Patents by Inventor Katsuhiko Oba

Katsuhiko Oba 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: 20130343780
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a drum, first and second guidable portions guidable by first and second guides when the cartridge enters or advances in the main assembly, first and second regulatable portions provided at leading and trailing sides of the cartridge with respect to the advancing direction and regulated by a first main assembly regulator when the process is advancing in the main assembly, and first and second positionable portions to be positioned at first and main assembly second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of a main assembly urging member after the first and second regulatable portions pass the first and second regulators, respectively. The cartridge is mounted to the main assembly with the first and second positionable portions at the first and second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of the urging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8494410
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a first cartridge side portion-to-be-guided, a second cartridge side portion-to-be-guided, a first cartridge side portion-to-be-regulated, a second cartridge side portion-to-be-regulated, a first cartridge side portion to be positioned, and a second cartridge side portion to be positioned. The process cartridge is mounted to a main assembly with a first cartridge side portion to be positioned at a first main assembly side positioning portion by the urging force of an urging member and with the second cartridge side portion to be positioned at a second main assembly side positioning portion by the urging force of the urging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8437661
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing unit. The process cartridge further includes a portion to be positioned, first and second displacing portions, and a portion to be urged. The process cartridge also includes a pull-up force receiving portion, disposed at a trailing side of the cartridge, for being urged by a pull-up force of a pull-up member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8385775
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing unit. The process cartridge further includes a portion to be positioned, a displacing portion, and a portion to be urged. The portion to be positioned is positioned to a main assembly side positioning portion by the portion to be urged when the process cartridge is set in the main assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20120177404
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing unit. The process cartridge further includes a portion to be positioned, first and second displacing portions, and a portion to be urged. The process cartridge also includes a pull-up force receiving portion, disposed at a trailing side of the cartridge, for being urged by a pull-up force of a pull-up member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20120163861
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a first cartridge side portion-to-be-guided, a second cartridge side portion-to-be-guided, a first cartridge side portion-to-be-regulated, a second cartridge side portion-to-be-regulated, a first cartridge side portion to be positioned, and a second cartridge side portion to be positioned. The process cartridge is mounted to a main assembly with a first cartridge side portion to be positioned at a first main assembly side positioning portion by the urging force of an urging member and with the second cartridge side portion to be positioned at a second main assembly side positioning portion by the urging force of the urging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8170444
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a positioning portion, a rotatable urging member taking an urging position for urging the cartridge to the positioning portion, and retracted and stand-by positions. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a positionable portion, a displacing portion moving the urging member from the stand-by to the retracted position by contacting a portion-to-be-displaced disposed at a position remoter from the rotation axis of the urging portion than the urging portion when the cartridge advances along an axial direction of the drum in the main assembly, the displacing portion moving the urging member to the retracted position by contacting the urging member when the cartridge advances in the main assembly, and an urgable portion urgable by the urging portion when the cartridge is set in the main assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8170445
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8155557
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a drum, first and second guidable portions guidable by first and second guides when the cartridge enters or advances in the main assembly, first and second regulatable portions provided at leading and trailing sides of the cartridge with respect to the advancing direction and regulated by a first main assembly regulator when the process is advancing in the main assembly, first and second positionable portions to be positioned at first and main assembly second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of a main assembly urging member after the first and second regulatable portions pass the first and second regulators, respectively. The cartridge is mounted to the main assembly with the first and second positionable portions at the first and second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of the urging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20120057901
    Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus, having: an apparatus main body; a fixing unit fixing an image onto a recording material at a fixing nip portion, the fixing unit including a pressure applying portion applying a pressure to the fixing nip portion and a pressure releasing portion releasing the pressure; an opening/closing member disposed in the apparatus main body; an engaging portion engaging with the pressure releasing portion of the fixing unit in a state of being mounted to the apparatus main body for moving the pressure releasing portion, the engaging portion moving in conjunction with an opening/closing action of the opening/closing member; and a phase adjusting portion adjusting a phase of the pressure releasing portion to a phase of the engaging portion when the opening/closing member is opened, in conjunction with a mounting action of the fixing unit to the apparatus main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Oba, Atsushi Kawarago
  • Patent number: 8090292
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing unit. The process cartridge further includes a portion to be positioned, first and second displacing portions, and a portion to be urged. The process cartridge also includes a pull-up force receiving portion, disposed at a trailing side of the cartridge, for being urged by a pull-up force of a pull-up member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 8059988
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20110129251
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing unit. The process cartridge further includes a portion to be positioned, a displacing portion, and a portion to be urged. The portion to be positioned is positioned to a main assembly side positioning portion by the portion to be urged when the process cartridge is set in the main assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20110123225
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing unit. The process cartridge further includes a portion to be positioned, first and second displacing portions, and a portion to be urged. The process cartridge also includes a pull-up force receiving portion, disposed at a trailing side of the cartridge, for being urged by a pull-up force of a pull-up member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20110103829
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Patent number: 7756441
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a drum, first and second guidable portions guidable by first and second guides when the cartridge enters or advances in the main assembly, first and second regulatable portions provided at leading and trailing sides of the cartridge with respect to the advancing direction and regulated by a first main assembly regulator when the process is advancing in the main assembly, first and second positionable portions to be positioned at first and main assembly second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of a main assembly urging member after the first and second regulatable portions pass the first and second regulators, respectively. The cartridge is mounted to the main assembly with the first and second positionable portions at the first and second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of the urging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20100158565
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a drum, first and second guidable portions guidable by first and second guides when the cartridge enters or advances in the main assembly, first and second regulatable portions provided at leading and trailing sides of the cartridge with respect to the advancing direction and regulated by a first main assembly regulator when the process is advancing in the main assembly, first and second positionable portions to be positioned at first and main assembly second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of a main assembly urging member after the first and second regulatable portions pass the first and second regulators, respectively. The cartridge is mounted to the main assembly with the first and second positionable portions at the first and second positioners, respectively, by the urging force of the urging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20090297211
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a drum unit supporting the drum, a developing unit supporting a developing roller and swingably coupled with the drum unit, drum and developing roller rotating force receiving portions, first and second positionable portions positioned at first and second main assembly side positioning portions by contacting by an urging force of first and second main assembly side urging members, a developing device spacing force receiving portion, first and second cartridge side rotation regulating portions for limiting rotation of the drum unit by abutting first and second main assembly side rotation regulating portions when the drum and developing roller rotating force receiving portions receive the rotating forces or when the developing device spacing force receiving portion receives the urging force from the main assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20080145122
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one image forming unit configured to form an image, a belt for transferring an image formed by the image forming unit onto a recording material, and an opening and closing unit having the belt and openable and closable relative to a main body of the apparatus. The belt is provided above the image forming unit, and the image forming unit is removable from the main body of the apparatus when the opening and closing unit is open. The opening and closing unit slides substantially horizontally, thereby opening and closing relative to the main body of the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tamotsu Kaneko, Takayuki Miyamoto, Hiroshi Kawamura, Kazushi Ino, Katsuhiko Oba
  • Publication number: 20080138105
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a positioning portion, a rotatable urging member taking an urging position for urging the cartridge to the positioning portion, and retracted and stand-by positions. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a positionable portion, a displacing portion moving the urging member from the stand-by to the retracted position by contacting a portion-to-be-displaced disposed at a position remoter from the rotation axis of the urging portion than the urging portion when the cartridge advances along an axial direction of the drum in the main assembly, the displacing portion moving the urging member to the retracted position by contacting the urging member when the cartridge advances in the main assembly, and an urgable portion urgable by the urging portion when the cartridge is set in the main assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kanno, Yasufumi Yoshino, Katsuhiko Oba