Patents by Inventor Tohru Aono

Tohru Aono 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: 7787783
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus with an image forming section which forms an toner image on a transported sheet; a fixing section which includes a heat source and fixes the toner image on the sheet; a coupling unit which electrically couples the image forming apparatus main unit and the fixing equipment to each other; and a circuit which detects the temperatures of various portions of the fixing equipment, controls the energization condition to the heat source depending on the temperature detection results and stops the energization of the heat source if a temperature beyond a predetermined temperature range is detected by either the first or second temperature detection element, if the coupling unit is disconnected, or if the second temperature detection element is broken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Aono, Hidenori Kobayashi, Hiroshi Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20070242959
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises an image forming section which forms an toner image on a transported sheet; a fixing section which includes a heat source and fixes the toner image on the sheet; a coupling unit which electrically couples the image forming apparatus main unit and the fixing equipment to each other; and a circuit which detects the temperatures of various portions of the fixing equipment, controls the energization condition to the heat source depending on the temperature detection results and stops the energization of the heat source if a temperature beyond a predetermined temperature range is detected by either the first or second temperature detection element, if the coupling unit is disconnected, or if the second temperature detection element is broken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Aono, Hidenori Kobayashi, Hiroshi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7130549
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention uses sensors to detect a marker of a transfer belt, and assigns the transfer belt to detect a medium feeding position and exposure start position, whereby time or waiting time required to transfer a color toner image to an output medium at a transfer position can be reduced, and time required to obtain an output image can be reduced, while ensuring a fixing rate and color reproducibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Aono, Yukio Futamata, Satoshi Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20050008381
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention uses sensors to detect a marker of a transfer belt, and assigns the transfer belt to detect a medium feeding position and exposure start position, whereby time or waiting time required to transfer a color toner image to an output medium at a transfer position can be reduced, and time required to obtain an output image can be reduced, while ensuring a fixing rate and color reproducibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Tohru Aono, Yukio Futamata, Satoshi Hasegawa