Patents by Inventor Syuhei Kawasaki

Syuhei Kawasaki 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: 7583916
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device including a carrying member for carrying a one component developer and for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with the developer; a rotatable developer supplying device, contacted to the carrying member, for supplying the developer to the carrying member; a developer regulating device for regulating an amount of the developer carried on the carrying member; a developer stirring device for stirring the developer a developer supply device for supplying the developer to the developing device; and a controller for controlling supply of the developer to the developing device from the developer supply device. A lower end of the developer stirring device is disposed at a position which is vertically above an upper end of the developer supplying device and which is vertically above a contact portion between the carrying member and the developer regulating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ogata, Syuhei Kawasaki, Seiji Yamaguchi, Shinji Uehara
  • Patent number: 7346298
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container divided into a developing section and a mixing section in which developer is conveyed in the opposite directions. A conveying member which conveys the developer in the longitudinal direction is disposed only in the developing section, and a mixing member which does not positively convey the developer in the longitudinal direction is disposed in the mixing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaguchi, Tachio Kawai, Syuhei Kawasaki, Issei Imamura
  • Patent number: 7257353
    Abstract: A developing apparatus develops a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus The device includes a developer accommodating portion and a developer stirring member stirring the developer in the developer accommodating portion. The developer stirring member includes a rotatable member rotatably provided in the developer accommodating portion, first and second stirring rotatable portions provided on the rotatable member, and first and second movable stirring portions movably provided on the first and second stirring rotatable portions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tachio Kawai, Seiji Yamaguchi, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7158740
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of developing devices for developing electrostatic images formed on the image bearing member with developers, the developing devices including respective developer carrying members for carrying respective developers; moving means for moving a selected one of the developing devices to an operative position, wherein each of the developer carrying members is movable selectively to be in contact with or spaced from the image bearing member at the operative position; wherein the apparatus is operable in a first image formation mode in which an image is formed using the plurality of developing devices and a second image formation mode in which an image is formed using one of the plurality of developing devices, and wherein the developer carrying member which is at the operative position in the first image formation mode is capable of being spaced from the image bearing member by a first distance during non-developing-operation, and the develop
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiichi Shinohara, Hiroshi Sato, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7155137
    Abstract: A developing cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a developing roller, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, having an elastic roller portion and a shaft portion supporting the elastic roller portion, a developer regulating member; a protecting member including a contact portion provided for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member; and a supporting portion for supporting the contact portion and provided for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member. The contact portion has a hardness which is not less than a predetermined value and not more than a hardness of the elastic roller portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kojiro Yasui, Hironobu Isobe, Hiroshi Sato, Seiichi Shinohara, Yasufumi Yoshino, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7068966
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of developing devices for developing electrostatic images formed on the image bearing member with developers, the developing devices including respective developer carrying members for carrying respective developers; moving devices for moving a selected one of the developing devices to an operative position, wherein each of the developer carrying members is movable selectively to be in contact with or spaced from the image bearing member at the operative position. The apparatus is operable in a first image formation mode in which an image is formed using the plurality of developing devices and a second image formation mode in which an image is formed using one of the plurality of developing devices. The developer carrying member which is at the operative position in the first image formation mode is capable of being spaced from the image bearing member by a first distance during non-developing-operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiichi Shinohara, Hiroshi Sato, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20060120761
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of developing devices for developing electrostatic images formed on the image bearing member with developers, the developing devices including respective developer carrying members for carrying respective developers; moving means for moving a selected one of the developing devices to an operative position, wherein each of the developer carrying members is movable selectively to be in contact with or spaced from the image bearing member at the operative position; wherein the apparatus is operable in a first image formation mode in which an image is formed using the plurality of developing devices and a second image formation mode in which an image is formed using one of the plurality of developing devices, and wherein the developer carrying member which is at the operative position in the first image formation mode is capable of being spaced from the image bearing member by a first distance during non-developing-operation, and the develop
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiichi Shinohara, Hiroshi Sato, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20060078358
    Abstract: A developing cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the developing cartridge includes a developing roller, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, having an elastic roller portion and a shaft portion supporting the elastic roller portion, a developer regulating member contactable to the elastic roller portion to regulate an amount of the developer deposited on the elastic roller portion; a protecting member including a contact portion provided at a side for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member; and a supporting portion for supporting the contact portion, the supporting portion being provided at a side for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member, wherein the
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kojiro Yasui, Hironobu Isobe, Hiroshi Sato, Seiichi Shinohara, Yasufumi Yoshino, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20060045573
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container divided into a developing section and a mixing section in which developer is conveyed in the opposite directions. A conveying member which conveys the developer in the longitudinal direction is disposed only in the developing section, and a mixing member which does not positively convey the developer in the longitudinal direction is disposed in the mixing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaguchi, Tachio Kawai, Syuhei Kawasaki, Issei Imamura
  • Publication number: 20060045574
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing an latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the developing device includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer to be supplied to the developing member; a developer stirring member for stirring the developer in the developer accommodating portion, the developer stirring member including a rotatable member rotatably provided in the developer accommodating portion, a first stirring rotatable portion provided on the rotatable member, a first movable stirring portion movably provided on the first stirring rotatable portion, a second stirring rotatable portion provided on the rotatable member, and a second movable stirring portion movably provided on the second stirring rotatable portion, and wherein a radius of rotation of the first stirring rotatable portion and a radius of rotation of the second stirring rotatable portion are different from each other,
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tachio Kawai, Saiji Yamaguchi, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 6978100
    Abstract: A developing cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a developing roller, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, having an elastic roller portion and a shaft portion supporting the elastic roller portion, a developer regulating member; a protecting member including a contact portion provided for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member; and a supporting portion for supporting the contact portion and provided for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member. The contact portion has a hardness which is not less than a predetermined value and not more than a hardness of the elastic roller portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kojiro Yasui, Hironobu Isobe, Hiroshi Sato, Seiichi Shinohara, Yasufumi Yoshino, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20050117920
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device including a carrying member for carrying a developer and for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with a developer, a developer supplying means, contacted to the carrying member, for supplying the developer to the carrying member, and developer regulating means for regulating an amount of the developer carried on the carrying member; supply means for supplying the developer to the developing device; control means for controling supply of the developer to the developing device from the supply means, wherein the developing device further includes developer stirring means for stirring the developer supplied from the supply means and for supplying the developer to the supplying means, wherein the stirring means has a lower end disposed at a position which is vertically above an upper end of the supplying means and which is vertically above a contact portion between the carrying member and the developer
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ogata, Syuhei Kawasaki, Seiji Yamaguchi, Shinji Uehara
  • Publication number: 20040223787
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality or developing devices for developing electrostatic images formed on the image bearing member with developers, the developing devices including respective developer carrying members for carrying respective developers; moving means for moving a selected one of the developing devices to an operative position, wherein each of the developer carrying members is movable selectively to be in contact with or spaced from the image bearing member at the operative position; wherein the apparatus is operable in a first image formation mode in which an image is formed using the plurality of developing devices and a second image formation mode in which an image is formed using one of the plurality of developing devices, and wherein the developer carrying member which is at the operative position in the first image formation mode is capable of being spaced from the image bearing member by a first distance during non-developing operation, and the develop
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiichi Shinohara, Hiroshi Sato, Syuhei Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20040131387
    Abstract: A developing cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the developing cartridge includes a developing roller, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, having an elastic roller portion and a shaft portion supporting the elastic roller portion, a developer regulating member contactable to the elastic roller portion to regulate an amount of the developer deposited on the elastic roller portion; a protecting member including a contact portion provided at a side for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member; and a supporting portion for supporting the contact portion, the supporting portion being provided at a side for contact with the elastic roller portion when the protecting member is demountably mounted between the developing roller and the developer regulating member, wherein the
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kojiro Yasui, Hironobu Isobe, Hiroshi Sato, Seiichi Shinohara, Yasufumi Yoshino, Syuhei Kawasaki