Patents by Inventor Toko HARA

Toko HARA 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: 20230324836
    Abstract: A heating device includes: a heater including plural heating portions that generate different amounts of heat in a width direction that crosses a transport direction in which a heating object is transported; and plural temperature equalization members that are disposed on the heater and extend in the width direction with an interval provided therebetween in the transport direction, the plural temperature equalization members equalizing a temperature of the heater in the width direction. One of the plural temperature equalization members has a length greater than or equal to a width of a maximum passing region of the heater through which the heating object passes when the heating object has a maximum width. A remaining one of the plural temperature equalization members has a length less than the length of the one of the plural temperature equalization members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Toru Inoue, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Keitaro Mori, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Toko Hara
  • Publication number: 20230244176
    Abstract: A heating device is provided. The heating device includes a heating unit, heating a member to be heated, which is transported, and a contact portion of the heating unit contacting with the member to be heated; a heat pipe, having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a widthwise direction, and contacting with a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion so as to extend in the widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated; a rotating body, rotating so as to press the member to be heated; and a power input unit, having a gear disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and inputting a rotational force at least to the rotating body. The first end of the heat pipe has a thickness smaller than that of the second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Sou MORIZAKI, Toru INOUE, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Motoharu NAKAO, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI, Toko HARA
  • Patent number: 11703782
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a movable belt; and a planar heat-generating section that is in contact with the belt and in which, among plural heat-generating portions provided in a movement direction of the belt, a heat-generating portion on an upstream side in the movement direction of the belt has a larger heat generation amount than a heat-generating portion on a downstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: FUJTFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Toko Hara, Toshiyuki Miyata, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Keitaro Mori, Motoharu Nakao, Sou Morizaki, Toru Inoue
  • Patent number: 11687019
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless belt; a planar heat-generating section in which at least a downstream end portion in a movement direction of the belt is in pressure contact with a rotating body via a pressure contact portion and a cross-sectional shape of a downstream edge portion being in contact with an inner surface of the belt is formed in a curved shape having a curvature radius of 0.01 mm or more 0.2 mm or less or in a shape in which the edge portion is cut out over the dimension; and a holding section that is disposed inside the belt and holds the planar heat-generating section to be in pressure contact with the rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Keitaro Mori, Toshiyuki Miyata, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Sou Morizaki, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Motoharu Nakao, Toko Hara, Toru Inoue
  • Patent number: 11624997
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that is disposed on a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, a rotating body that rotates in such a manner as to press the member to be heated against the contact portion of the heating unit, and a power input unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that inputs a rotational force at least to the rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Sou Morizaki, Toru Inoue, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toshiyuki Miyata, Motoharu Nakao, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Toko Hara
  • Publication number: 20220382195
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a movable belt; and a planar heat-generating section that is in contact with the belt and in which, among plural heat-generating portions provided in a movement direction of the belt, a heat-generating portion on an upstream side in the movement direction of the belt has a larger heat generation amount than a heat-generating portion on a downstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi KOYANAGI, Toko HARA, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Keitaro MORI, Motoharu NAKAO, Sou MORIZAKI, Toru INOUE
  • Publication number: 20220382194
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless belt; a planar heat-generating section in which at least a downstream end portion in a movement direction of the belt is in pressure contact with a rotating body via a pressure contact portion and a cross-sectional shape of a downstream edge portion being in contact with an inner surface of the belt is formed in a curved shape having a curvature radius of 0.01 mm or more 0.2 mm or less or in a shape in which the edge portion is cut out over the dimension; and a holding section that is disposed inside the belt and holds the planar heat-generating section to be in pressure contact with the rotating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Keitaro MORI, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Sou MORIZAKI, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI, Motoharu NAKAO, Toko HARA, Toru INOUE
  • Patent number: 11442386
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that contacts with a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, and a power-supply connection unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that is connected to a wiring line through which power is supplied to the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toshiyuki Miyata, Toko Hara, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Toru Inoue
  • Patent number: 11378899
    Abstract: A thermally conductive pipe includes a pipe having closed both end portions; a working fluid that is enclosed in inside of the pipe and that is vaporized and liquefied; and a liquid transfer member that extends in a longitudinal direction of the inside of the pipe and that transfers the liquefied working fluid at least in the longitudinal direction. An occupancy rate of a cross-sectional area of the liquid transfer member to a cross-sectional area in a transverse direction of the inside of the pipe is in a range of 20% or more and 50% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toko Hara, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Toshiyuki Miyata, Toru Inoue, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Keitaro Mori
  • Publication number: 20220196339
    Abstract: A thermally conductive pipe includes a pipe of which both end portions are closed, a working liquid that is sealed inside the pipe and vaporizes and liquefies, and a liquid transfer unit that exists along a longitudinal direction inside the pipe and transfers the liquefied working liquid at least in the longitudinal direction, in which the liquid transfer unit has, in a case of being viewed in a cross section of the pipe, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, a first liquid transfer unit that is in contact with at least a partial range of an inner wall surface of the pipe and a second liquid transfer unit that is not in contact with the inner wall surface of the pipe and the first liquid transfer unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki MIYATA, Toru INOUE, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Toko HARA, Keitaro MORI, Sou MORIZAKI, Motoharu NAKAO, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI
  • Publication number: 20220197190
    Abstract: A thermally conductive pipe includes a pipe having closed both end portions; a working fluid that is enclosed in inside of the pipe and that is vaporized and liquefied; and a liquid transfer member that extends in a longitudinal direction of the inside of the pipe and that transfers the liquefied working fluid at least in the longitudinal direction. An occupancy rate of a cross-sectional area of the liquid transfer member to a cross-sectional area in a transverse direction of the inside of the pipe is in a range of 20% or more and 50% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toko HARA, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Toru INOUE, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Sou MORIZAKI, Motoharu NAKAO, Keitaro MORI
  • Patent number: 11334010
    Abstract: A heating device includes a surface heater unit including a heater portion that generates heat in a region extending in a longitudinal direction, the surface heater unit heating a heating object; and a heat conducting unit having a hollow space in which working fluid is sealed and including a working-fluid transport unit that transports the working liquid in the longitudinal direction, the heat conducting unit being in contact with the surface heater unit. The working-fluid transport unit is provided unevenly in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction in the hollow space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toru Inoue, Toko Hara, Motoharu Nakao, Sou Morizaki, Kiyoshi Koyanagi
  • Publication number: 20210364963
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that contacts with a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, and a power-supply connection unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that is connected to a wiring line through which power is supplied to the heating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi ITOH, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Toko HARA, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI, Sou MORIZAKI, Motoharu NAKAO, Toru INOUE
  • Publication number: 20210302881
    Abstract: A heating device includes a surface heater unit including a heater portion that generates heat in a region extending in a longitudinal direction, the surface heater unit heating a heating object; and a heat conducting unit having a hollow space in which working fluid is sealed and including a working-fluid transport unit that transports the working liquid in the longitudinal direction, the heat conducting unit being in contact with the surface heater unit. The working-fluid transport unit is provided unevenly in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction in the hollow space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki MIYATA, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Toru INOUE, Toko HARA, Motoharu NAKAO, Sou MORIZAKI, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI
  • Publication number: 20210302897
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that is disposed on a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, a rotating body that rotates in such a manner as to press the member to be heated against the contact portion of the heating unit, and a power input unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that inputs a rotational force at least to the rotating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Sou MORIZAKI, Toru INOUE, Kazuyoshi ITOH, Toshiyuki MIYATA, Motoharu NAKAO, Kiyoshi KOYANAGI, Toko HARA
  • Patent number: 11106165
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating unit that heats a member to be heated, which is transported, as a result of a contact portion of the heating unit being in contact with the member to be heated, a heat pipe that is disposed on a portion of the heating unit different from the contact portion in such a manner as to extend in a widthwise direction crossing a transport direction of the member to be heated and that includes a crimped portion formed at a first end of the heat pipe, and a power-supply connection unit that is disposed on a second end side of the heat pipe and that is connected to a wiring line through which power is supplied to the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toshiyuki Miyata, Toko Hara, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Toru Inoue
  • Patent number: 11092919
    Abstract: A heating device includes a rotating unit, a transport belt, a heater, and at least one heat pipe. The rotating unit rotates. The transport belt rotates together with the rotating unit while nipping a heated member together with the rotating unit so as to transport the heated member. The heater has a contact surface in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the transport belt and a non-contact surface not in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt, and generates heat so as to heat the heated member via the transport belt. The heat pipe is disposed in an oblique direction relative to a belt width direction of the transport belt such that the heat pipe is in contact with the non-contact surface of the heater, and transfers heat in the oblique direction in accordance with a function of a working fluid enclosed inside the heat pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Toru Inoue, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toko Hara, Motoharu Nakao, Sou Morizaki, Kiyoshi Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 11092918
    Abstract: A heating device includes a rotating unit, a transport belt, a heater, and a heat pipe. The rotating unit rotates. The transport belt rotates together with the rotating unit while nipping a heated member together with the rotating unit so as to transport the heated member. The heater has a contact surface in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the transport belt and a flat non-contact surface not in contact with the inner peripheral surface, and generates heat so as to heat the heated member via the transport belt. The heat pipe has a flat outer surface in contact with the non-contact surface of the heater and an interior having a cross-sectionally-circular space filled with a working fluid, and transfers heat in a belt width direction of the transport belt in accordance with a function of the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toko Hara, Toru Inoue, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Toshiyuki Miyata, Kiyoshi Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 11016427
    Abstract: A heating device includes a surface heater unit including a heater portion that generates heat in a region extending in a longitudinal direction, the surface heater unit heating a heating object; a support unit that supports the surface heater unit; and a heat conducting unit disposed in contact with a surface of the surface heater unit at a side opposite to a side adjacent to the heating object in a region between a center of the heater portion in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction and the support unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toko Hara, Toru Inoue, Toshiyuki Miyata, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao
  • Patent number: 10969720
    Abstract: A heating device includes a surface heater unit that generates heat along a surface extending in a longitudinal direction to heat a heating object; a heat pipe disposed to be in contact with a surface of the surface heater unit over a region extending in the longitudinal direction at a side opposite to a side adjacent to the heating object; a friction reducing material provided to a region in which the surface heater unit and the heating object are in contact with each other, the friction reducing material reducing a frictional resistance between the surface heater unit and the heating object; and a heat-conductive material interposed between the surface heater unit and the heat pipe and having a surface tension that differs from a surface tension of the friction reducing material by 3 (mN/m) or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Toko Hara, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Toshiyuki Miyata, Toru Inoue