Patents by Inventor Yasuhito OKAJIMA

Yasuhito OKAJIMA 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: 10649378
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressing member, a pressing roller and a cap. The fixing belt is cylindrical and rotatable. The pressing member has a longitudinal length shorter than a longitudinal length of the fixing belt. The pressing member is configured to face an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt via a lubricant. The cap is configured to rotate together with the fixing belt. In a first end area between the longitudinal end portion of the fixing belt and the pressing member, a first step is formed on the inner circumferential face of the fixing belt in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt such that an inner diameter of the fixing belt is larger at a side of the longitudinal end than at a side of the pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhito Okajima
  • Publication number: 20190346797
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressing member, a pressing roller and a cap. The fixing belt is cylindrical and rotatable. The pressing member has a longitudinal length shorter than a longitudinal length of the fixing belt. The pressing member is configured to face an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt via a lubricant. The cap is configured to rotate together with the fixing belt. In a first end area between the longitudinal end portion of the fixing belt and the pressing member, a first step is formed on the inner circumferential face of the fixing belt in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt such that an inner diameter of the fixing belt is larger at a side of the longitudinal end than at a side of the pressing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhito OKAJIMA
  • Patent number: 10007217
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a fixing unit, an induction heating unit, a positioning mechanism, and a charge adjustment portion. The fixing unit includes a first fixing member and a second fixing member that form, between them, a nip portion through which a sheet is passed. The induction heating unit is supported so as to be rockable with respect to the apparatus main body and heats the first fixing member. The positioning mechanism keeps a distance between the induction heating unit and the first fixing member constant. The charge adjustment portion is fixed to the induction heating unit in a detachable manner and electrically charges or eliminates static electricity from the first fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhito Okajima
  • Publication number: 20170308010
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a fixing unit, an induction heating unit, a positioning mechanism, and a charge adjustment portion. The fixing unit includes a first fixing member and a second fixing member that form, between them, a nip portion through which a sheet is passed. The induction heating unit is supported so as to be rockable with respect to the apparatus main body and heats the first fixing member. The positioning mechanism keeps a distance between the induction heating unit and the first fixing member constant. The charge adjustment portion is fixed to the induction heating unit in a detachable manner and electrically charges or eliminates static electricity from the first fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventor: Yasuhito Okajima
  • Patent number: 9575448
    Abstract: In a fixing device including a pressure roller brought into press-contact with a fixing belt, a cylindrical part arranged to cover an outer peripheral surface of an end portion of the fixing belt in a rotation shaft direction, a rotation transfer member formed in an approximately annular shape by allowing two facing end edges of a rectangular sheet material to be brought close to each other, and held between an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part and an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a bonding material for bonding the rotation transfer member to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part, and a rotation detection unit that detects rotation of the cylindrical part, the cylindrical part is formed at the inner peripheral surface thereof with a storage recessed portion that stores an end edge of the rotation transfer member, positioned at a downstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Yasuhito Okajima
  • Publication number: 20160223966
    Abstract: In a fixing device including a pressure roller brought into press-contact with a fixing belt, a cylindrical part arranged to cover an outer peripheral surface of an end portion of the fixing belt in a rotation shaft direction, a rotation transfer member formed in an approximately annular shape by allowing two facing end edges of a rectangular sheet material to be brought close to each other, and held between an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part and an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a bonding material for bonding the rotation transfer member to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part, and a rotation detection unit that detects rotation of the cylindrical part, the cylindrical part is formed at the inner peripheral surface thereof with a storage recessed portion that stores an end edge of the rotation transfer member, positioned at a downstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventor: Yasuhito OKAJIMA
  • Patent number: 9342013
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a fixing device includes a belt member and a heating device. The heating device is configured to heat the belt member. The fixing device further includes two terminal portions. The two terminal portions are electrically connected to a detector configured to detect a resistance value of the belt member, a value of a current that flows when a predetermined voltage is applied to the belt member, or a potential difference that occurs when a predetermined current is made to flow in the belt member. The two terminal portions are also contacted, on a one-to-one basis, by end-portion regions at both ends of an inner circumferential surface of the belt member in a belt-width direction of the belt member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhito Okajima
  • Patent number: 9304463
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a fixing device includes a heating member, a rotatable pressure roller, and a metal pattern. The heating member includes a heating rotary body configured to be heated by a heating device. The pressure roller is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the heating rotary body. The metal pattern is disposed facing the heating member so as to extend in a sheet width direction which is equal to an axial direction of the pressure roller, and the metal pattern is formed of a metal wire of which a resistance varies according to variations in temperature of the heating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhito Okajima, Makoto Egi
  • Patent number: 9229390
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring rotation body, a drive transmission member, a detected member, and a rotation detecting part. The fixing belt rotates around a rotation axis. The pressuring rotation body comes into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The drive transmission member is held by one end part of the fixing belt. The detected member is held by another end part of the fixing belt. The rotation detecting part detects the rotation of the detected member. The fixing belt is configured to co-rotate with the rotation of the drive transmission member by friction force between the one end part of the fixing belt and drive transmission member. The detected member is configured to co-rotate with the rotation of the fixing belt by friction force between the other end part of the fixing belt and detected member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Egi, Yasuhito Okajima
  • Publication number: 20150323893
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a fixing device includes a belt member and a heating device. The heating device is configured to heat the belt member. The fixing device further includes two terminal portions. The two terminal portions are electrically connected to a detector configured to detect a resistance value of the belt member, a value of a current that flows when a predetermined voltage is applied to the belt member, or a potential difference that occurs when a predetermined current is made to flow in the belt member. The two terminal portions are also contacted, on a one-to-one basis, by end-portion regions at both ends of an inner circumferential surface of the belt member in a belt-width direction of the belt member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Yasuhito OKAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20150301487
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a fixing device includes a heating member, a rotatable pressure roller, and a metal pattern. The heating member includes a heating rotary body configured to be heated by a heating device. The pressure roller is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the heating rotary body. The metal pattern is disposed facing the heating member so as to extend in a sheet width direction which is equal to an axial direction of the pressure roller, and the metal pattern is formed of a metal wire of which a resistance varies according to variations in temperature of the heating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhito OKAJIMA, Makoto EGI
  • Publication number: 20140376935
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring rotation body, a drive transmission member, a detected member, and a rotation detecting part. The fixing belt rotates around a rotation axis. The pressuring rotation body comes into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The drive transmission member is held by one end part of the fixing belt. The detected member is held by another end part of the fixing belt. The rotation detecting part detects the rotation of the detected member. The fixing belt is configured to co-rotate with the rotation of the drive transmission member by friction force between the one end part of the fixing belt and drive transmission member. The detected member is configured to co-rotate with the rotation of the fixing belt by friction force between the other end part of the fixing belt and detected member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Makoto EGI, Yasuhito OKAJIMA