Patents by Inventor Chikara Ando

Chikara Ando 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: 8478148
    Abstract: A fixing unit includes: a support member; an endless-belt-like fixing member which is wound on the support member; a pressure member which rotates in a fixed rotation direction while being pressed onto the fixing member; a fixing portion in which the fixing member and the pressure member abut against each other to perform fixation on a recording medium; a separation unit which is provided in a space between the support member and the fixing member on a downstream side of the fixing member in a rotation direction of the fixing member and for separating the recording medium from the fixing member; a separation portion which is provided in the separation unit to press the fixing member onto the pressure member and guide the fixing member to leave the pressure member; and an adjustment unit as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Nakatsuhara, Sho Watanabe, Yuichi Fukuda, Chikara Ando, Toshiyuki Miyata
  • Patent number: 8428504
    Abstract: A medium clamping device includes: a first circularly-moving body having a circumferential surface harder than a recording medium, a longer length in a direction orthogonal to a circularly-moving direction than the recording medium in a first direction; a second circularly-moving body where the recording medium passes between the surfaces of the two circularly-moving bodies in a second direction crossing the first direction; a load applying section applying a load to at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies to clamp the recording medium; a belt member surrounding the surface of at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies, at a place outside an area touching the recording medium when the recording medium passes; and a belt-member-protecting member which is aligned with the belt member in a recording-medium-passing direction, includes a portion closer to a recording-medium-passing path than the belt member to protect the belt member from contacting the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara Ando, Toshinori Sasaki, Masaru Funayanagi
  • Publication number: 20120070205
    Abstract: A fixing unit includes: a fixing member; a pressure member that rotates while being pressed onto the fixing member; a fixing portion that is a contact portion between the fixing member and the pressure member and performs fixation on a recording medium; and a temperature uniformizing member that abuts against the pressure member on a rotational downstream side of the pressure member with respect to the fixing portion and over an area longer than an axial length of the recording medium perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sho WATANABE, Yuichi FUKUDA, Chikara ANDO, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Masaya NAKATSUHARA
  • Publication number: 20120070204
    Abstract: A fixing unit includes: a support member; an endless-belt-like fixing member which is wound on the support member; a pressure member which rotates in a fixed rotation direction while being pressed onto the fixing member; a fixing portion in which the fixing member and the pressure member abut against each other to perform fixation on a recording medium; a separation unit which is provided in a space between the support member and the fixing member on a downstream side of the fixing member in a rotation direction of the fixing member and for separating the recording medium from the fixing member; a separation portion which is provided in the separation unit to press the fixing member onto the pressure member and guide the fixing member to leave the pressure member; and an adjustment unit as defined herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya NAKATSUHARA, Sho WATANABE, Yuichi FUKUDA, Chikara ANDO, Toshiyuki MIYATA
  • Patent number: 8131174
    Abstract: The fixing device is provided with: a fixing member that has a rotating member which rotates and a heat source which heats the rotating member; a pressure member that is driven to rotate while pressing the fixing member, and that forms a nip portion where a recording medium passes, between the fixing member and the pressure member; a separation unit that separates the fixing member and the pressure member from each other; and a cooling unit that cools a face of the pressure member separated by the separating unit. The face is opposed to the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chikara Ando
  • Patent number: 7979001
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing member that is driven to rotate; a pressurizing member that is rotated in accordance with rotation of the fixing member while pressing the fixing member, and that forms a pressing portion through which a recording medium passes, the pressing portion being formed between the pressurizing member and the fixing member; and a surface shape adjusting member that has a surface including plural spherical projections and that rotates with the surface being in contact with the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Chikara Ando
  • Publication number: 20110142514
    Abstract: A medium clamping device includes: a first circularly-moving body having a circumferential surface harder than a recording medium, a longer length in a direction orthogonal to a circularly-moving direction than the recording medium in a first direction; a second circularly-moving body where the recording medium passes between the surfaces of the two circularly-moving bodies in a second direction crossing the first direction; a load applying section applying a load to at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies to clamp the recording medium; a belt member surrounding the surface of at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies, at a place outside an area touching the recording medium when the recording medium passes; and a belt-member-protecting member which is aligned with the belt member in a recording-medium-passing direction, includes a portion closer to a recording-medium-passing path than the belt member to protect the belt member from contacting the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chikara ANDO, Toshinori Sasaki, Masaru Funayanagi
  • Patent number: 7860440
    Abstract: A fixing device fixes a toner image carried on a recording medium. The fixing device includes a rotatable fixing roll member, a fixing belt member and a walk adjustment mechanism. The fixing belt member is wound on the fixing roll member so as to be rotatable. The walk adjustment mechanism changes a walk width of the fixing belt member in accordance with a width of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Yasuhiro Uehara, Yasushi Kawahata, Daisuke Yoshino, Chikara Ando, Junpei Amano
  • Publication number: 20100247182
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing member that is driven to rotate; a pressurizing member that is rotated in accordance with rotation of the fixing member while pressing the fixing member, and that forms a pressing portion through which a recording medium passes, the pressing portion being formed between the pressurizing member and the fixing member; and a surface shape adjusting member that has a surface including plural spherical projections and that rotates with the surface being in contact with the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Chikara Ando
  • Patent number: 7801473
