Patents by Inventor Masafumi Monde

Masafumi Monde 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: 20130266330
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit for accommodating a developer; a ratatable member for paddling in the developing unit, wherein the paddling member includes a pressure-applying portion for applying pressure to a wall surface perpendicular to a rotational axis direction; a pressure-detecting portion for detecting the pressure applied by the pressure-applying portion of the ratatable member, wherein the pressure-detecting portion is provided on the wall surface perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the ratatable member in the developing unit; and a discriminating portion for discriminating an amount of the developer in the developing unit on the basis of a detection result of the pressure-detecting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi Monde, Toshikazu Tsuchiya, Hidetoshi Hanamoto, Tsutomu Ishida
  • Publication number: 20130223857
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit adapted to contain a developer a member adapted to perform a circumduction motion in the developing unit and a detection unit installed on an internal surface of the developing unit and adapted to detect a signal corresponding to pressure in the developing unit which varies with the circumduction motion of the member. An amount of the developer can be determined based on the detected pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Toshikazu Tsuchiya, Masafumi Monde, Hidetoshi Hanamoto, Tsutomu Ishida
  • Patent number: 8265508
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for which a heated roller fixing device is employed but for which a savings in power can still be obtained, is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device, which is a heated roller fixing device that requires pre-heating in a stand-by state; an operation panel, with which a power-saving mode transition time period can be changed; and a control part, which selects pre-heating or does not select pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device. The control part employs the power-saving mode transition time period, entered at the operation panel, to change the pre-heating or to not change the pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masafumi Monde
  • Publication number: 20120148271
    Abstract: A toner container includes a toner accommodating portion: a rotatable toner stirring member; a sensor for detecting a remaining amount of the toner; wherein the sensor includes a first flexible sheet portion, a second sheet portion, a first opening, a first electroconductive portion, a second electroconductive portion, wherein the first sheet portion flexes by a stirring operation of the stirring member, and the first electroconductive portion is contacted to the second electroconductive portion, by which the remaining toner amount is detectable, and wherein the toner accommodating portion is provided with a second opening for communicating the first opening and an outside of the toner accommodating portion with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taku Fukita, Toshikazu Tsuchiya, Masafumi Monde, Hidetoshi Hanamoto, Tsutomu Ishida
  • Publication number: 20110311258
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for which a heated roller fixing device is employed but for which a savings in power can still be obtained, is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device, which is a heated roller fixing device that requires pre-heating in a stand-by state; an operation panel, with which a power-saving mode transition time period can be changed; and a control part, which selects pre-heating or does not select pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device. The control part employs the power-saving mode transition time period, entered at the operation panel, to change the pre-heating or to not change the pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: MASAFUMI MONDE
  • Patent number: 8032048
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for which a heated roller fixing device is employed but for which a savings in power can still be obtained, is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device, which is a heated roller fixing device that requires pre-heating in a stand-by state; an operation panel, with which a power-saving mode transition time period can be changed; and a control part, which selects pre-heating or does not select pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device. The control part employs the power-saving mode transition time period, entered at the operation panel, to change the pre-heating or to not change the pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masafumi Monde
  • Publication number: 20080279578
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for which a heated roller fixing device is employed but for which a savings in power can still be obtained, is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device 109, which is a heated roller fixing device that requires pre-heating in the stand-by state; an operation panel 115, with which a power-saving mode transition time period T can be changed; and a control part 118, which selects pre-heating or does not select pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device. The control part 118 employs the power-saving mode transition time period, entered at the operation panel 115 (S301), to change the pre-heating or to not change the pre-heating of the heated roller fixing device (S302 and S303).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masafumi Monde