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).

  • Patent number: 12271133
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes first and second rotating members, a heater having a heating element and a substrate, and first and second contact members. A direction of a longer side on a surface of the substrate where the heating element is disposed is a longitudinal direction. A direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is a widthwise direction. The first contact member is disposed in a region outside a region where a maximum size recording material conveyed to a nip portion passes through the nip portion on one end side in the longitudinal direction on an outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member, and the second contact member is disposed in the region outside the region where the maximum size recording material conveyed to the nip portion passes through the nip portion on an other end side in the longitudinal direction on an outer circumferential surface of the second rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Kume, Akimichi Suzuki, Satoshi Nishida, Kohei Okayasu, Takanori Mitani
  • Publication number: 20250110430
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing member to form toner images, respectively, a transfer member to sequentially transfer the toner images onto a recording material and to overlappingly form toner on the recording material. A fixing member presses and heats the recording material on which the toner images are transferred and fixes the toner images on the recording material. A storage medium stores a usage history of the developing member. A controller controls a fixing temperature of the fixing member. The controller determines the fixing temperature based on a difference between the usage history of one of the developing member stored in the storage medium and the usage history of another of the developing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: SATOSHI NISHIDA, TAKANORI MITANI, KOHEI OKAYASU
  • Patent number: 12265340
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Mitani, Takao Kume, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Kohei Okayasu
  • Patent number: 12181819
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Hara, Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani
  • Publication number: 20240337977
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance member to convey a sheet, an image forming unit, a fixing device, a component, and a controller. The image forming unit forms a toner image on the conveyed sheet conveyed. The fixing device fixes an unfixed toner image formed on the sheet, onto the sheet. Heat of the fixing device propagates to the component. The controller controls a passing sheet interval between a plurality of sheets passing through the fixing device. The controller executes throughput control for controlling a sheet interval, which is an interval between a preceding sheet and a subsequent sheet passing through the fixing device, such that a temperature of a non-passage region through which sheets do not pass in the fixing device is suppressed to a predetermined first limit temperature or less and a temperature of the component is suppressed to a predetermined second limit temperature or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: HIROMITSU TAKANO, TAKANORI MITANI, SATORU NAGASHIMA, TAKESHI SHIMBA
  • Publication number: 20240302768
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: TAKANORI MITANI, TAKAO KUME, SATOSHI NISHIDA, ISAMU TAKEDA, KOHEI OKAYASU
  • Publication number: 20240255875
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes first and second rotating members, a heater having a heating element and a substrate, and first and second contact members. A direction of a longer side on a surface of the substrate where the heating element is disposed is a longitudinal direction. A direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is a widthwise direction. The first contact member is disposed in a region outside a region where a maximum size recording material conveyed to a nip portion passes through the nip portion on one end side in the longitudinal direction on an outer circumferential surface of the first rotating member, and the second contact member is disposed in the region outside the region where the maximum size recording material conveyed to the nip portion passes through the nip portion on an other end side in the longitudinal direction on an outer circumferential surface of the second rotating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: TAKAO KUME, AKIMICHI SUZUKI, SATOSHI NISHIDA, KOHEI OKAYASU, TAKANORI MITANI
  • Patent number: 12019380
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Mitani, Takao Kume, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Kohei Okayasu
  • Publication number: 20240152079
    Abstract: A heating device includes a first rotating body, a heater, a temperature detection element, and a heater holder. The heater includes a heating element and a substrate on which the heating element is located. The temperature detection element is located on a second surface of the substrate opposite to a first surface of the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate. The heater holder includes a reservoir portion configured to reserve grease to be supplied to between the first rotating body and the heater in a longitudinal direction of a longer side of the first surface of the substrate. A length of an area in the thickness direction of the reservoir portion overlapping an area where the temperature detection element is located is greater than a length of an area in the thickness direction of the reservoir portion not overlapping the area where the temperature detection element is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: TAKANORI MITANI, SATOSHI NISHIDA, ISAMU TAKEDA
  • Patent number: 11927894
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing members and first and second developing members. The controller controls to execute first and second controls based on 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: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Kume, Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
  • Publication number: 20240077816
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
  • Patent number: 11852987
    Abstract: 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 and, 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 low light quantity to a first non-print area, which is a non-print area provided in a region including the print area and the first non-print area with respect to a main scanning direction, and controls so that a charging voltage lower than the predetermined voltage is charged and exposure is not performed on a second non-print area, which is provided in a region including only the non-print area with respect to the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takao Kume
  • Patent number: 11829089
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
  • Publication number: 20230236526
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second image-forming portion including first and second development rollers configured to bear developers composed of first and second toner particles and organosilicon protrusions formed on surfaces of the first and second toner particles, an intermediate transfer member to which a developer image is to be transferred in first and second contact portions in contact with the first and second photosensitive drums, and a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image to a recording material in a transfer portion. The first contact portion is formed downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the second contact portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member. A protrusion formed on the second developer has a lower height than a protrusion formed on the first developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: TAKANORI MITANI, TAKAO KUME, SATOSHI NISHIDA, ISAMU TAKEDA, KOHEI OKAYASU
  • Publication number: 20230205120
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: JUN HARA, SATOSHI NISHIDA, TAKANORI MITANI
  • Publication number: 20230195011
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji
  • Patent number: 11650525
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani
  • Patent number: 11635714
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Hara, Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani
  • Publication number: 20230101599
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takao Kume
  • Patent number: 11609516
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takeshi Shinji