Patents by Inventor Chikara Hiraoka

Chikara Hiraoka 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: 20020025201
    Abstract: In order to provide an electrophotographic image forming system characterized by a mechanism of stabilizing the behavior of the tip of the form when the form with unfused colored particles (toner) deposited thereon is fed to the fusing device, the present invention has a form posture correcting protrusion provided on the non-printing area of the surface of the form with unfused colored particles (toner) deposited thereon inside the feed path of the form with unfused colored particles (toner) deposited thereon, so that form behavior can be controlled when the form is fed to the fusing device. Furthermore, the present invention has a form guide provided on the form ejection side of the fusing device to control the behavior of the form moving in the direction of being wound on the fusing roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventors: Yoshio Ohuchi, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Hisao Suka, Katumi Kumada, Chikara Hiraoka, Shizuo Tsuruta, Yoshitaro Ishii, Akira Sasaki, Masahiko Saito, Seiji Okunomiya, Tetsunori Kaneko, Masashi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6130408
    Abstract: A heating belt is laid along a conveying path for a recording medium moved after development, a halogen lamp is incorporated in a belt drive roller for driving the heating belt so as to heat the heating belt by heat generated by the halogen lamp, and accordingly, the heating belt whose temperature is controlled at a predetermined temperature heats the recording sheet. With this arrangement, the conveying speed of the recording sheet and the moving speed of the heating belt are set to be equal to each other. Alternatively, the heating belt may itself generate heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Fukuda, Hidefumi Ohtsuka, Chikara Hiraoka, Shuho Yokokawa, Isao Nakajima, Yoji Hirose, Akihiko Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6094549
    Abstract: An electrograph apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charging device for uniformly charging the surface of the photoconductor, a developing device, a charge extinguishing device functioning so that a sheet of printed paper can be easily released, and a fixing device in which denatured silicone oil having a mercapto-group as a functional group is used as a releasing agent, for fixing a toner image copied on a printing paper, in which the fixing device is provided above the charging device and the charge extinguishing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara Hiraoka, Katsumi Kumada, Katsuyoshi Onose
  • Patent number: 5778294
    Abstract: In a color electrophotographic apparatus, a belt fixing device which includes a pressure roller and a plurality of belt transport rollers for rotating a belt are provided for fixing unfixed toner. In the belt fixing device, a heating roller and a driving roller, which constitute the belt transport rollers, are always kept in contact with the pressure roller so that a fixing belt is curved in contact with the pressure roller, and after fused toner has been cooled, the driving roller applies pressure to the toner to separate the toner from the belt. According to this arrangement, a small-sized fixing device is achieved in which no silicone oil is needed and in which the running stability of sheets and the fixing belt is superior so that a high-quality fixed image can be obtained. A color electrophotographic apparatus using such a fixing device is also achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara Hiraoka, Junichi Matsuno, Hiromitsu Fukuda
  • Patent number: 5499087
    Abstract: A heat fixing device includes a heating head formed by attaching a radiant plate to the radiant surface of a PTC heating element using an adhesive having an excellent thermal conductivity, and embedding a heating unit, of which surfaces except the radiant surface are shielded with an adiabatic material, in a recess formed in a holder for supporting the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Ube Industries, Ltd., Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara Hiraoka, Junichi Matsuno, Masao Mitani, Hiroshi Oda, Toshikazu Tsumura