Patents by Inventor Akihiko Shimazu

Akihiko Shimazu 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).

  • Patent number: 10437178
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium, includes: a belt which is endless and rotationally driven; a drive roller which is wound around the belt to rotationally drive the belt; a position detector which is arranged along an axial direction of the drive roller to detect deviation of the belt; a steering roller which is wound around the belt and corrects the deviation of the belt detected by the position detector; and a controller which controls the steering roller, wherein the controller determines a deterioration state of the belt based on a change amount linked with change of a friction coefficient of the belt until a predetermined period elapses after starting use of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Akihiko Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20190011861
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium, includes: a belt which is endless and rotationally driven; a drive roller which is wound around the belt to rotationally drive the belt; a position detector which is arranged along an axial direction of the drive roller to detect deviation of the belt; a steering roller which is wound around the belt and corrects the deviation of the belt detected by the position detector; and a controller which controls the steering roller, wherein the controller determines a deterioration state of the belt based on a change amount linked with change of a friction coefficient of the belt until a predetermined period elapses after starting use of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventor: Akihiko SHIMAZU
  • Patent number: 7605833
    Abstract: A writing device to write an image onto a photoconductor, including a print head having plural LEDs, a first supporting member, having a position determining section to determine the position of the print head, and an adjustment screw, and a second supporting member, having a reference shaft which comes into contact with the first supporting member and movably supports the first supporting member while moving to or separating from the photoconductor, and a pressuring member which presses the first supporting member against the reference shaft, wherein the second supporting member is engaged with the first supporting member by the adjustment screw, whereby when the adjustment screw is rotated, the print head is shifted along with the first supporting member, and a first direction joining the position determining section and the adjustment screw makes a right angle with a second direction joining the adjustment screw and the reference shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Akihiko Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20080199219
    Abstract: A writing device to write an image onto a photoconductor, including a print head having plural LEDs, a first supporting member, having a position determining section to determine the position of the print head, and an adjustment screw, and a second supporting member, having a reference shaft which comes into contact with the first supporting member and movably supports the first supporting member while moving to or separating from the photoconductor, and a pressuring member which presses the first supporting member against the reference shaft, wherein the second supporting member is engaged with the first supporting member by the adjustment screw, whereby when the adjustment screw is rotated, the print head is shifted along with the first supporting member, and a first direction joining the position determining section and the adjustment screw makes a right angle with a second direction joining the adjustment screw and the reference shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Akihiko SHIMAZU
  • Patent number: 7403732
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charger that electrically charges the photoreceptor; an exposing unit having an LED printing head that forms a latent image on the photoreceptor; a developing unit that develops a toner image corresponding to the latent image on the photoreceptor; a blower unit that sends air to a space between the photoreceptor and the LED printing head; a first shielding member provided on the charger, which intercepts the air coming from the blower unit to enter inside the charger; and a second shielding member provided on the developing unit, which intercepts the air coming from the blower unit to enter inside the developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihiko Shimazu, Ritsuo Fujii, Shinobu Konno
  • Publication number: 20070110468
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charger that electrically charges the photoreceptor; an exposing unit having an LED printing head that forms a latent image on the photoreceptor; a developing unit that develops a toner image corresponding to the latent image on the photoreceptor; a blower unit that sends air to a space between the photoreceptor and the LED printing head; a first shielding member provided on the charger, which intercepts the air coming from the blower unit to enter inside the charger; and a second shielding member provided on the developing unit, which intercepts the air coming from the blower unit to enter inside the developing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Akihiko Shimazu, Ritsuo Fujii, Shinobu Konno
  • Publication number: 20060239732
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image carrier, an image forming section for forming toner image on the image carrier, an image transfer device for transferring the toner images from the image carrier to a transfer material, and a registration member for conveying the transfer material to a position where the image transfer device transfers the toner image in synchronization with the image formation conducted by the image forming section, wherein the registration member includes a drive roller having a core and a rubber layer formed on the core, and a driven roller coming into contact with the drive roller, wherein the drive roller satisfies formula (1), d/D?57.6 L?1.2, and formula (2), d÷0.5, where D is diameter of the drive roller, d is thickness of the rubber layer, and L is conveyance distance from the registration member to the image transferring position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsu Sekine, Akihiko Shimazu, Yujiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 6751437
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provide which includes an ADU that can sustain productivity per unit of time, without controlling the operation of registration rollers at fixed intervals determined by CPM that leads to temporary stopping of paper. During non-stacked circulatory conveyance for forming images on both sides of a sheet of paper, the position or the timing is corrected at which the paper is accelerated and/or decelerated in a circulatory conveyance path, whereby the image forming apparatus does not control the operation of registration rollers at fixed intervals determined by CPM when forming another image on a back side of the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporatioin
    Inventor: Akihiko Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20030143004
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provide which comprises an ADU that can sustain productivity per unit of time, without controlling the operation of registration rollers at fixed intervals determined by CPM that leads to temporary stopping of paper. During non-stacked circulatory conveyance for forming images on both sides of a sheet of paper, the position or the timing is corrected at which the paper is accelerated and/or decelerated in a circulatory conveyance path, whereby the image forming apparatus does not control the operation of registration rollers at fixed intervals determined by CPM when forming another image on a back side of the paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Shimazu