Patents by Inventor Kenji Fukuoka

Kenji Fukuoka 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: 20240142890
    Abstract: A developing roll for use in an image-forming apparatus using electrophotography includes a cylindrical core made of metal; an annular elastic layer made of rubber and arranged around the core; and an annular surface layer arranged around the elastic layer. The surface layer includes a central portion and end portions. The central portion is located at the center of the developing roll in the longitudinal direction, the end portions are located at opposite end portions of the developing roll in the longitudinal direction. A coefficient of kinetic friction of the outer peripheral surface of each end portion of the surface layer is less than or equal to 0.1, and a ten-point average roughness Rz of the outer peripheral surface of each end portion of the surface layer is less than or equal to 1.8 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke OURA, Norimasa HOSONUMA, Atsushi IKEDA, Yu AKAI, Satoshi FUKUOKA, Kenji SASAKI
  • Patent number: 11947272
    Abstract: A conductive roller includes: a core member including an outer surface along and about an axial line thereof; and a surface layer arranged along the outer surface of the core member. The surface layer includes a conductive portion formed of a conductive resin composition, and a surface roughness imparting material in a form of particles dispersed in the conductive portion. An average particle size of the surface roughness imparting material is in a range of 6 micrometers or greater and 10 micrometers or less. The number of particles of the surface roughness imparting material per unit area of the surface layer is in a range of 1.0×104 particles per mm2 or greater and 2.0×106 particles per mm2 or less. An average thickness of the surface layer is in a range of 3.0 micrometers or greater and 15.0 micrometers or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo Suzuki, Atsushi Ikeda, Satoshi Fukuoka, Kenji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11947273
    Abstract: A conductive roller includes: a core member including an outer surface along and about an axial line thereof; and a surface layer arranged along the outer surface of the core member. The surface layer includes a conductive portion, and a surface roughness imparting material in a form of particles dispersed in the conductive portion. An average particle size of the surface roughness imparting material is in a range of 6 micrometers or greater and less than 10 micrometers. The number of particles of the surface roughness imparting material per unit area of the surface layer is in a range of 3.5×105 particles per mm2 or greater and 7.5×105 particles per mm2 or less. An average thickness of the surface layer is in a range of 0.2 micrometers or greater and 5.5 micrometers or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo Suzuki, Atsushi Ikeda, Satoshi Fukuoka, Kenji Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20240094656
    Abstract: A charging roll includes a core, a rubber substrate arranged around the core, and a surface layer arranged around the rubber substrate. The surface layer includes a conductive matrix containing a base material formed of an insulator, and a conductive material dispersed in the base material, and particles of a surface roughness-imparting material dispersed in the conductive matrix. Each of the particles of the surface roughness-imparting material is formed of an insulator, is porous, and has a specific surface area of 8.7 m2/g or greater and 55 m2/g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo SUZUKI, Atsushi IKEDA, Satoshi FUKUOKA, Kenji SASAKI
  • Patent number: 11934110
    Abstract: A developing roll has a metal core, an elastic layer, and a surface layer. A value X is 65.6 N/mm3 or more and a value Y is 229 ?m or more. The value X is P1/(D1×A)?P2/(D2×A). P1 is the load to displace the roll 100 ?m when a metal probe is pressed against the roll. D1 is the displacement of the roll caused by the probe under the load P1. A is the area of the probe. P2 is the load to displace a material roll by 100 ?m when the probe presses against the material roll with the core and the elastic layer and without the surface layer. D2 is the displacement of the material roll caused by the probe under the load P2. The value Y is the displacement of the roll when the probe pierces the surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Oura, Atsushi Ikeda, Satoshi Fukuoka, Kenji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8911133
    Abstract: To provide a planar light source device that can provide large-area, uniform, and high-quality planar illumination light. A planar light source device includes a main body case 4 that surrounds the periphery of a gap between a pair of optical reflection plates disposed to face each other with side plates, and a plurality of point light sources 2 arranged at predetermined intervals on at least one side plate of the main body case. The planar light source device allows light from the point light sources 2 to be transmitted through at least one of the pair of optical reflection plates 5 and emitted to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Opto Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato, Rihito Sato
  • Patent number: 8640368
    Abstract: A light source device is equipped with a highly directional point light source, a light source installation part having a prescribed area where the point light source is installed, and a lateral reflection part that is vertically arranged to a prescribed height from the periphery of the light source installation part. The lateral reflection part is formed with a light-transmitting reflector plate that has a reflection/transmission pattern and is provided with multiple reflection/transmission parts for reflecting and at least partially transmitting light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: OPTO Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Patent number: 8500308
    Abstract: A light source device is provided with an LED having strong directivity, a reflective hood which has an interior reflecting surface for reflecting the illumination light from the light source, and a pair of first and second polarizing reflective plates for polarizing the illumination light from the LED in a specific direction. The first and second polarizing reflective plates have a specific length and width, and a back surface formed from a high reflectance plate. The light source is secured to the reflective hood. A specific interval is provided between the first and second polarizing reflective plates and the reflecting surface of the reflective hood, and a specific interval is provided between the two plates with the optical axis passing through the 0° direction angle of the light source in between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Opto Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Patent number: 8408752
    Abstract: In a surface lighting unit comprising a footprint portion, a sidewall portion, and an optical reflector with an opening spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the footprint portion. The opening substantially satisfies a relation A=bx2+c, assuming A is the open area ratio, i.e. the ratio of the opening area in a preset predetermined region to the area of the preset predetermined region, b and c are constants, and x is the distance from the center of the optical reflector. The opening has a circular non-through hole concentric to the center of the optical reflector, a concentric arcuate hole on the outside thereof, and a plurality of round holes farther on the outside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Opto Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20130077345
    Abstract: To provide a planar light source device that can provide large-area, uniform, and high-quality planar illumination light. A planar light source device includes a main body case 4 that surrounds the periphery of a gap between a pair of optical reflection plates disposed to face each other with side plates, and a plurality of point light sources 2 arranged at predetermined intervals on at least one side plate of the main body case. The planar light source device allows light from the point light sources 2 to be transmitted through at least one of the pair of optical reflection plates 5 and emitted to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: OPTO DESIGN, INC.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato, Rihito Sato
  • Patent number: 8272772
    Abstract: Uniform illuminating light is obtained on a surface at a prescribed distance from a radiation surface without increasing the thickness in a light radiation direction by using the light from the light source highly efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Opto Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20120188759
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting device capable of correcting loss of color balance of illumination light that tends to occur among a plurality of light source modules and providing uniform illumination light of the same color. A lighting device 1 including a plurality of light source modules 2A to 2D corrects the color of light emitted from each light source module to emit uniform illumination light of the same color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: OPTO Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20120155083
    Abstract: Disclosed is a light source device (4) capable of being used by adjacently connecting with each other in multiple, the light source device includes: a point light source (5) having high directionality; a box-shaped housing (6) having a bottom to center of which the point light source is fixed, sidewall portions arranged in a standing manner from edges of the bottom up to a predetermined height, a side portion defining an opening provided facing the point light source, and a reflection member forming an inner wall surface of the housing; and a transmissive/reflective plate covering the opening of the housing and being fixed at a circumference thereof to edges of the opening of the housing. At least one of the sidewall portions that is in contact with a sidewall portion of another light source device is arranged in a standing manner at an angle ?, where 90°<??150°, relative to the bottom, and is provided with a light-transmitting hole on the side of the opening of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: OPTO Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Publication number: 20110182051
    Abstract: A light source device is provided with an LED having strong directivity, a reflective hood which has an interior reflecting surface for reflecting the illumination light from the light source, and a pair of first and second polarizing reflective plates for polarizing the illumination light from the LED in a specific direction. The first and second polarizing reflective plates have a specific length and width, and a back surface formed from a high reflectance plate. The light source is secured to the reflective hood. A specific interval is provided between the first and second polarizing reflective plates and the reflecting surface of the reflective hood, and a specific interval is provided between the two plates with the optical axis passing through the 0° direction angle of the light source in between.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Publication number: 20110131849
    Abstract: A light source device is equipped with a highly directional point light source, a light source installation part having a prescribed area where the point light source is installed, and a lateral reflection part that is vertically arranged to a prescribed height from the periphery of the light source installation part. The lateral reflection part is formed with a light-transmitting reflector plate that has a reflection/transmission pattern and is provided with multiple reflection/transmission parts for reflecting and at least partially transmitting light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: OPTO Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Publication number: 20100232165
    Abstract: In a surface lighting unit comprising a footprint portion, a sidewall portion, and an optical reflector with an opening spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the footprint portion. The opening substantially satisfies a relation A=bx2+c, assuming A is the open area ratio, i.e. the ratio of the opening area in a preset predetermined region to the area of the preset predetermined region, b and c are constants, and x is the distance from the center of the optical reflector. The opening has a circular non-through hole concentric to the center of the optical reflector, a concentric arcuate hole on the outside thereof, and a plurality of round holes farther on the outside thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: OPTO Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20100177535
    Abstract: Uniform illuminating light is obtained on a surface at a prescribed distance from a radiation surface without increasing the thickness in a light radiation direction by using the light from the light source highly efficiently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: OPTO DESIGN INC.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sato, Kenji Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20070161409
    Abstract: A user accesses a search server from a cellular telephone, and enters on a search page a numeric string obtained by numerical conversion of a keyword related to a desired site in accordance with an assignment relationship between characters and numerical keys. The search server searches a database by using as a key the numeric string sent thereto or a character string obtained by character conversion of the numeric string in accordance with the above-mentioned assignment relationship to retrieve candidates for a connection destination site, thereby sending back a reply to the cellular telephone of the user. The user selects a desired connection destination site from among the candidates to send back a reply to the search server. The search server responds to the cellular telephone by indicating a site address previously associated with the determined connection destination site as an access request destination. The cellular telephone accesses the connection destination site indicated by the received response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: Kenji Fukuoka
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Ohtsuki, Kenji Fukuoka, Koji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 4518863
    Abstract: A SIT (Static Induction Transistor) image sensor with a high-sensitivity and a high-fidelity is disclosed. The image sensor comprises a SIT image cell array and a scanning circuit which scans in turn a plurality of SIT image cells in such a manner that respective scanning time in all the cells are equal throughout a sequential scanning operation for the SIT image sensor. A reading line and a refreshing line may be combined into a single line. A differential amplifier is provided for correcting a picture element information to remove a noise component therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Fukuoka, Masatoshi Ida, Atsuo Goto, Toshimasa Akagi, Masaharu Imai, Kenji Kimura
  • Patent number: 4514083
    Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus projects a light beam toward an object whose distance is to be determined. Reflected light from the object is divided into a pair of light components by a beam splitter. The intensity of one of the light components is detected by first light intensity detector. The other light component is subject to an alteration in intensity in accordance with an angle formed between the illuminating light and the reflected light, and the intensity of the said other light component is detected by second light intensity detector. The outputs from both detector is fed to a circuit, which derives information indicative of a distance to the object being determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Fukuoka