Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Funato

Hitoshi Funato 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: 7421237
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit that heats and fixes a toner image created on a recording medium; and a cooling unit that cools the toner image heated and fixed by the fixing unit with reference to a melting point of wax contained in the toner image from a temperature higher than the melting point to a temperature lower than the melting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Funato, Kazuhiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20050196204
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit that heats and fixes a toner image created on a recording medium; and a cooling unit that cools the toner image heated and fixed by the fixing unit with reference to a melting point of wax contained in the toner image from a temperature higher than the melting point to a temperature lower than the melting point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Hitoshi Funato, Kazuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 6615018
    Abstract: A fixing device 2 includes a primary fixing device 5 disposed in a transporting path 4 for a recording material 3, and a secondary fixing device 6 disposed in the downstream of the primary fixing device 5. The recording material is passed through only the primary fixing device 5 after an image is recorded on an front surface of the recording material 3. Subsequently, an image is recorded on a rear surface of the recording material 3 and the recording material is passed through the primary fixing device 5 and the secondary fixing device 6. The fixing device 2 includes a primary ejection path 7 for ejecting the recording material 3 having passed through the primary fixing device 5 and a secondary ejection path 8 for ejecting the recording material 3 having passed through the primary fixing device 5 and the secondary fixing device 6 in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Funato
  • Publication number: 20020191992
    Abstract: A fixing device 2 includes a primary fixing device 5 disposed in a transporting path 4 for a recording material 3, and a secondary fixing device 6 disposed in the downstream of the primary fixing device 5. The recording material is passed through only the primary fixing device 5 after an image is recorded on an front surface of the recording material 3. Subsequently, an image is recorded on a rear surface of the recording material 3 and the recording material is passed through the primary fixing device 5 and the secondary fixing device 6. The fixing device 2 includes a primary ejection path 7 for ejecting the recording material 3 having passed through the primary fixing device 5 and a secondary ejection path 8 for ejecting the recording material 3 having passed through the primary fixing device 5 and the secondary fixing device 6 in this order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Funato
  • Patent number: 6243550
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus for document production of reproduction which includes a plurality of paper feed trays T1-T4 placed in overlapped relation at multiple stages from top to bottom wherein the length of the top-stage paper feed tray T1 in the paper feed direction is formed shorter than the length of each of the paper feed trays T2-T4 at lower stages in the paper feed direction, an image support 16, an intermediate transfer body B, and a secondary transfer device 31 placed in a tray upward paper feed side space Sa above the paper feed tray T1, a fuser T placed in a top-stage tray side space Sb1 on the side of the top-stage paper feed tray T1 and an upward side space Sb2 above the space Sb1, and a developing unit D placed in the upward side space Sb2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Fuchiwaki, Yasutomo Ishii, Nobukazu Takahashi, Kazunori Numao, Fumio Furusawa, Junichiro Sameshima, Hitoshi Funato, Ryuji Hattori
  • Patent number: 6078762
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus for document production or reproduction which includes a plurality of paper feed trays T1-T4 placed in overlapped relation at multiple stages from top to bottom wherein the length of the top-stage paper feed tray T1 in the paper feed direction is formed shorter than the length of each of the paper feed trays T2-T4 at lower stages in the paper feed direction, an image support 16, an intermediate transfer body B, and a secondary transfer device 31 placed in a tray upward paper feed side space Sa above the paper feed tray T1, a fuser T placed in a top-stage tray side space Sb1 on the side of the top-stage paper feed tray T1 and an upward side space Sb2 above the space Sb1, and a developing unit D placed in the upward side space Sb2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Fuchiwaki, Yasutomo Ishii, Nobukazu Takahashi, Kazunori Numao, Fumio Furusawa, Junichiro Sameshima, Hitoshi Funato, Ryuji Hattori
  • Patent number: 5809391
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet transport channel including a registration roller for supplying a sheet that is fed from a tray to an image recording section at predetermined timing. A brake forcibly stops rotation of the registration roller. A sensor senses the occurrence of an abnormality in the paper transport channel during transport of the sheet. A controller activates the brake when the sensor has detected the abnormality. Therefore, when a POP jam occurs, sheet rushing into the cleaner due to an overrun can be reliably prevented. Also, in the case of feeding a sheet to prevent a guillotine jam, sheet rushing into the image recording section due to idle rotation of the registration roller can be prevented reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Fujita, Satoru Torimaru, Fumio Furusawa, Keiji Yamamoto, Masaaki Tokunaga, Hitoshi Funato, Satoshi Fukada
  • Patent number: 5787330
    Abstract: A sheet S is supported by a movable cylindrical transfer drum 12 and a toner image is transferred from a photosensitive drum 9 onto the sheet S in this state. The sheet S is curved by curl rolls 29, 30 of a conveyer unit 20 so that it is curved outward in harmony with the direction of the transfer drum 12 and that its curvature radius is smaller than that of the transfer drum 12. Then the sheet S is conveyed toward the transfer drum 12. A guide plate 40 is placed between the curl rolls 29, 30 and the transfer drum 12 and the leading end portion of the sheet S conveyed from the curl rolls 29, 30 abuts and slides on the guide face 42 of the guide plate 40. Thus, a moment is given to the following portion of the sheet S held between the curl rolls 29, 30 and the curvature radius of the following portion thereof is corrected so that the curvature radius of the following portion thereof may be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Funato
  • Patent number: 5778298
    Abstract: A transfer device includes a photosensitive drum on the outer surface of which an image to be transferred is formed; a transfer drum arranged in parallel to the photosensitive drum and substantially in contact with the outer surface of the photosensitive drum, the transfer drum capable of adsorbing a sheet on its outer surface; and a sheet guide for guiding the sheet supplied toward the transfer drum to a transfer position between the photosensitive drum and the transfer drum. At an end of the sheet guide on the side of the transfer position, a hill-shaped guide is provided which flexes at a flexing point in a plane orthogonal to the rotary axis of each of both drums so as to be convex toward the photosensitive drum. The side of the hill-shaped guide from the flexing point toward, and closest to, the transfer position is inclined toward the photosensitive drum with respect to a tangent of the photosensitive drum passing the transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Enomoto, Nobuo Hyakutake, Hitoshi Funato, Tetsuya Fujita, Nobuyoshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 5765093
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a paper bending assembly for bending an image recording medium in accordance with the supporting surface of an image transferring drum. A degree of the bending of the image recording medium is set in accordance with the kind of image recording medium by varying the distance between the shafts of the paper bending assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Funato
  • Patent number: 5692744
    Abstract: A paper feeder is suitable for use in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer or the like and is capable of suitably correcting the direction of a sheet of paper conveyed from a registration device to a transfer unit. A paper conveying path is provided in curve form between a resist roller pair and a conveying roller pair provided on the upstream side of the resist roller pair as seen in a paper feeding direction. A fixed guide member is provided on the concave side of the paper conveying path. A movable guide member rotatably supported by a rotatable shaft with the rotatable shaft taken as the center, is provided on the convex side of the paper conveying path. The movable guide member is urged toward the fixed guide member by a torsion spring. A film-shaped elastic member which extends toward the downstream side as seen in the paper conveying direction, is mounted on a leading end portion of the movable guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Funato
  • Patent number: 4709149
    Abstract: A copying machine records an image on a recording sheet through the use of an ink donor sheet with thermally transferable ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Takahashi, Toshiharu Inui, Hiroyuki Saitoh, Noriyoshi Ishikawa, Hitoshi Funato, Takashi Ohmori, Masami Kurata, Yasuo Katou
  • Patent number: 4661703
    Abstract: A two-color copying machine records an image on a recording sheet in two colors such as red and black by using thermally transferable red and black inks on ink donor sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1987
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Ishikawa, Haruhiko Takahashi, Hitoshi Funato, Svay Leng, Hiroyuki Saitoh, Takashi Ohmori, Masami Kurata, Yasuo Katou