Patents by Inventor Noribumi Sato

Noribumi Sato 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: 20100073743
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a classifying unit which classifies constituent elements constituting print data into a single or a plurality of areas based on a plurality of types of the constituent elements; a color conversion processing unit which performs, with respect to each of the constituent elements classified by the classifying unit, a color conversion coping with each type the constituent elements; and an image forming unit which composes the constituent elements subjected to the color conversion by the color conversion processing unit and forms an image based on the print data composed
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun KOYATSU, Noribumi SATO, Mitsuru IIOKA, Kaoru YAMAUCHI, Takaya NAGASAKI
  • Patent number: 7647015
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes a color-shift-detection-image forming unit, a color shift detector, a recording-material color-shift correcting unit and a conveyance-unit color-shift correcting unit. The color-shift-detection-image forming unit selectively forms a color-shift detection image on a recording medium or a first conveyance unit. The color shift detector detects color shift based on the color-shift detection image. The recording-material color-shift correcting unit performs color-shift correction based on the color-shift detection information corresponding to the color shift on the recording medium. The conveyance-unit color-shift correcting unit performs color-shift correction based on an amount of change in the color-shift detection information corresponding to the color shift on the first conveyance unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kousuke Kubota, Noribumi Sato
  • Patent number: 7546073
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a photoconductor drum; an intermediate transfer belt that is wrapped around and stretched between the photoconductor drum and a plurality of support rolls and is driven by the photoconductor drum; and a contact member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the image forming apparatus satisfies the following expression (1) 2T(e???1)/(e??+1)>F and T?396.9 N??(1), wherein ? represents a coefficient of friction between the photoconductor drum and the intermediate transfer belt, T represents an initial tension of the intermediate transfer belt, ? represents a wrap angle of the intermediate transfer belt on the photoconductor drum, and F represents a load in a tangential direction applied from the contact member to the photoconductor drum via the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Saeki, Noribumi Sato, Iwao Kuriki, Kazuhiro Saito, Toru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7502575
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive body; a drive unit of the photosensitive body; an intermediate transfer body which is wound around the photosensitive body and is driven by the movement of the photosensitive body; a latent image forming unit; plural development units which develop the latent image on the photosensitive body with toners having different colors; a holding unit which holds the plural development units and causes the development units to sequentially face the photosensitive body; a transfer unit which transfers a toner image from the photosensitive body to the portion of the intermediate transfer body wound around the photosensitive body; and a drive speed control unit which controls the rotating speed of the photosensitive body according to the density of the toner image to be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Tanaka, Noribumi Sato, Tomoya Saeki
  • Patent number: 7471917
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance unit including a belt member stretched across at least a drive roller and a driven roller and conveys a recording medium and a casing that axially supports the drive roller and the driven roller; a body frame disposed with an image carrier for transferring an image to the recording medium; and a cover to which the conveyance unit is attached, is pivotably attached to the body frame, and opens/closes off the image carrier. A first regulating portion against which an annular member placed on a shaft portion of the drive roller abuts when the cover pivots toward the body frame to close off the image carrier and a second regulating portion with which an engagement portion formed in the casing in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the drive roller engages are formed on the body frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hiroe, Noribumi Sato, Yoshishige Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20080292335
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes a color-shift-detection-image forming unit, a color shift detector, a recording-material color-shift correcting unit and a conveyance-unit color-shift correcting unit. The color-shift-detection-image forming unit selectively forms a color-shift detection image on a recording medium or a first conveyance unit. The color shift detector detects color shift based on the color-shift detection image. The recording-material color-shift correcting unit performs color-shift correction based on the color-shift detection information corresponding to the color shift on the recording medium. The conveyance-unit color-shift correcting unit performs color-shift correction based on an amount of change in the color-shift detection information corresponding to the color shift on the first conveyance unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kousuke Kubota, Noribumi Sato
  • Publication number: 20080037891
    Abstract: An image processing system includes a setting section and an image processing section. The setting section sets a process condition of electrophotographic image formation suited to reading of an information image that represents data by a pattern. The image processing section performs an image process for preventing degradation, in image quality, of an image other than the information image under the process condition set through the setting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Koyatsu, Mitsuru Iioka, Noribumi Sato, Sato Okamoto, Kaoru Koike
  • Publication number: 20070127953
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a photoconductor; an intermediate transfer belt that is wrapped around and stretched between the photoconductor and a plurality of support rolls and is driven by the photoconductor; and a contact member that contacts the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the image forming apparatus satisfies the following expression (1) 2T(e???1)/(e??+1)>F and T?396.9 N??(1), wherein ? represents the coefficient of friction between the photoconductor and the intermediate transfer belt, T represents the initial tension of the intermediate transfer belt, ? represents the wrap angle of the intermediate transfer belt on the photoconductor, and F represents the load in a tangential direction applied from the contact member to the photoconductor via the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: Tomoya Saeki, Noribumi Sato, Iwao Kuriki, Kazuhiro Saito, Toru Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20070059040
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive body; a drive unit of the photosensitive body; an intermediate transfer body which is wound around the photosensitive body and is driven by the movement of the photosensitive body; a latent image forming unit; plural development units which develop the latent image on the photosensitive body with toners having different colors; a holding unit which holds the plural development units and causes the development units to sequentially face the photosensitive body; a transfer unit which transfers a toner image from the photosensitive body to the portion of the intermediate transfer body wound around the photosensitive body; and a drive speed control unit which controls the rotating speed of the photosensitive body according to the density of the toner image to be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventors: Toru Tanaka, Noribumi Sato, Tomoya Saeki
  • Patent number: 7177571
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a driving unit which rotation-drives the photoreceptor, an exposure unit which forms a latent image by performing image exposure to the photoreceptor, a plurality of development units which develop a plurality of latent images sequentially formed on the photoreceptor with different color toners respectively, a belt-like intermediate transfer member onto which respective color toner images sequentially developed on the photoreceptor are primarily transferred to be superimposed on each other, at least one load unit which comes in contact with or is separated from the belt-like intermediate transfer member to change a load on the belt-like intermediate transfer member, and a speed control unit which increases/decreases a driving speed of the photoreceptor at a specified timing. Preferably, the belt-like intermediate transfer member is an elastic belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noribumi Sato, Tomoya Saeki, Masahiro Sato, Nobuhiro Hiroe, Keiji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7171146
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes an image carrier holding toner images of plural colors, and a transfer portion that transfers the toner images of plural of colors held on the image carrier onto a recording medium, wherein the image carrier is made of an elastic material, has a pattern image forming unit repeatedly forming a pattern image for color misregistration detection on the image carrier at a constant interval so as to set the pattern images within a length range of the recording medium, wherein one of the pattern images includes a first toner image group in which plural toner images of a first color is formed at a first interval, and a second toner image group in which plural toner images of a second color is formed at a second interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noribumi Sato, Tomoya Saeki, Nobuhiro Hiroe
  • Publication number: 20060291901
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance unit including a belt member stretched across at least a drive roller and a driven roller and conveys a recording medium and a casing that axially supports the drive roller and the driven roller; a body frame disposed with an image carrier for transferring an image to the recording medium; and a cover to which the conveyance unit is attached, is pivotably attached to the body frame, and opens/closes off the image carrier. A first regulating portion against which an annular member placed on a shaft portion of the drive roller abuts when the cover pivots toward the body frame to close off the image carrier and a second regulating portion with which an engagement portion formed in the casing in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the drive roller engages are formed on the body frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hiroe, Noribumi Sato, Yoshishige Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20060291913
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt member stretched across at least two rollers; a protrusion disposed, such that it protrudes along the traveling direction of the belt member, on an inner surface of one edge side of the belt member; an engagement portion that is formed in an end portion of the rollers and with which the protrusion is engageable; and an image carrier that retains a toner image transferred to a recording medium conveyed by the belt member or the surface of the belt member. The end portion at the opposite side, in the width direction of the belt member, of one roller of the rollers is shifted in the direction where it separates from the image carrier and axially supported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hiroe, Noribumi Sato, Yoshishige Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7024132
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming part, a transport part transporting a record medium to the image forming part and having a substantially horizontal portion, and a reverse path disposed above the transport part, having a substantially horizontal portion and adapted to reverse and return the record medium to an upstream side of the image forming part in the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakaoka, Noribumi Sato, Akihito Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 6943814
    Abstract: In a gradation display method, an image is divided into pixels having fine areas, this pixel is furthermore divided into very fine pixels (Si) having very fine areas, and then gradation is displayed based upon a ratio of a colored very fine pixel (Si) with respect to all of very fine pixels (Si) within a pixel. Also, the above-described colored very fine pixel (Si) is formed by both a first growth core which is formed by increasing the number of colored very fine pixels of a single cluster, and a second growth core which is formed by increasing the number of colored very fine pixels of another single cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Iioka, Yoshiyuki Hirayama, Noribumi Sato, Takashi Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20050158086
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes an image carrier holding toner images of plural colors, and a transfer portion that transfers the toner images of plural of colors held on the image carrier onto a recording medium, wherein the image carrier is rotatablly disposed toward the image carrier and has elasticity in a rotating direction toward the image carrier, has a pattern image forming unit repeatedly forming a pattern image for color misregistration detection on the image carrier at a constant interval so as to set the pattern images within a length range of the recording medium, wherein one of the pattern images includes a first toner image group in which plural toner images of a first color is formed at a first interval, and a second toner image group in which plural toner images of a second color is formed at a second interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: July 21, 2005
    Inventors: Noribumi Sato, Tomoya Saeki, Nobuhiro Hiroe
  • Publication number: 20050141920
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a driving unit which rotation-drives the photoreceptor, an exposure unit which forms a latent image by performing image exposure to the photoreceptor, a plurality of development units which develop a plurality of latent images sequentially formed on the photoreceptor with different color toners respectively, a belt-like intermediate transfer member onto which respective color toner images sequentially developed on the photoreceptor are primarily transferred to be superimposed on each other, at least one load unit which comes in contact with or is separated from the belt-like intermediate transfer member to change a load on the belt-like intermediate transfer member, and a speed control unit which increases/decreases a driving speed of the photoreceptor at a specified timing. Preferably, the belt-like intermediate transfer member is an elastic belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Noribumi Sato, Tomoya Saeki, Masahiro Sato, Nobuhiro Hiroe, Keiji Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20050084306
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming part, a transport part transporting a record medium to the image forming part and having a substantially horizontal portion, and a reverse path disposed above the transport part, having a substantially horizontal portion and adapted to reverse and return the record medium to an upstream side of the image forming part in the transport path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakaoka, Noribumi Sato, Akihito Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20030076517
    Abstract: In a gradation display method, an image is divided into pixels having fine areas, this pixel is furthermore divided into very fine pixels (Si) having very fine areas, and then gradation is displayed based upon a ratio of a colored very fine pixel (Si) with respect to all of very fine pixels (Si) within a pixel. Also, the above-described colored very fine pixel (Si) is formed by both a first growth core which is formed by increasing the number of colored very fine pixels of a single cluster, and a second growth core which is formed by increasing the number of colored very fine pixels of another single cluster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Iioka, Yoshiyuki Hirayama, Noribumi Sato, Takashi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 5963769
    Abstract: In a multicolor image forming apparatus, an intermediate transfer belt is moved at a first speed. A secondary transfer roll is pressed against the intermediate transfer belt at the time of secondary transfer in order to secondarily transfer a multicolor toner image on the intermediate transfer belt onto recording paper. The secondary transfer roll is rotated by a driving unit including a gear unit at a peripheral speed higher than the first speed. A torque limiter limits the driving torque of the secondary transfer roll pressed against the intermediate transfer belt to the load torque of the secondary transfer roll separated from the intermediate transfer belt. Consequently, the secondary transfer roll is rotated at a speed equal to or slightly higher than the speed of the intermediate transfer belt and the load of the secondary transfer roll applied to the intermediate transfer belt never exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsurou Emukai, Keiji Sasaki, Noribumi Sato, Akihiro Yamashita