Patents by Inventor Masahiro Ikuta

Masahiro Ikuta 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: 11009808
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a toner cartridge used in an image forming apparatus including a processor which forms a toner pattern image on a photoconductive member, transfers the toner pattern image on a medium, and changes an image forming condition based on a detection result obtained by optically detecting the toner pattern image transferred onto the medium, the toner cartridge including: a toner accommodating container accommodating a toner, and a memory. The memory stores reference data which is determined according to toner characteristics in the toner accommodating container, and is used for applying a reference value for an optical detection result of a toner pattern formed by the toner on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Itou, Kazuhisa Takeda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Hiromichi Mitamura, Shigeru Fujiwara, Hisanobu Ajima
  • Publication number: 20210003939
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a toner cartridge used in an image forming apparatus including a processor which forms a toner pattern image on a photoconductive member, transfers the toner pattern image on a medium, and changes an image forming condition based on a detection result obtained by optically detecting the toner pattern image transferred onto the medium, the toner cartridge including: a toner accommodating container accommodating a toner, and a memory. The memory stores reference data which is determined according to toner characteristics in the toner accommodating container, and is used for applying a reference value for an optical detection result of a toner pattern formed by the toner on the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Itou, Kazuhisa Takeda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Hiromichi Mitamura, Shigeru Fujiwara, Hisanobu Ajima
  • Patent number: 10816912
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a toner cartridge used in an image forming apparatus including a processor which forms a toner pattern image on a photoconductive member, transfers the toner pattern image on a medium, and changes an image forming condition based on a detection result obtained by optically detecting the toner pattern transferred onto the medium, the toner cartridge including: a toner accommodating container accommodating a toner, and a memory. The memory stores a plurality of reference data which are determined according to toner characteristics in the toner accommodating container and a value indicating an image forming execution amount, and are used for applying reference values for an optical detection result of a toner pattern formed by the toner on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Itou, Kazuhisa Takeda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Hiromichi Mitamura, Shigeru Fujiwara, Hisanobu Ajima
  • Patent number: 10809646
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a toner cartridge used in an image forming apparatus including a processor which forms a toner pattern image on a photoconductive member, transfers the toner pattern image on a medium, and changes an image forming condition based on a detection result obtained by optically detecting the toner pattern image transferred onto the medium, the toner cartridge including: a toner accommodating container accommodating a toner, and a memory. The memory stores reference data which is determined according to toner characteristics in the toner accommodating container, and is used for applying a reference value for an optical detection result of a toner pattern formed by the toner on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Itou, Kazuhisa Takeda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Hiromichi Mitamura, Shigeru Fujiwara, Hisanobu Ajima
  • Publication number: 20200310285
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a toner cartridge used in an image forming apparatus including a processor which forms a toner pattern image on a photoconductive member, transfers the toner pattern image on a medium, and changes an image forming condition based on a detection result obtained by optically detecting the toner pattern transferred onto the medium, the toner cartridge including: a toner accommodating container accommodating a toner, and a memory. The memory stores a plurality of reference data which are determined according to toner characteristics in the toner accommodating container and a value indicating an image forming execution amount, and are used for applying reference values for an optical detection result of a toner pattern formed by the toner on the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Itou, Kazuhisa Takeda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Hiromichi Mitamura, Shigeru Fujiwara, Hisanobu Ajima
  • Patent number: 10684568
    Abstract: A reversibly allochroic toner contains a binder resin and a colorant. The colorant reversibly switches between first and second color states in response to temperature changes. The colorant exhibits a hysteresis in a temperature-color state curve thereof in which the following relationships are satisfied. Tr<TL2<TL1<TH1<TH2<Tg TH2?50° C. 20° C.?Tr?30° C. where, TH1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the first color state to the second color state, TH2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the second color state, TL1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the second color state to the first color state, TL2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the first color state, and Tg is a glass transition temperature of the binder resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takafumi Hara, Masahiro Ikuta, Tsuyoshi Itou, Yasuhito Noda, Kazuhisa Takeda, Takayasu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20190377281
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a toner cartridge used in an image forming apparatus including a processor which forms a toner pattern image on a photoconductive member, transfers the toner pattern image on a medium, and changes an image forming condition based on a detection result obtained by optically detecting the toner pattern image transferred onto the medium, the toner cartridge including: a toner accommodating container accommodating a toner, and a memory. The memory stores reference data which is determined according to toner characteristics in the toner accommodating container, and is used for applying a reference value for an optical detection result of a toner pattern formed by the toner on the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Itou, Kazuhisa Takeda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Hiromichi Mitamura, Shigeru Fujiwara, Hisanobu Ajima
  • Publication number: 20190187578
    Abstract: A reversibly allochroic toner contains a binder resin and a colorant. The colorant reversibly switches between first and second color states in response to temperature changes. The colorant exhibits a hysteresis in a temperature-color state curve thereof in which the following relationships are satisfied. Tr<TL2<TL1<TH1<TH2<Tg TH2?50° C. 20° C.?Tr?30° C. where, TH1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the first color state to the second color state, TH2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the second color state, TL1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the second color state to the first color state, TL2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the first color state, and Tg is a glass transition temperature of the binder resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi HARA, Masahiro IKUTA, Tsuyoshi ITOU, Yasuhito NODA, Kazuhisa TAKEDA, Takayasu AOKI
  • Publication number: 20180329330
    Abstract: An electrophotographic toner set, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method include a developer toner and a replenishment toner. The developer toner and the replenishment toner each include toner particles, and silica particles and titania particles provided on the surfaces of the toner particles. The silica particles have a BET specific surface area of 15 to 95 m2/g and are surface-treated with a silicone oil. The relationship between the content of the silica particles of the developer toner and the content of the silica particles of the replenishment toner, and the relationship between the content of the titania particles of the developer toner and the content of the titania particles of the replenishment toner each have particular values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Era, Masahiro Ikuta, Kazuhisa Takeda, Tsuyoshi Itou, Takafumi Hara
  • Patent number: 10073368
    Abstract: A developer according to an embodiment includes a toner having a color erasable by heating and a carrier. The carrier includes a core portion and a coating portion covering at least 50% of the core portion. The coating portion includes a white-colored additive agent which suppresses an increase in electrification due to friction between the toner and the carrier, a mass of the additive agent being between 20% and 60% of a total mass of the coating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao Takenaka, Masahiro Ikuta
  • Patent number: 10063727
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a marking apparatus, which marks on media that is reusable by recording and erasing decolorable material, comprising a scanner configured to read media to which a first mark representing the reuse times of media is attached; a determination section configured to determine whether or not the media is reusable according to a reading result of the first mark or a use state of the media; and a recording section configured to print a second mark different from the first mark on the media according to a determination result representing that the media cannot be reused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Yoshihito Shimada, Tsuyoshi Itou, Yasuhito Noda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara
  • Patent number: 9933721
    Abstract: Disclosed is a decolorizable electrophotographic toner, including: a binder resin; and a colorant which contains at least a color developable compound and a color developing agent and is covered with an outer shell so as to have a capsule structure, wherein the number ratio of particles having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.6 ?m or more and 2.5 ?m or less of the toner when measured using a flow particle image analyzer after the toner is dispersed in an aqueous medium at a ratio of 0.08% by weight and the resulting dispersion is subjected to a stirring treatment in which stirring is performed at 5000 rpm for 30 minutes using a homogenizer (T-25 digital ULTRA-TURRAX (manufactured by IKA Japan K.K., provided with a shaft generator S25N-10G)) is 30% by number or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA PILOT CORPORATION, THE PILOT INK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ikuta, Takahito Kabai, Takayasu Aoki, Tsuyoshi Itou
  • Patent number: 9821590
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus comprises a conveyance path, a color erasing section and a control section. The conveyance path conveys a sheet. The color erasing section erases the color of an image formed with color erasable recording agent serving as recording agent containing coloring agent the color of which can be erased by heating. The control section carries out a control, in a case where the image formed on the sheet is not an image formed with the color erasable recording agent, so that the sheet is not subjected to a color erasing processing by the color erasing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Tsuyoshi Itou, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Motonari Udo, Takayasu Aoki, Yasuhito Noda
  • Patent number: 9798260
    Abstract: Provided is a decolorizable toner including a binder resin and colorant particles which contain a color developable compound, a color developing agent, and a decolorizing agent, and have a capsule structure coated with an outer shell, wherein the binder resin is contained in an amount of 60 to 80% by mass with respect to the total amount of the toner components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takafumi Hara, Masahiro Ikuta, Tsuyoshi Itou, Motonari Udo, Kazuhisa Takeda
  • Patent number: 9757969
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a first image to be transferred to a sheet with a non-decolorizable material, and a second image forming unit configured to form a second image to be transferred to the sheet with a decolorizable material. At least a part of the second image transferred to the sheet is formed on the first image transferred to the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motonari Udo, Masahiro Ikuta, Kazuhisa Takeda, Tsuyoshi Itou, Takayasu Aoki, Takafumi Hara
  • Publication number: 20170219946
    Abstract: A developer according to an embodiment includes a toner having a color erasable by heating and a carrier. The carrier includes a core portion and a coating portion covering at least 50% of the core portion. The coating portion includes a white-colored additive agent which suppresses an increase in electrification due to friction between the toner and the carrier, a mass of the additive agent being between 20% and 60% of a total mass of the coating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Sunao TAKENAKA, Masahiro IKUTA
  • Publication number: 20170187901
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a marking apparatus, which marks on media that is reusable by recording and erasing decolorable material, comprising a scanner configured to read media to which a first mark representing the reuse times of media is attached; a determination section configured to determine whether or not the media is reusable according to a reading result of the first mark or a use state of the media; and a recording section configured to print a second mark different from the first mark on the media according to a determination result representing that the media cannot be reused.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Yoshihito Shimada, Tsuyoshi Itou, Yasuhito Noda, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara
  • Patent number: 9645519
    Abstract: A developer according to an embodiment includes a toner having a color erasable by heating and a carrier. The carrier includes a core portion and a coating portion covering at least 50% of the core portion. The coating portion includes an additive agent which suppresses an increase in electrification due to friction between the toner and the carrier. The additive agent has a white color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao Takenaka, Masahiro Ikuta
  • Publication number: 20170100954
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus comprises a conveyance path, a color erasing section and a control section. The conveyance path conveys a sheet. The color erasing section erases the color of an image formed with color erasable recording agent serving as recording agent containing coloring agent the color of which can be erased by heating. The control section carries out a control, in a case where the image formed on the sheet is not an image formed with the color erasable recording agent, so that the sheet is not subjected to a color erasing processing by the color erasing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Tsuyoshi Itou, Masahiro Ikuta, Takafumi Hara, Motonari Udo, Takayasu Aoki, Yasuhito Noda
  • Publication number: 20170080737
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a first image to be transferred to a sheet with a non-decolorizable material, and a second image forming unit configured to form a second image to be transferred to the sheet with a decolorizable material. At least a part of the second image transferred to the sheet is formed on the first image transferred to the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: Toshiba Tee Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motonari UDO, Masahiro IKUTA, Kazuhisa TAKEDA, Tsuyoshi ITOU, Takayasu AOKI, Takafumi HARA