Patents by Inventor Shinichi Kuramoto

Shinichi Kuramoto 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: 20170277072
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that opposes an image carrier and rotates while carrying developer on a surface thereof; and a container that supports the developer carrier in a rotatable manner and contains the developer, the developer containing toner, first carrier subjected to frictional charging together with the toner, and second carrier having a diameter greater than a diameter of the first carrier and an electrical resistance lower than an electrical resistance of the first carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi KURAMOTO, Yoshifumi OZAKI, Ryota TOMISHI, Junichi UCHIYAMA, Yoshitaka NAKAJIMA, Norihiro TAMAZAWA
  • Patent number: 9733590
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing housing that contains developer; a developer carrier that transports the developer; a layer-thickness regulating member that is provided for an upstream gap between the developer carrier and the developing housing and that regulates a layer thickness of the developer; and a sealing member that is provided for a downstream gap between the developer carrier and the developing housing. The sealing member is fixed to the developing housing at one side and is in contact with the developer on the developer carrier at the other side. The sealing member has cuts extending from a free end of the sealing member by approximately 60% or more of a dimension of the sealing member from the free end to a fixed end in the width direction, and is at an angle of approximately 30° or less with respect to a reference line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kuramoto, Shigemi Murata, Yoshitaka Nakajima, Ryota Tomishi
  • Publication number: 20160282754
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing housing that contains developer; a developer carrier that transports the developer; a layer-thickness regulating member that is provided for an upstream gap between the developer carrier and the developing housing and that regulates a layer thickness of the developer; and a sealing member that is provided for a downstream gap between the developer carrier and the developing housing. The sealing member is fixed to the developing housing at one side and is in contact with the developer on the developer carrier at the other side. The sealing member has cuts extending from a free end of the sealing member by approximately 60% or more of a dimension of the sealing member from the free end to a fixed end in the width direction, and is at an angle of approximately 30° or less with respect to a reference line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi KURAMOTO, Shigemi MURATA, Yoshitaka NAKAJIMA, Ryota TOMISHI
  • Patent number: 9423721
    Abstract: A developing device is provided. A rotating shaft of a first transporting member is positioned exactly below a developer carrier. A second virtual tangent to the first transporting member that extends vertically on a side of the first transporting member opposite an image carrier is farther from the image carrier than a first virtual tangent to the developer carrier that extends vertically on a side of the developer carrier opposite the image carrier. A distance between the two virtual tangents is shorter than a distance between the first virtual tangent and a developer container. A developer guiding member that guides a developer toward a downstream side in a direction of transport by the first transporting member is provided on a downstream side in a direction of rotation of the developer carrier with respect to the image carrier, with a gap provided with respect to the developer carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigemi Murata, Shinichi Kuramoto, Yoshitaka Nakajima, Ryota Tomishi, Shigeru Inaba
  • Publication number: 20160070205
    Abstract: A developing device is provided. A rotating shaft of a first transporting member is positioned exactly below a developer carrier. A second virtual tangent to the first transporting member that extends vertically on a side of the first transporting member opposite an image carrier is farther from the image carrier than a first virtual tangent to the developer carrier that extends vertically on a side of the developer carrier opposite the image carrier. A distance between the two virtual tangents is shorter than a distance between the first virtual tangent and a developer container. A developer guiding member that guides a developer toward a downstream side in a direction of transport by the first transporting member is provided on a downstream side in a direction of rotation of the developer carrier with respect to the image carrier, with a gap provided with respect to the developer carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigemi MURATA, Shinichi KURAMOTO, Yoshitaka NAKAJIMA, Ryota TOMISHI, Shigeru INABA
  • Patent number: 9244376
    Abstract: Provided is a developing device including a storage container that stores a developer, a rotating body that supplies the developer to an image holding member in a supply region by being rotated with holding the developer, an inflow portion that is provided with an inflow port placed on a downstream side of the supply region in a rotation direction of the rotating body, and flows air into the storage container, and an outflow portion that is provided with an outflow port and emits air in the storage container from the outflow port, wherein the outflow port and the inflow port are placed to be adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Shinichi Kuramoto, Yasutomo Ishii, Ryota Tomishi, Shinji Okuyama
  • Patent number: 9195168
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that has a cylindrical shape and that rotates while carrying developer to supply the developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a container that contains the developer carrier, and a discharge-path forming member that is provided along an outer peripheral surface of the developer carrier, that covers a top portion of a path along which the outer peripheral surface moves, the top portion being located at an uppermost position of the path, and that forms a discharge path, through which air is discharged from inside of the container to outside of the container, between the discharge-path forming member and an inner wall surface of the container, the discharge path having an outlet located closer to the developer carrier than the top portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutomo Ishii, Shinichi Kuramoto, Hiroaki Okuma, Ryota Tomishi, Shinji Okuyama, Kiyohito Horii, Daisuke Nakai, Ryo Fukuno, Toshiaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20150093139
    Abstract: Provided is a developing device including a storage container that stores a developer, a rotating body that supplies the developer to an image holding member in a supply region by being rotated with holding the developer, an inflow portion that is provided with an inflow port placed on a downstream side of the supply region in a rotation direction of the rotating body, and flows air into the storage container, and an outflow portion that is provided with an outflow port and emits air in the storage container from the outflow port, wherein the outflow port and the inflow port are placed to be adjacent to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventors: Shinichi KURAMOTO, Yasutomo ISHII, Ryota TOMISHI, Shinji OKUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150016848
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrier that has a cylindrical shape and that rotates while carrying developer to supply the developer to an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a container that contains the developer carrier, and a discharge-path forming member that is provided along an outer peripheral surface of the developer carrier, that covers a top portion of a path along which the outer peripheral surface moves, the top portion being located at an uppermost position of the path, and that forms a discharge path, through which air is discharged from inside of the container to outside of the container, between the discharge-path forming member and an inner wall surface of the container, the discharge path having an outlet located closer to the developer carrier than the top portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutomo ISHII, Shinichi KURAMOTO, Hiroaki OKUMA, Ryota TOMISHI, Shinji OKUYAMA, Kiyohito HORII, Daisuke NAKAI, Ryo FUKUNO, Toshiaki SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 8923733
    Abstract: A developer supplying device includes an inflow path; a guide path having an inlet to which a lower end of the inflow path is connected, the guide path extending diagonally downward from the inlet, the guide path guiding the developer to a developing unit; and a transport unit disposed in the guide path, the transport unit including a helical screw blade and a holder that holds the helical screw blade, the transport unit transporting the developer to the developing unit by rotating. In at least a part of a region in the guide path facing the inlet, a pitch of the helical screw blade in a horizontal direction is greater than or equal to a width of the inlet, and the holder is located at a position displaced from the rotation axis of the transport unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kuramoto, Satoru Yugeta, Hirokazu Murase
  • Patent number: 8811863
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing member including a magnetism-generating member having plural magnetic poles polarized in a circumferential-direction thereof, and a rotating member that is rotated about the magnetism-generating member; a developer-pumping pole provided in the magnetism-generating member, and that pumps up the developer, which is supplied from a developer accommodating portion, to the rotating member surface; a developer-peeling-off pole provided in the magnetism-generating member below a rotation axis of the rotating member in a vertical direction on an upstream side of the developer-pumping pole in a rotational-direction of the rotating member, that peels off the developer from the rotating member surface; and a magnetic body provided in at least a portion between a facing position facing the developer-peeling-off pole in a circumferential-direction of the rotating member and an intermediate position between the developer-peeling-off pole and the developer-pumping pole in the circu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, Shota Oba, Shigeru Inaba, Shinichi Kuramoto, Yoshitaka Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20140147173
    Abstract: A developer supplying device includes an inflow path; a guide path having an inlet to which a lower end of the inflow path is connected, the guide path extending diagonally downward from the inlet, the guide path guiding the developer to a developing unit; and a transport unit disposed in the guide path, the transport unit including a helical screw blade and a holder that holds the helical screw blade, the transport unit transporting the developer to the developing unit by rotating. In at least a part of a region in the guide path facing the inlet, a pitch of the helical screw blade in a horizontal direction is greater than or equal to a width of the inlet, and the holder is located at a position displaced from the rotation axis of the transport unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi KURAMOTO, Satoru Yugeta, Hirokazu Murase
  • Patent number: 8660470
    Abstract: A developing device includes first and second developer carriers facing each other in a facing region, a regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of developer, and a separation member. The first and second developer carriers respectively include first and second magnetic members that are respectively magnetized with first and second facing magnetic poles having opposite polarities. The separation member separates the developer so that the developer is supplied toward the first and second developer carriers. The separation member is disposed such that distances between the separation member and the first and second developer carriers are the smallest in a region in which a magnitude of a combined magnetic field of the first and second magnetic poles locally decreases as compared with a case where at least one of the first and second developer carriers is independently disposed due to interaction between the first and second facing magnetic poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Watanabe, Makoto Hirota, Tomoyuki Yoshii, Jun Abe, Yasuaki Watanabe, Shinichi Kuramoto, Kunihiko Sato
  • Patent number: 8594536
    Abstract: A developing unit includes: a developing roller; a first conveying member provided in a first container, having a first shaft and a spiral blade, that agitates and conveys developer; a second conveying member provided in a second container connected to the first container via a hole, having a second shaft and a spiral blade, that agitates and conveys the developer; and a supplying member having a third shaft and a paddle blade, that supplies the developer conveyed by the first or the second conveying member to a developing roller, wherein: at least one of the first and second shafts includes a first portion that faces the hole and a second portion that does not face the hole; and a diameter of the at least one of the first and second shafts in at least a part of the first portion is smaller than a diameter in the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kuramoto, Taichi Yamada, Masahiro Uchida, Mutsumi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8548364
    Abstract: A developing device includes: an magnetic field generating unit that generates an magnetic field; and a cylindrical developer holder, to which a voltage is applied, that surrounds the magnetic field generating unit and rotates, the cylindrical developer holder: having an outer circumferential surface having a plurality of grooves that extend in a direction of a rotational axis, the outer circumferential surface being capable of holding developer including a magnetic substance by using the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generation unit, an electrical resistance of an inner wall surface of each of the grooves being higher than an electrical resistance of the magnetic substance included in the developer; and supplying the developer to an image holder that holds an electrostatic latent image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shota Oba, Shigeru Inaba, Takashi Yamamuro, Takashi Ochi, Shinichi Kuramoto
  • Publication number: 20130164042
    Abstract: A developing device includes first and second developer carriers facing each other in a facing region, a regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of developer, and a separation member. The first and second developer carriers respectively include first and second magnetic members that are respectively magnetized with first and second facing magnetic poles having opposite polarities. The separation member separates the developer so that the developer is supplied toward the first and second developer carriers. The separation member is disposed such that distances between the separation member and the first and second developer carriers are the smallest in a region in which a magnitude of a combined magnetic field of the first and second magnetic poles locally decreases as compared with a case where at least one of the first and second developer carriers is independently disposed due to interaction between the first and second facing magnetic poles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi WATANABE, Makoto HIROTA, Tomoyuki YOSHII, Jun ABE, Yasuaki WATANABE, Shinichi KURAMOTO, Kunihiko SATO
  • Patent number: 8447216
    Abstract: A development unit includes: a developing vessel in which a developing agent is received; a developing member as defined herein; a supply member which is supported in the developing vessel and disposed to be opposed to the developing member, the supply member rotating the developing agent in the developing vessel while holding the developing agent on a surface of the supply member to thereby supply the developing agent held on the surface to the developing member; and a thickness limiting member as defined herein, and the supply member is supported movably in a direction to expand or reduce a gap between the thickness limiting member and the supply member so that the gap between the thickness limiting member and the supply member can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shota Oba, Shigeru Inaba, Takashi Ochi, Yoshitaka Nakajima, Shinichi Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 8178273
    Abstract: To provide (1) a method for manufacturing a carrier, including: dissolving a coating material composed of a plurality of types of materials in a fluid containing at least one of a supercritical fluid and a subcritical fluid; and lowering the solubility of the solution by controlling at least one of pressure and temperature to form a coating layer on a core surface, or (2) a method for manufacturing a carrier, including: dispersing or dissolving a coating material in a fluid containing at least one of a supercritical fluid and a subcritical fluid; and lowering solubility of the solution by controlling at least one of pressure and temperature to form a coating layer on a core surface, wherein the coating material contains at least a silicone resin, and the silicone resin has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 800 to 5,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Inoue, Chiaki Tanaka, Shinichi Kuramoto
  • Publication number: 20120099899
    Abstract: A developing unit includes: a developing roller; a first conveying member provided in a first container, having a first shaft and a spiral blade, that agitates and conveys developer; a second conveying member provided in a second container connected to the first container via a hole, having a second shaft and a spiral blade, that agitates and conveys the developer; and a supplying member having a third shaft and a paddle blade, that supplies the developer conveyed by the first or the second conveying member to a developing roller, wherein: at least one of the first and second shafts includes a first portion that faces the hole and a second portion that does not face the hole; and a diameter of the at least one of the first and second shafts in at least a part of the first portion is smaller than a diameter in the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi KURAMOTO, Taichi YAMADA, Masahiro UCHIDA, Mutsumi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120051796
    Abstract: A development unit includes: a developing vessel in which a developing agent is received; a developing member as defined herein; a supply member which is supported in the developing vessel and disposed to be opposed to the developing member, the supply member rotating the developing agent in the developing vessel while holding the developing agent on a surface of the supply member to thereby supply the developing agent held on the surface to the developing member; and a thickness limiting member as defined herein, and the supply member is supported movably in a direction to expand or reduce a gap between the thickness limiting member and the supply member so that the gap between the thickness limiting member and the supply member can be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shota OBA, Shigeru INABA, Takashi OCHI, Yoshitaka NAKAJIMA, Shinichi KURAMOTO