Patents by Inventor MIKIHIKO WATANABE
MIKIHIKO WATANABE 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).
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Publication number: 20250013177Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a rotary member, a pad member, and a slide member. A distance in the conveyance direction between a first position and a second position is 3.0 mm or less. The first position is a downstream edge of a tip of a projection positioned most downstream in a direction of rotation of the belt. The second position is an upstream edge, in the direction of rotation of the belt, of the guide portion that contacts with the inner circumference surface of the belt. A distance in the pressing direction between a third position and a fourth position is 0.4 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The third position is the tip of the projection positioned most downstream in the direction of rotation of the belt. The fourth position is the same position as the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2024Publication date: January 9, 2025Inventors: KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, KENICHI TANAKA, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, SHUTARO SAITO, YUYA YAMADA
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Patent number: 12117751Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a rotary member, a pad member, and a slide member. A distance in the conveyance direction between a first position and a second position is 3.0 mm or less. The first position is a downstream edge of a tip of a projection positioned most downstream in a direction of rotation of the belt. The second position is an upstream edge, in the direction of rotation of the belt, of the guide portion that contacts with the inner circumference surface of the belt. A distance in the pressing direction between a third position and a fourth position is 0.4 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The third position is the tip of the projection positioned most downstream in the direction of rotation of the belt. The fourth position is the same position as the second position.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2023Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keisuke Yoshida, Youichi Chikugo, Kenichi Tanaka, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Rikiya Takemasa, Takeshi Kozuma, Mikihiko Watanabe, Taku Ashida, Shutaro Saito, Yuya Yamada
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Patent number: 12111594Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating unit, a pressure unit, a first frame, an urging member, a support member, and a fixing member. The heating unit heats toner carried by a recording medium. The pressure unit pressurizes the heating unit to form a nip portion with the heating unit and fixes a toner image onto the recording medium at the nip portion with the heating unit. The first frame moves to a first position where the heating unit is exposed and moves to a second position where the heating unit is covered. The urging member urges the heating unit to position the heating unit. The support member supports one end of the urging member and the fixing member fixes the support member to the fixing device.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2022Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Taku Ashida, Youichi Chikugo, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Kenichi Tanaka, Rikiya Takemasa, Takeshi Kozuma, Mikihiko Watanabe
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Publication number: 20240310765Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a steering roller, a slide member, and a pressing rotation member that forms a nip portion by pressing the belt and is disposed to face the slide member. The belt applies heat to a recording material and has an inner circumferential surface that receives a lubricant applied onto the inner circumferential surface. The pressing rotation member fixes a toner image onto the recording material by applying heat and pressure to an unfixed toner image in the nip portion, in cooperation with the belt. An end portion of the belt on one end side in a belt width direction takes a position outside an end portion of the slide member on the one end side and a position inside the end portion of the slide member on the one end side while the steering roller is in operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2024Publication date: September 19, 2024Inventors: SHUTARO SAITO, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, KENICHI TANAKA
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Patent number: 12085875Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt that is rotatable and endless, a pad, a pressing rotary member, and a scraping member. The pad contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The pressing rotary member contacts the pad via the fixing belt to form a nip portion. In cooperation with the fixing belt, the pressing rotary member fixes a toner image to a recording material by applying heat and pressure to the recording material at the nip portion. A lubricant is applied to the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The scraping member includes an inclined portion inclined downward toward an outer side of the fixing belt and contacting an edge portion of the fixing belt to scrape the lubricant. The inclined portion is in contact with the edge portion of the fixing belt in an area where an outer surface of the fixing belt faces upward.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2023Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Youichi Chikugo, Rikiya Takemasa, Kenichi Tanaka, Takeshi Kozuma, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Taku Ashida, Mikihiko Watanabe
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Patent number: 12032317Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit including a transfer nip portion, a fixing unit including a fixing nip portion, a suction belt conveyance unit arranged between the transfer unit and the fixing unit and conveying the sheet toward the fixing nip, a first casing, a second casing connected to the first casing and supporting the fixing unit, a first positioning portion, and, a second positioning portion. The first positioning portion is disposed in the first casing and performs positioning of the suction belt conveyance unit in a predetermined direction along a surface perpendicular to a width direction of the sheet. The second positioning portion is disposed in the second casing and performs positioning of the suction belt conveyance unit in the predetermined direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2023Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Sho Matsui, Mikihiko Watanabe
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Patent number: 12025936Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a steering roller, a slide member, and a pressing rotation member that forms a nip portion by pressing the belt and is disposed to face the slide member. The belt applies heat to a recording material and has an inner circumferential surface that receives a lubricant applied onto the inner circumferential surface. The pressing rotation member fixes a toner image onto the recording material by applying heat and pressure to an unfixed toner image in the nip portion, in cooperation with the belt. An end portion of the belt on one end side in a belt width direction takes a position outside an end portion of the slide member on the one end side and a position inside the end portion of the slide member on the one end side while the steering roller is in operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2023Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shutaro Saito, Youichi Chikugo, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Rikiya Takemasa, Takeshi Kozuma, Mikihiko Watanabe, Taku Ashida, Keisuke Yoshida, Yuya Yamada, Kenichi Tanaka
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Patent number: 11921449Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a slide member, an opposing member, and a retaining member. The retaining member includes, in a groove portion, a bottom surface portion that is in contact with an opposite surface of the slide member from a slide surface, a side surface portion that is formed on a downstream side of the groove portion in a conveyance direction and intersecting the bottom surface portion, and a continuous portion that is formed between the bottom surface portion and the side surface portion. The slide member includes an abutment portion configured to abut against the side surface portion at a position downstream from a downstream edge of the opposite surface when the slide member is slidden against the fixing belt such that the downstream edge of the opposite surface is positioned upstream from the continuous portion in the conveyance direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2023Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenichi Tanaka, Youichi Chikugo, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Rikiya Takemasa, Takeshi Kozuma, Mikihiko Watanabe, Taku Ashida
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Publication number: 20230273557Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a slide member, an opposing member, and a retaining member. The retaining member includes, in a groove portion, a bottom surface portion that is in contact with an opposite surface of the slide member from a slide surface, a side surface portion that is formed on a downstream side of the groove portion in a conveyance direction and intersecting the bottom surface portion, and a continuous portion that is formed between the bottom surface portion and the side surface portion. The slide member includes an abutment portion configured to abut against the side surface portion at a position downstream from a downstream edge of the opposite surface when the slide member is slidden against the fixing belt such that the downstream edge of the opposite surface is positioned upstream from the continuous portion in the conveyance direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: KENICHI TANAKA, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA
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Publication number: 20230273559Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a steering roller, a slide member, and a pressing rotation member that forms a nip portion by pressing the belt and is disposed to face the slide member. The belt applies heat to a recording material and has an inner circumferential surface that receives a lubricant applied onto the inner circumferential surface. The pressing rotation member fixes a toner image onto the recording material by applying heat and pressure to an unfixed toner image in the nip portion, in cooperation with the belt. An end portion of the belt on one end side in a belt width direction takes a position outside an end portion of the slide member on the one end side and a position inside the end portion of the slide member on the one end side while the steering roller is in operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: SHUTARO SAITO, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, KENICHI TANAKA
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Publication number: 20230273558Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a rotary member, a pad member, and a slide member. A distance in the conveyance direction between a first position and a second position is 3.0 mm or less. The first position is a downstream edge of a tip of a projection positioned most downstream in a direction of rotation of the belt. The second position is an upstream edge, in the direction of rotation of the belt, of the guide portion that contacts with the inner circumference surface of the belt. A distance in the pressing direction between a third position and a fourth position is 0.4 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The third position is the tip of the projection positioned most downstream in the direction of rotation of the belt. The fourth position is the same position as the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, KENICHI TANAKA, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, SHUTARO SAITO, YUYA YAMADA
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Publication number: 20230229105Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit including a transfer nip portion, a fixing unit including a fixing nip portion, a suction belt conveyance unit arranged between the transfer unit and the fixing unit and conveying the sheet toward the fixing nip, a first casing, a second casing connected to the first casing and supporting the fixing unit, a first positioning portion, and, a second positioning portion. The first positioning portion is disposed in the first casing and performs positioning of the suction belt conveyance unit in a predetermined direction along a surface perpendicular to a width direction of the sheet. The second positioning portion is disposed in the second casing and performs positioning of the suction belt conveyance unit in the predetermined direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2023Publication date: July 20, 2023Inventors: SHO MATSUI, MIKIHIKO WATANABE
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Publication number: 20230229098Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt that is rotatable and endless, a pad, a pressing rotary member, and a scraping member. The pad contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The pressing rotary member contacts the pad via the fixing belt to form a nip portion. In cooperation with the fixing belt, the pressing rotary member fixes a toner image to a recording material by applying heat and pressure to the recording material at the nip portion. A lubricant is applied to the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The scraping member includes an inclined portion inclined downward toward an outer side of the fixing belt and contacting an edge portion of the fixing belt to scrape the lubricant. The inclined portion is in contact with the edge portion of the fixing belt in an area where an outer surface of the fixing belt faces upward.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2023Publication date: July 20, 2023Inventors: YOUICHI CHIKUGO, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, KENICHI TANAKA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, TAKU ASHIDA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE
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Publication number: 20230221667Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating unit, a pressure unit, a first frame, an urging member, a support member, and a fixing member. The heating unit heats toner carried by a recording medium. The pressure unit pressurizes the heating unit to form a nip portion with the heating unit and fixes a toner image onto the recording medium at the nip portion with the heating unit. The first frame moves to a first position where the heating unit is exposed and moves to a second position where the heating unit is covered. The urging member urges the heating unit to position the heating unit. The support member supports one end of the urging member and the fixing member fixes the support member to the fixing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: TAKU ASHIDA, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, KENICHI TANAKA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE