Patents by Inventor Masanao Kunugi

Masanao Kunugi 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: 10876255
    Abstract: A processing device has a fibrillation portion fibrillating fiber-containing materials containing fibers in the air, a particle supply portion supplying particles having Mohs' hardness of 2 or more and 5 or less to the fiber-containing materials during or after the fibrillating at the fibrillation portion for collision of the particles and the fiber-containing materials, and a particle removal portion removing the particles from the fiber-containing materials to which the particles are supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Satomi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 10626552
    Abstract: Provided is a processing device which includes a fluffing section for fluffing fibers contained in a sheet-like material, the fibers being at least near a surface of the sheet-like material, and a particle supplying section for supplying particles having Mohs hardness of 2 to 5 to the fluffed fibers. In addition, in such processing device, the particle supplying section preferably has an ejecting portion for ejecting the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satomi Yoshioka, Masanao Kunugi
  • Patent number: 10538877
    Abstract: A processing device, a sheet manufacturing apparatus, a processing method, and a sheet manufacturing method enable quickly removing color material when color material is contained in a material containing fiber. A processing device has a defibrator configured to defibrate, in air, fibrous material containing fiber; and a particle supply device configured to supply particles of dry ice to the material containing fiber during defibration or after defibration. The material containing fiber contains color material; and the particles work to separate the color material for the fibers by colliding with the color material contained in the material containing fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Satomi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 10344848
    Abstract: A robot includes a first member, a second member provided to be capable of turning with respect to the first member, and a gear device configured to transmit a driving force from one side to the other side of the first member and the second member. The gear device includes an internal gear, an external gear having flexibility and configured to partially mesh with the internal gear, a wave generator configured to be in contact with the external gear and move a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction, and lubricant disposed in at least one of a meshing section of the internal gear and the external gear and a portion where the external gear and the wave generator are in contact with each other. A last non-seizure load of the lubricant is 300 N or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Hiroyuki Kusumoto, Yuya Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20180305868
    Abstract: A processing device, a sheet manufacturing apparatus, a processing method, and a sheet manufacturing method enable quickly removing color material when color material is contained in a material containing fiber. A processing device has a defibrator configured to defibrate, in air, fibrous material containing fiber; and a particle supply device configured to supply particles of dry ice to the material containing fiber during defibration or after defibration. The material containing fiber contains color material; and the particles work to separate the color material for the fibers by colliding with the color material contained in the material containing fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Masanao KUNUGI, Satomi YOSHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20180305870
    Abstract: A processing device has a fibrillation portion fibrillating fiber-containing materials containing fibers in the air, a particle supply portion supplying particles having Mohs' hardness of 2 or more and 5 or less to the fiber-containing materials during or after the fibrillating at the fibrillation portion for collision of the particles and the fiber-containing materials, and a particle removal portion removing the particles from the fiber-containing materials to which the particles are supplied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Masanao KUNUGI, Satomi YOSHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20180305867
    Abstract: Provided is a processing device which includes a fluffing section for fluffing fibers contained in a sheet-like material, the fibers being at least near a surface of the sheet-like material, and a particle supplying section for supplying particles having Mohs hardness of 2 to 5 to the fluffed fibers. In addition, in such processing device, the particle supplying section preferably has an ejecting portion for ejecting the particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Satomi YOSHIOKA, Masanao KUNUGI
  • Patent number: 10036463
    Abstract: A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes a contact portion where two surfaces come into contact with each other and a lubricant, which is disposed on the contact portion and of which a change rate of worked penetration caused by a worked stability test is within a range of ?16% to +16% inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Kunugi
  • Publication number: 20180087643
    Abstract: A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes a contact portion where two surfaces come into contact with each other and a lubricant, which is disposed on the contact portion and of which a change rate of worked penetration caused by a worked stability test is within a range of ?16% to +16% inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventor: Masanao KUNUGI
  • Publication number: 20180031109
    Abstract: A robot includes a first member, a second member provided to be capable of turning with respect to the first member, and a gear device configured to transmit a driving force from one side to the other side of the first member and the second member. The gear device includes an internal gear, an external gear having flexibility and configured to partially mesh with the internal gear, a wave generator configured to be in contact with the external gear and move a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction, and lubricant disposed in at least one of a meshing section of the internal gear and the external gear and a portion where the external gear and the wave generator are in contact with each other. A last non-seizure load of the lubricant is 300 N or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Masanao KUNUGI, Hiroyuki KUSUMOTO, Yuya KATAOKA
  • Patent number: 8401443
    Abstract: A developing device includes a toner particle-bearing roller that bears toner particles on its surface and develops a latent image borne by an image-bearing member with those toner particles, the toner particle-bearing roller has a projection portion disposed on its surface, the projection portion having a top surface having a flat portion, and a width of the top surface being equal to or more than a volume average particle diameter of the toner particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Tomohiro Aruga, Noboru Sakurai, Katsumi Okamoto, Hiroshi Kato, Masanao Kunugi, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Publication number: 20120263505
    Abstract: A developing device includes a toner particle-bearing roller that bears toner particles on its surface and develops a latent image borne by an image-bearing member with those toner particles, the toner particle-bearing roller has a projection portion disposed on its surface, the projection portion having a top surface having a flat portion, and a width of the top surface being equal to or more than a volume average particle diameter of the toner particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi YAMADA, Tomohiro ARUGA, Noboru SAKURAI, Katsumi Okamoto, Hiroshi Kato, Masanao Kunugi, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8087170
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a developing agent carrier of a hollow or solid cylindrical shape having an outer peripheral surface and an irregularity section formed on the outer peripheral surface to carry a developing agent is provided. The method comprises a step of preparing a base material of a hollow or solid cylindrical shape which is to become the developing agent carrier, the base material having an outer peripheral surface; and a step of forming the irregularity section by pressing dice for formation of the irregularity section against the outer peripheral surface of the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Sakurai, Yoichi Yamada, Junichi Nakahara, Masanao Kunugi, Tomohiro Aruga, Katsumi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7565099
    Abstract: A developing device includes a container that contains toner particles that are for developing a latent image borne by an image bearing body, and a toner-particle bearing roller that has a helical groove portion on a surface thereof that is for bearing the toner particles, the helical groove portion having an inclination with respect to an axial direction and a circumferential direction of the toner-particle bearing roller and being formed having a uniform pitch in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Tomohiro Aruga, Noboru Sakurai, Masanao Kunugi, Katsumi Okamoto, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 7292797
    Abstract: A toner quantity measuring device, a method of measuring toner quantity and an image forming apparatus are provided that can accurately measure the toner quantity in an environmentally friendly manner, without having to make contact with a toner carrier and within a shortened period of time. The toner quantity measuring device is designed to measure the quantity of the toner T on a developing roller 510 which carries coloring agent-containing toner T in the form of a thin layer. The toner quantity measuring device is provided with a chromaticity detector 3 for detecting average chromaticity of the light which is irradiated from a light source 2 onto the developing roller 510 and then reflected by the developing roller 510, and a calculator 4 for calculating the toner quantity based on the average chromaticity detected by the chromaticity detector 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Mitsutaka Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20070147906
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a developing agent carrier of a hollow or solid cylindrical shape having an outer peripheral surface and an irregularity section formed on the outer peripheral surface to carry a developing agent is provided. The method comprises a step of preparing a base material of a hollow or solid cylindrical shape which is to become the developing agent carrier, the base material having an outer peripheral surface; and a step of forming the irregularity section by pressing dice for formation of the irregularity section against the outer peripheral surface of the base material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noboru SAKURAI, Yoichi YAMADA, Junichi NAKAHARA, Masanao KUNUGI, Tomohiro ARUGA, Katsumi OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20070110484
    Abstract: A developing device includes a container that contains toner particles that are for developing a latent image borne by an image bearing body, and a toner-particle bearing roller that has a helical groove portion on a surface thereof that is for bearing the toner particles, the helical groove portion having an inclination with respect to an axial direction and a circumferential direction of the toner-particle bearing roller and being formed having a uniform pitch in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi YAMADA, Tomohiro ARUGA, Noboru SAKURAI, Masanao KUNUGI, Katsumi OKAMOTO, Hiroshi KATO
  • Publication number: 20070110481
    Abstract: A developing device includes a toner particle-bearing roller that bears toner particles on its surface and develops a latent image borne by an image-bearing member with those toner particles, the toner particle-bearing roller has a projection portion disposed on its surface, the projection portion having a top surface having a flat portion, and a width of the top surface being equal to or more than a volume average particle diameter of the toner particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi YAMADA, Tomohiro ARUGA, Noboru SAKURAI, Katsumi OKAMOTO, Hiroshi KATO, Masanao KUNUGI, Takatomo FUKUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7135260
    Abstract: The invention provides an imaging system wherein toners of two or more colors are used to form toner images and the toner images are successively used to form a color image on a recording material. The imaging system can form an image with high transfer efficiency. An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier. Using developing units for two or more colors, images are formed. Then, the images are successively transferred onto an intermediate transfer medium at a transfer voltage fed from a constant-voltage power supply. The developing units are located such that development occurs in descending toner work function order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Miyakawa, Shinji Yasukawa, Mikio Furumizu, Nobumasa Abe, Masanao Kunugi, Yoshiro Koga
  • Patent number: 7041423
    Abstract: A developing method, including the steps of: carrying one-component non-magnetic toner on a developer carrier; pressing the one-component non-magnetic toner by a regulating member so as to regulate a transporting quantity of the one-component non-magnetic toner so that the one-component non-magnetic toner is charged; forming an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier; providing the one-component non-magnetic toner to the electrostatic latent image so as to convert the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image; and controlling the one-component non-magnetic toner so that the one-component non-magnetic toner pressed by the regulating member satisfies the following relationship: B/A?1, where A represents a width [?m] of a particle size distribution of the one-component non-magnetic toner; and B represents a width [fC] of a charge quantity distribution of the one-component non-magnetic toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Kunugi, Atsunori Kitazawa, Hiroshi Toyama