Patents by Inventor Masakazu Uehara

Masakazu Uehara 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: 12282286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a shutter, a lock member and an attachment member. The fixing device is supported by an apparatus main body. The shutter is movable to a close position and to an open position. The lock member is movable to a holding position holding the shutter to the close position and an allowable position allowing the shutter to move from the close position to the open position. The lock member is moved to the holding position to hold the shutter to the close position in a state where the attachment member is detached from the apparatus main body. In the middle of attaching the attachment member to the apparatus main body, the attachment member moves the lock member from the holding position to the allowable position and then moves the shutter from the close position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Takuya Kawasumi
  • Publication number: 20250110432
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater holder, a stay, and a pressure roller. The fixing device press the stay toward the pressure roller to form a pressure area. The stay includes a pair of side plates. The heater holder includes pedestal ribs on which the pair of side plates are placed. The pair of side plates are formed such that center portions in the width direction protrude more toward the pressure area than both end portions. The pedestal ribs are higher at a center than at both ends in the width direction. In the fixing device, ??X?Y is set to a value close to zero, where an amount of protrusion of the side plates at a predetermined position in the width direction is X, a height of the pedestal ribs is Y, and an amount of deformation of the stay in the pressure area is ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Takuya Kawasumi, Tomohiro Watatani
  • Patent number: 12181821
    Abstract: A fixing device according to the present disclosure includes a rotatable endless belt and an end portion holder. The end portion holder supports each of end portions of the fixing belt rotatably, and has a cylindrical part along which an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt slides and an end wall part which faces an end surface of the fixing belt. The end wall part has a restraint part which faces an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt with a predetermined interval and restrains the fixing belt from turning up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhiro Sakai, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Tomohiro Watatani, Shota Onishi
  • Publication number: 20240427264
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure roller, a discharge rollers pair, a discharge guide, and an actuator. The fixing member is heated by a heat source. The pressure roller forms a pressurized region. The discharge rollers pair includes an upper roller and a lower roller, and conveys the sheet passed through the pressurized region. The discharge guide guides the sheet passed through the pressurized region to the discharge rollers pair. The actuator includes a rotating shaft supported by the discharge guide rotatably and movably in an axial direction and a detection piece extending radially from the rotating shaft, and rotated by the sheet passed through the pressurized region to detect the sheet. The discharge guide has a slit in which the detection piece is housed to regulate a moving of the detection piece in a width direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu UEHARA, Tomohiro WATATANI
  • Patent number: 12158717
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating rotating body, a pressure rotating body, and a fixing frame. The fixing frame supports the heating rotating body and the pressure rotating body. The fixing frame includes a pair of side plates and a plurality of stays. The side plates are disposed to face each other, and supports both axial end portions of the heating rotating body and both axial end portions of the pressure rotating body. The stays are disposed between the side plates. In a XYZ coordinate in which an axis along a direction in which the side plates face each other is defined as the X-axis, and axes perpendicular to the X-axis and perpendicular to each other are defined as the Y-axis and the Z-axis, each of the stays is fastened to the side plates at least two axial directions of the three axial directions of the XYZ coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Takuya Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 12050422
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including: a fixing belt; a pressure roller which pressurizes toner on a sheet that passes through a pressure area; a pair of retention members each including a shaft-supporting portion which rotatably guides one of both end portions of the fixing belt in an axial direction, and a restriction surface which restricts a movement of the fixing belt in the axial direction; and a frame including a pair of side plates which rotatably support both end portions of the pressure roller in the axial direction as well as support the fixing belt via the pair of retention members, in which attachment positions of the pair of retention members in the pair of side plates are provided such that a gap becomes larger on a downstream side of a passing direction of the sheet with respect to the pressure area than on an upstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Tomohiro Watatani, Shota Onishi, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 12044990
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a pressure member, and a holder. The pressure member forms a pressure area between the pressure member and a fixing belt. The holder is provided inside the fixing belt, has a sliding surface in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt via a lubricant, and holds a heater for heating the fixing belt. The holder includes a plurality of slits and a blocking portion. The plurality of slits are arranged in an axial direction on the sliding surface upstream of the pressure area in a passing direction of a medium and guide movement of the lubricant from upstream to downstream in a rotational direction of the fixing belt. The blocking portion restricts an outflow of the lubricant from each of the slits and restricts a fall of the fixing belt into each of the slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Shota Onishi, Yuhiro Sakai, Takuya Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 11966182
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, and a pair of retention members each including a restriction surface. The restriction surface restricts a movement of the fixing member in an axial direction. The restriction surface includes a first contact area and a second contact area. The first area is an area more on a downstream side of a passing direction of a medium than a center of a pressure area in the passing direction, and also closer to the pressure area than an apex of the fixing member on an opposite side of the pressure area. The first contact area and the second contact area are each tilted at a certain gradient so as to be set apart from the end portion of the fixing member in the axial direction from a side of the apex toward a side of the pressure area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Takahashi, Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Shota Onishi, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Publication number: 20240111243
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a shutter, a lock member and an attachment member. The fixing device is supported by an apparatus main body. The shutter is movable to a close position and to an open position. The lock member is movable to a holding position holding the shutter to the close position and an allowable position allowing the shutter to move from the close position to the open position. The lock member is moved to the holding position to hold the shutter to the close position in a state where the attachment member is detached from the apparatus main body. In the middle of attaching the attachment member to the apparatus main body, the attachment member moves the lock member from the holding position to the allowable position and then moves the shutter from the close position to the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu UEHARA, Tomohiro WATATANI, Takuya KAWASUMI
  • Publication number: 20240111232
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating rotating body, a pressure rotating body, and a fixing frame. The fixing frame supports the heating rotating body and the pressure rotating body. The fixing frame includes a pair of side plates and a plurality of stays. The side plates are disposed to face each other, and supports both axial end portions of the heating rotating body and both axial end portions of the pressure rotating body. The stays are disposed between the side plates. In a XYZ coordinate in which an axis along a direction in which the side plates face each other is defined as the X-axis, and axes perpendicular to the X-axis and perpendicular to each other are defined as the Y-axis and the Z-axis, each of the stays is fastened to the side plates at least two axial directions of the three axial directions of the XYZ coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu UEHARA, Tomohiro WATATANI, Takuya KAWASUMI
  • Patent number: 11886137
    Abstract: A fixing device (50) includes a fixing belt (70), a pressure member (80), and a heating section (90). The heating section (90) faces an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt (70). The heating section (90) includes a heater (HT), a first heat sensitive body (SM11), and a second heat sensitive body (SM21). The second heat sensitive body (SM21) differs from the first heat sensitive body (SM11). The heater (HT) has a first heater portion (AE1). The first heater portion (AE1) is one end portion of a pair of end portions of the heater (HT) in a longitudinal direction thereof. The first heat sensitive body (SM11) and the second heat sensitive body (SM21) face the first heater portion (AE1) and are aligned in a conveyance direction (DC) of a sheet (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Fumito Nakamoto, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Publication number: 20240004331
    Abstract: A fixing device according to the present disclosure includes a rotatable endless belt and an end portion holder. The end portion holder supports each of end portions of the fixing belt rotatably, and has a cylindrical part along which an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt slides and an end wall part which faces an end surface of the fixing belt. The end wall part has a restraint part which faces an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt with a predetermined interval and restrains the fixing belt from turning up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhiro SAKAI, Masakazu UEHARA, Hironori TAKAHASHI, Tomohiro WATATANI, Shota ONISHI
  • Publication number: 20230314987
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a pressure member, and a holder. The pressure member forms a pressure area between the pressure member and a fixing belt. The holder is provided inside the fixing belt, has a sliding surface in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt via a lubricant, and holds a heater for heating the fixing belt. The holder includes a plurality of slits and a blocking portion. The plurality of slits are arranged in an axial direction on the sliding surface upstream of the pressure area in a passing direction of a medium and guide movement of the lubricant from upstream to downstream in a rotational direction of the fixing belt. The blocking portion restricts an outflow of the lubricant from each of the slits and restricts a fall of the fixing belt into each of the slits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Shota Onishi, Yuhiro Sakai, Takuya Kawasumi
  • Publication number: 20230244169
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including: a fixing belt; a pressure roller which pressurizes toner on a sheet that passes through a pressure area; a pair of retention members each including a shaft-supporting portion which rotatably guides one of both end portions of the fixing belt in an axial direction, and a restriction surface which restricts a movement of the fixing belt in the axial direction; and a frame including a pair of side plates which rotatably support both end portions of the pressure roller in the axial direction as well as support the fixing belt via the pair of retention members, in which attachment positions of the pair of retention members in the pair of side plates are provided such that a gap becomes larger on a downstream side of a passing direction of the sheet with respect to the pressure area than on an upstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Tomohiro Watatani, Shota Onishi, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Publication number: 20230244168
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, and a pair of retention members each including a restriction surface. The restriction surface restricts a movement of the fixing member in an axial direction. The restriction surface includes a first contact area and a second contact area. The first area is an area more on a downstream side of a passing direction of a medium than a center of a pressure area in the passing direction, and also closer to the pressure area than an apex of the fixing member on an opposite side of the pressure area. The first contact area and the second contact area are each tilted at a certain gradient so as to be set apart from the end portion of the fixing member in the axial direction from a side of the apex toward a side of the pressure area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Hironori Takahashi, Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Shota Onishi, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 11693337
    Abstract: The developing device includes a development container, a developer carrier, and a restricting blade. The development container has an opening. The developer carrier has a development area. The development container includes a pair of side frames, and a pair of side wall portions. In each of the pair of side wall portions, a seal member insertion hole extending through in the rotation-axial direction is formed at a position facing an end edge of the restricting blade in the rotation-axial direction. The developing device includes a blade-side side seal inserted in the seal member insertion hole to block a gap between the restricting blade and the side wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Seia Fujii, Masakazu Uehara, Rei Yamagishi, Hiroaki Kitagawa, Takuya Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 11567425
    Abstract: The developing device includes a development container, a developer carrier, and a cover member. The development container has an opening. The developer carrier has a development area. The cover member, including a front face portion, an upper face portion, a lower face portion, a side face portion, and reinforcing ribs, is removably fitted to the development container such that the developer carrier is covered with at least the front face portion and the upper face portion. With the cover member fitted to the development container, a gap is formed between each reinforcing rib and the development container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Kawasumi, Masakazu Uehara, Rei Yamagishi, Hiroaki Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 11526095
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, an image carrier, a development device, a main body opening, and a guide rail. The main body opening is formed on an upper surface of the apparatus main body. The development device is movable along the guide rail between the main body opening and an attachment position. The development container has a container opening and a blocking member. The container opening is opened to a downstream side in an attachment direction of the development device. The blocking member is provided on the downstream side of the container opening in the attachment direction and stands upward from a lower end portion of the container opening. When the development container is disposed in a position where an inclination of the guide rail is largest, an inclination angle of the blocking member with respect to a horizontal plane is 80° to 130°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masakazu Uehara
  • Patent number: 11507004
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a heater holding member, a stay sheet-metal, and a belt holding member. The stay sheet-metal includes a top plate and side plates and is configured to control a load applied to the heater holding member, the side plates extending respectively from opposite sides of the top plate in a short-length direction of the top plate, toward the heater holding member. The belt holding member holds the fixing belt such that the fixing belt can peripherally rotate, the belt holding member holding at least one end of the heater holding member in a longitudinal direction thereof and at least one end of the stay sheet-metal in a longitudinal direction thereof. The top plate of the stay sheet-metal is formed to extend to at least one end of the stay sheet-metal in the longitudinal direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 11500316
    Abstract: A heater holding member circulatably guides a fixing belt and holds a heater that heats the fixing belt. A stay sheet metal reinforces the heater holding member. The heater holding member has a base plate and side walls. The stay sheet metal is placed on the base plate. A side wall is erected on either side of the base plate in a short direction thereof. A pocket which keeps the stay sheet metal is formed in each side wall. The stay sheet metal has a top plate and side plates. A side plate bends and extends from either edge of the top plate in a short direction thereof. A slit is formed in each side plate such that the side plates are kept in the pockets of the heater holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto