Patents by Inventor Norio Joichi

Norio Joichi 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: 20050058467
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed having a fixing unit having a heating device, for heat fixing, a heating power supply section which is connected to the fixing unit to supply electric power supplied from a commercial power supply to the heating device, a voltage detecting section for detecting a value of voltage supplied to the heating power supply section from the commercial power supply, and a control section that stops a supply of electric power to the heating device from the heating power supply section if a first voltage value is smaller than a standard voltage value, while, compares a second voltage value detected by the voltage detecting section after the lapse of the standard time with the standard voltage value, and conducts control to stop operations for image forming if the second voltage value is smaller than the standard voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshihito Sasamoto, Atsushi Takahashi, Norio Joichi, Youbao Peng, Akifumi Isobe, Yoshiki Katayama
  • Publication number: 20040151516
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image printing apparatus having a fixing control section which controls a fixing unit for fixing a toner image on a paper sheet by applying pressure and heat. The image printing apparatus of this invention includes, in the fixing control section, an interface which can receive data from an external data input device so as to shorten the warmup time of the fixing unit and perform direct instructing operation from the data input device to the fixing-unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takahashi, Norio Joichi, Yuhou Bou, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Akifumi Isobe, Yoshiki Katayama
  • Publication number: 20040086295
    Abstract: In a fixing device of an image forming apparatus including a heating roller and a temperature detecting device spaced apart from the roller, having a first sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the roller, and a second sensor for detecting the ambient temperature, the first sensor being placed at a first position in a casing having an opening through which the heat radiation of the roller is directly incident and the second sensor being enclosed by the casing and placed at a second position to which the heat radiation of the roller is not directly incident, the temperature is calculated on the basis of the outputs of the two sensors, and the opening is disposed so as not to enter a region between the vertical plane containing the central axis of the roller and a tangential plane to the circumferential surface of the roller parallel to the vertical plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Youbao Peng, Atsushi Takahashi, Norio Joichi, Shinobu Kishi, Akifumi Isobe, Yoshiki Katayama, Yoshihito Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 6725001
    Abstract: There is described an operation panel, which is detachably or movably mounted onto an image-forming apparatus, and which includes a data-inputting section to input operational data necessary for operating the image-forming apparatus and/or a displaying section to display status information of the image-forming apparatus. The operation panel comprises: a circuit board, on which electronic parts are mounted; a supporting member to support the circuit board, the data-inputting section and/or the displaying section, so as to integrate them into a single unit serving as the operation panel; a signal line, through which electronic signals are communicated between the operation panel and the image-forming section; and a conductive member for directly grounding at least one of the data-inputting section, the displaying section and the circuit board to a conductive main-frame of the image-forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Technosearch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takahashi, Kazumichi Yamauchi, Norio Joichi, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Akifumi Isobe, Yoshiki Katayama
  • Publication number: 20030118360
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding section for conveying a sheet for image formation, a stepping motor for driving the sheet feeding section, and a controller for controlling operation of the stepping motor. The controller includes a current value setting section. The current value setting section sets a current value that actuates the stepping motor based on sheet information obtained through at least one section selected from a thickness detecting section, size detecting section, and paper quality detecting section. The thickness detecting section detects a thickness of the sheet. The size detecting section detects a size of the sheet. The paper quality detecting section detects a paper quality of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Joichi, Atsushi Takahashi, Kazumichi Yamauchi, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Akifumi Isobe, Yoshiki Katayama
  • Publication number: 20030012579
    Abstract: There is described an operation panel, which is detachably or movably mounted onto an image-forming apparatus, and which includes a data-inputting section to input operational data necessary for operating the image-forming apparatus and/or a displaying section to display status information of the image-forming apparatus. The operation panel comprises: a circuit board, on which electronic parts are mounted; a supporting member to support the circuit board, the data-inputting section and/or the displaying section, so as to integrate them into a single unit serving as the operation panel; a signal line, through which electronic signals are communicated between the operation panel and the image-forming section; and a conductive member for directly grounding at least one of the data-inputting section, the displaying section and the circuit board to a conductive main-frame of the image-forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Atsushi Takahashi, Kazumichi Yamauchi, Norio Joichi, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Akifumi Isobe, Yoshiki Katayama
  • Patent number: 6473112
    Abstract: The invention concerns an image forming apparatus provided with an automatic writing-position determining device for forming an image always at a correct position on the recording material. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image by writing each of scanning lines, an end position detecting section to detect an end position of a recording material in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material, and a selecting section to select either an automatic writing-position determining mode or a predetermined writing-position determining mode. When the selecting section selects the automatic writing-position determining mode, the image forming section commences an image writing action from a writing start position determined on the basis of a detected result of the end position detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ui, Fumio Haibara, Jun Yokobori, Tetsuya Niitsuma, Norio Joichi
  • Patent number: 6342909
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a writing device for writing an image on the basis of image data thereof; a controller for controlling a writing position in a primary scanning direction by the writing device; a conveying device for conveying a recording material; and a position detecting sensor for detecting an edge of the recording material, which is conveyed by the conveying device in the primary scanning direction as an absolute position. The controller determines the writing position in the primary scanning direction by the writing device on the basis of a position of the edge of the recording material in the primary scanning direction detected by the position detecting sensor, and controls the writing position of the writing device in the primary scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Joichi, Youbao Peng, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Satoshi Sakata, Makoto Ui, Fumio Haibara
  • Patent number: 6263186
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feeding member for feeding a recording material; an image recording member for recording an image on the recording material; a conveyance path connecting the sheet feeding member and the image recording member, along which the recording material is conveyed; a registration member which is provided in the conveyance path located at the upstream side of the image recording member in the conveyance direction for the recording material, and stops the leading edge of the recording material when being hit by the leading edge, and then, starts conveyance of the recording material; a loop forming member which is provided in the conveyance path located at the upstream side of the registration member in the conveyance direction for the recording material, and forms a loop on the recording material which is stopped by the registration member; a first driving source for driving the registration member; a second driving source for driving the loop forming member; and a drive co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Okamoto, Norio Joichi, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hideo Yamane, Youbao Peng