Patents by Inventor Makiko Tango

Makiko Tango 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: 7233755
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which reduces abrasion of a photosensitive drum caused by a rotary brush such as an charging brush for electrically charging the surface of a photosensitive drum or a cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of a photosensitive drum. The rotary brush is in contact with the photosensitive drum. During the period of charging the photosensitive drum or cleaning its surface, the rotary brush is rotated in a first mode in which the brush rotates rubbing and sliding the surface of the photosensitive drum, and during other periods, in a second mode in which the brush is rotated passively as driven by rotation of the photosensitive drum. Abrasion of the photosensitive drum is reduced by properly controlling the width of contact between the rotary brush and photosensitive drum and the amount of push for pressing the brush against the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Makiko Tango, Yuji Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 7082277
    Abstract: A contact charger for charging a charging target (e.g., a photosensitive member) includes a charging brush to be in contact with the charging target, and auxiliary charging particles to be interposed between the brush and the charging target. The auxiliary charging particle takes an acicular form having an aspect ratio from 2 to 10000, and satisfies a relationship of (L2/T?200) between a length L (?m) of a long axis of the particle and a thickness of T (deniers) of a brush fiber of the brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Nagatomo, Makiko Tango
  • Patent number: 6999699
    Abstract: A contact charger for charging a charging target (e.g., a photosensitive member) includes a brush to be in contact with the charging target, and auxiliary charging particles to be interposed between the brush and the charging target. Fibers of the brush have a volume resistivity from 1×101 ?·cm to 1×108 ?·cm, a primary particle diameter of the auxiliary charging particles is in a range from 0.01 ?m to 10 ?m, and a push-in amount of the brush with respect to the charging target is in a range from 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm. The brush moves relatively to the charging target for charging the charging target. An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member to be charged by the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Nagatomo, Makiko Tango
  • Publication number: 20050129428
    Abstract: A contact charger for charging a charging target (e.g., a photosensitive member) includes a charging brush to be in contact with the charging target, and auxiliary charging particles to be interposed between the brush and the charging target. The auxiliary charging particle takes an acicular form having an aspect ratio from 2 to 10000, and satisfies a relationship of (L2/T?200) between a length L (?m) of a long axis of the particle and a thickness of T (deniers) of a brush fiber of the brush.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Nagatomo, Makiko Tango
  • Publication number: 20050069345
    Abstract: A contact charger for charging a charging target (e.g., a photosensitive member) includes a brush to be in contact with the charging target, and auxiliary charging particles to be interposed between the brush and the charging target. Fibers of the brush have a volume resistivity from 1×101 ?·cm to 1×108 ?·cm, a primary particle diameter of the auxiliary charging particles is in a range from 0.01 ?m to 10 ?m, and a push-in amount of the brush with respect to the charging target is in a range from 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm. The brush moves relatively to the charging target for charging the charging target. An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member to be charged by the charger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Nagatomo, Makiko Tango
  • Publication number: 20050047830
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which reduces abrasion of a photosensitive drum caused by a rotary brush such as an charging brush for electrically charging the surface of a photosensitive drum or a cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of a photosensitive drum. The rotary brush is in contact with the photosensitive drum. During the period of charging the photosensitive drum or cleaning its surface, the rotary brush is rotated in a first mode in which the brush rotates rubbing and sliding the surface of the photosensitive drum, and during other periods, in a second mode in which the brush is rotated passively as driven by rotation of the photosensitive drum. Abrasion of the photosensitive drum is reduced by properly controlling the width of contact between the rotary brush and photosensitive drum and the amount of push for pressing the brush against the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Makiko Tango, Yuji Nagatomo