Patents by Inventor Kanako Kibihara

Kanako Kibihara 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: 9008524
    Abstract: For each of N imaginary regions divided at predetermined intervals in the direction of the rotation shaft of a developer roller (12), the amount of toner consumed when an image is formed is previously calculated. Then, the same amount of toner as a toner consumption amount calculated for each imaginary region is supplied to a development device (2) earlier by a time in which the toner supplied from a toner hopper (5) is transported to each imaginary region than at the time of the development. Thus, it is possible to maintain a toner concentration within the development device within a predetermined range without the toner being dispersed and an image formation speed being reduced even if an image having a high print rate is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Mamiya, Soh Hirota, Hironori Akashi, Yoshinori Tsutsumi, Kanako Kibihara
  • Publication number: 20130322896
    Abstract: For each of N imaginary regions divided at predetermined intervals in the direction of the rotation shaft of a developer roller (12), the amount of toner consumed when an image is formed is previously calculated. Then, the same amount of toner as a toner consumption amount calculated for each imaginary region is supplied to a development device (2) earlier by a time in which the toner supplied from a toner hopper (5) is transported to each imaginary region than at the time of the development. Thus, it is possible to maintain a toner concentration within the development device within a predetermined range without the toner being dispersed and an image formation speed being reduced even if an image having a high print rate is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Yusuke Mamiya, Soh Hirota, Hironori Akashi, Yoshinori Tsutsumi, Kanako Kibihara
  • Patent number: 8412063
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member that moves at a specified speed; a toner pattern forming section for forming toner patterns of a specified type on the image bearing member under specified image forming conditions; a toner pattern detection member for detecting the toner patterns formed on the image bearing member; a toner amount varying section for varying a target amount of toner to adhere to the toner patterns; and a control section that calculates a toner adherence amount and a toner adherence position from detection results outputted from the toner pattern detection member and that performs image stabilization control to adjust the image forming conditions based on the calculation results. In the image stabilization control, the control section uses detection results of the same toner patterns both to calculate the toner adherence amount and to calculate the toner adherence position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Techologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Soh Hirota, Hironori Akashi, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara
  • Patent number: 8260160
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus having photosensitive members; developing devices for developing electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive members into toner images with developers comprising toner and carriers; toner concentration sensors for detecting toner concentrations of the developers in the respective developing devices; a toner image bearing member for bearing the toner images temporarily; a toner adherence amount sensor for detecting toner adherence amounts of the toner images held on the image bearing member; and a controller for calculating, with respect to the developing devices, individual optimal developing bias voltage ranges within which a target toner adherence amount can be achieved while the toner concentrations of the developers are within a predetermined toner concentration range from a lower limit to an upper limit, so as to specify a common optimal developing bias voltage range that are commonly suitable for all the developing devices to achieve the target toner adherenc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Akashi, Soh Hirota, Mitsuru Obara, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara
  • Publication number: 20110044705
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus having photosensitive members; developing devices for developing electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive members into toner images with developers comprising toner and carriers; toner concentration sensors for detecting toner concentrations of the developers in the respective developing devices; a toner image bearing member for bearing the toner images temporarily; a toner adherence amount sensor for detecting toner adherence amounts of the toner images held on the image bearing member; and a controller for calculating, with respect to the developing devices, individual optimal developing bias voltage ranges within which a target toner adherence amount can be achieved while the toner concentrations of the developers are within a predetermined toner concentration range from a lower limit to an upper limit, so as to specify a common optimal developing bias voltage range that are commonly suitable for all the developing devices to achieve the target toner adherenc
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies
    Inventors: Hironori AKASHI, Soh Hirota, Mitsuru Obara, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara
  • Publication number: 20110020022
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member that moves at a specified speed; a toner pattern forming section for forming toner patterns of a specified type on the image bearing member under specified image forming conditions; a toner pattern detection member for detecting the toner patterns formed on the image bearing member; a toner amount varying section for varying a target amount of toner to adhere to the toner patterns; and a control section that calculates a toner adherence amount and a toner adherence position from detection results outputted from the toner pattern detection member and that performs image stabilization control to adjust the image forming conditions based on the calculation results. In the image stabilization control, the control section uses detection results of the same toner patterns both to calculate the toner adherence amount and to calculate the toner adherence position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru OBARA, Soh Hirota, Hironori Akashi, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara