Patents by Inventor Takanori Mitani
Takanori Mitani 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).
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Patent number: 11650525Abstract: An image heating device includes a heater that includes a heating resistor; a rotatable tubular film in which the heater is provided in an inner space of the rotatable tubular film; a roller; and an electrification control portion configured to perform wave number control by changing the ratio of electrification ON to electrification OFF for each set control cycle. In the image heating device F1, relations tON?? and tOFF?? are satisfied, where tON represents a longest continuous electrification period in electrification patterns in which electrification is turned both on and off in the control cycle, tOFF represents a longest continuous shutoff period in the electrification patterns, and ? represents a time constant of thermal conduction with the shortest distance from the heating resistor to a contact surface of the heater that is in contact with the film.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2022Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 11635714Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member, a nip member, a reflection member, and a support member. The support member configured to transit to a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state, the pressurized state being a state in which a first position and a second position of the support member are pressurized in a pressurization direction toward the second rotary member, the non-pressurized state being in which the pressurized state of the support member is released. The support member includes a contact surface in contact with the reflection member in the pressurized state. The contact surface takes such a posture that a center position between the first and second positions in the rotation axial direction is close to the second rotary member rather than the first and second positions in a case where the support member is in the non-pressurized state.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jun Hara, Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20230101599Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing unit to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing the surface of the photosensitive member charged by the charging member to light, a developing member to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner. A controller controls so that a predetermined charging voltage is charged and the light is emitted by a small light quantity to a first non-print area which is a non-print area provided with the print area and the non-print area with respect to a main scanning direction, and controls so that a charging voltage smaller than the predetermined voltage is charged and exposure is not performed to a second non-print area which is provided with only the non-print area with respect to the main scanning direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2022Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takao Kume
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Patent number: 11609516Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2022Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
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Publication number: 20230058278Abstract: The electrophotographic apparatus includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a charging unit; an image-exposing unit; a charge transfer amount-sensing unit for sensing the amount of charge transferred to the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and an exposed portion potential-controlling unit for controlling the potential of each of the exposed portions of the electrophotographic photosensitive member based on a sensing result, which is obtained by charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member with the charging unit, performing image exposure with the image-exposing unit in at least one light amount weaker than a light amount in which the normalized radius of curvature R of the electrophotographic photosensitive member represented by the following equation (E1), the normalized radius of curvature being obtained by a method of measuring an EV curve, shows a minimum, and in at least two light amounts stronger than the light amount in which the normalized radius of curvature shows thType: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2022Publication date: February 23, 2023Inventors: Akihiro Maruyama, Kenichi Kaku, Shuhei Iwasaki, Kohei Makisumi, Michiyo Sekiya, Kaname Watariguchi, Hideharu Shimozawa, Tatsuya Yamaai, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida
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Publication number: 20230011077Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing members, first and second developing members. The controller controls to execute first and second controls based on an image information in a case that the first developing member is separated from the first image bearing member when an operation in which the image is sequentially transferred to a transferred member from the first and second image bearing members is terminated. The first developing member is started to separate from the first image bearing member in the first control after an end of an image forming area on the first image bearing member in a moving direction passes through the first transfer position, and in the second control after the end of the image forming area on the first image bearing member in the moving direction passes through the developing position and before the end of the image forming area reaches the first transfer position.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2022Publication date: January 12, 2023Inventors: Takao Kume, Satoshi Nishida, Isarnu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20220350280Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
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Publication number: 20220291612Abstract: An image heating device includes a heater that includes a heating resistor; a rotatable tubular film in which the heater is provided in an inner space of the rotatable tubular film; a roller; and an electrification control portion configured to perform wave number control by changing the ratio of electrification ON to electrification OFF for each set control cycle. In the image heating device F1, relations tON?? and tOFF?? are satisfied, where tON represents a longest continuous electrification period in electrification patterns in which electrification is turned both on and off in the control cycle, tOFF represents a longest continuous shutoff period in the electrification patterns, and z represents a time constant of thermal conduction with the shortest distance from the heating resistor to a contact surface of the heater that is in contact with the film.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 11422489Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2021Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
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Patent number: 11327423Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material according to image information on a predetermined image; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material by heating the recording material having thereon the toner image while conveying the recording material by a nip portion; an acquisition portion configured to acquire an image end position that is a position of one end of the toner image in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material; a determination portion configured to determine a target temperature based on the image end position; and a control portion configured to control the fixing portion based on the target temperature.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2021Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20220066367Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member, a nip member, a reflection member, and a support member. The support member configured to transit to a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state, the pressurized state being a state in which a first position and a second position of the support member are pressurized in a pressurization direction toward the second rotary member, the non-pressurized state being in which the pressurized state of the support member is released. The support member includes a contact surface in contact with the reflection member in the pressurized state. The contact surface takes such a posture that a center position between the first and second positions in the rotation axial direction is close to the second rotary member rather than the first and second positions in a case where the support member is in the non-pressurized state.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Jun Hara, Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20220019162Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member includes a main-body portion that contains aluminum or aluminum alloy and a protective layer that includes an oxide film formed on a surface of the main-body portion. The main-body portion contains a heat receiving surface that faces the heating element and receives radiant heat from the heating element, and a rubbed surface that is rubbed against the inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member. The protective layer contains coloring agent that causes an emissivity of the heat receiving surface and the rubbed surface to be higher than an emissivity of a natural color oxide film.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
