Patents Examined by William Royer
  • Patent number: 6075959
    Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine has a photoreceptive member. The photoreceptive member is charged and then exposed with a light image representation to form a latent image. An electric field, less than that required to re-charge the photoreceptive member, is applied to the latent image to increase the rate of discharge of the exposed portions of the latent image. The latent image is then developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Surendar Jeyadev, Merlin E. Scharfe, James M. Markovics, Damodar M. Pai
  • Patent number: 6070977
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a rotary drum for rotating at a constant speed and holding a paper sheet on its peripheral surface, a print head having ink-jet nozzles aligned in the axial direction of the rotary drum to perform printing by spitting ink from these ink-jet nozzles on the paper sheet rotating together with the rotary drum, and a sheet feed-in mechanism for feeding a paper sheet from a cassette and a manual feed tray to the rotary drum. Particularly, the sheet feed-in mechanism has a loading roller unit for loading the paper sheet to the rotary drum, a pickup section for picking up a paper sheet from one of the cassette and the manual feed tray to strike the leading end of the paper sheet against the loading roller unit, and a control section for controlling the loading roller unit to feed, to the rotary drum, the paper sheet whose posture has been corrected upon strike by the pickup section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Nuita, Tadao Kamano, Takashi Kashiwagi, Shinichiro Fujii, Masaaki Oyaide, Izumi Araki, Juntaro Oku
  • Patent number: 6072971
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic printing machine, a layer of insulating fluid containing micelles is positioned over a photoreceptor. The micelles are migrated onto the surface of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor is exposed to inject charge carriers into the insulating fluid and selectively neutralize micelles to form an electrostatic latent image. The latent image is transferred to a dielectric surface and developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Henry R. Till, P. Keith Watson
  • Patent number: 6072968
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a cartridge frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum having a cylinder and a photosensitive layer thereon; a process mechanism actable on the photosensitive drum; a drum shaft for rotatably supporting the photosensitive drum on the cartridge frame, the drum shaft extending through the photosensitive drum and having a length enough to be supported by the cartridge frame at one end thereof and at the other end thereof; and a preventing member for preventing the drum shaft from disengaging from the cartridge frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiya Nomura, Yoshikazu Sasago, Shigeo Miyabe
  • Patent number: 6070024
    Abstract: A copier includes a transfer charger for electrostatically transferring a toner image which is formed on a surface of a photoelectric drum to a sheet and a separation charger for separating the sheet with a toner image transferred thereto from the drum surface. A transfer guide is provided on a conveying path upstream of the transfer charger to guide the sheet toward a transfer point provided relative to the photosensitive drum. A separation supporter for supporting the sheet is provided above the separation charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Michiteru Oono
  • Patent number: 6070048
    Abstract: A device for detecting a width of a sheet placed on a manual feeding tray of an image forming apparatus includes a first and a second sheet regulating member for moving in a sheet width direction so as to come in contact with both sides of the sheet and for holding the sheet therebetween, thereby regulating movement of the sheet in the sheet width direction. A first rack member, on which a first rack is arranged in the sheet width direction, moves interlockingly with the first sheet regulating member. A second rack member, on which a second rack and a sheet width-detecting rack are respectively arranged in the sheet width direction, moves interlockingly with the second sheet regulating member. The second rack is positioned so as to face the first rack on the first rack member, and a pinion engages with the first rack and the second rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Nonaka, Tadayoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6067439
    Abstract: A delivery member has a substrate material, a first coating film containing a filler and formed by electrodeposition on a substrate material, and a second coating film composed of an organic coating film formed on the first coating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Kadokura, Naoki Shirai, Shigeru Yoshimura, Tomoaki Kato, Yoshiaki Tomari, Tadanori Suto
  • Patent number: 6067437
    Abstract: A method for fixing a toner image contact-free on a substrate, which includes exposing the toner image to a hot gas containing a significant component of steam; and a device for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Carsten Schonfeld
  • Patent number: 6064846
    Abstract: A developer container having a spiral groove around the periphery, a developer supply hole at one end, two protruding positioning strips raised from the periphery at two opposite sides of the developer supply holes an annular flange at an opposite end for enabling the developer container to be put on a flat surface in vertical, two opposed notches formed on the annular flange, and two toothed blocks respectively suspended in the notches for engagement with respective toothed blocks at a driving shaft in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for synchronous rotation with the driving shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: General Plastic Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jui-Chi Wang, Robin Hsu, Ya-Li Huang, Kuan-Tung Li
  • Patent number: 6061537
    Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus has a plurality of image-forming sections and records a full color image. The apparatus includes a chassis and two plate-like supporting members oppositely disposed on the chassis. The two supporting members extend parallel with each other. The supporting members has means which support components of the plurality of image-forming sections between the two supporting members so that the components are placed in position relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nakajima, Atsushi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6061539
    Abstract: A charging member supporting magnetic particles for charging a member to be charged, including: an electroconductive member to which a voltage is applicable; and a member electrically insulated from the electroconductive member at an end portion, in a longitudinal direction of the charging member, of the magnetic particles, wherein deposition of magnetic particles to the member to be charged from the charging member is effectively prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Harumi Ishiyama, Yasushi Sato, Hideyuki Yano, Tadashi Furuya, Yasunori Chigono, Seiji Mashimo
  • Patent number: 6058285
    Abstract: A toner-carrying roller such as a developing roller having a surface gloss of 2 or above, with the surface gloss of the black glass standard plate having a reflective index of 1.567 (according to DIN 67 530) being 100. The toner-carrying roller provides high-quality images free of density variation and fogging owing to its surface characteristics specified by the surface gloss. In addition, it keeps its good performance without deterioration in image quality for a long period of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Takizawa, Koji Takagi, Norihiko Kaga
  • Patent number: 6058278
    Abstract: A toner container for containing therein toner used for development by a developing device for developing a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided. The developing device is supported by a developing frame, and the toner container is mounted in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The toner container having a toner frame has a toner containing portion containing the toner therein, a toner supply opening for supplying the toner contained in the toner containing portion to the developing device, and a toner seal for openably sealing the toner supply opening. A take-up member, disposed in a space formed by the developing frame and the toner frame being coupled together, is provided for taking up the toner seal. A drive force imparting device is provided for imparting a drive force to the take-up member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadayuki Tsuda, Kazuyoshi Odagawa, Atsushi Kubota, Norio Hikake, Shinichi Sasaki, Isao Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 6055005
    Abstract: Correcting color banding problems resulting from facet-to-facet jitter in a color imaging device having a multifaceted polygon are corrected by starting each color separation using the same facet. This facet synchronization has been shown to reduce the objectionable color banding. Imaging offsets that result from either advancing or retarding the exposure of a latent image such that the latent image begins with the same facet as other latent images are compensated for using a rotating cylinder mirror whose rotation is controlled by a piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Appel, William J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 6055393
    Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine of the type in which an electrostatic latent image recorded on a charge retentive surface is developed with toner particles to form a visible image thereof, including; a housing having a supply of toner and developer therein; a donor member for transporting toner from said housing to the development zone; a means for conveying toner to the donor member; means for generating a negative air stream for carrying toner therein; and a filter for removing the toner from the negative air stream, being positioned so that developer impinges on said filter to dislodge material collected in said filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David G. Anderson, Joseph Fantuzzo
  • Patent number: 6055388
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a latent image forming device that forms a latent image on the image bearing member, a developing device that develops latent image on said image bearing member to a toner image with a two-component developer, and a toner density detecting device that detects toner density of the two-component developer in which the toner image is formed and outputted as a visible image onto a transfer member. A control device is provided for agitating the developer for a predetermined time period during an initial setting is performed for the developer, detecting a toner density of said developer after the predetermined agitation, and performing an abnormal process when a result of the detection is out of the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Watanabe, Masaru Tanaka, Haruji Mizuishi, Kenzou Tatsumi, Toshitaka Yamaguchi, Takeo Suda, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Ken Amemiya, Mayumi Oh-Hori
  • Patent number: 6053601
    Abstract: The ink jet printer includes a pressure chamber plate having a plurality of pressure chambers 20 separated by bulkheads, and a piezoelectric member having drive sections arranged opposite to the pressure chambers via a vibrating plate. The drive sections are separated from each other by parallel extending grooves. The piezoelectric member has inner electrodes 32 embedded therein and exposed to the side surfaces of the drive sections. The exposed portions of the inner electrodes are covered by insulating members, so that no short circuit is caused between the inner electrodes provided in the piezoelectric member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Mutsuo Watanabe, Kouichi Sanpei, Hiromitsu Soneda
  • Patent number: 6053597
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus capable of automatically changing a mode of recording operation to fit to a newly installed recording head unit, when at least one interchangeable recording head unit is replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuro Hirota
  • Patent number: 6052135
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging system including a combination erase and belt position detection system which may be employed for belt registration or image registration. In one embodiment, the system includes an erase bar having a pattern of light extending longitudinally across a photoconductor belt being moved in a first direction forming a transport path, wherein the erase bar is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. A photodetector is disposed adjacent the photoconductor belt, wherein the photodetector is responsive to light from the erase bar and provides a belt position signal representative of the position of the photoconductor belt relative to the continuous transport path, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The belt position signal may be employed for belt steering or modulation of a laser beam representative of latent images to be scanned on the photoconductor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: David A. Ender, Robert E. Brenner, Jr., Harold D. Kracht, Mary Poppendieck
  • Patent number: 6052551
    Abstract: The invention is an electrostatographic printer and a method of printing with such a printer. The printer includes a transfer member that is driven along a continuous path, and a toner image depositor that deposits a toner image in powder form on the transfer member. A substrate is fed into contact with the transfer member, and the toner image on the transfer member is heated in advance of the transfer; the transfer member is cooled following the image transfer to a temperature below the glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the toner; then further toner images may be deposited on the transfer member. A controlling pressure roller is positioned in opposition to the transfer member to form a transfer nip, through which the substrate passes, the substrate wrapping partially around the pressure roller both in advance of and following the transfer nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Xeikon N.V.
    Inventors: Etienne Marie De Cock, Peter Eelen, Wim Jacques Josephine Michielsen