Patents by Inventor Akiko Kihara

Akiko Kihara 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: 20230092971
    Abstract: This electrophotographic photoreceptor includes at least a laminated photoreceptive layer, in which a charge generating layer and a charge transporting layer are laminated in this order on a conductive base. The charge transporting layer contains at least a charge transporting substance, a binder resin, and silica particles, and contains 0.1 ppm or more and 20 ppm or less of Na element and/or 0.01 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less of K element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Akiko KIHARA, Kohichi TORIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220146951
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photoconductor including an outermost surface layer containing inorganic compound microparticles that have a number mean primary particle diameter of 10-40 nm and are dispersed uniformly into the outermost surface layer at a proportion of 7-18% by mass in the outermost surface layer, wherein in slicing the outermost surface layer in its stacking direction with a thickness of 70 nm, observing a strip-shaped sample piece thus obtained in scanning transmission electron microscopy, converting a cross-sectional image thus obtained to an 8-bit binary image, and observing any 50 regions from regions having a 5 ?m×5 ?m observation field of view in the binary image, the following formula is met: 0.5?SAve/N?2.0, and wherein a maximum gap region has a size of 1.0 ?m or less when represents a space with absence of the inorganic compound microparticles converted to an equivalent circle diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventor: Akiko KIHARA
  • Publication number: 20210364938
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor including at least a laminated photoreceptive layer in which a charge generating layer containing a charge generating substance and a charge transporting layer containing a charge transporting substance are laminated in this order on a substrate, where the charge generating substance is a titanyl phthalocyanine showing diffraction peaks at least at Bragg angles (2?±0.2°) 7.3°, 9.4°, 11.6°, 24.2° and 27.3° in an X-ray diffraction spectrum using CuK? ray, and the laminated photoreceptive layer includes an optical absorption spectrum that has a maximum absorption at 800 to 850 nm and where a ratio Abs860 nm/Abs780 nm of a peak intensity at 860 nm (Abs860 nm) to a peak intensity at 780 nm (Abs780 nm) is 0.6 or more to 1.2 or less when a minimum absorbance at 400 to 800 nm is calibrated to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Akiko KIHARA, TAKAHIRO KURAUCHI
  • Patent number: 9507282
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a multilayered photosensitive layer or a monolayer photosensitive layer, wherein the multilayered photosensitive layer comprises at least a charge generation layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transport layer containing a charge transport material that are stacked on a conductive substrate in this order, and the monolayer photosensitive layer contains a charge generation material and a charge transport material that is stacked on a conductive substrate, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor contains 5 to 17 wt % of fluorine resin fine particles and their aggregates with respect to all photoreceptor components in a surface layer of the photoreceptor, wherein the fluorine resin fine particles are 0.1 to 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Kotaro Fukushima, Masaki Hashimoto, Koichi Toriyama, Takahiro Kurauchi, Rikiya Matsuo, Tomoko Kanazawa, Chikako Iibachi
  • Publication number: 20150346615
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a multilayered photosensitive layer or a monolayer photosensitive layer, wherein the multilayered photosensitive layer comprises at least a charge generation layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transport layer containing a charge transport material that are stacked on a conductive substrate in this order, and the monolayer photosensitive layer contains a charge generation material and a charge transport material that is stacked on a conductive substrate, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor contains 5 to 17 wt % of fluorine resin fine particles and their aggregates with respect to all photoreceptor components in a surface layer of the photoreceptor, wherein the fluorine resin fine particles are 0.1 to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Akiko KIHARA, Kotaro FUKUSHIMA, Masaki HASHIMOTO, Koichi TORIYAMA, Takahiro KURAUCHI, Rikiya MATSUO, Tomoko KANAZAWA, Chikako IIBACHI
  • Patent number: 9042786
    Abstract: A rotation driving force transmitting member is disposed between a motor section and a main body of a photoreceptor drum. The rotation driving force transmitting member has a convex member which is provided on the photoreceptor drum side and includes a twisted convex portion with an elliptical cross-section and a concave member which is provided on the motor section side and includes a twisted concave portion with an elliptical cross-section, the concave portion being fitted in the convex portion. The rotation driving force transmitting member transmits rotation driving force by the motor section to the photoreceptor drum via the convex member and the concave member in a state where the convex member is subjected to a drawing force toward the concave member side, due to rotation of the motor section in a state where the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted in each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugimura, Akihiro Kondoh, Akiko Kihara, Mami Adachi
  • Publication number: 20140348538
    Abstract: A rotation driving force transmitting member is disposed between a motor section and a main body of a photoreceptor drum. The rotation driving force transmitting member has a convex member which is provided on the photoreceptor drum side and includes a twisted convex portion with an elliptical cross-section and a concave member which is provided on the motor section side and includes a twisted concave portion with an elliptical cross-section, the concave portion being fitted in the convex portion. The rotation driving force transmitting member transmits rotation driving force by the motor section to the photoreceptor drum via the convex member and the concave member in a state where the convex member is subjected to a drawing force toward the concave member side, due to rotation of the motor section in a state where the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted in each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUGIMURA, Akihiro KONDOH, Akiko KIHARA, Mami ADACHI
  • Patent number: 8798505
    Abstract: A rotation driving force transmitting member is disposed between a motor section and a main body of a photoreceptor drum. The rotation driving force transmitting member has a convex member which is provided on the photoreceptor drum side and includes a twisted convex portion with an elliptical cross-section and a concave member which is provided on the motor section side and includes a twisted concave portion with an elliptical cross-section, the concave portion being fitted in the convex portion. The rotation driving force transmitting member transmits rotation driving force by the motor section to the photoreceptor drum via the convex member and the concave member in a state where the convex member is subjected to a drawing force toward the concave member side, due to rotation of the motor section in a state where the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted in each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugimura, Akihiro Kondoh, Akiko Kihara, Mami Adachi
  • Patent number: 8546049
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising a charge generation layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transfer layer containing a charge transfer material laminating in this order on a conductive support with an undercoat layer interposed between the charge generation layer and the conductive support, or comprising a monolayer type photosensitive layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transport material being formed on a conductive support with an undercoat layer interposed between the monolayer type photosensitive layer and the conductive support, wherein the charge transport layer or the monolayer type photosensitive layer contains, as a charge transfer material, a bisamine compound represented by the following general formula (I):
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Akihiro Kondoh, Takatsugu Obata
  • Patent number: 8354211
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a layered-type photosensitive layer in which a charge generating layer containing a charge generating material and a charge transporting layer containing a charge transporting material are stacked, formed on a conductive supporting member made of a conductive material, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor has high sensitive characteristics to a semiconductor laser beam having a wavelength ranging from 380 to 500 nm; the charge transporting layer of the layered-type photosensitive layer contains as the charge transporting material, a triarylamine dimer compound represented by the general formula (1): wherein Ar1 and Ar2 may be the same or different, and represent an unsubstituted or substituted arylene group or heterocyclic derivative bivalent group, Ar3 and Ar4 may be the same or different, and represent an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group or heterocyclic group, R1 and R2 may be the same or different, and represent an alkyl group, m and n rep
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Kotaro Fukushima, Takatsugu Obata, Akihiro Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20120156600
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising a charge generation layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transfer layer containing a charge transfer material laminating in this order on a conductive support with an undercoat layer interposed between the charge generation layer and the conductive support, or comprising a monolayer type photosensitive layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transport material being formed on a conductive support with an undercoat layer interposed between the monolayer type photosensitive layer and the conductive support, wherein the charge transport layer or the monolayer type photosensitive layer contains, as a charge transfer material, a bisamine compound represented by the following general formula (I):
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Akihiro Kondoh, Takatsugu Obata
  • Publication number: 20120076533
    Abstract: A rotation driving force transmitting member is disposed between a motor section and a main body of a photoreceptor drum. The rotation driving force transmitting member has a convex member which is provided on the photoreceptor drum side and includes a twisted convex portion with an elliptical cross-section and a concave member which is provided on the motor section side and includes a twisted concave portion with an elliptical cross-section, the concave portion being fitted in the convex portion. The rotation driving force transmitting member transmits rotation driving force by the motor section to the photoreceptor drum via the convex member and the concave member in a state where the convex member is subjected to a drawing force toward the concave member side, due to rotation of the motor section in a state where the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted in each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUGIMURA, Akihiro KONDOH, Akiko KIHARA, Mami ADACHI
