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).

  • Publication number: 20200371460
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Miyahara, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Akeshi Asaka, Noriaki Kobayashi, Matsutaka Maeda, Yuji Kitano
  • Publication number: 20200209793
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20200019100
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20200019093
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: 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
  • Patent number: 10534297
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic rotatable pressing member having further durability. The electrophotographic rotatable pressing member includes: a substrate; and an elastic layer formed on the substrate, the elastic layer containing a silicone rubber and a needle-shaped filler dispersed in the silicone rubber and having hollow parts, wherein, when cutting the elastic layer along a cross section including a center axis of the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic rotatable pressing member, and a total of each sectional area of the hollow parts in a unit area A2 of a cross-sectional surface is defined as A1, a standard deviation of an area ratio A1/A2 is 0.08 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Miura, Yutaka Arai, Takeshi Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Shigeaki Takada, Masaaki Takahashi, Yo Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20190278202
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic rotatable pressing member having further durability. The electrophotographic rotatable pressing member includes: a substrate; and an elastic layer formed on the substrate, the elastic layer containing a silicone rubber and a needle-shaped filler dispersed in the silicone rubber and having hollow parts, wherein, when cutting the elastic layer along a cross section including a center axis of the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic rotatable pressing member, and a total of each sectional area of the hollow parts in a unit area A2 of a cross-sectional surface is defined as A1, a standard deviation of an area ratio A1/A2 is 0.08 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Jun Miura, Yutaka Arai, Takeshi Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Shigeaki Takada, Masaaki Takahashi, Yo Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 10353330
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic rotatable pressing member having further durability. The electrophotographic rotatable pressing member includes: a substrate; and an elastic layer formed on the substrate, the elastic layer containing a silicone rubber and a needle-shaped filler dispersed in the silicone rubber and having hollow parts, wherein, when cutting the elastic layer along a cross section including a center axis of the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic rotatable pressing member, and a total of each sectional area of the hollow parts in a unit area A2 of a cross-sectional surface is defined as A1, a standard deviation of an area ratio A1/A2 is 0.08 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Miura, Yutaka Arai, Takeshi Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Shigeaki Takada, Masaaki Takahashi, Yo Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 10261429
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic member capable of reducing a rise time of a fixing apparatus and preventing occurrence of a defective image due to an electrostatic offset. The electrophotographic member has a substrate, an elastic layer, and a surface layer containing a fluororesin, in this order, the elastic layer has a communication hole of which pores are communicated with each other, and an ionic conductive agent is adhered to an inner wall of the communication hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Shigeaki Takada, Akiyoshi Shinagawa, Koichi Kakubari, Hiroto Ito, Yutaka Arai
  • Publication number: 20190105888
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Suzuki, Yutaka Arai, Masaaki Takahashi, Shigeaki Takada, Akeshi Asaka, Yukio Sasame, Masayuki Onuma
  • Patent number: 10189233
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Suzuki, Yutaka Arai, Masaaki Takahashi, Shigeaki Takada, Akeshi Asaka, Yukio Sasame, Masayuki Onuma
  • Publication number: 20180284659
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic rotatable pressing member having further durability. The electrophotographic rotatable pressing member includes: a substrate; and an elastic layer formed on the substrate, the elastic layer containing a silicone rubber and a needle-shaped filler dispersed in the silicone rubber and having hollow parts, wherein, when cutting the elastic layer along a cross section including a center axis of the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic rotatable pressing member, and a total of each sectional area of the hollow parts in a unit area A2 of a cross-sectional surface is defined as A1, a standard deviation of an area ratio A1/A2 is 0.08 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Jun Miura, Yutaka Arai, Takeshi Suzuki, Akeshi Asaka, Shigeaki Takada, Masaaki Takahashi, Yo Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20180210354
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic member capable of reducing a rise time of a fixing apparatus and preventing occurrence of a defective image due to an electrostatic offset. The electrophotographic member has a substrate, an elastic layer, and a surface layer containing a fluororesin, in this order, the elastic layer has a communication hole of which pores are communicated with each other, and an ionic conductive agent is adhered to an inner wall of the communication hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Shigeaki Takada, Akiyoshi Shinagawa, Koichi Kakubari, Hiroto Ito, Yutaka Arai
  • Patent number: 9785102
    Abstract: A rotatable fixing member includes an elastic layer, a primer layer provided on the elastic layer, and a parting layer provided on the primer layer. The primer layer contains a crystalline fluorocarbon polymer having a functional group and has a thickness of 850 nm or less. The parting layer is a coating layer of a crystalline fluorocarbon polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Omata, Shoji Umehara, Shuichi Tetsuno, Akeshi Asaka, Masayuki Onuma, Yusuke Baba, Kazuo Kishino
  • Patent number: 9701053
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a fixing member includes: a metal mold capable of holding a base material of the fixing member in an inside thereof; and an injecting member including a group of openings configured to inject a liquid rubber containing a needle-like filler into the metal mold in which the base material is held. The injecting member is configured so that a ratio of a total perimeter of the group of openings to a sum of a perimeter of an inner surface of the metal mold and an outer surface of the base material is 1.3 or more and 3.3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Shuichi Tamura, Hiroto Sugimoto, Shinsuke Takahashi, Shigeaki Takada, Takeshi Suzuki, Jun Miura, Yutaka Arai
  • Publication number: 20170120568
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Takeshi Suzuki, Yutaka Arai, Masaaki Takahashi, Shigeaki Takada, Akeshi Asaka, Yukio Sasame, Masayuki Onuma
  • Patent number: 9606486
    Abstract: An elastic layer includes a needle-shaped filler and a void and has a porosity of 20 vol % or more and 60 vol % or less. The elastic layer contains a first area and a second area. The first area extends from a surface of the elastic layer opposite to a surface facing the mandrel toward the mandrel and has a thickness of 30% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The second area is a central area in a thickness direction of the elastic layer and has a thickness of 40% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The needle-shaped filler in the second area has an orientation degree of 50% or lower. The needle-shaped filler in the first area has an orientation degree higher than that of the needle-shaped filler in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Arai, Takeshi Suzuki, Jun Miura, Shigeaki Takada, Toshinori Nakayama, Naoki Akiyama, Daigo Matsuura, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Akeshi Asaka, Shuichi Tamura, Katsuhisa Matsunaka, Shinsuke Takahashi, Hiroto Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 9519250
    Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first electrical contact, second electrical contacts, first electrode portions and second electrode portions, heat generating portions, a first electroconductive line portion, and a second electroconductive line portion. The heat generating portions are disposed so as to be offset from a center line of the substrate with respect to a widthwise direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Toshinori Nakayama, Shigeaki Takada, Masayuki Tamaki, Naoki Akiyama, Koichi Kakubari
  • Patent number: 9513592
    Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first electrical contact, a plurality of second electrical contacts, a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connected with the first electrical contact and second electrode portions electrically connected with the second electrical contacts, the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions being arranged alternately with predetermined gaps in a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions so as to electrically connect between adjacent electrode portion. The heat generating portions are capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrode portions. A part of the second electrical contacts is selectably electrically connectable with the second terminal. The electrode portions are covered with the heat generating portions so as to be positioned between the substrate and the heat generating portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Akiyama, Toshinori Nakayama, Masayuki Tamaki, Shigeaki Takada, Akeshi Asaka, Koichi Kakubari
  • Patent number: 9504096
    Abstract: A heater includes: a substrate; a first electrical contact; second electrical contacts; first and second electrodes; heat generating portions; a first electroconductive line portion electrically connecting the first electrical contact and the first electrode portions; and a second electroconductive line portion electrically connecting one of the second electrical contacts and a part of the second electrode portions. A cross-sectional area of a portion, of the first electroconductive line portion, into which all of currents flowing through the first electrode portions merge when the currents flow from the first electrode portions toward the first electrical contact is larger than a cross-sectional area of a portion, of the second electroconductive line portion, into which all of currents flowing through the part of the second electrode portions merge when the currents flow from the part of the second electrode portions toward the one of second electrical contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Kakubari, Toshinori Nakayama, Shigeaki Takada, Masayuki Tamaki, Naoki Akiyama, Akeshi Asaka
  • Patent number: 9488938
    Abstract: A heater includes: a substrate; a first electrical contact; a plurality of second electrical contacts; an electroconductive line portion electrically connected with the first electrical contact; a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connected with the first electrical contact through the electroconductive line portion and second electrode portions electrically connected with the second electrical contacts; and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions. The cross-section of the electroconductive line portion in a side closer to the first electrical contact than the plurality of heat generating portions with respect to the longitudinal direction is larger than the cross-section of a predetermined electrode portion, between adjacent heat generating portions, of the plurality of electrode portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Tamaki, Toshinori Nakayama, Shigeaki Takada, Naoki Akiyama, Akeshi Asaka, Koichi Kakubari