Patents by Inventor Shoichi Zensai

Shoichi Zensai 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: 20230382666
    Abstract: To enable placement of a regulating member which regulates a position of an end of a paper sheet at a desired position, and stable sheet feeding. A fixing member for standard size is guided to engage with a fixing hole for standard size and, in a state where the fixing member for standard size positions a trailing end regulator, a fixing member for non-standard size does not engage with a rack gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Shoichi Zensai, Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 11760587
    Abstract: To enable placement of a regulating member which regulates a position of an end of a paper sheet at a desired position, and stable sheet feeding. A fixing member for standard size is guided to engage with a fixing hole for standard size and, in a state where the fixing member for standard size positions a trailing end regulator, a fixing member for non-standard size does not engage with a rack gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Shoichi Zensai, Takehito Osada
  • Publication number: 20210061595
    Abstract: To enable placement of a regulating member which regulates a position of an end of a paper sheet at a desired position, and stable sheet feeding. A fixing member for standard size is guided to engage with a fixing hole for standard size and, in a state where the fixing member for standard size positions a trailing end regulator, a fixing member for non-standard size does not engage with a rack gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Shoichi Zensai, Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 10865060
    Abstract: To enable placement of a regulating member which regulates a position of an end of a paper sheet at a desired position, and stable sheet feeding. A fixing member for standard size is guided to engage with a fixing hole for standard size and, in a state where the fixing member for standard size positions a trailing end regulator, a fixing member for non-standard size does not engage with a rack gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Shoichi Zensai, Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 10852687
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an apparatus main body; a plurality of units arranged adjacent to each other in the apparatus main body, and configured to be attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body in the same insertion and removal direction; and a switching member 36 configured to be capable of taking any one of a first position in which attachment and detachment of one unit 4 of adjacent units among the plurality of units to and from the apparatus main body is allowed and attachment and detachment of another unit 5 of the adjacent units is restricted, and a second position in which the attachment and detachment of the one unit 4 is restricted and the attachment and detachment of the other unit 5 is allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura, Hiroki Takano
  • Patent number: 10816930
    Abstract: In a configuration in which a cartridge is removably mounted from a longitudinal direction of the cartridge (a side-oriented configuration), an image bearing member is disposed at a position farther from a light emitting unit in a state in which a cover is opened than a state in which the cover is closed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Miwa, Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20200249615
    Abstract: A drive transmitting member including: a gear portion that is formed of a first resin and has gear teeth; and a flange portion that is formed of a second resin, in which the flange portion includes a shaft portion that transmits driving force from the gear teeth to a drive transmitted member, and a rotation stopper (i) that stops rotation of the gear portion with respect to the flange portion at an outer periphery of the flange portion and (ii) that is larger than an external form of the shaft portion, so that the shaft portion and the rotation stopper are integrally molded in the flange portion, and the gear portion has a shape that covers the rotation stopper and is not overlapped with the shaft portion as viewed in an axial direction of the shaft portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Takamichi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10671008
    Abstract: A drive transmitting member including: a gear portion that is formed of a first resin and has gear teeth; and a flange portion that is formed of a second resin, in which the flange portion includes a shaft portion that transmits driving force from the gear teeth to a drive transmitted member, and a rotation stopper (i) that stops rotation of the gear portion with respect to the flange portion at an outer periphery of the flange portion and (ii) that is larger than an external form of the shaft portion, so that the shaft portion and the rotation stopper are integrally molded in the flange portion, and the gear portion has a shape that covers the rotation stopper and is not overlapped with the shaft portion as viewed in an axial direction of the shaft portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Takamichi Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20200133198
    Abstract: In a configuration in which a cartridge is removably mounted from a longitudinal direction of the cartridge (a side-oriented configuration), an image bearing member is disposed at a position farther from a light emitting unit in a state in which a cover is opened than a state in which the cover is closed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Koji Miwa, Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 10571858
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cartridge and an apparatus main body to which the cartridge is detachably attachable is disclosed. The apparatus main body includes a driving force transmitting member, an output member, and a biasing member disposed between the output member and the driving force transmitting member. The driving force transmitting member is caused to rotate relative to the output member in the predetermined rotation by the biasing member, when an engagement between the driving force transmitting member and the driving force receiving member is released by a detachment of the cartridge from the apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Shoichi Zensai, Takamichi Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20200012229
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an apparatus main body; a plurality of units arranged adjacent to each other in the apparatus main body, and configured to be attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body in the same insertion and removal direction; and a switching member 36 configured to be capable of taking any one of a first position in which attachment and detachment of one unit 4 of adjacent units among the plurality of units to and from the apparatus main body is allowed and attachment and detachment of another unit 5 of the adjacent units is restricted, and a second position in which the attachment and detachment of the one unit 4 is restricted and the attachment and detachment of the other unit 5 is allowed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura, Hiroki Takano
  • Patent number: 10496034
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an opening/closing member that opens/closes space which is provided in an apparatus body and in which a first unit and a second unit are accommodated; a first guide portion that guides the first unit in the space; a second guide portion that guides the second unit in the space; and a slope member that is capable of guiding the first unit to the first guide portion provided at a position higher than a position of the second guide portion in a height direction orthogonal to an inserting/extracting direction of the space when the opening/closing member is put in an open position, the slope member being coupled between the apparatus body and the opening/closing member so as to be positioned in the space when the opening/closing member is put in a closed position to close the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Takano, Tomofumi Kawamura, Shoichi Zensai
  • Patent number: 10459396
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an apparatus main body; a plurality of units arranged adjacent to each other in the apparatus main body, and configured to be attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body in the same insertion and removal direction; and a switching member 36 configured to be capable of taking any one of a first position in which attachment and detachment of one unit 4 of adjacent units among the plurality of units to and from the apparatus main body is allowed and attachment and detachment of another unit 5 of the adjacent units is restricted, and a second position in which the attachment and detachment of the one unit 4 is restricted and the attachment and detachment of the other unit 5 is allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura, Hiroki Takano
  • Publication number: 20190300306
    Abstract: To enable placement of a regulating member which regulates a position of an end of a paper sheet at a desired position, and stable sheet feeding. A fixing member for standard size is guided to engage with a fixing hole for standard size and, in a state where the fixing member for standard size positions a trailing end regulator, a fixing member for non-standard size does not engage with a rack gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Shoichi Zensai, Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 10423119
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting unit configured to mount a development unit including a developing member, a pressing member configured to press the development unit mounted on the mounting unit to separate the developing member from a photosensitive member or bring the developing member into contact with the photosensitive member, and an urging member configured to urge the pressing member, wherein, when mounting the development unit on the mounting unit, the development unit moves in a first direction from the pressing member toward the development unit, parallel to a direction in which the pressing member and the development unit are arranged side by side, wherein the pressing member is movable in the first direction, and wherein the urging member urges the pressing member to move the pressing member in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Shoichi Zensai, Takashi Yano
  • Patent number: 10377589
    Abstract: To enable placement of a regulating member which regulates a position of an end of a paper sheet at a desired position, and stable sheet feeding. A fixing member for standard size (33) is guided to engage with a fixing hole for standard size (42) and, in a state where the fixing member for standard size (33) positions a trailing end regulator (24), a fixing member for non-standard size (34) does not engage with a rack gear (43).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Shoichi Zensai, Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 10261463
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting unit configured to mount a cartridge including a developing member by moving the cartridge in the insertion direction, and a pressing member having a first pressing portion configured to press the cartridge mounted on the mounting unit to separate the developing member from a photosensitive member. The pressing member has a second pressing portion configured to press the cartridge mounted on the mounting unit to bring the developing member into contact with the photosensitive member, and the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion integrally moves with the movement of the pressing member. The image forming apparatus also includes an elastic member configured to press the pressing member so that the second pressing portion presses the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Shoichi Zensai, Takashi Yano
  • Publication number: 20190094796
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cartridge including a rotating member, the cartridge including a driving force receiving member, and an apparatus main body to which the cartridge is detachably attachable. The apparatus main body including a driving force transmitting member, an output member, and a biasing member disposed between the output member and the driving force transmitting member, wherein when the cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body and an engagement between the driving force transmitting member and the driving force receiving member is released, the driving force transmitting member is rotated relative to the output member in the predetermined rotation direction by biasing force of the biasing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Shoichi Zensai, Takamichi Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20190079446
    Abstract: A drive transmitting member including: a gear portion that is formed of a first resin and has gear teeth; and a flange portion that is formed of a second resin, in which the flange portion includes a shaft portion that transmits driving force from the gear teeth to a drive transmitted member, and a rotation stopper (i) that stops rotation of the gear portion with respect to the flange portion at an outer periphery of the flange portion and (ii) that is larger than an external form of the shaft portion, so that the shaft portion and the rotation stopper are integrally molded in the flange portion, and the gear portion has a shape that covers the rotation stopper and is not overlapped with the shaft portion as viewed in an axial direction of the shaft portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Takamichi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10191445
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable unit including a regulating portion for regulating a position of a developing unit for supporting a developer carrying member, a driving member for moving the movable unit from a contact position to a spaced position, and an openable member for opening and closing an opening provided for demounting the developer carrying member and/or the image bearing member from a main assembly of the image forming apparatus. A pressing member presses and moves the movable unit by being moved in interrelation with an opening operation of the openable member. When the driving member is displaced from a contact phase to a spaced phase, the movable unit is moved to a first spaced position, and when the openable member is opened, the pressing member presses and moves the movable unit to a second spaced position from the contact position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura