Patents by Inventor Satoshi Kinouchi

Satoshi Kinouchi 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: 20040175212
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing device configured to, by allowing a sheet having a developing agent image on it to pass between a heating roller and a pressing roller set in contact with the heating roller, fix the developing agent image in which at least one of the heating roller and pressing roller is configured to have an inner elastic layer and a conductive layer formed on a surface side of the elastic layer and the elastic layer is bonded to the conductive layer by a heat-resistant adhesive having a heat-resistant temperature of over 200° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Tsueda, Satoshi Kinouchi, Osamu Takagi, Toshihiro Sone
  • Publication number: 20040175211
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus comprises a fixing device which fixes a developer image by passing a toner image fixing material between a heating rotary body and a pressing rotary body which are pressed and contacted, wherein at least one of the heating rotary body and pressing rotary body has an elastic foam layer with a rubber hardness of 20-50 degrees, and a conductor layer formed on the surface of the elastic foam layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Sone, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi, Yoshinori Tsueda
  • Publication number: 20040165916
    Abstract: In a fixing mechanism which heats a fixation member by generating heat in an endless member by using an induction current obtained from a current flowing through an induction coil, the present invention is characterized in that the induction coil is divided into a plurality of coils in a direction vertical to a moving direction of the fixation member and a coil to which power is supplied is switched according to needs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Publication number: 20040141038
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus an aspect of the present invention includes, a heating object which generates the heat by a magnetic flux produced from a coil which generates a predetermined magnetic flux by electromagnetic induction in accordance with a frequency of an input current, and a pressurization mechanism which can provide a predetermined pressure to the heating object, and a coil of the heating object is formed of a litz wire obtained by twisting the number of conductors having a small cross section which are not affected by the skin effect caused due to the frequency of the input current, the number of which allows passage of a quantity of current to be inputted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Patent number: 6763206
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes first and second coil members, first and second temperature detectors and an output controller. The detectors detect temperature of the coil members. The output controller supplies the first coil member with a first specified output until the first temperature detector detects that the first coil member heats the object. The second coil member is not supplied with a second specified output during this time. When the object reaches a specified temperature, the first specified output stops being supplied to the first coil member and the second specified output is supplied to the second coil member. The temperature of an area heated by the second coil member reaches a specified temperature. A comparison is made between temperatures detected by the first and second temperature detectors. The coil members are alternately supplied with first and second specified outputs to heat the object's area indicating a lower temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinouchi, Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 6748184
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device and a digital photocopier which can shorten the time from an instruction of starting image formation to end of fixing. The fixing device is provided in a cylinder made of metal and having a small thickness, and includes a magnetic excitation coil. When the power source is turned on, all the electric power defined by subtracting an electric power amount consumed by components other than the fixing device is supplied to the magnetic excitation coil to perform heating. As the structural components of the photocopier and auxiliary devices added to the photocopier operate, the electric power defined by subtracting, from the maximum input electric power, the electric power consumed by the structural components of the photocopier and the auxiliary devices is supplied to perform heating. In this manner, the heat roller of the fixing device is heated, in a short time, to a temperature which enables fixing, so that the time required for first copying can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Umezawa, Taizo Kimoto, Kenji Takano, Hisaaki Kawano, Hiroshi Nakayama, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi, Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Masahiko Ogura
  • Publication number: 20040079750
    Abstract: A fixing device for an electrophotography system, which is capable of efficiently and uniformly heating an object to be heated, which has a coil capable of being easily produced and which is capable of being stably fixing a fixed material, is provided by preventing the distance between the going and returning portions of a certain turn of the coil from being too close to each other, by preventing the diameter of the coil from changing when the coil is wound, by providing a uniform gap between the coil and the inside surface of the heating roller over the whole length, by preventing the fixing performed by the heating roller to be affected by the turning ON/OFF of a power supply, by preventing noises from being generated from the coil ejecting portion, and by devising the procedure for efficiently winding the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA & TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Patent number: 6725000
    Abstract: In a fixing mechanism which heats a fixation member by generating heat in an endless member by using an induction current obtained from a current flowing through an induction coil, the present invention is characterized in that the induction coil is divided into a plurality of coils in a direction vertical to a moving direction of the fixation member and a coil to which power is supplied is switched according to needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Patent number: 6724999
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus is provided with a fixing device which includes a fixing roller and a pressing roller pressed against the fixing roller, the fixing roller and the pressing roller defining a region through which sheets of various sizes pass while being heated, an induction-heating device which heats the fixing roller by induction heating and which includes first and second excitation coil units provided inside the fixing roller and spaced from each other by a predetermined distance in an axial direction of the fixing roller, and a control device which varies an output applied to the first and second excitation coils in accordance with a surface temperature as measured in the axial direction of the fixing roller. The first and second excitation coil units have widths which are greater than those of maximal-size sheets by 20 to 40 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Toshiya Inomata, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Publication number: 20040065660
    Abstract: An electrophotography fixing device has a heating roller and an induction heating device. In order to improve heat resistance, heat radiating performance and insulation performance and in order to appropriately uniformly heat the heating roller, in the induction heating device, induction heating coils wound onto a core are fixed by varnish mixed with mica, and the outside surfaces thereof are fixed by a heat resistant bundling band or a molded body of a heat resistant material, or coated with a heat resistant, insulating and thermal conductive sheet. Alternatively, the same sheets as the above described sheet are provided between the core and the coils and between the layers of the coils. In addition, the core is formed with a hole extending in axial directions or holes extending in directions perpendicular to the axial directions. Moreover, the coils are doubly insulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Publication number: 20040028422
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device and a digital photocopier which can shorten the time from an instruction of starting image formation to end of fixing. The fixing device is provided in a cylinder made of metal and having a small thickness, and includes a magnetic excitation coil. When the power source is turned on, all the electric power defined by subtracting an electric power amount consumed by components other than the fixing device is supplied to the magnetic excitation coil to perform heating. As the structural components of the photocopier and auxiliary devices added to the photocopier operate, the electric power defined by subtracting, from the maximum input electric power, the electric power consumed by the structural components of the photocopier and the auxiliary devices is supplied to perform heating. In this manner, the heat roller of the fixing device is heated, in a short time, to a temperature which enables fixing, so that the time required for first copying can be shortened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Umezawa, Taizo Kimoto, Kenji Takano, Hisaaki Kawano, Hiroshi Nakayama, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi, Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Masahiko Ogura
  • Patent number: 6660979
    Abstract: A fixing device comprising an endless heating member which is adapted to be contacted with a fixable member to thereby enable an image on the fixable member to be thermally fixed, an electromagnetic inductive coil member disposed close to the endless heating member and inductively heating the endless heating member, and an AC power supply circuit supplying an AC current to the electromagnetic inductive coil member. The coil member is constructed such that in a state where the coil member is positioned in the fixing device, a ratio between an inductance L of the coil member and a load resistance R of the coil member meets a condition of L/R<50×10−6 (H/&OHgr;).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi, Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Hisaaki Kawano, Hiroshi Nakayama, Kenji Takano, Taizo Kimoto, Noriyuki Umezawa, Masahiko Ogura
  • Publication number: 20030219271
    Abstract: A fixing device of the present invention has first and second thermistors which detect the temperatures at predetermined positions in the longitudinally direction of a heating roller, first and second coils which can increase independently the temperatures at the center and the end of the heating roller, a driving circuit which supply power alternately to the coils, first and second switching circuits which supply a predetermined power to each coil, a control unit, and a temperature detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA and TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinouchi, Osamu Takagi
  • Publication number: 20030215255
    Abstract: A heating apparatus according to the present invention supplies at least one of first and second coil members with either of first and second drive outputs having specified frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinouchi, Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 6646239
    Abstract: A fixing device uses induction heating for causing alternating current to pass through an electromagnetic induction coil, whereby the fixing device is provided within an endless member such as a roller. The fixing device includes a core having a curved surface. The fixing device also includes the coil which is wound around a first axis on the surface of the core, so as to cover the surface of said core. The fixing device further includes a heat resistant bundling band that is wound on the coil around a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, so as to fix the coil to the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Patent number: 6642488
    Abstract: A fixing device for an electrophotography system, which is capable of efficiently and uniformly heating an object to be heated, which has a coil capable of being easily produced and which is capable of being stably fixing a fixed material, is provided by preventing the distance between the going and returning portions of a certain turn of the coil from being too close to each other, by preventing the diameter of the coil from changing when the coil is wound, by providing a uniform gap between the coil and the inside surface of the heating roller over the whole length, by preventing the fixing performed by the heating roller to be affected by the turning ON/OFF of a power supply, by preventing noises from being generated from the coil ejecting portion, and by devising the procedure for efficiently winding the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Patent number: 6643476
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing apparatus, in which a cylindrical roller comprising a thin metal layer having a small heat capacity is heated by an induction heating and, when the toner image transferred onto a paper sheet is fixed to the paper sheet, it is possible to control accurately the temperature on the surface of the cylindrical roller. Where the toner image formation on the paper sheet having a width smaller than the length of the cylindrical roller and the fixing operation of the toner image are carried out repeatedly, it is possible to prevent the temperature elevation in the edge portion of the roller. In addition, the power consumption can be saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinouchi, Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 6643491
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing apparatus in which a cylindrical roller having a thin metal layer is heated by an induction heating. In order to shorten the rising time required for elevating the temperature from the stopped state to a predetermined temperature in fixing a toner image transferred onto a paper sheet to the paper sheet, a coil covering member is arranged within the heating roller between an exciting coil and the inner wall of the heating roller, the coil covering member being colored in a color effective for reflecting the infrared ray radiated from the heating roller toward the heating roller. The coil covering member is formed of a material exhibiting electrical insulating properties and heat insulating properties and having a small heat capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kinouchi, Osamu Takagi
  • Publication number: 20030198481
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus is provided with a fixing device which includes a fixing roller and a pressing roller pressed against the fixing roller, the fixing roller and the pressing roller defining a region through which sheets of various sizes pass while being heated, an induction-heating device which heats the fixing roller by induction heating and which includes first and second excitation coil units provided inside the fixing roller and spaced from each other by a predetermined distance in an axial direction of the fixing roller, and a control device which varies an output applied to the first and second excitation coils in accordance with a surface temperature as measured in the axial direction of the fixing roller. The first and second excitation coil units have widths which are greater than those of maximal-size sheets by 20 to 40 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Toshiyo Inomata, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi
  • Patent number: 6625405
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device and a digital photocopier which can shorten the time from an instruction of starting image formation to end of fixing. The fixing device is provided in a cylinder made of metal and having a small thickness, and includes a magnetic excitation coil. When the power source is turned on, all the electric power defined by subtracting an electric power amount consumed by components other than the fixing device is supplied to the magnetic excitation coil to perform heating. As the structural components of the photocopier and auxiliary devices added to the photocopier operate, the electric power defined by subtracting, from the maximum input electric power, the electric power consumed by the structural components of the photocopier and the auxiliary devices is supplied to perform heating. In this manner, the heat roller of the fixing device is heated, in a short time, to a temperature which enables fixing, so that the time required for first copying can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Toshiba
    Inventors: Noriyuki Umezawa, Taizo Kimoto, Kenji Takano, Hisaaki Kawano, Hiroshi Nakayama, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi, Kazuhiko Kikuchi, Masahiko Ogura