Patents by Inventor Munehito Kurata

Munehito Kurata 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: 11586136
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to, in executing a job to form images continuously on a plurality of sheets of a recording material, accumulate an addition amount per sheet to an index in accordance with a number of sheets of the recording material to which images are formed in the job. A value of the addition amount per sheet is determined in correspondence with an attribute of the recording material used in the job. The control unit is configured to, during execution of the job, change a throughput of the job so that images are formed at a first throughput if an accumulated value of the index still does not exceed a predetermined threshold value and images are formed at a second throughput slower than the first throughput if the accumulated value of the index has exceeded the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Eguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20230037748
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to execute a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode in which a toner image is formed on a sheet at a time when a sheet passes through an image formation position for a first time after detecting a property of the sheet by a detection unit. Wherein the second mode is a mode in which a toner image is not formed on a sheet at the time when the sheet passes through the image formation position for the first time after detecting the property of the sheet by the detection unit and is formed on the sheet at a time when the sheet is conveyed via the second conveyance path and passes through the image formation position for a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Keisuke Mochizuki, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 11487228
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to execute a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode in which a toner image is formed on a sheet at a time when a sheet passes through an image formation position for a first time after detecting a property of the sheet by a detection unit. Wherein the second mode is a mode in which a toner image is not formed on a sheet at the time when the sheet passes through the image formation position for the first time after detecting the property of the sheet by the detection unit and is formed on the sheet at a time when the sheet is conveyed via the second conveyance path and passes through the image formation position for a second time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Keisuke Mochizuki, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20220326640
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus including an acquiring portion which acquires thickness information of a recording material, and a control portion controls a power to be supplied to a heating element which heats a region where the recording material does not pass through among a plurality of heating regions based on a control target temperature which is set based on the thickness information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventor: Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 11402775
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus including an acquiring portion which acquires thickness information of a recording material, and a control portion controls a power to be supplied to a heating element which heats a region where the recording material does not pass through among a plurality of heating regions based on a control target temperature which is set based on the thickness information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20220019163
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to execute a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode in which a toner image is formed on a sheet at a time when a sheet passes through an image formation position for a first time after detecting a property of the sheet by a detection unit. Wherein the second mode is a mode in which a toner image is not formed on a sheet at the time when the sheet passes through the image formation position for the first time after detecting the property of the sheet by the detection unit and is formed on the sheet at a time when the sheet is conveyed via the second conveyance path and passes through the image formation position for a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Keisuke Mochizuki, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20210232076
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to, in executing a job to form images continuously on a plurality of sheets of a recording material, accumulate an addition amount per sheet to an index in accordance with a number of sheets of the recording material to which images are formed in the job. A value of the addition amount per sheet is determined in correspondence with an attribute of the recording material used in the job. The control unit is configured to, during execution of the job, change a throughput of the job so that images are formed at a first throughput if an accumulated value of the index still does not exceed a predetermined threshold value and images are formed at a second throughput slower than the first throughput if the accumulated value of the index has exceeded the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroki Eguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 11067926
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material has a second image forming mode that (i) controls the target control temperature of a heater to be lower than in a normal image forming mode and at least (ii) extends a period of time from the start of image forming to a point of time at which the recording material reaches the nip portion to be longer than in the normal image forming mode based on (A) recording material information indicating the hardness of the recording material, at least one of (B) margin information indicating the size of the margin at the leading end in the transport direction of the recording material and (C) toner amount information at the leading end of the image formed on the recording material, and (D) information of an environment in which the image forming apparatus is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Hashiguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 11029627
    Abstract: In a fixing apparatus 200 having a heater 300 capable of selectively causing a plurality of heat generating blocks divided in a longitudinal direction of a substrate 305 to generate heat, an energization control portion 400 acquires, when performing a fixing operation, a cumulative amount of heat generation in each of a plurality of heating areas, a cumulative rotation time of a pressure roller 208, and information on a recording material that passes through a fixing nip portion, and controls energization of heat generating elements 302a and 302b on the basis of the acquired information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kataoka, Atsushi Iwasaki, Hirokazu Okugawa, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20210124293
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus including an acquiring portion which acquires thickness information of a recording material, and a control portion controls a power to be supplied to a heating element which heats a region where the recording material does not pass through among a plurality of heating regions based on a control target temperature which is set based on the thickness information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventor: Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20210116848
    Abstract: A supporting member supporting a heating member includes a lubricant storage portion storing a lubricant on an upstream side of a nip portion in a rotation direction of an endless film sliding with respect to the heating member. The supporting member further includes a lubricant supplying portion supplying the lubricant stored in the lubricant storage portion to an inner peripheral surface of the film. An amount of the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supplying portion to the inner peripheral surface of the film per unit time is larger in an area through which a small-sized recording material smaller than a maximum-sized recording material fixable by the image heating device does not pass in a longitudinal direction than in an area through which the small-sized recording material passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Satoru Taniguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 10983461
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus including an acquiring portion which acquires thickness information of a recording material, and a control portion controls a power to be supplied to a heating element which heats a region where the recording material does not pass through among a plurality of heating regions based on a control target temperature which is set based on the thickness information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 10908539
    Abstract: A supporting member supporting a heating member includes a lubricant storage portion storing a lubricant on an upstream side of a nip portion in a rotation direction of an endless film sliding with respect to the heating member. The supporting member further includes a lubricant supplying portion supplying the lubricant stored in the lubricant storage portion to an inner peripheral surface of the film. An amount of the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supplying portion to the inner peripheral surface of the film per unit time is larger in an area through which a small-sized recording material smaller than a maximum-sized recording material fixable by the image heating device does not pass in a longitudinal direction than in an area through which the small-sized recording material passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Taniguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 10712984
    Abstract: A control unit of the invention compares printing setting suitable for a determined type of a recording material and printing setting of the recording material input by a user, and in a case where a difference between the printing setting suitable for the determined type of the recording material and the printing setting of the recording material input by the user falls in a predetermined range, the control unit performs a printing operation in accordance with the printing setting of the recording material input by the user, and in a case where the difference is greater than the predetermined range, the control unit performs the printing operation by changing the printing setting of the recording material input by the user, which is used when the difference is smaller than the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Suzuki, Munehito Kurata, Teruhiko Namiki, Yasuhisa Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10712692
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit to fix a toner image which has been transferred onto a sheet by a transfer portion, a loop detector to detect an amount of a loop formed on the sheet at a position between the transfer portion and the fixing unit, and a controller to control a sheet conveyance speed of the fixing unit based on a detection result of the loop detector and control a rotational speed of rotary members to convey the sheet based on an area ratio which is a ratio of an area in which the toner image is formed by the transfer portion within a predetermined region set on a printing surface of the sheet onto which the toner image is transferred. The predetermined region is located at a position distant from a leading edge of the sheet more than a distance between the transfer portion and the fixing unit in the sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Shinji Hashiguchi, Satoshi Murasaki
  • Publication number: 20200209787
    Abstract: A supporting member supporting a heating member includes a lubricant storage portion storing a lubricant on an upstream side of a nip portion in a rotation direction of an endless film sliding with respect to the heating member. The supporting member further includes a lubricant supplying portion supplying the lubricant stored in the lubricant storage portion to an inner peripheral surface of the film. An amount of the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supplying portion to the inner peripheral surface of the film per unit time is larger in an area through which a small-sized recording material smaller than a maximum-sized recording material fixable by the image heating device does not pass in a longitudinal direction than in an area through which the small-sized recording material passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Satoru Taniguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20200201215
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material has a second image forming mode that (i) controls the target control temperature of a heater to be lower than in a normal image forming mode and at least (ii) extends a period of time from the start of image forming to a point of time at which the recording material reaches the nip portion to be longer than in the normal image forming mode based on (A) recording material information indicating the hardness of the recording material, at least one of (B) margin information indicating the size of the margin at the leading end in the transport direction of the recording material and (C) toner amount information at the leading end of the image formed on the recording material, and (D) information of an environment in which the image forming apparatus is installed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Shinji Hashiguchi, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20200174409
    Abstract: In a fixing apparatus 200 having a heater 300 capable of selectively causing a plurality of heat generating blocks divided in a longitudinal direction of a substrate 305 to generate heat, an energization control portion 400 acquires, when performing a fixing operation, a cumulative amount of heat generation in each of a plurality of heating areas, a cumulative rotation time of a pressure roller 208, and information on a recording material that passes through a fixing nip portion, and controls energization of heat generating elements 302a and 302b on the basis of the acquired information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kataoka, Atsushi Iwasaki, Hirokazu Okugawa, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20200150913
    Abstract: A control unit of the invention compares printing setting suitable for a determined type of a recording material and printing setting of the recording material input by a user, and in a case where a difference between the printing setting suitable for the determined type of the recording material and the printing setting of the recording material input by the user falls in a predetermined range, the control unit performs a printing operation in accordance with the printing setting of the recording material input by the user, and in a case where the difference is greater than the predetermined range, the control unit performs the printing operation by changing the printing setting of the recording material input by the user, which is used when the difference is smaller than the predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Ryo Suzuki, Munehito Kurata, Teruhiko Namiki, Yasuhisa Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10558410
    Abstract: A control unit of the invention compares printing setting suitable for a determined type of a recording material and printing setting of the recording material input by a user, and in a case where a difference between the printing setting suitable for the determined type of the recording material and the printing setting of the recording material input by the user falls in a predetermined range, the control unit performs a printing operation in accordance with the printing setting of the recording material input by the user, and in a case where the difference is greater than the predetermined range, the control unit performs the printing operation by changing the printing setting of the recording material input by the user, which is used when the difference is smaller than the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Suzuki, Munehito Kurata, Teruhiko Namiki, Yasuhisa Matsumoto