Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Tanisawa
Hiroshi Tanisawa 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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Publication number: 20150241814Abstract: Waste toner scraped off a surface of a photoreceptor drum is transported by a toner conveyor screw of a cleaner and sent into a process pipe. The process pipe includes an end that does not have a screw, and a moth-eye structure is provided on an inner wall surface of the end by applying a moth-eye sheet. Thus, the waste toner is prevented from remaining at the end of the process pipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2015Publication date: August 27, 2015Inventors: Hiroshi TANISAWA, Hiroshi SUGIMURA, Masahiro SAKAI
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Publication number: 20150063873Abstract: A multi-functional peripheral includes a toner cartridge and an apparatus main body having a toner cartridge attaching section to which the toner cartridge is attached. The toner cartridge has a tubular outer circumferential surface extending along an inserting direction X for insertion of the toner cartridge into a containing space in the toner cartridge attaching section 130A. The toner cartridge attaching section has a tubular inner circumferential surface which faces the tubular outer circumferential surface in an attached state of the toner cartridge. In the tubular outer circumferential surface, a guide groove is engraved that extends along an axis direction thereof and zigzags along a circumferential direction thereof. In the tubular inner circumferential surface, a protrusion is provided that fits in the guide groove 212 for insertion of the toner cartridge into the containing space.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2014Publication date: March 5, 2015Inventors: Hiroshi TANISAWA, Hiroshi SUGIMURA
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Patent number: 8331828Abstract: A developing device includes: a first conveying passage (developer conveying passage) through which a developer containing a toner and a magnetic carrier is conveyed; a first conveying member (developer conveying member) provided in the first conveying passage for agitating and conveying the developer in a predetermined direction; and a toner supply pipe for leading supplementary toner to the first conveying passage. The developing device further includes electromagnets for forming a magnetic field inside the toner supply pipe to create a magnetic brush shutter by means of the electromagnets.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2009Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroshi Tanisawa
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Patent number: 7925182Abstract: A communication unit has a first conveyance part connected to a toner cartridge and provided with a feed port for a toner from the toner cartridge, and a second conveyance part connected to a developing device and provided with a replenishment port for a toner to the developing device. In a state locked by the lock mechanism, the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part are connected to each other, and the feed port of the first conveyance part and the replenishment port of the second conveyance part are opened, allowing for a toner replenishment. In a lock-released state, the feed port of the first conveyance part and the replenishment port of the second conveyance part are closed by a circular arc-shaped shutter member and a rotary shutter member, allowing the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part to be separable from each other.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2008Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Hiroshi Kawahito
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Publication number: 20100061769Abstract: A developing device includes: a first conveying passage (developer conveying passage) through which a developer containing a toner and a magnetic carrier is conveyed; a first conveying member (developer conveying member) provided in the first conveying passage for agitating and conveying the developer in a predetermined direction; and a toner supply pipe for leading supplementary toner to the first conveying passage. The developing device further includes electromagnets for forming a magnetic field inside the toner supply pipe to create a magnetic brush shutter by means of the electromagnets.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2009Publication date: March 11, 2010Inventor: Hiroshi TANISAWA
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Publication number: 20090060585Abstract: A communication unit has a first conveyance part connected to a toner cartridge and provided with a feed port for a toner from the toner cartridge, and a second conveyance part connected to a developing device and provided with a replenishment port for a toner to the developing device. In a state locked by the lock mechanism, the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part are connected to each other, and the feed port of the first conveyance part and the replenishment port of the second conveyance part are opened, allowing for a toner replenishment. In a lock-released state, the feed port of the first conveyance part and the replenishment port of the second conveyance part are closed by a circular arc-shaped shutter member and a rotary shutter member, allowing the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part to be separable from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2008Publication date: March 5, 2009Inventors: Yasuyuki ISHIGURO, Hiroshi TANISAWA, Hiroshi KAWAHITO
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Patent number: 6628910Abstract: A toner container has a partitioning wall disposed therein for partitioning the toner container while allowing communication between partitioned compartments. A waste toner collecting port for receiving the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit of an image forming apparatus is formed in a waste toner collection department. A toner agitating element for mixing waste toner with unused toner is located inside the partitioned waste toner collection compartment.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2002Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Tanisawa, Fumito Mizoguchi, Hisashi Kunihiro, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Kawahito, Hideaki Hagihara
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Publication number: 20020150405Abstract: A toner container has a partitioning wall disposed therein for partitioning the toner container whilst allowing communication between partitioned compartments. A waste toner collecting port for receiving the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit of an image forming apparatus is formed in the waste toner collection compartment. A toner agitating element for mixing waste toner with unused toner is arranged inside the partitioned waste toner collection compartment partitioned in the toner container.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2002Publication date: October 17, 2002Inventors: Hiroshi Tanisawa, Fumito Mizoguchi, Hisashi Kunihiro, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Kawahito, Hideaki Hagihara
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Patent number: 6421517Abstract: The length of a conveying sheet is set to be greater than the rotational radius of an agitating element so that the distal end of the conveying sheet will slide over the inner wall of the toner container. A slider element having a low frictional resistance is attached at the distal end of the conveying sheet. The slider element preferably has a low coefficient of dynamic friction and is preferably made of a soft resilient material having a thickness smaller than the conveying sheet. Cutouts or openings may be preferably formed at the distal part. A multiple number of ribs are attached to the wall surface of the toner container at the highest position at which the wall and the top plate meet. The ribs are arranged apart from each other in the direction parallel to the agitating shaft of the agitating element. Each rib is a plate-like element projected inward from the wall surface in the toner container with its width put in the direction of the spacing.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2001Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshio Nishino, Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Masatoshi Kaneshige, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Haruko Yoneda, Jun Yamaguchi, Akira Nakakuma, Naotaka Funayama, Tsutomu Nagata, Yoshiaki Sanada
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Patent number: 6385422Abstract: A developing unit includes a developing hopper, a toner reserve container that incorporates a replenishing roller and a replenishing port forming a toner replenishing portion, arranged adjacent to the developing hopper in order to supply the toner to the developing hopper. The toner reserve container further includes an agitator rotatable about a rotary shaft and a conveying sheet attached to the agitator for conveying the toner to the replenishing roller. The conveying sheet has a bent portion where the conveying sheet is bent in the rotational direction of the agitator at a halfway point thereof with a predetermined angle &agr;. Deformation of the conveying sheet during rotation is absorbed around the position of the bent portion, so that the conveying sheet will not be plastically deformed at the attached part of the conveying sheet joined to the attachment edge of the agitator, whereby long stable toner conveyance by the conveying sheet can be maintained.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2000Date of Patent: May 7, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Tsutomu Nagata, Masatoshi Kaneshige, Toshio Nishino, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Jun Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Otsuka, Hiroshige Araki
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Patent number: 6347207Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer hopper, a toner reserve container that incorporates a replenishing roller and a replenishing opening forming a toner replenishing portion, arranged adjacent to the developer hopper in order to replenish the toner to the developer hopper. The toner reserve container further includes an agitator rotatable about a rotary shaft with a conveying sheet for conveying the toner to the replenishing roller. The conveying sheet is attached to the agitator so that it becomes close to the rotary shaft of the agitator. By this configuration, an adequate space can be secured between the top plate, i.e., an operable/closable lid, constituting the toner reserve container and the conveying sheet so that the distal part of the conveying sheet can efficiently retain the toner, thus making it possible to improve the conveyance performance to the replenishing roller and realize an uniform amount of conveyance.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1999Date of Patent: February 12, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Toshio Nishino, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Yoshinori Otsuka, Jun Yamaguchi, Tsutomu Nagata, Haruko Yoneda, Naotaka Funayama
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Patent number: 6272298Abstract: A developer cartridge capable of being fitted to the toner replenishing opening of a developer storage hopper has a sealing member for sealing the toner therein that is bonded to the rim of its replenishing opening to be opposed to the opening of the developer storage hopper. The bottom face of this developer cartridge which constitutes the bottom for supporting the toner stored therein is inclined upwards in the stripping direction of the sealing member, whereby the supplied amount of the toner at the stripping start of the sealing member is regulated when the sealing member is stripped so that the toner can be uniformly supplied across the full length of the developer storage hopper with respect to the stripping direction of the sealing member.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2000Date of Patent: August 7, 2001Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun Yamaguchi, Toshio Nishino, Yoshinori Otsuka, Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Tsutomu Nagata
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Patent number: D463817Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2001Date of Patent: October 1, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisashi Kunihiro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Kawahito, Fumito Mizoguchi, Hiroshi Kubota
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Patent number: D464369Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2001Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisashi Kunihiro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Kawahito, Fumito Mizoguchi, Hiroshi Kubota
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Patent number: D464370Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2001Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisashi Kunihiro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Kawahito, Fumito Mizoguchi, Hiroshi Kubota
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Patent number: D468763Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2001Date of Patent: January 14, 2003Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisashi Kunihiro, Hiroshi Tanisawa, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Kawahito, Fumito Mizoguchi, Hiroshi Kubota