Patents by Inventor Yoritsugu Maeda

Yoritsugu Maeda 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: 10437195
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding cassette configured to store a recording sheet, a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette, and an image forming unit configured to form an image on a photo sensitive member, and to transfer the image onto the recording sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit. A power supply unit is configured to convert an alternating current (AC) voltage of a commercial power supply into a direct current (DC) voltage, and is configured to supply the AC voltage and the DC voltage. A first heater heats the sheet feeding cassette, and generates heat with the AC voltage supplied by the commercial power supply, and a second heater heats the photosensitive member of the image forming unit, and generates heat with the DC voltage supplied by the power supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoritsugu Maeda, Eijiro Atarashi, Kazuhisa Koizumi
  • Patent number: 10317829
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotary member which transports a recording material; a first detecting unit which is provided upstream of the rotary member in a transport direction of the recording material and detects the recording material; a second detecting unit which is provided downstream of the rotary member in the transport direction of the recording material and detects the recording material; a driving unit which drives the rotary member; a control unit which controls the driving unit to rotate and stop the rotary member; and stopping units which operate independently of the control unit and forcibly stop the driving unit based on detection results of the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20190121289
    Abstract: To achieve a temperature control in an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus (1) includes an image reading unit allowed to have a first temperature range, an image forming unit allowed to have a second temperature range, which is an allowable temperature range narrower than the first temperature range, and a control circuit DC power supply (201). The image forming apparatus includes a first heater (111b, 111c) arranged in a first unit and configured to receive power fed from an AC power supply, and a second heater (111a) arranged in a second unit and configured to receive power fed from a DC power supply. The first heater is controlled such that a temperature of the first unit falls within the first temperature range, and the second heater is controlled such that a temperature of the second unit falls within the second temperature range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Yoritsugu Maeda, Eijiro Atarashi, Kazuhisa Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20180224778
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a rotary member 212 which transports a recording material; a first detecting unit 239 which is provided upstream of the rotary member in a transport direction of the recording material and detects the recording material; a second detecting unit 240 which is provided downstream of the rotary member in the transport direction of the recording material and detects the recording material; a driving unit 260 which drives the rotary member; a control unit 101 which controls the driving unit to rotate and stop the rotary member; and stopping units 120 and 121 which operate independently of the control unit and forcibly stop the driving unit based on detection results of the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 9342017
    Abstract: When a detection signal indicates that a switch has switched off, a first relay cuts off the supply of alternating current from a commercial alternating-current source to a third DC power source and terminates a first load such as a motor and a high-voltage power source. When the detection signal indicates that the switch has switched off, a control circuit executes shutdown processing for safely terminating an operation of a second load such as a hard disk drive. When the shutdown processing is complete, the control circuit outputs a signal for terminating an operation of a second DC power source. When the shutdown signal is input, a second relay terminates the operation of the second load by cutting off the supply of the alternating current from the commercial alternating-current source to a second DC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Manabu Koseki, Tetsuya Nozaki, Eijiro Atarashi, Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8861997
    Abstract: A rotary driving apparatus that is capable of controlling a rotational speed correctly even when an anomaly occurs. A drive unit rotates a rotating member. A rotating body is rotated with the rotating member. A detection unit detects scales formed on the rotating body. A calculation unit calculates rotation information about the rotating member based on the detection result by the detection unit. A control value setting unit sets a control value to a predetermined value when the rotation information falls outside a predetermined range and a count of determinations that the rotation information falls outside the predetermined range is smaller than a predetermined count, and sets the control value based on the rotation information when the rotation information falls outside the predetermined range and the count of determinations is larger than the predetermined count. A control unit controls the drive unit based on the set control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8680807
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus for controlling a DC motor includes a first detection unit configured to detect an angular velocity of the DC motor, a driven member configured to be driven by the DC motor, a control unit configured to perform, during start-up of the DC motor, feed forward control for changing a control value used for controlling drive of the DC motor from a first control value corresponding to an angular velocity smaller than a target angular velocity to a second control value corresponding to the target angular velocity, and to change the feed forward control to feedback control for controlling the control value based on a detection result by the first detection unit to keep the DC motor at the target angular velocity, and a second detection unit configured to detect whether the driven member has been replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8618754
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus that controls a DC motor includes a detection unit configured to detect angular speed of the DC motor, a driven member configured to be driven by the DC motor, and a control unit configured to increase, when starting to drive the DC motor, a control value for controlling driving of the DC motor from a first control value to a second control value at a predetermined increase rate, wherein the control unit detects a start-up characteristic of the DC motor based on a detection result of the detection unit, and corrects the first control value or the increase rate according to a result of comparing a detected start-up characteristic and a predetermined start-up characteristic such that the start-up characteristic of the DC motor becomes closer to the predetermined start-up characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20130322898
    Abstract: When a detection signal indicates that a switch has switched off, a first relay cuts off the supply of alternating current from a commercial alternating-current source to a third DC power source and terminates a first load such as a motor and a high-voltage power source. When the detection signal indicates that the switch has switched off, a control circuit executes shutdown processing for safely terminating an operation of a second load such as a hard disk drive. When the shutdown processing is complete, the control circuit outputs a signal for terminating an operation of a second DC power source. When the shutdown signal is input, a second relay terminates the operation of the second load by cutting off the supply of the alternating current from the commercial alternating-current source to a second DC power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Manabu Koseki, Tetsuya Nozaki, Eijiro Atarashi, Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8452211
    Abstract: A control unit sets a first feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a first frequency, which causes a misalignment of images to be overlaid with each other, to the first nd feedback unit in a first image forming mode in which images formed on the first and the second image carriers are overlaid, and sets a second feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a second frequency, which causes a periodic uneven density on an image that is to be formed with a uniform density, to the first feedback unit in a second image forming mode in which an image is formed using the first image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8351824
    Abstract: A control unit sets a first feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a first frequency, which causes a misalignment of images to be overlaid with each other, to the first feedback unit in a first image forming mode in which images formed on the first and the second image carriers are overlaid, and sets a second feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a second frequency, which causes a periodic uneven density on an image that is to be formed with a uniform density, to the first feedback unit in a second image forming mode in which an image is formed using the first image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8326194
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; a stretching roller for stretching the belt member; a plurality of line like marks which are arranged in a rotational direction of the belt member and are formed stepwisely on a surface of the belt member, the marks being tilted from a rotational axis direction of the belt member at least at end portions thereof on sides close to an end surface of the belt member; and control means for controlling rotation of the belt member on the basis of a result of detection of the marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Nakagaki, Jiro Shirakata, Yoritsugu Maeda, Satoshi Atarashi, Yukihiro Fujiwara, Dai Kanai, Jun Nakazato
  • Patent number: 8310178
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus for controlling a DC motor includes a detection unit configured to detect an angular speed of the DC motor, and a control unit configured to, when the DC motor is accelerated, increase a control value that controls a driving of the DC motor at a constant rate from a first control value corresponding to an angular speed lower than a target angular speed up to a second control value corresponding to an angular speed higher than the target angular speed, and switch the control value that controls the driving of the DC motor to a control value corresponding to the target angular speed in response to the detection result of the detection unit reaching the target angular speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8244157
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image-bearing member configured to bear an image, a transfer belt to which the image on the image-bearing member is transferred and configured to transfer the image onto a sheet, a first drive unit configured to drive the image-bearing member to rotate, a second drive unit configured to drive the transfer belt to rotate via a speed reduction member interposed therebetween, a detection unit configured to detect a circumferential speed of the transfer belt, and a control unit configured to control the first drive unit in accordance with the circumferential speed of the transfer belt detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jiro Shirakata, Yoritsugu Maeda, Satoshi Atarashi, Yukihiro Fujiwara, Dai Kanai, Jun Nakagaki, Jun Nakazato
  • Patent number: 8095044
    Abstract: A rotary member apparatus includes a main drive unit configured to apply a driving torque to a photosensitive drum through a drive transfer unit, a torque limiter configured to limit the driving torque transmitted from the main drive unit to the photosensitive drum, a compensation drive unit configured to apply a torque for adjusting an angular velocity of the photosensitive drum, an encoder configured to detect the angular velocity of the photosensitive drum, and a compensation drive controller configured to control the torque applied by the compensation drive unit on the basis of a detection result obtained by the encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoritsugu Maeda, Jiro Shirakata, Jun Nakagaki, Satoshi Atarashi, Yukihiro Fujiwara, Dai Kanai, Jun Nakazato
  • Patent number: 7903279
    Abstract: Adjustment processing is suitably executed in accordance with the type of post processing. To accomplish this, an image forming apparatus includes, for example, an adjustment part, specifying part, and control part. The adjustment part performs at least one of adjustment operation for an image formation position and adjustment operation for an image formation density by forming adjustment patterns using a developing material on an image carrier and measuring the adjustment patterns. The specifying part specifies the size of an image to be formed on a sheet and the content of post processing in case of executing a job which requires post processing on the sheet. The control part controls, in accordance with the size of the image and the content of the post processing, whether to perform the adjustment operation by the adjustment part concurrently with the formation of an image made from a job requiring post processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Noguchi, Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20110026969
    Abstract: A control unit sets a first feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a first frequency, which causes a misalignment of images to be overlaid with each other, to the first nd feedback unit in a first image forming mode in which images formed on the first and the second image carriers are overlaid, and sets a second feedback gain for suppressing an angular speed variation of a second frequency, which causes a periodic uneven density on an image that is to be formed with a uniform density, to the first feedback unit in a second image forming mode in which an image is formed using the first image carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20100329724
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus that controls a DC motor includes a detection unit configured to detect angular speed of the DC motor, a driven member configured to be driven by the DC motor, and a control unit configured to increase, when starting to drive the DC motor, a control value for controlling driving of the DC motor from a first control value to a second control value at a predetermined increase rate, wherein the control unit detects a start-up characteristic of the DC motor based on a detection result of the detection unit, and corrects the first control value or the increase rate according to a result of comparing a detected start-up characteristic and a predetermined start-up characteristic such that the start-up characteristic of the DC motor becomes closer to the predetermined start-up characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20100327797
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus for controlling a DC motor includes a first detection unit configured to detect an angular velocity of the DC motor, a driven member configured to be driven by the DC motor, a control unit configured to perform, during start-up of the DC motor, feed forward control for changing a control value used for controlling drive of the DC motor from a first control value corresponding to an angular velocity smaller than a target angular velocity to a second control value corresponding to the target angular velocity, and to change the feed forward control to feedback control for controlling the control value based on a detection result by the first detection unit to keep the DC motor at the target angular velocity, and a second detection unit configured to detect whether the driven member has been replaced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20100303513
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; a stretching roller for stretching the belt member; a plurality of line-like marks which are arranged in a rotational direction of the belt member and are formed stepwisely on a surface of the belt member; the marks being tilted from a rotational axis direction of the belt member at least at end portions thereof on sides close to an end surface of the belt member; and control means for controlling rotation of the belt member on the basis of a result of detection of the marks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Nakagaki, Jiro Shirakata, Yoritsugu Maeda, Satoshi Atarashi, Yukihiro Fujiwara, Dai Kanai, Jun Nakazato