Patents Examined by Sophia S. Chen
  • Drum unit, cartridge, electrophotographic image forming apparatus and coupling member
    Patent number: 11150591
    Abstract: A drum unit includes a photosensitive drum in a coupling member. The coupling member includes an engageable member having a driving force receiving portion which is capable of entering a recess of a driving shaft to receive a driving force for rotating photosensitive drum. The coupling member includes a holding member configured to hold said engageable member so as to be slidable at least in a radial direction of said drum unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomonori Mori, Tetsuo Uesugi
  • Image forming system
    Patent number: 11150586
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first feeding portion configured to feed a recording sheet, a second feeding portion configured to feed an inserting sheet from one of a plurality of supporting portions, and a controller configured to execute a determination process of determining whether or not there is a supporting portion usable as a new feeding source other than a supporting portion serving as a current feeding source of an inserting sheet. The controller is capable of switching between first control and second control in which a feeding process of a recording sheet is executed respectively in a first mode and a second mode in a case where it has been determined in the determination process that there is no supporting portion usable as the new feeding source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Riki Fukuhara, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Yutaka Ando, Koji Yumoto, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Moving unit and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11150601
    Abstract: In a moving unit, a shutter member is provided with a first contact portion configured to receive a force in a predetermined direction when the shutter member comes into contact with the apparatus main body, and a second contact portion configured to receive a force in a direction different from the predetermined direction when the shutter member comes into contact with the apparatus main body. When the moving unit is moved from the second position to the first position along the first direction, the first and second contact portions sequentially come into contact with the apparatus main body, the shutter member moves relative to the delivery member in the order of a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the first direction, and the opening changes from the closed state to the open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsubumi Mizuno, Joji Goto
  • Image forming apparatus incorporating toner holder dismountably mounted in body of the image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11131958
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a developing device, a toner holder, a toner holder mount portion, and a locking member. The toner holder is dismountably mounted in the toner holder mount portion and stores toner for the developing device. The toner holder mount portion has a pair of side support rails supporting a side face of the toner holder. The locking member is adjacent to an end part, in the toner holder mounting direction, of at least one side support rail, and is swingable between a first position restraining mounting and dismounting of the toner holder and a second position allowing mounting and dismounting of the toner holder. The locking member, in the second position, is on the extension line of the side support rails and, together with the side support rails, guides the toner holder to and from the toner holder mount portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Koji Tanio, Takashi Kusukawa
  • Image forming apparatus and method of forming an image
    Patent number: 11131950
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a sheet supply unit, a printer, a fixing device, and a controller. The sheet supply unit supplies a sheet from a sheet container. The printer forms a toner image to the sheet conveyed from the sheet supply unit. The fixing device includes a heater, a fixing belt, and a pressure roller. The heater includes a heat generating member including a plurality of heating elements arranged in a first direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction and in which a heating element group selected in response to a printing request from the heat generating member generates heat. The fixing belt fixes the toner image heated by the heater to the sheet. The pressure roller presses the fixing belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeru Morino
  • Bushing assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device
    Patent number: 11126138
    Abstract: An assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing and a rotatable component. A bushing has an opening defined by an inner circumferential surface of the bushing. A shaft of the rotatable component is received in the opening such that the inner circumferential surface rotatably supports the shaft. A first mating feature is positioned on an outer surface of the bushing that is opposite the inner circumferential surface of the bushing. The first mating feature is positioned between an inner axial end of the bushing and an outer axial end of the bushing relative to a rotational axis of the rotatable component. The first mating feature of the bushing is in contact with a second mating feature on the housing. Contact between the first and second mating features defines an axial position of the bushing relative to the housing along the rotational axis of the rotatable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes
  • Optical scanning device
    Patent number: 11125991
    Abstract: Disclosed is an optical scanning device, including: a motor (301) including a rotor (302) capable of rotating integrally with a shaft (305); a polygon mirror (308) including a through-hole (308g); a holding spring (309) configured to be engaged to the shaft (305) that is inserted into the through-hole (308g) and configured to press the polygon mirror (308) onto the rotor (302); and a restricting member (310) disposed in the through-hole (308g) of the polygon mirror (308), the restricting member (310) being configured to be in contact with the rotor (302) and the holding spring (309) and to restrict the holding spring (309) from moving toward a side of the rotor (302), wherein a linear expansion coefficient (A1) of the restricting member (310) is less than a linear expansion coefficient (B1) of the polygon mirror (308).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Kamikura
  • Photosensitive member unit and development unit
    Patent number: 11119442
    Abstract: A photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member, a transfer roller, a mounting portion capable of mounting a development unit including a development roller, a first gear and a second gear each provided at one end of the photosensitive member in an axial direction of the photosensitive member, and a third gear provided at one end of the transfer roller in an axial direction of the photosensitive member and configured to engage with the second gear. The first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are helical gears. A direction in which helical teeth of the first gear are inclined is opposite to a direction in which helical teeth of the second gear are inclined, and the direction in which the helical teeth of the first gear are inclined matches a direction in which helical teeth of the third gear are inclined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Uyama, Kenji Matsuda, Ken Kikuchi
  • Developer supply container
    Patent number: 11119425
    Abstract: If a user is not familiar with the operation for the developer supply container, the rotating operation for the developer supply container may be insufficient, so that developer supply container does not reach a predetermined operating position, with the result of abnormal developer supply. by increasing a rotation load of a second gear 6 which is in an operable connection with a drive gear member 12 of the developer receiving apparatus 10 by a function of a locking member 7, the developer supply container 1 mounted to the developer receiving apparatus 10 is rotated toward the supply position. After the developer supply container 1 rotates to the supply position, the locking by the locking member 7 is released, by which the rotation load applied to the second gear 6 is reduced, so that drive transmission, thereafter, to the feeding member 4 for developer supply is smooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Nakajima, Ayatomo Okino, Katsuya Murakami, Toshiaki Nagashima, Yutaka Ban
  • Drum cartridge including electrical contact surface movable relative to drum frame
    Patent number: 11112756
    Abstract: A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge is attachable; a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction; a memory having an electrical contact surface; and a resilient member positioned between the electrical contact surface and the drum frame. The resilient member is configured to expand and compress in a second direction crossing the electrical contact surface between a first state and a second state, the resilient member having a shorter length in the second state than in the first state. A distance between the drum frame and the electrical contact surface in the second direction when the resilient member is in the second state is smaller than a distance between the drum frame and the electrical contact surface in the second direction when the resilient member is in the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nao Itabashi, Naoya Kamimura
  • Drum cartridge including movable electrical contact surface, and image-forming apparatus using the same
    Patent number: 11112755
    Abstract: A drum cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction; a first drum frame to which a developing cartridge is attachable; and a second drum frame having an outer surface; and a memory having an electrical contact surface. The first drum frame is at one end portion of the drum cartridge in a second direction and the second drum frame is at another end portion of the drum cartridge in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is positioned at the outer surface of the second drum frame and is movable in a predetermined direction relative to the second drum frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nao Itabashi
  • Heating device and apparatus using member to be heated
    Patent number: 11106165
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that is disposed on a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, and a power-supply connection unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that is connected to a wiring line through which power is supplied to the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toshiyuki Miyata, Toko Hara, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Toru Inoue
  • Image forming apparatus having a securing device to secure a photoconductor unit and a developing unit
    Patent number: 11106175
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor unit, a developing device, a space maintaining device, a pressing device, a securing device, and at least one connecting device. The photoconductor unit includes a photoconductor and a first part. The developing device includes a developing roller and a second part. The space maintaining device has a third part, is provided in the photoconductor unit or the developing device, and is brought into contact with the first part or the second part at the third part so as to maintain a space between the developing roller and the photoconductor. The pressing device presses the developing device toward the photoconductor unit. The securing device is removable. The at least one connecting device secures the photoconductor unit and the developing device by using the securing device so as to connect the photoconductor unit and the developing device to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Arichika Tanaka
  • Roller and coupler transitions
    Patent number: 11106172
    Abstract: Examples described herein relate to a system for a print cartridge. For instance, the system may include a coupling member to connect to a printing device, a roller mechanism coupled to the coupling member, where a position of the coupling member relative to the roller mechanism remains the same as the coupling member and roller mechanism transition between a first position and a second position, and an urging member positioned away from the coupling member, where the urging member is to transition the roller mechanism from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Jeff Luke
  • Toner cartridge having toner memory and attachable to drum cartridge having drum memory
    Patent number: 11099501
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a casing, a developing roller, a holder, a toner memory, an electrical contact and a wiring. The holder is positioned at an outer surface of one side in a first direction of the casing. The electric contact surface is positioned at an outer surface of one side in a second direction of the holder. The second direction crosses the electric contact surface. The electrical contact is positioned on an outer surface of another side in the second direction of the holder. The wiring electrically connects the electrical contact and the electric contact surface. The electric contact surface includes a first electric contact surface and a second electric contact surface. The first electric contact surface electrically is connected to the electrical contact through the wiring. The second electric contact surface electrically is connected to the toner memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsubasa Kiriyama, Hiroki Mori, Nao Itabashi, Atsushi Fukaya
  • Transport roller
    Patent number: 11097913
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a new type of transport roller providing a modified surface to provide improved transport properties for new substrates. Furthermore, it refers to horizontal transport systems beneficially utilizing such transport rollers, especially for providing retaining roller pairs. Additionally, the present invention refers to a treatment device containing such transport roller or horizontal transport system. Furthermore, it refers to a method for treating a substrate and the use of such transport roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Atotech Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Ferdinand Wiener, Stefan Grüßner
  • Developer supply container and developer supplying system
    Patent number: 11099519
    Abstract: There are provided a rotatable developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer, a discharge end portion provided at a bottom side with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, an engaging portion 30 engageable with a portion-to-be-engaged 11b with a mounting operation of the developer supply container 1 to displace the portion-to-be-engaged 11b in an upward direction U to bring the receiving opening into fluid communication with the discharge opening, and a swing shaft 41 rotatably supporting engaging portion 30 provided at such a position that opposite end portions of the engaging portion 30 a rotatable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Yamaoka, Toshiaki Nagashima
  • Image forming apparatus executing maintenance mode for diagnosing cleaning member
    Patent number: 11099520
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an image bearing member and a cleaning member are in contact with each other to form a collection nip. A conveyance member is in contact with the image bearing member to form a conveyance nip. The controller executes a maintenance mode including a toner supply process, an output process, and a sheet feeding process. The toner supply process supplies at least part of the image bearing member with a predetermined amount of toner. The output process controls a circuit to output the cleaning voltage to the cleaning member. The sheet feeding process controls the feeding member to start feeding the sheet so that the sheet passes the conveyance nip in coincidence with the at least part of the image bearing member passing the conveyance nip after the at least part of the image bearing member has once passed the collection nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Hamaya, Takahito Yamaji
  • Developer supply container and developer supplying system
    Patent number: 11092926
    Abstract: There are provided a rotatable developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer, a discharge end portion provided at a bottom side with a discharge opening for discharging the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, an engaging portion 30 engageable with a portion-to-be-engaged 11b with a mounting operation of the developer supply container 1 to displace the portion-to-be-engaged 11b in an upward direction U to bring the receiving opening into fluid communication with the discharge opening, and a swing shaft 41 rotatably supporting engaging portion 30 provided at such a position that opposite end portions of the engaging portion 30 a rotatable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Yamaoka, Toshiaki Nagashima
  • Image forming apparatus using developer containing toner particle and carrier liquid
    Patent number: 11086254
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which a toner image is formed by a liquid developer containing a toner particle and a carrier liquid, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image is transferred, and a transfer member configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer belt. The transfer member is made of a metal, and the transfer member abuts against the image bearing member with the intermediate transfer belt nipped therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shohei Okumura