Patents by Inventor Kohichi Takenouchi
Kohichi Takenouchi 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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Patent number: 8488984Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing device; a toner supply device; and a toner supply detecting sensor; and a toner concentration controller that directs toner supply. The toner concentration controller includes: a memory that stores the difference between the outputs from toner supply detecting sensor before and after toner supply; a toner supply quantity determinater that determines that the amount of toner remaining in the toner supply device is low and the amount of toner supply is low when the output difference or output ratio of the sensor is lower than a supply reference value; and an image quality adjustment controller that shortens the interval of time between adjustment of electrical potential on toner concentration correction in the above case.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeshi Ohkawa, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi, Masayasu Narimatsu
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Patent number: 8406641Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device having a toner supply sensor, a toner supply device supplying toner to the developing device, a toner supply controller controlling toner supply from the toner supply device to the developing device based on predetermined conditions, a toner empty determiner determining whether toner is present inside the toner supply device. In the image forming apparatus, the toner supply device includes a storage for recording multiple measured values of toner supply detected by the toner supply sensor, and the toner supply controller corrects the amount of toner supply, based on the moving average of multiple measured values of the amount of toner supply.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuma Hinoue, Motoyuki Itoyama, Masayasu Narimatsu, Kohichi Takenouchi, Hideji Saikoh, Takeshi Ohkawa, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Tomoki Minamikawa, Mitsuru Tokuyama
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Patent number: 8340554Abstract: A developing device includes a developing vessel, first and second conveying passages for conveying a developer, first and second conveying members for agitating and conveying the developer, a developing roller, a toner supply port for receiving a supply of toner and an agitator arranged under the toner supply port. The first conveying member has a rotary shaft and first and second conveying blades formed on the periphery of the rotary shaft. The agitator is arranged coaxially with the first conveying member so as to be rotatable independently from the first conveying member. The agitator includes a circular helical blade formed around the outer periphery of the second helical blade.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi
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Patent number: 8249481Abstract: The change in an output voltage when a control voltage is changed is calculated, and the change in the control voltage divided by the calculated change in the output voltage is defined as a sensitivity coefficient. The sensitivity coefficient is recalculated for each predetermined time interval or whenever a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the control voltage is corrected based on the recalculated sensitivity coefficient. Example of the predetermined condition include the time of start-up of the apparatus, the time at which the accumulated number of printed sheets reaches a predetermined number, and the time of carrying out process control.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2008Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Hiroo Naoi, Kazuma Hinoue
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Patent number: 8078087Abstract: A toner carrying device includes a flexible sheet, and a sheet moving mechanism for allowing the flexible sheet to move back and forth by pulling the flexible sheet. In the flexible sheet, a toner passage hole for leaving a first opening section of a toner carrying pipe to open is provided. In a case where the toner passage hole is divided into first through three areas in such a manner that (i) the first area is provided on a side of one end of the flexible sheet in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the flexible sheet; (ii) the second area is provided on a side of the other end of the flexible sheet in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction; and (iii) the third area is provided between the first area and the second area, the third area extends broader in the moving direction than respective of the first and second areas. This allows the flexible sheet partially having the toner passage hole in its area to move smoothly.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2008Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuhsuke Yoshimoto, Masanobu Deguchi, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Hiroo Naoi
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Publication number: 20110229156Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing device; a toner supply device; and a toner supply detecting sensor; and a toner concentration controller that directs toner supply. The toner concentration controller includes: a memory that stores the difference between the outputs from toner supply detecting sensor before and after toner supply; a toner supply quantity determinater that determines that the amount of toner remaining in the toner supply device is low and the amount of toner supply is low when the output difference or output ratio of the sensor is lower than a supply reference value; and an image quality adjustment controller that shortens the interval of time between adjustment of electrical potential on toner concentration correction in the above case.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2011Publication date: September 22, 2011Inventors: Takeshi OHKAWA, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi, Masayasu Narimatsu
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Publication number: 20110123204Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device having a toner supply sensor, a toner supply device supplying toner to the developing device, a toner supply controller controlling toner supply from the toner supply device to the developing device based on predetermined conditions, a toner empty determiner determining whether toner is present inside the toner supply device. In the image forming apparatus, the toner supply device includes a storage for recoding multiple measured values of toner supply detected by the toner supply sensor, and the toner supply controller corrects the amount of toner supply, based on the moving average of multiple measured values of the amount of toner supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2010Publication date: May 26, 2011Inventors: Kazuma HINOUE, Motoyuki Itoyama, Masayasu Narimatsu, Kohichi Takenouchi, Hideji Saikoh, Takeshi Ohkawa, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Tomoki Minamikawa, Mitsuru Tokuyama
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Publication number: 20100290814Abstract: A developing device includes a developing vessel, first and second conveying passages for conveying a developer, first and second conveying members for agitating and conveying the developer, a developing roller, a toner supply port for receiving a supply of toner and an agitator arranged under the toner supply port. The first conveying member has a rotary shaft and first and second conveying blades formed on the periphery of the rotary shaft. The agitator is arranged coaxially with the first conveying member so as to be rotatable independently from the first conveying member. The agitator includes a circular helical blade formed around the outer periphery of the second helical blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2010Publication date: November 18, 2010Inventors: Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi
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Patent number: 7826755Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroo Naoi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue, Tomoki Minamikawa
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Patent number: 7817934Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: an image forming portion for forming an image in accordance with image data contained in an input command; and a controller for controlling the image forming portion, and is constructed such that the controller includes: a mode switch for switching the image forming portion from a standby mode in which image forming is instantly enabled into a power-saving mode in which power supply to the image forming portion is partially stopped when no subsequent command has been received after a predetermined period elapsed from when image forming portion was operated last; a mode restoring portion for restoring the image forming portion from power-saving mode to standby mode when a subsequent command is received; and an image quality controller for performing image quality control of the image every time a predetermined time elapsed from when the image forming portion was last operated, and the image quality controller starts execution of the image quality control before the modType: GrantFiled: June 9, 2008Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroo Naoi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kohichi Takenouchi, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue
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Patent number: 7769327Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller and a blade. The developing roller includes: a developing sleeve which rotates while holding two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic carrier on the outer surface having a plurality of grooves extending in parallel to an axis of the rotation; and a magnetic member, provided inside the developing sleeve in such a manner as to be unrotatable, for attracting the two-component developer onto the outer surface of the developing sleeve. The blade is provided outside the rotating sleeve with a gap from the outer surface of the developing sleeve for scraping off a part of the two-component developer on the outer surface of the developing sleeve. Also, the magnetic member includes a magnet for controlling magnetic flux density in the gap to range from 70 mT to 150 mT. This allows preventing image degradation caused by generation of development memory.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2008Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Hiroo Naoi, Kazuma Hinoue
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Publication number: 20090175635Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2008Publication date: July 9, 2009Inventors: Hiroo Naoi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue, Tomoki Minamikawa
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Publication number: 20090129824Abstract: A toner carrying device includes a flexible sheet, and a sheet moving mechanism for allowing the flexible sheet to move back and forth by pulling the flexible sheet. In the flexible sheet, a toner passage hole for leaving a first opening section of a toner carrying pipe to open is provided. In a case where the toner passage hole is divided into first through three areas in such a manner that (i) the first area is provided on a side of one end of the flexible sheet in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the flexible sheet; (ii) the second area is provided on a side of the other end of the flexible sheet in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction; and (iii) the third area is provided between the first area and the second area, the third area extends broader in the moving direction than respective of the first and second areas. This allows the flexible sheet partially having the toner passage hole in its area to move smoothly.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2008Publication date: May 21, 2009Inventors: Yuhsuke Yoshimoto, Masanobu Deguchi, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Hiroo Naoi
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Publication number: 20090010683Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller and a blade. The developing roller includes: a developing sleeve which rotates while holding two-component developer composed of toner and magnetic carrier on the outer surface having a plurality of grooves extending in parallel to an axis of the rotation; and a magnetic member, provided inside the developing sleeve in such a manner as to be unrotatable, for attracting the two-component developer onto the outer surface of the developing sleeve. The blade is provided outside the rotating sleeve with a gap from the outer surface of the developing sleeve for scraping off a part of the two-component developer on the outer surface of the developing sleeve. Also, the magnetic member includes a magnet for controlling magnetic flux density in the gap to range from 70 mT to 150 mT. This allows preventing image degradation caused by generation of development memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2008Publication date: January 8, 2009Inventors: Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Hiroo Naoi, Kazuma Hinoue
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Publication number: 20090010662Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: an image forming portion for forming an image in accordance with image data contained in an input command; and a controller for controlling the image forming portion, and is constructed such that the controller includes: a mode switch for switching the image forming portion from a standby mode in which image forming is instantly enabled into a power-saving mode in which power supply to the image forming portion is partially stopped when no subsequent command has been received after a predetermined period elapsed from when image forming portion was operated last; a mode restoring portion for restoring the image forming portion from power-saving mode to standby mode when a subsequent command is received; and an image quality controller for performing image quality control of the image every time a predetermined time elapsed from when the image forming portion was last operated, and the image quality controller starts execution of the image quality control before the modType: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2008Publication date: January 8, 2009Inventors: Hiroo Naoi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kohichi Takenouchi, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue
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Publication number: 20090010669Abstract: The change in an output voltage when a control voltage is changed is calculated, and the change in the control voltage divided by the calculated change in the output voltage is defined as a sensitivity coefficient. The sensitivity coefficient is recalculated for each predetermined time interval or whenever a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the control voltage is corrected based on the recalculated sensitivity coefficient. Example of the predetermined condition include the time of start-up of the apparatus, the time at which the accumulated number of printed sheets reaches a predetermined number, and the time of carrying out process control.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2008Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Hiroo Naoi, Kazuma Hinoue