Of Motive Power Or Driven Unit Patents (Class 399/36)
  • Patent number: 11835903
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a drive unit having a drive roller, a driving motor, and a limited-life component, a sound collecting device that collects sound from the limited-life component, and outputs sound data, a storage device storing in advance a sound pressure level corresponding to a specific frequency of the limited-life component, with respect to each of different lengths of the remaining service life, and a controller that analyzes frequency of the sound data at predetermined time points; acquires the sound pressure level corresponding to the specific frequency of the limited-life component, on a basis of a result of the frequency analysis; compares the acquired sound pressure level with the sound pressure level of each of the lengths of the remaining service life; predicts the remaining service life of the limited-life component, on a basis of comparison result; and displays the predicted remaining service life on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hayamizu, Daijiro Ueno, Tetsuya Ueno, Hisaji Kawai, Haruki Sayama
  • Patent number: 11483436
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printer engine, a sensor and a processor. The printer engine forms an image. The sensor outputs vibration information associated with a vibration of the printer engine. The processor determines whether at least one component of the printer engine has an abnormality based on the output vibration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kiho Park, Minkeun Song, SaeJin Park, Yong-Ho You, Sungdae Kim
  • Patent number: 11427227
    Abstract: A safety device for use in a vehicle which is configured to be operated at least intermittently in an automated driving mode, in which the vehicle drives in an automated manner, and which includes a first data source which is designed as a human machine interface and configured to output data about a driving status, including computing device and a first data interface, the safety device being configured to receive data about the driving status from the first data source via the first data interface, the safety device being configured to receive data about the driving status from a second data source different from the first data source, and the safety device being configured to output pieces of information about the driving status to a driver, using an information output device and based on the data received from the first data source and the second data source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Henkel, Andreas Hoertling, Guido Funcke, Hartmut Loos, Werner Poechmueller
  • Patent number: 11415905
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first rotatable member; a second rotatable member that presses against the first rotatable member in a pressed state and separates from the first rotatable member in a separated state; and a hardware processor that sets a target speed of the second rotatable member based on a change in speed of the second rotatable member between a first speed in the separated state and a second speed in the pressed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Nobuhiko Okano, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Yujiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 11275323
    Abstract: Each of first and second glasses to be cleaned has a first edge and a second edge. A cleaning system has a cleaning member having a contact surface adapted to contact a surface of the glass, and first and second holders that hold the cleaning member. A drive system moves the holder so as to perform an outward cleaning moving from the first edge toward the second edge and a return cleaning returning from the second edge to the first edge. At a start position of the outward cleaning, the holder is stopped so that a portion of the contact surface of the cleaning member is positioned inside the first edge, and at a start position of the return cleaning, the holder is stopped so that a portion of the contact surface is positioned inside the second edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Shingo Yoshida, Tatsuya Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11048206
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a motor, a first coupling, an attachable/detachable unit, a detector, a phase determiner, and a controller. The motor rotates a rotary member through the first coupling and the attachable/detachable unit. The controller includes a first control mode and includes a second control mode. In the second control mode, in a case where a rotor load torque applied value is greater than a first predetermined value and a rotor rotational speed value is greater than a second predetermined value, the controller switches from the second control mode to the first control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Tajiri
  • Patent number: 10739694
    Abstract: In a case where a cleaning member is reciprocated in a longitudinal direction of a transmissive member in cleaning operation, the time necessary for the cleaning operation is lengthened. A movement unit is controlled to move the cleaning member in a first direction from a first position in response to a cleaning start signal and then to stop the cleaning member at a second position, and to move the cleaning member in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the second position in response to a next cleaning start signal and then to stop the cleaning member at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Kamata
  • Patent number: 10684583
    Abstract: An abnormality detection device is configured to detect abnormality in a subject to be driven by a motor via a drive transmission member. The abnormality detection device includes an output signal acquisition unit, a rotational frequency acquisition unit, and a determining unit. The output signal acquisition unit is configured to acquire a rotational frequency output signal output from the motor. The rotational frequency acquisition unit is configured to acquire a motor rotational frequency calculated from the rotational frequency output signal acquired by the output signal acquisition unit. The determining unit is configured to distinctively determine abnormality in the subject to be driven and abnormality in the motor based on the rotational frequency output signal acquired by the output signal acquisition unit and the motor rotational frequency acquired by the rotational frequency acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Nakamoto, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Keiichi Yoshida, Takuya Murata
  • Patent number: 10591862
    Abstract: An imaging system having methods for reducing churn in an imaging device which includes identifying a number of unproductive revolutions made in a print engine of the imaging device, determining whether the number of unproductive revolutions exceeds a predetermined threshold, and performing at least one of: using a predetermined speed limit when printing a page and disabling a function in the imaging device upon the determination that the number of unproductive revolutions exceeds the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC
    Inventors: Douglas Anthony Able, Kevin Dean Schoedinger
  • Patent number: 10116822
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a housing, a transparent cover, a cleaning member, a holding member, and a movement mechanism. The cleaning member slidably contacts with the surface of the transparent cover to clean the surface. The holding member holds the cleaning member. The movement mechanism allows the holding member to reciprocally move along the transparent cover in the aforementioned predetermined direction. The aforementioned holding member has an inside/outside double structure including an inner boss member and an outer boss member. The inner boss member receives power from the movement mechanism. The outer boss member internally receives the inner boss member. The outer boss member is longer than the inner boss member. The outer boss member reaches a moving end and stops earlier than the inner boss member, and the aforementioned inner boss member moves in the outer boss member reaches the moving end and stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 9316995
    Abstract: A light scanning device includes a housing, a plurality of permeable members, a plurality of cleaning members, a plurality of cleaning holders, a linear member, and a driving unit. The plurality of permeable members close the respective plurality of the emission ports. The plurality of cleaning holders extend over the plurality of the permeable members adjacent to one another. The plurality of the cleaning holders each have a holding unit that holds at least the two cleaning members. The linear member is connected to the plurality of the cleaning holders. The driving unit causes the linear member to run circularly. The cleaning members each slide on the corresponding permeable member in association with the linear member running circularly. The cleaning holders each connected to the linear member at a center of the holding unit in an extending direction of the holding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Noriaki Sumikura, Kosuke Uchida
  • Patent number: 9285746
    Abstract: An abnormality monitoring system includes: an electronic component that outputs a lock signal of “High” when the electronic component stops functioning and outputs a lock signal of “Low” when the electronic component functions; a signal device that supplies power to the electronic component and outputs an ON operation signal instructing the electronic component to function and an OFF operation signal instructing the electronic component to stop functioning; a harness member that connects the electronic component and the signal device and transmits and receives a signal; and a monitor device that determines abnormality of the electronic component when the operation signal is ON and the lock signal is “Low”, and determines abnormality of the harness member when the operation signal is OFF and the lock signal is “Low”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Konishi, Yoshiaki Morita
  • Patent number: 9207612
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to perform operations including: controlling an exposing unit to expose a first ratio to a full scan width and thus to form a first exposed section, and to expose a second ratio smaller than the first ratio thus to form a second exposed section, controlling a detecting member to acquire: a first voltage in a case where a first test current flows in the first exposed section; a second voltage in a case where the first test current flows in the second exposed section; a third voltage in a case where a second test current larger than the first test current flows in the first exposed section; and a fourth voltage in a case where the second test current flows in the second exposed section; and identifying the photosensitive member based on the first to fourth voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Hayakawa, Yuichi Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20150145447
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a motor device, a speed command section, and a load detecting section. The motor control device includes: a motor configured to drive a rotating body and output a speed notification signal having an oscillation frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of the rotating body; and a driver IC configured to control a rotational speed of the motor. The speed command section is provided outside the motor device and configured to output a speed command signal designating a rotational speed of the motor to the driver IC. The load detecting section is provided outside the motor device and configured to derive a phase difference between the speed command signal and the speed notification signal and detect a load on the motor based on the phase difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Naohiro Anan
  • Patent number: 9042784
