Patents Examined by Joseph S. Wong
  • Heating device with an obliquely disposed blowing unit and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11550242
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats in a non-contact manner an upper surface of a transport material that is transported, and a blowing unit that blows air against a lower surface of the transport material via a blowing hole that is provided in an opposing surface opposing the lower surface of the transport material, the opposing surface being obliquely disposed with respect to a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kosuke Yamada, Tetsuro Kodera, Takayuki Yamashita, Nobuyuki Nakayama
  • Developing device and image forming apparatus including same
    Patent number: 11550238
    Abstract: A developing device includes a development casing, a developer carrying member, and a regulating blade. The development casing has an opening part. The developer carrying member has a developing area. The development casing has a blade facing part. The regulating blade includes a fixed part and a regulating part, and a space between the regulating part and the blade facing part is larger than a space between the fixed part and the blade facing part. The developing device further includes a blade seal member. The blade seal member is disposed between the regulating blade and the blade facing part, and is glued to an upstream side surface of the regulating part in the rotation direction, so as to seal a gap between the regulating blade and the blade facing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitagawa, Rei Yamagishi
  • Method of manufacturing heat generating roller by providing a poly-ether-ketone resin over a base member, heat generating roller, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11537072
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a heat generating roller includes forming an insulating portion on a surface of a metal base member by providing poly-ether-ether-ketone resin over the surface of the base member and heating the poly-ether-ether-ketone resin, the poly-ether-ether-ketone resin being electrically insulating and heat-shrinkable; and forming a heat generating portion on a surface of the insulating portion, the heat generating portion generating heat when energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takashi Matsubara, Takashi Ohashi, Takuma Ishihara
  • Cleaning transparent member provided on image forming apparatus to reduce foreign matter
    Patent number: 11526114
    Abstract: A movement member that causes a cleaning member to move so as to reciprocally move on a transparent member is provided. A cleaning process is performed in accordance with an instruction on a number of times of movement of the movement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoki Baba
  • Image forming apparatus with collection
    Patent number: 11526116
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Jun Hara
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11520257
    Abstract: A first protrusion is provided between an operation lever and a lock lever. The operation lever is for moving a pressure roller. The lock lever is provided for a sheet guide member for guiding a sheet that has passed through a fixing unit downstream in the sheet conveyance direction. The lock lever is for locking the sheet guide member at a position where the sheet guide member is engaged with a housing. The first protrusion protrudes from the sheet guide member toward an exterior cover. The first protrusion is provided with a second protrusion on the lock lever side of the first protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Koyama
  • Electrophotographic member, electrophotographic process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11520249
    Abstract: An electrophotographic member includes an electro-conductive substrate and an elastic layer containing inorganic particles and a binder resin. The electrophotographic member has a protrusion on an outer surface of the electrophotographic member containing the inorganic particles. At least part of the inorganic particles contained in the protrusion are exposed to a surface of the protrusion, and the binder resin is present among the inorganic particles contained in the protrusion. An elastic modulus E1 of the binder resin measured at a first region in a cross-section in a thickness direction of the elastic layer is equal to or above 1000 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Nagaoka, Toru Ishii
  • Conductive roll, transfer device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus for image transfer
    Patent number: 11513454
    Abstract: A conductive roll includes a support member, an elastic layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the support member, a surface layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer, and an intermediate layer disposed between the elastic layer and the surface layer, the intermediate layer having a Poisson ratio of 0.40 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shogo Hayashi, Minoru Rokutan, Takuro Hoshio
  • Static elimination device and medium processing device using the same
    Patent number: 11493872
    Abstract: A static elimination device includes: a first static elimination member that makes contact with a medium that is transported; a second static elimination member arranged such that the medium is inserted between the first static elimination member and the second static elimination member; and a power source that applies a voltage to at least one of the first static elimination member or the second static elimination member, in which at least one of the first static elimination member and the second static elimination member has an elastic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Tanaka, Koichiro Yuasa
  • Layer transfer device
    Patent number: 11493873
    Abstract: Disclosed is a layer transfer device for transferring a transfer layer onto a toner image formed on a sheet, in which a replacement of a film cartridge is easy for a user. The layer transfer device includes a housing, a film cartridge, and a holder. The film cartridge includes a supply reel including a supply shaft on which a multilayer film including a supported layer including a transfer layer, and a supporting layer supporting the supported layer is wound, and a take-up reel including a take-up shaft on which to take up the multilayer film. The holder supports the film cartridge, and is installable into and removable from the housing while supporting the film cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Ichikawa, Ryosuke Sakai
  • Intermediate transfer member and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11487227
    Abstract: The crystallinity of a thermoplastic resin is 8% or more and 25% or less, the average primary particle size of carbon black is 10 nm or more and 30 nm or less, the content of the carbon black is 15.0 parts by mass or more and 30.0 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of an intermediate transfer belt, and (Li+Lo+Lc)/3?100 nm, where Li, Lo, and Lc are values of an L-function indicating a dispersibility of the carbon black with respect to the thermoplastic resin in an inner peripheral surface region of the intermediate transfer belt, in an outer peripheral surface region, and in a central region that is a central portion of the intermediate transfer belt in a thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Midai Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Koji Sato, Noriaki Kobayashi, Megumi Uchino, Akira Okano, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Naoko Kasai, Atsushi Hori
  • Developing device and image forming apparatus including ihe same
    Patent number: 11487220
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, a developer carrier, a seal member, and a pair of pressing members. The developing container has an opening. The seal member includes a contact end part that makes contact with an entire region of an outer circumferential surface of the developer carrier in its rotary shaft direction and is one of end edges of the seal member in a longitudinal direction thereof on a side near the developer carrier and an interposed end part that is interposed between each of both end parts of the developer carder and a corresponding one of the pressing members and is an end edge of the seal member orthogonal to the contact end part, and a chamfered shape is formed at a corner between the contact end part and the interposed end part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Kawasumi, Masakazu Uehara, Rei Yamagishi, Hiroaki Kitagawa, Seia Fujii
  • Endless belt, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11487232
    Abstract: An endless belt includes a metal substrate, and a heat-resistant resin layer that is disposed as an innermost layer on an inner peripheral surface of the metal substrate and that contains a resin and a thermally conductive filler having an aspect ratio of 20 or more. In the heat-resistant resin layer, an orientation ratio of the thermally conductive filler with respect to a circumferential direction of the endless belt is 20% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kenji Omori, Hideaki Ohara, Tomotake Inagaki, Hitoshi Komuro, Jun Kimura
  • Image forming device
    Patent number: 11487241
    Abstract: An image forming device, including: a housing; a drawer movable between an inside position at which the drawer is located inside the housing and an outside position at which the drawer is located outside the housing; a drum cartridge including a photoconductive drum and a developer roller and mountable on the drawer; a toner cartridge storing toner to be supplied to the developer roller and mountable on the drawer, wherein the drawer includes a first guide that guides the toner cartridge in mounting the toner cartridge on the drawer, and wherein the drum cartridge includes a second guide connected to the first guide in a state in which the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer, the second guide being configured to guide the toner cartridge in mounting the toner cartridge on the drawer in the state in which the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Shougo Sato
  • Fixing device with nip forming member having guide portions
    Patent number: 11474461
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device includes a pressing member; an endless tubular fixing member disposed opposite to the pressing member; a heating source configured to heat the fixing member; a nip forming member disposed opposite to the pressing member via the fixing member to form a nip portion; and a supply unit configured to supply lubricant to a portion of an inner surface of the fixing member, the portion facing the nip forming member, wherein the nip forming member includes a contact portion that contacts the inner surface of the fixing member, the contact portion includes a guide portion for guiding lubricant, and the guide portion is formed by extending obliquely from opposite ends in a width direction toward a center of the fixing member as the contact portion moves from upstream to downstream in a rotational direction of the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuuichi Mimbu, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kazuya Saito
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11474466
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning blade, disposed on a downstream side of a transfer roller in a rotation direction of an image carrier, removes toner remaining on the image carrier after transfer of a toner image to an intermediate transfer member. After completion of an image forming operation, a controller causes the transfer roller to separate from the intermediate transfer member, cause the developing device to form on the image carrier a toner band to be supplied to the cleaning blade, and cause rotation of the image carrier to stop such that at least a part of the toner band formed on the image carrier stops within a section from a first position facing the transfer roller to a second position facing the cleaning blade in the rotation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuya Nagatomo, Noriyuki Okada, Shozo Aiba, Naoki Mugita, Akinori Miyamoto, Kenta Matsuzaki, Masato Maejima
  • Developing cartridge capable of maintaining contacting pressure between developing roller and photosensitive drum regardless of residual amount of toner
    Patent number: 11467515
    Abstract: A developing cartridge including a casing, a developing roller, a developing roller gear, a gear cover, a first boss, and a pressure receiving surface. The developing roller is positioned closer to a first end portion of the casing than to a second end portion of the casing in a first direction. The first boss extends in a second direction and is movable together with the casing. The first boss is positioned away from the developing roller in the first direction by a first distance and also positioned away from the developing roller in a third direction. The pressure receiving surface is positioned further from the developing roller than the first boss is from the developing roller in the third direction. The pressure receiving surface is positioned away from the developing roller by the first distance or by a second distance shorter than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuwen Wang
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11467533
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a drawer, an operation panel, and a sensor. The housing includes a first side wall having a first opening, and a second side wall having a vent and extending in a direction crossing the first side wall. The drawer supports a cartridge. The drawer is movable through the first opening between an inner position at which the drawer is accommodated in the housing and an outer position at which a part of the drawer is exposed to outside the housing. At least part of the operation panel protrudes from an outer surface of the second side wall. The sensor is arranged in the housing between the drawer and the second side wall. The sensor is configured to detect at least temperature or humidity of ambient air taken in through the vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Hachiya, Masaaki Wakizaka, Kentaro Aoyama, Shinta Sugiura, Toshinori Araki, Keita Inoue
  • Gap adjustment of non-contact charging roller
    Patent number: 11454898
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier having a first rotation axle, a charging roller having a second rotation axle, a conductive member to contact a surface of the image carrier, a gap size acquisition device, and a gap adjustment device. The charging roller is disposed adjacent to the image carrier in a non-contact manner across a gap to charge the image carrier. The gap size acquisition device acquires a size of the gap. The gap adjustment device adjusts a distance between the first rotation axle and the second rotation axle based on information from the gap size acquisition device to maintain the size of the gap within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yoshida, Yasuyuki Ishii, Koichiro Takashima
  • Metal frame of image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11448998
    Abstract: A metal frame of an image forming apparatus including a first support which includes a first metal plate; a second support; and a third support which includes a second metal plate, wherein either the first metal plate or the second metal plate includes a through-hole formed in a surface portion, the other of the first metal plate and the second metal plate includes an insertion portion, a first facing portion configured to face a first surface of the surface portion, and a second facing portion configured to face a second surface of the surface portion, and wherein in the plate thickness direction of the surface portion, a distance between a tip portion of the insertion portion of the one metal plate and the second facing portion is smaller than a plate thickness of the surface portion of the other metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryota Yasui