Patents Examined by Joseph S. Wong
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Patent number: 11874616Abstract: A developer conveying mechanism includes a pipe-shaped conveying path that conveys developer and includes a discharge port formed in part of a side surface thereof, a shutter that is slidably attached to the pipe-shaped conveying path and that is selectively arranged at a closing position overlapping with the discharge port and an opening position retreated from the discharge port, a seal member that is fixed to a seal affixing surface of the shutter, and a biasing member that biases the shutter toward the closing position. The shutter includes the seal affixing surface, which is a flat surface, and a pair of engagement portions that are opposite to each other across the seal affixing surface in a circumferential direction of the pipe-shaped conveying path. The pipe-shaped conveying path includes a pair of guide ribs with which the pair of engagement portions slidably engage.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2023Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventor: Geki Son
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Patent number: 11874617Abstract: An endless belt includes a resin, and particles having an average primary particle diameter of 8 nm or more and 20 nm or less. In a volume frequency distribution of the particles determined by small-angle X-ray scattering measurement, the ratio (area B/area A) of graph area B of a particle diameter region of over 35 nm to graph area A of a particle diameter region of 35 nm or less is 0.3 or less.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Yosuke Kubo, Hiroaki Tanaka, Shigeru Fukuda, Kenta Yamakoshi, Masato Ono, Masato Furukawa, Daisuke Tanemura, Masayuki Seko, Koichi Matsumoto, Iori Nishimura
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Patent number: 11868085Abstract: An image forming method for forming an image on a base material by using powder includes: attaching a protective material to a surface of the base material on which the image is to be formed; forming an attachment layer on at least one of the base material and the protective material attached to the base material; attaching the powder to the attachment layer after attaching the protective material; and removing excess powder attached to the protective material from the protective material without attaching to the attachment layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventor: Yuya Sato
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Patent number: 11868066Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt includes a single-layer body including a resin layer or a multilayer body including the resin layer serving as a top surface layer. The surface of the resin layer has an arithmetic average surface height Sa of 0.005 ?m or more and 0.020 ?m or less. The surface of the resin layer has a maximum height Sz of 0.050 ?m or more and 0.200 ?m or less. The surface of the resin layer has recesses having a depth of 0.050 ?m or more, the recesses being arranged at a regular interval, and the interval of the recesses is 0.20 ?m or more and 0.80 ?m or less.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Masato Furukawa, Masato Ono, Daisuke Tanemura, Hiroaki Tanaka, Yosuke Kubo, Iori Nishimura, Shigeru Fukuda, Masayuki Seko
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Patent number: 11868062Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a developing roller which is not prone to scumming in a nonprinting area. The solution is to provide a developing roller which has an elastic layer, a coat layer formed on the elastic layer, and end portion coat layers formed on outermost surfaces on two axial end portions, wherein the end portion coat layer contains a conductive material.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2020Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: BANDO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Taku Yamoto, Kimiya Goto, Hideki Norisada
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Patent number: 11860566Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing member, a transfer member, and a brush contacting a surface of the image bearing member in a contact portion downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a developing portion with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The toner which is not transferred onto a toner image receiving member is collected by the developing member. In a charging series, the toner is positioned on the same side as a normal charge polarity of the toner relative to the brush. In the contact portion, a maximum value of a contact pressure of 0.7 gf/mm2 or more and 3.5 gf/mm2 or less, a maximum contact area ratio is 18% or more and 74% or less, and a Clark-Evans index of the brush is 1 or more.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takayuki Kanazawa, Nobuo Oshima, Takayoshi Kihara, Kuniaki Tamagaki, Shuhei Tokiwa, Taichi Sato
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Patent number: 11860560Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a first transfer device including a first mover, a second transfer device including a second mover, a transfer-pressure changer, a detector, and circuitry. The detector detects a toner image and outputs a detection value indicating an amount of toner of the toner image adhering to the second mover. The circuitry calculates a variable value for the amount of toner varying with a change in a transfer pressure, based on the detection value and a target value of the amount of toner of the toner image to be transferred and adhere to the second mover, reflects the calculated variable value in the detection value to correct the detection value, adjusts an image-forming condition based on the corrected detection value, and sets the image-forming condition of the toner image in the image forming device based on the corrected detection value.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2023Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Masashi Tachi
