Patents Issued in May 1, 2007
  • Patent number: 7212735
    Abstract: The present invention provides an infrared ray lamp and a heating apparatus using that infrared ray lamp, a method of manufacturing a heating element and a method of manufacturing an infrared ray lamp, in which radiation range in the longitudinal direction of an infrared ray lamp is either widened than the length of a heating element and carries out heating uniformly, or narrowed than the length of the heating element and increases the radiation intensity to carry out heating locally. Infrared ray lamp of the present invention has: a curved glass tube which has a form that extends in longitudinal direction, its crossing angle of the tangent lines of both ends along that longitudinal direction being 2 degrees or more; and a single or a plurality of heating elements which are sealed in the glass tube and has a flexibility to curve around the glass tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Konishi
  • Patent number: 7212736
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, the present technique provides a system for curing a surface material disposed on a vehicle. The system includes an electrically actuated arm having an arm structure, a motorized drive coupled to the arm structure, and an actuator communicatively coupled to the motorized drive. The system also has a radiative curing device coupled to the arm structure, and a curing controller communicatively coupled to the radiative curing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: James S. Nelson, Sam L. Villella, Chad T. Lameyer
  • Patent number: 7212737
    Abstract: A videoendoscopic system (1) including an endoscope optical system (2) and a camera portion (3), the endoscope optical system (2) having an elongated shaft (4) through which an optical image guide (5) and a fiber light guide (6) pass, and an end housing (7), which is proximally connected to the shaft (4) and has an image exit window (10) and a light entry window (8) with radiation directions that are parallel to one another and to the axis of the shaft (4). The camera portion (3) includes a camera housing (15), from which an image signal cable (24) and a light guide cable (20) pass out, and an image entry window (18) and a light exit window (19), which are arranged with parallel radiation directions at a distance from the windows (8, 10) in the end housing (7) and the end housing (7). The camera housing (15) is constructed with a rotationally fixedly lockable coupling device (7, 16, 25, 26, 19) for coupling the windows (8, 19; 10, 18) to one another in a centering manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Dehmel, Thomas Förster, Mathias Kraas, Gilbert Spahn
  • Patent number: 7212738
    Abstract: A redundant optical signal transmission and reception system enables information exchange via an optical communications network without data loss in the event of optical transmitter or receiver failure. In one embodiment, the redundant optical signal system includes a primary transmission link comprising a plurality of optical transmitters and a multiplexor for modulating and combining electrical signals into a primary multiplexed optical signal. In the event of failure of an optical transmitter, a backup transmission link is activated to compensate for the malfunctioning transmitter. The backup transmission link utilizes a backup optical transmitter to modulate the electric signal formerly received by the malfunctioning optical transmitter. The backup transmission link combines the backup optical signal with the primary multiplexed optical signal to form a complete optical signal for transmission over the optical network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Finisar Corporation
    Inventor: Steve Wang
  • Patent number: 7212739
    Abstract: A protection arrangement for an optical switching system includes protection switching for switch planes in the optical core and for ports in the tributary cards. For a multiple layer switch core protection is also provided between layers. A first layer is for switching optical channels. The protection switches used may be 1×N, 2×N or 3×N MEMS optical switches. The 1×N MEMS provides for protection switching. The 2×N MEMS provides protection switching and testing capability. The 3×N MEMS provides for protection switching, testing and backup of the protection switching. Application of these protection switches is shown in lambda plane switch cores, multiple layer switch cores and combined switch cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Alan F. Graves, Dallas F. Smith
  • Patent number: 7212740
    Abstract: The invention concerns a transmitter-receiver device (A, B) which comprises a receiver unit (RXA) for receiving optical signals and transmitter unit (TXA) for transmitting optical signals. Furthermore, the transmitter-receiver device (A, B) comprises a supervising unit (CUA) which supervises the functions of the receiver unit (RXA) and the transmitter unit (TXA). Furthermore, the transmitter-receiver device (A, B) comprises a transmitter circuit which transmits optical communication signals in response to a balanced electric input signal. The invention also concerns a communication system comprising two transmitter-receiver devices (A, B). Through the structure of the invention is by relatively simple means a well functioning device achieved, which, inter alia, makes it possible to supervise the status of the two transmitter-receiver devices (A, B) in an advantageous manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Transmode Systems AB
    Inventor: Gunnar Forsberg
  • Patent number: 7212741
