Patents by Inventor Ken Murooka

Ken Murooka 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: 20240012350
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 11803139
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Publication number: 20230043125
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 11506999
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material, and a guide member for guiding the recording material, wherein the guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical belt and a roller contacting an outer surface of the belt for forming a fixing nip through which the recording material is to be passed, wherein the roller has a shape such that a diameter thereof is increased with a distance thereof toward the end portion with respect to the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, and the guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Publication number: 20210173332
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 10955774
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Publication number: 20200125013
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 10551774
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material. The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 10481552
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taisuke Minagawa, Satoru Izawa, Takahiro Uchiyama, Jun Asami, Toshiya Kaino, Wataru Uchida, Ken Murooka, Yasuhiko Fuse, Masatoshi Yoshida, Tomooku Koyama
  • Publication number: 20180267461
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Taisuke Minagawa, Satoru Izawa, Takahiro Uchiyama, Jun Asami, Toshiya Kaino, Wataru Uchida, Ken Murooka, Yasuhiko Fuse, Masatoshi Yoshida, Tomooku Koyama
  • Patent number: 10031476
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a blower having a fan and duct, that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; wherein the duct includes a second opening through which airflow from the fan is directed to the conveyance roller pair, and wherein the second opening of the duct is configured not to overlap with the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member in a longitudinal direction of the heating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taisuke Minagawa, Satoru Izawa, Takahiro Uchiyama, Jun Asami, Toshiya Kaino, Wataru Uchida, Ken Murooka, Yasuhiko Fuse, Masatoshi Yoshida, Tomooku Koyama
  • Publication number: 20180136595
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 9904222
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 9557702
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a fixing unit including a first fixing member and a second fixing member opposing to the first fixing member, a curl correcting unit including a first curl correcting member and a second curl correcting member opposing to the first curl correcting member, a first changing member rotatable about a first rotation center, the first changing member changing a pressure to the sheet by the first fixing member and the second fixing member, and a second changing member rotatable about the first rotation center, the second changing member changing a pressure to the sheet by the first curl correcting member and the second curl correcting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Uchida, Ryo Iwasawa, Tomooku Koyama, Taro Ishifune, Mitsuhiro Ohta, Ken Murooka, Masayoshi Fukatsu
  • Publication number: 20160327902
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Taisuke Minagawa, Satoru Izawa, Takahiro Uchiyama, Jun Asami, Toshiya Kaino, Wataru Uchida, Ken Murooka, Yasuhiko Fuse, Masatoshi Yoshida, Tomooku Koyama
  • Publication number: 20160291515
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 9429886
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taisuke Minagawa, Satoru Izawa, Takahiro Uchiyama, Jun Asami, Toshiya Kaino, Wataru Uchida, Ken Murooka, Yasuhiko Fuse, Masatoshi Yoshida, Tomooku Koyama
  • Patent number: 9400462
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming portion, a fixing portion for fixing the unfixed image at a fixing nip, a first and second guide members configured to guide the recording material to the fixing nip. The first guide member is provided at a position opposed to a surface of the recording material on which the unfixed image is formed and at a center of the fixing portion with respect to a longitudinal direction of the fixing portion, and the second guide member is provided at a position opposed to the surface of the recording material on which the unfixed image is formed and at an end of the fixing portion with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fixing portion, the second guide member being movable relative to the first guide member with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recoding material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 9395674
    Abstract: A curl correction apparatus that corrects a curl of a sheet includes: a hard roller that is disposed in the downstream in a sheet conveying direction of a heating apparatus; a soft roller that is disposed in the downstream in the sheet conveying direction of the heating apparatus; and a guide member that is disposed in the immediate upstream in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the hard roller, and guides the sheet; wherein a nip width in the sheet conveying direction of a nip portion between the hard roller and the soft roller is set to be narrower in a central portion in an axial direction than end portions in the axial direction, and the guide member is configured to protrude in the central portion in the axial direction toward the downstream in the sheet conveying direction from the both end portions in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Murooka
  • Publication number: 20160139547
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura