Patents by Inventor Nozomu Nakajima

Nozomu Nakajima 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: 20230393502
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Patent number: 11835909
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotating member, a heater, a second rotating member, a detecting unit, a switching unit, a controlling unit, and a power source device. In a first period, a resultant current of first and third currents is supplied to a first heat generating element, and the resultant current in a unit cycle of a first period is a current at which a first current supplying timing and timings of a maximum and a minimum of the third current do not overlap with each other. In a second period, a resultant current of second and third currents is supplied to a second heat generating element, and the resultant current in a unit cycle of the second period is a current at which a second current supplying timing and the timings of the maximum and the minimum of the third current overlap with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Atsushi Nakamoto, Kohei Wakatsu
  • Patent number: 11774888
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Publication number: 20230103919
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material includes a detection unit configured to detect a temperature of a first member, and an estimation unit configured to estimate a temperature of a second member, which is different from the first member. The estimation unit is configured to estimate, based on the temperature of the second member estimated by the estimation unit at a first timing, which is a timing before the image forming apparatus is powered off, the temperature of the first member detected by the detection unit at a second timing, which is a timing after the image forming apparatus is powered on, and information representing an operation history of the image forming apparatus until when the image forming apparatus is powered off, the temperature of the second member at the second timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Yuichiro Hori, Nozomu Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20230045815
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Patent number: 11520263
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Publication number: 20220365475
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotating member, a heater, a second rotating member, a detecting unit, a switching unit, a controlling unit, and a power source device. In a first period, a resultant current of first and third currents is supplied to a first heat generating element, and the resultant current in a unit cycle of a first period is a current at which a first current supplying timing and timings of a maximum and a minimum of the third current do not overlap with each other. In a second period, a resultant current of second and third currents is supplied to a second heat generating element, and the resultant current in a unit cycle of the second period is a current at which a second current supplying timing and the timings of the maximum and the minimum of the third current overlap with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Atsushi Nakamoto, Kohei Wakatsu
  • Patent number: 11378907
    Abstract: A heating apparatus including: a first load; a first switch element configured to switch between supply of power from an AC power source to the first load and shut-off of power supply; a second load; a second switch element configured to switch between supply of power from the AC power source to the second load and shut-off of power supply; and a control unit configured to control the first and the second switch elements to prevent power from being supplied to both of the first load and the second load. The first switch element has the T1 terminal connected to one end of the first load, and the T2 terminal connected to the AC power source. The second switch element has the T2 terminal connected to one end of the second load, and the T1 terminal connected to the AC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasukazu Maeda, Nozomu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11353819
    Abstract: A heating apparatus including: a first load; a first switch element configured to switch supply and shut-off of power from an AC power source to the first load; a second load; a second switch element configured to switch supply and shut-off of power from the AC power source to the second load; a control unit configured to control the first and the second switch elements to supply power to either the first load or the second load; a first detection unit configured to detect whether the first switch element is in a conductive state; a second detection unit configured to detect whether the second switch element is in a conductive state; and a determination unit configured to determine whether both of the first load and the second load are in a state of being supplied with power, based on detection results of the first and the second detection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nozomu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11209759
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus including a fixing unit having a heat generation member; a switch unit configured to connect or disconnect a power supply path from an AC power supply to the heat generation member; a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the heat generation member; a control unit configured to perform operations to supply power to the heat generation member by controlling the switch unit according to a detection result of the temperature detection unit; a setting unit configured to set the switch unit to a state in which the switch unit cuts off the power supply path upon detecting an overheating state of the heat generation member based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit; and a first switch configured to supply or cut off a first driving voltage that drives the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Odate, Nozomu Nakajima, Junji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11156945
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Publication number: 20210278793
    Abstract: A heating apparatus including: a first load; a first switch element configured to switch between supply of power from an AC power source to the first load and shut-off of power supply; a second load; a second switch element configured to switch between supply of power from the AC power source to the second load and shut-off of power supply; and a control unit configured to control the first and the second switch elements to prevent power from being supplied to both of the first load and the second load. The first switch element has the T1 terminal connected to one end of the first load, and the T2 terminal connected to the AC power source. The second switch element has the T2 terminal connected to one end of the second load, and the T1 terminal connected to the AC power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Yasukazu Maeda, Nozomu Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20210278794
    Abstract: A heating apparatus including: a first load; a first switch element configured to switch supply and shut-off of power from an AC power source to the first load; a second load; a second switch element configured to switch supply and shut-off of power from the AC power source to the second load; a control unit configured to control the first and the second switch elements to supply power to either the first load or the second load; a first detection unit configured to detect whether the first switch element is in a conductive state; a second detection unit configured to detect whether the second switch element is in a conductive state; and a determination unit configured to determine whether both of the first load and the second load are in a state of being supplied with power, based on detection results of the first and the second detection units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventor: Nozomu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11079981
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, a replacement unit detachably mounted on the main assembly, an identification unit configured to identify whether the replacement unit is a first unit mounted in advance in a shipment state of the image forming apparatus or is a second unit after replacement, a common signal line configured to transmit a signal from the identification unit and another signal; a memory unit mounted on the main assembly and configured to store control information for the first unit, and a control unit configured to control the first unit based on the control information of the first unit, wherein the control unit is switchable between an identification mode and a normal operation mode, and wherein the control unit switches control information of the replacement unit mounted on the main assembly depending on whether the replacement unit is the first unit or the second unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Okuzumi, Ryo Matsumura, Nozomu Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20210232072
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Publication number: 20210063923
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus including a fixing unit having a heat generation member; a switch unit configured to connect or disconnect a power supply path from an AC power supply to the heat generation member; a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the heat generation member; a control unit configured to perform operations to supply power to the heat generation member by controlling the switch unit according to a detection result of the temperature detection unit; a setting unit configured to set the switch unit to a state in which the switch unit cuts off the power supply path upon detecting an overheating state of the heat generation member based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit; and a first switch configured to supply or cut off a first driving voltage that drives the setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Takashi Odate, Nozomu Nakajima, Junji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10928759
    Abstract: In a case where a drive instruction signal in a high level for placing a first triac provided to correspond to a heat generation member in a conduction state is output from a CPU, the first triac is placed in a conduction state after a second triac provided to correspond to a heat generation member is prohibited from being in a conduction state. In a case where a drive instruction signal in a low level for placing the second triac in a non-conduction state is output from the CPU, the state in which the second triac is prohibited from being in the conduction state is released after the first triac is placed in the non-conduction state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Oi, Nozomu Nakajima, Kouji Yasukawa
  • Publication number: 20200264818
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, a replacement unit detachably mounted on the main assembly, an identification unit configured to identify whether the replacement unit is a first unit mounted in advance in a shipment state of the image forming apparatus or is a second unit after replacement, a common signal line configured to transmit a signal from the identification unit and another signal; a memory unit mounted on the main assembly and configured to store control information for the first unit, and a control unit configured to control the first unit based on the control information of the first unit, wherein the control unit is switchable between an identification mode and a normal operation mode, and wherein the control unit switches control information of the replacement unit mounted on the main assembly depending on whether the replacement unit is the first unit or the second unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Ryo Okuzumi, Ryo Matsumura, Nozomu Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20200233348
    Abstract: The heating apparatus including a plurality of heat generation members including first, second and third generation members, the second heat generation member and the third heat generation member having lengths in a longitudinal direction shorter than a length of the first heat generation member, the heating apparatus including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, and a first switching unit configured to bring an electric path between the second contact and the fourth contact into one of a connecting state and an open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Nozomu Nakajima, Tomohiro Nakamori
  • Publication number: 20200233350
    Abstract: In a case where a drive instruction signal in a high level for placing a first triac provided to correspond to a heat generation member in a conduction state is output from a CPU, the first triac is placed in a conduction state after a second triac provided to correspond to a heat generation member is prohibited from being in a conduction state. In a case where a drive instruction signal in a low level for placing the second triac in a non-conduction state is output from the CPU, the state in which the second triac is prohibited from being in the conduction state is released after the first triac is placed in the non-conduction state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Ken Oi, Nozomu Nakajima, Kouji Yasukawa