Patents by Inventor Shutaro Saito

Shutaro Saito 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: 20250068103
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, an air nozzle, and a pipe. The pipe includes a portion provided in a range overlapping with the first rotatable member and making one reciprocation or more in a case that when a direction crossing a feeding direction of a recording material fed in a nip is a widthwise direction of the first rotatable member, the pipe is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2024
    Publication date: February 27, 2025
    Inventors: YASUHARU TORATANI, SHUTARO SAITO, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, TAKU ASHIDA, ASUNA FUKAMACHI, SHOHEI TSUZAKI, YUSUKE YAMAGUCHI, HIROSHI MIYAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20250013177
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a rotary member, a pad member, and a slide member. A distance in the conveyance direction between a first position and a second position is 3.0 mm or less. The first position is a downstream edge of a tip of a projection positioned most downstream in a direction of rotation of the belt. The second position is an upstream edge, in the direction of rotation of the belt, of the guide portion that contacts with the inner circumference surface of the belt. A distance in the pressing direction between a third position and a fourth position is 0.4 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The third position is the tip of the projection positioned most downstream in the direction of rotation of the belt. The fourth position is the same position as the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2024
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Inventors: KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, KENICHI TANAKA, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, SHUTARO SAITO, YUYA YAMADA
  • Patent number: 12174564
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, an air nozzle, and a pipe. The pipe includes a portion provided in a range overlapping with the first rotatable member and making one reciprocation or more in a case that when a direction crossing a feeding direction of a recording material fed in a nip is a widthwise direction of the first rotatable member, the pipe is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuharu Toratani, Shutaro Saito, Keisuke Yoshida, Yuya Yamada, Taku Ashida, Asuna Fukamachi, Shohei Tsuzaki, Yusuke Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 12169378
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt, a heating roller that heats the fixing belt, a steering roller, and a pressurization rotating member. The steering roller is controlled to swing to move the fixing belt to a prescribed position. The pressurization rotating member pressurizes and forms a fixing nip portion with the fixing belt. When a recording material bearing unfixed toner is nipped and conveyed to the fixing nip portion, an unfixed toner image is fixed to the recording material. A single inclination operation that inclines the steering roller results in an inclination angle that is smaller when a recording material having a length greater than a predetermined length in a recording material conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion than when a recording material having a length less than or equal to the predetermined length in the conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Takeshi Kozuma
  • Publication number: 20240409345
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus configured to convey a sheet includes a casing, a belt unit, an accommodating unit, a moving unit, and a rotary member. The accommodating unit and the belt unit move to a first state, a second state, and a third state. In the first state, the accommodating unit is positioned at a closed position and the belt unit is positioned at a first position to convey the sheet by a conveyance belt. In the second state, the accommodating unit is positioned at an opening position and the belt unit is positioned at the first position to open a sheet conveyance path. In the third state, the accommodating unit is positioned at the opening position and the belt unit is positioned at a second position to allow the conveyance belt to attach to and detach from the belt unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: KOHEI AOKI, TAKAHIRO KOBAYASHI, YOSHIAKI HARA, SHUTARO SAITO, HIROSHI KOKUBO, JUN KAWAKITA, YUSHI SADAMITSU
  • Patent number: 12117751
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a rotary member, a pad member, and a slide member. A distance in the conveyance direction between a first position and a second position is 3.0 mm or less. The first position is a downstream edge of a tip of a projection positioned most downstream in a direction of rotation of the belt. The second position is an upstream edge, in the direction of rotation of the belt, of the guide portion that contacts with the inner circumference surface of the belt. A distance in the pressing direction between a third position and a fourth position is 0.4 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The third position is the tip of the projection positioned most downstream in the direction of rotation of the belt. The fourth position is the same position as the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Yoshida, Youichi Chikugo, Kenichi Tanaka, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Rikiya Takemasa, Takeshi Kozuma, Mikihiko Watanabe, Taku Ashida, Shutaro Saito, Yuya Yamada
  • Publication number: 20240310765
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a steering roller, a slide member, and a pressing rotation member that forms a nip portion by pressing the belt and is disposed to face the slide member. The belt applies heat to a recording material and has an inner circumferential surface that receives a lubricant applied onto the inner circumferential surface. The pressing rotation member fixes a toner image onto the recording material by applying heat and pressure to an unfixed toner image in the nip portion, in cooperation with the belt. An end portion of the belt on one end side in a belt width direction takes a position outside an end portion of the slide member on the one end side and a position inside the end portion of the slide member on the one end side while the steering roller is in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: SHUTARO SAITO, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, KENICHI TANAKA
  • Patent number: 12025936
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a steering roller, a slide member, and a pressing rotation member that forms a nip portion by pressing the belt and is disposed to face the slide member. The belt applies heat to a recording material and has an inner circumferential surface that receives a lubricant applied onto the inner circumferential surface. The pressing rotation member fixes a toner image onto the recording material by applying heat and pressure to an unfixed toner image in the nip portion, in cooperation with the belt. An end portion of the belt on one end side in a belt width direction takes a position outside an end portion of the slide member on the one end side and a position inside the end portion of the slide member on the one end side while the steering roller is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Youichi Chikugo, Hidekazu Tatezawa, Rikiya Takemasa, Takeshi Kozuma, Mikihiko Watanabe, Taku Ashida, Keisuke Yoshida, Yuya Yamada, Kenichi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20240126194
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, an air nozzle, and a pipe. The pipe includes a portion extending along a widthwise direction of the first rotatable member perpendicular to a recording material feeding direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: SHUTARO SAITO, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, TAKU ASHIDA, ASUNA FUKAMACHI, YUSUKE YAMAGUCHI, SHOHEI TSUZAKI, HIROSHI MIYAMOTO, YASUHARU TORATANI
  • Publication number: 20240126193
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, an air nozzle, and a pipe. The pipe includes a portion provided in a range overlapping with the first rotatable member and making one reciprocation or more in a case that when a direction crossing a feeding direction of a recording material fed in a nip is a widthwise direction of the first rotatable member, the pipe is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: YASUHARU TORATANI, SHUTARO SAITO, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, TAKU ASHIDA, ASUNA FUKAMACHI, SHOHEI TSUZAKI, YUSUKE YAMAGUCHI, HIROSHI MIYAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240126197
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reception unit to receive a job, heating and pressing rotary members to form a nip portion, and a spraying member having a nozzle and a cylinder. The nozzle discharges air to the heating rotary member and a recording material. During a period after the reception unit receives the job and before a leading edge of a first sheet of the recording material reaches the nip portion, the spraying member performs a spraying operation of spraying air in an amount greater than or equal to a predetermined amount. The air that the spraying member sprays on the first sheet of the recording material during the job is higher in temperature than the air that the spraying member sprays during the period after the reception unit receives the job and before the leading edge of the first sheet of the recording material reaches the nip portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: SHOHEI TSUZAKI, ASUNA FUKAMACHI, YUSUKE YAMAGUCHI, HIROSHI MIYAMOTO, YASUHARU TORATANI, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, SHUTARO SAITO, YUYA YAMADA, TAKU ASHIDA
  • Publication number: 20240004332
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt, a heating roller that heats the fixing belt, a steering roller, and a pressurization rotating member. The steering roller is controlled to swing to move the fixing belt to a prescribed position. The pressurization rotating member pressurizes and forms a fixing nip portion with the fixing belt. When a recording material bearing unfixed toner is nipped and conveyed to the fixing nip portion, an unfixed toner image is fixed to the recording material. A single inclination operation that inclines the steering roller results in an inclination angle that is smaller when a recording material having a length greater than a predetermined length in a recording material conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion than when a recording material having a length less than or equal to the predetermined length in the conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Takeshi Kozuma
  • Patent number: 11796943
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt, a heating roller that heats the fixing belt, a steering roller, and a pressurization rotating member. The steering roller is controlled to swing to move the fixing belt to a prescribed position. The pressurization rotating member pressurizes and forms a fixing nip portion with the fixing belt. When a recording material bearing unfixed toner is nipped and conveyed to the fixing nip portion, an unfixed toner image is fixed to the recording material. A single inclination operation that inclines the steering roller results in an inclination angle that is smaller when a recording material having a length greater than a predetermined length in a recording material conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion than when a recording material having a length less than or equal to the predetermined length in the conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Takeshi Kozuma
  • Publication number: 20230273558