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Publication number: 20210373469Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material according to image information on a predetermined image; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material by heating the recording material having thereon the toner image while conveying the recording material by a nip portion; an acquisition portion configured to acquire an image end position that is a position of one end of the toner image in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material; a determination portion configured to determine a target temperature based on the image end position; and a control portion configured to control the fixing portion based on the target temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 11175615Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an acquiring portion configured to acquire image information and operation information of the image forming apparatus; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material on which the toner image is formed; and a control portion configured to, when the acquiring portion acquires image information corresponding to a first page and fails to acquire image information corresponding to a second page following the first page, set a temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the first page as a first temperature based on the image information corresponding to the first page and the operation information, and set the temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the second page as a second temperature based on the operation information.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2020Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 11156944Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing, onto a recording material, a toner image that is formed in accordance with image data, and constituted of a first image that is formed by a toner of a first color and a second image that is formed by a toner of a second color which is different from the first color, and that is superimposed on the first image; an acquiring a gradation value of the first image and a gradation value of the second image based on the image data; a determining a target temperature and target speed based on the gradation value of the first image and the gradation value of the second image; a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing unit based on the target temperature; and a controlling conveying speed of the recording material based on the target speed.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Isamu Takeda, Satoshi Nishida, Atsushi Nakamoto, Takeshi Shinji, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 11099508Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a dividing the image data into regions including pixels; an obtaining a first ratio by dividing a total number of the pixels included in groups, the pixels having a density equal to or higher than a predetermined value and arranged consecutively in a predetermined direction, by a total number of the pixels having the density and included in each of the regions; an obtaining a second ratio by dividing the total number of pixels having the density and included in each of the regions by a total number of the pixels included in each of the regions; a determining a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a fixing portion based on the first and second ratios; and a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing portion so that the fixing portion is maintained at the target temperature.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20210208525Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an acquiring portion configured to acquire image information and operation information of the image forming apparatus; an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image to the recording material by heating the recording material on which the toner image is formed; and a control portion configured to, when the acquiring portion acquires image information corresponding to a first page and fails to acquire image information corresponding to a second page following the first page, set a temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the first page as a first temperature based on the image information corresponding to the first page and the operation information, and set the temperature of the fixing portion for fixing the second page as a second temperature based on the operation information.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2020Publication date: July 8, 2021Inventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20200371459Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing, onto a recording material, a toner image that is formed in accordance with image data, and constituted of a first image that is formed by a toner of a first color and a second image that is formed by a toner of a second color which is different from the first color, and that is superimposed on the first image; an acquiring a gradation value of the first image and a gradation value of the second image based on the image data; a determining a target temperature and target speed based on the gradation value of the first image and the gradation value of the second image; a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing unit based on the target temperature; and a controlling conveying speed of the recording material based on the target speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Satoshi Nishida, Atsushi Nakamoto, Takeshi Shinji, Takanori Mitani
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Publication number: 20200310310Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a dividing the image data into regions including pixels; an obtaining a first ratio by dividing a total number of the pixels included in groups, the pixels having a density equal to or higher than a predetermined value and arranged consecutively in a predetermined direction, by a total number of the pixels having the density and included in each of the regions; an obtaining a second ratio by dividing the total number of pixels having the density and included in each of the regions by a total number of the pixels included in each of the regions; a determining a target temperature for maintaining a temperature of a fixing portion based on the first and second ratios; and a controlling power to be supplied to the fixing portion so that the fixing portion is maintained at the target temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2020Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
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Patent number: 10444682Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, a heat generating member that heats the first rotatable member, and a temperature detecting member that detects a temperature of the heat generating member. A motor drives one of the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member. In addition, a controller controls the fixing device by causing the motor to rotate in a state in which a predetermined amount of electrical power is supplied to the heat generating member, and then, supply of the electrical power to the heat generating member is stopped. On the basis of a temperature lowering rate of a detected temperature of the temperature detecting member during rotation of said motor, the controller detects, after stopping supply of the electrical power to the heat generating member, a rotational state of the one of the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2018Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Nakamoto, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Masahito Omata, Yasuhito Minamishima