Patents by Inventor Yasutaka Yagi

Yasutaka Yagi 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: 11378901
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image bearing members, an intermediary transfer member having ion conductivity, primary transfer members, a first voltage applying portion, a secondary transfer member, a second voltage applying portion, and a controller. On the basis of image information, the controller controls a transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer member so as to be different between a first voltage when a first region, in which a coverage indicating a ratio occupied by an image region per predetermined area is a first coverage passes through the secondary transfer portion and a second voltage when a second region, in which the coverage is a second coverage larger than the first coverage, passes through the secondary transfer portion. The controller controls a change amount of the first voltage with respect to the second voltage so as to be different between a first mode and a second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusaku Iwasawa, Yasutaka Yagi, Ken Yokoyama, Hiroyuki Seki
  • Patent number: 11334014
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member; an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member in a primary transfer portion to form an image portion; and a control portion configured to perform control to form a toner image for lubrication in a non-image portion of the intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image for a print image based on image information is not to be formed. In a state in which the non-image portion is to be formed downstream of the image portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, the control portion performs control to change a size of a region for forming the toner image for lubrication based on the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Ken Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20210382416
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image bearing members, an intermediary transfer member having ion conductivity, primary transfer members, a first voltage applying portion, a secondary transfer member, a second voltage applying portion, and a controller. On the basis of image information, the controller controls a transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer member so as to be different between a first voltage when a first region in which a coverage indicating a ratio occupied by an image region per predetermined area is a first coverage passes through the secondary transfer portion and a second voltage when a second region in which the coverage is a second coverage larger than the first coverage passes through the secondary transfer portion. The controller controls a change amount of the first voltage with respect to the second voltage so as to be different between a first mode and a second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Yusaku Iwasawa, Yasutaka Yagi, Ken Yokoyama, Hiroyuki Seki
  • Publication number: 20210302885
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member; an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member in a primary transfer portion to form an image portion; and a control portion configured to perform control to form a toner image for lubrication in a non-image portion of the intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image for a print image based on image information is not to be formed. In a state in which the non-image portion is to be formed downstream of the image portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, the control portion performs control to change a size of a region for forming the toner image for lubrication based on the image information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Ken Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10747133
    Abstract: A image-forming apparatus includes a plurality of process cartridges each having a toner and an image bearing member, and has an intermediate transfer member, wherein the toner comprises a toner particle that contains a toner base particle and a prescribed organosilicon polymer on the surface of the toner base particle, and the organosilicon polymer forms protruded portions on the surface of the toner base particle, for the protrusions having a protrusion height H from 40 nm to 300 nm, the numerical proportion P(D/w) of protruded portions having a ratio of the protrusion diameter D to the protrusion width w in a prescribed range is at least 70 number %, and one of the plurality of process cartridges has a carbon black-containing black toner, and the weight-average particle diameter of this black toner is smaller than that of the toner present in the other process cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Yuhei Terui, Noriyoshi Umeda, Tomonori Matsunaga, Shohei Kototani, Masamichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20200026209
    Abstract: A image-forming apparatus includes a plurality of process cartridges each having a toner and an image bearing member, and has an intermediate transfer member, wherein the toner comprises a toner particle that contains a toner base particle and a prescribed organosilicon polymer on the surface of the toner base particle, and the organosilicon polymer forms protruded portions on the surface of the toner base particle, for the protrusions having a protrusion height H from 40 nm to 300 nm, the numerical proportion P(D/w) of protruded portions having a ratio of the protrusion diameter D to the protrusion width w in a prescribed range is at least 70 number %, and one of the plurality of process cartridges has a carbon black-containing black toner, and the weight-average particle diameter of this black toner is smaller than that of the toner present in the other process cartridges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Yuhei Terui, Noriyoshi Umeda, Tomonori Matsunaga, Shohei Kototani, Masamichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20190369529
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of forming a high quality electrophotographic image. The image forming apparatus includes toner in which an organosilicon polymer is stuck to a toner base at a predetermined sticking ratio, an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a surface layer having a predetermined hardness and a predetermined elastic deformation ratio, and an intermediate transfer body having a surface having a predetermined hardness, and also includes a unit that provides a circumferential velocity difference between the electrophotographic photoreceptor and the intermediate transfer body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Satoshi Otsuji, Hidekazu Fumita, Masatake Tanaka, Kentaro Yamawaki, Atsushi Okuda, Tsutomu Nishida
  • Patent number: 10459375
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member configured to bear a toner image, the photosensitive member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin, and an intermediate transfer member configured to secondarily transfer the toner image having been primarily transferred from the photosensitive member onto a transfer material, the intermediate transfer member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin and having a ten-point average roughness Rz set within a range of 0.35 ?m?Rz?1.5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 10324399
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device, and an intermediate transfer member. The developing device includes a toner container containing a toner. The intermediate transfer member is charged to 3.0 nC/g or less in terms of absolute value at the surface thereof. The toner particles include a surface layer, and the brightness histogram of the toner particles has two local maximums P1 and P2 and a local minimum V between P1 and P2. P2 is derived from an organosilicon polymer. P1 lies in a brightness range of 20 to 70, and P2 lies in a brightness range of 130 to 230. The number of pixels of P1 and the number of pixels of P2 are each 0.50% or more relative to the total number of pixels. The total numbers of pixels A1, AV, and A2 each in a specific brightness range satisfy specific relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Sara Yoshida, Shinsuke Mochizuki, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Kenta Kamikura, Tsutomu Shimano
  • Publication number: 20190179240
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member configured to bear a toner image, the photosensitive member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin, and an intermediate transfer member configured to secondarily transfer the toner image having been primarily transferred from the photosensitive member onto a transfer material, the intermediate transfer member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin and having a ten-point average roughness Rz set within a range of 0.35 ?m?Rz?1.5 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 10234795
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member configured to bear a toner image, the photosensitive member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin, and an intermediate transfer member configured to secondarily transfer the toner image having been primarily transferred from the photosensitive member onto a transfer material, the intermediate transfer member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin and having a ten-point average roughness Rz set within a range of 0.35 ?m?Rz?1.5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Publication number: 20190064705
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device, and an intermediate transfer member. The developing device includes a toner container containing a toner. The intermediate transfer member is charged to 3.0 nC/g or less in terms of absolute value at the surface thereof. The toner particles include a surface layer, and the brightness histogram of the toner particles has two local maximums P1 and P2 and a local minimum between P1 and P2. P2 is derived from the organosilicon polymer. P1 lies in a brightness range of 20 to 70, and P2 lies in a brightness range of 130 to 230. The number of pixels of P1 and the number of pixels of P2 are each 0.50% or more relative to the total number of pixels. The total numbers of pixels A1, AV, and A2 each in a specific brightness range satisfy specific relationships.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Sara Yoshida, Shinsuke Mochizuki, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Kenta Kamikura, Tsutomu Shimano
  • Publication number: 20180210374
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member configured to bear a toner image, the photosensitive member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin, and an intermediate transfer member configured to secondarily transfer the toner image having been primarily transferred from the photosensitive member onto a transfer material, the intermediate transfer member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin and having a ten-point average roughness Rz set within a range of 0.35 ?m?Rz?1.5 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Publication number: 20170363990
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controlling unit that executes a supply mode in which a supply toner image is formed on an image carrying member and supply toner is supplied to a contact portion between a cleaning member and the image carrying member. The controlling unit performs control such that the toner amount that is supplied to a contact portion in a supplying operation is smaller when the surface smoothness of a transfer material corresponds to a second roughness than when the surface smoothness of the transfer material corresponds to a first roughness, the second roughness being greater than the first roughness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Yusuke Jinkoma, Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 9665043
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller for forming an adjustment toner image in a region corresponding to between a first region corresponding to a preceding sheet and a second region corresponding to a subsequent sheet, wherein the controller selectively executes a first mode for setting as a first length a gap between the adjustment image and a trailing edge of the first region and for setting as a second length a gap between the adjustment toner image and a leading end of the second region, or a second mode for setting as a third length a gap between the adjustment toner image and the trailing edge of the first region and for setting as a fourth length a gap between the adjustment image and the leading end of the second region. The third is shorter than the first, and the fourth length is longer than the first length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Funatani, Masanori Asai, Shuji Saito, Hiroyuki Seki, Yasutaka Yagi, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9606477
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cleaning member having a belt cleaning blade and a conductive brush. A value of a charging current that is generated when charging residual toner with the conductive brush is smaller when a color mode is executed compared to that when a monochrome mode is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Kazuhiro Funatani, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto, Hiroyuki Seki, Masanori Asai, Shuji Saito
  • Patent number: 9599935
    Abstract: In an adjustment step, an adjustment purpose toner image is formed on an intermediate transfer belt, and the adjustment purpose toner image is removed from the intermediate transfer belt by a cleaning member contacting the intermediate transfer belt and through an electrostatic cleaning step. This adjustment step is executed in a state where a toner attachment amount on a charging member is switched from a first limit value, which is allowed in the image forming step to a second limit value, which is allowed immediately before executing the adjustment step. This switching is performed by the execution of a toner discharging step, where a power supply changes the state of applying voltage to the charging member from that in the electrostatic cleaning step, so that toner attached to the charging member is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanori Asai, Kazuhiro Funatani, Hiroyuki Seki, Shuji Saito, Yasutaka Yagi, Tetsuichiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9551960
    Abstract: A CPU 26 sets the value of the applied voltage to a first set value when the absolute value of the amount of charge on the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is lower than a threshold value, and sets the value of the applied voltage to a second set value when the absolute value of the amount of charge on the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and when the first set value is VC1 and the second set value is VC2, the relationship |VC1|<|VC2| is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuichiro Fujimoto, Toshiaki Miyashiro, Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 9482993
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion; a transfer member; a fixing portion; and a cleaning member. The image forming apparatus includes a first toner container containing a first formulation toner rich in hydrocarbon wax and a second toner container containing a second formulation toner rich in ester wax. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing an image forming operation and an operation in a toner supplying mode for supplying the toner or the toners to an intermediary transfer member when the image forming operation is not performed. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing the operation in the toner supplying mode in which only the first formulation toner is used or a mixture of the first formulation toner and the second formulation toner is used so that the first formulation toner is used in a larger amount than the second formulation toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 9477191
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a cylindrical film; a nip forming member; and a back-up member for forming a nip. The nip forming member includes a projected portion. The projection amount of the projected portion is smaller in an end portion region positioned at an end portion of the projected portion with respect to a generatrix direction of the film than in a central region positioned at a central portion of the projected portion with respect to the generatrix direction, at least a part of the end portion region being inside a feeding region of a maximum-sized recording material usable in the fixing device. With respect to the recording material feeding direction, the width of the part of the projected portion inside the nip is broader in the end portion region than in the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriaki Sato, Yasutaka Yagi, Hiroshi Kataoka, Eiji Uekawa, Keisuke Mochizuki, Shuji Saito, Naoto Tsuchihashi