Patents by Inventor Shigeru Hoashi

Shigeru Hoashi 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: 20240004338
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes a feeding module, an image forming module, and a fixing module. The feeding module feeds a recording material. The image forming module includes a photosensitive drum and forms a developer image on the recording material fed to the image forming module by the feeding module. The fixing module fixes the developer image formed by the image forming module to the recording material. The image forming module includes a scanner frame that supports an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive drum. The feeding module is installed on the scanner frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshinori Hashimoto, Shogo Miyakawa, Akira Yoshimura, Hiromi Fujinaka, Isao Matsuoka, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma
  • Patent number: 11809122
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes a feeding module, an image forming module, and a fixing module. The feeding module feeds a recording material. The image forming module includes a photosensitive drum and forms a developer image on the recording material fed to the image forming module by the feeding module. The fixing module fixes the developer image formed by the image forming module to the recording material. The image forming module includes a scanner frame that supports an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive drum. The feeding module is installed on the scanner frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Hashimoto, Shogo Miyakawa, Akira Yoshimura, Hiromi Fujinaka, Isao Matsuoka, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20220082990
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes a feeding module, an image forming module, and a fixing module. The feeding module feeds a recording material. The image forming module includes a photosensitive drum and forms a developer image on the recording material fed to the image forming module by the feeding module. The fixing module fixes the developer image formed by the image forming module to the recording material. The image forming module includes a scanner frame that supports an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive drum. The feeding module is installed on the scanner frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshinori Hashimoto, Shogo Miyakawa, Akira Yoshimura, Hiromi Fujinaka, Isao Matsuoka, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma
  • Patent number: 11204580
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes a feeding module, an image forming module, and a fixing module. The feeding module feeds a recording material. The image forming module includes a photosensitive drum and forms a developer image on the recording material fed to the image forming module by the feeding module. The fixing module fixes the developer image formed by the image forming module to the recording material. The image forming module includes a scanner frame that supports an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive drum. The feeding module is installed on the scanner frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Hashimoto, Shogo Miyakawa, Akira Yoshimura, Hiromi Fujinaka, Isao Matsuoka, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20210200139
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes a feeding module, an image forming module, and a fixing module. The feeding module feeds a recording material. The image forming module includes a photosensitive drum and forms a developer image on the recording material fed to the image forming module by the feeding module. The fixing module fixes the developer image formed by the image forming module to the recording material. The image forming module includes a scanner frame that supports an exposure unit configured to expose the photosensitive drum. The feeding module is installed on the scanner frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshinori Hashimoto, Shogo Miyakawa, Akira Yoshimura, Hiromi Fujinaka, Isao Matsuoka, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma
  • Patent number: 9618900
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus include a door through which a tray carrying a cartridge passes, wherein in interrelation with the door closing operation, (i) movement of the tray from a movable position to an image forming position, (ii) movement of a drive transmission member, for transmitting a driving force to the cartridge from a main assembly, from a first spacing position to a drive-connecting position, (iii) movement of an urging member for urging the cartridge to the main assembly from a second spacing position to a contact position, and (iv) movement of an electric energy supply member, for supplying electric power to the cartridge from the main assembly, from a third spacing position to an electric energy supplying position, are carried out in the order named.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromi Fujinaka, Yuichiro Osawa, Masao Amano, Shigeru Hoashi
  • Patent number: 9389580
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members and a plurality of developing units, each of which includes a developing roller actable on the photosensitive member and movable relative to the photosensitive member. A movable member moves between an inside and an outside of a main assembly, and a mounting portion, provided in the movable member, supports the plurality of developing units, which are detachably mountable to the mounting portion. An interrelating member, movable in interrelation with movement of the movable member, moves the plurality of developing units in an upward direction relative to the plurality of photosensitive members when the movable member is moved from the inside to the outside of the main assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeru Hoashi, Masaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20160116884
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus include a door through which a tray carrying a cartridge passes, wherein in interrelation with the door closing operation, (i) movement of the tray from a movable position to an image forming position, (ii) movement of a drive transmission member, for transmitting a driving force to the cartridge from a main assembly, from a first spacing position to a drive-connecting position, (iii) movement of an urging member for urging the cartridge to the main assembly from a second spacing position to a contact position, and (iv) movement of an electric energy supply member, for supplying electric power to the cartridge from the main assembly, from a third spacing position to an electric energy supplying position, are carried out in the order named.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Hiromi Fujinaka, Yuichiro Osawa, Masao Amano, Shigeru Hoashi
  • Patent number: 9261855
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus include a door through which a tray carrying a cartridge passes. In a door closing operation, (i) movement of the tray from a movable position to an image forming position, (ii) movement of a drive transmission member, for transmitting a driving force to the cartridge from a main assembly, from a first spacing position to a drive-connecting position, (iii) movement of an urging member for urging the cartridge to the main assembly from a second spacing position to a contact position, and (iv) movement of an electric energy supply member, for supplying electric power to the cartridge from the main assembly, from a third spacing position to an electric energy supplying position, are carried out in the order named.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromi Fujinaka, Yuichiro Osawa, Masao Amano, Shigeru Hoashi
  • Patent number: 9213273
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuichi Tetsuno
  • Publication number: 20150261178
