Patents by Inventor Tomoe Kitani

Tomoe Kitani 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: 7771910
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, comprising (a) forming a toner image on an image forming body, (b) transporting the image forming body to a transfer region, (c) overlapping an image supporting body onto the image forming body, (d) radiating ultrasonic waves onto the image forming body and the image supporting body by an ultrasonic radiation means with applying an electric field between the image forming body and the image supporting body to transfer the toner image onto the image supporting body and (e) subjecting the toner image on the image supporting body to contact heat-fixing to fix the toner image, wherein a toner is comprised of toner particles containing a resin, a colorant and a releasing agent, and the toner particles exhibiting a coefficient of variation of shape factor of not more than 16% and a coefficient of variation of number particle size distribution of not more than 27%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7718330
    Abstract: An image forming method characterized in that a plurality of toner images which differ in color is formed as superposed; a plurality of the superposed toner images is simultaneously transferred onto a sheet of recording paper; the turbidity of toners of each color which form a plurality of the toner images is less than 60; and the maximum turbidity difference among said toners of each color is 5-45.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Masao Asano, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7666564
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming method employing an apparatus comprising a plurality of toner image forming units, which forms a plurality of toner images and transfer them onto an intermediate transferring member in sequence, and the transferred images is transferred onto a recording sheet. The developer is a non-magnetic single component toner and turbidity of toners of each color is less than 60; and the maximum turbidity difference among the toners is 5-45.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masao Asano, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7402367
    Abstract: A toner comprising a compound represented by the following formula: R1O(R2O)nH where R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 22 carbon atoms or a distyrene-substituted phenyl group; R2 is an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and n is an integer of 1 to 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoe Kitani, Asao Matsushima, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Tomoko Tanma
  • Patent number: 7361443
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed. The method includes steps of forming a toner image on an image forming member, transferring the toner image to an image supporting material, by applying an electric field between the image forming member and the image supporting material and irradiating ultrasonic wave to the image forming member and the image supporting material, and fixing the toner image on the image supporting material, and a toner having a volume average particle diameter of from 3 to 8 ?m and a content of the toner particle having a diameter of not more than 2 ?m being not more than 2% by number is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7358020
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for enabling an image forming which is stable for a long time, by using a charging method in which the amount of generated ozone or nitrogen oxides is reduced and consumed electric power is low. An image forming method includes: a charging section for charging a photoreceptor by contacting on the photoreceptor; an exposure section for forming a static latent image on the photoreceptor by an exposure; a developing section for developing a toner image on the static latent image by a toner having a toner particle which uses a binder resin and a colorant as a component, in which a total quantity of a volatile material measured by a headspace method is 350 ppm or less; and a transfer section for transferring the toner image on a transfer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Shida, Kageyuki Tomoyori, Hirofumi Hayata, Masao Asano, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7309557
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor to form a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image with a developer containing a toner and a developing device, in which the photoreceptor contains a charge transport compound having a triphenylamine structure and the developing device supplies a toner having a total content of aromatic volatile compounds of 5 to 30 ppm; an image forming method employing the foregoing electrophotographic photoreceptor and developing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshizawa, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7223508
    Abstract: The toner for developing an electrostatic image, includes a toner particle containing a binder resin and a colorant. The colorant has Feret's average horizontal diameter from 10 nm to 500 nm, and 50 number % or more of colorant has a Feret's horizontal diameter of from 2 nm to 300 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nagase, Asao Matsushima, Naohiro Hirose, Tomoe Kitani, Ken Ohmura
  • Patent number: 7142801
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a plurality of image forming units each having at least an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a latent image forming device to form an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner to form visible toner image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a transferring device to transfer the visible toner image onto a toner image receiving member and a cleaning device to remove the toner remaining on the electrophotographic photoreceptor after transferring the visible toner image by the transferring device, wherein the plurality of image forming units are arranged so as to transfer and pile up the visible toner images successively onto said other material to form a toner image, and wherein the toners used in each of the image forming units have different colors and the turbidity of less than 60, and the difference of the turbidity of the toner having the highest turbidity and that
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoe Kitani, Masao Asano
  • Patent number: 7127201
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of image forming units, an intermediate transfer member, and an intermediate transfer member cleaning device to remove toner remaining the intermediate transfer member with plural cleaning blades, wherein each color toner used in the developing device of the plurality of image forming units contains 10 number % or less of toner particles whose diameter is (0.7×50% number particles diameter (Dp50)) or less and contains 300 ppm or less of a remaining monomers is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Takenouchi, Masao Asano, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7122285
    Abstract: A toner for developing a static latent image is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Kitani, Asao Matsushima, Tomoe Kitani
  • Publication number: 20060083551
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming method employing an apparatus comprising a plurality of toner image forming units, which forms a plurality of toner images and transfer them onto an intermediate transferring member in sequence, and the transferred images is transferred onto a recording sheet. The developer is a non-magnetic single component toner and turbidity of toners of each color is less than 60; and the maximum turbidity difference among the toners is 5-45.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Masao Asano, Tomoe Kitani
  • Patent number: 7016634
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: four image forming units for black, yellow, magenta and cyan respectively, each image forming unit having at least a developing member; and a photosensitive member on which a toner image is formed with either a black toner, a yellow toner, a magenta toner or a cyan toner of each of developing members, and in which the formed toner image is transferred onto a recording material; wherein turbidity of each of the black toner, the yellow toner, the magenta toner and the cyan toner used in each developing member of the four image forming units is less than 60, maximum difference between the turbidities of the black toner, the yellow toner, the magenta toner and the cyan toner is in a range of 5 to 45, the photosensitive member is an amorphous silicon-based photosensitive member, and the black toner has the turbidity of less than 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoe Kitani, Masao Asano
  • Publication number: 20060040198
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, comprising (a) forming a toner image on an image forming body, (b) transporting the image forming body to a transfer region, (c) overlapping an image supporting body onto the image forming body, (d) radiating ultrasonic waves onto the image forming body and the image supporting body by an ultrasonic radiation means with applying an electric field between the image forming body and the image supporting body to transfer the toner image onto the image supporting body and (e) subjecting the toner image on the image supporting body to contact heat-fixing to fix the toner image, wherein a toner is comprised of toner particles containing a resin, a colorant and a releasing agent, and the toner particles exhibiting a coefficient of variation of shape factor of not more than 16% and a coefficient of variation of number particle size distribution of not more than 27%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Tomoe Kitani
  • Publication number: 20060029878
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor to form a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image with a developer containing a toner and a developing device, in which the photoreceptor contains a charge transport compound having a triphenylamine structure and the developing device supplies a toner having a total content of aromatic volatile compounds of 5 to 30 ppm; an image forming method employing the foregoing electrophotographic photoreceptor and developing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Yoshizawa, Tomoe Kitani
  • Publication number: 20060029869
    Abstract: An image forming method characterized in that a plurality of toner images which differ in color is formed as superposed; a plurality of the superposed toner images is simultaneously transferred onto a sheet of recording paper; the turbidity of toners of each color which form a plurality of the toner images is less than 60; and the maximum turbidity difference among said toners of each color is 5-45.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Masao Asano, Tomoe Kitani
  • Publication number: 20060029439
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a plurality of image forming units each having at least an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a latent image forming device to form an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner to form visible toner image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a transferring device to transfer the visible toner image onto a toner image receiving member and a cleaning device to remove the toner remaining on the electrophotographic photoreceptor after transferring the visible toner image by the transferring device, wherein the plurality of image forming units are arranged so as to transfer and pile up the visible toner images successively onto said other material to form a toner image, and wherein the toners used in each of the image forming units have different colors and the turbidity of less than 60, and the difference of the turbidity of the toner having the highest turbidity and that
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Tomoe Kitani, Masao Asano
  • Patent number: 6994943
    Abstract: A toner for developing a static latent image is disclosed. The toner has a number based particle diameter distribution curve in which peak or maximum value is within the range of from 1.0 to 2.0 ?m, and ratio of particles having particle diameter of from 1.0 to 2.0 ?m is from 0.1 to 5.0% and ratio of particle having a diameter of at least 6.35 ?m is 5.0%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoko Tanma, Asao Matsushima, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Tomoe Kitani
  • Publication number: 20060019186
    Abstract: A toner comprising a compound represented by the following formula: R1O(R2O)nH where R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 22 carbon atoms or a distyrene-substituted phenyl group; R2 is an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and n is an integer of 1 to 15.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Inventors: Tomoe Kitani, Asao Matsushima, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Tomoko Tanma
  • Publication number: 20050277050
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed. The method includes steps of forming a toner image on an image forming member, transferring the toner image to an image supporting material, by applying an electric field between the image forming member and the image supporting material and irradiating ultrasonic wave to the image forming member and the image supporting material, and fixing the toner image on the image supporting material, and a toner having a volume average particle diameter of from 3 to 8 ?m and a content of the toner particle having a diameter of not more than 2 ?m being not more than 2% by number is employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Tomoe Kitani