Patents by Inventor Masatake Tanaka

Masatake Tanaka 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: 11947280
    Abstract: A mechanism that enables developer replenishment by a simpler structure and a mechanism that enables more user-friendly developer replenishment are provided. An attachment port to which a developer supply bottle containing a developer stored therein is detachably attachable is disposed in an interior of an image forming apparatus. The developer supply bottle can be attached when the cover is in an open state. According to this image forming apparatus, when the developer supply bottle is attached to the attachment port, the developer inside the developer supply bottle moves into a developer housing chamber by its own weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Masatake Tanaka, Kentaro Yamawaki, Kenichi Iida, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Takanori Watanabe, Ai Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20240036493
    Abstract: A cartridge comprising: a toner; a developing roller; a supply member abutting the surface of the developing roller a regulating member regulating the toner carried on the surface of the developing roller, wherein the cartridge comprises a first supply electrode to which a voltage is supplied from outside of the cartridge, the supply member and the regulating member are electrically connected to the same first supply electrode, the toner comprises a compound A having a structure represented by Formula (1) below, —(CH2CH2O)—??(1) the compound A is eluted in methanol a supernatant comprising the compound A is analyzed by liquid chromatograph ESI/MS, a specific peak of which an average m/z is 300 to 1000 exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: SHOHEI KOTOTANI, MASATAKE TANAKA, YOSUKE SUGITANI, DAISUKE BABA, TAKASHI HIRAMATSU
  • Patent number: 11829105
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising a fixing step of fixing a toner image to a recording material while nipping and conveying the recording material, on which the toner image has been formed, by a fixing nip portion, wherein the toner comprises a toner particle comprising a toner base particle and an organosilicon polymer on a surface thereof, the organosilicon polymer has a structure represented by R—SiO3/2, where R is an C1 to C6 alkyl group or a phenyl group, the organosilicon polymer has convex portions formed on an outer surface thereof, and the convex portions satisfy specific relationships, and a contact pressure ? (MPa) of the pressure member and the fixing film and a storage elastic modulus G (MPa) of the toner at a temperature of a surface of the fixing film when the recording material is nipped and conveyed by the fixing nip portion satisfy specific relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ai Suzuki, Kazuhiro Funatani, Kensuke Umeda, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Masamichi Sato, Masatake Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20230273536
    Abstract: The subject toner includes a toner particle containing a binding resin and an inorganic oxide particle, wherein the inorganic oxide particle is a particle of an oxide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of: Si; Mg; Al; Ti; and Sr, wherein, when an area of the inorganic oxide particle is represented by Sm and a sectional area of the toner is represented by St in a cross-section of the toner observed with a transmission electron microscope, Sm/St is 4.0% or more, wherein an area Sm of the inorganic oxide particle that occupies each of four regions obtained by dividing the cross-section of the toner by a long diameter of the toner and a perpendicular bisector of the long diameter has a standard deviation of 0.40 or more in the observed cross-section, and wherein the toner has an average circularity of 0.950 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI, MASATAKE TANAKA, TAIJI KATSURA, DAI NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230273542
    Abstract: A toner set capable of eliminating unclearness in a color boundary of an image in which a color image and a black image are printed side by side. The toner set includes at least: a black toner for forming a black image; and a color toner for forming a color toner image. The black toner is a toner comprising a black toner particle containing a black colorant formed of carbon black or iron oxide, a binder resin, and a releasing agent, and an external additive. The color toner is a toner comprising a color toner particle containing a color organic colorant, a binder resin, and a releasing agent. A ratio in surface roughness (Sa) between the toners is 1.30? surface roughness Sa(C) of color toner/surface roughness Sa(Bk) of black toner ?4.00. The surface roughness Sa(C) of the color toner is 10 nm to 30 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: DAI NOZAKI, MASATAKE TANAKA, TAIJI KATSURA, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230273543
    Abstract: A toner comprising: a toner particle comprising a binder resin; and an external additive at the surface of the toner particle, wherein, in a wettability test of the toner in a mixed methanol/water solvent, the methanol concentration at which the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 780 nm is 50% is 5 to 35 vol %, the external additive comprises a fluorine-containing particle, and the fluorine-containing particle is at least one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine-containing titania particle, a fluorine-containing silica particle, a fluorine-containing alumina particle, a fluorine-containing titanium composite oxide particle and a fluorine-containing hydrotalcite particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: MASATAKE TANAKA, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI, TAIJI KATSURA, DAI NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230273541
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a toner excellent in low-temperature fixability and excellent in durability under harsh environments of high-temperature and high-humidity, and a method for producing the toner. The toner can contain: a toner particle containing a binder resin, wax, and an inorganic oxide particle; and an external additive, wherein the inorganic oxide particle contains, as a main component, an oxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Mg, Al, Ti, and Sr; when a thin piece obtained by cutting the toner with a microtome is observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), the major axis A of the inorganic oxide particle is 0.10 to 3.00 ?m; and in a wettability test of the toner with respect to a methanol/water mixed solvent, a methanol concentration at a transmittance of light having a wavelength of 780 nm of 50% is 5.0 to 30.0% by volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: MASATAKE TANAKA, TAIJI KATSURA, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI, DAI NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230273539
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle and an external additive, wherein the toner particle comprises a core comprising a resin A and a shell comprising a resin B on the surface of the core, the external additive comprises a hydrotalcite particle A, fluorine and aluminum are present in an inner part of the hydrotalcite particle A in line analysis in STEM-EDS mapping analysis of the toner, and a concentration ratio of the number of fluorine atoms relative to aluminum atoms (F/Al) in the hydrotalcite particle A, as determined by primary component mapping of the hydrotalcite particle A in the STEM-EDS mapping analysis of the toner, is 0.01 to 0.60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: TAIJI KATSURA, MASATAKE TANAKA, DAI NOZAKI, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230042289
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle comprising a binder resin and boric acid, wherein the toner has an average circularity of 0.95 or more, and the toner has a shape factor SF1 of 105 to 125, and a method for producing to provide a toner with excellent durability for which the improvement of transfer rate with the above physical characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Masatake Tanaka, Shohei Tsuda, Tatsuya Saeki
  • Publication number: 20230045444
    Abstract: A mechanism that enables developer replenishment by a simpler structure and a mechanism that enables more user-friendly developer replenishment are provided. An attachment port to which a developer supply bottle containing a developer stored therein is detachably attachable is disposed in an interior of an image forming apparatus. The developer supply bottle can be attached when the cover is in an open state. According to this image forming apparatus, when the developer supply bottle is attached to the attachment port, the developer inside the developer supply bottle moves into a developer housing chamber by its own weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Masatake Tanaka, Kentaro Yamawaki, Kenichi Iida, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Takanori Watanabe, Ai Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11493859
    Abstract: A mechanism that enables developer replenishment by a simpler structure and a mechanism that enables more user-friendly developer replenishment are provided. An attachment port to which a developer supply bottle containing a developer stored therein is detachably attachable is disposed in an interior of an image forming apparatus. The developer supply bottle can be attached when the cover is in an open state. According to this image forming apparatus, when the developer supply bottle is attached to the attachment port, the developer inside the developer supply bottle moves into a developer housing chamber by its own weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Masatake Tanaka, Kentaro Yamawaki, Kenichi Iida, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Takanori Watanabe, Ai Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20220100145
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a toner, a regulating member, and a developing roller including a conductive substrate, an elastic layer, and a surface layer which includes a binder resin, a first resin particle having an elastic coefficient of 100 to 10,000 MPa, and a second resin particle having an elastic coefficient of 2 to 50 MPa and in which the outer surface has a first protruded portion and a second protruded portion 5.0 ?m or more lower than the first protruded portion and has an average maximum height of 6 to 18 ?m. The toner includes a toner particle and an external additive A that is a silica particle having a major diameter of 40 to 400 nm, a surface coverage of the toner particle by the external additive A is 3.0% or more, and a dispersion degree evaluation index D of the external additive A is 2.0 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Shintaro Kawaguchi, Masamichi Sato, Masatake Tanaka, Ryo Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20220100113
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive member, a toner, and a developing roller, a surface layer of the photosensitive member has a Martens hardness of 245 to 300 N/mm2, the developing roller has a single-layered surface layer containing a substrate and a binder resin; when an elastic modulus of the binder resin in a first region is E1, and an elastic modulus of the binder resin in a second region is E2, E1?200 MPa and 10 MPa?E2?150 MPa are satisfied; the elastic modulus in the second region continuously decreases from that in the first region; the toner comprises a toner particle and an external additive A; the external additive A is a silica particle having a major diameter of 40 to 400 nm; and a coverage of the external additive A with respect to surface of the toner particle is 5.0% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Masatake Tanaka, Tomoya Uesugi, Shintaro Kawaguchi, Masamichi Sato
  • Patent number: 11249408
    Abstract: A toner including a toner particle including a binder resin, wherein fine particles A and B are present on a surface of the toner particle; the fine particles A are a fatty acid metal salt; the fine particles B have a specific volume resistivity; an average theoretical surface area of the toner particle, an amount of the fine particles A, and a coverage ratio of the toner particle surface by the fine particles A satisfy a specific relationship; the amount of the fine particles B is in a specific range; and a proportion F of an area occupied by a part of the fine particles B embedded in a surface vicinity region of the toner in a total area occupied by the fine particles B present in a cross section of one particle of the toner is 50% by area or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Tsuda, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Masatake Tanaka, Taiji Katsura, Masamichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20210373450
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle that comprises a core particle comprising a binder resin and a surface layer comprising inorganic fine particles and an organosilicon polymer, wherein the organosilicon polymer has T3 structure represented by R—Si(O1/2)3, in 29Si-NMR measurement of THF insoluble-matter of the toner particle, a proportion of a peak area assigned to the T3 structure relative to a total peak area for the organosilicon polymer is at least 5.0%, and in observation of a cross section of the toner particle using TEM, the toner has a prescribed surface layer thickness, a prescribed number of inorganic fine particles in contact with the core particle in the surface layer, and a prescribed number of inorganic fine particles present in the core particle and not in contact with the surface layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Shintaro Kawaguchi, Masatake Tanaka, Tatsuya Saeki, Masamichi Sato
  • Patent number: 11169460
    Abstract: A toner including a toner particle containing a binder resin, and an external additive, wherein the external additive contains an organosilicon polymer fine particle, the organosilicon polymer has a structure represented by at least one selected from the group consisting of RaSiO3/2 and Rb2SiO2/2 (wherein Ra and Rb represent organic groups), and in the number particle size distribution of the toner as measured within a particle size range of from 2 to 60 ?m, the number-average particle diameter T-D50n at which the accumulation from the smallest diameter is 50% is from 6 to 12 ?m, the number ratio of toner 4 ?m or less in size is from 2% to 5% of the total toner, and the number ratio of toner 3 ?m or less in size as a percentage of the total toner 4 ?m or less in size is from 25% to 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Kototani, Kentaro Yamawaki, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Masatake Tanaka, Taiji Katsura, Masamichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20210263446
    Abstract: A mechanism that enables developer replenishment by a simpler structure and a mechanism that enables more user-friendly developer replenishment are provided. An attachment port to which a developer supply bottle containing a developer stored therein is detachably attachable is disposed in an interior of an image forming apparatus. The developer supply bottle can be attached when the cover is in an open state. According to this image forming apparatus, when the developer supply bottle is attached to the attachment port, the developer inside the developer supply bottle moves into a developer housing chamber by its own weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Masatake Tanaka, Kentaro Yamawaki, Kenichi Iida, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Takanori Watanabe, Ai Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20210223731
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising a fixing step of fixing a toner image to a recording material while nipping and conveying the recording material, on which the toner image has been formed, by a fixing nip portion, wherein the toner comprises a toner particle comprising a toner base particle and an organosilicon polymer on a surface thereof, the organosilicon polymer has a structure represented by R—SiO3/2, where R is an C1 to C6 alkyl group or a phenyl group, the organosilicon polymer has convex portions formed on an outer surface thereof, and the convex portions satisfy specific relationships, and a contact pressure ? (MPa) of the pressure member and the fixing film and a storage elastic modulus G (MPa) of the toner at a temperature of a surface of the fixing film when the recording material is nipped and conveyed by the fixing nip portion satisfy specific relationships.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Ai Suzuki, Kazuhiro Funatani, Kensuke Umeda, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Masamichi Sato, Masatake Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11003104
    Abstract: Provided is a toner including a toner particle and an external additive, wherein the external additive includes a composite particle including a hydrotalcite particle covered on the surface with an organosilicon polymer fine particle, a coverage ratio of the hydrotalcite particle surface by the organosilicon polymer fine particle is from 1% to 50%, and given A (nm) as the number-average particle diameter of the primary particles of the organosilicon polymer fine particle and B (nm) as the number-average particle diameter of the primary particles of the hydrotalcite particle, the toner satisfies the following formula (I) and formula (II): A<B??(I) 20?A?350??(II).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taiji Katsura, Masamichi Sato, Shohei Kototani, Kentaro Yamawaki, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Masatake Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11003105
    Abstract: A toner including a toner particle containing a binder resin and an external additive, wherein the external additive contains composite particles of an organosilicon polymer fine particle and a fatty acid metal salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masamichi Sato, Shohei Kototani, Kentaro Yamawaki, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Masatake Tanaka, Taiji Katsura