Patents by Inventor Kanji Watanabe

Kanji Watanabe 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).

  • Publication number: 20190079433
    Abstract: An image forming device includes an image carrier carrying an image, a transfer device including paired transfer members that transport the image carrier and a recording medium, a grounded guide member that guides the recording medium to a transfer region, and a transfer power source that produces an electric field in the transfer region causing the image to be transferred onto the recording medium. The transfer power source includes a first transfer power source that imparts a first transfer voltage to one of the paired transfer members, and a second transfer power source that, when the recording medium has a predetermined resistance value or less, or is of low resistance having a conductive layer along a medium substrate face, imparts a second transfer voltage of opposite polarity and having an absolute value less than or equal to the first transfer voltage to the other of the paired transfer members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanji WATANABE, Daisuke TANAKA
  • Patent number: 10175613
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport member that transports a continuous medium as a result of a transport surface of the transport member making contact with the continuous medium and a transfer device that is disposed on a downstream side in a direction in which the transport member transports the medium and that transfers an image onto the medium, which extends to the transport member, as a result of a transfer surface of the transfer device making contact with the medium. A moving speed of the transfer surface is lower than a moving speed of the transport surface when the medium is transported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kanji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10168646
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body, a transfer member, and a controller. The image holding body holds an image formed of toner. The transfer member is brought into contact with a continuous medium so as to transfer the image held by the image holding body to the continuous medium, and the transfer member is able to be brought into contact with and separated from the image holding body. The controller causes the transfer member to be separated from the image holding body, and after that, causes the image holding body to move so as to detect an inspection image formed on the image holding body, thereby adjusting, as image quality adjustment, a deviation of a position of the image or a deviation of density of the image to be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masafumi Okabe, Kanji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20180239270
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body, a transfer member, and a controller. The image holding body holds an unfixed image. The transfer member presses a continuous medium against the image holding body and causes the image to be transferred to the medium. The controller allows a cleaning operation in which undesired adhering matter adhering to the transfer member is transferred to the image holding body to be performed when the medium does not exist between the image holding body and the transfer member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kanji WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20180201450
    Abstract: A workpiece handling apparatus is configured to supply and discharge a workpiece to and from a first conveyor configured to convey the workpiece. The workpiece handling apparatus includes a storage, a conveyance device, and a workpiece transfer robot. In the storage, a case for the workpiece is storable. The conveyance device is configured to convey the case between the storage and a predetermined work position. The workpiece transfer robot is configured to transfer the workpiece between the case conveyed to the work position and the first conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Haruhiko KOIKE, Kanji WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20180088496
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body, a transfer member, and a controller. The image holding body holds an image formed of toner. The transfer member is brought into contact with a continuous medium so as to transfer the image held by the image holding body to the continuous medium, and the transfer member is able to be brought into contact with and separated from the image holding body. The controller causes the transfer member to be separated from the image holding body, and after that, causes the image holding body to move so as to detect an inspection image formed on the image holding body, thereby adjusting, as image quality adjustment, a deviation of a position of the image or a deviation of density of the image to be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masafumi OKABE, Kanji WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20180088495
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport member that transports a continuous medium as a result of a transport surface of the transport member making contact with the continuous medium and a transfer device that is disposed on a downstream side in a direction in which the transport member transports the medium and that transfers an image onto the medium, which extends to the transport member, as a result of a transfer surface of the transfer device making contact with the medium. A moving speed of the transfer surface is lower than a moving speed of the transport surface when the medium is transported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kanji WATANABE
  • Patent number: 9841717
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a rotating brush that supplies lubricant to a surface of an image carrying member on which an end toner image is formed at a first axial end, a cleaning member provided on a downstream side of the rotating brush in a direction of rotation of the image carrying member and that cleans the image carrying member by scraping toner from the surface of the image carrying member, a storing portion that stores the toner scraped by the cleaning member, a transporting member that transports the toner in the storing portion from the first axial end of the image carrying member toward a second axial end of the image carrying member, and a moving member that moves the toner in the storing portion toward the rotating brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kikuchi, Yu Tsuda, Yasunori Unagida, Kanji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9835990
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with an image processing unit and a heating controller. The image processing unit includes a charging unit that charges a photoconductor, an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by light scanning on the charged photoconductor based on image information, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image, a transfer unit that transfers the developed image to a recording medium, and a fixing unit that fixes the transferred image at least by heating the transferred image. Upon receiving an instruction of execution of recovery processing for recovering sensitivity of the photoconductor that is light-fatigued, the heating controller executes a control so that a temperature of the fixing unit rises at a different time from a time at which the image processing unit performs an image processing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kanji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9835999
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member having first and second areas at different positions at an axial end of the photosensitive member, the first and second areas not overlapping an image area in an axial direction of the photosensitive member; a detecting unit that detects an image; and a forming unit that forms a transfer-object image in the image area, the transfer-object image being transferred to a transfer area of continuous-form paper, the forming unit further forming first and second images in the first and second areas of the photosensitive member, respectively, the first image not being transferred to the transfer area but being detected by the detecting unit for use in an operation of controlling conditions for image formation, the second image not being transferred to the transfer area and not being used in the operation of controlling the conditions for image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Tsuda, Yasunori Unagida, Kanji Watanabe, Yuji Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9804534
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member that includes a photosensitive layer, the photosensitive layer being thicker at a first axial end of the photosensitive member than at a second axial end of the photosensitive member; and a forming unit that forms a first image and a second image on the photosensitive member, the first image being transferred to each of transfer areas defined on continuous-form paper, the second image being transferred to the first axial end but to neither a position between adjacent ones of the transfer areas that are side by side in a longitudinal direction of the continuous-form paper nor a position in any of the transfer areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Tsuda, Yasunori Unagida, Kanji Watanabe, Yuji Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20170297196
    Abstract: A working robot includes a robot arm that includes arm members turnably coupled, a control box that houses a controller that controls operation of the robot arm, and a support frame that supports the control box and the robot arm such that an installation position of the control box and an installation position of the robot arm overlap when viewing from a vertical direction, a clearance is formed between the control box and the robot arm, and one or more directions of the clearance are in an opened state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Haruhiko KOIKE, Kanji WATANABE, Koji HARA
  • Publication number: 20170261912
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a rotating brush that supplies lubricant to a surface of an image carrying member on which an end toner image is formed at a first axial end, a cleaning member provided on a downstream side of the rotating brush in a direction of rotation of the image carrying member and that cleans the image carrying member by scraping toner from the surface of the image carrying member, a storing portion that stores the toner scraped by the cleaning member, a transporting member that transports the toner in the storing portion from the first axial end of the image carrying member toward a second axial end of the image carrying member, and a moving member that moves the toner in the storing portion toward the rotating brush.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji KIKUCHI, Yu TSUDA, Yasunori UNAGIDA, Kanji WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20170205741
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with an image processing unit and a heating controller. The image processing unit includes a charging unit that charges a photoconductor, an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by light scanning on the charged photoconductor based on image information, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image, a transfer unit that transfers the developed image to a recording medium, and a fixing unit that fixes the transferred image at least by heating the transferred image. Upon receiving an instruction of execution of recovery processing for recovering sensitivity of the photoconductor that is light-fatigued, the heating controller executes a control so that a temperature of the fixing unit rises at a different time from a time at which the image processing unit performs an image processing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kanji WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20170199483
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member that includes a photosensitive layer, the photosensitive layer being thicker at a first axial end of the photosensitive member than at a second axial end of the photosensitive member; and a forming unit that forms a first image and a second image on the photosensitive member, the first image being transferred to each of transfer areas defined on continuous-form paper, the second image being transferred to the first axial end but to neither a position between adjacent ones of the transfer areas that are side by side in a longitudinal direction of the continuous-form paper nor a position in any of the transfer areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu TSUDA, Yasunori UNAGIDA, Kanji WATANABE, Yuji KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170185022
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member having first and second areas at different positions at an axial end of the photosensitive member, the first and second areas not overlapping an image area in an axial direction of the photosensitive member; a detecting unit that detects an image; and a forming unit that forms a transfer-object image in the image area, the transfer-object image being transferred to a transfer area of continuous-form paper, the forming unit further forming first and second images in the first and second areas of the photosensitive member, respectively, the first image not being transferred to the transfer area but being detected by the detecting unit for use in an operation of controlling conditions for image formation, the second image not being transferred to the transfer area and not being used in the operation of controlling the conditions for image formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu TSUDA, Yasunori UNAGIDA, Kanji WATANABE, Yuji KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 9342068
    Abstract: A motion controller includes a controller configured to output a motor driving command based on a motion-and-sequence time chart used for motion control of a motor, to a motor driving apparatus. The controller is configured to receive the motion-and-sequence time chart, which has been created by a general-purpose PC, from the general-purpose PC via a higher-layer network. The controller is configured to receive the motion-and-sequence time chart including a command data sequence included in the motor driving command for the motor driving apparatus. The controller is configured to receive the motion-and-sequence time chart including a sequence time chart that describes a coordinated relationship between the motion control of the motor and a certain two-level input/output signal relating to the motion control of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kaku, Haruhiko Koike, Tomohiro Kamishio, Kanji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20140306643
    Abstract: A motion controller includes a controller configured to output a motor driving command based on a motion-and-sequence time chart used for motion control of a motor, to a motor driving apparatus. The controller is configured to receive the motion-and-sequence time chart, which has been created by a general-purpose PC, from the general-purpose PC via a higher-layer network. The controller is configured to receive the motion-and-sequence time chart including a command data sequence included in the motor driving command for the motor driving apparatus. The controller is configured to receive the motion-and-sequence time chart including a sequence time chart that describes a coordinated relationship between the motion control of the motor and a certain two-level input/output signal relating to the motion control of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yasuhiko KAKU, Haruhiko KOIKE, Tomohiro KAMISHIO, Kanji WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20140306642
    Abstract: An engineering tool includes a function that allows a user to perform, through a selection operation and a geometrical figure input operation, various motion-control-related setting operations for a motion controller configured to perform motion control on a motor via a motor driving apparatus. In response to input of a motion operation chart including a chronological and geometrical description from a user, a motion-and-sequence time chart to be referred to by the motion controller is created so as to allow a motor driving command for the motor driving apparatus to be chronologically output. The motion-and-sequence time chart is created by adding a command data sequence included in the motor driving command for the motor driving apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yasuhiko KAKU, Haruhiko KOIKE, Tomohiro KAMISHIO, Kanji WATANABE
  • Patent number: 8577247
    Abstract: A discharger includes a discharger main body that is adapted to be attached to and detached from a holding member of an image forming apparatus, a first electrode member that is formed of a wire rod, a second electrode member, a voltage for discharge being applied between the first and second electrode members, an electrode cleaning member that cleans the first electrode member, a detected portion that is integrally disposed to the electrode cleaning member, a detecting member that detects the detected portion while the electrode cleaning member is in a predetermined reference position, a cleaning member conveyer that conveys the electrode cleaning member in both directions which toward and away from the reference position, and a movement control unit that controls a movement of the cleaning member conveyer by the conveyer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiko Kimura, Kanji Watanabe, Yuzo Ichikawa, Tomoya Ichikawa