Patents by Inventor Takashi Kusaba

Takashi Kusaba 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: 20060127617
    Abstract: The electrophotographic belt of the present invention is characterized that, in the electrophotographic belt composed of the thermoplastic resin composition containing thermoplastic resin, with respect to a flake-shaped portion having an arc length of 5% of the inner peripheral length of the electrophotographic belt, when the thickness of the flake-shaped portion is measured at intervals of 1 mm in the peripheral direction, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the measured value is 2% or more and 20% or less of an arithmetic average value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanaka, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda, Yuji Sakurai, Akihiko Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20060067747
    Abstract: An electrophotographic endless belt which contains a polyamide resin and an additive A comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of copper(I) iodide, potassium iodide, copper(I) chloride and potassium chloride, and has a volume resistivity of from 1×106 to 1×1014 ?cm. Also disclosed are a process for producing the electrophotographic endless belt and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Takashi Kusaba, Yuji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 6928256
    Abstract: An electrophotographic endless belt has a beltlike substrate and a meandering-preventive member attached to the inner peripheral surface of the beltlike substrate via a pressure-sensitive adhesive, double-coated tape. The pressure-sensitive adhesive, double-coated tape is a pressure-sensitive adhesive, double-coated tape having i) a reinforcing base material and ii) pressure-sensitive adhesive layers on both sides of the reinforcing base material. The reinforcing base material has a thickness of from 25 ?m or more to 200 ?m or less, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers on both sides each have a thickness of 200 ?m or less and at least one of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers has a thickness of from more than 100 ?m to 200 ?m or less, and the meandering-preventive member has a hardness of from 15° or more to 70° or less. Also disclosed are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic endless belt as an intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba
  • Publication number: 20050142368
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic endless belt having a resin layer formed of a resin composition containing a polyamide, the resin composition further contains a copolymer obtained by copolymerization of an olefin and an oxygen-containing heterocyclic compound, a curve (T?log10? curve) showing the relationship between temperature T (° C.) and common logarithm log10? of melt viscosity ? (Pa·s), of the resin composition has, in the range of log10? of from log10 1,000 to log10 8,000, a gently inclined region the inclination ?log10?/?T of which is from ?0.02 to 0, and the gently inclined region has a temperature range of 10° C. or more, and the resin layer has a thickness the maximum thickness of which is 115% or less of the average value of the thickness of the resin layer and the minimum thickness of which is 85% or more of the average value of the thickness of the resin layer. Also disclosed is a process for producing the above electrophotographic endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Sakurai, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Hidekazu Matsuda, Takashi Kusaba
  • Publication number: 20050118522
    Abstract: An electrophotographic endless belt containing a polyamide resin, carbon black and a filler, characterized in that the polyamide resin is at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polyamide 610, polyamide 612, polyamide 11 and polyamide 12, the filler is at least one filler selected from the group consisting of an oxide, a hydroxide, a carbonate and a silicate, and weight (A) of the polyamide resin and total weight (B) of the carbon black and the filler is in a ratio (A:B) of from 90:10 to 50:50. Also disclosed are an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic endless belt, and a process for producing the electrophotographic endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Takashi Kusaba, Yuji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 6856776
    Abstract: An electrophotographic endless belt has a belt-like substrate, and a meandering-preventive member for preventing the electrophotographic endless belt from meandering and a position detection member for detecting a prescribed position of the electrophotographic endless belt. The meandering preventive member is, disposed on the inner-periphery side of one end portion of the belt-like substrate, and the position detection member is disposed on the outer-periphery side of the other end portion of the belt-like substrate. The meandering-preventive member and the position detection member are kept apart by a distance of from 200 mm to 250 mm in the width direction of the electrophotographic endless belt. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus employ such an electrophotographic endless belt as an intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazwa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Ryota Kashiwabara, Yuji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 6853824
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic endless belt having a beltlike substrate, a meandering-preventive member and a position detection member, the meandering-preventive member is disposed on the inner-periphery side of one end portion of the beltlike substrate, the position detection member is disposed on the outer-periphery side of the other end portion of the beltlike substrate, and the meandering-preventive member and the position detection member are 200 mm to 250 mm away from each other in the width direction of the electrophotographic endless belt. The beltlike substrate contains a thermoplastic resin as a binder resin, and the beltlike substrate has a 25 ?m×25 ?m surface total current value of from 300 nA to 2,000 nA at the time of application of 100 V as measured by SPM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryota Kashiwabara, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda, Yuji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 6852400
    Abstract: An endless belt for electrophotography is disclosed which is obtainable continuously by melt extrusion from a circular die. The endless belt has a layer containing a thermoplastic resin having a diphenyl sulfone structure represented by the following Formula (1) Also disclosed are a process for producing the endless belt and an image forming apparatus having the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiko Nakazawa, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Minoru Shimojo, Akira Shimada, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6795667
    Abstract: A process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member to carry a toner image; an intermediate transfer belt having a contact part with the photosensitive member, and a primary transfer unit to primarily transfer the toner image at the contact part from the photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer belt, being integrally supported in one body. After the contact part is formed by the photosensitive member and the intermediate transfer belt is brought into contact with under a linear pressure of 0.5 N/cm and is left for 10 hours in an environment of 45° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiko Nakazawa, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda, Yuji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 6775494
    Abstract: A process cartridge integrally supports therein a cylindrical latent-image-bearing member on which a toner image is formed and an intermediate transfer belt to which the toner image is primarily transferred and from which it is secondarily transported to a transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kusaba, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6766127
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable on the main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, integrally supports a photosensitive drum for bearing toner images, and an intermediate transferring belt having a contact part with the photosensitive drum. The moisture amount of the intermediate transferring belt at 23° C./50% RH is less than 1% by weight and the sum of the surface roughness Ra of the photosensitive drum and the surface roughness Ra of the intermediate transferring belt is less than 0.8 &mgr;m. The present invention also provides an electrophotographic apparatus having the process cartridge and an image forming method using the electrophotographic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanaka, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda, Yuji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20040124568
    Abstract: A method for producing an endless belt for electrophotography by melt-extruding a thermoplastic resin having a diphenyl sulfone structure represented by the following Formula (1) from a circular die to produce the endless belt continuously 1
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiko Nakazawa, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Minoru Shimojo, Akira Shimada, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6737133
    Abstract: An electrophotographic seamless belt containing a thermoplastic fluorine resin, which contains 3 to 40 parts by weight of a polyether-ester amide or polyether amide and 0.02 to 10 parts by weight of a fluorine-atom-containing surface-active agent or halogenated alkali metal salt, based on 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic fluorine resin. Also disclosed is an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic seamless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kusaba, Akihiko Nakazawa, Akira Shimada, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6725002
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to the electrophotographic apparatus main body, integrally including an electrophotographic photosensitive member to carry a toner image; an intermediate transfer belt having a contact part with the photosensitive member; primary transfer member to primarily transfer the toner image from the photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer belt; and electric charge member to give electric charges in polarity opposite to the polarity of the toner at the time of the primary transfer to the toner on the intermediate transfer belt to return the toner on the intermediate transfer belt to the photosensitive member at the contact part to clean the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the intermediate transfer belt has an average glossiness of 30 to 90; glossiness deviation within 10; average film thickness of 40 to 200 &mgr;m; and film thickness unevenness within ±20% relative to the average film thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sakurai, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6718148
    Abstract: A process cartridge integrally supports an electrophotographic photosensitive member, an intermediate transfer belt, primary transferer for transferring a toner image primarily from the member to the belt, a charge provider for providing the toner on the belt with electric charges having a polarity reverse to the polarity the toner has at the time of the primary transfer and returning the toner on the belt to the member at a contact zone to clean the belt, and an electrophotographic-photosensitive-member cleaner. The cartridge is dividable into an electrophotographic photosensitive member unit and an intermediate transfer belt unit and has a joining unit which joins the two units. The peripheral length and average thickness of the belt and the diameter of at least one of rollers over and around which the belt is placed satisfy specific conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidehiko Matsuda, Yuji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20040062567
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic endless belt having a beltlike substrate and a meandering-preventive member attached to the inner peripheral surface of the beltlike substrate via a pressure-sensitive adhesive double-coated tape; the pressure-sensitive adhesive double-coated tape being a pressure-sensitive adhesive double-coated tape having i) a reinforcing base material and ii) pressure-sensitive adhesive layers on both sides of the reinforcing base material; the reinforcing base material has a thickness of from 25 &mgr;m or more to 200 &mgr;m or less, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers on both sides each have a thickness of 200 &mgr;m or less and at least one of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers has a thickness of from more than 100 &mgr;m to 200 &mgr;m or less, and the meandering-preventive member has a hardness of from 15° or more to 70° or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba
  • Patent number: 6704535
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer member suitable for full-color image formation by electrophotography is formed by an elastic base layer and a fibrous core member embedded with the base layer. The core member is formed of fibers which are disposed within the base layer at a spacing between adjacent fibers of 50-3000 &mgr;m. As a result, the intermediate transfer member is reinforced to exhibit improved superposed transfer performance free from color deviation while retaining good transfer performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba
  • Patent number: 6674989
    Abstract: A transfer belt having a long service life and an image forming apparatus provided with the belt are provided. A serpentine motion preventing member (6b,) provided on at least one side portion of an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt body (6a, 61a) on which a toner image formed on an image bearing member is transferred on an outer circumference and retained by a retainer groove (R1) formed on a roller serpentine motion preventing member (6b, 61b) away from the belt body (6a, 61a). Accordingly, damage to the belt body (6a, 61a) is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kusaba, Akihiko Nakazawa, Akira Shimada, Tsunenori Ashibe, Hidekazu Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20030206749
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic endless belt having a beltlike substrate, a meandering-preventive member and a position detection member, the meandering-preventive member is disposed on the inner-periphery side of one end portion of the beltlike substrate, the position detection member is disposed on the outer-periphery side of the other end portion of the beltlike substrate, and the meandering-preventive member and the position detection member are 200 mm to 250 mm away from each other in the width direction of the electrophotographic endless belt. The beltlike substrate contains a thermoplastic resin as a binder resin, and the beltlike substrate has a 25 &mgr;m×25 &mgr;m surface total current value of from 300 nA to 2,000 nA at the time of application of 100 V as measured by SPM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryota Kashiwabara, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Hidekazu Matsuda, Yuji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20030202819
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic endless belt having a beltlike substrate, and having a meandering-preventive member for preventing the electrophotographic endless belt from meandering and a position detection member for detecting a prescribed position of the electrophotographic endless belt; the former being disposed on the inner-periphery side of one end portion of the beltlike substrate, and the latter being disposed on the outer-periphery side of the other end portion of the beltlike substrate. The meandering-preventive member and the position detection member are kept apart in a distance of from 200 mm to 250 mm in the width direction of the electrophotographic endless belt. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus employ such an electrophotographic endless belt as an intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Matsuda, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Akihiko Nakazawa, Atsushi Tanaka, Tsunenori Ashibe, Takashi Kusaba, Ryota Kashiwabara, Yuji Sakurai