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Patent number: 11846898Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, a developing roller, a supplying roller, a first magnet including a first magnetic pole, a second magnet including second to fourth magnetic poles, and a regulating member. A maximum magnetic flux density of the second magnetic pole is larger in absolute value than a maximum magnetic flux density of the third magnetic pole in a normal direction to the supplying roller, and a maximum magnetic flux density of the third magnetic pole is larger in absolute value than a maximum magnetic flux density of the fourth magnetic pole in the normal direction. With respect to a rotational direction of the supplying roller, an angle between maximum magnetic flux density positions of the second and third magnetic poles is smaller than an angle between maximum magnetic flux density positions of the third and fourth magnetic poles by 10 degrees or more.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2023Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Chihiro Tanaka
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Patent number: 11841669Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit that charges an image bearing member, a developing unit that forms a toner image on an latent image formed on the image bearing member, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a transfer material, a charge neutralizer that neutralizes a charge of the image bearing member downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a charging portion in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, a conductive collecting unit that collects a material adhering on the image bearing member downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion, wherein the developing unit collects residual toner on the image bearing member, an voltage application unit sets a potential difference between the voltage applied to the collecting unit and the surface electric potential of the image bearing member not more than a discharge threshold.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Jun Hara
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Patent number: 11841651Abstract: An endless belt includes a base material layer containing a polymer material and conductive particles, wherein, in an image obtained by observing a cross section taken along a thickness direction of the base material layer with an atomic force microscope, a proportion of a total area Ap of cross sections of all the conductive particles is 9.0% or more and 14.5% or less with respect to a total cross-sectional area At of the base material layer, and a proportion of a total area Ab of cross sections of conductive particles having an area of 0.01 ?m2 or more among cross sections of the conductive particles is 28.0% or more and 65.0% or less with respect to the total area Ap of cross sections of all the conductive particles.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2023Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Satoya Sugiura, Kenta Shingu, Toshiyasu Yukawa, Minoru Rokutan
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Patent number: 11841644Abstract: A cartridge includes a casing including a toner storage chamber storing toner and a toner discharge chamber having an outlet, a conveyance member conveying the toner from the toner storage chamber to the toner discharge chamber, an action member attached to the conveyance member and repeating an action of shifting between an entering state of entering the outlet and a retraction state of retracting from the outlet, and a pump expanding and contracting to be shifted between a first state and a second state in which the internal space is smaller in volume than in the first state, the pump putting air into the toner discharge chamber by being shifted from the first state to the second state, thereby discharging the toner from the toner discharge chamber through the outlet, and the pump taking in air by being shifted from the second state to the first state.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Masato Tanabe
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Patent number: 11841662Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet passage, a first sheet stacker, a second sheet stacker, and a sheet feeder. The first sheet stacker has a bottom and a lift. The sheet feeder includes an opening and a feed roller. The sheet conveyance device includes an assist plate supported to be movable between a first and a second position and an urging member. With the first sheet stacker mounted in an apparatus body, the assist plate moves from the first to the second position against the urging force of the urging member to allow passage of a sheet from the first sheet stacker to the sheet feeder. With the first sheet stacker removed from the apparatus body, the assist plate is urged by the urging member to move from the second to the first position to support the sheet conveyed from the second sheet stacker to the sheet feeder.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2023Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventors: Hoang Viet Nguyen, Ha Thi Ngoc Do
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Patent number: 11841668Abstract: A foreign substance collection apparatus includes: a frame body; a photosensitive drum; a cleaning roller which collects foreign substances from a surface of the photosensitive drum; a collecting roller which further collects the foreign substances having been collected by the cleaning roller from the cleaning roller; and a scraping member which scrapes off the foreign substances from the collecting roller. A foreign substance collecting portion included in the frame body has, in a posture during use: a first inner bottom surface which is positioned below the scraping member in a gravity direction; an outer bottom surface which is positioned further below the first inner bottom surface; and a connecting surface which intersects the first inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface and which connects the first inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface with each other.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Noriyuki Komatsu, Tomonori Mori, Teruhiko Sasaki, Makoto Hayashida, Shunsuke Uratani, Yuuki Nakamura, Satoru Motohashi
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Patent number: 11835898Abstract: An adhesion apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form, through an electrophotographic process, an adhesive image of a powder adhesive on a sheet that is conveyed; and a control unit configured to control the image forming unit to use a first pattern in a first conveyance period, and use a second pattern different from the first pattern in a second conveyance period following the first conveyance period, as a formation pattern in an adhering section corresponding to part of a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2021Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kohei Matsuda, Taku Watanabe, Shun Sato, Tsutomu Shimano, Yuki Nishizawa
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Patent number: 11829093Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming portion, an endless belt, a plurality of stretching rollers including an inner roller, an outer roller, a position changing mechanism capable of changing a position of the inner roller to a first position and a second position positioned downstream of the first position with respect to a rotational direction of the endless belt, a feeding member, a feeding member driving portion, and a controller. A feeding start timing of a recording material by the feeding member depends on the position of the inner roller during transfer of a toner image onto the recording material.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2022Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tomoya Inuzuka
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Patent number: 11829087Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion, a second image forming portion, a belt, a charging voltage applying portion, and a transfer voltage applying portion. With respect to a movement direction of a recording material, the first image forming portion is provided upstream of the second image forming portion. In an image forming operation, a potential difference between a first transfer voltage and a potential at a first transfer portion, which is formed on a first image bearing member and does not form the image, is greater than a potential difference between a second transfer voltage and a potential at a second transfer portion, which is formed on a second image bearing member and does not form an image.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2022Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Tanaka, Satoru Motohashi, Nobuo Oshima, Akihisa Matsukawa, Katsuichi Abe, Takayuki Namiki
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Patent number: 11829091Abstract: A belt device includes a belt, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt is rotatable and has an endless shape. The belt includes an inner portion having an inner circumferential surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The inner circumferential surface of the belt slides on the secured member. The pressure rotator includes a porous elastic body and presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the belt and the secured member.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2022Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hiroyuki Shimada, Yukimichi Someya, Yuusuke Furuichi, Daisuke Inoue, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Patent number: 11822269Abstract: According to one embodiment, a temperature control device stores a fixing device temperature estimation value and a storage time obtained by WAE control in a memory at any time during operation. After an electric power supply to the temperature control device is stopped, the next time the electric power supply is started, an electric power supply stop period until the electric power supply is started is calculated. If the electric power supply stop period is shorter than a set time, the WAE control is started by using the stored fixing device temperature estimation value, and if the electric power supply stop period exceeds the set time, the WAE control is started based on an initial set value.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi Kojima, Yutaka Usami
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Patent number: 11815827Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing device, a developing device, a transfer member, a brush, a voltage applying portion, and a control portion controlling a surface potential of the photosensitive member at the brush contacting position. When a value of subtracting a value of the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position from a value of the brush voltage is defined as a contacting position potential difference, the control portion controls the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position so that the contacting position potential difference is changed from a first potential difference to a second potential difference in a predetermined direction which is either one of an increasing direction or a decreasing direction, and then the contacting position potential difference is changed from the second potential difference to a third potential difference in the predetermined direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun Hara, Mikihiko Hamada, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi
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Patent number: 11803135Abstract: A transfer device includes a plurality of photoconductors, a belt, a plurality of primary transfer rollers and control circuitry. The plurality of primary transfer rollers is disposed for the plurality of photoconductors, respectively. The plurality of primary transfer rollers brings the belt into contact with or separate the belt from the plurality of photoconductors. The control circuitry causes at least one of the plurality of primary transfer rollers to press against a corresponding at least one of the plurality of photoconductors to shift a printing mode.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Nagisa Nakamura, Koji Kiryu, Masahiro Ashikawa, Hiroaki Takagi, Jumpei Yamaguchi, Masashi Kasamai, Kanji Ubukata