Patents by Inventor Akimichi Suzuki
Akimichi Suzuki 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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Publication number: 20160299460Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a roller, a heating rotary member heating the roller, and a backup member forming a nip portion, a temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of the heating rotary member, and a control unit for controlling power so that the detected temperature is maintained at a target temperature, wherein a print job includes a first step in which the unfixed toner image is formed on the recording material, a second step in which fixing processing is executed, and a third step in which the fixing unit is cleaned, and wherein the third step is executed following the second step, and in the third step, while the target temperature is set higher than the target temperature in the second step, the roller and the heating rotary member are rotated in a state where no recording material is present at the nip portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2016Publication date: October 13, 2016Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Akimichi Suzuki, Shogo Kan, Kazuhiro Doda, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 9411282Abstract: A cylindrical film used in an image heating device heating a recording material, on which an image has been formed, has a resin layer, this resin layer being made from a resin in which a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin having a higher glass transition temperature than the crystalline resin are blended, wherein a volume ratio of the crystalline resin with respect to the amorphous resin in the resin layer is 70/30 to 99/1.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2015Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Kazuhiro Doda, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Akira Okano, Masahiro Suzuki
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Patent number: 9405234Abstract: A fiber member and a transfer belt are movable into contact with or away from each other. In an initial contact state in which an image carrying member and the transfer belt are separated and the transfer belt and the fiber member start touching, an upstream side of the fiber member in the movement direction of the transfer belt touches the transfer belt before a downstream side of the fiber member touches the belt. In a contact state in which the image carrying member and the transfer belt are in contact and the transfer belt and the transfer device are in contact, a holding surface is inclined with respect to an opposing portion of an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt in such a manner that a distance between the holding surface and the opposing portion increases from the downstream side to the upstream side in the movement direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2015Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenichi Iida, Akimichi Suzuki
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Patent number: 9341975Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device configured to expose image bearing members charged by charging devices to form latent images on the image bearing members, and a control unit configured to, in ether one or both of an image forming unit A and an image forming unit B, adjust an amount of exposure by which the image bearing member is exposed and a charging voltage based on information about the image bearing members of the image forming units A and B. The control unit is configured to make the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit A different from the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit B.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2015Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Motoki Adachi, Yusuke Shimizu, Yuichiro Hirata, Naoki Fukushima
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Patent number: 9335688Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; and a fixing portion. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical film, a nip-forming member and a roller including a shaft portion and an elastic layer. The elastic layer contacts an outer surface of the film except an end region of the film with respect to a generatrix direction. In the end region, the shaft portion and the outer surface of the film oppose each other with a spatial region with respect to a radial direction of the shaft portion. The image forming apparatus includes a spacer occupying at least a part of the spatial region.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2015Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Akimichi Suzuki, Shogo Kan, Kensuke Umeda, Takaaki Akamatsu
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Publication number: 20160054689Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; and a fixing portion. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical film, a nip-forming member and a roller including a shaft portion and an elastic layer. The elastic layer contacts an outer surface of the film except an end region of the film with respect to a generatrix direction. In the end region, the shaft portion and the outer surface of the film oppose each other with a spatial region with respect to a radial direction of the shaft portion. The image forming apparatus includes a spacer occupying at least a part of the spatial region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Inventors: Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Akimichi Suzuki, Shogo Kan, Kensuke Umeda, Takaaki Akamatsu
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Patent number: 9229351Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device having an adjustment period for adjusting an output while exposing a photosensitive drum to light prior to image formation and a developing device. The developing device is configured to change between a contact state where the photosensitive drum and a developing roller are in contact with each other and a separation state where they are separated from each other. The developing device changes from the separation state to the contact state when a portion on the photosensitive drum exposed to light in the adjustment period of the exposure device is at a developing position.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2012Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Hiroaki Sakai, Akimichi Suzuki, Shuji Saito
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Publication number: 20150378287Abstract: A cylindrical film used in an image heating device heating a recording material, on which an image has been formed, has a resin layer, this resin layer being made from a resin in which a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin having a higher glass transition temperature than the crystalline resin are blended, wherein a volume ratio of the crystalline resin with respect to the amorphous resin in the resin layer is 70/30 to 99/1.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Kazuhiro Doda, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Akira Okano, Masahiro Suzuki
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Patent number: 9213276Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; and a fixing portion. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical film, a nip-forming member and a roller including a shaft portion and an elastic layer. The elastic layer contacts an outer surface of the film except an end region of the film with respect to a generatrix direction. In the end region, the shaft portion and the outer surface of the film oppose each other with a spatial region with respect to a radial direction of the shaft portion. The image forming apparatus includes a spacer occupying at least a part of the spatial region.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Akimichi Suzuki, Shogo Kan, Kensuke Umeda, Takaaki Akamatsu
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Patent number: 9207588Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion; a fixing portion; a first air blowing portion; and a second air blowing portion. The apparatus is operable in a first air blowing mode in which both the first and second air blowing portions are driven and in which the direction of the air near the exit is the recording material feeding direction, and is operable in a second air blowing mode in which both the first and second air blowing portions are driven and in which a direction of the air near the exit is a recording material feeding direction and a speed of the air is lower than a speed of the air in the first air blowing mode or in which the direction of the air near the exit is the opposite direction to the recording material feeding direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Hideo Nanataki, Shogo Kan
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Patent number: 9195187Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form a toner image on a recording material, includes: an image forming unit configured to form a unfixed toner image on the recording material; a fixing unit configured to heat the recording material where the unfixed toner image is formed while conveying the recording material using a nip portion, and to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording material; and a control unit configured to perform control so that temperature of the fixing unit is maintained in target temperature, with the target temperature (Tn) of a n'th page in consecutive printing being set to the highest temperature of the target temperatures (Tn to Tn+k) according to each of image densities (Dn to Dn+k) at (n to (n+k))'th pages, where integer k?1.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2013Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shogo Kan, Akimichi Suzuki, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20150331366Abstract: A fiber member and a transfer belt are movable into contact with or away from each other. In an initial contact state in which an image carrying member and the transfer belt are separated and the transfer belt and the fiber member start touching, an upstream side of the fiber member in the movement direction of the transfer belt touches the transfer belt before a downstream side of the fiber member touches the belt. In a contact state in which the image carrying member and the transfer belt are in contact and the transfer belt and the transfer device are in contact, a holding surface is inclined with respect to an opposing portion of an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt in such a manner that a distance between the holding surface and the opposing portion increases from the downstream side to the upstream side in the movement direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2015Publication date: November 19, 2015Inventors: Kenichi Iida, Akimichi Suzuki
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Patent number: 9158251Abstract: A cylindrical film used in an image heating device heating a recording material, on which an image has been formed, has a resin layer, this resin layer being made from a resin in which a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin having a higher glass transition temperature than the crystalline resin are blended, wherein a volume ratio of the crystalline resin with respect to the amorphous resin in the resin layer is 70/30 to 99/1.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Kazuhiro Doda, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Akira Okano, Masahiro Suzuki
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Patent number: 9116456Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device configured to expose image bearing members charged by charging devices to form latent images on the image bearing members, and a control unit configured to, in ether one or both of an image forming unit A and an image forming unit B, adjust an amount of exposure by which the image bearing member is exposed and a charging voltage based on information about the image bearing members of the image forming units A and B. The control unit is configured to make the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit A different from the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit B.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2013Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Motoki Adachi, Yusuke Shimizu, Yuichiro Hirata, Naoki Fukushima
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Publication number: 20150220016Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device configured to expose image bearing members charged by charging devices to form latent images on the image bearing members, and a control unit configured to, in ether one or both of an image forming unit A and an image forming unit B, adjust an amount of exposure by which the image bearing member is exposed and a charging voltage based on information about the image bearing members of the image forming units A and B. The control unit is configured to make the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit A different from the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit B.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Motoki Adachi, Yusuke Shimizu, Yuichiro Hirata, Naoki Fukushima
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Patent number: 9052646Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an intermediary transfer belt containing an ion conductive agent, a secondary transfer member, and a charging device. With respect to the intermediary transfer belt, when a difference in number of digits (or in log value) between resistivity measured by using a metal probe and resistivity measured by using a sputtering electrode is ?M, a difference in number of digits (or in log value) between resistivity in a first environment and resistivity in a second environment higher than the first environment in temperature or humidity is ?E, a length of the secondary transfer portion with respect to the movement direction of the intermediary transfer belt is La, and a distance from the charging portion to the primary transfer portion with respect to the movement direction is Lb, the following relationship is satisfied: ?M??E?log(Lb/La).Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenichi Iida, Akimichi Suzuki, Yusuke Shimizu, Ryo Morihara
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Publication number: 20150063885Abstract: A cylindrical film used in an image heating device heating a recording material, on which an image has been formed, has a resin layer, this resin layer being made from a resin in which a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin having a higher glass transition temperature than the crystalline resin are blended, wherein a volume ratio of the crystalline resin with respect to the amorphous resin in the resin layer is 70/30 to 99/1.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2014Publication date: March 5, 2015Inventors: Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Kazuhiro Doda, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Akira Okano, Masahiro Suzuki
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Patent number: 8913906Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a rotatable endless belt, a first driving member for rotationally driving the endless belt and in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the endless belt, and a second driving member for rotationally driving the endless belt and in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the endless belt. In addition, a tension detecting unit detects a state of tension of the endless belt and a controller controls a rotational speed of the second driving member. A driving force applied from the second driving member to the endless belt is smaller than a driving force applied from the first driving member to the endless belt, and the tension detecting unit includes a metal roller contacting the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt and detects the tension by movement of the metal roller which follows the endless belt.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Takao Nada, Shinya Kawakami
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Publication number: 20140314458Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; and a fixing portion. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical film, a nip-forming member and a roller including a shaft portion and an elastic layer. The elastic layer contacts an outer surface of the film except an end region of the film with respect to a generatrix direction. In the end region, the shaft portion and the outer surface of the film oppose each other with a spatial region with respect to a radial direction of the shaft portion. The image forming apparatus includes a spacer occupying at least a part of the spatial region.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Akimichi Suzuki, Shogo Kan, Kensuke Umeda, Takaaki Akamatsu
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Publication number: 20140314437Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion; a fixing portion; a first air blowing portion; and a second air blowing portion. The apparatus is operable in a first air blowing mode in which both the first and second air blowing portions are driven and in which the direction of the air near the exit is the recording material feeding direction, and is operable in a second air blowing mode in which both the first and second air blowing portions are driven and in which a direction of the air near the exit is a recording material feeding direction and a speed of the air is lower than a speed of the air in the first air blowing mode or in which the direction of the air near the exit is the opposite direction to the recording material feeding direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Hideo Nanataki, Shogo Kan