Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Kawakami

Yoshihiro Kawakami 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).

  • Publication number: 20080219698
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image forming apparatus including: a latent image carrier; a latent image writing unit; a development unit; a latent image carrier unit having the latent image carrier; a first positioning protrusion disposed on the latent image carrier unit, the first positioning protrusion being engaged with a groove or a slit of an image forming apparatus body; an abutted portion disposed on the groove or the slit, the abutted portion abutting the first positioning protrusion in order to position the latent image carrier unit in an installation and removal direction; and a second positioning protrusion shifted in the installation and removal direction and disposed on the latent image carrier unit, the second positioning protrusion positioning the latent image carrier unit at a position different from a position of the first positioning protrusion in order to engage the groove or the slit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomohiro Kubota, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7424263
    Abstract: A toner recovery device, capable of preventing toner from spilling out of the space between protruding sections and an inner wall of a toner-conveying pipe, and process cartridge and image forming apparatus having this device. Residual toner after transfer, which is carried into a carry-in section of the toner-conveying pipe, is held by the protruding sections of a toner-conveying belt and a bottom surface of the toner-conveying pipe, and conveyed to a carry-out section. Accordingly, the residual toner after transfer can be prevented from oscillating while being conveyed to the carry-out section. Therefore, the residual toner after transfer is prevented from spilling out of the space between the protruding sections and the inner wall of the toner-conveying pipe, and the amount of residual toner after transfer to be conveyed to the carry-out section can be prevented from being reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomohiro Kubota, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Koji Kato, Kenzo Tatsumi
  • Publication number: 20080205930
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer unit, and a cleaning unit, arranged opposite to each other along a rotating direction of the photosensitive drum in an enclosure that has an opening opposite to a developing roller of the developing unit. An extended line connecting a tangent line to an outer circumference of the developing roller and a wall of a first end of the enclosure in an axial direction of the developing roller does not intersect with a wall of a second end of the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshihiro KAWAKAMI, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomohiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20080206644
    Abstract: To provide a lithium manganese composite oxide capable of improving the initial discharge capacity of secondary batteries by removing more Li ions than the conventional lithium manganese composite oxide does when used in the positive electrode used for secondary batteries. A lithium manganese composite oxide having a Li2MnO3 type crystal structure, wherein a part of Li and/or Mn in a lithium manganese oxide represented by a formula Li2MnO3 is substituted by one or more doping elements M selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Si, Ge, Sn, P, Sb and Bi. The above-described lithium manganese composite oxide, wherein the doping elements are P and/or Si. A positive electrode used for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, comprising the above-described lithium manganese composite oxide. A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising the above-described positive electrode used for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryoji Kanno, Makoto Yoshioka, Yoshihiro Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20080187358
    Abstract: A developing device configured such that the developing device or the like can be easily inserted and removed without increasing the size of the apparatus, and an image forming apparatus that uses this developing device as well as a process cartridge. The developing device is provided with a first rib formed projecting from a first main wall surface, which is the side surface with the maximum area in the chassis of the developing device, and a second rib formed projecting from a second main wall surface, which is the side surface in opposition to the first main wall surface, the first rib being disposed in a position higher than the second rib in the height direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kubota, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Koji Kato
  • Publication number: 20080181692
    Abstract: A toner conveying device includes a toner hopper for containing unused toner, a waste-toner hopper for containing waste toner, and waste-toner conveying screws that convey waste toner in the waste-toner hopper. The waste-toner hopper is separated from the toner hopper by a flexible partition made of elastic material. The flexible partition is located near the conveying member, and includes a rigid body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Kenzo TATSUMI, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomohiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20080170898
    Abstract: A powder conveyance device capable of removing toner (powder) stuck to a conveyor belt easily and reliably comprises a powder conveyor belt having a plurality of concavo-convex portions formed continuously on a conveyance surface thereof, driving means for driving the conveyor belt, and a scraping member that contacts the conveyor belt. At least one of the scraping member and a convex portion of the conveyor belt deforms elastically such that a tip end of the scraping member enters a concave portion and scrapes away the powder stuck to the conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki SHIMIZU, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomohiro Kubota, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20080152408
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade, a receiving member, an inlet seal, an adhering member, and an end seal. The cleaning blade is brought into contact with a photosensitive drum to remove residual toner therefrom. The receiving member receives the residual toner. The inlet seal guides the residual toner to the receiving member. The adhering member adheres the inlet seal to the receiving member. The end seal is arranged along the end portions of the cleaning blade and the inlet seal. The inlet seal covers the end seal and extends out from the end seal in its longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kawakami, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomohiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20080145108
    Abstract: A developing device that can be formed at low cost and without increasing the complexity of a die structure of a casing comprises a development roller, a supply roller, a developing portion having an agitating member, a toner hopper disposed above the developing portion, an agitating member in the toner hopper, a partitioning member provided between the developing portion and the toner hopper and having an opening portion, and a collected developer storage portion forming portion for forming a storage space for collected toner collected from the development roller by the supply roller within a fixed distance of the supply roller such that the collected toner moves to the vicinity of the agitating member in the developing portion in accordance with a developer flow generated by the rotation of the supply roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Tomofumi Yoshida, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomohiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20080145119
    Abstract: An operation to recycle a process cartridge comprising a mechanism for returning waste toner not used in image formation from an image carrier to a developing device can be performed easily, and situations in which an image creating element that has not reached the end of its life is discarded together with an image creating element that has reached the end of its life, making reuse thereof impossible, can be suppressed. The process cartridge comprises an image carrier unit including an image carrier, a developer carrier unit including developing means, and a waste toner conveyance unit having a built-in waste toner conveyance mechanism. These three units are assembled detachably.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Kenzo TATSUMI, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomohiro Kubota, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Koji Kato
  • Publication number: 20080095559
    Abstract: A toner conveyer device for use in an image forming apparatus includes a toner conveyer belt that conveys waste toner, a screw member that receives the waste toner from the toner conveyer belt and conveys the waste toner to a housing unit, and a scraping member that scraps waste toner that adheres to the screw member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomofumi Yoshida, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Koji Kato, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomohiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20080089727
    Abstract: A waste-toner housing device that is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus for housing waste toner includes a waste-toner container and a first conveying member and a second conveying member that convey the wasted toner. The first conveying member and the second conveying member are arranged inside the waste-toner container in such a manner that the second conveying member is located at an elevated level with respect to the first conveying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomohiro Kubota, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20080019720
    Abstract: A first bearing member and a second bearing member fit in a first side and a second side of a rotating shaft in the axial direction, respectively. The first bearing member is held by a supporting portion provided in a casing on a side corresponding to an emplacing member of an image carrier drum. The second bearing member is held by fitting in a fit-in portion from inside. A wall surface that regulates a charging roller in a longitudinal direction is formed on the second bearing member to protrude from a wall surface rotatably and pivotally supporting the charging roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kawakami, Koji Kato, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Tomohiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20070248390
    Abstract: A conveyor device includes a conveyor belt and a driving unit that applies a driving force to the conveyor belt at different portions in a width direction of the conveyor belt to drive the conveyor belt. The driving unit includes a driving shaft having a projection corresponding to each of the portions. The belt includes a recess corresponding to the projection arranged on each side of the conveyor belt in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kubota, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Kenzo Tatsumi, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomofumi Yoshida, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Koji Kato
  • Publication number: 20070140763
    Abstract: A toner recovery device, capable of preventing toner from spilling out of the space between protruding sections and an inner wall of a toner-conveying pipe, and process cartridge and image forming apparatus having this device. Residual toner after transfer, which is carried into a carry-in section of the toner-conveying pipe, is held by the protruding sections of a toner-conveying belt and a bottom surface of the toner-conveying pipe, and conveyed to a carry-out section. Accordingly, the residual toner after transfer can be prevented from oscillating while being conveyed to the carry-out section. Therefore, the residual toner after transfer is prevented from spilling out of the space between the protruding sections and the inner wall of the toner-conveying pipe, and the amount of residual toner after transfer to be conveyed to the carry-out section can be prevented from being reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Yoshihiro Kawakami, Tomohiro Kubota, Hirobumi Ooyoshi, Tomofumi Yoshida, Koji Kato, Kenzo Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 6730435
    Abstract: Provided is an active material for a non-aqueous secondary battery having improved safety while maintaining the capacity and the cycle characteristic, a process for producing the same, and a non-aqueous secondary battery using the same. The active material can be doped/undoped with an alkali metal ion; the active material is a compound particle comprising three or more of constituting elements, and contains an element A selected from Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Zr, Sn, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag and Zn as one of the constituting elements; the particle has a region where the concentration of element A is decreasing continuously in the direction of from the particle surface to the particle core; and the ratio (d/D) of the mean width (d) of this region towards the depth direction to the mean radius (D) of the particle is 0.001<d/D<0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Nakane, Yasunori Nishida, Hiroshi Ogawa, Yoshihiro Kawakami