Patents by Inventor Kenji Kanari

Kenji Kanari 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: 9268270
    Abstract: The fixing apparatus includes a sleeve, a nip portion forming member that contacts an inner surface of the sleeve, a pressure member, and a regulation member for regulating movement of the sleeve. The regulation member includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface on an upstream side of the nip portion in a conveyance direction of the recording material includes a region in which the distance between the inner surface of the sleeve and the first surface in a radial direction of the sleeve increases toward a center portion of the sleeve in the generatrix direction, and in which the end surface of the sleeve contacts the region when the sleeve moves in the generatrix direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Hashiguchi, Kenji Kanari, Keisuke Mochizuki, Masato Sako
  • Patent number: 9213273
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuichi Tetsuno
  • Patent number: 9170555
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, to provide a lubrication effect for an abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, when a control toner image is supplied, the control toner image is supplied to the abutment portion even when it is not necessary, thereby consuming a large amount of toner. In the image forming apparatus, the control unit changes a toner amount of the control toner image reaching the abutment portion of a photosensitive member and a photosensitive member cleaning blade and the toner amount thereof reaching the abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, based on a detection result of an environment detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Kanari, Shinji Hashiguchi, Masato Sako
  • Publication number: 20150043935
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, to provide a lubrication effect for an abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, when a control toner image is supplied, the control toner image is supplied to the abutment portion even when it is not necessary, thereby consuming a large amount of toner. In the image forming apparatus, the control unit changes a toner amount of the control toner image reaching the abutment portion of a photosensitive member and a photosensitive member cleaning blade and the toner amount thereof reaching the abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, based on a detection result of an environment detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Kenji Kanari, Shinji Hashiguchi, Masato Sako
  • Patent number: 8891993
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, to provide a lubrication effect for an abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, when a control toner image is supplied, the control toner image is supplied to the abutment portion even when it is not necessary, thereby consuming a large amount of toner. In the image forming apparatus, the control unit changes a toner amount of the control toner image reaching the abutment portion of a photosensitive member and a photosensitive member cleaning blade and the toner amount thereof reaching the abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, based on a detection result of an environment detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Kanari, Shinji Hashiguchi, Masato Sako
  • Publication number: 20140219692
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Publication number: 20140161498
    Abstract: The fixing apparatus includes a sleeve, a nip portion forming member that contacts an inner surface of the sleeve, a pressure member, and a regulation member for regulating movement of the sleeve, in which the regulation member includes a first surface and a second surface, in which the first surface on an upstream side of the nip portion in a conveyance direction of the recording material includes a region in which a distance between the inner surface of the sleeve and the first surface in a radial direction of the sleeve increases toward a center portion of the sleeve in the generatrix direction, and in which the end surface of the sleeve contacts the region when the sleeve moves in the generatrix direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Hashiguchi, Kenji Kanari, Keisuke Mochizuki, Masato Sako
  • Patent number: 8750772
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Publication number: 20140105643
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image, a movable intermediary transfer member for receiving the toner image from the image bearing member, a primary transfer member for primary transfer of the toner image from the image bearing member onto the intermediary transfer member, a secondary transfer member for being supplied with a voltage and for secondary transfer of the toner image from the intermediary transfer member onto a transfer material, and a first toner charging member. A first charging member rubs a surface of the intermediary transfer member with movement thereof, and a second charging member moves in contact with the intermediary transfer member, thereby transferring toner remaining on the intermediary transfer member after the secondary transfer back to the image bearing member from the intermediary transfer member simultaneously with the primary transfer at the primary transfer station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Inventors: Seiji Saito, Takuma Abe, Masaru Shimura, Ken Nakagawa, Kenji Kanari, Takamitsu Soda, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kazuhiro Doda, Takashi Shimada, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Patent number: 8532532
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming image on a recording medium includes a photosensitive member, a motor, a belt, and a drive member to rotate the belt, the drive member including a driven coupling. The apparatus also includes a drive coupling to rotate by a driving force generated by the motor, the drive coupling being movable in an axial direction to take an engagement position at which the driving force is transmittable to the driven coupling, and a release position. The apparatus further includes a transfer member to transfer a toner image onto the recording medium or the belt, a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the transfer member, and a control unit to cause the voltage application unit to apply the voltage to the transfer member after the drive coupling moves to the engagement position and the driving force is transmitted to the driven coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Shimura, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Seiji Saito, Kenji Kanari, Takamitsu Soda, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kazuhiro Doda, Takashi Shimada, Shuichi Tetsuno, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20120275807
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, to provide a lubrication effect for an abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, when a control toner image is supplied, the control toner image is supplied to the abutment portion even when it is not necessary, thereby consuming a large amount of toner. In the image forming apparatus, the control unit changes a toner amount of the control toner image reaching the abutment portion of a photosensitive member and a photosensitive member cleaning blade and the toner amount thereof reaching the abutment portion of a transfer belt and a belt cleaning blade, based on a detection result of an environment detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Kanari, Shinji Hashiguchi, Masato Sako
  • Publication number: 20120269557
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro DODA, Masaru SHIMURA, Shigeru HOASHI, Kenji KANARI, Seiji SAITO, Takashi SHIMADA, Takaaki AKAMATSU, Michio UCHIDA, Ken NAKAGAWA, Takamitsu SODA, Shuuichi TETSUNO
  • Patent number: 8290385
    Abstract: A charge member charges secondary transfer remaining toner on an intermediate transfer member to a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity. The remaining toner is moved by a transfer bias, from the intermediate transfer member onto an image bearing member. A BK station is arranged on the downstream of other stations. In a continuous BK monochromatic mode, by applying a reverse bias to transfer portions of the other stations and applying the transfer bias only to the BK station, remaining toner can be collected into the BK station (simultaneously with the transfer). In a full-color mode, remaining toner is collected into the station on the uppermost stream. Thus, the image bearing member for collecting remaining toner on the intermediate transfer member differs according to the mode, thereby suppressing the collection of remaining toner being concentrated on one image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Nakagawa, Kenji Kanari, Masaru Shimura, Takashi Shimada, Tomoo Akizuki, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8280285
    Abstract: Deflection recessed in a bow shape at the axial central portion in the longitudinal direction of the transfer member is avoided to prevent failure in image caused by the transfer nip being improperly forming at the central portion. The pressing force of the transfer member against an image bearing member resulting in failure in transfer is made uniform in the longitudinal direction. The transfer member forming the transfer nip are pressed toward the photosensitive drum at the central portion in the longitudinal direction or in the positions which are spaced apart toward the center from the ends to avoid the deflection of the transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inaba, Masaru Shimura, Kenji Kanari, Kazuhiro Doda
  • Patent number: 8238807
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Publication number: 20120128392
    Abstract: A charge member charges secondary transfer remaining toner on an intermediate transfer member to a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity. The remaining toner is moved by a transfer bias, from the intermediate transfer member onto an image bearing member. A BK station is arranged on the downstream of other stations. In a continuous BK monochromatic mode, by applying a reverse bias to transfer portions of the other stations and applying the transfer bias only to the BK station, remaining toner can be collected into the BK station (simultaneously with the transfer). In a full-color mode, remaining toner is collected into the station on the uppermost stream. Thus, the image bearing member for collecting remaining toner on the intermediate transfer member differs according to the mode, thereby suppressing the collection of remaining toner being concentrated on one image bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Nakagawa, Kenji Kanari, Masaru Shimura, Takashi Shimada, Tomoo Akizuki, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8180247
    Abstract: There is a charge member which charges secondary transfer remaining toner on an intermediate transfer member to a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity. The transfer remaining toner charged by the charge member is moved in the direction opposite to that of normal toner by a transfer bias and moved from the intermediate transfer member onto an image bearing member. A BK station is arranged on the downstream of other stations. In a continuous BK monochromatic mode, by applying a reverse bias to transfer portions of the other stations and applying the transfer bias only to the BK station, waste toner can be collected into the BK station (simultaneously with the transfer). In a full-color mode, since each transfer bias is applied to all stations, the waste toner is collected into the station on the uppermost stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Nakagawa, Kenji Kanari, Masaru Shimura, Takashi Shimada, Tomoo Akizuki, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8165512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Publication number: 20120087700
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro DODA, Masaru SHIMURA, Shigeru HOASHI, Kenji KANARI, Seiji SAITO, Takashi SHIMADA, Takaaki AKAMATSU, Michio UCHIDA, Ken NAKAGAWA, Takamitsu SODA, Shuuichi TETSUNO
  • Publication number: 20120039641
    Abstract: Deflection recessed in a bow shape at the axial central portion in the longitudinal direction of the transfer member is avoided to prevent failure in image caused by the transfer nip being improperly forming at the central portion. The pressing force of the transfer member against an image bearing member resulting in failure in transfer is made uniform in the longitudinal direction. The transfer member forming the transfer nip are pressed toward the photosensitive drum at the central portion in the longitudinal direction or in the positions which are spaced apart toward the center from the ends to avoid the deflection of the transfer member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inaba, Masaru Shimura, Kenji Kanari, Kazuhiro Doda