Patents by Inventor Kohei Okayasu

Kohei Okayasu 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: 20240111231
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first and second rotation bodies; a heater disposed in the first rotation body; and a frame body supporting the first and second rotation bodies. A second length is smaller than a first length in a rotational axis direction of the second rotation body, the first length and the second length being a length of a rotation shaft of the second rotation body exposed on a one-end side and an other-end side of the second rotation body, and a second value is larger than a first value, the first value and the second value being a total area of openings disposed in a first region and a second region of the frame body respectively corresponding to the one-end side and the other-end side of the frame body with respect to a center of the frame body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: SATOSHI NISHIDA, KOHEI OKAYASU, TAKAO KUME
  • Publication number: 20230236526
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: TAKANORI MITANI, TAKAO KUME, SATOSHI NISHIDA, ISAMU TAKEDA, KOHEI OKAYASU
  • Patent number: 11644766
    Abstract: A region of an image bearing member that comes into contact with a recording material at a nip in a state in which the recording material is held by the nip is a first region, and a region of the image bearing member that does not come into contact with the recording material at the nip in a state in which the recording material is not held by the nip is a second region. A controller controls to apply a first developing voltage to a developer bearing member when the first region in which a first surface potential has been formed faces a developer bearing member and apply a second developing voltage lower than an absolute value of the first developing voltage to the developer bearing member when the second region in which a second surface potential has been formed faces the developer bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Okayasu
  • Patent number: 11237504
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an obtaining portion that divides image data into a plurality of regions in a sub scanning direction, and obtains, for each of the plurality of regions in the sub scanning direction, a first value relating to pixels having density at at least a prescribed value in a first width and a second value relating to pixels having density at at least the prescribed value in a second width, which is greater than the first width; a determining portion that determines, for each of the plurality of regions, a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a heating member on the basis of the first and second values; and a control portion that controls power supplied to the heating member so that the temperature of the heating member is maintained at the target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Ito, Kohei Okayasu
  • Publication number: 20210373453
    Abstract: A region of an image bearing member that comes into contact with a recording material at a nip in a state in which the recording material is held by the nip is a first region, and a region of the image bearing member that does not come into contact with the recording material at the nip in a state in which the recording material is not held by the nip is a second region. A controller controls to apply a first developing voltage to a developer bearing member when the first region in which a first surface potential has been formed faces a developer bearing member and apply a second developing voltage smaller than an absolute value of the first developing voltage to the developer bearing member when the second region in which a second surface potential has been formed faces the developer bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventor: Kohei Okayasu
  • 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: 10948857
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image based on image data, a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed by the image forming unit on a recording material, a conversion unit configured to convert image data into conversion data including a plurality of areas having a first resolution in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material, and a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a sub-scanning direction, which is the conveyance direction of the recording material, an analysis unit configured to analyze values related to the areas of the plurality of areas of the conversion data obtained by the conversion unit, and a temperature control unit configured to control a fixing temperature of the fixing unit according to a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Okayasu, Masashi Tanaka, Shingo Ito
  • Publication number: 20210063924
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an obtaining portion that divides image data into a plurality of regions in a sub scanning direction, and obtains, for each of the plurality of regions in the sub scanning direction, a first value relating to pixels having density at at least a prescribed value in a first width and a second value relating to pixels having density at at least the prescribed value in a second width, which is greater than the first width; a determining portion that determines, for each of the plurality of regions, a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a heating member on the basis of the first and second values; and a control portion that controls power supplied to the heating member so that the temperature of the heating member is maintained at the target temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Shingo Ito, Kohei Okayasu
  • Publication number: 20200241454
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image based on image data, a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed by the image forming unit on a recording material, a conversion unit configured to convert image data into conversion data including a plurality of areas having a first resolution in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material, and a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a sub-scanning direction, which is the conveyance direction of the recording material, an analysis unit configured to analyze values related to the areas of the plurality of areas of the conversion data obtained by the conversion unit, and a temperature control unit configured to control a fixing temperature of the fixing unit according to a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Kohei Okayasu, Masashi Tanaka, Shingo Ito
  • 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: 10656576
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image based on image data, a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed by the image forming unit on a recording material, a conversion unit configured to convert image data into conversion data including a plurality of areas having a first resolution in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material, and a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a sub-scanning direction, which is the conveyance direction of the recording material, an analysis unit configured to analyze values related to the areas of the plurality of areas of the conversion data obtained by the conversion unit, and a temperature control unit configured to control a fixing temperature of the fixing unit according to a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Okayasu, Masashi Tanaka, Shingo Ito
  • Publication number: 20190332042
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image based on image data, a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed by the image forming unit on a recording material, a conversion unit configured to convert image data into conversion data including a plurality of areas having a first resolution in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material, and a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a sub-scanning direction, which is the conveyance direction of the recording material, an analysis unit configured to analyze values related to the areas of the plurality of areas of the conversion data obtained by the conversion unit, and a temperature control unit configured to control a fixing temperature of the fixing unit according to a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Kohei Okayasu, Masashi Tanaka, Shingo Ito
  • Patent number: 10444673
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a configuration in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a toner charging polarity is applied. In the image forming apparatus, a guide region of a pre-transfer guide is located on a photosensitive drum side with respect to a common tangent line of a photosensitive drum and a development roller to reduce contamination of the pre-transfer guide and prevent contamination of recording materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Shindo, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Takehiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10386755
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
  • Publication number: 20190079434
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a configuration in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a toner charging polarity is applied. In the image forming apparatus, a guide region of a pre-transfer guide is located on a photosensitive drum side with respect to a common tangent line of a photosensitive drum and a development roller to reduce contamination of the pre-transfer guide and prevent contamination of recording materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Kenji Shindo, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kohei Okayasu, Takehiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10222718
    Abstract: In a configuration in which a voltage of polarity opposite to charging polarity of toner is applied to a conveyance guide, controlling deposition of toner on the conveyance guide has been difficult. When performing duplex image formation, a potential difference between a surface potential of a photoconductive drum charged by a charging roller and a potential of the conveyance guide is smaller during printing on the second surface than during printing on the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Okayasu, Masashi Tanaka, Sho Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10216112
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit which develops a toner image on a surface of a photosensitive member and which collects toner which remains on the surface of the photosensitive member after the developed toner image is transferred to a transfer member. The image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to determine whether a cleaning operation of cleaning the surface of the photosensitive member is to be performed after an image forming operation is performed or control a period of time in which the cleaning operation is performed in accordance with a measured downtime of the image forming apparatus which is a period of time after the image forming operation is terminated and before a next image forming operation is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Sasame, Kohei Okayasu, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Takehiko Suzuki, Hironori Kato
  • Publication number: 20180307162
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
  • Patent number: 10073383
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame
  • Patent number: 10031446
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging device for discharging the drum at a discharging portion opposing the surface of the drum; and a control unit for executing, during non-image formation, a cleaning operation for transferring the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum by applying a voltage from transfer voltage source to the transfer member. The control unit does not effect discharge by the discharging device for at least a region of the drum where a transfer voltage for transferring a normal-polarity toner of the toner deposited on the transfer member onto the drum is applied to the transfer member in the cleaning operation, and then passes the region of the drum through the charging portion in a state in which a voltage larger than a surface potential of the drum in a normal polarity side is applied to the charging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kenji Shindo, Kohei Okayasu, Hiroki Sasame