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a rotary member, a pad member, and a slide member. A distance in the conveyance direction between a first position and a second position is 3.0 mm or less. The first position is a downstream edge of a tip of a projection positioned most downstream in a direction of rotation of the belt. The second position is an upstream edge, in the direction of rotation of the belt, of the guide portion that contacts with the inner circumference surface of the belt. A distance in the pressing direction between a third position and a fourth position is 0.4 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The third position is the tip of the projection positioned most downstream in the direction of rotation of the belt. The fourth position is the same position as the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, KENICHI TANAKA, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, SHUTARO SAITO, YUYA YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20230273559
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a steering roller, a slide member, and a pressing rotation member that forms a nip portion by pressing the belt and is disposed to face the slide member. The belt applies heat to a recording material and has an inner circumferential surface that receives a lubricant applied onto the inner circumferential surface. The pressing rotation member fixes a toner image onto the recording material by applying heat and pressure to an unfixed toner image in the nip portion, in cooperation with the belt. An end portion of the belt on one end side in a belt width direction takes a position outside an end portion of the slide member on the one end side and a position inside the end portion of the slide member on the one end side while the steering roller is in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: SHUTARO SAITO, YOUICHI CHIKUGO, HIDEKAZU TATEZAWA, RIKIYA TAKEMASA, TAKESHI KOZUMA, MIKIHIKO WATANABE, TAKU ASHIDA, KEISUKE YOSHIDA, YUYA YAMADA, KENICHI TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11714370
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a pad member, a pressure member, a heating roller, a stretching roller, and, an outer stretching roller. The outer stretching roller disposed between the heating roller and the stretching roller and configured to press the heating roller from an outer surface of the belt and bring the belt into contact with the heating roller. In a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the pressure member, a surface between the heating roller and the stretching roller of the belt in a state where the belt is pushed toward the heating roller by the outer stretching roller is located inside that of the belt in a state where the outer stretching roller is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Keisuke Yoshida, Atsushi Ishigami
  • Patent number: 11609526
    Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members, a moving mechanism, a flag, a sensor, a movable guide, and a stationary guide. The moving mechanism is configured to move the first rotatable member away from the second rotatable member. The flag is provided downstream of the nip with respect to a recording material feeding direction and retractable by passing of the recording material. The sensor is configured to detect whether or not the flag is retracted by contact with the recording material. The movable guide is movable together with the first rotatable member away from the second rotatable member and from the flag by the moving mechanism. The stationary guide is fixed at a position opposing the flag, irrespective of a position of the movable guide member. The stationary guide does not move together with the movable guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shutaro Saito
  • Publication number: 20220413420
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt, a heating roller that heats the fixing belt, a steering roller, and a pressurization rotating member. The steering roller is controlled to swing to move the fixing belt to a prescribed position. The pressurization rotating member pressurizes and forms a fixing nip portion with the fixing belt. When a recording material bearing unfixed toner is nipped and conveyed to the fixing nip portion, an unfixed toner image is fixed to the recording material. A single inclination operation that inclines the steering roller results in an inclination angle that is smaller when a recording material having a length greater than a predetermined length in a recording material conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion than when a recording material having a length less than or equal to the predetermined length in the conveying direction is conveyed to the fixing nip portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Takeshi Kozuma
  • Patent number: 11474464
    Abstract: A mechanism for shutting off drive so that drive of pressing release is not rotated even when a pressing roller is rotated as a driving source is provided, and a torque when drive of a shutting-off portion is connected is set at a torque value to which a one-way idling torque is added. Therefore, during jam clearance, connection of pressing release drive by pressing roller rotation can be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Tanaka, Shutaro Saito, Takuya Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20220253008
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a pad member, a pressure member, a heating roller, a stretching roller, and, an outer stretching roller. The outer stretching roller disposed between the heating roller and the stretching roller and configured to press the heating roller from an outer surface of the belt and bring the belt into contact with the heating roller. In a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the pressure member, a surface between the heating roller and the stretching roller of the belt in a state where the belt is pushed toward the heating roller by the outer stretching roller is located inside that of the belt in a state where the outer stretching roller is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Keisuke Yoshida, Atsushi Ishigami