Patents by Inventor Hideo Yamane

Hideo Yamane 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: 9869958
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image forming unit for forming an image on a continuous paper; a fixing unit for fixing by heat the image which has been formed on the continuous paper by the image forming unit; conveyance units for conveying the continuous paper; and a control unit for controlling the conveyance units to convey the continuous paper in such a manner that, when an image forming operation by the image forming unit is stopped, the same portion of the continuous paper, on which the image is not formed, does not remain in the fixing unit for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya Tanigami, Shingo Sasami, Shougo Fukai, Hideo Yamane
  • Publication number: 20150078771
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image forming unit for forming an image on a continuous paper; a fixing unit for fixing by heat the image which has been formed on the continuous paper by the image forming unit; conveyance units for conveying the continuous paper; and a control unit for controlling the conveyance units to convey the continuous paper in such a manner that, when an image forming operation by the image forming unit is stopped, the same portion of the continuous paper, on which the image is not formed, does not remain in the fixing unit for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya TANIGAMI, Shingo SASAMI, Shougo FUKAI, Hideo YAMANE
  • Patent number: 8505911
    Abstract: A sheet discharging tray device includes: a discharging section from which a sheet is discharged; a discharging tray on which the sheet discharged from the discharging section is stacked sequentially; a tray drive section which drives the discharging tray in a tray shift direction that is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction from the discharging section with reference to a sheet surface; a controller which conducts a tray shift operation that shifts a position of the discharging tray under a condition of the number of sheets stacked on the discharging tray, and a sheet detection section which detects an alignment deviation in the tray shift direction. The controller changes an operation status of the discharging tray when a tray shift operation is conducted and changes a discharging operation of a sheet to the discharging tray, based on a detected result of the sheet detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tamada, Eiji Sugimoto, Kazumichi Yamauchi, Hideo Yamane
  • Patent number: 8226076
    Abstract: When a sheet is loaded to the sheet tray, the position of a trailing edge regulating section is set in response to the size of an insert sheet. Owing to this, the print sheet ejected from the ejection rollers onto the sheet tray falls onto the surface of the insert sheet. Further, when a booklet with an insert sheet placed therein is produced, an insert sheet is supplied to the sheet tray along the second conveying path. The shift amount of the execution position of center folding or the execution position of center stitching with respect to the sheet bundle is calculated in conformity to the finishing form of the booklet containing the insert sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takumi Shirakuma, Takeshi Tamada, Eiji Sugimoto, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Hideo Yamane
  • Publication number: 20120104689
    Abstract: A sheet discharging tray device includes: a discharging section from which a sheet is discharged; a discharging tray on which the sheet discharged from the discharging section is stacked sequentially; a tray drive section which drives the discharging tray in a tray shift direction that is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction from the discharging section with reference to a sheet surface; a controller which conducts a tray shift operation that shifts a position of the discharging tray under a condition of the number of sheets stacked on the discharging tray, and a sheet detection section which detects an alignment deviation in the tray shift direction. The controller changes an operation status of the discharging tray when a tray shift operation is conducted and changes a discharging operation of a sheet to the discharging tray, based on a detected result of the sheet detection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi TAMADA, Eiji SUGIMOTO, Kazumichi YAMAUCHI, Hideo YAMANE
  • Patent number: 8023881
    Abstract: A sheet finisher having a post-processing section that conducts post-processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, the sheet finisher comprising: an intermediate storing section in which a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are superposed to be stored temporarily; a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the plurality of sheets stored in the intermediate storing section to the post-processing section while the plurality of sheets are superposed; each of two drive motors which drives one of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with one sheet of the plurality of sheets and the other of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with the other sheet of the plurality of sheets, separately; and a correction controller that controls a rotation speed of at least one of the two drive motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masayuki Watanabe, Eiji Sugimoto, Hideo Yamane, Takumi Shirakuma
  • Publication number: 20110084436
    Abstract: When a sheet is loaded to the sheet tray, the position of a trailing edge regulating section is set in response to the size of an insert sheet. Owing to this, the print sheet ejected from the ejection rollers onto the sheet tray falls onto the surface of the insert sheet. Further, when a booklet with an insert sheet placed therein is produced, an insert sheet is supplied to the sheet tray along the second conveying path. The shift amount of the execution position of center folding or the execution position of center stitching with respect to the sheet bundle is calculated in conformity to the finishing form of the booklet containing the insert sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Takeshi TAMADA, Eiji SUGIMOTO, Teruhiko TOYOIZUMI, Hideo YAMANE
  • Patent number: 7869065
    Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming device having an image forming section that forms image on a recording medium based on image information and ejects the recording medium; a post-processing device that performs post-processing on a recording medium, the post-processing device having a sheet feeding section to load the recording medium; a power switching device to turn on power to the image forming system; a post-processing operation setting device for setting post-processing dedicated mode to execute post-processing on the recording medium loaded on the sheet feeding section; and a controller that executes startup operation for setting only the post-processing device into an operable state and prohibits startup operation of the image forming section of the image forming device when power has been turned on via the power switching device and the controller has detected that the post-processing dedicated mode has been set via the post-processing operation setting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji Sugimoto, Hideo Yamane
  • Patent number: 7732947
    Abstract: Present invention uses the main power source and auxiliary power source to supply power to a load, makes them take partial charge of power supply, and when the load current reaches its peak, detects a current and a voltage generated by the auxiliary power source, and when the detected values are larger than set values or lower than the set values, controls the output current of the main power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Ryuji Okutomi, Hideo Yamane, Yoshihito Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 7684749
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a transfer attitude correcting section for correcting a transfer attitude of the transfer sheet to receive the toner image and for conveying the corrected transfer sheet to the transfer section with a timing to match with the movement of the toner image. The transfer attitude correcting section includes a roller unit including a base board rotatable around a center of rotation and a registration roller mounted on the base board, a detecting section for detecting a position of the transfer sheet being conveyed by the registration roller; and a control section for control the roller unit based on detection data detected by the detecting section so as to correct a skew of the transfer sheet by rotating the base board and to correct a deviation of a transfer position of the transfer sheet by shifting the registration roller on the base board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Yamane, Satoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Akifumi Isobe
  • Patent number: 7654519
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section which forms an image on a sheet material; a curl correcting mechanism which interposes and conveys the sheet material on which the image has been formed by the image forming section. Pressure applied to one surface of the sheet material during an interposing operation and a conveying speed of the sheet material can be changed, the curl correcting mechanism changes the conveying speed from an initial speed vs to a target speed vo higher than the initial speed (vo>vs) while the sheet material is pressed, and the curl correcting mechanism changes the pressure to a high pressure in response to a change of the conveying speed, whereby a curl of the sheet material is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Yamane, Kazuo Sato, Eiji Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20080298867
    Abstract: A sheet finisher having a post-processing section that conducts post-processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, the sheet finisher comprising: an intermediate storing section in which a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are superposed to be stored temporarily; a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the plurality of sheets stored in the intermediate storing section to the post-processing section while the plurality of sheets are superposed; each of two drive motors which drives one of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with one sheet of the plurality of sheets and the other of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with the other sheet of the plurality of sheets, separately; and a correction controller that controls a rotation speed of at least one of the two drive motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Masayuki Watanabe, Eiji Sugimoto, Hideo Yamane, Takumi Shirakuma
  • Patent number: 7460824
    Abstract: A sheet moisturizing device, including a moisturizing section which applies water on a sheet carrying a formed image and moisturizes the sheet, a switching section which switches whether a moisturizing process is to be conducted onto the sheet by the moisturizing section or not, and a control section which controls the switching section based on image information carried on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nakajima, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Hideo Yamane
  • Publication number: 20080044207
    Abstract: A sheet moisturizing device, including a moisturizing section which applies water on a sheet carrying a formed image and moisturizes the sheet, a switching section which switches whether a moisturizing process is to be conducted onto the sheet by the moisturizing section or not, and a control section which controls the switching section based on image information carried on the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Hirofumi NakaJima, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Hideo Yamane
  • Publication number: 20080031651
    Abstract: Present invention uses the main power source and auxiliary power source to supply power to a load, makes them take partial charge of power supply, and when the load current reaches its peak, detects a current and a voltage generated by the auxiliary power source, and when the detected values are larger than set values or lower than the set values, controls the output current of the main power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Ryuji Okutomi, Hideo Yamane, Yoshihito Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 7313355
    Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which forms high quality images free from a phenomenon of inter-sheet adhesion. The image forming apparatus includes a conveyance section to convey the transfer material along a conveying path; a cooling device disposed along the conveying path to cool the transfer material just after the toner image is fixed with heat; a controller-to control the conveyance section and the cooling device; and a first transfer-material detecting device disposed at a position adjacent to and upstream from the cooling device, in order to detect the transfer material coming into the conveying path. When the first transfer-material detecting device detects the transfer material coming, the controller controls the conveyance section to decelerate a conveyance velocity of the transfer material to a decelerated velocity lower than a normal conveyance velocity, so that the transfer material passes through the conveying path at the decelerated velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akifumi Isobe, Satoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hideo Yamane
  • Publication number: 20070279646
    Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming device having an image forming section that forms image on a recording medium based on image information and ejects the recording medium; a post-processing device that performs post-processing on a recording medium, the post-processing device having a sheet feeding section to load the recording medium; a power switching device to turn on power to the image forming system; a post-processing operation setting device for setting post-processing dedicated mode to execute post-processing on the recording medium loaded on the sheet feeding section; and a controller that executes startup operation for setting only the post-processing device into an operable state and prohibits startup operation of the image forming section of the image forming device when power has been turned on via the power switching device and the controller has detected that the post-processing dedicated mode has been set via the post-processing operation setting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Eiji Sugimoto, Hideo Yamane
  • Publication number: 20070132174
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section which forms an image on a sheet material; a curl correcting mechanism which interposes and conveys the sheet material on which the image has been formed by the image forming section. Pressure applied to one surface of the sheet material during an interposing operation and a conveying speed of the sheet material can be changed, the curl correcting mechanism changes the conveying speed from an initial speed vs to a target speed vo higher than the initial speed (vo>vs) while the sheet material is pressed, and the curl correcting mechanism changes the pressure to a high pressure in response to a change of the conveying speed, whereby a curl of the sheet material is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Hideo Yamane, Kazuo Sato, Eiji Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20060285903
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a transfer attitude correcting section for correcting a transfer attitude of the transfer sheet to receive the toner image and for conveying the corrected transfer sheet to the transfer section with a timing to match with the movement of the toner image. The transfer attitude correcting section includes a roller unit including a base board rotatable around a center of rotation and a registration roller mounted on the base board, a detecting section for detecting a position of the transfer sheet being conveyed by the registration roller; and a control section for control the roller unit based on detection data detected by the detecting section so as to correct a skew of the transfer sheet by rotating the base board and to correct a deviation of a transfer position of the transfer sheet by shifting the registration roller on the base board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Hideo Yamane, Satoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Akifumi Isobe
  • Publication number: 20060214974
    Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which forms high quality images free from a phenomenon of inter-sheet adhesion. The image forming apparatus includes a conveyance section to convey the transfer material along a conveying path; a cooling device disposed along the conveying path to cool the transfer material just after the toner image is fixed with heat; a controller-to control the conveyance section and the cooling device; and a first transfer-material detecting device disposed at a position adjacent to and upstream from the cooling device, in order to detect the transfer material coming into the conveying path. When the first transfer-material detecting device detects the transfer material coming, the controller controls the conveyance section to decelerate a conveyance velocity of the transfer material to a decelerated velocity lower than a normal conveyance velocity, so that the transfer material passes through the conveying path at the decelerated velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akifumi Isobe, Satoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hideo Yamane