Patents Examined by Hoang Ngo
  • Patent number: 10261440
    Abstract: A cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a container configured for storing a volume of particulate image forming material and a dispensing port in communication with the container. The dispensing port includes a perimeter lip extending around a delivery passage. A dispensing spindle is rotatable relative to at least the dispensing port. The dispensing spindle includes a spindle core a plurality of arms extending from the spindle core. Each of the arms includes a sweeping face configured to sweep across the perimeter lip to convey a quantity of the particulate image forming material to the dispensing port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Katun Corporation
    Inventors: Terry Dean Erickson, Joseph Allen Amberg, Ryan Bayliss
  • Patent number: 10248051
    Abstract: A developing method in a developer device having a developing roller configured to rotate within a housing, the developing roller having a first portion that is exposed through an opening of the housing, a second portion at which developer attached to the developing roller separates from the developing roller and a third portion between the first and second portions, and an elastic sheet in contact with the developing roller between the second and third portions of the developing roller, the method includes guiding airflow along a first airflow passage, which is formed in the housing and partially facing the second portion of the developing roller, and guiding airflow along a second airflow passage facing the third portion of the developing roller and adjacent to the first airflow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10241433
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading configured to read a shape of a sheet to be used for image formation, and an original sheet carrying an original image, and an image forming portion configured to form a toner image, corresponding to the original image read by the reading portion, on the sheet to be used for image formation. A fixing portion is configured to fix the toner image, formed by the image forming portion, to the sheet to be used for image formation. In addition, a controller is configured to control a fixing condition of the fixing portion in accordance with the shape of the sheet to be used for image formation read by the reading portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Tanaka, Yasuharu Chiyoda, Daigo Matsuura, Mitsuru Hasegawa, Yusuke Yamaguchi, Shigeru Hirano
  • Patent number: 10241445
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus operable in a mode of forming an image using only a part of image forming stations. In the mode, a developing device contacts an image bearing member in a part of the image forming stations, and the developing device is spaced from the image bearing member in the rest of the image forming stations. The contact pressure between the image bearing member and a transferring device is made smaller in the rest than in the part. The image forming operation in the mode is executed while the image bearing members of the part and the rest are rotated. A controller is configured such that when the operation in the mode is continuously executed for a time period longer than a predetermined period, the contact pressure in the rest is made larger than the above-mentioned smaller contact pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Mizukoshi, Takaaki Shinkawa, Jun Miura, Takahiro Ikeda, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10241455
    Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members that form a nip for fixing a toner image on a recording material, and a pressing mechanism that presses one of the first and second rotatable members toward the other. A pressure P1 at a first position, in an upstream side of a center of a recording material feeding direction, and which is a maximum pressure in the nip, an average pressure P0 from the first position to a second position, which is a downstream end of the nip in the recording material feeding direction, a toner melt viscosity M1 at the first position, and a toner melt viscosity M2 at the second position, satisfy: 0.3 MPa?P1?0.6 MPa, 0<P0?0.25 MPa, 1.0×104 Pa·s?M1<1.0×105 Pa·s, and 0.5×102 Pa·s?M2?1.0×103 Pa·s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asuna Fukamachi, Masanobu Tanaka, Suguru Takeuchi, Oki Kitagawa, Yasuharu Toratani, Keita Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 10234806
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum for bearing a developer, a charging roller that comes into contact with the photosensitive drum at a different velocity and that charges the photosensitive drum, a transfer roller that transfers a developer image on the photosensitive drum to a recording material, and a developing sleeve that supplies a developer to the photosensitive drum and that recovers a developer on the photosensitive drum after transfer. A detecting device detects information relating to injection charging, and a controller controls an amount of the fogging developer during image formation according to information detected by the detecting device while suppressing the amount of the developer recovered in the developing sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Iwayama, Satoshi Sunahara
  • Patent number: 10228634
    Abstract: A cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a container configured for storing a volume of particulate image forming material and a dispensing port in communication with the container. The dispensing port includes a perimeter lip extending around a delivery passage. A dispensing spindle is rotatable relative to at least the dispensing port. The dispensing spindle includes a spindle core a plurality of arms extending from the spindle core. Each of the arms includes a sweeping face configured to sweep across the perimeter lip to convey a quantity of the particulate image forming material to the dispensing port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Katun Corporation
