Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Hino

Tetsuo Hino 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: 20240053699
    Abstract: An electrophotographic member comprising: a mandrel; and an elastic layer on an outer periphery of the mandrel, the elastic layer containing a polyurethane elastomer including a matrix and domains dispersed in the matrix, a parameter A and a parameter B satisfying a relationship of A<B, where the parameter A indicates a viscoelastic term of each of the plurality of domains and the parameter B indicates a viscoelastic term of the matrix, the elastic layer having a microrubber hardness at a temperature of 23° C. of 20 to 50, and in an indentation test of the elastic layer with a nanoindenter at 23° C., in which a Vickers indenter is indented into the elastic layer at a load speed of 10 mN/30 sec and is maintained at a load of 10 mN for 60 seconds, followed by unloading, strain after 5 seconds from the unloading being 1 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: MASAHIRO WATANABE, KANA SATO, TETSUO HINO, RYO OGAWA, TAKAYUKI HIRATANI
  • Publication number: 20240043685
    Abstract: Provided is a polyurethane elastomer having excellent friction properties (low friction coefficient), high wear resistance, and low hardness. The polyurethane elastomer includes: a first repeating structural unit represented by the general formula (1) and a second repeating structural unit represented by the general formula (2). The polyurethane elastomer includes a matrix phase and a domain phase dispersed in the matrix phase. The matrix phase includes the first repeating structural unit. The domain phase includes the second repeating structural unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: TAKAYUKI HIRATANI, RYO OGAWA, KANA SATO, MASAHIRO WATANABE, TETSUO HINO
  • Publication number: 20230095958
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning blade including: an elastic member containing a polyurethane; and a supporting member configured to support the elastic member. The polyurethane has a linear moiety represented by —(CH2)m-. The elastic member has a plate shape having a main surface and a distal end surface forming a distal end-side edge with the main surface, at least on a distal end side. Martens hardness at positions on a bisector at intervals of 30 ?m from a distal end-side edge to a position furthest away from the distal end-side edge by 100 ?m decreases from a distal end-side edge to the position. A Martens hardness HM1 of the elastic member at a position P1 is 1.0 N/mm2 or more. The elastic layer satisfies K?1>K?2>K?3. Further, the cleaning blade has an erosion rate E of 0.6 ?m/g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kana Sato, Ryo Ogawa, Masahiro Watanabe, Takayuki Hiratani, Tetsuo Hino, Masaki Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 11586121
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic electro-conductive member including a support having an electro-conductive outer surface, and an electro-conductive layer. The electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a crosslinked product of a first rubber and domains containing a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electron conductive agent. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency, a slope at specific frequencies is ?0.8 to ?0.3 in a double logarithmic plot, and an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0×104? to 1.0×1011?. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electrophotographic electro-conductive member while changing a frequency, an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0×105? to 1.0×1011?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kenji Takashima, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Takumi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11556073
    Abstract: An electroconductive elastic body includes: a cross-linked product of a first ionic electro-conductive rubber, a cross-linked product of a second ionic electro-conductive rubber, and at least one of a fatty acid and a fatty acid metal salt; wherein the electroconductive elastic body has a matrix that includes the cross-linked product of the first ionic electro-conductive rubber, and a domain that includes the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber; the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber includes a polyether skeleton; an electrical resistance of the domain is lower than an electrical resistance of the matrix; in a waveform separation profile of the elastic body as obtained by a small-angle X-ray scattering method, A2 and A1 satisfy a relationship expressed by the following expression (1): 0.005?(A2×C2/A1×C1)?0.030??(1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Masafumi Kyogaku, Tetsuo Hino
  • Publication number: 20220244658
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic electro-conductive member including a support having an electro-conductive outer surface, and an electro-conductive layer. The electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a crosslinked product of a first rubber and domains containing a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electron conductive agent. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency, a slope at specific frequencies is ?0.8 to ?0.3 in a double logarithmic plot, and an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0×104? to 1.0×1011?. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electrophotographic electro-conductive member while changing a frequency, an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0×105? to 1.0×1011?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kenji Takashima, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Takumi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11307509
    Abstract: An electro-conductive layer of an electrophotographic electro-conductive member has a matrix-domain structure. The matrix contains a first rubber. The domain contains a second rubber and electro-conductive particles. Where ? represents an average of ratios of the cross-sectional area of the electro-conductive particles contained in each of the domains to the cross-sectional area of each of the domains appearing on a cross-section of the electro-conductive layer in a thickness direction, and ? represents a standard deviation of the ratios, ?/? is 0 or more and 0.4 or less, and ? is 20% or more and 40% or less. At least eight of samples with a first cubic shape 9 ?m on a side, which are sampled at arbitrary nine positions on the electro-conductive layer, satisfy the specified condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hino, Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Norifumi Muranaka, Masafumi Kyogaku, Masaki Yamada, Hiroshi Inoue, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20210373448
    Abstract: An electroconductive elastic body includes: a cross-linked product of a first ionic electro-conductive rubber, a cross-linked product of a second ionic electro-conductive rubber, and at least one of a fatty acid and a fatty acid metal salt; wherein the electroconductive elastic body has a matrix that includes the cross-linked product of the first ionic electro-conductive rubber, and a domain that includes the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber; the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber includes a polyether skeleton; an electrical resistance of the domain is lower than an electrical resistance of the matrix; in a waveform separation profile of the elastic body as obtained by a small-angle X-ray scattering method, A2 and A1 satisfy a relationship expressed by the following expression (1): 0.005?(A2×C2/A1×C1)?0.030??(1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Masafumi Kyogaku, Tetsuo Hino
  • Patent number: 11112748
    Abstract: An electrophotographic developing member includes an electro-conductive support and an electro-conductive layer provided on the support, wherein the electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a first rubber and a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, and the domain contains a second rubber and an electronic conductive agent and when a frequency is log-log-plotted on a horizontal axis and an impedance is log-log-plotted on a vertical axis with respect to an impedance measured by applying an alternating current voltage having an amplitude of 1 V on the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency between 1.0×10?2 Hz to 1.0×107 Hz under a specific environment, an inclination of an impedance on a high frequency side is ?0.8 or more and ?0.3 or less and an impedance on a low frequency side is 1.0×104? to 1.0×1011?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Yuichi Kikuchi, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 10968315
    Abstract: Provided is a polymer nanofiber sheet having high delamination resistance, a high mechanical strength, and a high specific surface area. Specifically, provided is a polymer nanofiber sheet, including polymer nanofibers, the polymer nanofibers being laminated and three-dimensionally entangled with each other, in which: at least part of the polymer nanofibers are crosslinked at a crosslinked part having crosslinking portions and a non-crosslinking portion; and the crosslinked part contains a low-molecular weight epoxy compound having a molecular weight of from 100 to 3,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20210048759
    Abstract: An electro-conductive layer of an electrophotographic electro-conductive member has a matrix-domain structure. The matrix contains a first rubber. The domain contains a second rubber and electro-conductive particles. Where ? represents an average of ratios of the cross-sectional area of the electro-conductive particles contained in each of the domains to the cross-sectional area of each of the domains appearing on a cross-section of the electro-conductive layer in a thickness direction, and ? represents a standard deviation of the ratios, ?/? is 0 or more and 0.4 or less, and ? is 20% or more and 40% or less. At least eight of samples with a first cubic shape 9 ?m on a side, which are sampled at arbitrary nine positions on the electro-conductive layer, satisfy the specified condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hino, Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Norifumi Muranaka, Masafumi Kyogaku, Masaki Yamada, Hiroshi Inoue, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20210026295
    Abstract: An electrophotographic developing member includes an electro-conductive support and an electro-conductive layer provided on the support, wherein the electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a first rubber and a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, and the domain contains a second rubber and an electronic conductive agent and when a frequency is log-log-plotted on a horizontal axis and an impedance is log-log-plotted on a vertical axis with respect to an impedance measured by applying an alternating current voltage having an amplitude of 1 V on the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency between 1.0×10?2 Hz to 1.0×107 Hz under a specific environment, an inclination of an impedance on a high frequency side is ?0.8 or more and ?0.3 or less and an impedance on a low frequency side is 1.0×104? to 1.0×1011?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Yuichi Kikuchi, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 10843383
    Abstract: Provided is a rubber composition for producing a rubber molded article that is improved in fouling resistance while being reduced in tackiness and frictional force despite the presence of the rubber in its surface. The rubber composition includes: a rubber A; and a plastic B, in which: the rubber A includes a non-fluorine-based rubber material; a difference in elastic modulus between the rubber A and the plastic B is 50 MPa or more; a sea-island structure having a sea portion containing the rubber A and a plurality of island portions each containing the plastic B is formed; the plastic B is contained at a content of more than 0 vol % and 50 vol % or less with respect to a total amount of the rubber A and the plastic B; and 90% or more of the plurality of island portions each have a volume of 4,000 ?m3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Takashima, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20200109241
    Abstract: Provided is a polymer nanofiber sheet having high delamination resistance, a high mechanical strength, and a high specific surface area. Specifically, provided is a polymer nanofiber sheet, including polymer nanofibers, the polymer nanofibers being laminated and three-dimensionally entangled with each other, in which: at least part of the polymer nanofibers are crosslinked at a crosslinked part having crosslinking portions and a non-crosslinking portion; and the crosslinked part contains a low-molecular weight epoxy compound having a molecular weight of from 100 to 3,000.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20190292699
    Abstract: A fiber material contains an assembly of a plurality of nanofiber coated polymer fibers in which a polymer fiber serving as a core fiber is coated with polymer nanofibers, in which the polymer fibers and the polymer nanofibers are fusion-bonded and two or more of the polymer fibers are fusion-bonded to each other in at least one portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10302125
    Abstract: Provided is a sliding member, which is reduced in friction under sliding conditions of high load and high speed under an oilless condition, and is excellent in wear resistance. The sliding member includes: a shaft; and at least one intervening member, in which: the at least one intervening member is located between the shaft and a bearing, and is operable independently of the shaft; and at least one surface of the at least one intervening member on a shaft side includes a sliding surface under one of a radial load and an axial load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoyuki Koketsu, Tetsuo Hino, Kenji Takashima, Akiko Takei
  • Patent number: 10294595
    Abstract: A polymer nanofiber sheet including polymer nanofibers having a polymer, the polymer nanofibers being accumulated and three dimensionally entangled. The polymer nanofiber sheet has a low molecular weight organic compound containing at least one 4- or higher-membered ring structure with an ether linkage. The difference between the average solubility parameter of the polymer and the average solubility parameter of the low molecular weight organic compound is less than 8 (J/cm3)1/2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaori Yasufuku, Tetsuo Hino, Kenji Takashima, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10252209
    Abstract: Provided is a nanofiber sheet that has a high mechanical strength, is excellent in durability, and has a high specific surface area. The nanofiber sheet includes: a plurality of nanofibers; and a bulk portion produced by bonding of the nanofibers, in which 7×10?3 portion/?m2 or more of the bulk portion satisfying the following formula is contained: 0.5?X2?Y?5 ?m2??(1) where X represents a diameter (?m) of each of the nanofibers and Y represents an area (?m2) of an inscribed circle of the bulk portion when viewed from a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaori Yasufuku, Tetsuo Hino, Kenji Takashima, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10239006
    Abstract: A polymer nanofiber structural body of the present invention is a polymer nanofiber structural body in which polymer nanofibers are integrated, including a first layer and a second layer different from each other in polymer nanofiber existence ratio, in which: both the first layer and the second layer are laminated through a buffer region; the buffer region includes a region in direct contact with both the first layer and the second layer; and a polymer nanofiber existence ratio of the region continuously changes from a polymer nanofiber existence ratio of the first layer to a polymer nanofiber existence ratio of the second layer in a direction from the first layer to the second layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Takashima, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10239003
    Abstract: Provided is a nanofiber accumulated body having a high mechanical strength and excellent in durability, the polymer nanofiber accumulated body including polymer nanofibers each containing a polymer material, the polymer nanofibers being accumulated and three-dimensionally entangled with each other to form the accumulated body, in which: the polymer nanofibers each have a fiber diameter of 3 ?m or less; and the polymer nanofibers each contain 5 wt % to 30 wt % of a low-molecular weight organic compound having at least one ?,?-unsaturated ester structure, with respect to a total weight of the polymer nanofibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hino, Kaori Yasufuku, Kenji Takashima, Kazuhiro Yamauchi