Patents by Inventor Toru Obuchi

Toru Obuchi 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: 5903802
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, has a fixing device for fixing a developer image transferred to a transfer medium, such as paper, with a fixing roller whose surface is coated with a release agent, such as oil, and includes at least one feed passage member for conveying, while contacting, a transfer medium to a transfer region of the apparatus. The feed passage member has a release agent absorbing layer on the surface thereof, and is thus advantageous for preventing release agent from being transferred and adhered to a photo-sensitive drum of the apparatus. The release agent absorbing layer of the feed passage member may contain either porous particles or particles and a binder resin, and be formed on another layer for retaining release agent absorbed by the release agent absorbing layer. The feed passage member preferably constitutes a transfer medium carrying member, which may include a dielectric sheet, for supporting and carrying a transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Watanabe, Toru Obuchi, Masahiro Itoh, Takeo Tsunemi, Takeshi Menjo, Yasuo Nami, Kazuo Kishino, Hideo Kawamoto, Jiro Ishizuka