Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Kikuchi

Kazuhiko Kikuchi 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: 11828373
    Abstract: The check valve (1) is of straight pipe joint type and oblique lift type. It includes: a valve seat (12a); a moving body (2) capable of linearly reciprocating between a closed state where it is in close contact with the valve seat and an open state where it is separated from the valve seat; a primary flow path (inflow path (12c)) on an upstream side of the moving body; and a secondary flow path (outflow path (12d)) on a downstream side of the moving body. The moving body includes a valve body (6) and a valve shaft (7) extending from the valve body. The valve seat supporting the valve body is formed to straddle the center line (CL) of the connection flow path that linearly extends including the primary flow path (inflow path) and the secondary flow path (outflow path 12d) in a cross section including the center line thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: ISHIZAKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ishizaki, Takeshi Ouchi, Kazuhiro Ota, Daisuke Kikuchi, Kazuhiko Kojima, Futoshi Hasegawa, Eiji Hara, Yusuke Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230351578
    Abstract: An abnormality detection method includes: acquiring a determination target image that is an image of a determination target object to be regularly aligned while standing, which is a cylindrical container; creating a difference image emphasizing a difference between an image of a normal determination target object regularly aligned and the determination target image; calculating a multi-segmentation error of the difference image to determine a maximum value of the multi-segmentation error; and determining whether the determination target object is normal or abnormal in accordance with the maximum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: TOYO SEIKAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kikuchi, Junichi Takada, Kazuhiko Nakayama, Taketoshi Manou
  • Publication number: 20230333502
    Abstract: A heating device includes a substrate, one or more heating elements arranged along the substrate, a heat conductor contacting the substrate, a plurality of thermometers each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor, and a plurality of thermostats each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor and interrupt electrical power supplied to the heating elements. The thermometers and the thermostats are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventor: Kazuhiko KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11782370
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a cylindrical film and a pressing element that rotates with the cylindrical film and forms a nip with the cylindrical film. A medium is conveyed through the nip from an upstream side to a downstream side. The heating apparatus further includes a heater arranged inside the cylindrical film and on which a heating element is disposed. An upstream end of the heater is located downstream of an upstream end of the nip, and a downstream end of the heater is located downstream of a downstream end of the nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11774887
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt, and a heater configured to heat the fixing belt and including a substrate and a heating layer that is formed on the substrate, and a controller configured to, upon detecting an absence of a current flowing through the fixing belt, control the heater to not generate heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Doi, Eiji Shinohara, Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Sasuke Endo, Masaya Tanaka, Ryota Saeki, Kousei Miyashita, Ryosuke Kojima, Yuki Kawashima, Kiyotaka Murakami
  • Publication number: 20230266701
    Abstract: A heating device according to an embodiment generally includes substrate, blocks, and temperature sensors. The blocks are arranged on the substrate with a gap therebetween in a first direction. The temperature sensors are provided for each of the blocks and detect the temperature of the blocks. The block includes a plurality of first blocks on at least one side in the first direction, and the first block is adjacent to two blocks in the first direction, and the temperature sensor detects temperature of a temperature detection region on the first block, which is closer to the one of the adjacent two blocks being longer in the first direction of the two blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Chie MIYAUCHI, Osamu TAKAGI, Kazuhiko KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230259058
    Abstract: A heating device includes a rotatable film, a heater disposed inside the film and including a substrate that extends along a first direction and having two surfaces opposite to each other, and a heater element on one of the surfaces of the substrate, and a heat conductor including a first portion contacting the other surface of the substrate, and a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and does not contact the other surface of the substrate. A width of the second portion is wider than the heater element in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Kazuhiko KIKUCHI, Sasuke ENDO, Masaya TANAKA, Ryota SAEKI, Kiyotaka MURAKAMI, Kousei MIYASHITA, Ryosuke KOJIMA, Yohei DOI, Yuki KAWASHIMA, Eiji SHINOHARA
  • Patent number: 11726420
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit for transferring a toner image onto a sheet, a fixing device for fixing the image, the fixing device including a heating member including a heat generating element and electrodes on both sides of the heat generating element in a sheet conveyance direction and connected to the heat generating element, and a pressure element for pressing against the heating member, and a controller for controlling an adjustment mechanism so that a distance between the heating member and the pressure element becomes a first distance during a fixing process and a second distance larger than the first distance during temperature raising of the heating member, which is conducted before the fixing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Osamu Takagi, Chie Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 11714369
    Abstract: A heating device includes a substrate, one or more heating elements arranged along the substrate, a heat conductor contacting the substrate, a plurality of thermometers each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor, and a plurality of thermostats each configured to measure a temperature of the heat conductor and interrupt electrical power supplied to the heating elements. The thermometers and the thermostats are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11709447
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a heater unit includes a substrate. A first heating element is on a first side of the substrate. A second heating element is on a second side of the substrate. A first wiring is on the first side of the substrate and connected to the first heating element. A first electrode is on the first side of the substrate and connected to the first heating element. A second wiring is on the second side of the substrate and connected to the second heating element. A second electrode is on the second side of the substrate and connected to the second heating element via the second wiring. A portion of the second heating element overlaps a first portion of the first heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230213879
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a cylindrical film and a pressing element that rotates with the cylindrical film and forms a nip with the cylindrical film. A medium is conveyed through the nip from an upstream side to a downstream side. The heating apparatus further includes a heater arranged inside the cylindrical film and on which a heating element is disposed. An upstream end of the heater is located downstream of an upstream end of the nip, and a downstream end of the heater is located downstream of a downstream end of the nip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventor: Kazuhiko KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230198552
    Abstract: A transmission method is performed by a transmitter including antenna elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Mikihiro OUCHI, Tomohiro KIMURA, Yusuke CHINDA, Kazuhiko KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11675294
    Abstract: A heating device according to an embodiment generally includes heat generating parts and temperature sensors. The heat generating parts are divided into a plurality of blocks, so that the plurality of heat generating parts are arranged with a gap therebetween on a substrate in each block. With a temperature detection region provided in each block, the temperature sensors are provided corresponding to the heat generating parts with the gaps being avoided. The temperatures of the heat generating parts are detected by the temperature sensors that are less in number than the plurality of heat generating parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chie Miyauchi, Osamu Takagi, Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11669033
    Abstract: A heating device includes a rotatable film, a heater including a substrate that extends along a first direction and having two surfaces opposite to each other, and a heater element on one of the surfaces of the substrate, and a heat conductor having first and second surfaces and including a first portion contacting the other surface of the substrate, and a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and does not contact the other surface of the substrate. A thickness of the first portion of the heat conductor from the first surface to the second surface is greater than a thickness of the second portion from the first surface to the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Sasuke Endo, Masaya Tanaka, Ryota Saeki, Kiyotaka Murakami, Kousei Miyashita, Ryosuke Kojima, Yohei Doi, Yuki Kawashima, Eiji Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11656565
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt having a surface to which a lubricant is applied, a heater contacting the surface and including heating elements arranged along a width direction of the belt and including first end second end heating elements and a central heating element, and a pressing roller capable of pressing and rotating the belt, a power supply configured to supply power to the heating elements, and a controller configured to determine a first amount of power to be supplied to the central heating element and a second amount of power to be supplied to each end heating element such that the first amount is greater than the second amount, and control the power supply to supply the first and second amounts to the central heating element and each end heating element before controlling the pressing roller to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230125849
    Abstract: A heater is to face a pressure element via a belt and is to heat the belt. The pressure element sandwiches and conveys a sheet together with the belt. The heater includes a heat generating element, a couple of electrodes, and a protective layer. there are the electrodes on both sides of the heat generating element in a conveyance direction of the sheet. Both sides of the heat generating element in the conveyance direction are connected to adjacent electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Kazuhiko KIKUCHI, Osamu TAKAGI, Chie MIYAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230104948
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a fixing device with a heating element to heat a sheet. A controller is configured to control electric power supplied to the heating element based on a prior use metric. The controller reduces the electric power supplied to the heating element during a startup period if an electric power level supplied from a power supply is equal to or greater than a threshold value and the prior use metric is equal to or greater than a reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventor: Kazuhiko KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11614703
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a cylindrical film and a pressing element that rotates with the cylindrical film and forms a nip with the cylindrical film. A medium is conveyed through the nip from an upstream side to a downstream side. The apparatus further includes a guide member arranged inside the cylindrical film and contacting the cylindrical film, and a substrate arranged inside the cylindrical film and on which a heating element is disposed. A downstream end of the substrate is located downstream of a downstream end of the nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230073092
    Abstract: Provided are a packaging container, a packaging method, and a method for carrying metal foil, which can suppress damage and deformation of the packaging container and enable stable carrying even if the packaging container is carried while suspending it in the midair. A packaging container made of corrugated cardboard includes: a pallet 2 having leg portions 21; a body frame 3 arranged on the pallet 2, the body frame 3 having bearing grooves 31 at end wall portions 32 opposing to each other; and a lid portion 4 provided on the body frame 3, wherein each of the leg portions 21 is arranged on an inner side than each of the end wall portions 23 of the pallet 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Akira SAKO, Yasunobu MIYATA, Kazuhiko KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230069894
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a derivation unit, and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires voltage information indicating a voltage applied to a heat generation unit that heats a sheet in an image forming apparatus. The derivation unit derives a fluctuation range in the voltage indicated by the voltage information acquired by the acquisition unit. The determination unit determines whether or not there is an indication of a malfunction in the heat generation unit using the fluctuation range derived by the derivation unit and a reference fluctuation range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventor: Kazuhiko KIKUCHI