    Inventors: Terry Dean Erickson, Joseph Allen Amberg, Ryan Bayliss
  • Patent number: 10222723
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developer cartridge, in some instances, may include a shutter. This shutter may have a wall for closing a developer supply hole, and be movable, with respect to a developer cartridge casing, between an open position where the supply hole is opened by the wall and a closed position where the supply hole is closed by the wall. The shutter may further include a protrusion that is movable with respect to the wall of the shutter between a first position and a second position in an axial direction. The protrusion, in the first position, is engageable with a developing unit and, in the second position, would be disengaged from the developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Hayakawa, Masashi Imai, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 10216133
    Abstract: A belt slippage correcting device includes: a belt moving part that moves a belt in a width direction of the belt; a slippage detector that detects a slippage of the belt in the width direction; a hardware processor that controls a movement of the belt caused by the belt moving part based on the slippage of the belt detected by the slippage detector; and an acquisitor that acquires paper sheet conveying property, wherein the hardware processor controls an amount of movement of the belt caused by the belt moving part based on the paper sheet conveying property acquired by the acquisitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 10209648
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a human sensor, a fixing device and a controller. The human sensor detects a person in the vicinity of the image processing apparatus. The fixing device carries out fixation of an image formed with a decolorable recording agent serving as a recording agent containing a coloring agent which is decolored through heating on a medium and decoloration of the image formed on the medium. The controller controls the fixing device to stop the decoloration of the image when the person is detected by the human sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeharu Shokai
  • Patent number: 10209653
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a heat roller configured to heat a sheet with heat generated by a plurality of heat generating elements and a controller configured to control a current supplied to the heat generating elements from an AC power supply. The controller controls a timing at which the current flows or does not flow to the heat generating elements according to a first set of control parameters, such that a total of a first sum of estimated absolute value magnitudes of a positive polarity current flowing to the heat generating elements during one duty cycle and a second sum of estimated absolute value magnitudes of a negative polarity current flowing to the heat generating elements during the one duty cycle, is lower when the heat generating elements are controlled according to the first set relative when the heat generating elements are controlled according to other sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Fuse
  • Patent number: 10203634
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a printing setting acquisition section and a printer section. The printing setting acquisition section acquires printing setting information for holding setting at the time of printing for each kind of a sheet. The printer section applies, in a case in which a label paper is selected as the kind of the sheet, a developing agent in the vicinity of an area coming into contact with an end part of the sheet in an area on an image carrier for transferring the developing agent to the sheet, transfers the developing agent by a transfer member for transferring the developing agent from the image carrier to the sheet, and rotates the transfer member at least once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sunao Takenaka
  • Patent number: 10203656
    Abstract: A processing cartridge detachably mounted to an electronic imaging device is provided. The processing cartridge comprises a first housing, and a power receiving component configured to receive a driving force from a driving component of the electronic imaging device. The processing cartridge has a first position and a second position in the imaging device, and the processing cartridge is able to move in a longitudinal direction of the processing cartridge between the first position and the second position. When the processing cartridge is in the first position, the power receiving component disengages with the driving component, and the power receiving component is unable to receive the driving force from the driving component, and when the processing cartridge is in the second position, the power receiving component moves in an opposite direction and the power receiving component is able to receive the driving force from the driving component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: NINESTAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xueyu Rong, Jianxin Cao, Wanhong Huang, Jinlian Liu
  • Patent number: 10203636
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt holding member, a fixing belt, a pressing roller, and a peeling member. The pressing roller forms a fixing nip portion through which a recording medium as a fixing target passes between the pressing roller and the fixing belt. The peeling member separates the recording medium having passed through the fixing nip portion from the fixing belt. The peeling member includes a guide wall which guides the recording medium having passed through the fixing nip portion. The guide wall includes a belt facing portion which faces the outer surface of the fixing belt in a non-contact state, and an extending portion which extends to the outside in the width direction of the fixing belt continuously from the belt facing portion. The belt holding member includes an abutting surface which abuts on the extending portion of the end face of the guide wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiya Inomata
  • Patent number: 10197942
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a light-irradiation unit configured to move a spot of laser light on a surface of a photosensitive member at a non-constant scanning velocity in a main scanning direction to form a latent image on the photosensitive member, an image data correcting unit configured to correct a length in the main scanning direction of image data by inserting one or more image data pieces into the image data, the number of the image data pieces increasing as the scanning velocity increases, and/or extracting one or more image data pieces from the image data, the number of the image data pieces increasing as the scanning velocity decreases, and a brightness correcting unit configured to correct a brightness of the laser light so that an emission brightness increases as the scanning velocity increases and/or the emission brightness decreases as the scanning velocity decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kawana, Kazuyuki Ishihara, Yuuji Takayama, Hikaru Uchidate, Yoshihiko Tanaka, Hiroyuki Fukuhara, Shuichi Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 10191423
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing belt stretched across a first roller and a second roller including an elastic layer. A pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt. A recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed through the fixing nip. A clearance detector detects a clearance between the first roller and the second roller. A mover moves the pressure rotator with respect to the second roller in a pressing direction in which the pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt and a separation direction in which the pressure rotator separates from the second roller. A controller controls an amount of movement of the pressure rotator moved by the mover toward the second roller based on the clearance detected by the clearance detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryohhei Sugiyama, Hironori Yamaoka, Takashi Sakamaki, Tetsuo Tokuda, Akiyasu Amita, Shinichi Namekata, Yohhei Watanabe, Fumihiro Hirose, Teppei Kawata, Masateru Ujiie
  • Patent number: 10191430
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, mounting unit to which a container is mounted, cover, detector, controller, and display unit. The image forming unit forms an image by using a developer, the cover is opened/closed to replace/cover the mounted container, the detector detects the mounted container in a cover closed/opened state, the controller determines whether a remaining amount of the developer in the container is more than a predetermined amount, and the display unit displays, in a case where the container in which the remaining amount is more than the predetermined amount is removed, a first screen promoting re-mounting of the container, a second screen on closing the cover without detecting the container after displaying the first screen, and a third screen after displaying the second screen in a case where the container is not mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryou Sakaguchi, Toshifumi Oikawa, Hiroyuki Eda
  • Patent number: 10185253
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum, an intermediate transfer belt located at a lower position with respect to the photosensitive drum to contact the photosensitive drum, a secondary transfer roller contacting the intermediate transfer belt, a first sheet tray located at a lower position with respect to the intermediate transfer belt to store a sheet, and a sheet guide to guide the sheet stored in the first sheet tray to a position between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller, is provided. The sheet guide is located between the intermediate transfer belt and the first sheet tray with regard to a vertical direction and has a curved section. A contact area between the secondary transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt is located at a lower position with respect to an upper end portion of the curved section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 10185286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a photosensitive member, an exposing device, a cartridge attachable to and removable from the casing, a protruding portion protruding toward a removal path along which the cartridge is removed, and a guide portion disposed on the cartridge. The guide portion is configured to, when the cartridge is attached to the casing, guide a sheet toward the photosensitive member. The guide portion is movable relative to the cartridge between a guide position where the guide portion guides a sheet and a retracted position where the guide portion is retracted from the protruding portion when the cartridge is removed from the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Yusuke Ikegami
  • Patent number: 10185284
    Abstract: A disassemblable imaging apparatus includes a photo sensing assembly and a toner cartridge. The photo sensing assembly has an accommodating space, a photosensitive side and a fastening side. The photosensitive side and the fastening side are respectively located at two sides of the accommodating space, which are opposite to each other. The toner cartridge includes a main body and a handle. The handle is swingably connected to a side of the main body in order to move an end of the handle, which is away from the main body, close to or away from the main body. The toner cartridge is detachably installed in the accommodating space, and the handle is detachably fastened to the fastening side of the photo sensing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Hsin Lin, Jan-Hsing Kao