Patents by Inventor Hideki Ohta

Hideki Ohta 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: 20260104666
    Abstract: A sheet discharge apparatus includes a stack portion, a reversing unit configured to reverse a reversing sheet, a support member configured to support a lower surface of the reversing sheet, a discharging unit configured to discharge a discharging sheet from the apparatus body, a pivotable member arranged above the stack portion, and a detector configured to output a detection signal that changes according to a pivot angle of the pivotable member. When viewed in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the first conveyance direction, a pivoting locus in which the pivotable member pivots overlaps the support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2025
    Publication date: April 16, 2026
    Inventors: KOICHI SEKIMIZU, SEIJI OBATA, HIDEKI OHTA, TAKEHITO OSADA
  • Publication number: 20260093204
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body having an opening portion, an opening and closing member supported to open/close relative to the apparatus main body; a fixing unit detachably supported with respect to the apparatus main body via the opening portion, including a heating unit and a pressure roller forming a fixing nip and a pair of conveyance rotation members having a conveyance nip, including a urging portion for urging the fixing unit toward a second position from a first position. In a case where the sheet is jammed while being caught in the fixing nip and the conveyance nip, and in a case where urging force of the urging portion acts on the sheet, a tensile force acting on the sheet is less than a binding force of the fixing nip and the conveyance nip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2025
    Publication date: April 2, 2026
    Inventors: TAKASHI HONKE, HIROSHI KATAOKA, HIDEKI OHTA
  • Patent number: 12545021
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus to process a sheet includes a first conveyance path, a punching unit, a storage unit, a movement unit, and a receiving unit. The punching unit punches the sheet conveyed in the first conveyance path. The storage unit is removable from the sheet processing apparatus and stores punch chips generated by the punching unit. The movement unit moves together with the punching unit in a direction parallel to a movement direction of the punching unit. The receiving unit is between the movement unit and the storage unit and receives the punch chips from the punching unit via the movement unit while supporting the movement unit. When the storage unit is removed in a state in which punch chips stored in the storage unit have accumulated to reach the receiving unit, some of the punch chips that have reached the receiving unit are leveled by the receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakahara, Naoyuki Maeda, Hideki Ohta, Jun Agata
  • Patent number: 12510854
    Abstract: A sheet discharge apparatus includes a stack portion, a reversing unit configured to reverse a reversing sheet, a support member configured to support a lower surface of the reversing sheet, a discharging unit configured to discharge a discharging sheet from the apparatus body, a pivotable member arranged above the stack portion, and a detector configured to output a detection signal that changes according to a pivot angle of the pivotable member. When viewed in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the first conveyance direction, a pivoting locus in which the pivotable member pivots overlaps the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2025
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sekimizu, Seiji Obata, Hideki Ohta, Takehito Osada
  • Publication number: 20250291285
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body provided with an opening portion, an opening/closing member, a fixing unit, and a moving unit provided in the apparatus body and configured to move the fixing unit from a first position toward a second position above the first position. Movement of the fixing unit from the first position to the second position is restricted in a state in which the opening/closing member is positioned at the closed position and is allowed in a state in which the opening/closing member is positioned at the open position. The moving unit includes a support portion configured to support the fixing unit positioned at the second position such that the fixing unit is attachable and detachable. The support portion extends in a longitudinal direction of the fixing unit and supports the fixing unit from below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: HIDEKI OHTA, TOMOOKU KOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20250291305
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet includes an apparatus body, a mounting unit, a restricting portion configured to move to a restricting position and to an allowing position, a first connector, a second connector configured to move between a fitting position and a release position, and an interlocking portion configured to move between a first operation position and a second operation position and configured to be interlocked with the restricting portion and the second connector. The interlocking portion includes an operation portion, a pivot shaft configured to pivot integrally with the operation portion and configured to pivotably support the restricting portion, and a cam pivotably supported by the pivot shaft and configured to move the second connector from the fitting position to the release position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: TOMOOKU KOYAMA, HIDEKI OHTA, CHIKARA IMAIZUMI, RYO MIYATA, SEIJI OBATA, JIRO MORIYA
  • Publication number: 20250291286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body provided with an opening portion, an opening/closing member supported to be openable and closable with respect to the apparatus body between a closed position and an open position, a fixing unit, and a moving unit provided in the apparatus body and configured to move the fixing unit from a first position toward a second position. A movement of the fixing unit from the first position to the second position is restricted in a state in which the opening/closing member is positioned at the closed position and is allowed in a state in which the opening/closing member is positioned at the open position. The moving unit includes a support portion configured to support the fixing unit positioned at the second position, and a restricting portion configured to restrict dropping of the fixing unit supported by the support portion from the support portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: SEIJI OBATA, TOMOOKU KOYAMA, HIDEKI OHTA, JIRO MORIYA
  • Publication number: 20250155840
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2025
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 12228871
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 11934120
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating rotary member and a pressing rotary member. The pressing rotary member and the heating rotary member form a fixing nip portion and are configured to apply heat and pressure to a toner image carried on a recording medium at the fixing nip portion, thereby fix the toner image onto the recording medium. The image forming apparatus further includes a winding roller configured to wind up a web used to collect toner that is not fixed to the recording medium, a motor configured to rotate the winding roller, a contact member configured to contact an outside surface of the web wound around the winding roller, a variable resistor disposed so as to be able to change a resistance in accordance with a position of the contact member, and a control unit configured to control an amount of rotation of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Takayuki Hata, Junichiro Nakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11934125
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating rotary member that heats toner born on a recording material, and a pressure rotary member that pressurizes the heating rotary member. These rotary members form a fixing nip portion and fix a toner image to the recording material at the fixing nip portion while nipping and conveying the recording material. The apparatus further includes a web that collects toner adhering to a surface of the heating rotary member, a winding roller that winds the web, a motor that rotates the winding roller, a contact member that makes contact with an outer surface of the wound web and moves based on a position of the outer surface, a variable resistor that is connected to change a resistance value depending on a position of the contact member, and a control unit that controls a rotation amount of the motor based on the resistance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20240085832
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Publication number: 20230406010
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus to process a sheet includes a first conveyance path, a punching unit, a storage unit, a movement unit, and a receiving unit. The punching unit punches the sheet conveyed in the first conveyance path. The storage unit is removable from the sheet processing apparatus and stores punch chips generated by the punching unit. The movement unit moves together with the punching unit in a direction parallel to a movement direction of the punching unit. The receiving unit is between the movement unit and the storage unit and receives the punch chips from the punching unit via the movement unit while supporting the movement unit. When the storage unit is removed in a state in which punch chips stored in the storage unit have accumulated to reach the receiving unit, some of the punch chips that have reached the receiving unit are leveled by the receiving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: YASUHIRO NAKAHARA, NAOYUKI MAEDA, HIDEKI OHTA, JUN AGATA
  • Patent number: 11846902
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Publication number: 20230152736
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating rotary member and a pressing rotary member. The pressing rotary member and the heating rotary member form a fixing nip portion and are configured to apply heat and pressure to a toner image carried on a recording medium at the fixing nip portion, thereby fix the toner image onto the recording medium. The image forming apparatus further includes a winding roller configured to wind up a web used to collect toner that is not fixed to the recording medium, a motor configured to rotate the winding roller, a contact member configured to contact an outside surface of the web wound around the winding roller, a variable resistor disposed so as to be able to change a resistance in accordance with a position of the contact member, and a control unit configured to control an amount of rotation of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Takayuki Hata, Junichiro Nakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20230068327
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating rotary member that heats toner born on a recording material, and a pressure rotary member that pressurizes the heating rotary member. These rotary members form a fixing nip portion and fix a toner image to the recording material at the fixing nip portion while nipping and conveying the recording material. The apparatus further includes a web that collects toner adhering to a surface of the heating rotary member, a winding roller that winds the web, a motor that rotates the winding roller, a contact member that makes contact with an outer surface of the wound web and moves based on a position of the outer surface, a variable resistor that is connected to change a resistance value depending on a position of the contact member, and a control unit that controls a rotation amount of the motor based on the resistance value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Hideki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20220382198
    Abstract: A sheet discharge apparatus includes a stack portion, a reversing unit configured to reverse a reversing sheet, a support member configured to support a lower surface of the reversing sheet, a discharging unit configured to discharge a discharging sheet from the apparatus body, a pivotable member arranged above the stack portion, and a detector configured to output a detection signal that changes according to a pivot angle of the pivotable member. When viewed in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the first conveyance direction, a pivoting locus in which the pivotable member pivots overlaps the support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Koichi Sekimizu, Seiji Obata, Hideki Ohta, Takehito Osada
  • Publication number: 20220244666
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 11320770
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 11181861
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming a toner image on a sheet, a fixing portion for fixing the toner image formed by the image forming portion on the sheet, a reversing portion for reversing the sheet carrying the toner image fixed by the fixing portion, a blower for blowing air, and a duct for guiding the air blown from the blower to the reversing portion. The duct is provided with an opening at an end in a width direction of the sheet, and the blower blows the air from a downstream side to an upstream side with respect to the feeding direction of the sheet after being reversed by the reversing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Ohta