Patents by Inventor Yuji Kawaguchi

Yuji Kawaguchi 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: 20240077812
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing member to carry developer stored by a developing frame, and a regulating blade having a support plate fixed to the developing frame, a plate-like member, and a regulating member. One end portion of the plate-like member is opposed to the developing member, and the other end portion is welded to the support plate. The regulating member is fixed to a plate-like member surface, and contacts the developing member to regulate a developer thickness on a developing surface. The regulating member is provided with a recessed portion recessed at a regulating member end portion. The regulating member end portion is lower than a regulating member central portion. A plate-like member region welded to the support plate is located at the plate-like member other end portion and overlaps the regulating member central portion and the regulating member end portion at which the recessed portion is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Yu Fukasawa, Takuya Kawakami, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11841636
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing member to carry developer stored by a developing frame, and a regulating blade having a support plate fixed to the developing frame, a plate-like member, and a regulating member. One end portion of the plate-like member is opposed to the developing member, and the other end portion is welded to the support plate. The regulating member is fixed to a plate-like member surface, and contacts the developing member to regulate a developer thickness on a developing surface. The regulating member is provided with a recessed portion recessed at a regulating member end portion. The regulating member end portion is lower than a regulating member central portion. A plate-like member region welded to the support plate is located at the plate-like member other end portion and overlaps the regulating member central portion and the regulating member end portion at which the recessed portion is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yu Fukasawa, Takuya Kawakami, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11561485
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame, a rotatable developing member, a regulation blade to regulate developer borne on a developing member surface, and a seal member to prevent developer from leaking outside the developing frame. The regulation blade includes a support plate, a plate-shaped member, and a regulation member. The seal member is fixed to a facing surface of the plate-shaped member, is arranged at a plate-shaped member end portion, is arranged side by side with the regulation member in a rotational axis direction, contacts an end surface of the regulation member, and is disposed between the plate-shaped member and the developing member in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction. The plate-shaped member is welded to a region of the support plate excluding a region outside the end surface of the regulation member in the rotational axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Kawakami, Yu Fukasawa, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20220155704
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing member to carry developer stored by a developing frame, and a regulating blade having a support plate fixed to the developing frame, a plate-like member, and a regulating member. One end portion of the plate-like member is opposed to the developing member, and the other end portion is welded to the support plate. The regulating member is fixed to a plate-like member surface, and contacts the developing member to regulate a developer thickness on a developing surface. The regulating member is provided with a recessed portion recessed at a regulating member end portion. The regulating member end portion is lower than a regulating member central portion. A plate-like member region welded to the support plate is located at the plate-like member other end portion and overlaps the regulating member central portion and the regulating member end portion at which the recessed portion is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Yu Fukasawa, Takuya Kawakami, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20220082958
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame, a rotatable developing member, a regulation blade to regulate developer borne on a developing member surface, and a seal member to prevent developer from leaking outside the developing frame. The regulation blade includes a support plate, a plate-shaped member, and a regulation member. The seal member is fixed to a facing surface of the plate-shaped member, is arranged at a plate-shaped member end portion, is arranged side by side with the regulation member in a rotational axis direction, contacts an end surface of the regulation member, and is disposed between the plate-shaped member and the developing member in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction. The plate-shaped member is welded to a region of the support plate excluding a region outside the end surface of the regulation member in the rotational axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Takuya Kawakami, Yu Fukasawa, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11275326
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing member to carry developer stored by a developing frame, and a regulating blade having a support plate fixed to the developing frame, a plate-like member, and a regulating member. One end portion of the plate-like member is opposed to the developing member, and the other end portion is welded to the support plate. The regulating member is fixed to a plate-like member surface, and contacts the developing member to regulate a developer thickness on a developing surface. The regulating member is provided with a recessed portion recessed at a regulating member end portion. The regulating member end portion is lower than a regulating member central portion. A plate-like member region welded to the support plate is located at the plate-like member other end portion and overlaps the regulating member central portion and the regulating member end portion at which the recessed portion is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yu Fukasawa, Takuya Kawakami, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11204565
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame, a rotatable developing member, a regulation blade to regulate developer borne on a developing member surface, and a seal member to prevent developer from leaking outside the developing frame. The regulation blade includes a support plate, a plate-shaped member, and a regulation member. The seal member is fixed to a facing surface of the plate-shaped member, is arranged at a plate-shaped member end portion, is arranged side by side with the regulation member in a rotational axis direction, contacts an end surface of the regulation member, and is disposed between the plate-shaped member and the developing member in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction. The plate-shaped member is welded to a region of the support plate excluding a region outside the end surface of the regulation member in the rotational axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Kawakami, Yu Fukasawa, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20210384058
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a substrate processing unit, a substrate transfer unit, a first detection unit, a second detection unit, and a third detection unit. The substrate processing unit holds and processes a substrate. The substrate transfer unit has a rotational axis and carries the substrate in the substrate processing unit. The first detection unit detects a position of the substrate transfer unit relative to the substrate processing unit in a direction of travel thereof when the substrate is carried in the substrate processing unit in the direction of travel. The second detection unit detects a position of the substrate transfer unit relative to the substrate processing unit in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of travel. The third detection unit detects an inclination of the rotational axis of the substrate transfer unit relative to the substrate processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroki HARADA, Tatsuhiko TSUJIHASHI, Tokutarou HAYASHI, Tsuyoshi OTSUKA, Yuji KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210200117
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing member to carry developer stored by a developing frame, and a regulating blade having a support plate fixed to the developing frame, a plate-like member, and a regulating member. One end portion of the plate-like member is opposed to the developing member, and the other end portion is welded to the support plate. The regulating member is fixed to a plate-like member surface, and contacts the developing member to regulate a developer thickness on a developing surface. The regulating member is provided with a recessed portion recessed at a regulating member end portion. The regulating member end portion is lower than a regulating member central portion. A plate-like member region welded to the support plate is located at the plate-like member other end portion and overlaps the regulating member central portion and the regulating member end portion at which the recessed portion is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Yu Fukasawa, Takuya Kawakami, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20210200118
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame, a rotatable developing member, a regulation blade to regulate developer borne on a developing member surface, and a seal member to prevent developer from leaking outside the developing frame. The regulation blade includes a support plate, a plate-shaped member, and a regulation member. The seal member is fixed to a facing surface of the plate-shaped member, is arranged at a plate-shaped member end portion, is arranged side by side with the regulation member in a rotational axis direction, contacts an end surface of the regulation member, and is disposed between the plate-shaped member and the developing member in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction. The plate-shaped member is welded to a region of the support plate excluding a region outside the end surface of the regulation member in the rotational axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Takuya Kawakami, Yu Fukasawa, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10866533
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus using a contact charging method includes a control unit capable of executing cleaning in a post-rotation step at the end of a job and in an inter-image step during execution of the job. The cleaning involves moving toner adhering to a charging member from the charging member to an image bearing member. The job is a series of operations started by a predetermined start instruction and involving forming an image on one or more recording materials and outputting the one or more recording materials. When an instruction to start the next job is input during execution of cleaning in the post-rotation step, the control unit stops the cleaning in the middle of the execution, starts the next job, and adjusts timing for executing subsequent cleaning on the basis of information relating to the amount of cleaning executed before being stopped in the middle of the execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Kawamoto, Kazuhiro Okubo, Yuji Kawaguchi, Masanori Tanaka, Jun Miura
  • Patent number: 10656553
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging unit that charges the image bearing member by discharge, a developing unit that rotates while being in contact with the image bearing member and supplies a developer to the image bearing member, a transfer unit that transfers a developer image from the image bearing member to a transferred member, a detecting unit that detects an electric current flowing or a voltage generated when a direct-current voltage less than a discharge starting voltage is applied to a contact member in contact with the image bearing member, and a control unit that executes detection using the detecting unit in a non-image-forming period, wherein when the detection result satisfies a first condition, the control unit starts a rotating operation for rotating the developing member, and wherein when the detection result satisfies a second condition, the control unit terminates the rotating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Namiki, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10627749
    Abstract: A voltage maintenance element is connected to a contact member that contacts a primary transfer surface area of an intermediate transfer belt to which toner images are transferred from a plurality of image carriers between stretch members, in such a way as to prevent the electric potential of the intermediate transfer belt from varying between respective image forming stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Katagiri, Yuji Kawaguchi, Masaru Ohno, Tsuguhiro Yoshida, Takeo Kawanami, Taro Minobe, Masaru Shimura
  • Patent number: 10571823
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which includes a plurality of image forming units each including an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member for forming toner of normal polarity, and which, in a printing operation, applies a charging bias having a first direction, in a cleaning operation, applies a charging bias having a second direction, and recovers residual toner remaining on the image bearing member which was not used for printing by the developer bearing member, before performing the cleaning operation, when successively performing the printing operation on a plurality of recording materials including a first recording material and a second recording material, which is used for printing following the first recording material, the charging voltage larger in absolute value in the printing operation for the second recording material than in the printing operation for the first recording material is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Okubo, Masanori Tanaka, Takahiro Kawamoto, Yuji Kawaguchi, Jun Miura
  • Patent number: 10558138
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units each of which includes an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member of a toner, applies a charging bias in a direction in which the toner moves from the image bearing member to the charging member in an image forming period, and applied a charging bias of an opposite polarity relative to that in the image formation in a cleaning period, and collects the toner by the developer bearing member. In consecutive image formation, a charging bias in the image forming period is applied in a first interval period and which is between first and second image forming periods and a second interval period which is between second and third image forming periods. An absolute value of a charging bias applied in the second interval period is larger than that applied in the first interval period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanori Tanaka, Kazuhiro Okubo, Takahiro Kawamoto, Yuji Kawaguchi, Jun Miura
  • Patent number: 10539906
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control unit performs a control to cause an exposing unit to expose a plurality of image bearing members at different times to form exposure regions on the plurality of image bearing members, to acquire results acquired by applying direct current voltage lower than discharge start voltage to a plurality of abutting members by an applying unit when the exposure regions pass by abutting parts against the abutting members and detected by a detecting unit, and to, based on the acquired results of the detections, acquire information regarding the surface potentials of the plurality of image bearing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Kawaguchi, Kazuhiro Okubo, Takahiro Kawamoto, Masanori Tanaka, Jun Miura
  • Patent number: 10493737
    Abstract: Provided are a thermoplastic resin composition whereby gum formation is suppressed during manufacturing of a matte fluororesin molded article such as a film, and a fluorine-based matte film having excellent matte properties and chemical resistance, and a layered film. A thermoplastic resin composition (?) for a chemical-resistant matte film, comprising a fluorine-based resin (A), a matting agent (B) which is a thermoplastic resin insoluble in the fluorine-based resin (A), and a thermoplastic resin (C) soluble in the fluorine-based resin (A). A thermoplastic resin composition (?) containing the fluorine-based resin (A) and an acrylic matting agent (D) which is a thermoplastic resin, the content ratio of alkyl acrylate units with respect to 100% by mass of monofunctional monomer units in the monomer units constituting the matting agent (D) being 50-100% by mass, and the content ratio of other monofunctional monomer units being 0-50% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kawase, Yuji Kawaguchi, Koichiro Sanefuji
  • Patent number: 10452021
    Abstract: A process cartridge configured to be detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which an occurrence of an image failure is suppressed, wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a cleaning member arranged in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein an elastic deformation modulus of a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 35% or larger, and the cleaning member is formed of a urethane foam, wherein a density of the urethane foam is 200 to 500 kg/cm3, and a 25% compressive load of the urethane foam is 0.3 MPa or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Miura, Shuhei Iwasaki, Akira Sakakibara, Tatsuya Yamaai, Kazunori Noguchi, Harunobu Ogaki, Kazunari Hagiwara, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20190302638
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units each of which includes an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member of a toner, applies a charging bias in a direction in which the toner moves from the image bearing member to the charging member in an image forming period, and applied a charging bias of an opposite polarity relative to that in the image formation in a cleaning period, and collects the toner by the developer bearing member. In consecutive image formation, a charging bias in the image forming period is applied in a first interval period and which is between first and second image forming periods and a second interval period which is between second and third image forming periods. An absolute value of a charging bias applied in the second interval period is larger than that applied in the first interval period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Masanori Tanaka, Kazuhiro Okubo, Takahiro Kawamoto, Yuji Kawaguchi, Jun Miura
  • Publication number: 20190265625
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which includes a plurality of image forming units each including an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member for forming toner of normal polarity, and which, in a printing operation, applies a charging bias having a first direction, in a cleaning operation, applies a charging bias having a second direction, and recovers residual toner remaining on the image bearing member without used for printing by the developer bearing member, before performing the cleaning operation, when successively performing the printing operation on a plurality of recording materials including a first recording material and a second recording material, which is used for printing following the first recording material, the charging voltage larger in absolute value in the printing operation for the second recording material than in the printing operation for the first recording material is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Okubo, Masanori Tanaka, Takahiro Kawamoto, Yuji Kawaguchi, Jun Miura