Patents Assigned to Minolta
  • Image forming apparatus which supervises the number of times an image is formed under each user identifier
    Patent number: 5802423
    Abstract: An electrophotographic copying machine having a control unit is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Okunishi
  • Image forming apparatus having means to disable a drive force when an apparatus cover is opened
    Patent number: 5802427
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an apparatus housing having a releasible and movable side frame, and a stationary side frame, a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive member and which is detachably mounted on the movable side frame, and an intermediate transfer unit having an intermediate transfer member for temporarily receiving a transferred toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member in a primary transfer, and transferring the temporarily transfer toner image to a recording sheet in a secondary transfer, the intermediate transfer unit being detachably mounted on the movable side frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sawada, Masahiro Sato, Hitoshi Sekino, Masashi Sakamoto
  • Linear motor and image reading apparatus
    Patent number: 5801462
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a linear motor and a image reading apparatus. The motor comprises a rod-like stator formed of a magnetizable rod-like member provided by magnetization with a drive field magnet and a plurality of magnet portions providing multiple kinds of position information; a movable piece being movable along said stator and having an armature coil opposed to said field magnet; and a sensor reading the position information from the plurality of magnet portions. The apparatus includes motors such as the foregoing linear motors as drive source for sliders to be driven for scanning a document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Yagoto, Hideyuki Kurahashi, Masanori Murakami, Katsuhiro Nanba, Masamitsu Ishiyama, Toshikazu Suzuki
  • Electrostatic recording apparatus
    Patent number: 5801741
    Abstract: An electrostatic recording apparatus 1 for forming an electrostatic image on an electric charge carrying member 2 includes a photoelectric transfer member 14, a pair of bias electrodes 12, 13, an electric power supply 17, a floating electrode 16 and an exposure means 8. The photoelectric transfer member 14 which generates carrier when being exposed to light is interposed between the bias electrodes 12, 13. One of the bias electrodes 12 is transparent. The electric power supply 17 applies a voltage between the bias electrodes 12, 13. The floating electrode 16 has a first area which comes into contact with the photoelectric transfer member 14 and a second area which is opposed to the electric charge carrying member 2. The floating electrode 16 is in no electrical connection with the bias electrodes 12, 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihito Ikegawa
  • Camera in use of a film cartridge which contains a film wound around a winding shaft in a light-shielding condition
    Patent number: 5799223
    Abstract: A camera in use of a film cartridge which contains a film wound around a winding shaft in a light-shielding condition, wherein an output of a motor that is disposed in a movable cartridge chamber drives the cartridge chamber to open and close, driven members that are arranged in a camera body, and driven members that are arranged in the cartridge chamber. Therefore, there is no need to arrange a complicated transmitting mechanism which transmits a driving force from a motor in the camera body, which makes it possible to simplify a driving force transmitting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshito Konishi, Yoshiyuki Inoue, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Junichi Tanii
  • Camera system
    Patent number: 5799215
    Abstract: A camera system comprises a brightness measuring circuit, a exposure line choosing circuit, an operable switch, a film driver and a film driving mode selector. The brightness measuring circuit measures brightness of a photographic scene to send a brightness value. The exposure line choosing circuit chooses one of a plurality of exposure lines in which each lines selects a combination of an aperture value and a shutter speed value at each brightness value. The film driver drives a film in either of a first mode in which the film is wound only one frame in response to the operation of the operable switch and a second mode in which the film is wound frame by frame continuously as long as the operable member is operated. The film driving mode selector selects one of the modes in accordance with the exposure line chosen by the choosing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Katoh, Yoshihiko Azuma, Masayasu Hirano, Naohiro Kageyama, Toshihiko Ishimura, Kenji Tsuji, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Finisher with a stapling function
    Patent number: 5797596
    Abstract: A finisher comprising a non-sort tray disposed at an uppermost location, a stacking tray for stapling disposed at an intermediate location, and a large-capacity storing tray disposed at a lower location. In a non-sort mode, sheets discharged from a copying machine are first stored in the non-sort tray and, when the non-sort tray is occupied full, subsequent incoming sheets are stored in the storing tray. In a stapling mode, sheets are collected on the stacking tray and, after a stapling operation, they are stored in the storing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Morigami, Tadashi Kobayashi, Misao Nishikawa, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Kazuhito Ozawa, Ryo Hirano, Shinobu Seki, Shinji Wakamatsu
  • DC motor and controlling system therefor
    Patent number: 5798625
    Abstract: A dc motor wherein a driving force thereof can be used effectively with a simple and compact mechanical construction and a motor controlling system which can control such a dc motor to be driven efficiently. The motor comprises at least two coils, and change-over means for changing electric connection of the coils to change over the motor, when power is selectively supplied to the coils, between a first mode in which the torque produced is relatively high and the rotational frequency is relatively low and a second mode in which the torque is relatively low and the rotational frequency is relatively high. The motor controlling system includes selecting means for automatically selecting one of the first and second modes to control the change-over means in response to a given condition of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Tanii, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Toshihiko Taniguchi, Takahisa Shimada, Sadafusa Tsuji
  • Linear motor
    Patent number: 5796186
    Abstract: A single sided servo apparatus comprises a linear motor and a longitudinal carriage which is connected to the linear motor at one end thereof. The linear motor comprises a stator including field magnets arranged linearly and a movable piece including armature coils. The field magnets have a trapezoid-like magnetic flux distribution. An arrangement pattern of the field magnets has a relative tilted angle to an arrangement pattern of the armature coils, so that a free end of the carriage precedes the other end thereof connected to the linear motor. Then, the thrust has a small variation and generates a stable thrust of the servo apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Nanba, Mitsutoshi Yagoto, Masamitsu Ishiyama, Makoto Izawa, Toshio Kitaoka, Yasuhiro Matsumoto
  • Apparatus and method for feeding film having perforations including judging wheter a film tip has passed a detector
    Patent number: 5797053
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a feeder for feeding the film, a detector for detecting perforations formed on the edge of the film, a controller for controlling the feeder based on the output from the detector. In the apparatus, the operation of the detector is inhibited after the beginning of film feeding until the tip of the film has passed in front of the detector to prevent the erroneous detection of the perforations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Toner for developing electrostatic latent image
    Patent number: 5792583
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image comprising:a colorant; and binder resin including a low-molecular component having a weight-average molecular weight from 3,000 to 15,000 which is obtained by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), said low-molecular component being included from 60 percent-by-weight to 80 percent-by-weight with respect to the binder resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Sano, Yoshitaka Sekiguchi
  • Encoder and motor with an encoder
    Patent number: 5793128
    Abstract: An encoder for a motor provided with a field magnet as well as the motor having the encoder, wherein the encoder includes an optical and/or mechanical encoder scale formed in an overlapped manner at said field magnet, and a scale reading sensor corresponding to said encoder scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Nanba, Yasuhiro Matsumoto
  • Method and apparatus for image processing capable of generating multiple images of varying dimensions
    Patent number: 5794104
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus designates image area on the original. A shifting device shifts the image area by predetermined amount. An outputting device outputs the image data corresponding to the image area and the image data corresponding to the shifted image area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiko Maruyama
  • Induction type heat fixing device
    Patent number: 5794096
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction type heat fixing device. In the induction type fixing device, a high frequency current is supplied to a coil by switching an electric current supply to coil between a supply state and an interrupted state so that an induction current is generated in a fixing roller (heat-receiving member). The high frequency current is controlled in accordance with at least one of the voltage fluctuation of the electric power source, the amount of coil current and the coil voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiji Okabayashi
  • Image forming apparatus and toner for full color development
    Patent number: 5794105
    Abstract: A toner for full-color development for use in a developing system of a full-color image forming apparatus which comprises a binder resin having a glass transition point Tg of from 60.degree. to 75.degree. C., a number-average molecular weight Mn of from 3500 to 6000, a ratio of a weight-average molecular weight Mw to the number-average molecular weight Mn (Mw/Mn) ranging from 3 to 8, and a difference between a temperature T.sub.1 at the apparent melt viscosity of 1.times.10.sup.5 poise and a temperature T.sub.2 at the apparent melt viscosity of 1.times.10.sup.6 poise DT (=T.sub.1 -t.sub.2) in the range of from 8.degree. to 15.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Tamaoki, Ichiro Demizu, Takeshi Arai, Katsunori Kurose, Masayuki Hagi, Hiroyuki Fukuda
  • Developer for developing electrostatic latent image
    Patent number: 5789131
    Abstract: A developer for developing an electrostatic latent image comprising: (a) a positively chargeable toner particle comprising a binder resin which comprises a styrene-type copolymer having an acid value of 1 to 10 KOHmg/g and a colorant; and (b) a hydrophobic silica adhered to the surface of said toner particle, said hydrophobic silica being treated by a hydrophobic property imparting agent and having a pH of 6.5 to 9.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Mikuriya, Yoshikazu Nishihara, Hiroyuki Fukuda
  • Display device
    Patent number: 5790099
    Abstract: A display device for a computer comprises a display on which an image is displayed, a gazing line detection unit which detects a direction of a gazing line of an observer who observes the display, and a processor which executes prescribed processing based on the direction of the gazing line detected by the gazing line detection unit and the state of the displayed image on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Okada
  • Electrophotographic image forming apparatus with low ozone generation
    Patent number: 5790925
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises an image carrying member 2, a photosensitive member 9, a first voltage applying means 13, and an exposure means 5. The image carrying member 2 has an insulating layer 25 formed on a first conductive layer 23. The photosensitive member 9 has a photosensitive layer 93 formed on a second conductive layer 92. The photosensitive member 9 is supported so that the photosensitive layer 93 is opposed to the insulating layer 25 of the image carrying member 2. The first voltage applying means 13 applies a voltage between the first conductive layer 25 and the second conductive layer 92. A pattern-like surface electrode layer 98 is formed on the surface of the photosensitive layer 93 opposed to the image carrying member 2. A second voltage applying means 14 applies a bias voltage to the surface electrode layer 98.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Doi, Keiko Momotani, Akihito Ikegawa
  • Multi-tone image processing method and apparatus
    Patent number: 5790272
    Abstract: A multi-tone image processing method and apparatus in which mutually dissimilar tone levels are realized by changing the additive condition of recording energy by means of different recording positions, even when the number of recording operations within a specific range is identical. For example, in an electrophotographic apparatus, when the number of irradiation by a light spot within a specific range remains constant as the irradiation position is changed in the specific range, there is a change in the additive condition of the optical energy within said specific range. Thus, the area rendered visible within the aforesaid specific range also changes, thereby changing the tone level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Goto, Satoshi Deishi
  • Camera
    Patent number: D397129
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Eto, Fumitaka Io