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive members and a plurality of developing units, each of which includes a developing roller actable on the photosensitive member and movable relative to the photosensitive member. A movable member moves between an inside and an outside of a main assembly, and a mounting portion, provided in the movable member, supports the plurality of developing units, which are detachably mountable to the mounting portion. An interrelating member, movable in interrelation with movement of the movable member, moves the plurality of developing units in an upward direction relative to the plurality of photosensitive members when the movable member is moved from the inside to the outside of the main assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru Hoashi, Masaki Sato
  • Patent number: 9081359
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having process cartridges each including a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, includes a movable member movable between an inside and an outside of a main assembly of the image forming apparatus in a movement direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, and a mounting portion for supporting the process cartridges, wherein the process cartridges are detachably mountable to the mounting portion from a direction crossing the longitudinal direction and the movement direction. In addition, and an interrelating member, movable in interrelation with movement of the movable member, moves the developing roller relative to the photosensitive drum so that a distance between a rotation center of the photosensitive drum and a rotation center of the developing roller is decreased with respect to the movement direction when the movable member is moved from the inside to the outside of the main assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeru Hoashi, Masaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20150055974
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, to which process cartridges each including a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, includes: a movable member movable between an inside and an outside of a main assembly of the image forming apparatus in a movement direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum; a mounting portion for supporting the process cartridges, wherein the process cartridges are detachably mountable to the mounting portion from a direction crossing the longitudinal direction and the movement direction; and an interrelating member, movable in interrelation with movement of the movable member, for moving the developing roller relative to the photosensitive drum so that a distance between a rotation center of the photosensitive drum and a rotation center of the developing roller is decreased with respect to the movement direction when the movable member is moved from the inside to the outside of the main assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru Hoashi, Masaki Sato
  • Patent number: 8965256
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member unit including a toner image carrying member, a transfer unit including a movable endless belt for transferring the toner image from the carrying member onto a transfer material, a plurality of stretching members for stretching the endless belt, and a supporting portion, provided at an end portion with respect to a widthwise direction, for supporting the stretching members. In addition, a main assembly frame is provided at a position opposing the supporting portion and includes a positioning portion for determining positions of the plurality of stretching members, wherein the supporting portion is movable relative to the main assembly frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeo Kawanami, Masahiro Suzuki, Masaru Shimura, Shinji Katagiri, Tatsuya Kinukawa, Shigeru Hoashi, Akinori Takayama
  • Patent number: 8958709
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, one of a plurality of support members supporting an intermediate transfer belt is a guide member configured to regulate the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt while being held in sliding contact with the intermediate transfer belt at a position opposite the secondary transfer member across the intermediate transfer belt. This guide member is equipped with a first resistor portion in sliding contact with the intermediate transfer belt and a second resistor portion of a higher electrical resistance than the first resistor portion, with the second resistor portion provided upstream of the first resistor portion in the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Suzuki, Masaru Shimura, Shinji Katagiri, Tatsuya Kinukawa, Shigeru Hoashi, Akinori Takayama, Takeo Kawanami, Michio Uchida
  • Publication number: 20140219692
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Patent number: 8768210
    Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a cartridge tray supporting a plurality of cartridges is movable through a plurality of opening portions to respective outside positions outside an apparatus main body. In the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the plurality of cartridges are removably mounted to the apparatus main body to form an image on a recording medium. The color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a cartridge tray, which is movable, while supporting the plurality of cartridges, between an inside position positioned inside the apparatus main body and the outside positions, a plurality of opening portions provided in the apparatus main body, through which the cartridge tray is movable between the inside position and the outside positions, and doors for opening and closing the plurality of opening portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Hoashi
  • Patent number: 8750772
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doda, Masaru Shimura, Shigeru Hoashi, Kenji Kanari, Seiji Saito, Takashi Shimada, Takaaki Akamatsu, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Takamitsu Soda, Shuuichi Tetsuno
  • Publication number: 20140147158
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus include a door through which a tray carrying a cartridge passes, wherein in interrelation with the door closing operation, (i) movement of the tray from a movable position to an image forming position, (ii) movement of a drive transmission member, for transmitting a driving force to the cartridge from a main assembly, from a first spacing position to a drive-connecting position, (iii) movement of an urging member for urging the cartridge to the main assembly from a second spacing position to a contact position, and (iv) movement of an electric energy supply member, for supplying electric power to the cartridge from the main assembly, from a third spacing position to an electric energy supplying position, are carried out in the order named.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromi Fujinaka, Yuichiro Osawa, Masao Amano, Shigeru Hoashi
  • Patent number: 8532532
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming image on a recording medium includes a photosensitive member, a motor, a belt, and a drive member to rotate the belt, the drive member including a driven coupling. The apparatus also includes a drive coupling to rotate by a driving force generated by the motor, the drive coupling being movable in an axial direction to take an engagement position at which the driving force is transmittable to the driven coupling, and a release position. The apparatus further includes a transfer member to transfer a toner image onto the recording medium or the belt, a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the transfer member, and a control unit to cause the voltage application unit to apply the voltage to the transfer member after the drive coupling moves to the engagement position and the driving force is transmitted to the driven coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Shimura, Michio Uchida, Ken Nakagawa, Seiji Saito, Kenji Kanari, Takamitsu Soda, Takaaki Akamatsu, Kazuhiro Doda, Takashi Shimada, Shuichi Tetsuno, Shigeru Hoashi, Tomoya Kuruma