Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Takayama
Toshihiko Takayama 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).
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Publication number: 20240111236Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging member, a developing member, a transfer member, a brush, a drive unit, a control unit, and a memory. The charging member charges a surface of the photosensitive drum at a charging portion. The transfer member comes into contact with the photosensitive drum to form a transfer portion. The drive unit rotatably drive the photosensitive drum. The control unit controls the drive unit to perform an image forming operation. The memory stores information about the image forming operation. In a case where the image forming operation is performed and a non-image forming operation is performed after the image forming operation, the control unit performs control such that a switching operation for stopping the photosensitive drum after the photosensitive drum is driven and re-driving the photosensitive drum is performed a plurality of times based on the information about the image forming operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: SHINSUKE KOBAYASHI, TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA, KENSUKE UMEDA, AI SUZUKI
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Publication number: 20240111240Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging member, a developing member, a transfer member, first and second gears, a drive source, and a control unit. The charging member contacts the photosensitive drum and forms a charging portion to charge a surface of the photosensitive drum. The control unit performs control in such a manner that an image forming operation of performing image formation by rotating the photosensitive drum at a first rotational speed is executable. Where the control unit executes the image forming operation, the control unit performs a switch operation of stopping the photosensitive drum in a state in which the photosensitive drum is driven, while a non-image forming operation to be executed after the image forming operation is executed, and rotationally driving the photosensitive drum again at a second rotational speed faster than the first rotational speed, a plurality of times.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA, SHUICHI TETSUNO, SHINSUKE KOBAYASHI, HIROKO KATAGIRI, MIKIHIKO HAMADA
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Patent number: 11940408Abstract: A measuring device includes: a first electrode immersed in sample water stored in a measuring tank; a second electrode immersed in the sample water; and a controller that: causes a power source to flow a current through the sample water between the first electrode and the second electrode; detects, based on a first digital signal, an interruption whereby an analog signal fluctuates by no less than a predetermined value; and calculates, based on a second digital signal, a concentration of a measurement target in the sample water. The first digital signal is acquired by sampling the analog signal with a first sampling period. The analog signal is based on the current flowing through the sample water. The second digital signal is acquired by sampling the analog signal with a second sampling period that is longer than the first sampling period.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Yokogawa Electric CorporationInventors: Toshihiko Kyakuno, Yukihisa Takayama
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Publication number: 20240069482Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit that charges an image bearing member, a developing unit that forms a toner image on an latent image formed on the image bearing member, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a transfer material, a charge neutralizer that neutralizes a charge of the image bearing member downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a charging portion in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, a conductive collecting unit that collects a material adhering on the image bearing member downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion, wherein the developing unit collects residual toner on the image bearing member, an voltage application unit sets a potential difference between the voltage applied to the collecting unit and the surface electric potential of the image bearing member not more than a discharge threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2023Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Jun Hara
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Publication number: 20240019796Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing device, a developing device, a transfer member, a brush, a voltage applying portion, and a control portion controlling a surface potential of the photosensitive member at the brush contacting position. When a value of subtracting a value of the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position from a value of the brush voltage is defined as a contacting position potential difference, the control portion controls the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position so that the contacting position potential difference is changed from a first potential difference to a second potential difference in a predetermined direction which is either one of an increasing direction or a decreasing direction, and then the contacting position potential difference is changed from the second potential difference to a third potential difference in the predetermined direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2023Publication date: January 18, 2024Inventors: Jun Hara, Mikihiko Hamada, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi
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Patent number: 11841669Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit that charges an image bearing member, a developing unit that forms a toner image on an latent image formed on the image bearing member, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a transfer material, a charge neutralizer that neutralizes a charge of the image bearing member downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a charging portion in a rotating direction of the image bearing member, a conductive collecting unit that collects a material adhering on the image bearing member downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion, wherein the developing unit collects residual toner on the image bearing member, an voltage application unit sets a potential difference between the voltage applied to the collecting unit and the surface electric potential of the image bearing member not more than a discharge threshold.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Jun Hara
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Publication number: 20230375971Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image at a developing portion, a transfer unit to transfer a developer image to a recording member at a transfer portion; and a brush provided with a plurality of fibers contacting the image bearing member at downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the developing portion in a rotational direction of the image bearing member. An average contacting pressure of the brush per one fiber to the image bearing member is smaller than a depositing force of the developer not transferred to the recording member to the image bearing member. As the brush in a state of not in contact with the image bearing member is viewed from a free end side of the fibers, an average number of the fibers included in a circumference of a diameter of 100 ?m is more than one.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2023Publication date: November 23, 2023Inventors: SHUICHI TETSUNO, TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA
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Patent number: 11815827Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing device, a developing device, a transfer member, a brush, a voltage applying portion, and a control portion controlling a surface potential of the photosensitive member at the brush contacting position. When a value of subtracting a value of the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position from a value of the brush voltage is defined as a contacting position potential difference, the control portion controls the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position so that the contacting position potential difference is changed from a first potential difference to a second potential difference in a predetermined direction which is either one of an increasing direction or a decreasing direction, and then the contacting position potential difference is changed from the second potential difference to a third potential difference in the predetermined direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun Hara, Mikihiko Hamada, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20230324825Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an electrostatic image forming portion, a developing member, a transfer member, a transfer voltage source, a brush member, a brush voltage source, and a controller capable of executing a cleaning operation. The controller carries out control so that the cleaning operation includes a first operation in which a potential difference is formed between the transfer member and the photosensitive member so that toner charged to a normal charge polarity is moved from the transfer member toward the photosensitive member, and a second operation in which a potential difference is formed between the brush member and the photosensitive member so that the toner charged to the normal charge polarity is moved from the photosensitive member toward the brush member.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2023Publication date: October 12, 2023Inventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Ai Suzuki, Kazuhiro Funatani, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Jun Hara
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Patent number: 11782377Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image at a developing portion, a transfer unit to transfer a developer image to a recording member at a transfer portion; and a brush provided with a plurality of fibers contacting the image bearing member at downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the developing portion in a rotational direction of the image bearing member. An average contacting pressure of the brush per one fiber to the image bearing member is smaller than a depositing force of the developer not transferred to the recording member to the image bearing member. As the brush in a state of not in contact with the image bearing member is viewed from a free end side of the fibers, an average number of the fibers included in a circumference of a diameter of 100 ?m is more than one.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2023Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama
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Publication number: 20230305422Abstract: An image-forming apparatus to execute an image-forming operation includes an image bearing member, a charging member to charge at a charging portion a surface of, and a developing member to supply at a developing portion toner to, the image bearing member. When a rotating image bearing member stops rotating, a surface potential of the image bearing member formed on the developing portion is defined as V1, a developing voltage applied to the developing member is defined as V2, a charging voltage applied to the charging member is defined as V3, and a surface potential of the image bearing member formed on the charging portion is defined as V4. A first potential difference, which is a potential difference between V2 and V1, and a second potential difference, which is a potential difference between V3 and V4, are controlled based on information about a number of execution times of the image-forming operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventors: SHUICHI TETSUNO, TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA, SHUHEI TOKIWA, SHIMPEI ISHIKAWA, SHUNSUKE MATSUSHITA, MIKIHIKO HAMADA
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Publication number: 20230305421Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a brush, and a controller. The controller controls so that, in a case where, in a state where a recording material trailing edge in a conveyance direction is sandwiched at a transfer portion, an area of the image bearing member in the conveyance direction where the recording material is sandwiched in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction is a first area, and an area of the image bearing member in the conveyance direction where the recording material is not sandwiched is a second area, a first potential difference formed between a surface potential formed on the second area and a brush voltage, which is based on first information, when the second area reaches the brush and a second potential difference formed between the second area surface potential and the brush voltage, which is based on second information, are different.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventors: TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA, SHUICHI TETSUNO, MIKIHIKO HAMADA
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Publication number: 20230273562Abstract: A control unit performs control to make a direction of an electric field generated in a first area of an image carrier forming a transfer portion during image forming operation, relative to a voltage applied to a brush member in a state where the first area passes through a contact portion, different from a direction of an electric field generated in a second area of the image carrier forming the contact portion, relative to the voltage applied to the brush member during a period when operation is shifted from first operation in which the image carrier is rotated at a first speed to second operation in which the image carrier is rotated at a second speed different from the first speed, during non-image forming operation different from the image forming operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Jun Hara, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kazuhiro Funatani
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Patent number: 11703775Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an electrostatic image forming portion, a developing member, a transfer member, a transfer voltage source, a brush member, a brush voltage source, and a controller capable of executing a cleaning operation. The controller carries out control so that the cleaning operation includes a first operation in which a potential difference is formed between the transfer member and the photosensitive member so that toner charged to a normal charge polarity is moved from the transfer member toward the photosensitive member, and a second operation in which a potential difference is formed between the brush member and the photosensitive member so that the toner charged to the normal charge polarity is moved from the photosensitive member toward the brush member.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kensuke Umeda, Ai Suzuki, Kazuhiro Funatani, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Jun Hara
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Publication number: 20230221675Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image at a developing portion, a transfer unit to transfer a developer image to a recording member at a transfer portion; and a brush provided with a plurality of fibers contacting the image bearing member at downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the developing portion in a rotational direction of the image bearing member. An average contacting pressure of the brush per one fiber to the image bearing member is smaller than a depositing force of the developer not transferred to the recording member to the image bearing member. As the brush in a state of not in contact with the image bearing member is viewed from a free end side of the fibers, an average number of the fibers included in a circumference of a diameter of 100 ?m is more than one.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: SHUICHI TETSUNO, TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA
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Publication number: 20230221673Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a developing member to develop an electrostatic latent image at a developing portion, a transfer member to transfer a developer image to a recording member at a transfer portion; and a brush provided with a plurality of base materials contacting the image bearing member at downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the developing portion in a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The developer remaining on the surface of the image bearing member is collected in the developing portion. An average distance between base materials of the brush with respect to a rotational axis direction of the image bearing member is larger than an average particle diameter of the developer, and is equal to or less than a length corresponding to a special frequency visually recognizable by a user when the image formed by the image forming apparatus is observed by the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: SHINGO ITO, TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA, SHUICHI TETSUNO, HIROKO KATAGIRI
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Patent number: 11693351Abstract: A driving unit is controlled so that a driving state where an image bearing member is driven with a first potential difference formed between a brush member and the image bearing member at a contact portion where the image bearing member is in contact with the brush member transitions to a stopped state where the image bearing member stops being driven with a second potential difference formed, the second potential difference having an absolute value less than that of the first potential difference.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2022Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Shuichi Tetsuno, Kazuhiro Funatani, Jun Hara
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Publication number: 20230195007Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing device, a developing device, a transfer member, a brush, a voltage applying portion, and a control portion controlling a surface potential of the photosensitive member at the brush contacting position. When a value of subtracting a value of the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position from a value of the brush voltage is defined as a contacting position potential difference, the control portion controls the surface potential of the photosensitive member in the brush contacting position so that the contacting position potential difference is changed from a first potential difference to a second potential difference in a predetermined direction which is either one of an increasing direction or a decreasing direction, and then the contacting position potential difference is changed from the second potential difference to a third potential difference in the predetermined direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2022Publication date: June 22, 2023Inventors: Jun Hara, Mikihiko Hamada, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20230195025Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, a developing roller, a transfer roller, and a brush configured to be brought into contact with a surface of the image bearing member on a side downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a charging portion in a rotation direction of the image bearing member and in which, wherein, after the transfer of a developer image onto a transferred member, a developer remaining on the surface of the image bearing member is collected by the developing roller, the brush is disposed such that, in a cross section perpendicular to a rotation axis of the image bearing member, a contact region of the surface of the image bearing member in contact with the brush overlaps a virtual line containing the rotation axis of the image bearing member and extending upward from the rotation axis in a vertical direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2022Publication date: June 22, 2023Inventors: TOSHIHIKO TAKAYAMA, SHUICHI TETSUNO, JUN HARA, MIKIHIKO HAMADA, KAZUHIRO FUNATANI, SHINSUKE KOBAYASHI
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Patent number: 11669034Abstract: A control unit performs control to make a direction of an electric field generated in a first area of an image carrier forming a transfer portion during image forming operation, relative to a voltage applied to a brush member in a state where the first area passes through a contact portion, different from a direction of an electric field generated in a second area of the image carrier forming the contact portion, relative to the voltage applied to the brush member during a period when operation is shifted from first operation in which the image carrier is rotated at a first speed to second operation in which the image carrier is rotated at a second speed different from the first speed, during non-image forming operation different from the image forming operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2022Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun Hara, Shuichi Tetsuno, Toshihiko Takayama, Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kazuhiro Funatani