  • Patent number: 7985519
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate and a single layer type photosensitive layer, the aromatic polycarbonate is contained to a single layer type photosensitive layer, which aromatic polycarbonate includes a constituent unit represented by the following general formula (1) derived from a compound having a basic asymmetric bishydroxy enamine skeleton represented by the general formula: Accordingly, the electrophotographic photoreceptor is obtained which is excellent in charge transportability, mechanical strength, electric property, durability, etc. and can form good images for a long time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Akihiro Kondoh, Hiroshi Sugimura, Takatsugu Obata
  • Patent number: 7767374
    Abstract: An method for producing an electrophotographic proreceptor includes a first coating step of applying a coating liquid containing a sublimable antioxidant and a photoconductive substance, onto a conductive substrate to form a first coating film thereon, a first drying step of drying the formed first coating film by heating to form a first photosensitive layer, a second coating step of applying the coating liquid used in the first coating step, onto the first photosensitive layer to form a second coating film, and a second drying step of drying the formed second coating film by heating to form a second photosensitive layer. In the second drying step, the drying condition is made to differ from the drying condition in the first drying step so that a degree of sublimation of the antioxidant in the second drying step is lower than that of sublimation of the antioxidant in the first drying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Rikiya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 7588871
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor having excellent electric characteristics such as sensitivity characteristic and light responsiveness with an excellent life duration of abrasion resistance so that no flaw and density unevenness are generated on to-be-formed images for a long period of time, is provided. In an electrophotographic photoreceptor (1), an enamine compound represented by the following general formula (1), for example, an enamine compound represented by the following structural formula (1-1) is contained in a charge transporting layer (6), and a creep value (CIT) in a case where a maximum indentation load of 30 mN is put on a surface for 5 seconds under circumstances of temperature of 25° C. and relative humidity of 50%, is set to 2.70% or more and 5.00% or less, and a plastic deformation hardness value (Hplast) of the surface is set to 220 N/mm2 or more and 275 N/mm2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Kotaro Fukushima, Takatsugu Obata
  • Publication number: 20090175650
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a layered-type photosensitive layer in which a charge generating layer containing a charge generating material and a charge transporting layer containing a charge transporting material are stacked, formed on a conductive supporting member made of a conductive material, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor has high sensitive characteristics to a semiconductor laser beam having a wavelength ranging from 380 to 500 nm; the charge transporting layer of the layered-type photosensitive layer contains as the charge transporting material, a triarylamine dimer compound represented by the general formula (1): wherein Ar1 and Ar2 may be the same or different, and represent an unsubstituted or substituted arylene group or heterocyclic derivative bivalent group, Ar3 and Ar4 may be the same or different, and represent an unsubstituted or substituted aryl group or heterocyclic group, R1 and R2 may be the same or different, and represent an alkyl group, m and n rep
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akiko KIHARA, Kotaro Fukushima, Takatsugu Obata, Akihiro Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20080199215
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate and a single layer type photosensitive layer, the aromatic polycarbonate is contained to a single layer type photosensitive layer, which aromatic polycarbonate includes a constituent unit represented by the following general formula (1) derived from a compound having a basic asymmetric bishydroxy enamine skeleton represented by the general formula: Accordingly, the electrophotographic photoreceptor is obtained which is excellent in charge transportability, mechanical strength, electric property, durability, etc. and can form good images for a long time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Akiko KIHARA, Akihiro Kondoh, Hiroshi Sugimura, Takatsugu Obata
  • Publication number: 20070141505
    Abstract: An method for producing an electrophotographic proreceptor includes a first coating step of applying a coating liquid containing a sublimable antioxidant and a photoconductive substance, onto a conductive substrate to form a first coating film thereon, a first drying step of drying the formed first coating film by heating to form a first photosensitive layer, a second coating step of applying the coating liquid used in the first coating step, onto the first photosensitive layer to form a second coating film, and a second drying step of drying the formed second coating film by heating to form a second photosensitive layer. In the second drying step, the drying condition is made to differ from the drying condition in the first drying step so that a degree of sublimation of the antioxidant in the second drying step is lower than that of sublimation of the antioxidant in the first drying step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kihara, Rikiya Matsuo