Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Hiraguchi
Hiroshi Hiraguchi 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).
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Patent number: 10139767Abstract: An image forming apparatus that transfers an image from an image carrier onto a sheet passing between the image carrier rotating and a transfer member includes a fixing unit configured to thermally fix the image on the sheet while nipping and conveying the sheet with a pair of fixing members after the transfer, at least one of the fixing members rotating; a measuring unit configured to measure surface movement speed of the sheet in a non-contact manner while the sheet is being conveyed by the fixing members; and a control unit configured to control rotation speed of the fixing members in accordance with a result of the measurement, to adjust speed of conveyance of the sheet to a target speed determined beforehand for peripheral speed of the image carrier, the control being performed while the sheet being conveyed is in contact with the transfer member and the fixing members.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2016Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Yuji Kobayashi, Harumitsu Fujimori, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Satoshi Chikazawa, Takaki Kato
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Publication number: 20160370740Abstract: An image forming apparatus that transfers an image from an image carrier onto a sheet passing between the image carrier rotating and a transfer member includes a fixing unit configured to thermally fix the image on the sheet while nipping and conveying the sheet with a pair of fixing members after the transfer, at least one of the fixing members rotating; a measuring unit configured to measure surface movement speed of the sheet in a non-contact manner while the sheet is being conveyed by the fixing members; and a control unit configured to control rotation speed of the fixing members in accordance with a result of the measurement, to adjust speed of conveyance of the sheet to a target speed determined beforehand for peripheral speed of the image carrier, the control being performed while the sheet being conveyed is in contact with the transfer member and the fixing members.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2016Publication date: December 22, 2016Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: YUJI KOBAYASHI, HARUMITSU FUJIMORI, HIROSHI HIRAGUCHI, SATOSHI CHIKAZAWA, TAKAKI KATO
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Patent number: 9389553Abstract: A fixing device includes: a plurality of heating units which individually heat a plurality of areas of a fixing member; an acquisition unit which acquires information on an image forming range and a non-image forming range of the recording sheet for each of the plurality of divided heating areas; and a control unit which performs first control for controlling the corresponding heating unit such that a contact portion of the image forming range of the recording sheet has a target fixing temperature when the image forming range contacts the fixing member at the contact portion of the image forming range, and second control for controlling the corresponding heating unit such that a contact portion of the non-image forming range of the recording sheet has a temperature lower than the fixing temperature when the non-image forming range contacts the fixing member at the contact portion of the non-image forming range.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2015Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Mineo Yamamoto, Isao Watanabe, Yasutaka Tanimura, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Toshinori Inomoto
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Patent number: 9362541Abstract: A magnesium cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a magnesium alloy, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to hold an electrolytic solution, in which a contact area between the negative electrode and the separator is variable.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2014Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Yuhei Tatsumoto, Yasutaka Tanimura, Tomonobu Tamura, Hiroshi Hiraguchi
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Patent number: 9350188Abstract: Electronic device comprising: processing unit including accepting part accepting processing request from external device and executing process specified by request; secondary battery connected with external power source; and power-source device transitioning to operating state when request is accepted in waiting state, and transitioning to waiting state when processing unit completes executing process, wherein, in waiting state, power supply from external power source to processing unit is stopped and secondary battery supplies power to accepting part, and in operating state, power is supplied from external power source to processing unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2013Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Takashi Hasebe, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Mineo Yamamoto, Tomonobu Tamura, Yuhei Tatsumoto
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Patent number: 9316974Abstract: A fixing device thermally fixes an unfixed image onto a sheet through heat of a heating body that is heated through electromagnetic induction, the fixing device including an excitation coil generating flux for heating the heating body; one or more core members disposed opposite the heating body with respect to the excitation coil; a thermo-electric conversion element disposed farther from the excitation coil than the core members; and a thermally conductive member connected to the excitation coil and to a heat-absorbing face of the thermo-electric conversion element, transferring heat from the excitation coil to the thermo-electric conversion element.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Isao Watanabe, Yasutaka Tanimura, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Mineo Yamamoto, Toshinori Inomoto
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Publication number: 20150286174Abstract: A fixing device includes: a plurality of heating units which individually heat a plurality of areas of a fixing member; an acquisition unit which acquires information on an image forming range and a non-image forming range of the recording sheet for each of the plurality of divided heating areas; and a control unit which performs first control for controlling the corresponding heating unit such that a contact portion of the image forming range of the recording sheet has a target fixing temperature when the image forming range contacts the fixing member at the contact portion of the image forming range, and second control for controlling the corresponding heating unit such that a contact portion of the non-image forming range of the recording sheet has a temperature lower than the fixing temperature when the non-image forming range contacts the fixing member at the contact portion of the non-image forming range.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Mineo YAMAMOTO, Isao WATANABE, Yasutaka TANIMURA, Hiroshi HIRAGUCHI, Hiroshi YAMAGUCHI, Toshinori INOMOTO
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Patent number: 9075381Abstract: The image forming device includes a reception unit, an image forming unit, a switching unit, a detection unit, and a charging unit. The switching unit switches the image forming device between a first mode in which the reception unit is not supplied a voltage from a power source, is supplied power from a secondary battery, and receives image forming requests, and a second mode in which the image forming unit is supplied the voltage and performs image forming. The detection unit detects a value of an amount of energy of the secondary battery. In the second mode, the charging unit charges the secondary battery by supplying the voltage to the secondary battery when the value is equal to or less than a threshold value, and the charging unit boosts the voltage and supplies the boosted voltage to the secondary battery when the value is greater than the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Takashi Hasebe, Tomonobu Tamura, Yasutaka Tanimura, Yuhei Tatsumoto
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Patent number: 9069552Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a functional unit, a first power supply circuit supplying electric power to the functional unit from a commercial power supply, a second power supply circuit including a self-generation power supply, and a third power supply circuit including a power storage unit storing electric power and a charging circuit charging the power storage unit upon receipt of supply of electric power from at least one of the commercial power supply and the self-generation power supply. In accordance with the amount of power supply from the self-generation power supply, higher priority is given to supply of electric power to the functional unit from at least one of the second and third power supply circuits than to supply of electric power from the first power supply circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2012Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Takashi Hasebe, Tomonobu Tamura, Mineo Yamamoto, Yuhei Tatsumoto
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Publication number: 20150071689Abstract: A fixing device thermally fixes an unfixed image onto a sheet through heat of a heating body that is heated through electromagnetic induction, the fixing device including an excitation coil generating flux for heating the heating body; one or more core members disposed opposite the heating body with respect to the excitation coil; a thermo-electric conversion element disposed farther from the excitation coil than the core members; and a thermally conductive member connected to the excitation coil and to a heat-absorbing face of the thermo-electric conversion element, transferring heat from the excitation coil to the thermo-electric conversion element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Hiroshi YAMAGUCHI, Isao Watanabe, Yasutaka Tanimura, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Mineo Yamamoto, Toshinori Inomoto
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Patent number: 8954777Abstract: An electronic apparatus comprising: a main body including a reception unit and a processing unit; and a power supply device switches between an operation state for supplying power from an external power source to the main body and a standby state for supplying power from a secondary battery to the reception unit without supplying power from the power source to the main body. Charging of the battery with power from the power source is performed during the operation state and is terminated when a value indicating power level of the battery reaches a threshold value Vt satisfying (discharge lower limit VL+Vs)?Vt<charge upper limit VH, Vs denoting a decrease in power level occurring when power from the battery is supplied to the reception unit for an estimated maximum duration of the standby state within a time period having a unit time length.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2012Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Yuhei Tatsumoto, Takashi Hasebe, Tomonobu Tamura, Yasutaka Tanimura, Hiroshi Eguchi, Hiroshi Hiraguchi
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Publication number: 20140370359Abstract: A magnesium cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a magnesium alloy, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to hold an electrolytic solution, in which a contact area between the negative electrode and the separator is variable.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2014Publication date: December 18, 2014Inventors: Yuhei TATSUMOTO, Yasutaka Tanimura, Tomonobu Tamura, Hiroshi Hiraguchi
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Publication number: 20140147157Abstract: The image forming device includes a reception unit, an image forming unit, a switching unit, a detection unit, and a charging unit. The switching unit switches the image forming device between a first mode in which the reception unit is not supplied a voltage from a power source, is supplied power from a secondary battery, and receives image forming requests, and a second mode in which the image forming unit is supplied the voltage and performs image forming. The detection unit detects a value of an amount of energy of the secondary battery. In the second mode, the charging unit charges the secondary battery by supplying the voltage to the secondary battery when the value is equal to or less than a threshold value, and the charging unit boosts the voltage and supplies the boosted voltage to the secondary battery when the value is greater than the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi HIRAGUCHI, Takashi Hasebe, Tomonobu Tamura, Yasutaka Tanimura, Yuhei Tatsumoto
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Publication number: 20130214606Abstract: Electronic device comprising: processing unit including accepting part accepting processing request from external device and executing process specified by request; secondary battery connected with external power source; and power-source device transitioning to operating state when request is accepted in waiting state, and transitioning to waiting state when processing unit completes executing process, wherein, in waiting state, power supply from external power source to processing unit is stopped and secondary battery supplies power to accepting part, and in operating state, power is supplied from external power source to processing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2013Publication date: August 22, 2013Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Takashi HASEBE, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Mineo Yamamoto, Tomonobu Tamura, Yuhei Tatsumoto
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Publication number: 20130145184Abstract: An electronic apparatus comprising: a main body including a reception unit and a processing unit; and a power supply device switches between an operation state for supplying power from an external power source to the main body and a standby state for supplying power from a secondary battery to the reception unit without supplying power from the power source to the main body. Charging of the battery with power from the power source is performed during the operation state and is terminated when a value indicating power level of the battery reaches a threshold value Vt satisfying (discharge lower limit VL+Vs)?Vt<charge upper limit VH, Vs denoting a decrease in power level occurring when power from the battery is supplied to the reception unit for an estimated maximum duration of the standby state within a time period having a unit time length.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2012Publication date: June 6, 2013Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: YUHEI TATSUMOTO, TAKASHI HASEBE, TOMONOBU TAMURA, YASUTAKA TANIMURA, HIROSHI EGUCHI, HIROSHI HIRAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20130073879Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a functional unit, a first power supply circuit supplying electric power to the functional unit from a commercial power supply, a second power supply circuit including a self-generation power supply, and a third power supply circuit including a power storage unit storing electric power and a charging circuit charging the power storage unit upon receipt of supply of electric power from at least one of the commercial power supply and the self-generation power supply. In accordance with the amount of power supply from the self-generation power supply, higher priority is given to supply of electric power to the functional unit from at least one of the second and third power supply circuits than to supply of electric power from the first power supply circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Takashi Hasebe, Tomonobu Tamura, Mineo Yamamoto, Yuhei Tatsumoto
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Publication number: 20110215762Abstract: A power supply system includes a power storage module including first and second power storage units spaced by a predetermined distance from each other, and a power generating unit being capable of contacting with both of the first and second power storage units concurrently, and formed of a thermoelectric converting element; and a control unit for controlling charging and discharging of said first and second power storage units. In the first and second power storage units, different thermal reactions occur depending on whether charging or discharging operations is performed. The thermal reactions are a heat absorbing reaction and a heat generating reaction. The control unit renders one of the first and second power storage units dischargeable, and renders the other power storage unit chargeable.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2011Publication date: September 8, 2011Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Takashi HASEBE, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Mineo Yamamoto
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Patent number: 6340983Abstract: A multi-beam image recording apparatus changes a diameter of a laser beam using a beam diameter changing board, an order in which the line data is to be read from the memory unit, a rotational speed of a polygon mirror, and a clock frequency employed when the image data is read in units of pixels, in accordance with the specified resolution. Accordingly, the multi-beam image recording apparatus can switch between the resolutions without changing a distance between the centers of two laser beams emitted from an optical system. The resolution switching can be achieved with high accuracy at low costs.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1999Date of Patent: January 22, 2002Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takatoshi Hamada, Hiroshi Hiraguchi, Masaaki Goto, Takeshi Satake
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Patent number: 6281915Abstract: A recording apparatus of the present invention includes a bearing member for bearing a recording medium having toner and carrier and a backing electrode opposing to the bearing member for electrically attracting the toner on the bearing member. The toner and carrier are charged to opposite polarities. A substrate having a plurality of apertures is provided between the bearing member and the backing electrode. This allows the toner to propel from the bearing member toward the backing electrode. Further, both the toner and carrier have respective volume mean diameters smaller than a diameter of the apertures, and the volume mean diameter of the toner is larger than that of the toner. With the arrangement, the toner will propel through each aperture to form a corresponding image portion, i.e., dot, thereby forming a high quality image without any dot-defect.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1999Date of Patent: August 28, 2001Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirokatsu Shimada, Toshio Yamaki, Koji Uno, Yoshifumi Shibata, Hiroshi Hiraguchi
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Patent number: 6270196Abstract: A tandem type direct printing apparatus 2 comprising a plurality of printing stations 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d for depositing printing particles 38 on a print medium 8. The plurality of printing stations 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d are positioned in a moving direction of the print medium 8. Each printing station 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d comprises a bearing member 30 for bearing charged printing particles 38 thereon, a backing electrode 44 opposed to the bearing member 38, a printing head 50 disposed between the bearing member 30 and the backing electrode 44, the printing head 50 having a plurality of apertures 56 through which the printing particles 38 can propel and a plurality of electrodes 68 disposed around the plurality of apertures 56.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1998Date of Patent: August 7, 2001Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koji Uno, Toshio Yamaki, Hirokatsu Shimada, Yoshifumi Shibata, Hiroshi Hiraguchi