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).

  • Publication number: 20140314437
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion; a fixing portion; a first air blowing portion; and a second air blowing portion. The apparatus is operable in a first air blowing mode in which both the first and second air blowing portions are driven and in which the direction of the air near the exit is the recording material feeding direction, and is operable in a second air blowing mode in which both the first and second air blowing portions are driven and in which a direction of the air near the exit is a recording material feeding direction and a speed of the air is lower than a speed of the air in the first air blowing mode or in which the direction of the air near the exit is the opposite direction to the recording material feeding direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani, Akimichi Suzuki, Hideo Nanataki, Shogo Kan
  • Publication number: 20140308052
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a fixing apparatus that heats a recording material having a toner image while conveying the recording material at a nip portion to make the toner image fix onto the recording material includes a cylindrical belt having a heat generating layer that generates heat by being energized and a contact for supplying electricity to the heat generating layer. The contact is in contact with one of an outer surface and an inner surface of an end of the belt in the generatrix direction of the belt. An electrically conductive layer is provided, along the direction of rotation of the belt, on a surface of the heat generating layer opposite to a surface of the heat generating layer at which the contact is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Takashi Narahara, Toru Imaizumi, Takanori Watanabe, Masahiko Suzumi, Kazuhiro Doda, Takanori Mitani, Kazuaki Takahata
  • Publication number: 20140153950
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form a toner image on a recording material, includes: an image forming unit configured to form a unfixed toner image on the recording material; a fixing unit configured to heat the recording material where the unfixed toner image is formed while conveying the recording material using a nip portion, and to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording material; and a control unit configured to perform control so that temperature of the fixing unit is maintained in target temperature, with the target temperature (Tn) of a n'th page in consecutive printing being set to the highest temperature of the target temperatures (Tn to Tn+k) according to each of image densities (Dn to Dn+k) at (n to (n+k))'th pages, where integer k21.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Kan, Akimichi Suzuki, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Takanori Mitani
  • Publication number: 20140023413
    Abstract: The image heating apparatus, for heating a toner image while conveying a recording material bearing the toner image at a nip portion, includes a rotary member in contact with the toner image, an endless belt, and a nip portion forming member that is in contact with the inner surface of the belt and forms the nip portion together with the rotary member via the belt. The nip portion forming member is a metal member having a surface which is in contact with the inner surface of the belt and on which an oxide layer is formed by an alumite treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Takeshi Shinji, Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani, Shogo Kan
  • Publication number: 20140003847
    Abstract: A fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a recording material by heating while conveying the recording material that bears the toner image by a nip portion, the fixing device includes a fixing roller having a rubber layer, a rotating member configured to form a contact portion between the rotating member and the fixing roller, and a pressure member configured to form the nip portion cooperatively with the fixing roller. In the fixing device, heat of the rotating member transfers to the fixing roller from the rotating member via the contact portion, and the contact portion includes a region where the pressure is increased after being decreased on a downstream side further than a center of the contact portion in the rotational direction of the rotating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Takanori Mitani, Shogo Kan, Takeshi Shinji, Kohei Okayasu, Masafumi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20130251424
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a roller, a first unit configured to heat the roller, the first unit including a first tubular film, a heating portion forming member to form a heating portion with the roller, and a first guide member dotted with first protruding portions contacting the inner surface of the first tubular film, and a second unit configured to form a nip portion with the roller, the second unit including a second tubular film, a nip portion forming member to form the nip portion with the roller, and a second guide member dotted with second protruding portions contacting the inner surface of the second tubular film, wherein there is a non-overlapping area between the first protruding portions and the second protruding portions in a generatrix direction of the roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Hideo Nanataki, Shogo Kan, Takeshi Shinji