Patents by Inventor Takafumi Nagai

Takafumi Nagai 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: 20130051860
    Abstract: A developing device has a developer tank for containing a two-component developer; a partition; a first and a second developer conveyance path for conveying the developer in pairs; a first conveyance member for conveying the developer in one direction, which has a first rotation axis, a first helical blade fixed to the first rotation axis, and a first passive gear provided to an end of the first rotation axis; a second conveyance member for conveying the developer in one direction, which has a second rotation axis, a second helical blade fixed to the second rotation axis, and a second passive gear provided to an end of the second rotation axis; a first communicating path; a second communicating path; a developing roller; and a rotation axis bending prevention belt provided so as to bridge the first and the second rotation axis outside the developer tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi MAEHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20130011164
    Abstract: A toner discharging device has a toner containing section, a toner discharging member, and a toner discharging section. The toner discharging section has a toner discharge port formed by opening a vertically lower part of the cylindrical wall. The toner discharging member has a rotation axis; a toner discharge plate fixed to the rotation axis at a position facing the discharge port in the vicinity of one end of the discharging section and vertically above the discharge port; an elastic helical blade being fixed, to the discharge plate and being stretchable in a direction of the rotation axis; and a helical blade section having a helical blade fixed to the rotation axis over an area in the vicinity of another end of the discharging section and an area within the containing section where the discharge plate and the elastic helical blade are not formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: Toshihide OHGOSHI, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120328334
    Abstract: A developing device has a first and a second developer conveyance path configured to convey and circulate the two-component developer; a first and a second conveyance member each having a helical blade for conveying the developer in one direction; a first communicating path for guiding the developer in the first developer conveyance path to the second developer conveyance path; a second communicating path. The second developer conveyance path includes a second upstream side end section having a bottom in a conical shape having an inner diameter conically increasing. The helical blade of the second conveyance member has a second conical helix portion having an outer diameter conically increasing along an inner wall surface of the bottom of the second upstream side end section. The bottom of the second upstream side end section is at a level lower than a bottom of the first developer conveyance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120219327
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank and a developing roller, an internal space of the developer tank is divided into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path and a second communication path, by a partition wall. A first developer conveying section which conveys a developer in the developer tank in a conveying direction X is disposed in the first conveying path. A second developer conveying section which conveys the developer in the developer tank in a conveying direction Y is disposed in the second conveying path. The first developer conveying section includes a plurality of inner spiral blade pieces, a rotation tube, an upstream spiral blade, a downstream spiral blade, support members, and a first gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120213554
    Abstract: A developing device comprises a first and a second developer conveyance path; a first conveyance member; a second conveyance member; and, a developing roller. A developer collection path guides the developer left on a surface of the developing roller in a direction away from the first developer conveyance path. A third conveyance member is provided in a third developer conveyance path. A toner supply port supplies new toner to the third developer conveyance path. A developer drawing and conveyance path guides the developer supplied with the new toner to the second developer conveyance path. A developer drawing member is provided in the developer drawing and conveyance path for simultaneously agitating and conveying the developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Shigeki HAYASHI, Takafumi NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20120201574
    Abstract: A developing device comprises a first and a second developer conveyance path. A first conveyance member is provided in the first developer conveyance path in a freely rotatable manner and has a helical blade. A developing roller supplies the developer in the first developer conveyance path to a photoconductor drum. A developer collection path guides two-component developer left on a surface of the developing roller from the first developer conveyance path. A developer surface adjustment window comprises a predetermined level for allowing excess developer exceeding the level of the window to be guided from the first developer conveyance path to the developer collection path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Shigeki HAYASHI, Takafumi NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20120189353
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer tank and a developing roller. An internal space of the developer tank is divided into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path, and a second communication path by a partition wall. In the first conveying path, there is disposed a first developer conveying section that conveys the developer within the developer tank in a conveying direction X. In the second conveying path, there is disposed a second developer conveying section that conveys the developer within the developer tank in a conveying direction Y. The first developer conveying section includes an inner spiral blade, an outer spiral blade, an upstream spiral blade, a rotation tube, a delivery portion, support members, and a first gear. The rotation tube has an admission port portion and a discharge port portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120163873
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank and a developing roller, an internal space of the developer tank is divided by a partition wall into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a communication path and a pumping path. In the pumping path, there is disposed a developer pumping section including a pumping spiral blade, a pumping rotation shaft member, and a pumping gear. A developer in the pumping path is pumped up by the developer pumping section, so that a part of the developer is moved to a side of the first conveying path while another part of the developer is moved to a side of the second conveying path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120163872
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer tank and a developing roller. An internal space of the developer tank is divided into an upper conveying path, a lower conveying path, a communication path, a main pumping conveying path section, and a developer supply path, by a partition wall. A developer pumping conveying section conveys a developer inside the main pumping conveying path section in a conveyance direction Z, and includes an inner spiral blade, a rotational tube, a first outer spiral blade, a second outer spiral blade, a pumping rotation shaft member, and a pumping gear. An attracting magnet is located in a position horizontally spaced from the rotational tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Shigeki HAYASHI, Takafumi NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20120063813
    Abstract: A developing device that is capable of securing an amount of developer that can be stored in a developer tank while suppressing the bending of a developer conveying section, as well as an image forming apparatus are provided. In a developer tank of a developing device, there is provided a first developer conveying section that includes a first rotation shaft member having a columnar shape in which grooves extending in an axial line direction are formed, and a first spiral blade that is spirally wound around the first rotation shaft member and conveys the developer by rotation around the axial line of the first rotation shaft member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20120051794
    Abstract: In a developing device including a developer tank and a developing roller, an internal space of the developer tank is partitioned by a partition into a first conveying path, a second conveying path, a first communication path, and a second communication path. A first developer conveying section that conveys the developer in the developer tank in a first conveying direction X is disposed in the first conveying path. A second developer conveying section that conveys the developer in the developer tank in a second conveying direction Y is disposed in the second conveying path. The first developer conveying section includes a first spiral blade, and a rotation tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Shigeki HAYASHI, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120045252
    Abstract: A development device mounted on an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a photoconductive drum in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on a surface thereof, the development device comprising: a developer tank; a development roller that is provided in the developer tank; first and second developer conveying paths; and first and second developer conveying spiral members that conveying the developer in the circulating manner in the first and second developer conveying paths, wherein at least one of the first and second developer conveying spiral members further includes an end blade that is provided at one end of the rotary shaft, the end blade includes: a spiral blade portion that is fixed to the circumferential surface of the rotary shaft; and a circumferential agitating plate portion that is fixed to a circumferential portion of the spiral blade portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20120014719
    Abstract: A developing device comprising: a developer tank housing a developer including a toner and a carrier; a toner replenishment port; a developing roller; a first developer conveying path and a second developer conveying path; a conducting plate for peeling a recovery developer on a surface of the developing roller after the toner is supplied to a photosensitive drum from the surface of the developing roller so as to guide the recovery developer to the first developer conveying path; and first and second developer conveying members arranged on the first and second developer conveying paths, wherein the first developer conveying member has a cylindrical hollow rotating shaft with opened both ends that is rotatably provided to the first developer conveying path, and divides the first developer conveying path into an external first developer conveying path and an internal first developer conveying path, an external spiral blade fixed to an outer periphery of the hollow rotating shaft, and an internal spiral blade fi
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Shigeki Hayashi, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20110318062
    Abstract: A developer conveying device comprising: a developer conveying cylinder; and a screw-shaped shaft, wherein the screw-shaped shaft includes a rotating shaft that is journaled in an upstream wall portion and a downstream wall portion, which are included in the developer conveying cylinder, and a spiral blade that is mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft; the rotating shaft includes a conical portion that thickens gradually toward the downstream side; and the spiral blade includes an agitating blade portion whose lead angle increases gradually toward the downstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Shigeki HAYASHI, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20110305484
    Abstract: A development device comprising a developer conveying member and a developer raking member that are rotatably disposed in the developer conveyance path to conveying and agitating the developer in the developer conveyance paths, wherein the developer conveyance path includes first and second developer conveyance paths and first and second communication paths that communicating the first and second developer conveyance paths on both sides, the developer conveying member includes first and second developer conveying members that are disposed in the first and second developer conveyance paths, the developer raking member is disposed in at least one of the first and second communication paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20110305486
    Abstract: A toner conveying apparatus comprising: a toner conveying barrel having a toner conveying path arranged inside, a toner inlet arranged on an upstream side of the toner conveying path in order to introduce toner from an outside into the toner conveying path and a toner outlet arranged on a downstream side of the toner conveying path in order to discharge the toner out of the toner conveying path; and a screw shaft provided in the toner conveying barrel rotatably and conveying the toner in the toner conveying path from the upstream side to the downstream side, wherein the screw shaft has a rotating shaft and a spiral blade mounted to the rotating shaft, the spiral blade has a rigid spiral section fixed to the rotating shaft, and a spiral spring section arranged on a position facing the toner outlet on a downstream side with respect to a downstream side end portion of the rigid spiral section, only an upstream side end portion of the spiral spring section is fixed to the downstream side end portion of the ri
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Toshihide OHGOSHI, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20110286770
    Abstract: A developing device to be installed in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a photoconductor drum that is to have an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface thereof, the developing device comprising: a developer vessell; a developing roller that is disposed in the developer vessel; first and second developer conveying passages; and first and second developer conveying helical members circulatory conveys the developer in the first and second developer conveying passages, wherein at least one of the first and second developer conveying helical members includes an end blade at one end at a downstream side in a conveying direction, wherein the end blade includes a circumferential-direction agitating blade portion whose radial projecting size gradually increases toward the downstream side in the conveying direction; and a helical blade portion integrally wound around an outer periphery of the circumferential-direction agitating blade portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Shigeki HAYASHI, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20110286769
    Abstract: A developer tank of a developing device is partitioned into a first conveyance path, a second conveyance path, a first communicating path and a second communicating path with a partition. A first developer conveying member that conveys a developer in a first developer conveying direction is provided in the first conveyance path. A second developer conveying member that conveys the developer in a second developer conveying direction is provided in the second conveyance path. In the first developer conveying member, a double spiral blade is provided on a downstream side in the first developer conveying direction from a first conveying blade of the first developer conveying member, the double spiral blade including an inner spiral blade that conveys the developer in a first direction and an outer spiral blade that conveys the developer in a second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20110255907
    Abstract: A toner discharging device, a toner cartridge and an image forming apparatus in which occurrence of a locking phenomenon can be suppressed are provided. A toner discharging device includes a discharge container having a wall portion which defines an internal space thereof and has a reception port and a discharge port, and a discharge member including a rotation shaft and a discharge blade as a decay spiral blade. At least a part of the wall portion of the discharge container surrounds the discharge blade along an axial line direction of the rotation shaft, and the discharge port is formed on the part of the wall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Koichi MIHARA, Takafumi NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20110229213
    Abstract: A toner discharging device, a toner cartridge, and an image forming apparatus in which the occurrence of the locking phenomenon is prevented are provided. A toner discharging device includes a discharge container including a wall portion which defines an inner space and has a reception port and a discharge port, and a discharge member which includes an inner spiral blade moving toner in a direction H1, an outer spiral blade moving toner in a direction H2, and a rotation shaft. At least a part of the wall portion surrounds both the inner spiral blade and the outer spiral blade along an axial line direction of the rotation shaft, and the discharge port is formed on the part of the wall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Koichi Mihara, Takafumi Nagai