Patents by Inventor Keiji Kato

Keiji Kato 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: 20030219284
    Abstract: A toner cartridge stored in a developer casing comprises a biasing force generating means 7, an actuating rod 11 that switches the biasing means 7 between an active state and a non-active state by one movement of a release member 13, a developer casing that swings by the movement of the actuating rod and presses a developing roller with appropriate pressure to a photosensitive drum, and a lock member 15 that is restrained from moving by the movement of the actuating rod; the above-mentioned members capable of inserting and fixing the developer casing to an image forming device, and by one restore movement of the release member 13, the photosensitive drum and the developing roller are separated and the lock is released, thereby enabling removal/exchange of the developer casing (toner cartridge).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Keiji Kato, Toshio Nishino, Atsushi Inoue, Toshihide Ohgoshi, Humito Mizoguchi, Wataru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6396079
    Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device having improved operating characteristics and reliability of a thin film transistor formed on a glass substrate. The thin film semiconductor device has a thin film transistor 3 formed on a glass substrate 1 containing alkali metal. The surface of the glass substrate 1 is covered by a buffer layer 2. The thin film transistor 3 formed on this buffer layer 2 has a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film 4 as an active layer. The buffer layer 2 includes at least a silicon nitride film and protects the thin film transistor 3 from contamination by alkali metals such as Na and has a thickness such that it can shield the thin film transistor 3 from an electric field created by localized alkali metal ions (Na+).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hisao Hayashi, Yasushi Shimogaichi, Keiji Kato
  • Patent number: 6360066
    Abstract: A developing apparatus is equipped with a development casing, a development roller, and developer stirring shafts that rotate together with the development roller. In this developing apparatus, the developer stirring shafts are disposed adjacent to each other and are also disposed substantially in parallel with the development roller. Each developer stirring shaft has a rotational axis that rotates together with the development roller and has a plurality of stirring vanes of an approximately elliptic shape laid out at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotational axis. The rotational axis is provided substantially in parallel with the development roller. The stirring vanes are disposed substantially in parallel with each other, with the opposing stirring vanes between the adjacent developer stirring shafts having mutually different installation positions in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawahito, Keiji Kato, Toshio Nishino, Yasuyuki Ishiguro, Jun Yamaguchi, Tsutomu Nagata
  • Publication number: 20020030188
    Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device having improved operating characteristics and reliability of a thin film transistor formed on a glass substrate. The thin film semiconductor device has a thin film transistor 3 formed on a glass substrate 1 containing alkali metal. The surface of the glass substrate 1 is covered by a buffer layer 2. The thin film transistor 3 formed on this buffer layer 2 has a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film 4 as an active layer. The buffer layer 2 includes at least a silicon nitride film and protects the thin film transistor 3 from contamination by alkali metals such as Na and has a thickness such that it can shield the thin film transistor 3 from an electric field created by localized alkali metal ions (Na+).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: HISAO HAYASHI, YASUSHI SHIMOGAICHI, KEIJI KATO
  • Patent number: 5508834
    Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device which is free from any adverse affect due to foreign matter attached to a polarizing plate, the liquid crystal display device is provided with a liquid crystal cell, a pair of transparent cover members mounted on outer surfaces of the liquid crystal cell, and polarizing plates attached to the transparent cover members. The polarizing plates are attached to the surfaces of the transparent cover members while ensuring a sufficient space from a liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal cell. Therefore, in the case where a focal plane of an enlargement lens system is aligned with the liquid crystal layer, the polarizing plates are located out of a depth of focus of the lens system to thereby obviate the adverse affect due to the foreign matter attached to the polarizing plates. In some cases, it is possible to integrally form a microlens array with the transparent cover member in confront with and in alignment with a pixel array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Yamada, Keiji Kato
  • Patent number: 5243389
    Abstract: A toner hopper is arranged to feed the toner stored in itself to a developing unit and have a stirring roller and a feeding roller respectively supported rotatably, an interlocking mechanism for transmitting the force of rotation to the stirring roller, a manually rotating mechanism for manually rotating the stirring roller, and an interlocking restricting mechanism. The interlocking mechanism restricts the operation of the interlocking mechanism such that the force of rotation of the stirring roller is not transmitted to the feeding roller while the manually rotating mechanism supplies force of rotation to the stirring roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoyuki Yamane, Keiji Kato, Katsuzo Uchida, Miki Demoto, Hisashi Kunihiro, Hiroshi Kawahito, Yasuo Imai, Masato Asanuma, Yukinori Andou, Takashi Sugito
  • Patent number: 5239805
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method of packaging a developer cartridge especially for use in the image-forming of the electrophotographic process, the method by which the operativity of users can be improved and the pollution due to the sealing member of the developer cartridge can be prevented. The object of the present invention is achieved by fixing a free end of the above sealing member held between the sealing portions of the packing bag when the packing bag is hermetically sealed. With this, the sealing member is pulled off in accordance with the developer cartridge being drawn out from the bag when it is used. When the whole part of the developer cartridge is drawn out, the sealing member is completely pulled off, and is left inside the packing bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuzo Uchida, Keiji Kato, Yukinori Andou, Naoyuki Yamane, Yasuo Imai
  • Patent number: 5235130
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is provided to prevent toner from overflowing a toner hopper into a development tank, and to prevent a toner supply roller from being deformed by heavy pressure. In order to achieve the object, the developer cartridge is provided with a seal member (8) in the toner hopper (2). The seal member has one end blocking a toner supply port (9) and the other end secured to a rotary shaft (7a) of an agitating member (7). The seal member is rolled up by rotating the agitating member when using the cartridge for the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Miki Demoto, Katsuzo Uchida, Keiji Kato, Naoyuki Yamane, Yasuo Imai, Hisashi Kunihiro
  • Patent number: 5175587
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a first locking means for locking a first supplying lid disposed at a first supplying opening in a closing position, a second locking element for locking a second supplying lid of a second supplying opening in a closing position, and a lock release element for releasing only the second locking element when a detachable developer cartridge is used. The second locking element includes a concave portion formed on a peripheral wall of the second supplying opening and a lock piece disposed in the concave portion, and a hole formed at an edge of the second supplying lid. The lock piece engages the hole when the second supplying lid is closed, thereby the lid is locked. The lock release element includes a lid having a opening disposed at an upper surface of the developing apparatus and a hole disposed at the lock piece, and the detachable developer cartridge comprises a pair of lock release pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Kato, Toshiyuki Kurosaka, Hiroshi Kawahito, Hideaki Hagihara
  • Patent number: 4937625
    Abstract: A developing device for developing a toner image on a cylindrical electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a toner container which extends perpendicularly to the direction of the photoreceptor and a toner transporting device for moving the toner supplied from the container in the direction of the axis of the photoreceptor. The toner transporting device and the container are detachably attachable to each other and a normally closed shutter is provided at the opening through which toner can be dropped from the container into the toner transporting device. The shutter can be automatically opened when a toner transporting unit having a shutter-opening mechanism is attached to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Kato, Yoshikazu Nishikawa, Akio Shiomi, Toyoka Aimoto