    Abstract: A rotating-body driving device that includes a rotating body; a driving source; a reduction gear that includes an output shaft and a gear rotating at a non-integer ratio of rotation period to a rotation period of the output shaft, and the reduction gear reducing rotation speed of the driving source; a pulse-signal generating unit; a pulse-count storage unit; a speed-fluctuation storage unit that stores therein a rotation speed fluctuation of the output shaft; and a driving-source control unit. The driving-source control unit detects the speed fluctuation information associated with the accumulated number of pulse signals from the speed-fluctuation storage unit, and performs for the driving source a feedforward control to set off the rotation speed fluctuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiromichi Matsuda, Katsuaki Miyawaki, Tetsuo Watanabe, Yasuhiro Maehata, Keisuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9037009
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first rotation member, a second rotation member that rotates while being in indirect contact with the first rotation member via a medium or being in direct contact with the first rotation member without the medium, a first drive motor that drives the first rotation member, and a second drive motor that drives the second rotation member. In addition, a first control unit controls the first drive motor to cause the first rotation member to rotate at a constant rotation frequency, a second control unit controls the second drive motor, and a rotation frequency detection unit detects a rotation frequency of the second drive motor. The second control unit is configured to control a rotation frequency of the second drive motor based on the detected rotation frequency of the second drive motor such that the second rotation member is driven to accompany the first rotation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimichi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8989608
    Abstract: A rotating mechanism driving apparatus is disclosed that includes a frictional transmission configured to output torque via a viscous fluid, the torque being input from the motor; an input shaft rotational amount detecting part configured to detect a rotational amount of an input shaft of the frictional transmission; an output shaft rotational amount detecting part configured to detect a rotational amount of an output shaft of the frictional transmission; an input torque detecting part configured to detect input torque of the frictional transmission; a slip amount calculating part configured to calculate a slip amount between the input shaft and the output shaft; and abnormal state determining part configured to determine abnormal state of a rotating mechanism connected to the output shaft of the frictional transmission based on the input torque and to determine an abnormal state of the frictional transmission based on the slip amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Asano, Takahisa Koike
  • Publication number: 20150043928
    Abstract: An abnormality monitoring system includes: an electronic component that outputs a lock signal of “High” when the electronic component stops functioning and outputs a lock signal of “Low” when the electronic component functions; a signal device that supplies power to the electronic component and outputs an ON operation signal instructing the electronic component to function and an OFF operation signal instructing the electronic component to stop functioning; a harness member that connects the electronic component and the signal device and transmits and receives a signal; and a monitor device that determines abnormality of the electronic component when the operation signal is ON and the lock signal is “Low”, and determines abnormality of the harness member when the operation signal is OFF and the lock signal is “Low”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Konishi, Yoshiaki Morita
  • Patent number: 8948627
    Abstract: A load abnormality detection apparatus detects a load abnormality in first and second rotational members acting on each other. An inclination calculation part calculates an inclination of a second control element. A first comparison part compares a first control element with a first threshold value and also with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value. A second comparison part compares an inclination of change in the second control element with a third threshold value of a negative value and also with a fourth threshold value of a positive value. An abnormality detection part detects a load abnormality in a load applied to the first rotational member and the second rotational member based on results of comparison by the first comparison part and the second comparison part and identifies a cause of the detected load abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuusuke Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 8934793
    Abstract: A toner-state predicting device includes a changing unit that changes a rotation speed of a stepping motor that drives a toner recovery mechanism in an image forming apparatus; a detecting unit that detects presence of synchronization loss of the stepping motor at the changed rotation speed; and a predicting unit that predicts toner clogging which will occur in future in the toner recovery mechanism, based on the rotation speed changed by the changing unit and the presence of the synchronization loss detected by the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigehiro Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20140306633
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a measuring unit configured to output a measurement value corresponding to a rotation speed of a motor; and a control unit configured to control driving of the motor such that the measurement value makes closer to a target value. When the measurement value does not exceed a predetermined abnormality determination threshold, the control unit controls the driving of the motor based on a difference between the measurement value and the target value. The abnormality determination threshold is set in a positive direction or in a negative direction with reference to the target value. When the measurement value exceeds the abnormality determination threshold, the control unit controls the driving of the motor based on a difference between a corrected measurement value and the target value. The corrected measurement value is set in the same direction as the direction in which the abnormality determination threshold is set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ashikawa
  • Publication number: 20140306635
    Abstract: A motor control device performs drive control of a motor connected to an object. The motor control device includes a rotation detection unit that detects rotation of the motor and outputs a detection signal, a counter unit that receives the detection signal from the rotation detection unit and outputs a count based on the received detection signal, and an error detection unit that receives counts from the counter unit at intervals of a reference period, computes a difference between a present count received from the counter unit and a previously received count, and detects that an error arises in the rotation detection unit when the difference is continuously less than a reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya WATAHIKI, Natsuko ISHIZUKA
  • Patent number: 8861997
    Abstract: A rotary driving apparatus that is capable of controlling a rotational speed correctly even when an anomaly occurs. A drive unit rotates a rotating member. A rotating body is rotated with the rotating member. A detection unit detects scales formed on the rotating body. A calculation unit calculates rotation information about the rotating member based on the detection result by the detection unit. A control value setting unit sets a control value to a predetermined value when the rotation information falls outside a predetermined range and a count of determinations that the rotation information falls outside the predetermined range is smaller than a predetermined count, and sets the control value based on the rotation information when the rotation information falls outside the predetermined range and the count of determinations is larger than the predetermined count. A control unit controls the drive unit based on the set control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8861996
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second rotation members which are a plurality of rotation members for performing image formation and rotate in contact with each other. A first driving motor drives the first rotation member. A second driving motor drives the second rotation member. The obtaining unit obtains pieces of motor driving information about driving states of the first or second driving motor at respective relative driving speeds when the relative driving speed of the second driving motor with respect to the driving speed of the first driving motor is changed to a plurality of relative driving speeds. The control unit controls the driving speed of at least either the first or second driving motor in image formation to reduce the relative speed difference between the circumferential velocities of the first and second rotation members based on the pieces of motor driving information obtained by the obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tomioka, Yasuhiro Sendoda, Yoshimichi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8855512
    Abstract: A load abnormality detection apparatus includes first and second rotational members that contact each other directly or via a recording medium interposed therebetween, a first motor that drives the first rotational member and is controlled by a first drive current and a second motor that drives the second rotational member and is controlled by a second drive current. The load abnormality detection apparatus further includes a current detection part configured to detect the first and second drive currents, a first judgment part configured to judge whether the first drive current is within a first range, a second judgment part configured to judge whether the second drive current is within a second range and an abnormality detection part configured to detect a load abnormality of the first and/or second rotational members and identify a cause of the load abnormality based on results from the first and second judgment parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuusuke Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 8849134
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a CPU that performs control to form an inspection image for determining whether or not banding is suppressed to be smaller than a predetermined threshold value; and a density sensor that detects an intensity of banding periodically occurring in a sub-scanning direction of the formed inspection image. If based the detected banding intensity, the CPU has determined that the banding is not suppressed to be smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the CPU performs control to not perform banding correction or performs control to re-set a relationship between a phase of a rotary member and correction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Ogawa, Takayuki Fukutani, Yuuji Takayama, Tomoyuki Saiki, Tae Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8805230
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a high-voltage substrate, a motor and a DC power source. The high-voltage substrate has a developing positive bias circuit and a developing reverse bias circuit which are connected to each other in parallel, in which the developing positive bias voltage is combined with developing reverse bias voltage to generate developing bias voltage. The high-voltage substrate includes a interruption switch for interrupting a reverse current from the motor to the developing reverse bias circuit in a case where an interlock switch is turned off at the time of emergency stop, in which, when the reverse current is interrupted by the interruption switch, electric power that is accumulated in the capacitor is supplied to the developing positive bias circuit to apply the developing positive bias voltage as the developing bias voltage to the developing roller for a given length of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norihide Momose, Kenji Sugimura
  • Patent number: 8781347
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a method of driving the same are provided in which, if a driving environment is determined to be a low temperature environment, a driving load of an image forming unit is decreased by repeating driving and stopping a driving motor under a high load driving condition to generate a torque higher than a torque generated under a normal warm-up driving condition; and a warm-up operation is performed by driving the driving motor under the normal warm-up driving condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yun-su Kim, Dae-lim Shin, Hong-chul Choi
  • Patent number: 8768186
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method of predicting failure of a fixing device of an image forming apparatus are provided. Based on a plurality of sheet transfer time values of the fixing device, a first characteristic value that is an average value of the plurality of sheet transfer time values, and at least one of a second characteristics value that indicates the variance of the plurality of sheet transfer time values and a third characteristics value that indicates the maximum value of the plurality of sheet transfer time values are calculated. Using a determination result generated based on the first characteristics value and the at least one of the second and third characteristics values, failure of the fixing device is predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Mikiko Imazeki, Yasushi Nakazato, Osamu Satoh, Masahide Yamashita, Jun Yamane, Kohji Ue
  • Patent number: 8731416
    Abstract: An electronic device including a first motor, the electronic device including: a first movable body that is driven to move by the first motor; a detecting unit that detects a signal according to rotation of the first motor or movement of the first movable body; an analyzing unit that performs frequency analysis of the signal and generates an analysis result with respect to each frequency; and a determining unit that determines presence or absence of malfunction of the first motor or the first movable body based on an analysis result of a first frequency preset with respect to the first motor or the first movable body out of frequencies, and determines presence or absence of malfunction of a part other than the first motor and the first movable body on the basis of an analysis result of a second frequency preset with respect to the part out of the frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tatsuya Watahiki
  • Publication number: 20140132189
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a motor control apparatus, an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus including the same, and a motor control method, by which position error of a motor and a control value for compensating for the position error are calculated and reflected in feedback control, thereby quickly removing position error of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyoung II KIM
  • Patent number: 8699896
    Abstract: A failure predictor for predicting failure of a fixing device including a first characteristics value extractor to extract a first characteristics value representing a time interval between each implementation of repair of a surface of one of a pair of rotary bodies, a second characteristics value extractor to extract a second characteristics value representing a change in a degree of glossiness on the surface of one of the pair of rotary bodies during a period of time between before and after repair of the surface of one of the pair of rotary bodies, a third characteristics value extractor to extract a third characteristics value representing a change in a current value of a drive motor, and a determination device to predict failure of the fixing device caused by the condition of the surface of one of the pair of rotary bodies using the extracted first, second, and third characteristics values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Ishigaya, Yasunari Mikutsu, Ryota Yamashina
  • Patent number: 8670683
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a photoreceptor for bearing a toner image; a transfer body onto which the toner image borne by the photoreceptor is transferred; a drive section for driving the photoreceptor and transfer body respectively, and a control section for controlling the drive section so as to drive the photoreceptor and transfer body at a predetermined driving speed, wherein the control section, under a state in which the control section controls to drive the transfer body at the predetermined driving speed, controls to: a) drive the photoreceptor while changing the driving speed of the photoreceptor within a range of driving speeds between low speed and high speed, including the predetermined driving speed, b) extract torque characteristics under the control which includes the change of driving speed of the photoreceptor, and c) determine the driving speed of the photoreceptor based on the extracted torque characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsunori Takahashi, Masashi Sugano, Akinori Kimata, Akifumi Isobe, Jun Onishi, Masahito Takano, Kenji Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20140064752
    Abstract: A driving device includes a motor, a pulley, a metal belt, a first unit, a second unit, a biasing member and a detector. The motor includes a drive shaft. The pulley includes an output shaft extending in parallel to the drive shaft. The pulley is rotatably supported on the first unit with the output shaft as a rotary shaft and the circumferential surface is arranged at a distance from the drive shaft in a radial direction of the rotation. The second unit supports the motor and is slidable relative to the first unit. The biasing member biases the second unit in a direction to move the drive shaft away from the output shaft in a state where the metal belt is mounted between the drive shaft and the pulley. The detector detects a change in an inter-axial distance between the drive shaft and the output shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Tsuji, Akihiro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20140010559
    Abstract: A toner-state predicting device includes a changing unit that changes a rotation speed of a stepping motor that drives a toner recovery mechanism in an image forming apparatus; a detecting unit that detects presence of synchronization loss of the stepping motor at the changed rotation speed; and a predicting unit that predicts toner clogging which will occur in future in the toner recovery mechanism, based on the rotation speed changed by the changing unit and the presence of the synchronization loss detected by the detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigehiro FURUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20130343772
    Abstract: A load abnormality detection apparatus includes first and second rotational members that contact each other directly or via a recording medium interposed therebetween, a first motor that drives the first rotational member and is controlled by a first drive current and a second motor that drives the second rotational member and is controlled by a second drive current. The load abnormality detection apparatus further includes a current detection part configured to detect the first and second drive currents, a first judgment part configured to judge whether the first drive current is within a first range, a second judgment part configured to judge whether the second drive current is within a second range and an abnormality detection part configured to detect a load abnormality of the first and/or second rotational members and identify a cause of the load abnormality based on results from the first and second judgment parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuusuke ISHIZAKI
  • Patent number: 8588630
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a rotary image bearing member, a charging device to charge the image bearing member. an irradiator to irradiate the image bearing member to form a latent electrostatic image thereon, a developing device to develop the latent electrostatic image with a developing agent containing toner to obtain a visible image, a transfer device to transfer the visible image to a recording medium, a first cleaner that slidably contacts the image bearing member to remove toner remaining thereon, a driving mechanism to drive the image bearing member at different linear speeds, a noise detector provided in the vicinity of the image bearing member to detect noise, and an abnormal noise predictor device to predict whether abnormal noise hear during image formation based on noise detected by the noise detector when the image bearing member is driven not during image formation at a linear speed different from that during image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Kurimoto, Hiroshi Ikuno, Keisuke Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 8565647
    Abstract: A first and second electrostatic image code is located outside a developing zone. A transfer belt provided with an electrostatic image recording track capable to transfer the electrostatic code between the first drum and second drum. A transferring voltage applies to a side of the transfer belt for the first drum to transfer the first electrostatic image code onto the electrostatic image recording track. An electroconductive member is in parallel with the electrostatic image code and a surface of the electrostatic image code detected within a predetermined gap. An induced current generated in the electroconductive member relative to the lines of the electrostatic image codes which control the first drum or the second drum on the basis of a detection result of the detecting means such that the toner image on the second drum transferred onto a recording material on the transfer belt and overlaid on the toner image transferred onto the recording material from the first drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Shigemura, Yuri Mizutani, Ichiro Okumura, Jiro Shirakata
  • Publication number: 20130272728
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an image formation unit including a photosensitive drum and a motor for driving the image formation unit. The apparatus acquires a frequency generator signal, which is phase information output from the motor as the motor rotates. In addition, the apparatus corrects unevenness of the density that may occur due to the rotation of the motor according to the acquired phase information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Takayuki Fukutani, Yuuji Takayama, Tomoyuki Saiki, Tae Mutsuo, Yuichi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8548341
    Abstract: A control unit temporarily stops an image carrier when transfer of an image formed using a developer to a recording medium ends. Thereafter, the control unit controls a drive source to intermittently drive the image carrier N times. A measuring unit measures an amount of rotation of the image carrier when the image carrier is intermittently driven. A determination unit determines an amount of rotation for stop instruction issuance that will be applied to a next drive. The amount of rotation for stop instruction issuance is based on an amount of inertial rotation measured from when a stop instruction is issued until when the image carrier stops rotating, and a target amount of rotation for each time the image carrier is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Itoh
  • Patent number: 8543017
    Abstract: A load abnormality detection apparatus detects a load abnormality in at least one of a first rotational member and a second rotational member. An element acquisition part acquires a first control element and a second control element. A first comparison part compares the first control element with a first threshold value and also compares the first control element with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value. A second comparison part compares the second control element with a third threshold value and also compares the second control element with a fourth threshold value larger than the third threshold value. An abnormality detection part detects a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of the first and second rotational members based on results of comparison by the first comparison part and the second comparison part and identifies a cause of the detected load abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuusuke Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 8494387
    Abstract: A color-image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members corresponding to individual colors and disposed along the moving direction of a transfer member to which toner images are to be transferred, wherein the peripheral speed of a photosensitive member that is not forming a toner image on the transfer member is controlled so that a load during forming of a toner image on the transfer member with part of the photosensitive members at least comes close to a reference load generated between all the photosensitive members and the transfer member while all the photosensitive members are forming toner images on the transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8452211
    Abstract: A control unit sets a first feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a first frequency, which causes a misalignment of images to be overlaid with each other, to the first nd feedback unit in a first image forming mode in which images formed on the first and the second image carriers are overlaid, and sets a second feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a second frequency, which causes a periodic uneven density on an image that is to be formed with a uniform density, to the first feedback unit in a second image forming mode in which an image is formed using the first image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8428476
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an image carrier, a driving source, a rotation detection unit, and a control unit that performs fluctuation pattern recognition processing, control pattern construction processing, speed fine-adjustment processing, and remaining pattern recognition processing. The control unit is configured to perform control pattern correction processing for setting a frequency band of a remaining speed fluctuation to be detected by the remaining pattern recognition processing narrower than a frequency band of a speed fluctuation to be detected by the fluctuation pattern recognition processing and correcting the speed control pattern so as to be a pattern capable of reducing even the remaining speed fluctuation based on a remaining speed fluctuation pattern recognized by the remaining pattern recognition processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Matsuda, Takuro Kamiya, Michihito Ohashi, Yuichi Hirose, Noritaka Masuda, Satoru Tao, Hiroki Tsubouchi
  • Publication number: 20130084086
    Abstract: A secondary transfer motor drive control unit drives a secondary transfer motor such that an intermediate transfer belt and a secondary transfer roller satisfy a follower condition. When the follower condition is satisfied, a difference in the circumferential surface speeds of the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller can be appropriately controlled to the extent that color misregistration and image defects do not easily occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimichi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8406665
    Abstract: A steering controller uses a photointerrupter that detects the position of a filler when a steering roller is in a predetermined reference inclined position. The steering controller drives a steering motor to bring the steering roller to the reference inclined position based on a detection result obtained by the photointerrupter every time predetermined adjustment timing arrives or every time the power is turned on. Using the rotation angle of the steering motor in this condition as a reference rotation angle, the steering controller controls the rotation of the steering motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Hirose, Hiroaki Takagi, Takuro Kamiya, Junya Takigawa
  • Patent number: 8385756
    Abstract: A first feature quantity computing unit that computes a first feature quantity representing an average of a plurality of driving loads recorded by a driving load of a fixing section recording unit of an image forming device that records the driving load acquired by a driving load acquiring unit that acquires the driving load, a second feature quantity computing unit that computes a second feature quantity representing a deviation of the plurality of the driving loads, and a diagnosis unit that performs failure diagnosis including estimation of a cause of a failure of the fixing section using the first feature quantity and the second feature quantity are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ryota Yamashina, Yasushi Nakazato, Osamu Satoh, Kohji Ue, Mikiko Imazeki, Masahide Yamashita, Jun Yamane
  • Patent number: 8351804
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus capable of performing, even by a short brake, brake assist by which a sheet is stopped at a position where the sheet is visible. Upon occurrence of a wrap jam, brake control for a drive motor and brake assist control are performed. In the brake assist control, a pressing process is performed based on the number of assist operation pulses, which is set in advance. When an edge of a home position sensor signal is detected, a process for stopping the pressing process is carried out, whereby a pressing unit assumes a maximum pressing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Birumachi
  • Patent number: 8351829
    Abstract: A method of preventing a registration error while printing at least one printing image, wherein, in order to control or adjust the correct length of the printing image, the start and/or the distance of the printing image lines of the printing image are controlled by determining the ratio of the number of rotary encoder signals of a transport web counted during a specific time interval to the number of rotary encoder signals of a cylinder of a printing and by taking into account a change of this ratio as a correction, said ratio being a function of a printing sheet located in a printing nip between the transport web and the printing unit, is characterized in that a changed printing material situation occurring in said printing nip between the transport web and the printing unit is used to achieve registration accuracy immediately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jan D. Boness, Heiko Hunold, Stefan Schrader, Matthias Wecker
  • Patent number: 8351824
    Abstract: A control unit sets a first feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a first frequency, which causes a misalignment of images to be overlaid with each other, to the first feedback unit in a first image forming mode in which images formed on the first and the second image carriers are overlaid, and sets a second feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a second frequency, which causes a periodic uneven density on an image that is to be formed with a uniform density, to the first feedback unit in a second image forming mode in which an image is formed using the first image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda