Patents by Inventor Mikio Saiki

Mikio Saiki 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: 9594335
    Abstract: A heat sensing device includes a heat sensing element that contacts an inner surface of a surface heater extending in an arc shape, the inner surface having the arc shape, and that senses that a temperature of the surface heater exceeds a predetermined temperature; a spring member one end of which is fixed to the heat sensing element and that presses the heat sensing element against the inner surface of the surface heater; and a supporting body that supports the other end of the spring member, the other end being away from the heat sensing element, in such a way that the other end is movable in a direction in which the surface heater extends in the arc shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio Saiki
  • Publication number: 20170045849
    Abstract: A heat sensing device includes a heat sensing element that contacts an inner surface of a surface heater extending in an arc shape, the inner surface having the arc shape, and that senses that a temperature of the surface heater exceeds a predetermined temperature; a spring member one end of which is fixed to the heat sensing element and that presses the heat sensing element against the inner surface of the surface heater; and a supporting body that supports the other end of the spring member, the other end being away from the heat sensing element, in such a way that the other end is movable in a direction in which the surface heater extends in the arc shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio SAIKI
  • Patent number: 9459570
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image to a recording medium, a pressure member that forms, together with the fixing member, a pressure portion through which the recording medium carrying the toner image yet to be fixed passes, and a heating member including a heating layer that generates heat when energized and an insulating layer that encloses the heating layer so as to electrically insulate the heating layer. The heating member has a curved shape along an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member, in a state in which no external force is applied, and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio Saiki, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Kazuyoshi Ito, Yasuhiro Uehara, Atsumi Kurita, Hideaki Ohara, Hiromi Nagai, Nobuyoshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20160282774
    Abstract: A heating member includes a flexible surface heater and an auxiliary heating portion. The flexible surface heater has a fixed end side and a free end side, has a contact region in contact with a member to be heated on the free end side and a non-contact region on the fixed end side, is partially fixed, and includes a heating portion in the contact region. The auxiliary heating portion supplementally heats the non-contact region on the fixed end side of the flexible surface heater so as to suppress an occurrence of a temperature difference between the free end side and the fixed end side of the flexible surface heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro UEHARA, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Kazuyoshi ITO, Mikio SAIKI
  • Publication number: 20160266528
    Abstract: A heater includes a heating element that includes an electrode disposed at an end of the heating element in a longitudinal direction of the heating element and that generates heat as a result of power being supplied to the heating element via the electrode, a support member that supports the heating element, a connecting member that is disposed between the heating element and the support member and that couples the heating element and the support member to each other at the end, the connecting member being fixed to the heating element in directions including the longitudinal direction and being fixed to the support member in such a manner as to be freely movable in the longitudinal direction, and a wiring line that is connected to the electrode of the heating element and fixed to the connecting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio SAIKI
  • Patent number: 9348279
    Abstract: A surface heater includes a heating body, insulation layers, and a first support layer and a second support layer. The heating body is interposed between the insulation layers. The heating body and the insulation layers are interposed between the first support layer and the second support layer. The first support layer has a first region superposed on the heating body and a second region not superposed on the heating body. The first support layer has at least one slit which is located at a side of an inner circumferential surface of the surface heater bent into an arc shape. The second region has the at least one slit and the first region has no slit, or the at least one slit includes a plurality of slits and the second region has a greater number of slits out of the plurality of slits than the first region has.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Ito, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Mikio Saiki, Yasuhiro Uehara
  • Patent number: 9235171
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including a heating unit that includes a circularly moving heating belt, and a pressurizing roller that presses an external face of the heating belt, the fixing device fixing a toner image on a sheet onto the sheet by nipping the sheet between the heating belt and the pressurizing roller and by heating and pressurizing the sheet transported with the toner image being held.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Hideaki Ohara, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Kazuyoshi Ito, Yasuhiro Uehara, Mikio Saiki, Hiromi Nagai, Nobuyoshi Komatsu, Hiroki Murakami, Junji Okada, Kimiyuki Kawakami, Tadashi Suto
  • Patent number: 9217971
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member that fixes a toner image onto a recording medium, and a heating member. The heating member includes a heat-generating layer that generates heat when supplied with electricity; an insulation layer that encloses the heat-generating layer therein to electrically insulate the heat-generating layer; a metallic layer that is laminated on a first surface of the insulation layer, has higher rigidity than the insulation layer, and generates an elastic restoring force; and a thermally conductive layer that is laminated on a second surface of the insulation layer, has lower rigidity than the metallic layer, and has higher thermal conductivity than the insulation layer and the metallic layer. The heating member is supported by one edge of the fixing member in a circumferential direction thereof, elastically deforms by being pressed against an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member, and heats the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Hideaki Ohara, Yasuhiro Uehara, Kazuyoshi Ito, Mikio Saiki, Hiroki Murakami, Junji Okada, Kimiyuki Kawakami, Tadashi Suto
  • Patent number: 9170533
    Abstract: A belt driving device includes an endless belt; support members that extend in a width direction of the endless belt and support the endless belt, the support members including a control member that controls the widthwise position of the endless belt; a support body that supports the support members; and a driving mechanism that drives one end of the control member to cause the control member to pivot about a pivot axis in a direction in which stretching of the endless belt is prevented. A portion of the control member shifted from the midpoint toward an edge of the endless belt is pivotably supported by the support member to serve as the pivot axis, so that the moving distances of two points on the control member aligned with the edges of the endless belt when the control member is driven by the driving mechanism are close to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio Saiki
  • Patent number: 9141053
    Abstract: Provided is a heating device that heats a belt which transports a medium on which a non-fixed image to be fixed onto the medium through heating is formed, the heating device including a heating element, a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer that are arranged to nip the heating element, a first supporting layer that comes into contact with the first insulating layer and a second supporting layer that comes into contact with the second insulating layer, both of which are arranged to nip the first insulating layer, the heating element, and the second insulating layer, and a connection member that connects the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer in a normal direction of the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Yasuhiro Uehara, Kazuyoshi Ito, Hideaki Ohara, Mikio Saiki, Hiroki Murakami, Kimiyuki Kawakami, Junji Okada, Tadashi Suto
  • Patent number: 9141043
    Abstract: A transport device includes a belt-shaped member that is rotated so as to transport an object, a first support member that supports the belt-shaped member, an urging member extending in an axial direction of the first support member, and a conversion unit that converts a direction of an urging force of the urging member to a direction toward the belt-shaped member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio Saiki
  • Patent number: 9122214
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including a fixing member that fixes a toner image onto a recording material, a pressurizing member that forms a pressurizing portion, in cooperation with the fixing member, through which the recording material holding a non-fixed toner image passes, a heating member that includes a heat generating portion having a predetermined pattern shape and being energized to generate heat, and heats the fixing member, a supporting member that supports the heating member along an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member, and a thermal diffusion member that faces the supporting member with interposing the heating member, and diffuses heat from the heating member and conducts the heat to the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Hideaki Ohara, Nobuyoshi Komatsu, Yasuhiro Uehara, Kazuyoshi Ito, Mikio Saiki, Hiromi Nagai
  • Patent number: 9098039
    Abstract: A roller-shaped rotator includes an endless belt and a roller-shaped base member. The roller-shaped base member is formed by winding a thin plate material plural times through elastic deformation into a roller shape. The roller-shaped base member is inserted into the endless belt, and brought into press contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt by an elastic repulsive force due to the deformation. The roller-shaped base member is supported at both end portions in an axial direction so as to be rotatable about an axis of the roller-shaped base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Uehara, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Mikio Saiki, Kazuyoshi Ito, Hideaki Ohara
  • Publication number: 20150160590
    Abstract: Provided is a heating device that heats a belt which transports a medium on which a non-fixed image to be fixed onto the medium through heating is formed, the heating device including a heating element, a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer that are arranged to nip the heating element, a first supporting layer that comes into contact with the first insulating layer and a second supporting layer that comes into contact with the second insulating layer, both of which are arranged to nip the first insulating layer, the heating element, and the second insulating layer, and a connection member that connects the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer in a normal direction of the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Yasuhiro UEHARA, Kazuyoshi ITO, Hideaki OHARA, Mikio SAIKI, Hiroki MURAKAMI, Kimiyuki KAWAKAMI, Junji OKADA, Tadashi SUTO
  • Publication number: 20150125191
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including a heating unit that includes a circularly moving heating belt, and a pressurizing roller that presses an external face of the heating belt, the fixing device fixing a toner image on a sheet onto the sheet by nipping the sheet between the heating belt and the pressurizing roller and by heating and pressurizing the sheet transported with the toner image being held.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Hideaki OHARA, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Kazuyoshi ITO, Yasuhiro UEHARA, Mikio SAIKI, Hiromi NAGAI, Nobuyoshi KOMATSU, Hiroki MURAKAMI, Junji OKADA, Kimiyuki KAWAKAMI, Tadashi SUTO
  • Publication number: 20150110530
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including a fixing belt that is formed in an endless shape, is driven to rotate, and includes an outer circumferential surface pressed to a recording sheet holding a toner image, and a thin plate shaped heating member that contacts with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to generate heat and heats the fixing belt, wherein the heating member is supported to be fixed at one end portion in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt, contacts with the fixing belt along the circumferential direction, is elastically deformed so that a shape of the heating member is restrained by the fixing belt, and is pressed to the circumferential surface of the fixing belt by an elastic repulsive force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro UEHARA, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Kazuyoshi ITO, Mikio SAIKI, Hideaki OHARA
  • Publication number: 20150098737
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including a fixing member that fixes a toner image onto a recording material, a pressurizing member that forms a pressurizing portion, in cooperation with the fixing member, through which the recording material holding a non-fixed toner image passes, a heating member that includes a heat generating portion having a predetermined pattern shape and being energized to generate heat, and heats the fixing member, a supporting member that supports the heating member along an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member, and a thermal diffusion member that faces the supporting member with interposing the heating member, and diffuses heat from the heating member and conducts the heat to the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Hideaki OHARA, Nobuyoshi KOMATSU, Yasuhiro UEHARA, Kazuyoshi ITO, Mikio SAIKI, Hiromi NAGAI
  • Patent number: 8958732
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a plurality of belt support members including a first roller, an endless belt, a heating structure, a first support that has two bearings and an urging part and supports the first roller via the urging part and the two bearings, a second support that supports at least one another belt support member excluding the first roller, the second support rotatably supporting the first roller, an angle changing mechanism that changes an angle of the first support with respect to the second support to correct eccentricity in a width direction of the endless belt, and a second roller that rotates while being pressed against an outer surface of the endless belt, the second roller sandwiching a medium carrying an unfixed toner image between the second roller and the endless belt, the second roller fixing the toner image to the medium in cooperation with the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Saiki
  • Publication number: 20150030360
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image to a recording medium, a pressure member that forms, together with the fixing member, a pressure portion through which the recording medium carrying the toner image yet to be fixed passes, and a heating member including a heating layer that generates heat when energized and an insulating layer that encloses the heating layer so as to electrically insulate the heating layer. The heating member has a curved shape along an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member, in a state in which no external force is applied, and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio SAIKI, Mitsuhiro MATSUMOTO, Kazuyoshi ITO, Yasuhiro UEHARA, Atsumi KURITA, Hideaki OHARA, Hiromi NAGAI, Nobuyoshi KOMATSU
  • Publication number: 20140270871
    Abstract: A transport device includes a belt-shaped member that is rotated so as to transport an object, a first support member that supports the belt-shaped member, an urging member extending in an axial direction of the first support member, and a conversion unit that converts a direction of an urging force of the urging member to a direction toward the belt-shaped member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio SAIKI