Patents by Inventor Kenji Karashima
Kenji Karashima 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).
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Publication number: 20130195519Abstract: An image forming apparatus sequentially transfers toner images formed on a plurality of photosensitive drums onto an intermediate transfer member or a transfer material to form an image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt provided with electrical conductivity, and a power supply for applying a voltage to a secondary transfer roller to pass a current from the secondary transfer roller to the plurality of photosensitive drums via the intermediate transfer belt, thus primarily transferring the toner images from the plurality of photosensitive drums onto the intermediate transfer belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2011Publication date: August 1, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshikuni Ito, Yasuhiro Horiguchi, Takayuki Tanaka, Kenji Karashima, Satoshi Tsuruya, Shinichi Nishida, Takeshi Fujino
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Patent number: 6377777Abstract: A fluorine-containing resin-coated pressure roller exhibiting excellent anti-toner soiling characteristic even at low roller temperatures is provided. The pressure roller includes a cylindrical metal substrate, and a rubber elastic layer, an adhesive layer and a fluorine-containing resin release layer disposed in this order on and successively coating the cylindrical metal substrate. The pressure roller has a surface exhibiting a micro-rubber hardness of at most 50 deg., a contact angle with water of at least 105 deg. and a ten point-average surface roughness Rz of at most 3.0 &mgr;m. The pressure roller may be suitably combined with a fixing film to provide a film heating-type fixing device suitably used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuo Kishino, Yasumasa Ohtsuka, Toshihiko Ochiai, Masaaki Takahashi, Akira Hayakawa, Hideo Kawamoto, Mahito Yoshioka, Osamu Soutome, Kenji Karashima, Yuji Kitano
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Patent number: 6366745Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which has an image bearing member for bearing an image, a transferring member for forming a transfer nip portion between the image bearing member and the transferring member, wherein a recording material is pinched and conveyed and an image on the image bearing member is transferred onto the recording material in the transfer nip portion, a rotary member contacted with the image on the recording material, and a driving roller for forming a fixing nip portion between the rotary member and the driving roller and for driving the rotary member, wherein the recording material bearing the image is pinched and conveyed and the image is fixed to the recording material in the fixing nip portion, and wherein regarding at least a recording material having a maximum size, while the image is being transferred in the transfer nip portion, the image is fixed in the fixing nip portion, and wherein a peripheral speed of the driving roller is always greater than a conveType: GrantFiled: September 25, 2000Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobukazu Adachi, Yasumasa Otsuka, Toshihiko Ochiai, Seietsu Miura, Mahito Yoshioka, Takeshi Niimura, Kenji Karashima
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Patent number: 6101361Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method in which a transfer device is provided in a position separated from an image carrier. A transfer sheet is conveyed along and contacting a part of a circumferential surface of the image carrier facing the transfer device when transferring a toner image from the image carrier to the transfer sheet. A conveying guide is included to guide and covey the transfer sheet separated from the image carrier to a fixing unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1998Date of Patent: August 8, 2000Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Kohichi Yamazaki, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Manabu Mochizuki, Noriyuki Usui, Asami Mae, Masakuni Konja
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Patent number: 6064470Abstract: A contact type image transferring device and method incorporated in an image forming apparatus for cleaning a residual toner on a transfer roller. The transfer roller is in contact with a photoconductive drum at a first force and forms nip between the roller and the drum. A sheet of paper passes through the nip and a toner image on the drum is transferred to the sheet of paper. When the sheet of paper is not at the nip, the transfer roller is moved such that the force of the roller against the drum is a second force which is different from the first force. A cleaning bias voltage is applied to the roller and toner on the roller is transferred to the drum.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 1995Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Hisashi Fuzisaki, Mayumi Yoshida
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Patent number: 6025109Abstract: A contact type image transferring system and method incorporated in an image forming apparatus for cleaning residual toner on a transfer roller. The transfer roller is in contact with a photoconductive drum and forms a nip between the roller and the drum. A sheet of paper passes through the nip and a toner image on the drum is transferred to the sheet of paper. A power source applies a first bias current which has the same polarity as regularly charged toner to the transfer roller from when the image carrier starts its rotation after an inputting of a print start request until the sheet reaches the nip. Then the power source applies a second bias current having the same polarity as the first bias current to the transferring device when the sheet is at the nip to transfer the toner image on the image carrier to the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 1998Date of Patent: February 15, 2000Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Hisashi Fuzisaki
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Patent number: 5884134Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a transfer device is provided in a position separated from an image carrier. A transfer sheet is conveyed along and contacting a part of a circumferential surface of the image carrier facing the transfer device when transferring a toner image from the image carrier to the transfer sheet. A conveying guide is included to guide and covey the transfer sheet separated from the image carrier to a fixing unit. The conveying guide includes a guiding member to direct the conveying direction of the transfer sheet upward when the leading edge of the transfer sheet contacts the guiding member and to convey the transfer sheet at a part of the conveying guide or the guiding member in a position higher than the position of the leading edge of the transfer sheet contacting the conveying guide or the guiding member, so that the contact area between the transfer sheet and the image carrier increases.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1997Date of Patent: March 16, 1999Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Kohichi Yamazaki, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Manabu Mochizuki, Noriyuki Usui, Asami Mae, Masakuni Konja
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Patent number: 5864733Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoconductive drum, a charger which charges the photoconductive drum, an exposing device which irradiates light to the charged photoconductive drum for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum, a developing device which has two component developer which includes magnetic toner and magnetic carriers and a transfer charger to transfer the developed image to a sheet of paper. The bias voltages of the charger, the developing device and the transfer charger are applied from a common high voltage power source. A developing starting voltage of the developing device is higher than a residual voltage of the photoconductive drum.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1996Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Asami Mae, Manabu Mochizuki, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kenji Karashima, Kazuhiko Yuki, Chikara Imai, Hajime Oyama, Noriyuki Usui
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Patent number: 5857132Abstract: A contact type image transferring system and method, incorporated in an image forming apparatus, for cleaning a residual toner on a transfer roller. The transfer roller is in contact with a photoconductive drum and forms a nip between the roller and the drum. A sheet of paper passes through the nip and a toner image on the drum is transferred to the sheet of paper. When the sheet of paper is not at the nip, not only a transfer voltage but also a charging voltage is applied at a same time. The polarities of the voltages applied to the charger and to the transfer roller cause the toner on the transfer roller to be removed.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1997Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Haruji Mizuishi, Hisashi Fuzisaki, Mayumi Yoshida, Kenji Karashima, Yasushi Akiba
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Patent number: 5822649Abstract: A contact type image transferring system and method incorporated in an image forming apparatus for cleaning residual toner on a transfer roller. The transfer roller is in contact with a photoconductive drum and forms a nip between the roller and the drum. A sheet of paper passes through the nip and a toner image on the drum is transferred to the sheet of paper. A power source applies a first bias current which has the same polarity as regularly charged toner to the transfer roller from when the image carrier starts its rotation after an inputting of a print start request until the sheet reaches the nip. Then the power source applies a second bias current having the same polarity as the first bias current to the transferring device when the sheet is at the nip to transfer the toner image on the image carrier to the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1996Date of Patent: October 13, 1998Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Hisashi Fuzisaki
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Patent number: 5621509Abstract: A contact type image transferring system and method incorporated in an image forming apparatus for cleaning residual toner on a transfer roller. The transfer roller is in contact with a photoconductive drum and forms a nip between the roller and the drum. A sheet of paper passes through the nip and a toner image on the drum is transferred to the sheet of paper at the nip. When the sheet of paper is not at the nip, a first transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller for 3 to 20 seconds after a paper feed jam is corrected. The polarity of the voltage causes the toner on the transfer roller to be removed. Then a second transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller which has a polarity which is opposite to the polarity of the first transfer voltage. The voltage difference between the transfer roller and photoconductive drum may be formed by applying bias voltages to both the photoconductive drum and the transfer roller.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 1996Date of Patent: April 15, 1997Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Hisashi Fuzisaki
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Patent number: 5387966Abstract: A developing apparatus having an improved construction for a developer carrying roller, particularly the developing roller which applies developer to a photosensitive body which carries a latent image. The developing roller or developer carrying roller includes a dielectric surface having a groove or grooved surface thereon formed, for example, by engraving, with the groove preferably extending along a central portion of the roller corresponding to the width of the latent image forming area of the photosensitive body. Preferably, the groove imparts a surface roughness in the axial direction of the roller in the range of 5-30 .mu.m, with the width of the groove not greater than 400 .mu.m. The roller may be formed such that adjacent grooved portions are immediately adjacent one another, or a smoothed flat portion may be interposed between adjacent grooved portions.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 1993Date of Patent: February 7, 1995Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Kenji Karashima