second carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro Anno, Hiroaki Saijo, Takuro Watanabe, Yasuaki Hashimoto, Fusako Kiyono
  • Patent number: 10353311
    Abstract: A white toner for electrostatic charge image development contains a toner particle that includes a toner base particle containing a binder resin, a white colorant, and a releasing agent, and an external additive, wherein the toner particle contains, as the external additive, a fatty acid metal salt particle having a volume-based median diameter in a range of 0.5 to 1.5 ?m, and an average circularity of the toner particles is in a range of 0.870 to 0.950.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Michiaki Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Kozuru
  • Patent number: 10156826
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a drum, a toner processing module and a first mounting space. The drum is disposed in the housing. The toner processing module supplies toners to the drum. The first mounting space accommodates a first print head. The first print head provides a light ray to perform a writing operation on the drum. When the first print head is present, the light ray of the first print head disposed in the first mounting space passes through an optical channel of the toner processing module to perform the writing operation on the drum. Thus, the optimum configurations of the print head and the drum can be achieved, to effectively reduce a size of the image forming apparatus and satisfy diversified requirements without spending a high cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Chuang-Hua Chueh
  • Patent number: 9983537
    Abstract: A drive transmission device includes a driving power receiver, a first rotator drive transmission system, and a second rotator drive transmission system. The driving power receiver directly receives the driving power from an output shaft of the drive motor. The first rotator drive transmission system is configured to transmit the driving power from the driving power receiver to the respective first rotators of the first structure and the second structure. The second rotator drive transmission system is configured to switch a state of transmission of the driving power from the driving power receiver into a first transmission state in which the driving power is transmitted to the respective second rotators of the first structure and the second structure, and into a second transmission state in which the driving power is transmitted to the second rotator of the first structure alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiko Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9958805
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device including a developer carrying member, a developer supplying member and a regulating member. Also provided are a first power source for the developer carrying member, a second power source for the regulating member, and a controller. In a period from a start of a developing operation to an end of the developing operation for printing an image on a single recording material, the controller effects control of a potential difference between the developer carrying member and the developing blade so that a force for urging the developer from the regulating member toward the developer carrying member acts on the developer at a contact portion between the regulating member and the developer carrying member. The force acting on the developer being is stronger at the end of the developing operation than at the start of the developing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Matsushita, Kodai Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9927764
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable unit movable between a contact position and a spaced position, a driving member displaceable between a contact phase and a spaced phase, an openable member, and a pressing member for pressing and moving the movable unit by being moved in interrelation with an opening operation of the openable member. When the openable member is opened in a state in which the driving member is in the contact phase, the pressing member presses and moves the movable unit by a first movement amount from the contact position to the spaced position. When the openable member is opened in a state in which the driving member is in the spaced phase, the pressing member does not move the movable unit or moves the movable unit by a second movement amount smaller than the first movement amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9885997
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer member, image forming units, a voltage source, an executing portion, a setting portion, and a selecting portion configured to select a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, each of exposure amounts of first and second exposure members is set so that a maximum toner amount per unit area during execution of an image forming operation is a first amount per unit area and a pre-exposure amount is set at a first pre-exposure amount. In the second mode, each of the exposure amounts is set so that the maximum toner amount per unit area is a second amount per unit area smaller than the first amount per unit area, and the pre-exposure amount is set at a second pre-exposure amount larger than the first pre-exposure amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Shibuya
  • Patent number: 9804543
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit which forms a first image on a first recording medium with a first material that is not thermally decolorizable; a second image forming unit which forms a second image on a second recording medium with a second material that is thermally decolorizable; a fixing device which is on a common carrying path shared by the first recording medium and the second recording medium and fixes the first image to the first recording medium; and a controller which controls the fixing device so that a temperature of the fixing device is lower than a decolorizing temperature of the second material when the second recording medium reaches the fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kaneko, Minoru Yoshida, Osamu Takagi, Takahito Kabai, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 9632481
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a cooling device for cooling a plurality of cartridges, and a plurality of shielding members for shielding the plurality of openings, respectively. Each developing member is movable between a first position at which the developing member is brought into contact with a photosensitive member and a second position at which the developing member is caused to separate from the photosensitive member. Each of the plurality of shielding members is caused to move in association with a position of the developing member of the cartridge opposed to the opening to be shielded by the each of the shielding members. A gap between the opening and the shielding member the second position of the developing member is smaller than a gap therebetween at the first position of the developing member is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9625863
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus controls the heating of a fixing section in such a manner that the heating mode is switched to a second heating mode through a switching section in a case in which the temperature of a heating section is lower than a predetermined temperature, and the heating mode is switched to a first heating mode through a switching section in a case in which the temperature of the heating section is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Katakura
  • Patent number: 9459584
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion to and from which a process cartridge including a photosensitive member and a developing roller is attachable and detachable, a separation mechanism that takes a first position to separate the developing roller from the photosensitive member and a second position to bring the developing roller into contact with the photosensitive member, an allowance mechanism that allows the process cartridge with the developing roller kept in contact with the photosensitive member to be mounted on the mounting portion when the separation mechanism is in the first position, an exposure device, and a control unit, wherein, when the developing roller and the photosensitive member are in contact with each other when the separation mechanism is in the first position, the control unit performs an exposure operation while keeping the separation mechanism in the first position during an initial operation of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Ken Nakagawa, Akihiko Uchiyama, Tomonori Shida, Kazuhiro Funatani, Hiroshi Kita
  • Patent number: 9429879
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes four first imaging units that use standard toners for colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. The image forming apparatus further includes a second imaging unit that uses a toner having a particle size smaller than a smallest one of particle sizes of the four standard toners. The image forming apparatus also includes a transfer unit that transfers first images formed by the respective first imaging units and a second image formed by the second imaging unit to a recording medium such that the first images are provided on the recording medium and the second image is provided on the first images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sho Watanabe, Satoshi Shigezaki, Yoko Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9423755
    Abstract: A printing apparatus prints an image on a recording medium unwound by an unwinder. The recording medium is wound around a first winding shaft in order from a beginning edge to an ending edge of the recording medium. The wound recording medium is rewound, and the rewound recording medium is wound around a second winding shaft in order from the ending edge to the beginning edge of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Numazu, Toshio Nagasaka, Toshiaki Yajima
  • Patent number: 9390355
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a content fraction calculating section, and an information storage section. The content fraction calculating section calculates a content fraction of each of a plurality of toners contained in the image forming section that have been supplied from different toner cartridges to one another. The information storage section stores therein, for each of the toners, a control value that is used to control a component of the image forming section. The image forming section forms an image based on respective content fractions of the toners and respective control values for the toners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Haruki Sayama
  • Patent number: 9383687
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive member to move in a rotational direction, a charging unit to charge the photoconductive member, a discharging unit to discharge a portion of the photoconductive member to form a latent image thereon, and a plurality of ink applicator units to sequentially apply a plurality of ink layers, respectively, toward the latent image to form an ink image. The image forming apparatus may also include an image transfer blanket to receive the ink image including the plurality of ink layers from the photoconductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Peter Nedelin, Mark Sandler, Shai Lior
  • Patent number: 9304424
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit and a processing unit. The first image forming unit forms an image using an erasable image forming material. The second image forming unit forms an image using an inerasable image forming material. The processing unit forms an image to be printed using an erasable image forming material with the first image forming unit, and forms a specific pattern for duplication prevention using an inerasable image forming material with the second image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9223249
    Abstract: An image forming unit includes an image carrier, a developer carrier carrying a developer for developing images by attaching the developer to electrostatic latent images on the image carrier, a developer supply member for supplying the developer to the developer carrier, a first developer container having an opening, for containing the developer, a second developer container reserving the developer supplied via the opening from the first developer container, and a stirring member disposed rotatably in a prescribed rotation direction around a rotation axis in the first developer container for stirring the developer. The stirring member comprises a first elastic member extending in a first direction, and a second elastic member extending in a second direction as different direction from the first direction, and the second elastic member is disposed on a downstream side of the first elastic member in the rotation direction of the stirring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Shimada, Tetsu Koyama
  • Patent number: 9046824
    Abstract: A developing device includes a sleeve and a magnet roller having first and second magnetic poles, the second magnetic pole being disposed downstream of the first magnetic pole. A magnetic attraction distribution on the sleeve in a region from the first magnetic pole to the second magnetic pole is such that the magnetic attraction decreases from a position of the first magnetic pole toward the downstream side, a gradient of change in the magnetic attraction decreases in a region downstream of a region in which a gradient of reduction in the magnetic attraction temporarily increases, thereby forming an attraction reduction region in which the magnetic attraction is reduced so that developer cannot be held on the sleeve, and the gradient of change in the magnetic attraction increases in a region downstream of the attraction reduction region so that the magnetic attraction increases to a position of the second magnetic pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Inaba, Shota Oba, Makoto Hirota, Yoshitaka Nakajima, Ryota Tomishi
  • Patent number: 9031469
    Abstract: A tandem-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes multiple color image forming units using a dry toner, a first black image forming unit using the dry toner, and a second black image forming unit using a wet toner and performs an image formation with the dry toner in a first printing mode and an image formation with the wet toner in a second printing mode. The image formed in the second printing mode with the wet toner is fixed to a recording medium at a temperature lower than the image formed in the first printing mode with the dry toner. Each of the image forming units corresponds to a process cartridge that is removably installable in the tandem-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus and including an image carrier and other image forming components integrally therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuma Iwasaki, Ken Amemiya, Michiya Okamoto, Shinya Karasawa
  • Patent number: 9026007
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of housing units that houses toners of mutually different colors, at least one toner inside of the plurality of housing units being to be used for forming a toner image on a recording medium; and a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium to the recording medium, wherein a housing unit among the plurality of housing units that houses a toner with a lowest peak temperature of loss elastic modulus is disposed in a portion with a lower temperature than a temperature of a portion where another housing unit is disposed, or in a position farther from the fixing unit than a portion where another housing unit is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Bisaiji, Hiroomi Tamura, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Satoru Ishikake, Ryuji Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20150098729
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a housing; a conveying belt, and a retaining member. The retaining member retains image bearing members that juxtaposed with and spaced apart from one another. The retaining member is slidingly movable relative to the housing in a direction that the image bearing members are juxtaposed. The retaining member retains the image bearing members to confront the conveying belt. The image bearing members and the conveying belt are arranged in a reference direction. The retaining member includes a cleaning member that removes residual developing agent from the conveying belt, and a guide unit that guides the recording medium to the conveying belt. The guide unit is located on the image bearing member side and the cleaning member is located on the conveying belt side. At least part of the guide unit overlaps at least part of the cleaning member when projected in the reference direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Publication number: 20150093152
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second developing rollers configured to supply developers to the first and second photosensitive drums, respectively, an electric motor configured to generate a driving force to rotate the second developing roller, a moving mechanism configured to move the second developing roller between a development position and a retracted position, a transmission mechanism configured to transmit the driving force to the second developing roller, a drive mechanism configured to drive the moving mechanism and the transmission mechanism simultaneously, and a connecting mechanism configured to, when the second developing roller is in the development position, bring the transmission mechanism into a transmission state that allows transmission of the driving force to the second developing roller, and to, when the second developing roller is in the retracted position, bring the transmission mechanism into a cut-off state the cuts off the transm
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Yohei Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20150093701
    Abstract: A method for creating a document, the method includes the steps of providing a transparent substrate; providing a toner image, which includes a plurality of color toners and a black toner; determining an amount of white toner to be deposited dependent upon a mass laydown of the black toner and a covering power of the black toner; depositing the determined amount of white toner with the color toners and black toner on the transparent substrate; and fixing the deposited toners on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: DINESH TYAGI, Kevin D. Lofftus, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150093697
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a first development device configured to form a color developer image with a color developer, and a second development device configured to form a transparent developer image with a transparent developer. The ratio of the viscosity of the transparent developer to the viscosity of the color developer is not greater than a certain amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Yoshihiro HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8995882
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first print engine and a second print engine. The first print engine forms a first image formed of a first toner having a first average diameter. The first image is transferred onto a recording medium. The second print engine forms a second image formed of a second toner having a second average diameter larger than the first average diameter. The second image is transferred onto the first image in registration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Miura
  • Publication number: 20150078774
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing toner usage on an output device capable of rendering in five or more colorants includes receiving a print job for rendering a print job. The method includes generating at least one candidate colorant combination using multiple colorants. The method includes determining at least one factor including (i) a toner usage, (ii) a toner cost, and (iii) an accuracy of the at least one candidate colorant combination for rendering a select object of the print job. The method further includes selecting an ideal candidate colorant combination based on a comparison of the at least one factor with one of a second candidate colorant combination and an original CMYK colorant combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David C. Robinson, Katherine Loj
  • Publication number: 20150072280
    Abstract: A transparent developer has a glass transition point of 63.0° C. to 66.0° C., both inclusive, and a melt temperature, indicative of a softening point by a 1/2 method, of 94.3° C. to 97.0° C., both inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Manami HIRAIDE
  • Publication number: 20150043929
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment comprises a first image forming section configured to form an image on a recording medium with a non-erasable material, and a second image forming section configured to form an image on the recording medium with an erasable material. The image forming apparatus further comprises a control section configured to separate image data according to attributes of the image data into first image data to be printed on the recording medium in the first image forming section and second image data to be printed on the recording medium in the second image forming section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: NORIFUMI YAGI, Takao ISHIDA, Kanya HIROI, Mamoru NOMURA
  • Publication number: 20150023678
    Abstract: An image forming device has multiple image forming units that form developing agent images, an intermediate transfer member to which developing agent images are transferred from selected image forming units, and a transfer member for transferring the developing agent images from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium, using a voltage supplied from a voltage supply unit. The voltage supply unit varies the voltage supplied to the transfer member, either before or after or both before and after the developing agent images are transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium, according to the number of selected image forming units or their disposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi ROKUGAWA
  • Publication number: 20150003875
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a two-component developer which can achieve a high-definition image with a smaller toner laid-on level than a conventional one, provides a color gamut comparable to that of printing, can respond to an increase in printing speed, and allows an image with a stable tinge to be formed even in long-term use. The object can be achieved by a two-component developer containing a cyan toner and a magnetic carrier, the two-component developer being characterized in that the cyan toner has the following characteristics: (i) when the concentration of the cyan toner in a solution of the cyan toner in chloroform is represented by Cc (mg/ml) and the absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 712 nm is represented by A712, a relationship between Cc and A712 satisfies the relationship of 2.00<A712/Cc<8.15; (ii) the lightness L* and chroma C* of the cyan toner determined in a powder state satisfy the relationships of 25.0?L*?40.0 and 50.0?C*?60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Koh Ishigami, Kazuo Terauchi, Noriyoshi Umeda, Tetsuya Ida, Naoki Okamoto, Yojiro Hotta, Yoshinobu Baba, Takayuki Itakura, Takeshi Yamamoto, Manami Haraguchi, Kenta Kubo
  • Patent number: 8918002
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a count section configured to count time during which no image forming is performed and a control section configured to allow heating of a heat generating section at temperature for decolorizing after the time counted by the count section reaches the a predetermined threshold time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Ogasawara, Koji Imamiya
  • Patent number: 8909103
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a first developing unit, a second developing unit, a transfer unit, a removing member, and a fixing unit. An average circularity of particles having an average particle diameter of no less than 100 nm and no more than 300 nm among particles included in a second external additive is less than an average circularity of particles having an average particle diameter of no less than 100 nm and no more than 300 nm among particles included in a first external additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Shigezaki, Yasutaka Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8903281
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a white developer image on a recording medium using a white developer, at least one second image forming unit configured to form at least one single-color developer image on the recording medium using at least one single-color developer other than the white developer, and a fixing unit configured to fix the white developer image and the at least one single-color developer image to the recording medium so as to form a white image and at least one single-color image. The white image may have a haze value that is higher than that of the at least one single-color image. The white developer may have a softening temperature that is higher than that of the at least one single-color developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Koido
  • Patent number: 8897671
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a driving source configured to supply a rotational driving force in a predetermined direction, a particular developing unit having a developing roller and accommodating particular color developer, a first gear configured to receive the driving force of the driving source, a second gear configured to transmit the driving force to the developing roller, a particular intermediate gear configured to be engaged with the first and the second gears. A rotational center of the particular intermediate gear is arranged on an upstream side in a moving direction of teeth of the second gear, and a translation member is configured to linearly move between a first position where the particular intermediate gear engages with the first and second gears, and a second position where the particular intermediate gear disengages from the particular intermediate gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiya Tomatsu