    Abstract: The fixing device is provided with: a fixing roll that is rotatable; a belt member that is stretched by the fixing roll; a pressure roll that presses the fixing roll through the belt member; and a peeling member that presses an outer surface of the belt member against the pressure roll. The pressure roll presses the belt member with pressure at an edge portion of the belt member larger than pressure at a central portion of the belt member in an axial direction, and the peeling member presses the belt member with pressure at the edge portion of the belt member equal to or larger than pressure at the central portion of the belt member in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chikara Ando
  • Patent number: 7764915
    Abstract: An elastic roll is used in a fixing device of an image forming apparatus. The elastic roll includes an elastic layer and a covering layer disposed on an outside of the elastic layer. The covering layer is made of a heat-resistant resin or a metal, which has higher rigidity than a material of the elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Uehara, Junpei Amano, Chikara Ando, Ryuji Katsuno, Jun Kimura
  • Publication number: 20090226200
    Abstract: The fixing device is provided with: a fixing member that has a rotating member which rotates and a heat source which heats the rotating member; a pressure member that is driven to rotate while pressing the fixing member, and that forms a nip portion where a recording medium passes, between the fixing member and the pressure member; a separation unit that separates the fixing member and the pressure member from each other; and a cooling unit that cools a face of the pressure member separated by the separating unit. The face is opposed to the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventor: Chikara Ando
  • Patent number: 7567766
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing roll member; a support roll member; a fixing belt member rotated while being mounted on and tensioned by the fixing roll member and the support roll member; a roll heating unit that heats the fixing roll member; a belt heating unit that heats the fixing belt member; a pressing member that is in press contact with a portion of the fixing roll member, around which the fixing belt member is wound, to form a nip portion; and a temperature controlling device that controls and drives the roll heating unit and the belt heating unit. The temperature controlling device controls the fixing roll member and the fixing belt member to be different temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Motofumi Baba, Chikara Ando, Daisuke Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20090116885
    Abstract: The fixing device is provided with: a fixing roll that is rotatable; a belt member that is stretched by the fixing roll; a pressure roll that presses the fixing roll through the belt member; and a peeling member that presses an outer surface of the belt member against the pressure roll. The pressure roll presses the belt member with pressure at an edge portion of the belt member larger than pressure at a central portion of the belt member in an axial direction, and the peeling member presses the belt member with pressure at the edge portion of the belt member equal to or larger than pressure at the central portion of the belt member in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventor: Chikara Ando
  • Patent number: 7398045
    Abstract: A fixing unit for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes: a rotatable fixing roll; a fixing belt stretched on the fixing roll; at least one tension roll stretching the fixing belt with the fixing roll; a pressurization member disposed to give a pressure to the fixing roll; and a stripping member disposed to press the outer surface of the fixing belt onto the pressurization member in a vicinity of a downstream side of a first contact portion between the fixing roll and the pressurization member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Uehara, Yasushi Kawahata, Daisuke Yoshino, Chikara Ando, Motofumi Baba, Yuka Nakayama, Toshiyuki Miyata
  • Publication number: 20070189819
    Abstract: An elastic roll is used in a fixing device of an image forming apparatus. The elastic roll includes an elastic layer and a covering layer disposed on an outside of the elastic layer. The covering layer is made of a heat-resistant resin or a metal, which has higher rigidity than a material of the elastic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Uehara, Junpei Amano, Chikara Ando, Ryuji Katsuno, Jun Kimura
  • Publication number: 20070172272
    Abstract: A fixing device fixes a toner image carried on a recording medium. The fixing device includes a rotatable fixing roll member, a fixing belt member and a walk adjustment mechanism. The fixing belt member is wound on the fixing roll member so as to be rotatable. The walk adjustment mechanism changes a walk width of the fixing belt member in accordance with a width of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Yasuhiro Uehara, Yasushi Kawahata, Daisuke Yoshino, Chikara Ando, Junpei Amano
  • Publication number: 20070092277
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing roll member; a support roll member; a fixing belt member rotated while being mounted on and tensioned by the fixing roll member and the support roll member; a roll heating unit that heats the fixing roll member; a belt heating unit that heats the fixing belt member; a pressing member that is in press contact with a portion of the fixing roll member, around which the fixing belt member is wound, to form a nip portion; and a temperature controlling device that controls and drives the roll heating unit and the belt heating unit. The temperature controlling device controls the fixing roll member and the fixing belt member to be different temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Motofumi Baba, Chikara Ando, Daisuke Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20070065189
    Abstract: A fixing device which fixes a toner image borne on a recording medium includes a rotatable fixing roll member, a rotatable tension roll member, a rotating fixing belt member stretched between the fixing roll member and the tension roll member, a heater which heats the fixing belt member, a pressing member which presses a portion of the fixing roll member around which the fixing belt member is wound to form a nip part, and a belt moving direction changing member which is interposed between the fixing belt member and the fixing roll member on a downstream side of the nip part, and changes a moving direction of the fixing belt member. Width “Wbe” of the fixing belt member, width “Wpr” of the pressing member, and width “Wpe” of the belt moving direction changing member are set to satisfy the following relation: Wpr?Wbe<Wpe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Motofumi Baba, Daisuke Yoshino, Chikara Ando, Yasushi Kawahata
  • Publication number: 20070048042
    Abstract: A fixing unit for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes: a rotatable fixing roll; a fixing belt stretched on the fixing roll; at least one tension roll stretching the fixing belt with the fixing roll; a pressurization member disposed to give a pressure to the fixing roll; and a stripping member disposed to press the outer surface of the fixing belt onto the pressurization member in a vicinity of a downstream side of a first contact portion between the fixing roll and the pressurization member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Uehara, Yasushi Kawahata, Daisuke Yoshino, Chikara Ando, Motofumi Baba, Yuka Nakayama, Toshiyuki Miyata