Patents by Inventor Hirofumi KURIKI

Hirofumi KURIKI 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: 11897265
    Abstract: There is provided a cleaning liquid usable for cleaning of an ink-jet recording apparatus, the cleaning liquid including: a first water-soluble organic solvent, a vapor pressure at 20° C. of the first water-soluble organic solvent being not less than 7 Pa; a second water-soluble organic solvent, a vapor pressure at 20° C. of the second water-soluble organic solvent being not more than 1 Pa; a nonionic surfactant; and water. The cleaning liquid satisfies the following conditions (1) to (3): Condition (1): 10?A+B?60; Condition (2): A/B?1; Condition (3): (A+B)/C?10. In the conditions (1) to (3), A: a content amount (% by mass) of the first water-soluble organic solvent, B: a content amount (% by mass) of the second water-soluble organic solvent, and C: a content amount (% by mass) of the nonionic surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taro Nagano, Hirofumi Kuriki, Shunichi Higashiyama
  • Publication number: 20220111653
    Abstract: There is provided a cleaning liquid usable for cleaning of an ink-jet recording apparatus, the cleaning liquid including: a first water-soluble organic solvent, a vapor pressure at 20° C. of the first water-soluble organic solvent being not less than 7 Pa; a second water-soluble organic solvent, a vapor pressure at 20° C. of the second water-soluble organic solvent being not more than 1 Pa; a nonionic surfactant; and water. The cleaning liquid satisfies the following conditions (1) to (3): Condition (1): 10?A+B?60; Condition (2): A/B?1; Condition (3): (A+B)/C?10. In the conditions (1) to (3), A: a content amount (% by mass) of the first water-soluble organic solvent, B: a content amount (% by mass) of the second water-soluble organic solvent, and C: a content amount (% by mass) of the nonionic surfactant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Taro Nagano, Hirofumi Kuriki, Shunichi Higashiyama
  • Publication number: 20220111654
    Abstract: A cleaning liquid, usable for cleaning of an ink-jet recording apparatus, includes: a nonionic surfactant, solubility of the nonionic surfactant in water at 20° C. being less than 0.2% by mass; a first water-soluble organic solvent of which solubility parameter is not less than 13; a second water-soluble organic solvent of which solubility parameter is less than 12; and water. The cleaning liquid satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4): X?0.1;??Condition (1): A?B?0;??Condition (2): B/X?15;??Condition (3): 10?A+B?60.??Condition (4): X: a content amount (% by mass) of the nonionic surfactant, A: a content amount (% by mass) of the first water-soluble organic solvent, and B: a content amount (% by mass) of the second water-soluble organic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Taro Nagano, Hirofumi Kuriki, Shunichi Higashiyama
  • Publication number: 20220112390
    Abstract: A water-based ink for ink-jet recording includes: a water-soluble organic solvent; water; and a surfactant having solubility in the water at 20° C. in a range of 0.05% by mass to 0.2% by mass, a content amount of the surfactant in an entire amount of the water-based ink being not less than 1% by mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kuriki, Shunichi Higashiyama, Taro Nagano
  • Publication number: 20220112389
    Abstract: A water-based ink for ink-jet recording includes: a liquid component which is liquid at 20° C.; and a solid component which is solid at 20° C. The liquid component includes: a first water-soluble organic solvent of which vapor pressure at 20° C. is not less than 7 Pa; a second water-soluble organic solvent of which vapor pressure at 20° C. is not more than 1 Pa; and water. The solid component includes at least one resin selected from the group consisting of: acrylic acid-based resin, maleate ester-based resin, vinyl acetate-based resin, carbonate-based resin, styrene-based resin, ethylene-based resin, propylene-based resin, urethane-based resin, vinyl chloride-based resin and copolymer resin thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kuriki, Shunichi Higashiyama, Taro Nagano
  • Patent number: 10488797
    Abstract: There is provided a fuser including: a cylindrical member; an endless belt; a pressing member; a pressing roller; and a lateral guide contacting a lateral end of the endless belt. A part of an outer circumferential surface of the pressing roller is located on a downstream of the second nip area in a first direction. A guide surface of the lateral guide has: a first guide surface located on an opposite side to the pressing roller with respect to a virtual plane including the center of a first nip area and the center of rotation of the cylindrical member, and a second guide surface located on a side of the pressing roller with respect to the virtual plane, located on the downstream side of the rotation axis of the pressing roller in the first direction, and arranged on a same plane as the first guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasumasa Fujii, Tokifumi Tanaka, Hirofumi Kuriki, Masahito Kajita, Kenji Takeuchi, Hiroshi Handa
  • Publication number: 20180284666
    Abstract: There is provided a fuser including: a cylindrical member; an endless belt; a pressing member; a pressing roller; and a lateral guide contacting a lateral end of the endless belt. A part of an outer circumferential surface of the pressing roller is located on a downstream of the second nip area in a first direction. A guide surface of the lateral guide has: a first guide surface located on an opposite side to the pressing roller with respect to a virtual plane including the center of a first nip area and the center of rotation of the cylindrical member, and a second guide surface located on a side of the pressing roller with respect to the virtual plane, located on the downstream side of the rotation axis of the pressing roller in the first direction, and arranged on a same plane as the first guide surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Yasumasa Fujii, Tokifumi Tanaka, Hirofumi Kuriki, Masahito Kajita, Kenji Takeuchi, Hiroshi Handa
  • Patent number: 9958818
    Abstract: A fixing device including an endless belt, a rotary body positioned outside of the endless belt, the rotary body having an axis extending in an axial direction, an elastic member positioned at an inner space of the endless belt and configured to nip the endless belt in cooperation with the rotary body, and an adhering member having rigidity higher than rigidity of the elastic member. The elastic member has a contact surface in contact with the endless belt. The adhering member has an adhered portion adhered to an opposite surface opposite to the contact surface. The adhering portion has a length in the axial direction smaller than the length of the elastic member in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kuriki, Yasumasa Fujii, Akihiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20170343935
    Abstract: A fixing device including an endless belt, a rotary body positioned outside of the endless belt, the rotary body having an axis extending in an axial direction, an elastic member positioned at an inner space of the endless belt and configured to nip the endless belt in cooperation with the rotary body, and an adhering member having rigidity higher than rigidity of the elastic member. The elastic member has a contact surface in contact with the endless belt. The adhering member has an adhered portion adhered to an opposite surface opposite to the contact surface. The adhering portion has a length in the axial direction smaller than the length of the elastic member in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirofumi KURIKI, Yasumasa FUJII, Akihiro KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9618879
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: an agitation member configured to be rotatable around a rotational shaft extending in a first direction and to agitate a developer; an agitation gear being fixed to the agitation member and including a first gear configured to receive driving force to be inputted and a second gear positioned on one side of the first gear in the first direction; a detection target unit including a detection target receiving portion configured to receive the driving force from the second gear and a detection target portion configured to be detected by an external detecting apparatus; and a gear cover configured to cover at least a part of the agitation gear and the detection target unit therewith. The detection target portion is configured to move between the second gear and the gear cover when being projected in a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuji Noda, Hirofumi Kuriki, Keita Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9417558
    Abstract: A development cartridge including a housing, a developer carrying body rotating around a first axis along a first direction, a supply member rotating around a second axis along the first direction, a first gear connected with the developer carrying body, a second gear connected with the supply member, and a gear cover covering the first gear and the second gear, the gear cover including a first cover portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a second cover portion connected with the first cover portion, the second cover portion extending in the first direction, the second cover portion having an opening through which a part of the second gear protrudes from the second cover portion and is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Shimizu, Atsushi Fukaya, Soun Kanada, Hirofumi Kuriki, Hiroya Fukuta
  • Patent number: 9411261
    Abstract: A cartridge include a housing configured to accommodate a developing agent therein, a developing agent carrying member configured to carry the developing agent, a layer thickness restricting member disposed between the housing and the developing agent carrying member and configured to restrict a layer thickness of the developing agent carried by the developing agent carrying member, and a spacer disposed between the housing and the layer thickness restricting member in a first direction in which the developing agent carrying member and the layer thickness restricting member face one another and in which is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the developing agent carrying member. The spacer includes a first engaged portion configured to be engaged. The layer thickness restricting member includes a first engaging portion configured to engage with the first engaged portion such that relative movement of the spacer and the layer thickness restricting member is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kuriki, Takashi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20160154339
    Abstract: A development cartridge including a housing, a developer carrying body rotating around a first axis along a first direction, a supply member rotating around a second axis along the first direction, a first gear connected with the developer carrying body, a second gear connected with the supply member, and a gear cover covering the first gear and the second gear, the gear cover including a first cover portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a second cover portion connected with the first cover portion, the second cover portion extending in the first direction, the second cover portion having an opening through which a part of the second gear protrudes from the second cover portion and is exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Takashi Shimizu, Atsushi Fukaya, Soun Kanada, Hirofumi Kuriki, Hiroya Fukuta
  • Patent number: 9256195
    Abstract: A development cartridge including a housing, a developer carrying body rotating around a first axis along a first direction, a supply member rotating around a second axis along the first direction, a first gear connected with the developer carrying body, a second gear connected with the supply member, and a gear cover covering the first gear and the second gear, the gear cover including a first cover portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a second cover portion connected with the first cover portion, the second cover portion extending in the first direction, the second cover portion having an opening through which a part of the second gear protrudes from the second cover portion and is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Shimizu, Atsushi Fukaya, Soun Kanada, Hirofumi Kuriki, Hiroya Fukuta
  • Publication number: 20150192880
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: an agitation member configured to be rotatable around a rotational shaft extending in a first direction and to agitate a developer; an agitation gear being fixed to the agitation member and including a first gear configured to receive driving force to be inputted and a second gear positioned on one side of the first gear in the first direction; a detection target unit including a detection target receiving portion configured to receive the driving force from the second gear and a detection target portion configured to be detected by an external detecting apparatus; and a gear cover configured to cover at least a part of the agitation gear and the detection target unit therewith. The detection target portion is configured to move between the second gear and the gear cover when being projected in a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Ryuji Noda, Hirofumi Kuriki, Keita Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20150139692
    Abstract: A development cartridge including a housing, a developer carrying body rotating around a first axis along a first direction, a supply member rotating around a second axis along the first direction, a first gear connected with the developer carrying body, a second gear connected with the supply member, and a gear cover covering the first gear and the second gear, the gear cover including a first cover portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a second cover portion connected with the first cover portion, the second cover portion extending in the first direction, the second cover portion having an opening through which a part of the second gear protrudes from the second cover portion and is exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Shimizu, Atsushi Fukaya, Soun Kanada, Hirofumi Kuriki, Hiroya Fukuta
  • Patent number: 9020389
    Abstract: A developing device is capable of preventing developing agent from leaking from a developing frame of a developer cartridge. The developer cartridge includes a developing agent carrying member including a rubber roller, a first seal including a first fluffing member, and a second seal including a second base member and a second fluffing member fixed thereto. The second base member and the second fluffing member have downstream end portions in a rotational direction of the developing agent carrying member. The downstream end portion of the second base member is positioned upstream of the downstream end portion of the second fluffing member. The downstream end portion of the second fluffing member is nipped between the first fluffing member and the rubber roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ito, Hirofumi Kuriki, Ryuya Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8995872
    Abstract: The developing device includes a casing, a developing roller, a thickness regulating blade, and a seal member. The developing roller has an outer peripheral surface carrying developer. The thickness regulating blade is configured to regulate a thickness of the developer carried on the outer peripheral surface and has an opposed surface confronting the casing. The thickness regulating blade further has one end part supported on the casing and another end part provided with a press member in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface. The press member is located on the opposed surface and protrudes toward the developing roller. The press member is formed with a receiving portion depressed inward at its widthwise ends in an axial direction of the developing roller. The seal member is disposed between the thickness regulating blade and the casing and contacting at least a part of the receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ito, Hirofumi Kuriki, Ryuya Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20150086249
    Abstract: A cartridge include a housing configured to accommodate a developing agent therein, a developing agent carrying member configured to carry the developing agent, a layer thickness restricting member disposed between the housing and the developing agent carrying member and configured to restrict a layer thickness of the developing agent carried by the developing agent carrying member, and a spacer disposed between the housing and the layer thickness restricting member in a first direction in which the developing agent carrying member and the layer thickness restricting member face one another and in which is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the developing agent carrying member. The spacer includes a first engaged portion configured to be engaged. The layer thickness restricting member includes a first engaging portion configured to engage with the first engaged portion such that relative movement of the spacer and the layer thickness restricting member is restricted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kuriki, Takashi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8965242
    Abstract: In a developing device, a layer thickness regulating member, configured to regulate thickness of a layer of developer borne on a surface of a developer bearing member, includes: a first plate-shaped member having a pair of opposite ends in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the developer bearing member, one end in the pair of opposite ends being in contact with the developer bearing member, the other end being supported by the casing; and a second plate-shaped member that is fixedly secured to the casing and that supports the first plate-shaped member. A seal member, which is in contact with an end portion of the developer bearing member in the axial direction of the developer bearing member, is in contact with an end portion of the first plate-shaped member in the axial direction of the developer bearing member. The second plate-shaped member holds the seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kuriki