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).

  • 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
  • Patent number: 10558151
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that forms toner images on a recording material. A control unit is configured to set, when performing fixing processing to fix a toner image onto the recording material, a first mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with electric power supply to the heater, a second mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with the electric power supply to the heater and temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion, and a third mode where the blower unit is driven in accordance with temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Hirota, Munehito Kurata, Ryo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200033770
    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: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventor: Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20190302659
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image onto a sheet, a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image to the sheet, a loop detecting portion configured to detect an amount of a loop formed on the sheet, a rotary member pair disposed downstream in a sheet conveyance direction of the fixing portion and configured to convey the sheet, and a control portion configured to control a sheet conveyance speed of the fixing portion based on a detection result of the loop detecting portion and control a rotational speed of the rotary member pair 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Shinji Hashiguchi, Satoshi Murasaki
  • Patent number: 10404889
    Abstract: A method of controlling a printing system includes displaying, in a mobile terminal, a setting region for inputting a print setting for print data, and a search region for inputting a search condition for image forming apparatus candidates, of a plurality of image forming apparatuses, for executing printing, and searching, in a management system, for one or more image forming apparatuses, out of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, in accordance with the search condition input in the search region of the screen, and displaying display content that associates information of the image forming apparatuses with charge information for when the print data is printed by the image forming apparatuses, respectively, on a screen that includes a selection region by which it is possible to select the printing target, out of the one or more image forming apparatuses found in the searching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Miyamoto, Kazuhiko Okazawa, Yuuji Takayama, Hikaru Uchidate, Munehito Kurata, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Masayuki Takao, Masaaki Nakamura, Katsuhiko Shinjo, Senju Sato
  • Publication number: 20190086844
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that forms toner images on a recording material. A control unit is configured to set, when performing fixing processing to fix a toner image onto the recording material, a first mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with electric power supply to the heater, a second mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with the electric power supply to the heater and temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion, and a third mode where the blower unit is driven in accordance with temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Yusuke Hirota, Munehito Kurata, Ryo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20190087138
    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: September 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Ryo Suzuki, Munehito Kurata, Teruhiko Namiki, Yasuhisa Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20180267442
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form a toner image on a recording material based on image data, an acquisition unit to acquire image information of the toner image from the image data, a fixing unit including a heating member and a pressure member forming a nip with the heating member, to convey and to heat, at the nip, the recording material on which the toner image is formed so as to fix the toner image on the recording material, a temperature detecting unit to detect a temperature of the heating member, and a control unit to set a fixing temperature for each of a plurality of recording materials so that the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit becomes the set fixing temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Mahito Yoshioka, Satoru Izawa, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 9989900
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an acquisition unit, a fixing unit including a heating member and a pressure member forming a nip, a temperature detecting unit, and a control unit. In a case where a toner density of a toner image on a k-th recording material of a plurality of recording materials is less than the toner density of the toner image on a (k-1)-th recording material of the plurality of recording materials, k being an integer greater than or equal to two, the control unit sets a fixing temperature of the k-th recording material to a temperature which is greater than a predetermined temperature predetermined based on image information of the toner image to be formed on the k-th recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mahito Yoshioka, Satoru Izawa, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 9818050
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material by a plurality of color materials, the apparatus includes: a determination unit configured to determine, based on converted data that are converted from image data corresponding to each image formed by the plurality of color materials, values each relating to an area of a respective color material caused to adhere to a recording material; and a detection unit configured to detect, based on the values each relating to the area of the respective color material that the determination unit determines, an overlapping of color materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hikaru Uchidate, Yuuji Takayama, Mahito Yoshioka, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20170102653
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image processing section that converts image data into pixel data, an image forming section that forms a toner image based on the pixel data, and a fixing section that fixes the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material with the toner image formed thereon while conveying the recording material through a nip portion, wherein the image processing section divides the pixel data corresponding to one recording material into a plurality of areas each formed of a predetermined number of pixels and acquires density information on some of the pixels within each of the areas as representative values, wherein the fixing section carries out a process of fixing the toner image for which the density information has been acquired, under a fixing condition according to a maximum value of the representative values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Mahito Yoshioka, Satoru Izawa, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20170070642
    Abstract: A printing system and a method of controlling a printing system capable of making it easier for service providers that provide print services via a network to spread more easily are provided. Also, a printing system and a method of controlling a printing system by which a service user can use print services easily are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Takayuki Miyamoto, Kazuhiko Okazawa, Yuuji Takayama, Hikaru Uchidate, Munehito Kurata, Hiroshi Hagiwara, Masayuki Takao, Masaaki Nakamura, Katsuhiko Shinjo, Senju Sato
  • Patent number: 9568867
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit having a heating member, a temperature detector, an acquisition unit, and a controller. When image formation is consecutively performed, and the acquisition unit acquires a first density, which is the density information of the image formed on a k-th recording material, and a second, higher density, which is the density information of the image formed on an l-th recording material, while the image is being fixed on the k-th recording material, the controller controls the power so that the detection temperature becomes a temperature higher than a fixing temperature according to the first density, and lower than a fixing temperature according to the second density. While the image is being fixed on the l-th recording material, the controller controls the power so that the detection temperature becomes the fixing temperature according to the second density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mahito Yoshioka, Satoru Izawa, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 9547264
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating an image includes a cylindrical rotatable member including an electroconductive layer; a helical coil provided in the rotatable member, the coil having a helix axis extending along a generatrix direction of the rotatable member; a magnetic core provided in the coil and having an end portion; and a controller configured to control a frequency of an AC current supplied to the coil; wherein the image is heated by heat of the rotatable member heated by electromagnetic induction heat generation of the electroconductive layer, wherein the controller sets the frequency to a first frequency corresponding to a size of a recording material, and wherein the controller sets the frequency to a second frequency higher than the first frequency when a print ratio of the image is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Aoji Isono
  • Publication number: 20160266527
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image processing section that converts image data into pixel data, an image forming section that forms a toner image based on the pixel data, and a fixing section that fixes the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material with the toner image formed thereon while conveying the recording material through a nip portion, wherein the image processing section divides the pixel data corresponding to one recording material into a plurality of areas each formed of a predetermined number of pixels and acquires density information on some of the pixels within each of the areas as representative values, wherein the fixing section carries out a process of fixing the toner image for which the density information has been acquired, under a fixing condition according to a maximum value of the representative values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Mahito Yoshioka, Satoru Izawa, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Patent number: 9405249
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotatable member including an electroconductive layer; a helical coil having a helical axis direction along a generatrix direction of the rotatable member; a magnetic member not forming a loop outside the electroconductive layer; a frequency setting portion for setting a frequency of an AC current caused to flow through the coil; and a temperature detecting portion for detecting a temperature of the rotatable member, including a first temperature detecting member and a second temperature detecting member. The electroconductive layer generates heat through electromagnetic induction heating by magnetic flux resulting from the AC current, and an image is fixed on a recording material by heat of the rotatable member. The frequency setting portion sets the frequency depending on a value of a difference between a detection temperature of the first temperature detecting member and a detection temperature of the second temperature detecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata, Shinji Hashiguchi, Shizuma Nishimura, Michio Uchida, Hisahiro Saito
  • Patent number: 9377727
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image processing section that converts image data into pixel data, an image forming section that forms a toner image based on the pixel data, and a fixing section that fixes the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material with the toner image formed thereon while conveying the recording material through a nip portion. The image processing section divides the pixel data corresponding to one recording material into a plurality of areas each formed of a predetermined number of pixels and acquires density information on some of the pixels within each of the areas as representative values. The fixing section carries out a process of fixing the toner image for which the density information has been acquired, under a fixing condition according to a maximum value of the representative values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mahito Yoshioka, Satoru Izawa, Masahide Hirai, Munehito Kurata
  • Publication number: 20160109835
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating an image includes a cylindrical rotatable member including an electroconductive layer; a helical coil provided in the rotatable member, the coil having a helix axis extending along a generatrix direction of the rotatable member; a magnetic core provided in the coil and having an end portion; and a controller configured to control a frequency of an AC current supplied to the coil; wherein the image is heated by heat of the rotatable member heated by electromagnetic induction heat generation of the electroconductive layer, wherein the controller sets the frequency to a first frequency corresponding to a size of a recording material, and wherein the controller sets the frequency to a second frequency higher than the first frequency when a print ratio of the image is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Munehito Kurata, Aoji Isono