Patents by Inventor Masaki Kakitani

Masaki Kakitani 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: 20230400808
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium: an upper surface cover which is provided to an upper surface of the image forming apparatus and forms at least a part of an appearance of the image forming apparatus; a first cover which is provided to a front surface of the image forming apparatus and forms at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus; and a second cover which is provided to the front surface of the image forming apparatus so as to be located above the first cover and forms at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus. The first cover includes a resin material. The second cover includes a ferromagnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Patent number: 11762325
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium: an upper surface cover which is provided to an upper surface of the image forming apparatus and forms at least a part of an appearance of the image forming apparatus; a first cover which is provided to a front surface of the image forming apparatus and forms at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus; and a second cover which is provided to the front surface of the image forming apparatus so as to be located above the first cover and forms at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus. The first cover includes a resin material. The second cover includes a ferromagnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20220342358
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium: an upper surface cover which is provided to an upper surface of the image forming apparatus and forms at least a part of an appearance of the image forming apparatus; a first cover which is provided to a front surface of the image forming apparatus and forms at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus; and a second cover which is provided to the front surface of the image forming apparatus so as to be located above the first cover and forms at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus. The first cover includes a resin material. The second cover includes a ferromagnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Patent number: 10444674
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; an openable member rotatably supported by the main assembly; a first feeding guide provided on the openable member; a second feeding guide provided in the main assembly, wherein when the openable member is closed, a sheet feeding path for feeding the sheet is formed by the first and second feeding guides; a hole provided in the first feeding guide; and an illumination device, provided on the openable member, for illuminating at least a part of the second feeding guide through the hole when the openable member is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Kakitani, Kenichi Manabe
  • Patent number: 10167166
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet, including: an exterior member movable with respect to an apparatus main body; a locking portion locking the exterior member to the apparatus main body such that the exterior member is not moved with respect to the apparatus main body; a display portion which is disposed on the exterior member and displays a state of the locking portion; and a light source turning on the display portion, in which the display portion includes a thin portion which is a part of the exterior member, has a thickness less than thicknesses of other portions of the exterior member, and transmits light from the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20180188673
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; an openable member rotatably supported by the main assembly; a first feeding guide provided on the openable member; a second feeding guide provided in the main assembly, wherein when the openable member is closed, a sheet feeding path for feeding the sheet is formed by the first and second feeding guides; a hole provided in the first feeding guide; and an illumination device, provided on the openable member, for illuminating at least a part of the second feeding guide through the hole when the openable member is open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Masaki Kakitani, Kenichi Manabe
  • Patent number: 9964916
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet, a sheet feeding device configured to feed the sheet, an openable member configured to be opened for exposing at least a part of a sheet feeding path of the sheet feeding device to an outside of the image forming apparatus, an operating portion operated for opening the openable member, and an illumination device configured to illuminate the operating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Manabe, Masaki Kakitani
  • Patent number: 9939762
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; an openable member rotatably supported by the main assembly; a first feeding guide provided on the openable member; a second feeding guide provided in the main assembly, wherein when the openable member is closed, a sheet feeding path for feeding the sheet is formed by the first and second feeding guides; a hole provided in the first feeding guide; and an illumination device, provided on the openable member, for illuminating at least a part of the second feeding guide through the hole when the openable member is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Kakitani, Kenichi Manabe
  • Publication number: 20180009625
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet, including: an exterior member movable with respect to an apparatus main body; a locking portion locking the exterior member to the apparatus main body such that the exterior member is not moved with respect to the apparatus main body; a display portion which is disposed on the exterior member and displays a state of the locking portion; and a light source turning on the display portion, in which the display portion includes a thin portion which is a part of the exterior member, has a thickness less than thicknesses of other portions of the exterior member, and transmits light from the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20170227917
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet, a sheet feeding device configured to feed the sheet, an openable member configured to be opened for exposing at least a part of a sheet feeding path of the sheet feeding device to an outside of the image forming apparatus, an operating portion operated for opening the openable member, and an illumination device configured to illuminate the operating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Kenichi Manabe, Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20170227898
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; an openable member rotatably supported by the main assembly; a first feeding guide provided on the openable member; a second feeding guide provided in the main assembly, wherein when the openable member is closed, a sheet feeding path for feeding the sheet is formed by the first and second feeding guides; a hole provided in the first feeding guide; and an illumination device, provided on the openable member, for illuminating at least a part of the second feeding guide through the hole when the openable member is open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Masaki Kakitani, Kenichi Manabe
  • Patent number: 9632471
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus is equipped with a first rotator, a second rotator conveying a sheet together with the first rotator, a cam member changing a position of the second rotator with respect to the first rotator, a drive unit rotating the cam member, and a load portion applying load on a rotation of the cam member. The load portion includes a contact member having a cam surface formed on a side surface in an axial direction of the cam member, an abutment member capable of abutting against the cam surface, and a biasing member biasing one of the contact member and the abutment member toward the other, a biasing force of the biasing member converted into a force, applying load to the rotating cam member, by the cam surface opposing to a rotating direction in which the cam member is driven by the drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kengo Sato, Masaki Kakitani
  • Patent number: 9442450
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus is provided with a driving portion, and the driving portion is normally rotated, driving power from the driving portion is transmitted to a cam member through a transmitting portion. Then, one of a rotary roller pair is moved to another one. The sheet conveying apparatus further includes a restricting portion that restricts the cam member from turning in a direction opposite to a turning direction turned in response to a normal rotation of the driving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kengo Sato, Masaki Kakitani
  • Patent number: 9423760
    Abstract: A developer accommodating container, comprising: an accommodating portion provided with a falling inlet; an optical portion which forms a light path inside the accommodating portion; a space portion which is provided in the middle of the light path and capable of accumulating the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion; a casing portion which has a cover portion covering the space portion not to flow in the developer to the space portion except a surface of the opposite side which is formed the falling inlet seeing from the space portion, and that has a introducing inlet which can introduce the developer to the space portion from upper position than at least a bottom of the space portion, and that has a discharge outlet which can discharge the developer at a lower position than the space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Kakitani, Koichi Taniguchi, Tadashi Iwakawa
  • Publication number: 20160103412
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus is provided with a driving portion, and the driving portion is normally rotated, driving power from the driving portion is transmitted to a cam member through a transmitting portion. Then, one of a rotary roller pair is moved to another one. The sheet conveying apparatus further includes a restricting portion that restricts the cam member from turning in a direction opposite to a turning direction turned in response to a normal rotation of the driving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Kengo Sato, Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20160103411
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus is equipped with a first rotator, a second rotator conveying a sheet together with the first rotator, a cam member changing a position of the second rotator with respect to the first rotator, a drive unit rotating the cam member, and a load portion applying load on a rotation of the cam member. The load portion includes a contact member having a cam surface formed on a side surface in an axial direction of the cam member, an abutment member capable of abutting against the cam surface, and a biasing member biasing one of the contact member and the abutment member toward the other, a biasing force of the biasing member converted into a force, applying load to the rotating cam member, by the cam surface opposing to a rotating direction in which the cam member is driven by the drive unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Kengo Sato, Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20150331356
    Abstract: A developer container, comprising: an accommodating portion accommodating fallen developer; a first optical unit guiding detection light; a second optical unit disposed as opposed to the first optical unit, and guiding the detection light to the outside of the accommodating portion; a space provided between the first optical unit and the second optical unit, and in which the developer accumulates; a casing having an opening for communicating with the space, and covering the peripheral of the space; and an outlet disposed at a position lower than the opening, wherein an angle formed by a straight line connecting a point closest to the opening on opposed surface areas of the first optical unit and the second optical unit and a point farthest from the opening on the opposed surface areas and the horizontal direction is greater than the repose angle of the developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Publication number: 20140016977
    Abstract: A developer accommodating container, comprising: an accommodating portion provided with a falling inlet; an optical portion which forms a light path inside the accommodating portion; a space portion which is provided in the middle of the light path and capable of accumulating the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion; a casing portion which has a cover portion covering the space portion not to flow in the developer to the space portion except a surface of the opposite side which is formed the falling inlet seeing from the space portion, and that has a introducing inlet which can introduce the developer to the space portion from upper position than at least a bottom of the space portion, and that has a discharge outlet which can discharge the developer at a lower position than the space portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Masaki Kakitani, Koichi Taniguchi, Tadashi Iwakawa
  • Patent number: 8588654
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member for carrying a latent image; a developing device including a developer carrying member, rotatable about a rotational axis thereof, for carrying a developer and for developing a latent image formed on the bearing member; a rotatable feeding member, provided in the developing device, for feeding the developer; a first driving force receiving member, provided at one axial end portion of the developer carrying member, for receiving a driving force for driving the developer carrying member; a second driving force receiving member, provided at the other axial end portion of the developer carrying member, for receiving a driving force for driving the feeding member; a first drive inputting member for driving the first driving force receiving member; a second drive inputting member for driving the second driving force receiving member; and an abutment member, provided at each of the axial end portions of the developer carrying member, or determining
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Kakitani
  • Patent number: 8583006
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a movable member including a mounting portion for detachably mounting a cartridge, with the movable member being movable from an outside toward an inside of a main assembly of the apparatus while supporting the cartridge. The apparatus further comprises an output contact and an intermediary electrical contact configured and positioned to supply a bias voltage received by the output contact to the cartridge, with intermediary electrical contact being disposed on the mounting portion and being elastically deformable in a moving direction in which the movable member is movable between the outside and the inside. The cartridge includes an input electrical contact and a cartridge side contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunari Murayama, Masaki Kakitani, Hideki Maeshima, Akinori Takayama