Patents by Inventor Ryuichi Hiramoto

Ryuichi Hiramoto 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: 20120082493
    Abstract: A method of forming a glossy image is disclosed, comprising the steps of (a) forming a clear toner particle layer with clear toner particles on an image support, (b) heating and pressing the clear toner particle layer formed on the image support, while bringing the surface of the clear toner particle layer into contact with a belt, and (c) cooling the clear toner particle layer to form a clear toner layer, wherein the clear toner particles contain a binder resin and a releasing agent and exhibit a heat quantity of fusion of not less than 3.0 J/g and not more than 9.5 J/g, and the clear toner particles meeting the following requirement: 0.5?S1/S2?1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuko UCHINO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Patent number: 8145115
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image formation method in which clear dots comprised of clear toner are formed on an image with a 75° glossiness of from 10 to 60, the image formation method comprising the steps of forming a clear toner image on the image, employing clear toner, and fixing the clear toner image by non-contact heat fixation to form clear dots in the form of protrusions, wherein the clear dots have an average height H and an average circle equivalent diameter R, a ratio H/R of the average height H to the average circle equivalent diameter R satisfying the following inequality: 0.005?H/R?10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takao Yamanouchi, Kazue Nakamura, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Publication number: 20120028175
    Abstract: A method for forming an image at least comprising steps of forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, forming a foil transferring face by supplying a toner onto the electrophotographic photoreceptor having the electrostatic latent image, transferring the foil transferring face formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a base substance, fixing the foil transferring face transferred on the base substance, supplying a transfer foil to the base substance fixed with the foil transferring face, adhering the transfer foil onto the foil transferring face by heating under a condition of contacting the transfer foil with the foil transferring face; and removing the transfer foil from the base substance while leaving the foil adhered onto the foil transferring face, wherein the toner comprises a binder resin having a softening temperature in the range of from not less than 105° C. to not more than 140° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuko UCHINO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20110229819
    Abstract: A method of transferring a foil comprising: forming a foil transferring face on a photoreceptor employing a foil transferring face forming toner; transferring the foil transferring face onto a base substance, followed by fixing the foil transferring face; supplying a transfer foil having at least a foil and an adhesive layer on the base substance having the fixed foil transferring face, heating the transfer foil and the foil transferring face while the adhesive layer of the transfer foil is in contact with the foil transferring face to adhere the foil onto the foil transferring face; removing the transfer foil from the base substance while leaving the foil adhered onto the foil transferring face, wherein the foil transferring face forming toner comprises at least a binder resin, wherein the binder resin comprises a polymer formed by using a vinyl monomer comprising at least a carboxyl group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Takao YAMANOUCHI, Kazue NAKAMURA, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20110129771
    Abstract: A transparent toner for forming a glossy surface is disclosed, wherein a critical surface tension of a glossy surface formed by the transparent toner at 20° C. is at least 50 mN/m, and the transparent toner comprises a resin composed of a polymer formed by employing at least a polymerizable monomer containing a carboxylic group (—COOH). An image forming method employing the transparent tone is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michiyo FUJITA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Yasuko UCHINO, Aya SHIRAI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110076074
    Abstract: Provided is a method for forming an image containing the steps of: supplying a clear toner on a surface of an image forming support; heating the supplied clear toner on the surface of the image forming support to melt; close contacting the surface of the image forming support supplied with the clear toner with a belt; and cooling the clear toner in a state of close contacting with the belt so as to form a clear toner layer on the image forming support, wherein the aforesaid clear toner contains at least a resin formed with a polymerizable monomer represented by Formula (1) and a vinyl monomer, Formula (1): H2?CR1—COOR2, wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and R2 represents a chain alkyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, or a cyclic alkyl group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takao YAMANOUCHI, Kazue NAKAMURA, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20100322685
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image formation method in which clear dots comprised of clear toner are formed on an image with a 75° glossiness of from 10 to 60, the image formation method comprising the steps of forming a clear toner image on the image, employing clear toner, and fixing the clear toner image by non-contact heat fixation to form clear dots in the form of protrusions, wherein the clear dots have an average height H and an average circle equivalent diameter R, a ratio H/R of the average height H to the average circle equivalent diameter R satisfying the following inequality: 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takao Yamanouchi, Kazue Nakamura, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Patent number: 7831183
    Abstract: A developing roller comprising: a shaft comprising an aluminum alloy; and a coating layer directly formed on a periphery of the shaft, the coating layer comprising a conducting agent and a binder comprising a resin, wherein the aluminum alloy comprises 0.2 to 0.8% by mass of silicon and 0.05 to 1.5% by mass of maganese, based on the total mass of the aluminum alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takeo Oshiba, Masahiro Anno, Okushi Okuyama, Satoshi Uchino, Shinya Obara, Ryuichi Hiramoto, So Matsuya
  • Publication number: 20100261108
    Abstract: An image forming method including a process for forming a transparent toner layer on an image formed on a support, the method including steps of supplying a transparent toner on an image on a support, and heating and then cooling the image on the support having the transparent toner while the image on the support having the transparent toner being in contact with a belt, wherein the transparent toner contains a resin constituted by a polyester and a styrene-acryl copolymer, a monoester compound represented by Formula I, and a hydrocarbon compound having at least one of a branched chain structure and a cyclic structure, R1—COO—R2??Formula I wherein, R1 and R2 are each a hydrocarbon group having 13 to 30 carbon atoms which may have a substituent or not, and R1 and R2 are the same or different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takao YAMANOUCHI, Kazue NAKAMURA, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20100209148
    Abstract: A method of image forming comprising the steps of: providing a clear toner all over a transfer material on which an image is formed; heating and pressing the transfer material having thereon the image while the transfer material is in contact with a belt; cooling the transfer material; and peeling the transfer material from the belt, whereby a clear toner layer formed on the transfer material is obtained, wherein a storage modulus G? at 60° C. of the clear toner is 1×106 N/m2 or more, but 1×106 N/m2 or less; and a viscosity ? at 130° C. of the clear toner is 1×101 Pa·s or more, but 1×102 Pa·s or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Shigenori KOUNO, Takao YAMANOUCHI, Kazue NAKAMURA, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20090060598
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming method including steps of primary transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer material, secondary transferring the toner image on intermediate transfer material, and cleaning remaining toner on the photoreceptor, in which method the toner contains abrasive agent particles adhered to a toner mother particle comprising a resin and a colorant, abrasive agent particles having a particle diameter of 80-300 nm and Mohs' hardness of 5 or more in an amount of parts by weight of 100 parts by weight of toner mother particle, and the intermediate transfer material has a hardness measured by nanoindentation method of 3-10 GPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masaaki KONDO, Shingo FUJIMOTO, Takao YAMANOUCHI, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080220363
    Abstract: A developing roller for electrophotographic image forming apparatus is disclosed. The developing roller has a shaft and a resin layer, and the resin layer comprises a binder resin, a resin particle having a particle diameter of 5 ?m to 30 ?m and a content of from 10% to 50% by weight with respect to the resin layer, and inorganic oxide particles having a number based average primary particle diameter of 5 nm to 100 nm and a content of 1% to 40% by weight with respect to the resin layer. An image forming method employing the developer roller is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Satoshi UCHINO, Masahiro ANNO, Takeo OSHIBA, Okushi OKUYAMA, Shinya OBARA, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, So MATSUYA
  • Publication number: 20080069601
    Abstract: A developing roller comprising: a shaft comprising an aluminum alloy; and a coating layer directly formed on a periphery of the shaft, the coating layer comprising a conducting agent and a binder comprising a resin, wherein the aluminum alloy comprises 0.2 to 0.8% by mass of silicon and 0.05 to 1.5% by mass of maganese, based on the total mass of the aluminum alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takeo Oshiba, Masahiro Anno, Okushi Okuyama, Satoshi Uchino, Shinya Obara, Ryuichi Hiramoto, So Matsuya