Fibrous Brush Patents (Class 399/353)
  • Patent number: 11960232
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a charging member, a developing device, a transfer member, a brush, a driving source and a control portion. The control portion controls the driving source to execute an image forming process in which image formation on the recording material is executed and a non-image-forming process in which the photosensitive member is driven to rotate other than in the image forming process. The non-image-forming process between a first recording material and a second recording material, to which the image formation is executed following the first recording material, is defined as a first non-image-forming process, and the non-image-forming process between the second recording material and a third recording material is defined as a second non-image-forming process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ai Suzuki, Kensuke Umeda, Kazuhiro Funatani, Shinsuke Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11782377
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image at a developing portion, a transfer unit to transfer a developer image to a recording member at a transfer portion; and a brush provided with a plurality of fibers contacting the image bearing member at downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the developing portion in a rotational direction of the image bearing member. An average contacting pressure of the brush per one fiber to the image bearing member is smaller than a depositing force of the developer not transferred to the recording member to the image bearing member. As the brush in a state of not in contact with the image bearing member is viewed from a free end side of the fibers, an average number of the fibers included in a circumference of a diameter of 100 ?m is more than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama
  • Patent number: 11347175
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a brush-like rotation body that collects residual toner adhering to a photoreceptor from the photoreceptor and holds the residual toner; a collection member that is disposed so as to be in contact with the brush-like rotation body and collects the residual toner held by the brush-like rotation body from the brush-like rotation body; a blade member that scrapes off the residual toner collected by the collection member from the collection member; a conveyance member that is disposed below the brush-like rotation body and the collection member and conveys the residual toner scraped off from the collection member by the blade member; and a restriction part that is disposed above the conveyance member and restricts contact of the conveyance member with the brush-like rotation body and the collection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takeru Kinoshita, Junji Murakawa
  • Patent number: 11340540
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearer, a developing unit configured to develop with a toner, an intermediate transfer member, and a transferring unit, wherein the intermediate transfer member is a laminate including a base layer and an elastic layer including particles at a surface thereof to form convex-concave shapes at the surface, the particles have volume resistivity of from 1×100 ohm*cm through 1×109 ohm*cm, the toner includes additive, an amount of the additive separated from the toner is from 20 percent by mass through 35 percent by mass relative to a total amount of the additive in the toner when a toner dispersion liquid in which the toner is dispersed in a dispersant is irradiated with ultrasonic wave vibration with an irradiation energy dose of 4 kJ, and the toner has a dielectric constant of 2.6 or greater but 3.9 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Takei, Daisuke Inoue, Daichi Hisakuni, Hidetaka Kubo, Masahiro Ohmori, Junichi Awamura
  • Patent number: 11086263
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes an accommodating container, a collector, and a remover. The accommodating container has an opening and a receiving port. The collector is in contact with a surface of a cleaned body while rotating, to remove matter on the surface of the cleaned body. The remover has a tip end that is in contact with the surface of the cleaned body to remove the matter. The accommodating container accommodates the collector and the remover. The collector and the remover are exposed to the cleaned body through the opening. The accommodating container receives, through the receiving port, the matter removed from the cleaned body. The accommodating container is supported in such a manner that the accommodating container can rotate to a position where the matter collected in the accommodating container do not leak through the opening, so as to be separated from the cleaned body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Arichika Tanaka, Toyohiko Awano
  • Patent number: 10545575
    Abstract: A plurality of excitation electrodes, each disposed along a row direction, are provided on a back side of a transparent substrate, and a plurality of detection electrodes, each disposed along a column direction, a plurality of tactile sensation generation row electrodes, each disposed along the row direction, and a plurality of tactile sensation generation column electrodes, each disposed along the column direction, are provided on the front side of the transparent substrate. The front side of the transparent substrate is defined as an operation screen. The excitation electrodes and the tactile sensation generation row electrodes are formed independently of each other, and the detection electrodes and the tactile sensation generation column electrodes are formed independently of each other. In the configuration, the excitation electrodes among the electrodes are situated furthest from the operation screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masafumi Agari, Naoki Nakagawa, Tae Orita, Takeshi Ono, Seiichiro Mori
  • Patent number: 10418854
    Abstract: A control device for a power receiving device that receives power supplied from a power transmitting device by contactless power transmission, including a charger that charges a battery based on the received power, a discharger that performs discharging operation of the battery and power supply operation in which power from the battery is supplied to a power supply target, and a controller that controls the discharger, and the controller stops the power supply operation when a magnetic detection signal from a magnetic detection element becomes active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kota Onishi
  • Patent number: 10289034
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus cleans an image carrier including an elastic layer after a toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material. The cleaning apparatus includes a rigid blade that cleans a residue attached on a surface of the image carrier by contacting the image carrier from which the toner image has been transferred to the transfer material. The rigid blade includes a metal base and a coating layer formed on a surface of the metal base. The coating layer is disposed at least at an edge portion of the base that contacts the image carrier. An upstream part of the edge portion has a rounded shape with a radius of curvature that is less than an average radius of toner particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Takashi Kawanago
  • Patent number: 9933746
    Abstract: An elastic deformation rate of a photoconductor, an additive amount of inorganic fine particles, and a rotary member are set to satisfy a relation of 0.6?(D/(A×B/C))/(1+E/20)?0.82, where A is a thickness of fibers of a brush, B is a bristle density of the fibers of the brush, C is a length of the fibers of the brush, D is an elastic deformation rate obtained from a hardness test conducted using a Vickers diamond pyramid indenter at a temperature of 23° C. and a humidity of 50%, and E is the additive amount of the inorganic fine particles relative to 100 parts by mass of toner particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Fukuda, Yasuki Kamimori
  • Patent number: 9841717
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a rotating brush that supplies lubricant to a surface of an image carrying member on which an end toner image is formed at a first axial end, a cleaning member provided on a downstream side of the rotating brush in a direction of rotation of the image carrying member and that cleans the image carrying member by scraping toner from the surface of the image carrying member, a storing portion that stores the toner scraped by the cleaning member, a transporting member that transports the toner in the storing portion from the first axial end of the image carrying member toward a second axial end of the image carrying member, and a moving member that moves the toner in the storing portion toward the rotating brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kikuchi, Yu Tsuda, Yasunori Unagida, Kanji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9657149
    Abstract: A plasticizer-containing film of polyvinyl acetal having a softening temperature Tg of less than 74° C. contains at least one cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid ester as a plasticizer. The plasticizer-containing films have a low tendency for sweating of the plasticizer, and are useful in producing laminate safety glasses and photovoltaic modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Kuraray Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Keller
  • Patent number: 9417595
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier having a moving surface onto a transfer object, and includes: a cleaning member that performs a removal operation on residues remaining on the image carrier after transfer of the toner image; and a brush member that has bristles including original yarns with uneven surfaces formed by microparticles adhering to and coating the original yarns, and comes into contact with the image carrier, on a downstream side relative to the cleaning member in a movement direction of the surface of the image carrier, to remove part of the residues that remains unremoved on the image carrier even after the removal operation performed by the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Takai, Takuya Okada, Takashi Kawanago
  • Patent number: 9213299
    Abstract: A sliding member for image formation which is disposed in an image forming apparatus, includes a base material, the entirety of which contains a resin and which further has a carbon-containing region containing carbon, which has an sp3 bond, on a contact side with a contacted member, and in which a region other than the carbon-containing region is formed of an identical material, wherein the sliding member satisfies any one of the requirements of the following (A) and (B): (A) the carbon-containing region configures a contact portion with the contacted member; and (B) the sliding member is provided with a carbon layer which does not contain a resin but contains carbon having an sp3 bond on a surface further on the contact side with the contacted member of the carbon-containing region and configures a contact portion with the contacted member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9063508
    Abstract: A drum cleaning device includes a toner supply roller, a toner layer restricting member, and a toner receiving member. The toner layer restricting member includes an inclined portion formed in a lateral region outside of an image forming region to incline gradually away from a surface of a cleaning roller with increasing distance from an inner side of the lateral region. The toner receiving member includes a lower-level upper end portion provided in the lateral region outside of the image forming region, the lower-level upper end portion being located below a second contact region where the cleaning roller and the toner supply roller come into contact with each other. The inclined portion is disposed in a region overlapping the lower-level upper end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Katsuya Ota, Jun Nakai
  • Patent number: 9052680
    Abstract: A fur brush roller electrically absorbs and removes a transferred remaining toner on a surface of an image carrier through bias voltage impression. This fur brush roller includes: a foundation cloth, conductive yarns, and insulation yarns. The insulation yarns are subjected to crimp-texturizing processing. The conductive yarns and the insulation yarns are alternately pile-woven to the foundation cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Toichi
  • Patent number: 9008539
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a cleaning subject, having: a first cleaning member that rotates in a predetermined direction, thereby removing toner from the cleaning subject; a first collecting member that collects the toner removed by the first cleaning member; and a second collecting member that is positioned downstream from the first collecting member in the predetermined direction and collects the toner removed by the first cleaning member, in which, a potential difference of the first collecting member relative to the first cleaning member is opposite in polarity to a potential difference of the second collecting member relative to the first cleaning member, the first collecting member has a potential equal in polarity to that of the first cleaning member, and the potential of the first collecting member is greater in magnitude than the potential of the first cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Takayuki Takai
  • Patent number: 8995899
    Abstract: A protecting agent-supplying device including: a rotation member configured to rotate in a certain direction; an image bearing member-protecting agent containing a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, and being in the form of a solid, wherein the agent is scraped off by the rotation of the rotation member, supplied to an image bearing member for protection thereof, and disposed to have a surface facing the rotation member, which surface has a width G in a direction along the certain direction, and wherein the position X (a center of the width G) is located upstream in the direction along the certain direction from the position Y (a line of intersection between the surface facing and a line extended from the rotational center of the rotation member perpendicular to the surface facing), and a distance d between these positions satisfies a formula 0<d?G/2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Hasegawa, Hiroshi Nakai, Shinya Tanaka, Kohsuke Yamamoto, Taichi Urayama
  • Publication number: 20150063887
    Abstract: A cleaning device, which is included in a process cartridge or an image forming apparatus, includes a cleaning member including a brush rotary body that is disposed in contact with an image carrier provided in an image forming apparatus and that removes toner on the image carrier and holds the toner thereon, a toner conveying rotary body to collect and convey the toner removed by the cleaning member, a flicker contacting the cleaning member to flick off the toner held on the cleaning member, and an agitator that has a free end contacting the toner conveying rotary body and vibrating due to rotation of the toner conveying rotary body. The agitator further has a trajectory being formed between the opening and the toner conveying rotary body by movement of the free end. Alternatively, the free end of the agitator is disposed facing the flicker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira ASAOKA, Toshiya SATO, Norio KUDOH, Hiroyuki UENISHI, Fumihito ITOH
  • Patent number: 8948647
    Abstract: A belt device incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, multiple belt tension rollers disposed in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt, a rotary cleaning member to contact a belt wound area of the endless belt facing an opposing roller to form a cleaning nip between the rotary cleaning member and the endless belt and rotate the rotary cleaning member in a direction opposite the belt moving direction within the cleaning nip, and a voltage applier. The cleaning nip is formed by offsetting a center of the cleaning nip upstream from a center of the belt wound area of the endless belt in the belt moving direction and by at least contacting the rotary cleaning member in a range from the belt wound area to a tensioned belt area located upstream from the belt wound area in the belt moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Osamu Naruse, Naomi Sugimoto, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yoshiki Hozumi
  • Patent number: 8948626
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning device including a brush roll that removes residual toner remaining on a surface of a toner image carrier provided in an electrophotographic apparatus, and a pressure detector that contacts the surface of the brush roll with preload, and outputs a detected pressure value to a determination unit that is provided in the electrophotographic apparatus to determine the adhesion state of toner to the brush roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Ishii
  • Publication number: 20150016855
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit including a first image bearing member and a first rotating member configured to rub a surface of the first image bearing member; a second image forming unit including a second image bearing member and a second rotating member configured to rub a surface of the second image bearing member; and a transfer unit configured to convey a sheet between the first image bearing member and the second image bearing member and transfer a developer on the first image bearing member and the second image bearing member, onto the sheet. The first image forming unit is disposed upstream of the second image forming unit in a sheet conveying direction. A force of the second rotating member rubbing the surface of the second image bearing member is less than a force of the first rotating member rubbing the surface of the first image bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aya Adachi
  • Patent number: 8923744
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a cleaning rotating body 160; a scraping member 130; a toner restriction face 141; and a downstream side restriction portion 140. The cleaning rotating body 160 is arranged in sliding contact with the surface of the image carrying body 2. A front end portion 131 of the scraping member 130 is arranged in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the cleaning rotating body 160. The scraping member 130 is a plate-like member and includes a toner receiving face 133 to which the toner is carried from the front end portion 131. The toner restriction face 141 is arranged to be orthogonal to the toner receiving face 133. The downstream side restriction portion 140 restricts movement of the toner to a downstream side in a rotational direction of the cleaning rotating body 166.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshimi Shimizu, Takahiko Murata, Ai Takagami
  • Patent number: 8923743
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to apply a necessary amount of a lubricant to an image bearing member while preventing the lubricant from being excessively consumed. An intermediate transfer belt drive motor controlled by a PID controller drives an intermediate transfer belt. A brush rotation controller for controlling an application brush drive motor detects fluctuation in a frictional force between a cleaning blade and the intermediate transfer belt, and controls the application brush drive motor such that an amount of lubricant to be applied is an amount corresponding to the detected fluctuation in the frictional force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeyuki Suda
  • Publication number: 20140376964
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging device includes a charging device, a cleaning device, and a fuser member that each include hydrophobic carbon nanotubes. The use of hydrophobic carbon nanotubes can increases the charging device's, the cleaning device's, and the fuser member's durability, conductivity, and contaminants deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Liang-Bih Lin, David H Pan, Daniel Levy, Jin Wu
  • Patent number: 8913943
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning unit includes: a cleaning blade that scrapes off untransferred toner remaining on an image support; an application brush that contacts the image support on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the image support relative to the cleaning blade, the application brush rotating in a counter direction at a contact position with the image support, thereby scratching off lubricant particles from a solid lubricant provided at its periphery, and supporting and feeding the lubricant particles toward the contact position with the image support; and a moving force providing unit that provides the lubricant being fed by the application brush with an electrical moving force toward the image support, on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the application brush relative to the contact position of the image support and the application brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Nakane, Yohei Ito
  • Patent number: 8903298
    Abstract: Methods and devices provide an electrostatically chargeable surface within a printing apparatus and cause a movable lubricant applicator to contact the electrostatically chargeable surface. The movable lubricant applicator is movable to be in contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface, or out of contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface. Such methods control the movable lubricant applicator to be in intermittent contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface during printing operations of the printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Richard A. Klenkler, Sarah J. Vella, Yu Liu
  • Patent number: 8879941
    Abstract: A cleaning device and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing staying of toner in a brush and reducing stress on a brush by discharge products are provided. A cleaning device includes upstream and downstream cleaning brushes and a cleaning roller, which respectively contact the surface of a secondary transfer belt, and first to third bias applying sections. The first bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner to the upstream cleaning brush. The second bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner and set to be not less than the absolute value of the bias voltage applied to the upstream cleaning brush, to the downstream cleaning brush. The third bias applying section applies a bias voltage having the same polarity as that of the normal toner to the cleaning roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Taichi Meguro
  • Patent number: 8867964
    Abstract: A first rotary body is configured to rotate by a drive force input from an external source and has a first outer peripheral surface. A second rotary body has a second outer peripheral surface and is configured to rotate by following a rotation of the first rotary body through a friction generated between the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface. A first gear is configured to rotate together with the first rotary body. A second gear is configured to rotate together with the second rotary body and is directory engaged with the first gear. The first gear has a first pitch circle and the second gear has a second pitch circle. A radius of the first pitch circle is smaller than a radius of the first rotary body, and a radius of the second pitch circle is larger than a radius of the second rotary body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Hashimoto, Koji Abe, Masatoshi Shiraki, Yasushi Okabe, Aya Tamura
  • Patent number: 8862020
    Abstract: Brush rollers rotate in a direction indicated by an arrow while being in contact with an image formation surface to remove toner remaining on the image formation surface from an intermediate transfer belt. The brush rollers each mainly include a rotational shaft and a brush. The brush rollers face the intermediate transfer belt with brush winding directions being opposite from one another. The brush rollers rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. Thus, seams of the brush rollers can be prevented from being in contact with the same portion on the image formation surface of the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Noguchi, Kazuyoshi Hara, Takahiro Kuroda, Satoru Shibuya
  • Patent number: 8838005
    Abstract: A loop brush includes a shaft and a ribbon having loop-shaped fiber bundles arranged regularly on a base cloth. The ribbon is wound around the shaft at a prescribed angle. An arrangement angle that is an angle of an arrangement line, which is a straight line connecting adjacent fiber bundles, with respect to a longitudinal direction of the ribbon differs from a winding angle that is an angle of the longitudinal direction of the ribbon with respect to a circumferential direction of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Kashiwakura, Yoshiki Nakane, Yohei Ito
  • Patent number: 8824951
    Abstract: A toner conveyor includes a noncircular conveyance member rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation to convey toner to a toner container and a plate-shaped metal scraper slidably contacting the conveyance member with predetermined pressure therebetween to scrape the toner off the conveyance member. The scraper includes a contact end contacting the conveyance member, at least one through-hole spaced apart from the contact end, and a toner carrying face contacting the toner accumulated in the toner container. A lid is attached to the toner carrying face of the scraper to cover the at least one through-hole of the scraper and includes a separation region extending from an upper edge thereof to at least a position disposed opposite a lower edge of the at least one through-hole in a short direction of the scraper. The separation region is separatable from the scraper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Yuusuke Furuichi
  • Patent number: 8824950
    Abstract: The rotating speed of the coating brush of the image forming apparatus fluctuates between the upper limit speed and the lower limit speed across the standard speed. Consequently, the positional relation of the contact between the brush textile of the coating brush and the surface of the photographic sensitive drum varies for a wider range compared to a case where the rotating speed of the coating brush does not vary. Since the thin area of the brush textile moves for a wider range of the surface of the photographic sensitive drum in the axial direction of the rotating shaft of the photographic sensitive drum, the area where the coating amount of the lubricant is less is evened out by the area where the coating amount of the lubricant is rich, thus improving the unevenness of coating of the lubricant on the photographic sensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nakamura, Takahiro Iwasaki, Masami Maruko
  • Publication number: 20140233997
    Abstract: A cleaning unit, which is included in a process cartridge or an image forming apparatus, includes a brush rotary body to remove toner, a toner collecting rotary body to collect the toner, a toner collecting blade to scrape the toner, and a cleaning blade to scrape the toner falling from the brush rotary body. The image carrier, the brush rotary body, and the toner collecting rotary body rotate in the same direction. The cleaning blade, the brush rotary body, and the toner collecting rotary body are located to cause a tangential line passing through a contact area of the brush rotary body and the toner collecting rotary body on an outer peripheral circle around a shaft of the brush rotary body to have an intersection point intersecting a non-contact surface of the cleaning blade disposed opposite to a contact portion of the cleaning blade with the image carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventors: Akira ASAOKA, Hirotaka HATTA, Toshiya SATO, Takeshi KOJIMA, Hiroyuki UENISHI, Yusuke ISHIZUKA
  • Patent number: 8805240
    Abstract: There is provided a cleaning device for removing residual toner on an image carrier. The cleaning device includes a housing to cover a specified region of an image carrier. A first cleaning section and a second cleaning section are respectively placed in upper and lower parts of the housing partitioned by a partition member. The first cleaning section includes a first cleaning brush and a first regulating member. The second cleaning section includes a second cleaning brush and a second regulating member. The partition member substantially extends in a continuous manner with respect to a horizontal direction from the specified region to at least a position equivalent to an end portion on a housing sidewall side of the first or the second regulating member. A clearance exists between the housing sidewall and an end portion on the housing sidewall side of the partition member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsumi Shirai, Hideji Higashimura, Morihisa Kawahara, Takumi Michibata
  • Patent number: 8792815
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a collection member configured to contact a photosensitive member, on which an electrostatic latent image is configured to be formed, and collect foreign substances on the photosensitive member; a shaft configured to attract the foreign substances from the collection member so as to make the foreign substances cling thereto; a scraping member configured to contact the shaft and scrape the foreign substances cling on the shaft; and a housing configured to accommodate the collection member and the shaft, wherein the scraping member is mounted to the housing. The scraping member includes: an elastic member; and a fiber member configured to be adhered to the elastic member and slidingly contact the shaft. The elastic member is configured to press the shaft to such an extent that fibers of the fiber member are pressed and compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenta Tosuji
  • Patent number: 8731431
    Abstract: A belt device incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, multiple belt tension rollers disposed in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt, a rotary cleaning member to contact a belt wound area of the endless belt facing an opposing roller to form a cleaning nip between the rotary cleaning member and the endless belt and rotate the rotary cleaning member in a direction opposite the belt moving direction within the cleaning nip, and a voltage applier. The cleaning nip is formed by offsetting a center of the cleaning nip upstream from a center of the belt wound area of the endless belt in the belt moving direction and by at least contacting the rotary cleaning member in a range from the belt wound area to a tensioned belt area located upstream from the belt wound area in the belt moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Osamu Naruse, Naomi Sugimoto, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yoshiki Hozumi
  • Patent number: 8731437
    Abstract: There are provided a focus adjusting apparatus and method in which a look of an image plane can be improved when an object area to be focused in the image plane is judged and focused prior to image-taking preparation operation. A first operation for determining the object area to be focused is performed prior to the image-taking preparation operation, and a second operation for performing the focus adjusting operation is performed at the time of the image-taking preparation operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akiko Wada
  • Publication number: 20140126942
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming device, a plurality of second image forming devices, a first bias voltage supply device, and a second bias voltage supply device. The first image forming device and the second image forming device form a toner image. The first bias voltage supply device applies a bias voltage to a first component of the first image forming device. The second bias voltage supply device applies a bias voltage to a second component of each of the plurality of second image forming devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Inventors: Takeshi KOJIMA, Hirotaka HATTA, Toshiya SATOH, Akira ASAOKA, Hiroyuki UENISHI, Yusuke ISHIZUKA
  • Publication number: 20140119800
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for cleaning an imaging surface of a printing system by way of a cleaning member having a nanowire mesh portion configured to contact the imaging surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erwin Ruiz, Jeffrey Nyyssonen Swing, David S. Derleth, Charles T. Facchini, II, Steven Russel, Jorge M. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 8699908
    Abstract: A cleaning device including a rotatable cleaning member contacting a rotatable image carrier bearing a toner image to electrostatically remove toner from the image carrier while rotating, and a control unit to control rotation of the cleaning member to satisfy a relation of (60/R)>(L/V) during removal of a toner pattern formed on the image carrier at a predetermined timing and remaining attached to the image carrier without being transferred from the image carrier onto a transfer member using the cleaning member, where R (rpm) is a number of rotations of the cleaning member, L (mm) is a length of the toner pattern in a direction of rotation of the image carrier, and V (mm/s) is a speed of the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Takaya Muraishi, Kenji Sugiura, Akira Asaoka, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20140093295
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a brush to contact a photoconductive member, a roller to contact the brush, and a blade. The blade is located along the roller in a longitudinal direction. The blade has a first portion, a second portion, and a bent portion between the first portion and the second portion. A contact surface or edge of the first portion contacts a surface of the roller to remove toner therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Takeshi KOJIMA, Hirotaka HATTA, Toshiya SATOH, Akira ASAOKA
  • Patent number: 8634746
    Abstract: A photosensitive drum cartridge and an image forming apparatus including the photosensitive drum cartridge are provided. The photosensitive drum cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum; a primary cleaning roller which is configured to contact a surface of the photosensitive drum to remove an attached matter on the surface of the photosensitive drum; a first gear which is configured to rotate together with the photosensitive drum; a second gear which is configured to rotate together with the primary cleaning roller; and a third gear which is configured to mesh with the first gear and the second gear, and which has a rotation axis, a position of which is fixed such that a distance from a rotation axis of the first gear is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoya Kamimura, Fumikazu Sato
  • Patent number: 8626049
    Abstract: In the lubricant application device, including a brush roller which rotates while contacting an image carrying member and a solid lubricant, shaves the solid lubricant and applies the shaved solid lubricant onto the image carrying member, and a flicker which abuts against the brush roller and knocks off a developer adhering to the brush roller through a rotation of the brush roller, the brush roller has looped bristles implanted in a state of endless loop, and the flicker has a contact surface which forms an acute angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Nakane, Kuniaki Kashiwakura, Ikuko Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20130343793
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a rotatable image bearing member; and a brush roller that rotates in a counter direction to a rotational direction of the image bearing member with a bristle portion being in sliding contact with an image bearing surface of the image bearing member. The bristle portion is inclined forward in the rotational direction of the brush roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Yusuke NISHISAKA, Satoshi NISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20130287428
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus restrains the scattering of toners in an intermediate transfer member cleaning apparatus thereby to restrain the scattering toners from dirtying the inside of the apparatus. A cleaning container has an anti-scatter portion that enters into a fur brush. The anti-scatter portion blocks a bias roller from a space outside the cleaning apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kentarou Yamana
  • Patent number: 8538308
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a rotation member being held rotatably while making contact with an image carrier, a solid lubricant pressed so as to make contact with the rotation member, and a potential application unit for applying a potential to the rotation member, wherein the material of the solid lubricant and the material of the rotation member are selected so that the charged polarity of the solid lubricant charged due to the friction between the rotation member and the solid lubricant becomes identical with the charged polarity of toner, and the potential to be applied to the rotation member is set so as to be higher or lower than the surface potential of the neutralized image carrier so that the charges having the same polarity as the charged polarity of the solid lubricant are attracted from the rotation member to the neutralized image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Kashiwakura, Yoshiki Nakane, Ikuko Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20130195528
    Abstract: Brush rollers rotate in a direction indicated by an arrow while being in contact with an image formation surface to remove toner remaining on the image formation surface from an intermediate transfer belt. The brush rollers each mainly include a rotational shaft and a brush. The brush rollers face the intermediate transfer belt with brush winding directions being opposite from one another. The brush rollers rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. Thus, seams of the brush rollers can be prevented from being in contact with the same portion on the image formation surface of the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi NOGUCHI, Kazuyoshi Hara, Takahiro Kuroda, Satoru Shibuya
  • Publication number: 20130156448
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning device including a brush roll that removes residual toner remaining on a surface of a toner image carrier provided in an electrophotographic apparatus, and a pressure detector that contacts the surface of the brush roll with preload, and outputs a detected pressure value to a determination unit that is provided in the electrophotographic apparatus to determine the adhesion state of toner to the brush roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 8437657
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus including: a normally-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to a normal charging polarity of a toner and electostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on a cleaning target; a reversely-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having the same polarity as the normal charging polarity of a toner and electrostatically removes a toner having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target; and a pre-cleaning member that is disposed at an upstream side of the normally-charged toner cleaning member and the reverse-charged toner cleaning member in a surface moving direction of the cleaning target, receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity of the toner, and electrostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Kenji Sugiura, Osamu Naruse, Naomi Sugimoto, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8422085
    Abstract: There are provided an image reader with high resolution capability for images in a high density range and an image forming apparatus. An image reader 2 comprises a reflected light reading unit (11, 12, 13, 14, 10) for irradiating a surface to be read of an original sheet with a light and reading the amount of the reflected light and a transmitted light reading unit (15, 12, 13, 14, 10) for irradiating the original sheet with a light and reading the amount of the transmitted light, and calculates the density of an image of the original sheet based on the amount of the reflected light read by the reflected light reading unit and the amount of the transmitted light read by the transmitted light reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sakai, Masahiro Kouzaki, Shigeki Naiki