Patents Examined by Robert B Beatty
  • Patent number: 11703780
    Abstract: A heating device includes a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor that detect a temperature of at least one of a first rotator, a second rotator, and a heater that heats at least one of the first rotator and the second rotator. The first temperature sensor is disposed outboard from an increased conveyance span where an increased size sheet having an increased width in a longitudinal direction of the heater is conveyed. The second temperature sensor is disposed outboard from a decreased conveyance span where a decreased size sheet having a decreased width in the longitudinal direction of the heater is conveyed. The decreased conveyance span is smaller than the increased conveyance span. The second temperature sensor is disposed within the increased conveyance span and disposed opposite the first temperature sensor via a center of the increased conveyance span in the longitudinal direction of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Seshita, Yuusuke Furuichi
  • Patent number: 11698604
    Abstract: An electrical apparatus includes a housing, a blower, and a duct. The housing covers a plurality of electrical components. The blower blows air. The duct guides the air that has cooled one of the plurality of electrical components to another one of the plurality of electrical components. The duct includes a fire wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shogo Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11698603
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a heating portion and a removal unit to remove a particulate dust generated due to vaporization of a parting agent by heat in the fixing unit. The removal unit includes a sheet-like filter provided with a base layer and a collecting layer laminated on the base layer for collecting dust. The removal unit includes a holding unit to hold the filter in a cylindrical shape with the base layer outside and the collecting layer inside. The removal unit includes a fan connected to one of opening end sides of the filter held in the cylindrical shape and generates an air flow inside of the cylindrical shape which causes air passing from outside of the filter to inside to flow toward the one of the opening end sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Nojima, Kota Aoki
  • Patent number: 11693349
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a single fan, a first air outlet port disposed so as to supply air sent from the fan to an image surface of the sheet, a second air outlet port disposed so as to supply the air sent from the fan to a surface opposite to the image surface of the sheet, and a control unit configured to control the fan. The control unit includes a first mode of controlling a rotational speed of the fan at a first rotational speed in a case where the sheet is not present in a position facing the first air outlet port and control the rotational speed of the fan at a second rotational speed lower than the first rotational speed in a case where the sheet is present in the position facing the first air outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Uchida
  • Patent number: 11693357
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming device provided in a housing; a fan to cool an interior of the housing; an AC/DC board; a first temperature detecting element configured to output a signal corresponding to a temperature in the housing; a second temperature detecting element configured to output a signal corresponding to a temperature of an element mounted on the AC/DC board; and a controller configured to control the fan when at least one of a first condition and a second condition is satisfied, the first condition being a condition in which a first detection temperature detected based on the signal received from the first temperature detecting element is not less than a first temperature threshold, the second condition being a condition in which a second detection temperature detected based on the signal received from the second temperature detecting element is not less than a second temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Nagai, Keisuke Manoh, Yuya Harada, Yoshiyuki Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 11693360
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first exterior cover provided on a front surface of the image forming apparatus so as to be openable and closable, a second exterior cover provided on a side surface of the image forming apparatus, a third exterior cover fixed on a front surface side of the image forming apparatus and above the first exterior cover in a vertical direction, and a fan configured to suck outside air through a gap formed between the first exterior cover and the second exterior cover. In a state where the first exterior cover is closed, the gap formed between the first exterior cover and the second exterior cover is larger than a gap formed between the third exterior cover and the second exterior cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryoichi Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 11687030
    Abstract: A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge is attachable; a photosensitive drum; and a first storage medium. The drum frame has one end portion and another end portion spaced apart from the one end portion in a first direction. The photosensitive drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a second direction and is positioned at the one end portion of the drum cartridge. The first storage medium includes a first electrical contact surface. The first storage medium is positioned at an outer surface of the drum frame, the outer surface being exposed in a state where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Abe, Naoya Kamimura
  • Patent number: 11675310
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a support frame, a cover, an electric component unit, a duct unit, and a fan. The support frame includes a second support portion disposed more rearward than a first support portion in a front-back direction of the image forming apparatus. The cover is more rearward than the second support portion in the front-back direction, and forms part of an image forming apparatus exterior. The electric component unit has a circuit board, and is between the second support portion and the cover in the front-back direction. The duct unit has an intake port located more frontward than the second support portion in the front-back direction, and is connected to the electric component unit. The fan is more rearward than the second support portion in the front-back direction, and takes in air from the intake port and discharge the air from an electric component unit exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeo Doi
  • Patent number: 11669044
    Abstract: An apparatus body of an image forming apparatus has a first guide portion having an inlet shape corresponding to an outer shape of an engagement portion provided in a cartridge when seen in an attachment direction of the cartridge to the apparatus body and guiding the engagement portion, a second guide portion for guiding a positioning target portion which is provided on the cartridge for positioning an attachment completion position of the cartridge with respect to the apparatus body, and a movable member being at a regulation position at which a guiding path of the positioning target portion by the second guide portion is blocked is immovable from the regulation position unless being pressed by the engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kimura, Isao Koishi, Daisuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11669045
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first duct unit, a first air blowing fan, a second duct unit, a filter, and a second air blowing fan. The first duct unit includes a power source substrate, a first intake portion, and a first exhaust portion. The first air blowing fan forms an airflow from the first intake portion to the first exhaust portion. The second duct unit includes a second intake portion to take air in from inside the image forming apparatus, and includes a second exhaust portion to exhaust the air taken in from the second intake portion to outside of the image forming apparatus. The filter is disposed between the second intake portion and the second exhaust portion in an airflow from the second intake portion to the second exhaust portion. The second air blowing fan forms the airflow from the second intake portion to the second exhaust portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiko Fujita, Takuya Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11662688
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a body of the image forming apparatus; a first inclined portion that is inclined upward from one side surface toward another side surface of the body of the image forming apparatus; a second inclined portion that is inclined downward from an inner end portion of the first inclined portion toward the one side surface; multiple cooled parts that are disposed in a space between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion and that are disposed to be spaced from each other in a direction from the one side surface to the other side surface; a first wall member that is disposed above the first inclined portion and that has a first ventilation part; and a second wall member that is disposed below the second inclined portion and that has a second ventilation part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Keigo Shinoto, Shinichi Ohba, Takaaki Yoshida, Taisuke Endo
  • Patent number: 11662673
    Abstract: A toner container includes a toner accommodating body, a nozzle in fluid communication with the toner accommodating body, and a shutter configured to open and close the opening of the nozzle. A projection is positioned at an end portion of the toner container in a direction of the rotational axis, the projection having an inner peripheral surface facing towards the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Goshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Teruhiko Sasaki, Tachio Kawai, Akinobu Hirayama, Toshiki Fujino
  • Patent number: 11656565
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt having a surface to which a lubricant is applied, a heater contacting the surface and including heating elements arranged along a width direction of the belt and including first end second end heating elements and a central heating element, and a pressing roller capable of pressing and rotating the belt, a power supply configured to supply power to the heating elements, and a controller configured to determine a first amount of power to be supplied to the central heating element and a second amount of power to be supplied to each end heating element such that the first amount is greater than the second amount, and control the power supply to supply the first and second amounts to the central heating element and each end heating element before controlling the pressing roller to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11650539
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet, and a cabinet configured to house the image forming device. The image forming device includes a side plate in which an exhaust port is formed, and the cabinet includes an outer side plate facing the side plate of the image forming device, and a positioning part configured to position the image forming device in the cabinet, the positioning part configured to form a space between the side plate of the image forming device and the outer side plate of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ishida, Ryuta Kaneda, Kentaro Uji
  • Patent number: 11644768
    Abstract: An example operation method of an image forming apparatus includes determining a state of a toner refill operation of injecting toner from a toner reload kit (TRK) into a cartridge in the image forming apparatus, based on completion of injecting toner from the TRK into the cartridge, controlling the TRK to store information indicating a toner refill completion in a memory of the TRK, based on completion of injecting toner from the TRK into the cartridge, updating information of an amount of remaining toner of the cartridge based on an amount of the toner injected into the cartridge from the TRK, and based on the information indicating the toner refill completion being stored in the memory of the TRK, unlocking a locking apparatus in the image forming apparatus so the TRK may be removed from the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Hong-Chul Choi, Yun-Su Kim, Seong-ho Jin, Jinwoo Noh
  • Patent number: 11640127
    Abstract: A toner container includes a toner accommodating body, a nozzle in fluid communication with the toner accommodating body, and a shutter configured to open and close the opening of the nozzle. A projection is positioned at an end portion of the toner container in a direction of the rotational axis, the projection having an inner peripheral surface facing towards the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Goshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Teruhiko Sasaki, Tachio Kawai, Akinobu Hirayama, Toshiki Fujino
  • Patent number: 11640129
    Abstract: A heating unit includes a heater, a temperature sensor, an endless belt, a holder, a first heat conductive member, and a second heat conductive member. The first heat conductive member includes a first heater-side surface facing the heater, a first opposite surface, and an opening. The first heat conductive member has a heat conductivity higher than that of the substrate. The second heat conductive member includes a second heater-side surface facing the heater and a second opposite surface. The second heat conductive member is positioned at a position corresponding to the opening when viewed in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the first opposite surface. The temperature sensor is in contact with the second opposite surface of the second heat conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maruyama, Makoto Souda, Yuichi Ikeno
  • Patent number: 11635723
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a side panel and a manual feed tray that is rotatable and installed on the side panel. The side panel includes an opening portion through which a sheet placed on the manual feed tray passes when the sheet is fed into the image forming apparatus. The manual feed tray includes an end cursor that is movable, and a guide portion that guides movement of the end cursor in a direction perpendicular to a rotational center of the manual feed tray. The opening portion is sized to accommodate the end cursor. When the opening/closing angle of the manual feed tray with respect to a horizontal direction exceeds a predetermined angle, the end cursor moves along the guide portion by gravity to a position where the end cursor can be accommodated in the opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Bui Chi Thanh
  • Patent number: 11630417
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a transfer belt, a secondary transfer portion, a cleaning member contacting a surface of the transfer belt for cleaning the surface of the transfer belt, a fixing device, an exhausting device, a duct portion and a sheet member. The sheet member is provided on the exhausting device so as to project toward the transfer belt from the exhausting device, the sheet member being opposed to transfer belt and separated by a predetermined space downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the cleaning member with respect to a rotational direction of the transfer belt, and being configured to prevent air flow between the exhausting device and the transfer belt from flowing downstream with respect to the rotational direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takao Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11630418
    Abstract: A fan introduces air and send the air toward an air blow target. The fan includes an impeller and a casing. The casing includes a first wall covering the impeller, a second wall covering the impeller and facing the first wall, and a peripheral wall surrounding the impeller and connecting the first and second walls. The peripheral wall has an air discharge port for discharging air toward the air blow target. The impeller is located between the first wall and the second wall. The second wall is located closer to a side cover than the first wall is. At least the first wall or the second wall has an air inlet port for introducing air into the casing. The outside air inlet is located at a different position from the air inlet port as viewed from a facing direction in which the fan and the side cover face each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Abe