Patents by Inventor Chieko Mihara

Chieko Mihara 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: 20070117937
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a reactive functional group within a molecule, a novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a novel function by a chemical modification of the polyhydroxyalkanoate having the reactive functional group, and a producing method therefor. A polyhydroxyalkanoate containing a unit having a carboxyl group in a side chain is utilized for deriving a polyhydroxyalkanoate containing a unit having an amide group and a sulfonic acid group in the molecule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Chieko Mihara, Tatsuki Fukui, Ako Kusakari, Tetsuya Yano
  • Publication number: 20070073006
    Abstract: To provide a novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a reactive functional group in a molecule and a method of producing the same; and a novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a new function obtained by chemically modifying the polyhydroxyalkanoate having a reactive functional group and a method of producing the same. By utilizing a vinyl group of a polyhydroxyalkanoate containing a unit having the vinyl group at a side chain thereof, a polyhydroxyalkanoate containing units having a carboxyl group, an amide group, and a sulfonic group in a molecule is induced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui, Chieko Mihara, Ako Kusakari, Tetsuya Yano
  • Publication number: 20070059627
    Abstract: A polymer is provided in which a sulfonic group or a derivative thereof is introduced. The polymer includes a unit represented by the following chemical formula (1): wherein R represents -A1-SO2R1; A1 is selected from an alkylene group, a heterocyclic ring, an aromatic ring; and —SO2R1 is a sulfonic group or of a derivative of a sulfonic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuki Fukui, Takashi Kenmoku, Ako Kusakari, Chieko Mihara, Tetsuya Yano, Norikazu Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20060287473
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel polyester adapted for use in a charge control agent for a toner for an electrophotographic process, having a charge stability, a high charge amount, an improved dispersibility and a biodegradability, and a producing method and an application technology therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuki Fukui, Tetsuya Yano, Chieko Mihara, Shinya Kozaki, Tsutomu Honma, Takashi Kenmoku, Ako Kusakari
  • Publication number: 20060247414
    Abstract: A novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a reactive functional group in a molecule, and a production method thereof, etc. are provided. By utilizing the vinyl group of polyhydroxyalkanoate which contains a unit having a vinyl group on a side chain, a polyhydroxyalkanoate which contains a carboxyl group and a unit having an amide group and a sulfonic acid group in a molecule is derived.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui, Chieko Mihara, Ako Kusakari, Tetsuya Yano
  • Publication number: 20060211100
    Abstract: The invention provides a PHA copolymer including at least a 3-hydroxy-?-carboxyalkanoic acid represented by a formula (19) or (32) and simultaneously at least a unit represented by a formula (2) or a formula (3) in a molecule, a precursor PHA copolymer having a corresponding vinyl group or a corresponding alkoxycarbonyl group, a biosynthesis method thereof by microorganisms, and a method of producing a desired PHA copolymer from the precursor PHA copolymer: (wherein k, m, n are integers; R18 represents H, Na, K, R27? represents (A); R1 represents a substituent on a cyclohexyl group and represents H, CN, NO2, a halogen atom, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5, or C3F7; R includes a residue including a phenyl structure or a thienyl structure; these being independent for each unit).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Tetsuya Yano, Chieko Mihara, Shinya Kozaki, Tsutomu Honma, Tatsuki Fukui, Takeshi Imamura, Etsuko Sugawa
  • Publication number: 20060194071
    Abstract: A developer carrying member which prevents toner from being excessively charged in a development apparatus and maintains a high charge quantity of toner, and which is difficult to cause deposition of toner thereto, and a development apparatus equipped with the developer carrying member are provided. A resin layer containing, as a binder, a resin containing polyhydroxyalkanoate having in the molecule at least one hydroxyalkanoic acid unit including sulfonic acid or a derivative thereof or carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof is formed on a substrate or on the surface of the substrate of the developer carrying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yano, Takashi Kenmoku, Chieko Mihara, Tatsuki Fukui, Ako Kusakari, Norikazu Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20060127786
    Abstract: To provide a toner for developing electrostatic images which is not easily cause the phenomenon of toner-spent, constituent materials are so selected that a charge control resin has hardness which is the same as the hardness of a binder resin or the charge control resin is harder than the binder resin, as measured with a scanning probe microscope in a viscoelasticity evaluation mode in respect to the binder resin and the charge control resin which are present in the particle interiors or particle surfaces of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Etsuko Sugawa, Chieko Mihara, Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui, Shinya Kozaki, Tsutomu Honma, Tetsuya Yano, Shigeki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20060079662
    Abstract: A novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a monomer unit represented by the formula (1), the unit having a carboxyl group substituting a ring structure at the end of side chain, obtainable by oxydizing vinyl or methyl group substituting a ring structure at the end of the side chain. The polyhydroxyalkanoate has high thermal stability, charge stablity, a high charge amount, improved dispersibility and biodegradability together, and therefore, suitable for resin moldings, and binders and charge controlling agents for toners used in the electrophotographic process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuki Fukui, Tetsuya Yano, Chieko Mihara, Shinya Kozaki, Tsutomu Honma, Takashi Kenmoku
  • Patent number: 7009007
    Abstract: A novel resin is provided, which is renewable with less energy. A process for renewing the resin is also provided. The present invention includes a polymer having the repeating unit represented by Structural Formula (1) [—P1—R—]n (1). In the formula, P1 indicates an addition polymer moiety having a continuous hydrocarbon chain as the skeleton containing no condensation system, and is a polymer or oligomer prepared by addition polymerization of one or more monomers having a double bond; R indicates a linking group constituted of a condensation system for linking the polymer moieties P; and n is a number of repeating units and is an integer of 2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maehara, Chieko Mihara, Yoshihiko Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20060040196
    Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer comprises one kind of unit of —[OCH((CH2)x—SOC6H5R)CH2CO]— (n=1-7) ??(1) (wherein R is any one of H, halogen, CN, NO2, COOR?, SO2R? (R? is any one of H, Na, K, CH3 and C2H5; R? is any one of OH, ONa, OK, halogen, OCH3 and OC2H5), CH3, C2H5, C3H7, (CH3)2—CH and (CH3)3—C) and —[OCH((CH2)x—SO2C6H5R)CH2CO]— (n=1-7) ??(2) (wherein R is any one of H, halogen, CN, NO2, COO R?, SO2R? (R? is any one of H, Na, K, CH3 and C2H5; R? is any one of OH, ONa, OK, halogen, OCH3 and OC2H5), CH3, C2H5, C3H7, (CH3)2—CH and (CH3)3—C) and at least one unit of chemical formulae (3) to (6): —[OCH((CH2)m—Rz)CH2CO]— (n=1-8) ??(3) (wherein Rz comprises a residue having either a phenyl structure or a thienyl structure), —[OCH((CH2)k—C6H11Ra)CH2CO]— (n=1-8) ??(4) (wherein Ra is any one of H, CN, NO2, halogen, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5 and C3F7) —[OCH((CH2)n—CH?CH2)CH2CO]— (n=1-8) ??(5), and —[OCH((CH2)n—COORb)CH2CO]— (n=1-8) ??(6) (wherein Rb is any one of H, Na and K).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yano, Chieko Mihara, Shinya Kozaki, Tsutomu Honma, Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui
  • Publication number: 20060035098
    Abstract: A developer carrying member is disclosed which can prevent a toner from being excessively charged in a developing assembly while keeping the charge quantity of the toner at a somewhat higher level, and seldomly causes toner melt adhesion to the developer carrying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuki Fukui, Tetsuya Yano, Takashi Kenmoku, Chieko Mihara, Ako Kusakari, Norikazu Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20060030675
    Abstract: A novel resin is provided which is renewable with less energy. A process for renewing the resin is also provided. The present invention includes a polymer having the repeating unit represented by Structural Formula (1) below, and a process for producing the polymer: [—P1—R—]n (1). In the formula, P1 indicates an addition polymer moiety having a continuous hydrocarbon chain as the skeleton containing no condensation system, and is a polymer or oligomer prepared by addition polymerization of one or more monomers having a double bond; R indicates a linking group constituted of a condensation system for linking the polymer moieties P; and n is a number of repeating units and is an integer of 2 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maehara, Chieko Mihara, Yoshihiko Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20060014921
    Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate containing in a molecule at least one unit represented by the chemical formula (1). The polyhydroxyalkanoate is a biodegradable plastic with enhanced melt-processability and exhibits excellent charging stability, high chargeability, and enhanced dispersibility when used as a charge control agent of a toner in an electrophotographic process. (R denotes -A1(—SO2R1)x. R1 is selected from OH, a halogen atom, ONa, OK, and OR1a. R1a and A1 are selected from a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon structure, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring structure, and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic structure. Further, m and x are integers selected from 1 to 8, and when two or more units exist, each of R, R1 R1a, A1, m, and x is defined as above independently for each of the units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chieko Mihara, Tetsuya Yano, Shinya Kozaki, Tsutomu Honma, Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui, Ako Kusakari
  • Publication number: 20050287484
    Abstract: To provide a resin-coated carrier for an electrophotographic developer capable of providing an image with excellent image quality; and a two-component developer and a replenishing developer each of which contains the resin-coated carrier as a constituent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yano, Takashi Kenmoku, Chieko Mihara, Tatsuki Fukui, Ako Kusakari, Norikazu Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20050287463
    Abstract: There is provided a resin-coated carrier with a coating layer attached to the surface of a core material in a stable manner, the electrophotographic carrier which can provide an image with excellent quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: KANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuki Fukui, Tetsuya Yano, Takashi Kenmoku, Chieko Mihara, Ako Kusakari, Norikazu Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20050260514
    Abstract: The present invention provides a negataively chargeable charge controlling agent to control a charged state of a powder or granular material such as toner for electrophotography, where the agent comprises a polyhydroxyalkanoate having at least one kind of 3-hydroxy-?-carboxyalkanoic acid unit represented by the chemical formula (1): wherein n is an integer selected from 1 to 8; R1 is an H, Na or K atom, or and when more than one unit exists, n and R1 is the same or different between the units. The charge controlling agent is excellent in electrophtographic properties and propitious to environment because of the biodegradability of the polyhydroxyalkanoate. wherein n is an integer selected from the range shown in the same chemical formula; R1 is an H atom, Na atom, K atom, or and when more than one unit exists, n and R1 may differ from unit to unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chieko Mihara, Tetsuya Yano, Shinya Kozaki, Tstutomu Honma, Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui
  • Patent number: 6911520
    Abstract: Provided is a polyhydroxyalkanoate containing in a molecule thereof one or more units each selected from the following formulae (1) (2), (3) and (4): wherein R1 and R6 are each OH, halogen, ONa, OK, OCH3 or OC2H5; A1 and J6 are each a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon; m and n are each 0 to 7; r is 1 to 500; and R1? to R5? are each hydrogen or halogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuki Fukui, Etsuko Sugawa, Tetsuya Yano, Chieko Mihara, Takeshi Imamura, Takashi Kenmoku
  • Patent number: 6908721
    Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate comprises a unit of formula (1): —(O—CH((CH2)mSASO2R)CH2C(?O))— wherein R is selected from the group consisting of OH, a halogen atom, ONa, OK, OCH3 and OC2H5; A represents a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon structure; m is an integer number selected from 1 to 8; and in the case where a plurality of units exist in the same molecule, R, A and m in one unit can be different from them in another unit respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Etsuko Sugawa, Tetsuya Yano, Chieko Mihara, Takeshi Imamura, Tatsuki Fukui
  • Patent number: 6900295
    Abstract: The present invention is an enzyme-decomposable polymer compound having recyclable decomposition products. The polymeric compound is a glycopolymer of a saccharide having only glucopyranose rings and a second component. In addition, the glycopolymer may contain molecular chains having at least one type of repeating unit, which chains are crosslinked by a saccharide having only glucopyranose rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Kishi, Toyoko Kobayashi, Kiyoshi Sakai, Norio Kaneko, Kazumi Tanaka, Chieko Mihara, Toshihiko Takeda, Yoshihiko Kikuchi