Patents by Inventor Motoji Kawamoto

Motoji Kawamoto 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: 8897680
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a toner supply section that supplies toner to a plurality of developing sections; a carrier supply section that supplies carrier to the plurality of developing sections; and a control section that controls an operation of the carrier supply section. The carrier supply section includes: a carrier housing section; a carrier distributing section that receives a predetermined amount of carrier that has freely fallen from the carrier housing section and guides the predetermined amount of carrier to each of the plurality of developing sections; a support frame section that slidably supports the carrier distributing section; and a vibration exciter section that vibrates the carrier distributing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihiko Ooishi, Motoji Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20140016954
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a toner supply section that supplies toner to a plurality of developing sections; a carrier supply section that supplies carrier to the plurality of developing sections; and a control section that controls an operation of the carrier supply section. The carrier supply section includes: a carrier housing section; a carrier distributing section that receives a predetermined amount of carrier that has freely fallen from the carrier housing section and guides the predetermined amount of carrier to each of the plurality of developing sections; a support frame section that slidably supports the carrier distributing section; and a vibration exciter section that vibrates the carrier distributing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Akihiko OOISHI, Motoji KAWAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8452205
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, includes: a pair of panels which constitute a main body skeletal structure of the image forming apparatus and face each other; a main body skeletal structure shaft which connects between the pair of panels and is fixed to each of the pair of panels; and a unit which is installed between the pair of panels and needs positioning based on the main body skeletal structure shaft, wherein an exposed section which is provided on the main body skeletal structure shaft and serves as a measuring reference position for a measuring instrument when a positional relationship between the main body skeletal structure shaft and the unit is measured by use of the measuring instrument after completing assembling of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Motoji Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20120237257
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes: a main body of the apparatus that forms a color image; and an intermediate transfer unit for transferring the color image formed by the main body of the apparatus, wherein the intermediate transfer unit is configured to be removed from and to be inserted into the main body of the apparatus, and wherein the intermediate transfer unit is configured to perform a door-like opening and closing movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiaki TOMINO, Motoji KAWAMOTO, Shinobu KONNO
  • Patent number: 7965973
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member; an image forming section to form a toner image on the image carrying member; a transferring section to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrying member to a sheet; a fixing section to fix the toner image onto the sheet; a sheet feeding section to feed a sheet to the transferring section; a sheet tray to store sheets to be fed by the sheet feeding section; a dehumidifying heater arranged to the sheet tray and to perform dehumidification for sheets; a waste toner box arranged to adjoin the sheet tray and to accommodate waste toner; and a partition member arranged between the sheet tray and the waste toner box and between the dehumidifying heater and the waste toner box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Motoji Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20110081162
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, includes: a pair of panels which constitute a main body skeletal structure of the image forming apparatus and face each other; a main body skeletal structure shaft which connects between the pair of panels and is fixed to each of the pair of panels; and a unit which is installed between the pair of panels and needs positioning based on the main body skeletal structure shaft, wherein an exposed section which is provided on the main body skeletal structure shaft and serves as a measuring reference position for a measuring instrument when a positional relationship between the main body skeletal structure shaft and the unit is measured by use of the measuring instrument after completing assembling of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventor: Motoji Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20090052961
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member; an image forming section to form a toner image on the image carrying member; a transferring section to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrying member to a sheet; a fixing section to fix the toner image onto the sheet; a sheet feeding section to feed a sheet to the transferring section; a sheet tray to store sheets to be fed by the sheet feeding section; a dehumidifying heater arranged to the sheet tray and to perform dehumidification for sheets; a waste toner box arranged to adjoin the sheet tray and to accommodate waste toner; and a partition member arranged between the sheet tray and the waste toner box and between the dehumidifying heater and the waste toner box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Motoji Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5436707
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided detachably mountable to and for use in an image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes a charging unit, an exposure unit and a developing unit around a photoreceptor. A toner supply unit is integrally provided on the front side of the process cartridge. A toner accommodation casing is provided in the toner supply unit for accommodating toner. The toner accommodating casing composes a structural portion of the process cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogane, Motoji Kawamoto