Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Murasaki

Hiroshi Murasaki 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: 4809034
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing sleeve which is provided with a plurality of magnets so as to transport a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier to a developing region where the developing sleeve and a member bearing an electrostatic latent image confront each other, a toner reservoir, a toner supply roller for supplying the toner to the developing sleeve, which is disposed at an end portion of the toner reservoir so as to be brought into contact with the toner in the toner reservoir, a rotary member which is rotatably provided in the toner reservoir so as to be rotated in contact with the toner supply roller and a charge erasing member for erasing electric charge of electrically charged toner transported to the toner reservoir by the toner supply roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murasaki, Hiroshi Mizuno, Akihito Ikegawa, Kouichi Etou
  • Patent number: 4786936
    Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing device including a developing sleeve which is so provided as to confront a support member for supporting an electrostatic latent image, a toner reservoir for accommodating toner, which is formed, at its one portion, with an opening and a rotatable toner supply roller which is provided in the opening so as to confront the developing sleeve. The toner supply roller is formed, on its outer peripheral surface, with a plurality of first minute recesses and is further formed, in the first minute recesses, with a plurality of second minute recesses finer the first minute recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihito Ikegawa, Hiroshi Mizuno, Hiroshi Murasaki, Kouichi Etou
  • Patent number: 4436406
    Abstract: A paper feeder for feeding a large supply of paper to a recording apparatus such as a copying machine. The recording apparatus has a main body with a driving apparatus therein, an automatic feed mechanism therein including paper storage cassettes and an automatic feed for feeding recording paper from the cassettes, and a manual feed for feeding into the apparatus recording paper manually inserted thereinto. The paper feeder has a recording paper accommodating unit for accommodating a larger number of sheets of recording paper than the cassettes, the unit having a sheet feeder for feeding the recording paper out of the unit, and releasable engaging hooks for removably attaching the unit to the main body with the feed positioned in a position opposed to said manual feed of the apparatus for delivering sheets of recording paper to the manual feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murasaki, Masaya Ogawa, Yuji Enoguchi, Mikio Masui
  • Patent number: 4417365
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface of a member by scraping residual particles off the surface. The apparatus has a blade with a forward edge in pressing contact with the surface, the blade being supported for movement from a position in which it is in pressing contact with the surface of the member to be cleaned to a position in which it is retracted from the surface of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4396276
    Abstract: An electronic copying machine having an image bearing member movable past a station for transferring an image on the image bearing surface thereof to copying paper. A blade member is provided which is movable between a position in which it is pressed in contact with the image bearing surface of the image bearing member for removing toner therefrom and a position in which it is spaced from the surface by a blade moving device. A control is connected to the blade drive, the blade moving device and a toner depositing device for controlling these devices for, prior to a copying operation, moving the blade member to the position spaced from the surface of the image bearing member, depositing toner on the surface of the image bearing member, driving the image bearing member until the toner bearing portion thereof has reached the position where the blade member contacts the image bearing member, and then moving the blade member to the position where it is pressed in contact with the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4334766
    Abstract: A blade-type cleaning device for use in an electrophotographic copying machine which is effective to prevent generation of abnormal noise resulting from vibration of a blade member. The cleaning device has an elastic blade member in pressing contact with a surface of rotating photoconductive member for removing residual toner from the surface thereof during the movement of the photoconductive member, and a holder for holding the blade member wherein a leading edge portion of the holder and the surface of the blade member confronting it having some degree of freedom with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1982
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Sugiyama, Masaya Ogawa, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4284345
    Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus has a frame with two portions which are movable away from each other. An electrophotographic photoconductive member is mounted on one of the frame portions for being exposed when the frame portions are moved away from each other to enable the member to be removed from the frame. A blade-type cleaning device is provided having an elastic blade member for contacting the surface of the electrophotographic photoconductive member for removing residual toner from the surface during movement of the member and a blade holder holding the blade member and mounted on the one frame portion for movement toward and away from the surface of the electrophotographic photoconductive member. A spring is connected to the holder for biasing the holder to urge the blade member into contact with the surface when the frame portions are together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1981
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Sugiyama, Masaya Ogawa, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4277165
    Abstract: A photocopying machine equipped with a variable magnification arrangement including a cassette containing large-size copy paper and positioned to permit lengthways transport of copy paper through the machine and a cassette containing small-size copy paper and positioned to permit sideways transport of copy paper through the machine. The cassettes comprise actuation elements which actuate different combinations of switches in a control circuit, which in response causes adjustment of positions of photocopying machine elements for production of photocopies of different magnifications and causes selective forwarding of copy paper of the required size from a cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1981
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Wada, Hiroshi Murasaki, Yuji Enoguchi, Takao Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 4230070
    Abstract: In a dry-type developing apparatus for use in electrophotography including a developing sleeve for conveying a two-component developer composed of a toner and a carrier to a developing station, an automatic toner replenishing device comprises a roller to which voltage is applied having recessed toner dispenser portions and a toner recovering peripheral surface portion on its periphery and rotatable in contact with a portion of the developer on the sleeve after the developer portion has passed through the developing station, bias voltage sources connected to the sleeve and to the roller respectively to produce a potential difference between the sleeve and the roller, and a toner tank arranged to cover part of the roller and containing the toner to be replenished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1980
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murasaki, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata
  • Patent number: 4174904
    Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus which includes a thin sheet original transporting device having transporting rollers and disposed adjacent to a transparent platform for holding thick originals at the upper portion of the copying apparatus, and an image forming optical system moving device for moving the optical system from a scanning starting position for thick original copying to a stationary optical system position for thin sheet original copying in association with a change-over of operation from copying a thick original to copying a thin sheet original in order to eliminate disadvantages inherent in exposures in conventional copying apparatuses, and the distance between first and second reflecting mirrors of the optical system at the scanning starting position for copying thick originals is set to be less than that when the optical system is in the stationary position for reduction of the size of the copying apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1979
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murasaki, Yuji Enoguchi, Kenichi Wada, Takao Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 4116556
    Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus which is equipped with an improved arrangement for removing jammed copy paper. The apparatus is provided with a photoreceptor and a developing device combined into one unit which can be withdrawn to provide sufficient space for removing jammed copy paper, and is also provided with copy paper transporting members, a corona charger, a transfer charger, a copy paper separating claw etc. which can be moved away from a transfer section in one operation for facilitating access to the jammed copy paper in an efficient manner in the case of copy paper jamming. The transfer charger is covered when it is moved away from the transfer section to protect it from possible damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Tanaka, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takao Fujiwara, Takaji Kurita, Yuji Enoguchi, Kenichi Wada, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4084895
    Abstract: The present invention is a projection device for a photocopying machine in which the original documents are moved during the photocopying process and which permits photocopying both of thick and of thin original documents. The projection means includes a focussing means which has a short focal length and is positioned to correctly focus the image of thin original documents which are brought to an exposure station and are only separated space-wise from the focussing means onto a photosensitive material, and a transparent block which, when a thick original document is copied, is automatically interposed between the focussing means and the exposure station and compensates the deviation in the path of image-wise light caused by the transparent carrier on which the thick original document is supported, whereby good resolution is achieved in photocopies of all types of original documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1978
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Ogawa, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4038026
    Abstract: The heat and pressure rolls of a fusing apparatus for an electrophotographic copying machine are shifted into pressure contact with one another while a support sheet bearing a toner powder image passes therebetween, and are separated while the sheet is not therebetween. A driving mechanism drives both rolls when not in contact, while one of the rolls drives the other while in pressure contact. A shifting mechanism is actuated by a sheet detector for shifting the rolls into and out of contact.In another embodiment, the rolls are in light rolling contact, with no sheet passing therebetween, under the weight of one of the rolls idly mounted in place. A pressing mechanism presses the rolls into pressure contact, upon actuation by a sheet detector, while the sheet passes between the rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1977
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Wada, Yuji Enoguchi, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takaji Kurita, Susumu Tanaka, Takao Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 4008954
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic copying machine having a transparent support for support thereon the original to be copied, an illumination device for illuminating the original on the transparent support and a photoreceptor surface adapted to be driven past charging, exposure, developing, transfer and cleaning stations, a discharging device for extinguishing unnecessary electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor surface which is formed at an area between each two adjacent areas to be optically exposed to the incoming light, which discharging device has at least one light guide having one end situated adjacent an intercepting mechanism and the other end situated in the vicinity of the photoreceptor surface. The intercepting mechanism is brought into operation to intercept passage of discharging light towards the photoreceptor surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1977
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Ogawa, Yuji Enoguchi, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takaji Kurita, Susumu Tanaka, Takao Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murasaki, Kenichi Wada
  • Patent number: 4001545
    Abstract: Devices for controlling the heating of fuser roll apparatus are disclosed. In fuser roll apparatus a toner powder image is heated under pressure on a supporting sheet to be fixed thereon. The apparatus comprises a plurality of heaters for heating a fuser roll; and a plurality of surface temperature detecting elements for detecting the surface temperature of the fuser roll, the power to the respective heaters being independently controlled according to detecting signals from the respective surface temperature detecting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1977
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Wada, Yuji Enoguchi, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takaji Kurita, Susumu Tanaka, Takao Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 3998584
    Abstract: The heat and pressure rolls of a fusing apparatus for an electrophotographic copying machine are shifted into pressure contact with one another while a support sheet bearing a toner powder image passes therebetween, and are separated while the sheet is not therebetween. A driving mechanism drives both rolls when not in contact, while one of the rolls drives the other while in pressure contact. A shifting mechanism is actuated by a sheet detector for shifting the rolls into and out of contact.In another embodiment, the rolls are in light rolling contact, with no sheet passing therebetween, under the weight of one of the rolls idly mounted in place. A pressing mechanism presses the rolls into pressure contact, upon actuation by a sheet detector, while the sheet passes between the rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1976
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Wada, Yuji Enoguchi, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takaji Kurita, Susumu Tanaka, Takao Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 3985436
    Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus in which a photoreceptor, a developing device and a cleaning device for residual toner particles are integrally incorporated in a casing as one unit so as to be releasably inserted into the copying apparatus housing for efficient replacement and maintenance of such major components. The copying apparatus is further provided with a copy paper sheet feed device which can be changed over from manual sheet insertion to automatic sheet feeding or vice versa by simply one operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1976
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Tanaka, Yuji Enoguchi, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takaji Kurita, Takao Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murasaki, Kenichi Wada
  • Patent number: 3981575
    Abstract: An optical illumination device for use in a copying apparatus of the type wherein an object is to be illuminated and an image thereof is to be projected through a particular image transmitter formed of a plurality of optical fibers of graded refractive index in bundled configuration to a light sensitive surface, comprises a source of illumination light and a light guide duct of substantially flattened cubic body. The light guide duct is designed such that rays of light from the light source accommodated within the light guide duct are directed towards a curved reflective surface and subsequently converge at one point on the transparent support structure for the support of the original to be copied thereon to form a strip or ribbon of light available for illumination of the original to be copied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1976
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Tanaka, Yuji Enoguchi, Masaya Ogawa, Hidetoshi Kawabata, Takaji Kurita, Takao Fujiwara, Hiroshi Murasaki, Kenichi Wada