Patents by Inventor Natsuko Tanaka

Natsuko Tanaka 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: 5204729
    Abstract: A full color copying machine which includes intermediate transfer medium whereon toner images having respective color components, formed on a photoreceptor are transferred to form one color toner image, and a screen filter disposed so as to be freely inserted or removed in or from a path of exposure light, which filters the exposure light for exposing the photoreceptor into a pattern of lines. A plurality of color toner images obtained by executing a plurality of copying processes based on a plurality of exposures applied to an original document are superposed on the intermediate transfer medium to form a color toner image. The copying machine further includes a screen mode for inserting a screen filter into a path of exposure light and a normal mode for removing the screen filter from the path of exposure light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Maeda, Taisuke Kamimura, Hideyuki Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Miyamoto, Katsuhiro Nagayama, Natsuko Tanaka, Yuichi Kazaki
  • Patent number: 5103266
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a photosensitive member in an electrophotographic apparatus in which an electrophotographic operation is performed by charging the photosensitive member with a predetermined voltage, exposing the charged photosensitive member so as to form a latent image thereon and developing the latent image by use of toner, includes the steps of charging the photosensitive member with a half tone level voltage which is smaller than the predetermined voltage, and developing the charged photosensitive member by use of toner without exposing the charged photosensitive member, so as to form a uniform half tone toner image thereon. The cleaning method also includes the step of scraping off the toner of the uniform half tone toner image from the photosensitive member by a blade abutting thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Miyamoto, Yasutaka Maeda, Taisuke Kamimura, Katsuhiro Nagayama, Hideyuki Nishimura, Natsuko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5075731
    Abstract: A transfer roller device for transferring onto a copy paper sheet a full color toner image formed on an intermediate transfer belt. A rear-surface electrode roller disposed at the opposite side to a transfer roller with the intermediate transfer belt positioned in between, is divided into a plurality of cylinder members, and at least one of the cylinder members corresponding to the size of a copy paper sheet is separately connected to ground. With the arrangement, occurrence of an excess current through a portion of the intermediate transfer belt carrying no copy paper sheet thereon is eliminated, thereby preventing a filming phenomenon. In another arrangement, a plurality of rear-surface electrode rollers are disposed at respective positions associated with a plurality of respective copying speeds which are set according to copy paper sheets. Thus, a voltage to be applied between the transfer roller and the rear-surface electrode roller is maintained constant regardless of different copying speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taisuke Kamimura, Yasutaka Maeda, Tuyoshi Miyamoto, Katsuhiro Nagayama, Hideyuki Nishimura, Natsuko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5055877
    Abstract: A copying apparatus in which a screen for improving gradation characteristics of a copied image can be retractably projected into an optical path, including a device for setting, when the screen is placed in the optical path and retracted from the optical path, a developing voltage to a first value and a second value, respectively such that the first value is lower than the second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Maeda, Natsuko Tanaka, Katsuhiro Nagayama, Hideyuki Nishimura