Patents by Inventor Yasunari Kobaru
Yasunari Kobaru 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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Patent number: 10691046Abstract: A fixing device to fix an image formed on a recording material to the recording material includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a backup member forming a nip portion with the nip portion forming member, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, and a reflection member that is long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein an image formed on the recording material is fixed to the recording material at the nip portion, and wherein the reflection member has a length greater than a length of a light emission area of the halogen heater, and the nip portion forming member has a length greater than the length of the reflection member.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Publication number: 20190384210Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, a filament inside the bulb and having a light emission portion, an external lead extending to outside the halogen heater, and a metal body arranged in the sealing portion and electrically connected the filament and the external lead, and a reflection member reflecting the radiation light of the halogen heater toward the nip portion forming member, the reflection member being long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein a longitudinal end of the reflection member is configured to lie in an area between an end of a light emission area constituted by the light emission portion of the halogen heater and the metal body in the longitudinal direction of the halogen heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Patent number: 10452012Abstract: A cylindrical fixing member for use with a fixing device includes a heat generating layer and an electrode layer contacting the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is smaller in volume resistance value than the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is formed in a helical shape so that a helical axis thereof extends in a direction along a generatrix direction of the fixing member. One end and the other end of the electrode layer are electrically open.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2017Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masatake Usui, Takaaki Tsuruya, Yasuo Yoda, Yasunari Kobaru, Akira Kato, Hiroki Eguchi, Michio Uchida, Tetsuya Sano, Atsuyoshi Abe, Aoji Isono, Minoru Hayasaki, Hiroshi Mano, Yuki Nishizawa, Akira Kuroda
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Patent number: 10444676Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fixes an image onto a recording material includes: a belt, a nip plate contacting an inner surface of the belt, a roller configured to form a nip portion with the nip plate, a supporting member supporting the nip plate, the supporting member having a cross section in a shape of U, and supporting, with two legs, a surface of the nip plate opposite to a surface contacting the belt, and a guide member disposed on an upstream side of the nip plate and including a guide portion, wherein the recording material on which the image is formed is heated while being conveyed through the nip portion, and the image is fixed onto the recording material, and the guide member is supported by a first surface and a second surface of an upstream side leg among the two legs of the supporting member.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2018Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Patent number: 10437181Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, a filament inside the bulb and having a light emission portion, an external lead extending to outside the halogen heater, and a metal body arranged in the sealing portion and electrically connected the filament and the external lead, and a reflection member reflecting the radiation light of the halogen heater toward the nip portion forming member, the reflection member being long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein a longitudinal end of the reflection member is configured to lie in an area between an end of a light emission area constituted by the light emission portion of the halogen heater and the metal body in the longitudinal direction of the halogen heater.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2018Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Publication number: 20190107800Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fixes an image onto a recording material includes: a belt, a nip plate contacting an inner surface of the belt, a roller configured to form a nip portion with the nip plate, a supporting member supporting the nip plate, the supporting member having a cross section in a shape of U, and supporting, with two legs, a surface of the nip plate opposite to a surface contacting the belt, and a guide member disposed on an upstream side of the nip plate and including a guide portion, wherein the recording material on which the image is formed is heated while being conveyed through the nip portion, and the image is fixed onto the recording material, and the guide member is supported by a first surface and a second surface of an upstream side leg among the two legs of the supporting member.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2018Publication date: April 11, 2019Inventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Publication number: 20190018350Abstract: A cylindrical fixing member for use with a fixing device includes a heat generating layer and an electrode layer contacting the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is smaller in volume resistance value than the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is formed in a helical shape so that a helical axis thereof extends in a direction along a generatrix direction of the fixing member. One end and the other end of the electrode layer are electrically open.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2017Publication date: January 17, 2019Inventors: Masatake Usui, Takaaki Tsuruya, Yasuo Yoda, Yasunari Kobaru, Akira Kato, Hiroki Eguchi, Michio Uchida, Tetsuya Sano, Atsuyoshi Abe, Aoji Isono, Minoru Hayasaki, Hiroshi Mano, Yuki Nishizawa, Akira Kuroda
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Patent number: 10175617Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fixes an image onto a recording material includes: a belt; a nip plate contacting an inner surface of the belt; a roller configured to form a nip portion with the nip plate; a supporting member supporting the nip plate, the supporting member having a cross section in a shape of U, and supporting, with two legs, a surface of the nip plate opposite to a surface contacting the belt; and a guide member disposed on an upstream side of the nip plate and including a guide portion, wherein the recording material on which the image is formed is heated while being conveyed through the nip portion, and the image is fixed onto the recording material, and the guide member is supported by a first surface and a second surface of an upstream side leg among the two legs of the supporting member.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Publication number: 20180231925Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, a filament inside the bulb and having a light emission portion, an external lead extending to outside the halogen heater, and a metal body arranged in the sealing portion and electrically connected the filament and the external lead, and a reflection member reflecting the radiation light of the halogen heater toward the nip portion forming member, the reflection member being long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein a longitudinal end of the reflection member is configured to lie in an area between an end of a light emission area constituted by the light emission portion of the halogen heater and the metal body in the longitudinal direction of the halogen heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2018Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Patent number: 9971284Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, a filament inside the bulb and having a light emission portion, an external lead extending to outside the halogen heater, and a metal body arranged in the sealing portion and electrically connected the filament and the external lead, and a reflection member reflecting the radiation light of the halogen heater toward the nip portion forming member, the reflection member being long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein a longitudinal end of the reflection member is configured to lie in an area between an end of a light emission area constituted by the light emission portion of the halogen heater and the metal body in the longitudinal direction of the halogen heater.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Publication number: 20180004133Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, a filament inside the bulb and having a light emission portion, an external lead extending to outside the halogen heater, and a metal body arranged in the sealing portion and electrically connected the filament and the external lead, and a reflection member reflecting the radiation light of the halogen heater toward the nip portion forming member, the reflection member being long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein a longitudinal end of the reflection member is configured to lie in an area between an end of a light emission area constituted by the light emission portion of the halogen heater and the metal body in the longitudinal direction of the halogen heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2017Publication date: January 4, 2018Inventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Publication number: 20170248882Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fixes an image onto a recording material includes: a belt; a nip plate contacting an inner surface of the belt; a roller configured to form a nip portion with the nip plate; a supporting member supporting the nip plate, the supporting member having a cross section in a shape of U, and supporting, with two legs, a surface of the nip plate opposite to a surface contacting the belt; and a guide member disposed on an upstream side of the nip plate and including a guide portion, wherein the recording material on which the image is formed is heated while being conveyed through the nip portion, and the image is fixed onto the recording material, and the guide member is supported by a first surface and a second surface of an upstream side leg among the two legs of the supporting member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Inventor: Yasunari Kobaru
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Patent number: 9037020Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying member for carrying a toner; an image carrying member on which a toner image is formed with the toner; and a plurality of divided electrode portions provided at a position in which the electrode portions oppose the toner carrying member via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The electrode portions are supplied with a voltage on the basis of image information to move the toner between the toner carrying member and the image carrying member thereby to form the toner image. The electrode portions includes a first electrode portion for forming an image portion and a second electrode portion, adjacent to the first electrode portion, for forming a non-image portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2011Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Eiji Uekawa, Yasuo Yoda, Yasunari Kobaru, Takahiro Uchiyama
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Patent number: 8989639Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying roller for carrying a toner, an image carrying member, contacting the toner on the toner carrying roller, on which a toner image is to be formed with the toner, and an electrode portion provided at an opposing position in which the electrode portion opposes the toner carrying roller via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The toner image is formed on the image carrying member by changing a value of a voltage, on the basis of image information, applied to the electrode portion, and the toner carried on the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member contact each other in a toner contact area. The toner is moved between the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member in a toner movement area by changing the value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion, and the toner movement area is present downstream of the toner contact area with respect to a movement direction of the image carrying member.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasunari Kobaru, Yasuo Yoda, Takahiro Uchiyama, Yoshiki Kudo, Takeshi Kawamura, Tatsuaki Orihara, Naoto Tsuchihashi, Hidetoshi Hanamoto
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Publication number: 20130343788Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying member for carrying a toner; an image carrying member, contacting the toner on the toner carrying member, on which a toner image is to be formed with the toner; and an electrode portion provided at an opposing position in which the electrode portion opposes the toner carrying member via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The toner image is formed on the image carrying member by changing a value of a voltage, on the basis of image information, applied to the electrode portion. The toner carried on the toner carrying member and the image carrying member contact each other in a toner contact area. The toner is moved between the toner carrying member and the image carrying member in a toner movement area by changing the value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion. The toner movement area is present downstream of the toner contact area with respect to a movement direction of the image carrying member.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2011Publication date: December 26, 2013Inventors: Yasunari Kobaru, Yasuo Yoda, Takahiro Uchiyama, Yoshiki Kudo, Takeshi Kawamura, Tatsuaki Orihara, Naoto Tsuchihashi, Hidetoshi Hanamoto
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Publication number: 20130279930Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying member for carrying a toner; an image carrying member on which a toner image is formed with the toner; and a plurality of divided electrode portions provided at a position in which the electrode portions oppose the toner carrying member via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The electrode portions are supplied with a voltage on the basis of image information to move the toner between the toner carrying member and the image carrying member thereby to form the toner image. The electrode portions includes a first electrode portion for forming an image portion and a second electrode portion, adjacent to the first electrode portion, for forming a non-image portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2011Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Eiji Uekawa, Yasuo Yoda, Yasunari Kobaru, Takahiro Uchiyama
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Patent number: 7203440Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image formation unit for forming a toner image on a recording material to be carried by the recording material; a fixing apparatus having a heat-fixing rotation member and a pressure member with an elastic layer which rotate while pressed against each other, the heat-fixing rotor providing heat for heat-fixing treatment of the toner image formed on the recording material as the recording material is introduced into a press-fit nip portion of the rotors and held and transported between the rotors; and temperature adjusting means for adjusting a temperature of the pressure rotor by heating the pressure rotor at least during non-printing time. Thus, the image forming apparatus can achieve, even when the pressure rotor is heated, the best balance between the fixing performance and service life of the pressure rotor under actual use conditions.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2004Date of Patent: April 10, 2007Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Sakai, Yasunari Kobaru, Mitsuhiro Ito, Tomoyuki Makihira
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Patent number: 7193181Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a heater having a substrate and first and second heat generating resistors, most of the region of said first heat generating resistor having smaller resistance value per unit length toward an end in the longitudinal direction of said substrate, and most of the region of said second heat generating resistor having larger resistance value per unit length toward the end part; wherein a safety element can control electrical power supply to said first heat generating resistor and electrical power supply to said second heat generating resistor individually, and operates in response to the heat of said heater to cut off electrical power supply to said first and second heat generating resistors; and wherein only said second heat generating resistor in said first and second heat generating resistors has a high resistance part high resistance part corresponding to said safety element in a part in the longitudinal direction thereof;Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2005Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomoyuki Makihira, Hiroshi Takami, Hiroaki Sakai, Akira Kato, Atsushi Iwasaki, Yasunari Kobaru, Masaru Tsukada
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Publication number: 20060000819Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a heater having a substrate and first and second heat generating resistors, most of the region of said first heat generating resistor having smaller resistance value per unit length toward an end in the longitudinal direction of said substrate, and most of the region of said second heat generating resistor having larger resistance value per unit length toward the end part; wherein a safety element can control electrical power supply to said first heat generating resistor and electrical power supply to said second heat generating resistor individually, and operates in response to the heat of said heater to cut off electrical power supply to said first and second heat generating resistors; and wherein only said second heat generating resistor in said first and second heat generating resistors has a high resistance part high resistance part corresponding to said safety element in a part in the longitudinal direction thereof;Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2005Publication date: January 5, 2006Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoyuki Makihira, Hiroshi Takami, Hiroaki Sakai, Akira Kato, Atsushi Iwasaki, Yasunari Kobaru, Masaru Tsukada
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Publication number: 20040202491Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image formation unit for forming a toner image on a recording material to be carried by the recording material; a fixing apparatus having a heat-fixing rotation member and a pressure member with an elastic layer which rotate while pressed against each other, the heat-fixing rotor providing heat for heat-fixing treatment of the toner image formed on the recording material as the recording material is introduced into a press-fit nip portion of the rotors and held and transported between the rotors; and temperature adjusting means for adjusting a temperature of the pressure rotor by heating the pressure rotor at least during non-printing time. Thus, the image forming apparatus can achieve, even when the pressure rotor is heated, the best balance between the fixing performance and service life of the pressure rotor under actual use conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2004Publication date: October 14, 2004Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Sakai, Yasunari Kobaru, Mitsuhiro Ito, Tomoyuki Makihira