Patents by Inventor Akeshi Asaka
Akeshi Asaka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11934128Abstract: A fixing belt includes a base member containing a metal, a sliding layer containing a filler and formed on a base member inner side, and a separation layer formed on a base member outer side. Assume that (i) a sliding layer cross section is obtained by cutting the sliding layer along a sliding layer thickness direction and is divided into sections each having a length that is the same as a sliding layer thickness in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and (ii) a ratio of a filler area to a sliding layer area in each cross section sections is an area ratio. A period coefficient is calculated using the formula (Ave %?Min %)/Ave %, where an average of area ratios of filler areas in all the sections is Ave % and a minimum of the area ratios is Min %, and the calculated period coefficient is 0.6 or more.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroto Sugimoto, Naoki Akiyama, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi, Hiroki Muramatsu, Akeshi Asaka
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Patent number: 11927904Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic belt of an endless shape including a substrate, wherein the substrate contains a polyimide resin and carbon nanotubes, wherein a content of the carbon nanotubes in the substrate is 15 vol % or less with respect to a total volume of the polyimide resin, wherein the substrate has a tensile strength of 200 MPa or more in each of a peripheral direction thereof and a direction perpendicular to the peripheral direction, and wherein the substrate has a thermal conductivity of 0.9 W/(m·K) or more in a thickness direction thereof.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2022Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akeshi Asaka, Taiki Watanabe, Yuma Kobayashi, Hidetaka Kawamura, Satoru Nishiuma, Akihiro Taya, Ryunosuke Kawahara
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Publication number: 20240045359Abstract: A fixing film having an endless shape, comprising at least a base material, an elastic layer, and a release layer in this order, the release layer comprising a tube containing a fluorine resin, and a value of Xe to Xm is 1.20 or more, where when, in a chart of an X-ray diffraction peaks obtained by measuring the release layer with a reflection X-ray diffraction method, a maximum X-ray diffraction strength at 2?=17 to 19° is defined as Ic, a maximum X-ray diffraction strength at 2?=39.5 to 40.5° is defined as Ia, and a value of Ic/Ia is defined as X, Xe represents an average value of X in an edge region, and Xm represents an average value of X in a central region.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2023Publication date: February 8, 2024Inventors: AKESHI ASAKA, RYUNOSUKE KAWAHARA
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Publication number: 20230393506Abstract: A fixing film including: a substrate having a cylindrical shape; a sliding layer that is formed on an inner peripheral surface side of the substrate and includes a polyimide resin; and a release layer that is formed on an outer peripheral surface side of the substrate, wherein the sliding layer has a first film and a second film laminated in the stated order from a side closer to the substrate, wherein the first film includes a first structural unit represented by a specific formula, or the first structural unit and a second structural unit represented by a specific formula, the second film includes only the second structural unit, and a mass ratio (A):(B) of the first structural unit and the second structural unit contained in the first film is 100:0 to 60:40.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventor: AKESHI ASAKA
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Patent number: 11624994Abstract: A fixing belt includes: a base having an endless shape; and a resin layer covering a surface on an inner peripheral side of the base, the resin layer comprising a resin and a filler, and having a second surface opposite to a first surface facing the base, the second surface having cell structures, and being roughened with the filler. When arithmetic mean roughnesses of the second surface in the central region X and the end regions Y and Z are defined as RaX, RaY and RaZ respectively, a difference between RaX and RaY, a difference between RaY and RaZ, and a difference between RaX and RaZ are all 0.1 ?m or smaller, and a coefficient of variation of areas of the cell structures contained in each of the central region X, and end regions Y and Z is 25% or smaller.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2022Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Noriaki Kobayashi, Akeshi Asaka
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Publication number: 20230051709Abstract: A fixing film includes a cylindrical base layer, an elastic layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical base layer, and a separation layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer. The separation layer includes fluororesin, and a degree of orientation of the fluororesin is greater than or equal to 40% and smaller than or equal to 59%.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2022Publication date: February 16, 2023Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Hiroki Muramatsu, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20230031844Abstract: A fixing belt includes a base member containing a metal, a sliding layer containing a filler and formed on a base member inner side, and a separation layer formed on a base member outer side. Assume that (i) a sliding layer cross section is obtained by cutting the sliding layer along a sliding layer thickness direction and is divided into sections each having a length that is the same as a sliding layer thickness in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and (ii) a ratio of a filler area to a sliding layer area in each cross section sections is an area ratio. A period coefficient is calculated using the formula (Ave% - Min%)/Ave%, where an average of area ratios of filler areas in all the sections is Ave% and a minimum of the area ratios is Min%, and the calculated period coefficient is 0.6 or more.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Hiroto Sugimoto, Naoki Akiyama, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi, Hiroki Muramatsu, Akeshi Asaka
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Publication number: 20230031631Abstract: A fixing member includes a slide layer having a cylindrical shape and a thickness of 8 micrometers (?m) or more and 20 ?m or less, a base layer formed on an outer side of the slide layer, and a surface layer formed on an outer side of the base layer. The slide layer has Benard convection cell structure having an average diameter of 50 ?m or more and 200 ?m or less on a surface that is not in contact with the base layer, and the slide layer includes an additive having a median particle diameter D50 of 4.5 ?m or less and an aspect ratio of 30 or more and less than 50.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Noriaki Kobayashi, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Akeshi Asaka, Yasuhiro Miyahara
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Patent number: 11556082Abstract: An intermediary transfer belt having surface resistivity ?s of 1×109 ?/square or more and volume resistivity ?v of 1×1012 ?·cm or less includes a thermoplastic resin material containing carbon black. The carbon black contained in the thermoplastic resin material has a weight ratio of 22.5-28.5 weight % and include first carbon black and second carbon black. The first carbon black of the carbon black contained in the thermoplastic resin material has a weight ratio of 50-90 weight % and dibutyl phthalate absorption of 93-127 ml/100 g, and the second carbon black of the carbon black contained in the thermoplastic resin material has a weight ratio of 10-50 weight % and dibutyl phthalate absorption of 36-79 ml/100 g.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2019Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryosuke Tsuruga, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Jun Ohira, Akeshi Asaka, Hiroto Sugimoto, Takanori Ueno, Koji Sato, Midai Suzuki, Atsushi Hori, Kaoru Okamoto, Megumi Uchino, Kazuhisa Shirayama, Naoto Kameyama, Kiyonori Soutome, Shigeo Kuroda, Akira Okano, Hiroshi Tominaga
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Publication number: 20220404750Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic belt having an endless shape including a base layer, wherein the base layer includes a polyimide film containing polyimide serving as a binder resin and a carbon nanotube, wherein the polyimide has an imidization ratio of 80% or more, wherein the carbon nanotube has at least one resin selected from the group consisting of: polyphenylsulfone; polysulfone; and polyethersulfone present on at least part of a surface thereof. The base layer has a tensile strength of 200 MPa or more in each of a peripheral direction thereof and a direction perpendicular to the peripheral direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2022Publication date: December 22, 2022Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Yuma Kobayashi, Taiki Watanabe
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Publication number: 20220404751Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic belt of an endless shape including a substrate, wherein the substrate contains a polyimide resin and carbon nanotubes, wherein a content of the carbon nanotubes in the substrate is 15 vol % or less with respect to a total volume of the polyimide resin, wherein the substrate has a tensile strength of 200 MPa or more in each of a peripheral direction thereof and a direction perpendicular to the peripheral direction, and wherein the substrate has a thermal conductivity of 0.9 W/(m·K) or more in a thickness direction thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2022Publication date: December 22, 2022Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Taiki Watanabe, Yuma Kobayashi, Hidetaka Kawamura, Satoru Nishiuma, Akihiro Taya, Ryunosuke Kawahara
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Patent number: 11487227Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 7, 2021Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Midai Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Koji Sato, Noriaki Kobayashi, Megumi Uchino, Akira Okano, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Naoko Kasai, Atsushi Hori
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Publication number: 20220342353Abstract: A fixing belt includes: a base having an endless shape; and a resin layer covering a surface on an inner peripheral side of the base, the resin layer comprising a resin and a filler, and having a second surface opposite to a first surface facing the base, the second surface having cell structures, and being roughened with the filler. When arithmetic mean roughnesses of the second surface in the central region X and the end regions Y and Z are defined as RaX, RaY and RaZ respectively, a difference between RaX and RaY, a difference between RaY and RaZ, and a difference between RaX and RaZ are all 0.1 ?m or smaller, and a coefficient of variation of areas of the cell structures contained in each of the central region X, and end regions Y and Z is 25% or smaller.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2022Publication date: October 27, 2022Inventors: Noriaki Kobayashi, Akeshi Asaka
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Patent number: 11429046Abstract: A rotatable endless fixing belt configured to fix a toner image borne on a recording material includes a base body and a polyimide layer. The polyimide layer is formed on an inner-circumferential-surface of the base body and configured to slide on a backup member in contact with the backup member. The polyimide layer includes filler having shape anisotropy. An orientation ratio of the filler inclined with respect to a generating line of the fixing belt by a predetermined angle or less is smaller in a first area than in a second area in a cross section of the fixing belt taken along the generating line of the fixing belt, the first area being an area formed in an inner-circumferential-surface side of the polyimide layer in a thickness direction, the second area being an area formed in a base-body side of the polyimide layer in the thickness direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2021Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20220187741Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2021Publication date: June 16, 2022Inventors: Midai Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Koji Sato, Noriaki Kobayashi, Megumi Uchino, Akira Okano, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Naoko Kasai, Atsushi Hori
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Publication number: 20220066370Abstract: A rotatable endless fixing belt configured to fix a toner image borne on a recording material includes a base body and a polyimide layer. The polyimide layer is formed on an inner-circumferential-surface of the base body and configured to slide on a backup member in contact with the backup member. The polyimide layer includes filler having shape anisotropy. An orientation ratio of the filler inclined with respect to a generating line of the fixing belt by a predetermined angle or less is smaller in a first area than in a second area in a cross section of the fixing belt taken along the generating line of the fixing belt, the first area being an area formed in an inner-circumferential-surface side of the polyimide layer in a thickness direction, the second area being an area formed in a base-body side of the polyimide layer in the thickness direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
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Patent number: 11137707Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless belt, and a pressing member including a base body and an elastic layer formed on the base body. A plurality of pore portions connected to each other are provided in the elastic layer. In a case where a binary image is generated from a three-dimensional image of the elastic layer, a threshold value X ?m corresponding to opening processing with which a number of pores derived from the pore portions takes a maximum value is obtained, and then pores derived from the pore portions in the elastic layer are extracted by performing opening processing with a threshold value of 2X ?m, an average value of angles ? is 120° or larger and smaller than 150°.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2019Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
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Patent number: 10974491Abstract: One end portion of a resin tube kept in a diameter expanded state by a plurality of diameter expanding claws is disengaged from the diameter expanding claws and is shifted onto an outer peripheral surface of a die by applying a pressing force toward the other end portion of the resin tube to an end surface of the one end portion of the resin tube.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2018Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeshi Suzuki, Yutaka Arai, Masaaki Takahashi, Shigeaki Takada, Akeshi Asaka, Yukio Sasame, Masayuki Onuma
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Patent number: 10890869Abstract: An electrophotographic fixing member having an elastic layer that is high in thermal conductivity in the thickness direction, resists causing fracture or plastic deformation even by repeated compression in a high temperature state, and is low in hardness. The electrophotographic fixing member has a substrate, and an elastic layer provided on the substrate, wherein the elastic layer contains a filler containing an inorganic oxide and is provided on an outer circumference of the substrate, wherein (1) in a binarized image on a first cross-section in a thickness-circumferential direction of the elastic layer and a binarized image on a second cross-section in a thickness-axial direction of the elastic layer, 1.0?(A/B)?2.0 and 0.40?(A+B)?0.50 are satisfied; and (2) 50°??Ave?90° is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2020Date of Patent: January 12, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yasuhiro Miyahara, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Akeshi Asaka, Noriaki Kobayashi, Matsutaka Maeda, Yuji Kitano
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Patent number: 10859955Abstract: An image heating member for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a base material, an elastic layer which contains a thermally conductive filler of 5 ?m or more in average diameter and which is provided on the base material, and a parting layer which is provided on the elastic layer so as to contact the elastic layer and which is formed of a fluorine-containing resin tube provided on the elastic layer. The fluorine-containing resin tube has 3% or more in heat contraction rate with respect to a widthwise direction of the image heating member before and after the fluorine-containing resin tube is heated and left standing in an oven at 200° C. for 30 minutes.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi