Patents by Inventor Kenichi Iida

Kenichi Iida 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: 20210405577
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion and a replenishment port, a transfer portion configured to transfer a developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray including a supporting surface configured to support the recording material thereon, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface, and wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Tomio Noguchi, Masaaki Sato, Kenji Matsuzaka, Koji Fujinaka, Takao Sameshima, Akitoshi Toyota, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida
  • Publication number: 20210405574
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container including an accommodating portion, and a supporting portion, wherein the developer container includes a projection portion that is provided at one end portion thereof in the rotation axis direction of the developer bearing member and projects toward the supporting portion more than a center portion of the developer container in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis direction, the projection portion communicates with the accommodating portion and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, an attachment portion configured such that the replenishment container is attachable thereto in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from the replenishment container is defined in the attachment portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Koji Wada, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Hiroshi Takarada, Kenji Matsuzaka, Takao Sameshima, Tomio Noguchi, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20210405555
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which the replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion that accommodates developer and a replenishment port, an agitation, an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position and an open position, a drive source for driving the agitation member, and a control portion configured to control the drive source, wherein the apparatus is configured such that image formation is not possible when the opening/closing member is at the open position, and the agitation member is capable of driving in a case where the opening/closing member is at the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Masaaki Sato, Hiroshi Takarada, Koji Fujinaka, Akotoshi Toyota, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida, Susumu Nittani
  • Patent number: 11123995
    Abstract: A recording method includes a step of applying a first ink to a recording medium; and a step of recording an image on the recording medium by applying a second ink so that the second ink at least partially overlaps a region to which the first ink has been applied. The first ink is an aqueous ink containing a silver particle. The second ink is an aqueous ink containing a coloring material. The recording medium has an ink receiving layer that contains a halide ion selected from the group consisting of a bromide ion and an iodide ion. The ink receiving layer has a halide ion content (mmol/m2) of 0.1 mmol/m2 or more to 0.8 mmol/m2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takatoshi Tanaka, Kenichi Iida, Kazuhiko Araki, Tetsufumi Shiba
  • Publication number: 20210263446
    Abstract: A mechanism that enables developer replenishment by a simpler structure and a mechanism that enables more user-friendly developer replenishment are provided. An attachment port to which a developer supply bottle containing a developer stored therein is detachably attachable is disposed in an interior of an image forming apparatus. The developer supply bottle can be attached when the cover is in an open state. According to this image forming apparatus, when the developer supply bottle is attached to the attachment port, the developer inside the developer supply bottle moves into a developer housing chamber by its own weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Masatake Tanaka, Kentaro Yamawaki, Kenichi Iida, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Takanori Watanabe, Ai Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11072721
    Abstract: An ink jet printing method includes printing an image on a printing medium including a transparent substrate and an ink-receiving layer on one side of the transparent substrate by applying a first ink and a second ink onto the surface of the ink-receiving layer of the printing medium in such a manner that the first ink and the second ink are at least partially superposed one on the other. The first ink is an aqueous ink containing silver particles, and the second ink is an aqueous ink containing a dye. The particle size at 50% in the cumulative volume distribution of the silver particles is larger than the average pore size of the ink-receiving layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsufumi Shiba, Kenichi Iida, Kazuhiko Araki
  • Patent number: 11036159
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor including a charge generation layer; a charging member to charge a surface of the photoconductor; and an exposure unit to expose the surface of the photoconductor to form a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor charged. The exposure unit exposes the surface of the photoconductor by scanning a laser beam in a main scanning direction at a non-constant scan rate, and exposure amount per unit length of the surface of the photoconductor in the main scanning direction is larger in a first region than in a second region. The first region is in the surface of the photoconductor exposed at a first scan rate. The second region is in the surface of the photoconductor exposed at a second scan rate higher than the first scan rate. The charge generation layer is thinner in the first region than in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Ito, Masashi Tanaka, Kohei Okayasu, Kenichi Iida
  • Patent number: 10990029
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a scan unit configured to scan the photosensitive member with light based on image data, and form a latent image on the photosensitive member; a developing unit configured to form an image on the photosensitive member by attaching toner to the latent image formed on the photosensitive member; and a correction unit configured to correct an exposure amount of the photosensitive member such that a density change of the image in a main scanning direction due to a configuration of the scan unit and a density of the image to be formed is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoo Akizuki, Kenichi Iida, Hikaru Osada, Yusuke Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20210041803
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit configured to detect an amount of developer stored in a developing container and to output remaining amount information; and a control unit configured to perform control, during a replenishment of the developer to the developing container using, a replenishment container, to cause a display unit to display a message related to the replenishment. When the replenishment is instructed, the control unit is further configured to perform a first control during the replenishment in a case where the remaining amount information indicates a first remaining amount, and configured to perform a second control different from the first control during the replenishment in a case where the remaining amount information indicates a second remaining amount greater than the first remaining amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Kenichi Iida, Masahiro Hayakawa, Masaaki Sato, Haruyuki Hotta
  • Publication number: 20200241439
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a scan unit configured to scan the photosensitive member with light based on image data, and form a latent image on the photosensitive member; a developing unit configured to form an image on the photosensitive member by attaching toner to the latent image formed on the photosensitive member; and a correction unit configured to correct an exposure amount of the photosensitive member such that a density change of the image in a main scanning direction due to a configuration of the scan unit and a density of the image to be formed is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Tomoo Akizuki, Kenichi Iida, Hikaru Osada, Yusuke Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20200174394
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor including a charge generation layer; a charging member to charge a surface of the photoconductor; and an exposure unit to expose the surface of the photoconductor to form a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor charged. The exposure unit exposes the surface of the photoconductor by scanning a laser beam in a main scanning direction at a non-constant scan rate, and exposure amount per unit length of the surface of the photoconductor in the main scanning direction is larger in a first region than in a second region. The first region is in the surface of the photoconductor exposed at a first scan rate. The second region is in the surface of the photoconductor exposed at a second scan rate higher than the first scan rate. The charge generation layer is thinner in the first region than in the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Shingo Ito, Masashi Tanaka, Kohei Okayasu, Kenichi Iida
  • Patent number: 10656549
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a scan unit configured to scan the photosensitive member with light based on image data, and form a latent image on the photosensitive member; a developing unit configured to form an image on the photosensitive member by attaching toner to the latent image formed on the photosensitive member; and a correction unit configured to correct an exposure amount of the photosensitive member such that a density change of the image in a main scanning direction due to a configuration of the scan unit and a density of the image to be formed is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoo Akizuki, Kenichi Iida, Hikaru Osada, Yusuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10647863
    Abstract: A film forming method includes forming a film on a substrate, in which the film includes first regions, second regions, and third regions, the first regions, the second regions, and the third regions being defined by a refractive index and a region size and being present in a mixed manner in a cross section parallel to a thickness direction, the first regions and the second regions have a refractive index at least 0.4 higher than the third regions, the second regions are formed of high-refractive-index particles having an average particle size of 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less, the first regions are formed of the high-refractive-index particles that have been aggregated, the first regions having an equivalent circular diameter of 250 nm or more, and the third regions have an equivalent circular diameter of more than 100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kotani, Kenichi Iida, Satoshi Yamabi, Motokazu Kobayashi, Shinichirou Yoshikawa, Toshihiko Sugimoto, Takeshi Honma
  • Publication number: 20200101757
    Abstract: A recording method includes a step of applying a first ink to a recording medium; and a step of recording an image on the recording medium by applying a second ink so that the second ink at least partially overlaps a region to which the first ink has been applied. The first ink is an aqueous ink containing a silver particle. The second ink is an aqueous ink containing a coloring material. The recording medium has an ink receiving layer that contains a halide ion selected from the group consisting of a bromide ion and an iodide ion. The ink receiving layer has a halide ion content (mmol/m2) of 0.1 mmol/m2 or more to 0.8 mmol/m2 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Takatoshi Tanaka, Kenichi Iida, Kazuhiko Araki, Tetsufumi Shiba
  • Patent number: 10596831
    Abstract: An inkjet printing method including the steps of applying a first ink to a printing medium and applying a second ink to the printing medium so as to at least overlap a region provided with the first ink, wherein the first ink is an aqueous ink containing silver particles, the second ink is an aqueous ink containing an anionic dye, the printing medium includes an ink-receiving layer containing at least one cationic compound selected from a group consisting of a polyvalent metal salt and a salt of a cationic resin, and the content (g/m2) of the cationic compound per unit area of the ink-receiving layer is 0.20 g/m2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Iida, Kazuhiko Araki, Tetsufumi Shiba, Takatoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10557050
    Abstract: A metallic image forming method is a method for forming a metallic image with a metallic ink containing an organic coloring agent capable of exhibiting a metallic color on a recording medium provided with an undercoat layer thereon having a black color or an opposite color to the color of diffused light from the metallic ink. The method includes applying the metallic ink onto the recording medium so as to cover at least part of the undercoat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Iida, Taketoshi Okubo
  • Patent number: 10520849
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member; a charger unit configured to charge the photosensitive member; an exposing unit configured to form a latent image by scanning the photosensitive member by laser light which has a different spot diameter in accordance with a scanning position of the photosensitive member in a main scanning direction; a developing unit configured to develop an image by adhering a toner to the photosensitive member on which the latent image is formed; and a control unit configured to control a luminance of the laser light and a resolution of the photosensitive member in a sub-scanning direction in accordance with the scanning position of the photosensitive member in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Shimizu, Kenichi Iida, Hikaru Osada, Tomoo Akizuki
  • Patent number: 10514645
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a container that contains a developer, a temperature information acquisition unit that acquires temperature information of the container, and a control unit that controls an image formation operation for forming an image. During the image formation operation, the control unit executes a suspension operation for suspending the image formation operation in the case that t?toth(toth?0) is satisfied, where t is defined to be an elapsed time from when a temperature corresponding to the temperature information of the container exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature Tth, and where toth is defined to be an exceeding time threshold value related to a period during which the temperature corresponding to the temperature information of the container remains higher than the threshold temperature Tth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Hara, Kenichi Iida, Ryuji Hamasaki, Keisuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10503107
    Abstract: A heating member of a fixing unit is situated in a fixing portion, and a commercial power source applies an alternating-current voltage to the heating member so that the heating member heats a transfer medium held in the fixing portion. In a case of transferring the toner image from an image bearing member onto the transfer medium in a transfer portion, a control unit controls a transfer power source based on a result of a comparison between a frequency obtained from a first detection result input from a detection unit with a predetermined frequency range including the frequency of the alternating-current voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Hara, Kenichi Iida, Shimpei Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 10466633
    Abstract: A control unit controls a transfer power source in such a manner that a current value detected by a detection unit is a predetermined value while a transfer medium is not held in a transfer portion, and the control unit sets a transfer voltage based on a voltage value applied from the transfer power source to a transfer member. Then, the transfer voltage is applied from the transfer power source to a transfer roller after the leading edge of the transfer medium in the conveyance direction for the transfer medium is held in the transfer portion and before the leading edge is held in a fixing portion. While the transfer voltage is applied, the control unit sets a voltage to be applied from the transfer power source to the transfer member based on the value of current detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Hara, Yusuke Shimizu, Kenichi Iida