    Abstract: Optical signals transmitted through an optical cable are converted into digital data of bits “1” and “0” on the basis of a reference voltage, and errors generated during transmission of the optical signals are corrected using Forward Error Correction (FEC). A method includes extracting numbers of occurrence of errors for bits “1” and “0” recovered through the FEC. Thereafter, the extracted numbers of occurrence of errors for bits “1” and “0” are compared with each other. A reference voltage used to judge levels of the signals to be level “1” or “0” is controlled if the numbers of occurrence of errors for bits “1” and “0” are not equal to each other. The current reference voltage is maintained if the numbers of occurrence of errors for bits “1” and “0” are rendered equal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung Il Myong, Jyung Chan Lee, Je Soo Ko
  • Patent number: 7212742
    Abstract: In an optical communication network, optical communication nodes exchange information detailing power level variations to support management and administration of optical communications. This exchange of information permits nodes to determine aggregate power level variations over light paths to support operations such as selection from available light paths and configuration of optical communication characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kumar Vijay Peddanarappagari, Jamil Omar-Hatem El-Reedy, Emir Catovic
  • Patent number: 7212743
    Abstract: The configuration of a liquid crystal switch capable of reducing attenuation in an optical switch, and an optical reception device and an optical switch network that use this liquid crystal switch device are described. The liquid crystal switch device includes optical switches that perform ON/OFF switching of light beams by applying a voltage to the liquid crystal. The attenuation is further reduced by installing the ends of the optical fibers in depressions (or holes) that are formed in the substrate on which the switch elements are formed and in the liquid crystal encapsulation substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hayashi, Akinobu Sato, Hirotaka Hokkyo
  • Patent number: 7212744
    Abstract: The invention provides a transceiver circuit for communication that enhances the operation frequency of a synchronous digital circuit up to the maximum frequency of a flip-flop and inhibits the occurrence of jitters. A clock signal synchronized with data at f1/n Hz is converted by a multiplier so that the signal has a frequency of “n” times so as to use the clock signal for triggering a flip-flop the operation frequency of which is f1 b/s in the synchronous digital circuit. The multiplier is arranged in the vicinity of the flip-flop triggered by the clock signal of f1 Hz so as to avoid the effect of the deterioration of the operation frequency by interconnect capacitance. The maximum operation frequency of the transceiver circuit determined based upon the operating frequency of the synchronous digital circuit can be enhanced up to the maximum operation frequency of the flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Shiramizu, Kenichi Ohhata, Fumihiko Arakawa, Takeshi Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 7212745
    Abstract: In an optical transmission system, a lens converges an optical signal outputted from a light emission element. The optical signal having passed .through the lens enters a multi-mode fiber (MMF). A vertex of the lens and an input plane of the MMF are at a distance. The distance is set to a value which is not equal to the distance from the vertex to a focal point of the lens. As a result, a lowcost optical transmission system can be provided in which the influence of mode dispersion is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Numata, Satoshi Furusawa, Susumu Morikura
  • Patent number: 7212746
    Abstract: Short haul optical communication networks using multi longitudinal mode lasers are susceptible to significant degradation from mode partition noise. Losses from such noise in short haul networks are substantially reducible by employing an additional fiber with specific properties. This additional fiber is chosen to have a slope for its wavelength versus dispersion behavior that is the negative of that for the transmission fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Manyalibo Joseph Matthews
  • Patent number: 7212747
    Abstract: A light emitting section outputs an optical signal having an intensity corresponding to a transmission timing signal, the optical signal modulated based on a radio transmission signal. A received photocurrent detection section detects an intensity of an optical signal received by a light receiving section. In accordance with the detected intensity, a high frequency amplification section amplifies the output signal of the light receiving section, and a transmission timing signal reconstruction section reconstructs the transmission timing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Niiho, Hiroyuki Sasai, Kouichi Masuda, Kenji Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 7212748
    Abstract: When a PLL circuit is used to extract and recover clock component from an information data signal, where an optical receive signal has been converted into an electrical signal, and to monitor the frequency of a recovered clock, a low frequency section frequency detection circuit having a BPF (band-pass filter) where transmission center frequency has been shifted to higher frequency relative to center frequency of the electrical signal and a high frequency section frequency detection circuit having a BPF where the transmission center frequency has been shifted to lower frequency are provided in parallel. Utilizing a slope on one side of each transmission characteristic of the BPF makes it possible to set detection frequency freely and accurately. Therefore, a frequency detection circuit without using a special device in an optical transmitter/receiver, capable of easily detecting accurate frequency shift of f0±?f or more, and of low price and high performance, can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Koga
