Patents by Inventor Tamotsu Shimizu

Tamotsu Shimizu 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: 20150253693
    Abstract: A developing device includes a housing, a stirring member, a developing unit body, a driving device, a detecting device, and a control device. The housing accommodates developer supplied from a supply means and including toner and carrier. The stirring member rotates in the housing to stir the developer. The developing unit body rotates in the housing to convey the developer toward an image carrying member from the stirring member and attaches the toner to the image carrying member. The driving device rotationally drive at least one of the stirring member and the developing unit body. The detecting device detects the torque of the driving device. The control device performs a recovery process of controlling the supply means to supply at least one of the carrier and the developer to an interior of the housing when a detection result of the detecting device has a value lower than a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Tamotsu SHIMIZU, Akira MATAYOSHI
  • Patent number: 9122193
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a roller main body disposed to face, without contact, an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier. A resin coat layer has been formed on an outer circumferential surface of the roller main body, the resin coat layer being made of a resin material having electric conductivity. A product of resistance component Rs [?] and electrostatic capacitance component Cs [F] in AC impedance Z of the roller main body is in a range from 2.79×10?7 to 6.77×10?5, the AC impedance Z being obtained when an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency f is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Yoneima, Yuji Kamiyama, Akihiro Watanabe, Tamotsu Shimizu, Shizuka Okada, Sakae Saito, Yasuhiro Oishi, Chikara Ishihara, Masashi Fujishima, Yoshimi Shimizu, Yasuhiro Tauchi, Yu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9122194
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a roller main body disposed to face, without contact, an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier. The roller main body includes a resin coat layer that is formed on an outer circumferential surface of a base body that is made of a metal including aluminum, the resin coat layer being made of a resin material and having electric conductivity. An AC impedance Z obtained from an application of an AC voltage at a frequency in a range from 0.05 Hz to 100 Hz is equal to or higher than 100?, and a phase angle ? satisfies a relationship of 0 rad<?<0.1 rad when a power factor is cos ?=Za/Z.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Yuji Kamiyama, Akihiro Watanabe, Yoshinobu Yoneima, Shizuka Okada, Sakae Saito, Yasuhiro Oishi
  • Publication number: 20150177643
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a roller main body disposed to face, without contact, an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier. In the roller main body, a boehmite layer has been formed on an outer circumferential surface of a base body that is made of a metal including aluminum, by a surface treatment by a boehmite method, and a resin coat layer has been formed on a surface of the boehmite layer, the resin coat layer being made of a resin material having electric conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Oishi, Yuji Kamiyama, Akihiro Watanabe, Tamotsu Shimizu, Yoshinobu Yoneima, Shizuka Okada, Sakae Saito
  • Publication number: 20150177644
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a roller main body disposed to face, without contact, an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier. The roller main body includes a resin coat layer that is formed on an outer circumferential surface of a base body that is made of a metal including aluminum, the resin coat layer being made of a resin material and having electric conductivity. An AC impedance Z obtained from an application of an AC voltage at a frequency in a range from 0.05 Hz to 100 Hz is equal to or higher than 100?, and a phase angle ? satisfies a relationship of 0 rad<?<0.1 rad when a power factor is cos ?=Za/Z.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Yuji Kamiyama, Akihiro Watanabe, Yoshinobu Yoneima, Shizuka Okada, Sakae Saito, Yasuhiro Oishi
  • Publication number: 20150177652
    Abstract: Developing device includes developing roller and magnetic roller. Developing roller includes aluminum oxide thin film and resin coat layer. Magnetic roller is disposed to face, without contact, outer circumferential surface of developing roller, and includes aluminum oxide thin film formed on outer circumferential surface of base body that is made of metal including aluminum. Magnetic roller forms toner layer on surface of developing roller via magnetic brush composed of toner and magnetic carrier. AC impedance Z1 is in range from 1.0×105? to 1.0×106? and surface roughness Ra of resin coat layer is in range from 0.057 ?m to 0.280 ?m, AC impedance Z1 being obtained when AC voltage at predetermined frequency is applied to between base body of magnetic roller and base body of developing roller in a state where the magnetic brush is formed on magnetic roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Shizuka Okada, Yuji Kamiyama, Sakae Saito, Yasuhiro Oishi, Masashi Fujishima, Chikara Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20150177642
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a roller main body disposed to face, without contact, an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier. A resin coat layer has been formed on an outer circumferential surface of the roller main body, the resin coat layer being made of a resin material having electric conductivity. A product of resistance component Rs [?] and electrostatic capacitance component Cs [F] in AC impedance Z of the roller main body is in a range from 2.79×10?7 to 6.77×10?5, the AC impedance Z being obtained when an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency f is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Yoneima, Yuji Kamiyama, Akihiro Watanabe, Tamotsu Shimizu, Shizuka Okada, Sakae Saito, Yasuhiro Oishi, Chikara Ishihara, Masashi Fujishima, Yoshimi Shimizu, Yasuhiro Tauchi, Yu Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20150177651
    Abstract: A developing roller includes a roller main body disposed to face, without contact, an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier. The roller main body includes an aluminum oxide thin film and a resin coat layer, the aluminum oxide thin film being formed on an outer circumferential surface of a base body that is made of a metal including aluminum, the resin coat layer being formed on a surface of the aluminum oxide thin film that has been subjected to a predetermined heating process, the resin coat layer being made of a resin material and having electric conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Masashi Fujishima, Yuji Kamiyama, Tamotsu Shimizu, Shizuka Okada, Sakae Saito, Yasuhiro Oishi
  • Patent number: 9063468
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a housing, a refill developer storage part, a developing roller, a developer conveyance path, a developer receiving port, a conveyance member, and a magnetic member. The developing roller is driven into rotation in the developing housing and carries a toner on a circumferential surface thereof. The toner is conveyed inside the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path of the developing housing in a circulating manner. A first stirring screw is disposed on the first conveyance path and conveys the toner in a first direction. Downstream of the toner refill port, a magnet is arranged. The magnetic member forms a magnetic brush from a top panel of the developing housing towards the first stirring screw. A refill toner flowed-in through the toner refill port is so conveyed as to fall below the magnetic brush whereby the refill toner is favorably stirred with a surrounding toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Minoru Wada, Takahisa Nakaue, Tamotsu Shimizu, Ikuo Makie, Kenichi Tamaki, Takefumi Yotsutsuji, Shizuka Okada
  • Patent number: 9031472
    Abstract: A developing device includes a housing containing a developer, a developer carrier, a developer conveying path, a developer conveying member, and a plurality of paddle members. The developer conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path. The developer conveying member is disposed in the second conveying path and includes a rotating shaft and spiral blades formed around the rotating shaft. The developer conveying member is rotationally driven to convey the developer in the second direction and feeds the developer to the developer carrier. The plurality of paddle members project in a radial direction from the rotating shaft of the developer conveying member at one circumferential position on the rotating shaft. The plurality of paddle members is contiguously arranged in the axial direction of the rotating shaft to connect the spiral blades adjacent to each other in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takefumi Yotsutsuji, Akifumi Yamaguchi, Takahisa Nakaue, Tamotsu Shimizu, Minoru Wada, Shizuka Okada
  • Publication number: 20150117909
    Abstract: A developer container includes a container housing for storing developer, a cylinder section projecting from the container housing and including a developer discharge port, and a rotary member for conveying the developer to the discharge port. The rotary member includes a rotary shaft rotatably supported and having a first part located in the container housing and a second part located in the cylinder section, and a resilient member projecting from the second part of the rotary shaft in a radial direction of rotation of the rotary member and facing the developer discharge port. The resilient member includes a tip end operable to protrude radially outward out of the developer discharge port after rubbing an inner surface of the cylinder section as the rotary shaft of the rotary member makes rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Shizuka Ikazaki
  • Publication number: 20150104208
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a bias applying unit, a leak detecting unit, a bias controller and a leak detection controller. The developing device includes a magnetic roller and a developer layer. The bias applying unit applies development biases to the magnetic roller and the developing roller. The leak detecting unit detects a leak generated between the image carrier and the developing roller or a leak generated between the developing roller and the magnetic roller. The leak detection controller performs a leak detecting operation for detecting the value of an inter-peak voltage of the alternating current voltage of the development bias applied to the developing roller, at which the leak is generated, while changing the inter-peak voltage at a time different from that during the developing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Yukihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 9002240
    Abstract: The present application discloses a developing device including a housing having a connection surface to which the container connects. The connection surface is provided with a feed port for feeding the developer. The developing device includes a shutter mechanism configured to selectively open and close the feed port. The shutter mechanism includes a shutter piece, which moves between a closing position for closing the feed port and an opening position for opening the feed port, and a squeezing mechanism, which protrudes from the shutter piece situated in the closing position to squeeze the developer into the housing through the feed port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Takahisa Nakaue, Teruhiko Nagashima, Takashi Morita
  • Patent number: 8989634
    Abstract: A developer case includes a main body, a first transportation portion, a first transportation member, a supply member, a discharge port, and a second transportation portion. The main body contains developer. The first transportation portion has a first region that receives developer from the main body and a second region that extends from the first region in a first direction. The first transportation member transports developer in the first direction. The supply member supplies developer to the first region. Developer is discharged through the discharge port. The second transportation portion has an inlet port communicating with the second region. Developer that has not been discharged through the discharge port is supplied to the second transportation portion through the inlet port. The second transportation portion transports developer in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Tamaki, Takahisa Nakaue, Tamotsu Shimizu, Ikuo Makie, Eiji Nimura, Koji Kuramashi, Masaki Hayashi, Yoshihiro Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 8977169
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer introduction port, a developer conveyance portion, a first conveyance ability suppressing portion, and a connecting conveyance portion. The conveyance ability suppressing portion is disposed on a downstream side of the developer introduction port in a first direction in which the developer is conveyed in order to partially suppress a developer conveyance ability of the developer conveyance portion such that a developer accumulation portion is formed in a position opposing the developer introduction port. A first direction downstream side of the first conveyance ability suppressing portion opposes a first connecting passage in a third direction that intersects the first direction. The connecting conveyance portion is joined to the first direction downstream side of the conveyance ability suppressing portion and opposes the first connecting passage in the third direction in order to pass the developer from a first conveyance passage to a second conveyance passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Takahisa Nakaue, Teruhiko Nagashima, Takashi Morita
  • Patent number: 8958724
    Abstract: A developing device of this disclosure has: a housing, a developing roller, a developer conveying path, a partition board, a second communication path, a developer receiving port, a first conveying member, a second conveying member, and a conveyance capability inhibition part. A toner is cyclically conveyed in a first conveying path and a second conveying path. A first stirring screw is disposed in the first conveying path and driven into ration around a first rotation axis for toner conveyance. Formed downstream of the first stirring screw by the conveyance capability inhibition part is a toner accumulation part, and the amount of toner refilled from a toner refill port is adjusted. Where an aperture area of the first communication path is A1 and a circular area formed by an outer circumferential edge of the first stirring screw in section orthogonal to the first rotation axis is A2, relationship 0.5×A2<A1<1.2×A2 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takahisa Nakaue, Minoru Wada, Shizuka Okada, Takefumi Yotsutsuji, Akifumi Yamaguchi, Tamotsu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8942600
    Abstract: A developing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a developing roller, a development housing, a first agitating screw, a toner supply inlet, a downstream-side reduction wall, and an upstream-side reduction wall. The developing roller is driven to rotate in the development housing, and carries toner on the circumferential surface thereof. Toner is circulated and conveyed in a first conveying path and a second conveying path in the development housing. The first agitating screw is disposed in the first conveying path, and conveys toner in a first direction. The downstream-side reduction wall is disposed downstream of the toner supply inlet. Further, the upstream-side reduction wall is disposed upstream of the toner supply inlet. An accumulation portion for toner is formed downstream and upstream of the toner supply inlet due to the downstream-side reduction wall and the upstream-side reduction wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takahisa Nakaue, Tamotsu Shimizu, Ikuo Makie, Kenichi Tamaki, Minoru Wada, Takefumi Yotsutsuji, Shizuka Okada
  • Patent number: 8903284
    Abstract: A developer storage container includes a container main body, a tubular portion projecting from the container main body and including a developer discharge opening, and a rotary member extending from the container main body to the tubular portion and having a function of conveying the developer in the container main body. The rotary member includes a first section located in the container main body and a second section located in the tubular portion. A first conveying member for conveying the developer from the tubular portion side toward the container main body side, a second conveying member for conveying the developer in an opposite direction, and a flexible member are mounted on the rotary shaft. The flexible member includes a fixed end portion fixed onto the circumferential surface of the rotary shaft and a free end portion arranged at a side radially outward of the second conveying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Takahisa Nakaue, Teruhiko Nagashima, Takashi Morita
  • Patent number: 8897676
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing apparatus and a toner container which replenishes the developing apparatus with toner. The developing apparatus includes a first conveyance member having a first rotational shaft and a toner replenishment port. The toner container includes a second conveyance member having a second rotational shaft and a toner discharge port. The developing apparatus and the toner container are assembled in such a manner that the first rotational shaft and the second rotational shaft are in mutually perpendicular directions, and the toner replenishment port and the toner discharge port are mutually overlapping in a vertical direction. The second conveyance member rotates in a direction whereby the toner is discharged from the toner discharge port to the toner replenishment port at a position on an upstream side of the toner replenishment port in terms of the toner conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takahisa Nakaue, Takashi Morita, Tamotsu Shimizu, Teruhiko Nagashima
  • Patent number: 8862029
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a developing device for supplying toner to a circumferential surface of the image bearing member, a toner container for supplying the toner to the developing device, a sheet conveyance path for conveying a sheet, and a housing. The housing accommodates the image bearing member, the developing device and the toner container. The housing has a first surface and a second surface different from the first surface. The toner container is taken out from the interior of the housing to the outside of the housing through the first surface. The developing device is taken out from the interior of the housing to the outside of the housing through the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Shimizu, Takahisa Nakaue, Takashi Morita, Teruhiko Nagashima