Patents by Inventor Hisayuki Tomura
Hisayuki Tomura 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: 8805253Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a movable endless transfer belt for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member toward the transfer belt. The transfer device includes a transfer member for sliding on an inner surface of the transfer belt in contact with the inner surface, a supporting member for supporting the transfer member, and an urging member for urging the supporting member toward the transfer belt, wherein the transfer member contacts the inner surface of the transfer belt at a contact surface thereof without rotation relative to the supporting member during movement of the transfer belt. The supporting member is rotatable about a center axis during movement of the transfer belt, and the contact surface is convex with predetermined curvature toward the transfer belt.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2011Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Nomura, Akimichi Suzuki, Hisayuki Tomura
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Patent number: 8687990Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrying member, a rotatable transfer member cooperative with the image carrying member, and a fixing unit having a fixing nip for nipping and feeding the recording material discharged from the transfer nip while fixing the toner image. In addition, a bowing amount measuring unit measures a bowing amount of the recording material, a storing portion stores a target bowing amount, and a speed controller controls a feeding speed of the recording material. The storing portion stores a plurality of target bowing amounts, which are selectable depending on kinds of the recording material, and the speed controller controls the feeding speed in the fixing nip, and then controls the feeding speed so that the bowing amount is substantially zero at the time when a trailing edge of the recording material leaves the transfer nip.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2012Date of Patent: April 1, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Atsushi Murakami, Terutaka Endo, Hisayuki Tomura
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Patent number: 8639136Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying belt for carrying a toner image; an image forming station for forming toner image on the image carrying belt; a sheet feeding belt for feeding a sheet; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the carrying belt onto the sheet fed on the feeding belt; and a controller for controlling speeds of the carrying belt and the feeding belt. The controller is capable of controlling a relative speed between the carrying belt and the feeding belt at multiple levels. The image forming station forms a first toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a first level, and forms a second toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a second level which is different from the first level. The transfer member transfers the first toner pattern and the second toner pattern onto the sheet carried on the feeding belt.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2012Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Takao Nada, Kenichi Iida
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Patent number: 8548365Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an endless and movable transfer material bearing belt, a transfer member, an opposing member and a belt guide member, wherein a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a first area is substantially the same as a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a second area, the first area corresponding to a nip area formed by the opposing member and the transfer member and the second area corresponding to an area in which the belt guide member bringing the transfer material bearing belt and the image bearing belt come into contact with each other. By the virtue of the present invention, a transfer material is restrained from scraping off the leading end of a toner image before the leading end of the toner image enters a transfer nip portion, while suppressing spattering of the toner image on the upstream of the transfer nip portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2011Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Takao Nada, Tomoya Tateishi, Kenichi Iida, Akimichi Suzuki, Keisuke Mitsuhashi
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Patent number: 8417175Abstract: A toner image formed on an image bearing member is transferred onto a recording material so as to overflow from an edge portion of the recording material, thereby enabling the toner image to be formed so as to extend to the edge portion of the recording material. To suppress the deposition of the toner in the edge portion of the recording material, a cleaning member for cleaning the edge portion of the recording material obtained after the fixing is provided. In order to make a trailing edge of the recording material come into contact with the cleaning member, the recording material which has passed through a fixing apparatus is temporarily switched back, thereby allowing the trailing edge portion of the recording material to collide with the cleaning member.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2008Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hidetoshi Yamashita, Hisayuki Tomura, Kiyoharu Yoshioka, Michio Uchida, Tomonori Shida, Keisuke Mitsuhashi, Takuma Abe, Takao Nada
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Patent number: 8342514Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2010Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito
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Publication number: 20120269531Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a image carrying member; a transfer member forming a transfer nip for nipping and feeding a sheet while transferring the toner image onto the sheet; a fixing unit having a fixing nip for nipping and feeding the sheet discharged from the transfer nip while fixing the toner image; a bowing amount measuring unit for measuring a bowing amount of the sheet which is fed while being nipped by the transfer nip and fixing nip; and a sheet feeding speed controller, wherein the controller is capable of controlling the feeding speed of the fixing nip on the basis of a result detection of the measuring unit such that the bowing amount is substantially zero at the time when a trailing end of the sheet goes out of the transfer nip.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2012Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Atsushi Murakami, Terutaka Endo, Hisayuki Tomura
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Patent number: 8262084Abstract: The detachment of a feed roller rotatably supported by a holding portion provided in the main body of an apparatus, and held detachably in the axial direction thereof is restricted by a locking device. The locking device is made movable to a lock position and a lock releasing position for permitting the detachment of the feed roller. Further, when the locking device is in the lock releasing position when a sheet stacking portion is mounted, the locking device is moved to the lock position by a position changeover device in operative association with the mounting operation of the sheet stacking portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hisayuki Tomura, Akio Nemoto, Kei Sawanaka, Masato Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
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Publication number: 20120207494Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying belt for carrying a toner image; an image forming station for forming toner image on the image carrying belt; a sheet feeding belt for feeding a sheet; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the carrying belt onto the sheet fed on the feeding belt; and a controller for controlling speeds of the carrying belt and the feeding belt. The controller is capable of controlling a relative speed between the carrying belt and the feeding belt at multiple levels. The image forming station forms a first toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a first level, and forms a second toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a second level which is different from the first level. The transfer member transfers the first toner pattern and the second toner pattern onto the sheet carried on the feeding belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2012Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Takao Nada, Kenichi Iida
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Patent number: 8107849Abstract: A compact image forming apparatus is provided in which stains on the back of a transfer material can be prevented. In particular, in a marginless print mode in which a toner image can be formed to the edge of a transfer material, a large amount of toner adheres to a transfer-material bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a collecting member that can temporarily collect the toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member. The toner that is temporarily collected by the collecting member is transferred to an intermediate transfer member and is cleaned by a cleaning unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2009Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kiyoharu Yoshioka, Michio Uchida, Tomonori Shida, Keisuke Mitsuhashi, Takao Nada, Takuma Abe, Hidetoshi Yamashita, Youhei Suzuki
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Publication number: 20110255909Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an endless and movable transfer material bearing belt, a transfer member, an opposing member and a belt guide member, wherein a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a first area is substantially the same as a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a second area, the first area corresponding to a nip area formed by the opposing member and the transfer member and the second area corresponding to an area in which the belt guide member bringing the transfer material bearing belt and the image bearing belt come into contact with each other. By the virtue of the present invention, a transfer material is restrained from scraping off the leading end of a toner image before the leading end of the toner image enters a transfer nip portion, while suppressing spattering of the toner image on the upstream of the transfer nip portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2011Publication date: October 20, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Takao Nada, Tomoya Tateishi, Kenichi Iida, Akimichi Suzuki, Keisuke Mitsuhashi
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Publication number: 20110194879Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a movable endless transfer belt for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material; and a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member toward the transfer belt. The transfer device includes a transfer member for sliding on an inner surface of the transfer belt in contact with the inner surface, a supporting member for supporting the transfer member and an urging member for urging the supporting member toward the transfer belt. The transfer member is contacted to the inner surface of the transfer belt at a contact surface thereof without rotation relative to the supporting member during movement of the transfer belt. The supporting member is rotatable about a center axis thereof so as to be moved in a direction perpendicular to a movement direction of the transfer belt. The contact surface is convex with predetermined curvature toward the transfer belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2011Publication date: August 11, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Nomura, Akimichi Suzuki, Hisayuki Tomura
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Publication number: 20110140355Abstract: The detachment of a feed roller rotatably supported by a holding portion provided in the main body of an apparatus, and held detachably in the axial direction thereof is restricted by a locking device. The locking device is made movable to a lock position and a lock releasing position for permitting the detachment of the feed roller. Further, when the locking device is in the lock releasing position when a sheet stacking portion is mounted, the locking device is moved to the lock position by a position changeover device in operative association with the mounting operation of the sheet stacking portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2011Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hisayuki Tomura, Akio Nemoto, Kei Sawanaka, Masato Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
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Patent number: 7913996Abstract: The detachment of a feed roller rotatably supported by a holding portion provided in the main body of an apparatus, and held detachably in the axial direction thereof is restricted by a locking device. The locking device is made movable to a lock position and a lock releasing position for permitting the detachment of the feed roller. Further, when the locking device is in the lock releasing position when a sheet stacking portion is mounted, the locking device is moved to the lock position by a position changeover device in operative association with the mounting operation of the sheet stacking portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2006Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hisayuki Tomura, Akio Nemoto, Kei Sawanaka, Masato Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
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Publication number: 20100244365Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: HISAYUKI TOMURA, KEI SAWANAKA, AKIO NEMOTO, KAZUSHI NISHIKATA, MASATO SUZUKI, ATSUYA TAKAHASHI, SHOTARO YOSHIMURA, MITSUNARI ITO
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Patent number: 7758042Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2007Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito
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Publication number: 20090324278Abstract: A compact image forming apparatus is provided in which stains on the back of a transfer material can be prevented. In particular, in a marginless print mode in which a toner image can be formed to the edge of a transfer material, a large amount of toner adheres to a transfer-material bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a collecting member that can temporarily collect the toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member. The toner that is temporarily collected by the collecting member is transferred to an intermediate transfer member and is cleaned by a cleaning unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2009Publication date: December 31, 2009Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kiyoharu Yoshioka, Michio Uchida, Tomonori Shida, Keisuke Mitsuhashi, Takao Nada, Takuma Abe, Hidetoshi Yamashita, Youhei Suzuki
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Publication number: 20090052966Abstract: A toner image formed on an image bearing member is transferred onto a recording material so as to overflow from an edge portion of the recording material, thereby enabling the toner image to be formed so as to extend to the edge portion of the recording material. To suppress the deposition of the toner in the edge portion of the recording material, a cleaning member for cleaning the edge portion of the recording material obtained after the fixing is provided. In order to make a trailing edge of the recording material come into contact with the cleaning member, the recording material which has passed through a fixing apparatus is temporarily switched back, thereby allowing the trailing edge portion of the recording material to collide with the cleaning member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2008Publication date: February 26, 2009Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hidetoshi Yamashita, Hisayuki Tomura, Kiyoharu Yoshioka, Michio Uchida, Tomonori Shida, Keisuke Mitsuhashi, Takuma Abe, Takao Nada
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Patent number: 7421228Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a lower body, an upper body openable from and closable to the lower body, the upper body including a device for forming an image and a support member for supporting the upper body when the upper body is opened, wherein a fastening portion for fastening the upper body and the support member is exposed when the device is detached from the upper body. Thus an influence of the weight of the upper body can be alleviated and the support member supporting the upper body can thus be safely replaced.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2005Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hisayuki Tomura
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Publication number: 20070182088Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2007Publication date: August 9, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito