Patents by Inventor Shigenobu Utaka

Shigenobu Utaka 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).

  • Patent number: 6091925
    Abstract: A fixing unit is provided with a fixing heat roller, a first reel supplying a cleaning member which cleans a surface of the fixing heat roller, a second reel taking up the cleaning member from the first reel, and a unidirectional clutch mechanism intermittently driving the second reel in a direction to take up the cleaning member using rotation of the fixing heat roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Katsumi Sugimoto, Tomoaki Tanaka, Katsuya Shimatsu, Yasuhiro Wakabayashi, Katsumi Tateno, Shigenobu Utaka, Kenji Fuke
  • Patent number: 5845184
    Abstract: A developing apparatus is provided for developing an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier by supplying the latent image carrier with a developer. This developing apparatus includes a toner accommodating chamber for accommodating magnetic toners. The apparatus also includes a developing roller, having a plurality of fixed magnetic pole members and sleeves provided along peripheries of the fixed magnetic pole members and rotating thereabout, for feeding the developer composed of magnetic carriers and magnetic toners to the latent image carrier. The apparatus further includes a developing chamber having a partition wall formed along the developing roller and assuming a configuration adapted to a shape of the developing roller, and a toner supply port for supplying the magnetic toners to the developing chamber from the toner accommodating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akira Nagahara, Yoshio Yamaguchi, Shigenobu Utaka, Toshio Tooda, Haruyasu Watanabe, Sachio Sasaki, Mitsuhito Furukawa, Mitsuru Sato, Nobuo Kuwabara, Takefumi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5778285
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which collects residual toners on a latent image carrier in a developing unit. The image forming apparatus have a rotary endless latent image carrier; an image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier; a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier with a powdery developer and collecting residual toners on the latent image carrier at a same time; a transfer unit for transferring the developed image on the latent image carrier onto a sheet; a distribution member for distributing residual toners on the latent image carrier when in contact with the latent image carrier after image transfer; and a voltage supplying unit for supplying an AC voltage to the distribution member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akira Nagahara, Sachio Sasaki, Mitsuhito Furukawa, Shigenobu Utaka, Yoshio Yamaguchi, Mitsuru Sato, Nobuo Kuwabara, Haruyasu Watanabe, Takefumi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5678143
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, including a rotary endless latent image carrier, an image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier, a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier with powdery developers and collecting residual toners on the latent image carrier at the same time, a transfer device for transferring a developed image on the latent image carrier onto a sheet, a distribution roller having independent foam perforations for distributing residual toners on the latent image carrier when in contact with the latent image carrier after image transfer, and a power supply for supplying an AC voltage to the distribution member. The distribution member is made of a conductive foam member having a pore at a surface contacting with the latent image carrier and the roller rotates in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the latent image carrier at a peripheral velocity of 1.1 to 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akira Nagahara, Sachio Sasaki, Mitsuhito Furukawa, Shigenobu Utaka, Yoshio Yamaguchi, Mitsuru Sato, Nobuo Kuwabara, Haruyasu Watanabe, Takefumi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5572298
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus capable of performing an image forming operation in both a horizontal position and an upright position. This image forming apparatus comprises a rotary endless latent image carrier; image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier; developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier with a powdery developer, the developing unit having a developing room, developing rollers provided in the developing room for supplying the powdery developer to the latent image carrier, a toner supply room for supplying toners, toner supply roller provided in the toner supply room and rotatable to supply the toners to the developing room, and a partition member for partitioning the developing room and the toner supply room and forming a toner supply passage for supplying the toners to the developing room; and transfer unit for transferring the developed image on the latent image carrier to a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akira Nagahara, Sachio Sasaki, Mitsuru Sato, Shigenobu Utaka, Takefumi Takahashi, Masahiro Wanou, Masao Konishi
  • Patent number: 5467176
    Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is developed on a latent image carrier and residual toners are collected at the same time. An electrostatic latent image is formed on a rotary endless latent image carrier; developer, including magnetic toners and magnetic carriers, is supplied to a developing area for developing the latent image carrier, and a magnetic brush is formed with the developer in the developing area to thereby collect residual toners on the latent image carrier and develop the electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier; and the developed image on the latent image carrier is transferred to a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tsuneo Watanuki, Yasushige Nakamura, Satoshi Takezawa, Norio Sawatari, Akira Nagahara, Sachio Sasaki, Mitsuru Sato, Shigenobu Utaka, Takefumi Takahashi, Masahiro Wanou, Masao Konishi
  • Patent number: 5448341
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus capable of performing an image forming operation in both a horizontal position and an upright position. This image forming apparatus comprises a rotary endless latent image carrier; image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier; developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier with a powdery developer, the developing unit having a developing room, a developing roller provided in the developing room for supplying the powdery developer to the latent image carrier, a toner supply room for supplying toners, toner supply roller provided in the toner supply room and rotatable to supply the toners to the developing room, and a partition member for partitioning the developing room and the toner supply room and forming a toner supply passage for supplying the toners to the developing room; and transfer unit for transferring the developed image on the latent image carrier to a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akira Nagahara, Sachio Sasaki, Mitsuru Sato, Shigenobu Utaka, Takefumi Takahashi, Masahiro Wanou, Masao Konishi
  • Patent number: 5200784
    Abstract: A toner image transferring device is applied to, for example, an electrophotographic printer for electrostatically transferring a charged toner image from a photosensitive drum to a sheet or paper. The device encompasses a transfer charger disposed near the drum to form a clearance therebetween for feeding an electric charge to the sheet or paper through which the sheet or paper is passed, an electric source for supplying an electric energy to the transfer charger to give the sheet or paper an electric charge having a polarity opposite to that of the charge of the toner image, and a controller for controlling the electric energy output from the electric source the transfer charger so that a leading edge of the sheet or paper can be prevented from being excessively charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kimura, Sachio Sasaki, Hideaki Iwasaki, Kunihiko Sato, Masao Konishi, Akiyoshi Iwamasa, Toshio Tooda, Hiroshi Nou, Shigenobu Utaka, Ryo Kitao