Patents Examined by Carla Therrien
  • Patent number: 8583004
    Abstract: A cam member has each of a plurality of first exposure-side surfaces provided in association with a first contact part of each exposure units and each of a plurality of second exposure-side surfaces provided in association with each first contact part. Each first contact part confronts but separates from the corresponding first exposure-side surface when the corresponding exposure unit is disposed in an adjacent position where the exposure unit is capable of exposing the corresponding photosensitive drum. Each first contact part is in contact with the corresponding second exposure-side surface when the corresponding exposure unit is disposed in a retracted position positioned farther than the adjacent position from the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoya Kamimura
  • Patent number: 8577245
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member rotatably supported in a body of the image forming apparatus, and bearing a developer image; a developing device including a developing container, a developing member, and a transporting member, the developing container containing a developer, the developing member disposed so as to oppose the image bearing member, the developing member having thereon the developer in the developing container and rotating to develop a latent image, the transporting member transporting the developer in the developing container while stirring the developer, the developing device being unremovably supported with respect to the body of the image forming apparatus; and a damping member disposed with respect to an axial direction of a rotational axis of the developing member so as to be situated at an end portion of the developing container in the axial direction, and restraining vibration of the developing container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohiko Awano, Atsuna Saiki, Yosuke Ninomiya, Kazuhiro Saito, Satoru Hori, Kiyoshi Sakoh
  • Patent number: 8559861
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt to transmit a heat to a print medium, a pressing unit to apply a pressure on the print medium, a heating unit surrounded by the fixing belt to generate the heat and a nip plate disposed against the fixing belt and facing the pressing unit, to form a fixing nip. The fixing device further includes a support element to support the nip plate, and a reflection unit disposed within the fixing belt to reflect the heat radiated from the heating unit toward the support element. The reflection unit is connected to the nip plate to conduct the heat from the reflection unit to the nip plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-sung Lee, Seong-yul Kim
  • Patent number: 8538281
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier transferring the developer image to a material at a transfer position; plural developing units supplying developer of corresponding colors; a cleaner disposed downstream of the transfer position in the rotating direction of the image carrier with respect to the image carrier; a recycle developer storage unit storing the developer; a recycle developer developing unit supplying the developer to the image carrier; and a control unit controlling a recycle developer adjustment by supplying the developer from at least one of the plural developing units to the image carrier, forming a developer image on the image carrier, allowing the developer image to pass through the transfer position without being transferred onto the material, and allowing the developer of the developer image to be recovered in the cleaner to supply the developer to the recycle developer storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Takuwa, Hirofumi Hiyoshi
  • Patent number: 8532537
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier that holds a latent image thereon, a developer carrier that develops the latent image on the latent image carrier by using a liquid developer including a toner and a carrier liquid, a squeeze roller being in contact with the latent image carrier, that holds an image developed by the developer carrier, to squeeze the liquid developer on the latent image, and a control unit that applies a first bias to the squeeze roller, when a first position of the latent image carrier that does not hold the latent image is in contact with the squeeze roller, and that applies a second bias being different from the first bias to the squeeze roller, when a second position of the latent image carrier that holds the latent image is in contact with the squeeze roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Sasaki, Naotaka Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8503912
    Abstract: An electrophoretic printing system is provided comprising a transfer printing station for transfer printing charge images developed with liquid toner comprising a carrier fluid and toner and wherein the developed charge images are transferred to a recording medium. A wetting unit provided adjacent to the recording medium before the transfer printing station as viewed in a movement direction of the recording medium wets the recording medium with a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Pohlt
  • Patent number: 8494425
    Abstract: A fixing unit for fixing a toner image formed on a sheet is provided with a belt unit including a belt configured to press the sheet, a reference roller configured to nip the sheet in cooperation with the belt, and a supporting element configured to support the belt unit and the reference roller. The belt unit includes first and second rollers on which the belt is wound. The supporting element includes a supporting plate configured to support the first, second and reference rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuo Tanda
  • Patent number: 8494427
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device applying a bubble-like fixing liquid to resin-containing particles adhered to a medium so that the resin-containing particles are fixed to the medium, the bubble-like fixing liquid being formed by transforming a fixing liquid into foam that dissolves or swells at least a part of the resin, includes a control device that, based on a difference between a moisture content included in the medium after fixing and a target value of the moisture content, adjusts an application amount of the fixing liquid for a next medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Nagao, Takuma Nakamura, Yuichi Aoyama, Masafumi Yamada, Shunichi Abe, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Takanori Inadome
  • Patent number: 8488992
    Abstract: A development device includes a toner-containing chamber for containing supplied toner having an interior wall, a developer-containing chamber for containing developer including toner and carrier communicating with the toner-containing chamber; and a transport screw to transport the supplied toner from the toner-containing chamber to the developer-containing chamber, disposed in the toner-containing chamber so that there is no gap between the outer edge of the transport screw and the interior wall of the toner-containing chamber in a portion lower than a level of the supplied toner in the toner-containing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ichiro Kadota, Kunihiro Ohyama, Masayuki Yamane, Takeshi Uchitani, Satoru Yoshida, Takuya Seshita
  • Patent number: 8472835
    Abstract: There is provided a fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet. The fixing device includes a tubular flexible member, a heater, a nip member and a backup member. The tubular flexible member has an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space. The heater is disposed within the internal space and is configured to generate a radiant heat. The nip member is disposed within the internal space and is configured to receive the radiant heat from the heater, the inner peripheral surface being in sliding contact with the nip member, and the nip member being electrically conductive and the tubular flexible member being grounded via the nip member. The backup member is configured to provide a nip region in cooperation with the nip member for nipping the tubular flexible member between the backup member and the nip member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noboru Suzuki, Kei Ishida, Yoshihiro Miyauchi, Tomohiro Kondo, Tsuneo Fujiwara, Etsuko Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8417130
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a main body, a support unit, a driving unit, a developer cartridge, a moving member, a transmitting member, and a detection member. The support unit can be pulled out from the main body in a removing direction. The developer cartridge is detachably mounted in the support unit and has a driving member. The driving member is driven by the driving unit when the developer cartridge is mounted in the support unit. The moving member moves when the driving member is driven by the driving unit. The transmitting member is provided to the support unit and is rotatable about a rotational axis which extends perpendicular to the removing direction and a longitudinal direction of a photosensitive member. When the moving member contacts the transmitting member, the transmitting member rotates. The detection member detects a rotation of the transmitting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Hashimoto