Patents by Inventor Yuhiro Sakai

Yuhiro Sakai 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: 20210341861
    Abstract: A heater holding member circulatably guides a fixing belt and holds a heater that heats the fixing belt. A stay sheet metal reinforces the heater holding member. The heater holding member has a base plate and side walls. The stay sheet metal is placed on the base plate. A side wall is erected on either side of the base plate in a short direction thereof. A pocket which keeps the stay sheet metal is formed in each side wall. The stay sheet metal has a top plate and side plates. A side plate bends and extends from either edge of the top plate in a short direction thereof. A slit is formed in each side plate such that the side plates are kept in the pockets of the heater holding member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu UEHARA, Tomohiro WATATANI, Yuhiro SAKAI, Fumito NAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11137705
    Abstract: The fixing device includes a cylindrical heated member and a heating part. The cylindrical heated member is long in a width direction of a sheet, and is supported in a rotatable manner with coming into contact with a fixing face of the sheet. The heating part is provided in an inner space of the heated member and heating an inner circumferential face of the heated member. The heating part includes a plurality of heaters disposed side by side in a longitudinal direction of the heated member; and a first temperature sensor measuring a first heater of the plurality of heaters or a heated area of the heated member heated by the first heater. The plurality of heaters and the first temperature sensor are connected in series by a first power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shunsaku Fujii, Takashi Eiki, Hiroki Kawasaki, Ryohei Tokunaga, Rina Kikukawa, Sadanori Nakae, Kotatsu Kawaguchi, Yuta Kitabayashi, Sara Fujikawa, Atsushi Kohama, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 11126120
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating section. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a heat-sensitive body, a cover member, and an urging member. The heater holding member holds the heater. The heat-sensitive body faces the heater. The cover member covers the heat-sensitive body. The urging member urges the cover member in a first direction which is toward the heater from the heat-sensitive body. The urging member extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and engages with the heater holding member and the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Takahashi, Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 11126119
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member, a first holding member, and a second holding member. The fixing belt is endless and includes a first rim and a second rim. The pressure member presses the fixing belt by being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt and rotates about a rotation axis of the pressure member. The first holding member is attached to the fixing belt and holds the first rim of the fixing belt. The second holding member is attached to the fixing belt and holds the second rim of the fixing belt. The second holding member includes a base portion, a main portion, and a protrusion. The main portion protrudes from the base portion. The protrusion protrudes from the main portion in a direction away from the base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Takahashi, Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20210216029
    Abstract: The fixing device includes a cylindrical heated member and a heating part. The cylindrical heated member is long in a width direction of a sheet, and is supported in a rotatable manner with coming into contact with a fixing face of the sheet. The heating part is provided in an inner space of the heated member and heating an inner circumferential face of the heated member. The heating part includes a plurality of heaters disposed side by side in a longitudinal direction of the heated member; and a first temperature sensor measuring a first heater of the plurality of heaters or a heated area of the heated member heated by the first heater. The plurality of heaters and the first temperature sensor are connected in series by a first power supply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shunsaku FUJII, Takashi EIKI, Hiroki KAWASAKI, Ryohei TOKUNAGA, Rina KIKUKAWA, Sadanori NAKAE, Kotatsu KAWAGUCHI, Yuta KITABAYASHI, Sara FUJIKAWA, Atsushi KOHAMA, Yuhiro SAKAI
  • Patent number: 10990046
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member, and a heating section. The heating section faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater and a heater holding member. The heater heats the fixing belt. The heater holding member holds the heater. The heater holding member has a first side surface, a second side surface, and an inclined slit. The first and second side surfaces are in contact with the inner circumferential surface. The first side surface has the inclined slit. The inclined slit is located in the first side surface in a direction of a rotational axis of the fixing belt. The inclined slit has one end on a side of the pressure member and the other end on an opposite side to the side of the pressure member. The other end is located nearer a middle (center) of the first side surface in the direction of the rotational axis than the one end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 10969718
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and a heating section. The heating section faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a reinforcing member, and at least one rotor. The heater heats the fixing belt. The heater holding member holds the heater. The reinforcing member reinforces the heater holding member. The at least one rotor faces the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The at least one rotor is attached to the reinforcing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20210063929
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating section. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a heat-sensitive body, a cover member, and an urging member. The heater holding member holds the heater. The heat-sensitive body faces the heater. The cover member covers the heat-sensitive body. The urging member urges the cover member in a first direction which is toward the heater from the heat-sensitive body. The urging member extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and engages with the heater holding member and the cover member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori TAKAHASHI, Masakazu UEHARA, Tomohiro WATATANI, Yuhiro SAKAI, Fumito NAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210063928
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and a heating section. The heating section includes a heater and a heater holding member. The heater holding member has a main body portion and a plurality of ridges. The ridges include a plurality of first ridges and a plurality of second ridges. The first ridges are disposed on a central portion of the main body portion in a width direction of the fixing belt. The second ridges are disposed in an area of the main body portion at least partially extending, in the width direction of the fixing belt, from the central portion to each of opposite ends of the main body portion. The first ridges are disposed separated at a first interval. The second ridges are disposed separated at a second interval. The first interval is smaller than the second interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu UEHARA, Hironori TAKAHASHI, Tomohiro WATATANI, Yuhiro SAKAI, Fumito NAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10877409
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a heating section is disposed opposite to an inner circumferential surface of a fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a heat sensitive body disposed opposite to the heater on the heater holding member, a covering member disposed opposite to the heater holding member with the heat sensitive body therebetween, and an urging member disposed between the covering member and the heat sensitive body and urging the heat sensitive body in an urging direction. First and second restricting portions of the heater holding member restrict movement of the covering member in a direction opposite to the urging direction. In a state in which first and second engaging portions of the covering member respectively engage with the first and second restricting portions in a slidable manner in the urging direction, the urging member urges the heat sensitive body in the urging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 10866549
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heating portion, and a belt guide member. The heating portion heats the fixing belt. The belt guide member includes a guide portion and an engaging portion. The guide portion guides the fixing belt to move along a moving path. The engaging portion is provided to project from the guide portion outward in a width direction of the fixing belt, wherein the engaging portion is engaged with a connector at an engagement position that intersects with a plane that includes a center, in the width direction, of the connector attached to the heating portion in an attachment direction perpendicular to the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kohama, Takashi Eiki, Yuhiro Sakai, Hiroki Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20200379386
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member, and a heating section. The heating section faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater and a heater holding member. The heater heats the fixing belt. The heater holding member holds the heater. The heater holding member has a first side surface, a second side surface, and an inclined slit. The first and second side surfaces are in contact with the inner circumferential surface. The first side surface has the inclined slit. The inclined slit is located in the first side surface in a direction of a rotational axis of the fixing belt. The inclined slit has one end on a side of the pressure member and the other end on an opposite side to the side of the pressure member. The other end is located nearer a middle (center) of the first side surface in the direction of the rotational axis than the one end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro WATATANI, Masakazu UEHARA, Hironori TAKAHASHI, Yuhiro SAKAI, Fumito NAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200379388
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member, a first holding member, and a second holding member. The fixing belt is endless and includes a first rim and a second rim. The pressure member presses the fixing belt by being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt and rotates about a rotation axis of the pressure member. The first holding member is attached to the fixing belt and holds the first rim of the fixing belt. The second holding member is attached to the fixing belt and holds the second rim of the fixing belt. The second holding member includes a base portion, a main portion, and a protrusion. The main portion protrudes from the base portion. The protrusion protrudes from the main portion in a direction away from the base portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori TAKAHASHI, Masakazu UEHARA, Tomohiro WATATANI, Yuhiro SAKAI, Fumito NAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200379387
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and a heating section. The heating section faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a reinforcing member, and at least one rotor. The heater heats the fixing belt. The heater holding member holds the heater. The reinforcing member reinforces the heater holding member. The at least one rotor faces the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The at least one rotor is attached to the reinforcing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro WATATANI, Masakazu UEHARA, Hironori TAKAHASHI, Yuhiro SAKAI, Fumito NAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10838335
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heater, a pressure roller, a heater support member, and a restriction portion. The heater is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt. An end portion of the heater in a width direction of the fixing belt is exposed to outside the fixing belt. The pressure roller is provided to face a contact surface of the heater across the fixing belt, the contact surface being in contact with the fixing belt, the pressure roller being pressed against the fixing belt. The heater support member supports the heater by being in contact with a surface of the heater opposite from the contact surface. The restriction portion restricts the contact surface from moving toward the pressure roller at outside the fixing belt in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Eiki, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 10838334
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and a heating section. The heating section is disposed opposite to an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, and a pinching member. The heater heats the fixing belt. The heater holding member holds the heater. The pinching member pinches the heater and the heater holding member to restrict movement of the heater relative to the heater holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhiro Sakai, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Tomohiro Watatani
  • Patent number: 10768561
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical rotatable fixing belt, a flat heater, a safety device, a heater holding part and a pressuring member. The flat heater has a plurality of heat generating parts. The safety device is arranged across two adjacent heat generating parts to interrupt power supply to the heat generating parts in a case where temperature reaches a threshold value. The heater holding part holds the flat heater so that the flat heater comes into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt. The pressuring member sandwiches the fixing belt with the flat heater to form a pressuring area for sandwiching and conveying a sheet between the fixing belt and the pressuring roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Eiki, Hiroki Kawasaki, Atsushi Kohama, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 10747155
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a heating section is disposed opposite to an inner circumferential surface of a fixing belt, and includes a heater, a heater holding member, a reinforcing member extending in a rotation axis of the pressure member, a heat sensitive body disposed on the heater holding member, and an urging member disposed between the reinforcing member and the heat sensitive body. The heater holding member includes an engaging portion engaging with a first end of the reinforcing member. In a state in which the reinforcing member is located opposite to the heater holding member through the reinforcing member turning about the engaging portion as a pivot, the urging member urges the heat sensitive body against the heater and a distance between the heat sensitive body and a second end of the reinforcing member is shorter than a distance between the heat sensitive body and the first end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Publication number: 20200241456
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heating portion, and a belt guide member. The heating portion heats the fixing belt. The belt guide member includes a guide portion and an engaging portion. The guide portion guides the fixing belt to move along a moving path. The engaging portion is provided to project from the guide portion outward in a width direction of the fixing belt, wherein the engaging portion is engaged with a connector at an engagement position that intersects with a plane that includes a center, in the width direction, of the connector attached to the heating portion in an attachment direction perpendicular to the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Atsushi Kohama, Takashi Eiki, Yuhiro Sakai, Hiroki Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20200241457
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heater, a pressure roller, a heater support member, and a restriction portion. The heater is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt. An end portion of the heater in a width direction of the fixing belt is exposed to outside the fixing belt. The pressure roller is provided to face a contact surface of the heater across the fixing belt, the contact surface being in contact with the fixing belt, the pressure roller being pressed against the fixing belt. The heater support member supports the heater by being in contact with a surface of the heater opposite from the contact surface. The restriction portion restricts the contact surface from moving toward the pressure roller at outside the fixing belt in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Takashi Eiki, Yuhiro Sakai