Patents by Inventor Koichiro Yuasa

Koichiro Yuasa 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: 9946184
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that uses toner containing flat pigment; a second image forming portion that uses toner not containing the flat pigment; and a toner image carrier that carries a first toner image that is formed in the first image forming portion and a second toner image that is formed in the second image forming portion. The image forming apparatus has a mode in which a relationship Am<Ac is satisfied, where Am denotes a number of toner layers of the first toner image that is carried by the toner image carrier, and Ac denotes the number of toner layers of the second toner image that is carried by the toner image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichiro Yuasa, Miho Ikeda, Takaharu Nakajima, Aya Kakishima, Yasumitsu Harashima, Toko Hara
  • Patent number: 9836008
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that includes a developing device which performs development with a toner having a metal color which contains a flat metal pigment and a developing device which performs development with a toner having another color other than the metal color which does not contains a flat metal pigment, and forms a toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed on the recording medium; and a controller that controls the image forming unit and the fixing unit such that a toner image is formed of the toner having the metal color and fixed on one surface of a film, and controls transport of the film as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koichiro Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20170255139
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that includes a developing device which performs development with a toner having a metal color which contains a flat metal pigment and a developing device which performs development with a toner having another color other than the metal color which does not contains a flat metal pigment, and forms a toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed on the recording medium; and a controller that controls the image forming unit and the fixing unit such that a toner image is formed of the toner having the metal color and fixed on one surface of a film, and controls transport of the film as defined herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koichiro YUASA
  • Patent number: 9551948
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming section that uses a toner containing flat pigment particles; a second image forming section that uses a toner not containing the flat pigment particles; and a fixing section that fixes an image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium using heat. The quantity of heat that the fixing section applies to the image is increased in the case where the image formed on the recording medium using the toner containing the flat pigment particles is to be fixed compared to a case where the image formed on the recording medium using the toner not containing the flat pigment particles is to be fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasumitsu Harashima, Toko Hara, Yutaka Kiuchi, Miho Ikeda, Takaharu Nakajima, Koichiro Yuasa
  • Patent number: 9501015
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a heating unit, and a fixing unit. The image forming unit uses a toner including a flat pigment. The heating unit heats a recording medium. The fixing unit allows the recording medium to pass therethrough so as to cause an image formed on the recording medium to be fixed onto the recording medium by heat. In the image forming apparatus, the heating unit heats the recording medium on which the image has not been formed, the image forming unit forms the image on the recording medium having been heated, and the fixing unit fixes the image having been formed onto the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Kakishima, Miho Ikeda, Koichiro Yuasa, Yasumitsu Harashima, Toko Hara, Yoshihiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9383689
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first forming unit that forms a first image by using a toner that contains a pigment other than a flat pigment; a second forming unit that forms a second image by using a toner that contains a flat pigment; a transfer body that transports the first image and the second image transferred thereon and transfers the first image and the second image onto a recording medium; a first transfer member that nips the transfer body in cooperation with the first forming unit with a first load and transfers the first image from the first forming unit onto the transfer body; and a second transfer member that nips the transfer body in cooperation with the second forming unit with a second load, which is larger than the first load, and transfers the second image from the second forming unit onto the transfer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miho Ikeda, Koichiro Yuasa, Yoshiyuki Tominaga, Kenji Sawai
  • Patent number: 9383695
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image portion that uses toner including a flat pigment, a second image portion that uses toner that does not include the flat pigment, a fixing portion that fixes an image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by heat, and a controller that performs a control that switches the fixing portion to a first state in which an amount of heat similar to an amount of heat applied to the image when an image formed by the toner that does not include the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium is applied to the image, and a second state in which, compared to when the image formed by the toner that does not include the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium, the amount of heat applied to the image by the fixing portion is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Kakishima, Miho Ikeda, Koichiro Yuasa, Takaharu Nakajima, Yasumitsu Harashima, Toko Hara
  • Patent number: 9285718
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless transfer member, a first transfer section, a second transfer section, and a medium transfer section. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The first transfer section forms an image using a toner containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section forms an image using a toner not containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section is disposed upstream of the first transfer section in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a transfer current. The transfer current for the first transfer section is smaller than that for the second transfer section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toko Hara, Takaharu Nakajima, Miho Ikeda, Aya Kakishima, Koichiro Yuasa, Yasumitsu Harashima
  • Patent number: 9285734
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that fixes an image which is formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by using heat while transporting the recording medium, wherein the recording medium is transported again to the fixing unit after the image formed on the recording medium by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium by the fixing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Kakishima, Miho Ikeda, Takaharu Nakajima, Koichiro Yuasa, Yasumitsu Harashima, Toko Hara
  • Publication number: 20160070214
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that uses a toner including a flat pigment, a second image forming unit that uses a toner not including a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that fixes a toner image formed on a recording medium by heat. In the image forming apparatus, a minimum fixing temperature of the toner including the flat pigment is lower than a minimum fixing temperature of the toner not including the flat pigment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Toko HARA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Miho IKEDA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Koichiro YUASA
  • Publication number: 20160011545
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a heating unit, and a fixing unit. The image forming unit uses a toner including a flat pigment. The heating unit heats a recording medium. The fixing unit allows the recording medium to pass therethrough so as to cause an image formed on the recording medium to be fixed onto the recording medium by heat. In the image forming apparatus, the heating unit heats the recording medium on which the image has not been formed, the image forming unit forms the image on the recording medium having been heated, and the fixing unit fixes the image having been formed onto the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Aya KAKISHIMA, Miho IKEDA, Koichiro YUASA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Toko HARA, Yoshihiro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9217965
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that includes a heating member which contacts with one surface of a recording medium where an image is formed to heat the image and a contact member that contacts with the other surface of the recording medium, and fixes the image to the recording medium, wherein an amount of heat that is applied to the image from the contact member is larger when the image formed by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium than when the image formed by the toner not containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Kakishima, Miho Ikeda, Takaharu Nakajima, Yasumitsu Harashima, Koichiro Yuasa, Toko Hara
  • Patent number: 9116472
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner containing a flat pigment; and a second image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner not containing the flat pigment. The toner images formed by these image forming portions are transferred to a toner image carrier or a recording medium. The average charge amount per particle of the toner containing the flat pigment is smaller than that of the toner not containing the flat pigment. A transfer width is larger than the particle diameter of the toner containing the flat pigment. A transfer current flowing between the latent image carrier of the second image forming portion and the toner image carrier or the recording medium is higher than or equal to a value required to form an electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Takaharu Nakajima, Miho Ikeda, Koichiro Yuasa, Yasumitsu Harashima, Toko Hara, Aya Kakishima
  • Publication number: 20150227076
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that uses toner containing flat pigment; a second image forming portion that uses toner not containing the flat pigment; and a toner image carrier that carries a first toner image that is formed in the first image forming portion and a second toner image that is formed in the second image forming portion. The image forming apparatus has a mode in which a relationship Am<Ac is satisfied, where Am denotes a number of toner layers of the first toner image that is carried by the toner image carrier, and Ac denotes the number of toner layers of the second toner image that is carried by the toner image carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichiro YUASA, Miho IKEDA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Aya KAKISHIMA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Toko HARA
  • Publication number: 20150212458
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner containing a flat pigment; and a second image forming portion that forms a toner image on a latent image carrier with a toner not containing the flat pigment. The toner images formed by these image forming portions are transferred to a toner image carrier or a recording medium. The average charge amount per particle of the toner containing the flat pigment is smaller than that of the toner not containing the flat pigment. A transfer width is larger than the particle diameter of the toner containing the flat pigment. A transfer current flowing between the latent image carrier of the second image forming portion and the toner image carrier or the recording medium is higher than or equal to a value required to form an electric field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Miho IKEDA, Koichiro YUASA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Toko HARA, Aya KAKISHIMA
  • Publication number: 20150205229
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless transfer member, a first transfer section, a second transfer section, and a medium transfer section. An image is transferred to the transfer member during circulation of the transfer member. The first transfer section forms an image using a toner containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section forms an image using a toner not containing flat metallic pigment particles, and transfers the formed image to the transfer member through a transfer current. The second transfer section is disposed upstream of the first transfer section in a circulation direction of the transfer member. The medium transfer section transfers the image transferred to the transfer member to a recording medium through a transfer current. The transfer current for the first transfer section is smaller than that for the second transfer section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toko HARA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Miho IKEDA, Aya KAKISHIMA, Koichiro YUASA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20150168884
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image portion that uses toner including a flat pigment, a second image portion that uses toner that does not include the flat pigment, a fixing portion that fixes an image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by heat, and a controller that performs a control that switches the fixing portion to a first state in which an amount of heat similar to an amount of heat applied to the image when an image formed by the toner that does not include the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium is applied to the image, and a second state in which, compared to when the image formed by the toner that does not include the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium, the amount of heat applied to the image by the fixing portion is large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Aya KAKISHIMA, Miho IKEDA, Koichiro YUASA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Toko HARA
  • Publication number: 20150168882
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that fixes an image which is formed on a recording medium to the recording medium by using heat while transporting the recording medium, wherein the recording medium is transported again to the fixing unit after the image formed on the recording medium by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium by the fixing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya KAKISHIMA, Miho IKEDA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Koichiro YUASA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Toko HARA
  • Publication number: 20150168883
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that includes a heating member which contacts with one surface of a recording medium where an image is formed to heat the image and a contact member that contacts with the other surface of the recording medium, and fixes the image to the recording medium, wherein an amount of heat that is applied to the image from the contact member is larger when the image formed by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium than when the image formed by the toner not containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aya KAKISHIMA, Miho IKEDA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Koichiro YUASA, Toko HARA
  • Publication number: 20140356035
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming section that forms a first image using a first toner containing flat pigment particles; a second image forming section that forms a second image using a second toner not containing the flat pigment particles; and a fixing section that fixes the first image to a recording medium with a quantity of heat that is smaller than that for a case where the fixing section fixes a third image not including the first image but including the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasumitsu HARASHIMA, Toko HARA, Yutaka KIUCHI, Miho IKEDA, Takaharu NAKAJIMA, Koichiro YUASA