Patents by Inventor Ko Katahira
Ko Katahira 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: 20240069471Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and an apparatus main body. The fixing unit includes a heating unit, a pressure roller, first and second cam members, and a pressure force release unit. The pressure force release unit switches a position of the heating unit between a first position at which a predetermined pressure force is applied from the pressure roller to a fixing nip portion, and a second position at which the applied predetermined pressure force is reduced or released. The apparatus main body includes first and second doors that are opened and closed and contain the fixing unit. The first cam member rotates with an open and close of the first door, and the second cam member rotates with an open and close of the second door. A rotational center of the second cam member is arranged coaxially with a rotational center of the first cam member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2023Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventors: KO KATAHIRA, MOTOYASU MURAMATSU
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Patent number: 11906923Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an upper guide unit fixed to the image forming apparatus and configured to guide an upper surface of the sheet discharged by a roller pair, a stack unit provided at a position recessed from an upper exterior unit of the image forming apparatus, and an operation unit including a display unit. The discharged sheets are stacked on the stack unit. The upper guide unit extends more to a downstream side in the discharge direction than the roller pair. The operation unit and the upper guide unit each have a portion overlapping with each other. When viewed in an axial direction of the roller pair, the operation unit and the upper guide unit are arranged at positions through which a straight line orthogonal to a plane passing through axes of rollers of the roller pair and passing through a nip portion of the roller pair passes.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ko Katahira, Keita Nakajima
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Publication number: 20240051773Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a roller pair having first and second rollers, a roller holder having first and second guided portions, and a guiding portion having first and second guides. The first and second rollers can take a first state where the first roller contacts the second roller with a predetermined force and take a second state where the predetermined force is reduced. A first direction in which the first guide guides the first guided portion is inclined relative to a second direction in which the second guide guides the second guided portion. When viewed in a rotational axis direction of the first roller with the first and second rollers in the first state, an angle formed by a straight line passing through rotational centers of the first and second rollers and the first direction is smaller than an angle formed by the straight line and the second direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2023Publication date: February 15, 2024Inventors: KEITA NAKAJIMA, KO KATAHIRA
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Patent number: 11809120Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a post-processing portion, a first frame, a second frame and a connection member. The first frame includes a first section for supporting a photosensitive member and a second section bent from a bottom end of the first section. The second frame, to which an electronic circuit board is attached, supported by the second section of the first frame without being fixed to the first section of the first frame. The connection member is connected with the second frame and a third frame which is a frame of the post-processing portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2022Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ko Katahira
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Publication number: 20230088254Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an upper guide unit fixed to the image forming apparatus and configured to guide an upper surface of the sheet discharged by a roller pair, a stack unit provided at a position recessed from an upper exterior unit of the image forming apparatus, and an operation unit including a display unit. The discharged sheets are stacked on the stack unit. The upper guide unit extends more to a downstream side in the discharge direction than the roller pair. The operation unit and the upper guide unit each have a portion overlapping with each other. When viewed in an axial direction of the roller pair, the operation unit and the upper guide unit are arranged at positions through which a straight line orthogonal to a plane passing through axes of rollers of the roller pair and passing through a nip portion of the roller pair passes.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2022Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventors: Ko Katahira, Keita Nakajima
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Publication number: 20220267109Abstract: A conveyance device to convey a sheet includes an apparatus main body including a regulating portion, an opening/closing door including a first guide portion, and a conveyance guide supported by the opening/closing door and having a second guide portion and a regulated portion. The opening/closing door moves relative to the apparatus main body between an open position and a closed position where the conveyance guide is placed between the apparatus main body and the opening/closing door. When the conveyance guide pivots in an away direction where the second guide portion moves away from the first guide portion with the opening/closing door in the open position, the regulated portion contacts the regulating portion to regulate rotation of the conveyance guide in the away direction. The second guide portion and the regulated portion are on one side of a pivot axis in a direction that is perpendicular to a pivot axis direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Keita Nakajima, Ko Katahira
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Publication number: 20220187754Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a post-processing portion, a first frame, a second frame and a connection member. The first frame includes a first section for supporting a photosensitive member and a second section bent from a bottom end of the first section. The second frame, to which an electronic circuit board is attached, supported by the second section of the first frame without being fixed to the first section of the first frame. The connection member is connected with the second frame and a third frame which is a frame of the post-processing portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2022Publication date: June 16, 2022Inventor: Ko Katahira
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Patent number: 11294321Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a post-processing portion, a first frame, a second frame and a connection member. The first frame includes a first section for supporting a photosensitive member and a second section bent from a bottom end of the first section. The second frame, to which an electronic circuit board is attached, supported by the second section of the first frame without being fixed to the first section of the first frame. The connection member is connected with the second frame and a third frame which is a frame of the post-processing portion.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2021Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ko Katahira
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Publication number: 20210373479Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a post-processing portion, a first frame, a second frame and a connection member. The first frame includes a first section for supporting a photosensitive member and a second section bent from a bottom end of the first section. The second frame, to which an electronic circuit board is attached, supported by the second section of the first frame without being fixed to the first section of the first frame. The connection member is connected with the second frame and a third frame which is a frame of the post-processing portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventor: Ko KATAHIRA
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Patent number: 10838358Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a light-emission unit, a reflecting member, a light-receiving unit, a detection unit, a ventilation unit configured to send air to the reflecting member, and a control unit. The control unit adjusts at least one of an operation duration and an airflow rate of the ventilation unit, in accordance with a detection signal outputted by the light-receiving unit when a sheet is not at a position where light crosses a conveyance path.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2018Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsutomu Ishida, Tomonari Inoue, Kenji Abe, Takashi Kuwata, Keita Nakajima, Ko Katahira, Takehito Osada
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Patent number: 10606195Abstract: A toner image is formed on a first sheet surface and then heated. A conveyance unit includes a first rotary member configured to contact the first sheet surface and a second rotary member configured to contact a second sheet surface opposite to the first sheet surface. A conveyance guide is provided with an opening through which air is blown to the first sheet surface. The conveyance guide includes a first surface part and a second surface part. The first surface part is disposed on a location in a width direction overlapping with a location in the width direction of the first rotary member. In at least a part of a range between the opening and the first rotary member in the sheet conveyance direction, the first surface part is protruded with respect to the second surface part in a height direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2019Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keita Nakajima, Kenji Abe, Tomonari Inoue, Takehito Osada, Ko Katahira
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Publication number: 20190302660Abstract: A toner image is formed on a first sheet surface and then heated. A conveyance unit includes a first rotary member configured to contact the first sheet surface and a second rotary member configured to contact a second sheet surface opposite to the first sheet surface. A conveyance guide is provided with an opening through which air is blown to the first sheet surface. The conveyance guide includes a first surface part and a second surface part. The first surface part is disposed on a location in a width direction overlapping with a location in the width direction of the first rotary member. In at least a part of a range between the opening and the first rotary member in the sheet conveyance direction, the first surface part is protruded with respect to the second surface part in a height direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Inventors: Keita Nakajima, Kenji Abe, Tomonari Inoue, Takehito Osada, Ko Katahira
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Publication number: 20190137930Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a light-emission unit, a reflecting member, a light-receiving unit, a detection unit, a ventilation unit configured to send air to the reflecting member; and a control unit. The control unit adjusts at least one of an operation duration and an airflow rate of the ventilation unit, in accordance with a detection signal outputted by the light-receiving unit when a sheet is not at a position where light crosses a conveyance path.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventors: Tsutomu Ishida, Tomonari Inoue, Kenji Abe, Takashi Kuwata, Keita Nakajima, Ko Katahira, Takehito Osada