Patents by Inventor Seiji Obata

Seiji Obata 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: 20250291305
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet includes an apparatus body, a mounting unit, a restricting portion configured to move to a restricting position and to an allowing position, a first connector, a second connector configured to move between a fitting position and a release position, and an interlocking portion configured to move between a first operation position and a second operation position and configured to be interlocked with the restricting portion and the second connector. The interlocking portion includes an operation portion, a pivot shaft configured to pivot integrally with the operation portion and configured to pivotably support the restricting portion, and a cam pivotably supported by the pivot shaft and configured to move the second connector from the fitting position to the release position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: TOMOOKU KOYAMA, HIDEKI OHTA, CHIKARA IMAIZUMI, RYO MIYATA, SEIJI OBATA, JIRO MORIYA
  • Publication number: 20250291286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body provided with an opening portion, an opening/closing member supported to be openable and closable with respect to the apparatus body between a closed position and an open position, a fixing unit, and a moving unit provided in the apparatus body and configured to move the fixing unit from a first position toward a second position. A movement of the fixing unit from the first position to the second position is restricted in a state in which the opening/closing member is positioned at the closed position and is allowed in a state in which the opening/closing member is positioned at the open position. The moving unit includes a support portion configured to support the fixing unit positioned at the second position, and a restricting portion configured to restrict dropping of the fixing unit supported by the support portion from the support portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: SEIJI OBATA, TOMOOKU KOYAMA, HIDEKI OHTA, JIRO MORIYA
  • Publication number: 20250264832
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a connection portion of a first power supply terminal is at a position closer to one end portion of a heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater than a contact portion of the first power supply terminal, and a connection portion of a second power supply terminal is at a position closer to the other end portion of the heater in the longitudinal direction than a contact portion of the second power supply terminal. A power supply cable connected to the connection portion of the first power supply terminal extends toward the one end portion of the heater, and a power supply cable connected to the connection portion of the second power supply terminal is bent from extending toward the other end portion of the heater to extend toward the one end portion of the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2025
    Publication date: August 21, 2025
    Inventor: SEIJI OBATA
  • Patent number: 12321117
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a connection portion of a first power supply terminal is at a position closer to one end portion of a heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater than a contact portion of the first power supply terminal, and a connection portion of a second power supply terminal is at a position closer to the other end portion of the heater in the longitudinal direction than a contact portion of the second power supply terminal. A power supply cable connected to the connection portion of the first power supply terminal extends toward the one end portion of the heater, and a power supply cable connected to the connection portion of the second power supply terminal is bent from extending toward the other end portion of the heater to extend toward the one end portion of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Obata
  • Publication number: 20250155840
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2025
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 12228871
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 12153365
    Abstract: Provided is an image heating apparatus comprising: a first rotating member; a second rotating member that forms a nip with the first rotating member so as to nip the recording material therebetween; a heater that heats the nip; a conductive sheet member that is disposed so as to overlap with a part of the heater; and a restricting member that restricts relative positions between the sheet member and the heater. The restricting member is configured so as to restrict a relative movement between the sheet member and the heater in a first direction, which is a direction where the sheet member overlaps with a part of the heater, and to allow the relative movement in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. A reinforcing land, that joins the heater and the sheet member, is disposed in a position that is electrically isolated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sekimizu, Koichi Yamada, Seiji Obata, Teruhiko Namiki
  • Publication number: 20240085832
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 11846902
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Publication number: 20230393507
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a connection portion of a first power supply terminal is at a position closer to one end portion of a heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater than a contact portion of the first power supply terminal, and a connection portion of a second power supply terminal is at a position closer to the other end portion of the heater in the longitudinal direction than a contact portion of the second power supply terminal. A power supply cable connected to the connection portion of the first power supply terminal extends toward the one end portion of the heater, and a power supply cable connected to the connection portion of the second power supply terminal is bent from extending toward the other end portion of the heater to extend toward the one end portion of the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventor: SEIJI OBATA
  • Patent number: 11747756
    Abstract: At least an electrode of a first electrode group and at least an electrode of a second electrode group are formed in a region nearer to one edge portion of a substrate than to a center of the substrate in a longer-side direction of the substrate, and the electrode that is nearest to the second electrode group in the longer-side direction among the first electrode group formed in the region nearer to the one edge portion and the second electrode group are provided with a space between the electrode and the second electrode group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Ryota Ogura, Takafumi Suzuki, Seiji Obata, Koichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 11662679
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member to form a nip portion which sandwiches a recording material between the first rotating member and the second rotating member, a heater unit provided inside the first rotating member and having a heater for heating an image on the recording material sandwiched by the nip portion, and a sheet member provided to overlap a part of the heater and electrically connected to the heater. The sheet member includes a first sheet member connected to one end of the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater and a second sheet member connected to the other end of the heater, the first sheet member extends from the one end of the heater in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction, and the second sheet member extends from the other end of the heater in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Obata
  • Patent number: 11634292
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a guide member disposed to define a conveyance path, a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element configured to output a detection signal that changes in accordance with an amount of received light, a first light-passing portion disposed to define an optical path from the light-emitting element to the conveyance path, and a second light-passing portion disposed to define an optical path from the conveyance path to the light-receiving element. The light-receiving element is configured such that the detection signal changes in accordance with whether or not a sheet is present in the conveyance path. Reflectance of each of the first light-passing portion and the second light-passing portion to the light emitted from the light-emitting element is higher than reflectance of the guide member to the light emitted from the light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emi Machii, Takafumi Suzuki, Seiji Obata, Koichi Sekimizu
  • Publication number: 20230027168
    Abstract: Provided is an image heating apparatus comprising: a first rotating member; a second rotating member that forms a nip with the first rotating member so as to nip the recording material therebetween; a heater that heats the nip; a conductive sheet member that is disposed so as to overlap with a part of the heater; and a restricting member that restricts relative positions between the sheet member and the heater. The restricting member is configured so as to restrict a relative movement between the sheet member and the heater in a first direction, which is a direction where the sheet member overlaps with a part of the heater, and to allow the relative movement in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. A reinforcing land, that joins the heater and the sheet member, is disposed in a position that is electrically isolated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Koichi Sekimizu, Koichi Yamada, Seiji Obata, Teruhiko Namiki
  • Publication number: 20220382198
    Abstract: A sheet discharge apparatus includes a stack portion, a reversing unit configured to reverse a reversing sheet, a support member configured to support a lower surface of the reversing sheet, a discharging unit configured to discharge a discharging sheet from the apparatus body, a pivotable member arranged above the stack portion, and a detector configured to output a detection signal that changes according to a pivot angle of the pivotable member. When viewed in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the first conveyance direction, a pivoting locus in which the pivotable member pivots overlaps the support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Koichi Sekimizu, Seiji Obata, Hideki Ohta, Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 11487230
    Abstract: Provided is an image heating apparatus comprising: a first rotating member; a second rotating member that forms a nip with the first rotating member so as to nip the recording material therebetween; a heater that heats the nip; a conductive sheet member that is disposed so as to overlap with a part of the heater; and a restricting member that restricts relative positions between the sheet member and the heater. The restricting member is configured so as to restrict a relative movement between the sheet member and the heater in a first direction, which is a direction where the sheet member overlaps with a part of the heater, and to allow the relative movement in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. A reinforcing land, that joins the heater and the sheet member, is disposed in a position that is electrically isolated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sekimizu, Koichi Yamada, Seiji Obata, Teruhiko Namiki
  • Publication number: 20220244666
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 11320770
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Publication number: 20220017319
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a guide member disposed to define a conveyance path, a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element configured to output a detection signal that changes in accordance with an amount of received light, a first light-passing portion disposed to define an optical path from the light-emitting element to the conveyance path, and a second light-passing portion disposed to define an optical path from the conveyance path to the light-receiving element. The light-receiving element is configured such that the detection signal changes in accordance with whether or not a sheet is present in the conveyance path. Reflectance of each of the first light-passing portion and the second light-passing portion to the light emitted from the light-emitting element is higher than reflectance of the guide member to the light emitted from the light-emitting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Emi Machii, Takafumi Suzuki, Seiji Obata, Koichi Sekimizu
  • Publication number: 20210333735
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member to form a nip portion which sandwiches a recording material between the first rotating member and the second rotating member, a heater unit provided inside the first rotating member and having a heater for heating an image on the recording material at the nip portion, and a sheet member provided to overlap a part of the heater and electrically connected to the heater. The sheet member includes a first sheet member connected to one end of the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater and a second sheet member connected to the other end of the heater, the first sheet member extends from the one end of the heater in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction, and the second sheet member extends from the other end of the heater in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventor: Seiji Obata