Patents by Inventor Yusuke Atsu

Yusuke Atsu 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: 20260147290
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a casing and a pump configured to discharge toner through a discharge opening of the toner cartridge by using air, and the toner cartridge includes a first and second engaging portions that form openings. The toner cartridge also includes a storing element provided with an electrical contact, and the toner cartridge further includes a pump that is provided with a connecting portion connected to the casing. As viewed in a feeding direction of the toner by a feeding member of the toner cartridge, the electrical contact of the storing element and the connecting portion of the pump are on opposite sides from each other with respect to a line connecting the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2025
    Publication date: May 28, 2026
    Inventors: Naoya Asanuma, Takatoshi Hamada, Masato Tanabe, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu
  • Patent number: 12461468
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner accommodation chamber containing toner, a toner discharging chamber having a discharge opening for discharging the toner, and a passage for fluid communication between the toner accommodation chamber and the toner discharging chamber. The toner cartridge also includes a screw, with at least a part of the screw being positioned in the passage. In a first cross-sectional plane perpendicular to a toner feeding direction of the screw, a minimum cross-sectional area of the passage is Asmin, and in a second cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the toner feeding direction, the toner accommodation chamber has a cross-sectional area Cs that is larger than Asmin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoya Asanuma, Takatoshi Hamada, Masato Tanabe, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu
  • Publication number: 20250306529
    Abstract: A cartridge includes: a first unit; a second unit which is configured to be swingable with respect to the first unit between a contact position and a separation position; a rotating member which is rotatable to a first position for holding the second unit at the separation position, a second position for holding the second unit at the contact position, and a third position further rotated in a first rotating direction from the second position; and a pressing member which is configured to be capable of pressing the rotating member in the first rotating direction and which includes a first surface that comes into contact with the rotating member at the first position and a second surface that is depressed with respect to the first surface, the second surface being capable of coming into contact with the rotating member when the rotating member is positioned at the third position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2025
    Publication date: October 2, 2025
    Inventors: TAKATOSHI HAMADA, HIROKI SHIMIZU, YUSUKE ATSU
  • Publication number: 20250306527
    Abstract: A roller member, a bearing member supporting a shaft portion of the roller member and movable in a first direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the shaft portion, a first biasing member for biasing the bearing member in the first direction, a first regulating member regulating movement of the bearing member from a first position in the first direction, a separating member rotatable around the shaft portion, a second biasing member for biasing the separating member in a second direction, which is a rotating direction around the shaft portion, and a second regulating member regulating rotation of the separating member in the second direction are provided. The separating member has a cylinder portion attached to an end part in an axial direction of the shaft portion and a projecting portion projecting in a radial direction of the shaft portion from the cylinder portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2025
    Publication date: October 2, 2025
    Inventors: TAKATOSHI HAMADA, HIROKI SHIMIZU, YUSUKE ATSU
  • Publication number: 20250306505
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing roller, a resin frame, a sealing member, a first resin sheet, and a second resin sheet. The second resin sheet is arranged with the first resin sheet in a first direction on a side downstream of the first resin sheet. The resin frame includes a bearing surface, and first to third injection port marks. The bearing surface extends in a second direction crossing the first direction on a side downstream of the second resin sheet with respect to the first direction. The first and second injection port marks are provided on a side upstream of the first resin sheet with respect to the first direction and are arranged in the second direction. The third injection port mark is provided on a side downstream of the second sheet and upstream of the bearing surface with respect to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2025
    Publication date: October 2, 2025
    Inventors: Yusuke Atsu, Naoki Matsumaru, Ryota Ooka
  • Patent number: 11982952
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a casing, a feeding member, and a pump. The casing includes a toner accommodation chamber accommodating toner, a toner discharging chamber having a discharge opening for discharging the toner, and a communication passage for fluid communication between the toner accommodation chamber and the toner discharging chamber such that the toner can move from the toner accommodation chamber to the toner discharging chamber. A part of the feeding member is positioned inside the communication passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoya Asanuma, Takatoshi Hamada, Masato Tanabe, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu
  • Patent number: 11971682
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a first unit including a photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developer bearing member and a force receiving portion, the second unit being configured to be rotatable about a first axis to move with respect to the first unit between a first position and a second position. In a state where the first unit is in a same posture as when an image forming operation is performed, the second unit is disposed at the second position by its own weight. The developer bearing member is configured to be rotatable about a second axis. When seen in the direction of the first axis, a first distance between the force receiving portion and the second axis is smaller than a second distance between the first axis and the second axis and a third distance between the first axis and the force receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kakuta, Toshiaki Takeuchi, Yu Akiba, Shuichi Gofuku, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu, Joji Goto
  • Publication number: 20230367239
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner accommodation chamber containing toner, a toner discharging chamber having a discharge opening for discharging the toner, and a passage for fluid communication between the toner accommodation chamber and the toner discharging chamber. The toner cartridge also includes a screw, with at least a part of the screw being positioned in the passage. In a first cross-sectional plane perpendicular to a toner feeding direction of the screw, a minimum cross-sectional area of the passage is Asmin, and in a second cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the toner feeding direction, the toner accommodation chamber has a cross-sectional area Cs that is larger than Asmin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Naoya Asanuma, Takatoshi Hamada, Masato Tanabe, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu
  • Publication number: 20230244181
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a first unit including a photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developer bearing member and a force receiving portion, the second unit being configured to be rotatable about a first axis to move with respect to the first unit between a first position and a second position. In a state where the first unit is in a same posture as when an image forming operation is performed, the second unit is disposed at the second position by its own weight. The developer bearing member is configured to be rotatable about a second axis. When seen in the direction of the first axis, a first distance between the force receiving portion and the second axis is smaller than a second distance between the first axis and the second axis and a third distance between the first axis and the force receiving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Hideki Kakuta, Toshiaki Takeuchi, Yu Akiba, Shuichi Gofuku, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu, Joji Goto
  • Patent number: 11650538
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a first unit including a photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developer bearing member and a force receiving portion, the second unit being configured to be rotatable about a first axis to move with respect to the first unit between a first position and a second position. In a state where the first unit is in a same posture as when an image forming operation is performed, the second unit is disposed at the second position by its own weight. The developer bearing member is configured to be rotatable about a second axis. When seen in the direction of the first axis, a first distance between the force receiving portion and the second axis is smaller than a second distance between the first axis and the second axis and a third distance between the first axis and the force receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kakuta, Toshiaki Takeuchi, Yu Akiba, Shuichi Gofuku, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu, Joji Goto
  • Publication number: 20220171328
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a first unit including a photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developer bearing member and a force receiving portion, the second unit being configured to be rotatable about a first axis to move with respect to the first unit between a first position and a second position. In a state where the first unit is in a same posture as when an image forming operation is performed, the second unit is disposed at the second position by its own weight. The developer bearing member is configured to be rotatable about a second axis. When seen in the direction of the first axis, a first distance between the force receiving portion and the second axis is smaller than a second distance between the first axis and the second axis and a third distance between the first axis and the force receiving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Hideki Kakuta, Toshiaki Takeuchi, Yu Akiba, Shuichi Gofuku, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu, Joji Goto
  • Patent number: 11287763
    Abstract: A toner transport apparatus includes a toner, a transport container having a transport path for transporting the toner toward the developing apparatus, and a pipe through which the toner is transported from the toner container to the transport container, with the pipe having an outlet hole from which the toner is discharged into the transport container. An air pump transports the toner from the toner container to the transport container, and an optical sensor includes a light-emitting element to emit a light and a light-receiving element to receive the light so that an optical path from the light-emitting element to the light-receiving element intersects with a passage area of the toner through which the toner passes after being discharged from the outlet hole of the pipe and before landing at a landing point of the transport container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Masato Tanabe, Takatoshi Hamada, Yusuke Atsu
  • Publication number: 20220050404
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a casing, a feeding member and a pump. the casing includes a toner accommodation chamber accommodating toner, and a toner discharging chamber having a discharge opening for discharging the toner, and a communication port for fluid communication between the toner accommodation chamber and the toner discharging chamber. A part of the feeding member is provided inside the communication port. When a minimum cross-sectional area of the communication port in a plane perpendicular to a toner feeding direction of the feeding member is Asmin, the toner discharging chamber has a cross-sectional area Bs larger than Asmin, and the toner accommodation chamber has a cross-sectional area Cs larger than Asmin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Naoya Asanuma, Takatoshi Hamada, Masato Tanabe, Tomofumi Kawamura, Yusuke Atsu
  • Publication number: 20210149324
    Abstract: A toner transport apparatus includes: a storing portion that stores toner used by a developing apparatus; an ejection port for outputting the toner from the storing portion; a transport path unit that includes a receiving part which receives the toner ejected from the ejection port, and that constitutes a transport path for transporting the toner to the developing apparatus; a pump for outputting the toner stored in the storing portion from the ejection port toward the transport path unit; and an optical sensor unit that is disposed in a passage area through which the toner output by the pump from the ejection port to the transport path unit passes, the optical sensor unit detecting whether or not toner is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Tomofumi Kawamura, Masato Tanabe, Takatoshi Hamada, Yusuke Atsu