  • Patent number: 7212749
    Abstract: An Improved Signal Receiver Having Wide Band Amplification Capability is disclosed. Also disclosed is a receiver that is able to receive and reliably amplify infrared and/or other wireless signals having frequency bandwidths in excess of 40 MHz. The receiver of the present invention reduces the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal to ?th of the prior systems. The preferred receiver eliminates both the shunting resistor and the feedback resistor on the input end by amplifing the signal in current form. Furthermore, the receiver includes transconductance amplification means for amplifying the current signal without the need for Cascode stages. Finally, the receiver includes staged amplification to amplify the current signal in stages prior to converting the signal into a voltage output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: ZiLOG, Inc.
    Inventors: T. Allan Hamilton, Alan Grace
  • Patent number: 7212750
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a device frame, a developing unit which is inserted into the device frame in a prescribed inserting direction, two terminals which are provided in the device frame, a metal conduction member which is provided in the developing unit and makes contact with at least one of the terminals, and a detecting unit which detects a presence or an absence of continuity between the terminals. Identification protrusions are fixed on an upper surface of the developing unit for determining compatibility between the developing unit and device frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideaki Kawai
  • Patent number: 7212751
    Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus including: a discharge tray which can moves between a first position capable of loading a discharged sheet and a second position that is separated from the first position; and a sheet loading amount detection sensor which has a sheet detection flag abutting against the upper surface of the sheet loaded on the discharge tray and capable of moving in accordance with a loading amount of the sheet loaded on the discharge tray, and detects the sheet loading amount by detecting a position of the sheet detection flag, wherein when the discharge tray means is located at the second position, the sheet detection flag is removed from a position capable of detecting the sheet loading amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naonori Kayama, Hiroaki Namiki, Shotaro Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7212752
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developer reservoir for accommodating a single-component mixed developer including two types of toner having a generally identical hue and different reflection densities. A magnetic substance is added to one of the two types of toner. The apparatus also includes a detector for detecting a magnetic permeability of the developer in the developer reservoir and a unit for determining a mixture ratio of the two types of toner based on the magnetic permeability of the developer detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Soh Hirota, Masaki Tanaka, Masahiro Kouzaki, Kazuomi Sakatani, Mitsuru Obara
  • Patent number: 7212753
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; an exposing unit that exposes the image carrier to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit that has at least a toner, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier as a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred on the recording medium; an exposure-energy modulating unit that modulates exposure energy of the exposing unit; and a development-time detecting unit that detects operation time of the developing unit. The exposure-energy modulating unit modulates the exposure energy based on a result of detection by the development-time detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Suzuki, Hiroshi Nakai, Hideki Kosugi, Ichiro Kadota, Jun Yura, Koichi Katoh, Kei Yasutomi, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7212754
    Abstract: When a state, in which the temperature detected by a thermistor for detecting the temperature of a heating roller does not increase, is continued for 15 seconds, even though the printing operation is performed and a heater for heating the heating roller is energized, it is determined that the temperature of the heating roller does not increase normally. The same determination process is performed again while the printing operation is inhibited from being started with respect to a new sheet. In this determination process, when it is determined that the temperature of the heating roller increases normally, it is not determined as an error state. The printing operation is resumed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the temperature of the heating roller does not increase normally, the printing operation is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasushi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7212755
    Abstract: A drum idle rotation is executed by the timing before printing on the basis of the number of drum idle rotating times selected by the operator, or the number of drum idle rotating times is set in accordance with a print image kind or a drum count value and the drum idle rotation is performed by the timing before printing on the basis of the set value. The number of drum idle rotating times by the timing before printing is corrected by a print density or an apparatus environment. Defective exposure or generation of a lateral stripe due to oligomer which is generated in the portion where a developing roller or a photosensitive drum is come into contact is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akihito Onishi
  • Patent number: 7212756
    Abstract: To provide a printing apparatus capable of preventing a extraordinary rising of temperature from happening even if a cooling ability is lowered with respect to objects to be cooled. In the printing apparatus, a host device 1 is connected with a system bus 3 via an interface 2, in a system bus 3, a processor 4, a program ROM 5, a working memory 6, a font ROM 7, an image memory 8 and a print engine interface 9 are connected, on the print engine interface 9, a print engine 20 is connected, further, the processor 4 has a function to change into a low consumption electricity mode, and has a low consumption electricity changing register 41.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Masato Nagata
  • Patent number: 7212757
    Abstract: This invention provides an image printing method and apparatus which accurately correct the read timing of a sensor system used to correct the position of a toner image in the correction operation mode, and accurately corrects the magnification of an image in the vertical direction in the print operation mode. An image printing apparatus according to the invention includes an image printing unit which prints a toner image on an intermediate transfer belt, and a control unit which controls the rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt by detecting a toner image printing on the intermediate transfer belt by the image printing unit. When the correction operation mode is selected, the control unit executes feedback control on the rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt on the basis of vertical magnification adjustment value data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoo Kudou, Fusako Akimoto, Hiroyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 7212758
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus is disclosed. The image-forming apparatus includes a fixing unit. The fixing unit includes: a heating part including a heating element; a power storage unit including a chargeable and dischargeable capacitor and supplying power to the heating part so that the heating element of the heating part generates heat; and a controller controlling the operation of the power storage unit. When the image-forming operation of the image-forming apparatus is suspended by an abnormality, the controller performs control such that the capacitor is charged in accordance with its remaining amount of stored energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Kishi, Yasuhisa Kato, Akiyasu Amita, Masami Okamoto, Yasutada Tsukioka, Hiromasa Takagi
  • Patent number: 7212759
    Abstract: A heating device, a fixing device and an image forming device are disclosed for making the life-span of a capacitor thereof longer. The heating device includes a heating part having at least one heat generation part generating heat, an electricity storage device supplying electric power at a variable output voltage to the heating part and having at least one chargeable-dischargeable capacitor, a control part controlling the output voltage of the electricity storage device, and a temperature detection part detecting a temperature of a portion heated by the heat generation part. The heat generation part generates heat by using electric power supplied from the electricity storage device. When the temperature detected by the temperature detection part is higher than or equal to a predefined temperature, the control part sets a voltage of the capacitor such that the voltage of the capacitor is lower than or equal to a maximum voltage of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Kishi, Yasuhisa Kato, Akiyasu Amita, Masami Okamoto, Yasutada Tsukioka, Hiromasa Takagi
  • Patent number: 7212760
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a device to set a temperature correspondence electrifying duty ratio relative to a fixing heater of a fixing device according to a detected temperature. A device is included to set a power corresponding electrifying duty ratio relative to the fixing heater, according to a detected voltage; along with a device to compare the temperature correspondence electrifying duty ratio and the power correspondence electrifying duty ratio. When the temperature correspondence electrifying duty ratio is equal to or larger than the power correspondence electrifying duty ratio, it is restricted to obtain a restricted electrifying duty ratio. Electrifying control is then performed using the restricted ratio. When electrifying the fixing heater immediately after the power has been turned on, a power correspondence electrifying duty ratio is set according to a first voltage. Electrifying control is then performed using the set power correspondence electrifying duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaharu Yokono
  • Patent number: 7212761
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing apparatus having a non-contact temperature detecting unit which detects temperature by sensing infrared rays emitted from the a heating roller. A difference between a real temperature and the temperature detected by the non-contact temperature detecting unit, which is produced by time-lag until reaching the infrared rays emitted from the heating roller, is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Sone, Osamu Takagi, Satoshi Kinouchi, Yoshinori Tsueda
  • Patent number: 7212762
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a fuser that fuses a toner image onto a printing medium by heat and pressure. The fuser temperature is sensed, and a heater in the fuser is controlled to keep the fuser at a constant temperature appropriate for fusing. In addition to constant-temperature control, the fuser is preheated to prevent an anticipated drop in its temperature when the printing medium encounters the fuser. The preheating process is carried out selectively and is omitted when not required, as determined from, for example, the temperature of the fuser when the printing medium enters the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus, the interval between the transport of different sheets of the printing medium, or the average amount of heat generated by the heater during a preceding interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Tomonori Watabe
  • Patent number: 7212763
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming apparatus main unit; an image carrier provided in the image forming apparatus main unit; at least one developing device supported retractable from the image carrier; and a developer supply portion adapted to supply developer to the developing device, wherein: a developer inlet port provided in the developing device is slidably joined with a developer supply port provided in the developer supply portion; a seal portion is provided between the developer inlet port and the developer supply port; the seal portion includes a seal portion body made of an elastic material, a sliding portion provided on at least one of surfaces of the seal portion body, and a drawing-out portion connected to the seal portion body and to the sliding portion; and the seal portion is enabled to be drawn out by using the drawing-out portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Sakoh, Masaru Sakuma, Toru Isosu
  • Patent number: 7212764
    Abstract: The color image forming apparatus comprises a transfer belt device which feeds a transfer member such as a paper and a plurality of image forming units. The image forming units are disposed facing towards the transfer belt device. The transfer belt device, at least in a portion in which the image forming units have been disposed, is arranged such that it is inclined with respect to the ground. Each of the image forming unit forms a desired image and sequentially transfers the formed image on the transfer member fed by the transfer belt device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masumi Sato, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Hiroyasu Shijo, Motokazu Yasui
  • Patent number: 7212765
    Abstract: A remanufactured toner cartridge comprising a toner hopper, a developer roller housing, end caps holding the waste bin and developer roller in a fixed position with respect to each other, and a seal assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Static Control Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Dale Lewis, Lynton R. Burchette, Gary B. Harrison, Allan P. Weiler
  • Patent number: 7212766
    Abstract: A wet-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a setting method thereof, comprising a body, a developing unit, an ink cartridge unit for supplying an ink to the developing unit, a door unit, an ink recovery unit for discarding waste ink and circulating ink, and a fitting unit connecting the developing unit and the ink cartridge unit. The door unit moves in relation to the movement of at least one of the ink recovery unit and the fitting unit, allowing a user to easily and precisely set the fitting unit and the ink recover unit using the door unit, which can further support and guide the developing unit 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-ju Kang
  • Patent number: 7212767
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus body, an image carrier for carrying a latent image on its surface, and a developing device for developing the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. A removable member is removably mounted to the apparatus body and positioned in the apparatus body such that a distance between the removable member and a surrounding member around it varies when the removable member is being mounted to or dismounted from the apparatus body. A frame surrounds at least one of the removable member and surrounding member. A contact member contacts, when the removable member is being mounted to or dismounted from the apparatus body, the frame to thereby determine a distance between the removable member and the surrounding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hosokawa, Kiyonori Tsuda, Satoshi Narumi, Ryuta Takeichi, Yuji Arai, Masanori Kawasumi, Kazuhiko Umemura
  • Patent number: 7212768
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing roller; a first cartridge positioning portion abuttable to a first main assembly positioning portion provided in a main assembly of the apparatus to position the cartridge with respect to a direction crossing the longitudinal direction, when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; a second cartridge positioning portion abuttable to a second main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly to limit rotation of the cartridge about the first cartridge positioning portion, when the cartridge receives a rotational driving force for rotating the roller from the main assembly; and a first drive input gear, for engagement with a main assembly driving gear to transmit a rotational driving force to the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Numagami, Shigeo Miyabe, Shinjiro Toba
  • Patent number: 7212769
    Abstract: A process cartridge that includes a frame with a first side wall, a second side wall, a bottom wall and a front wall, an image carrying member, a guide member, a first opening in the bottom wall, and a second opening in the bottom wall is provided. The image carrying member is supported by and extends between the first side wall and the second side wall in a manner that permits the image carrying member to rotate, and the image carrying member projects, at least in part, beyond a bottom surface of the bottom wall. The guide member extends between the first side wall and the second side wall and forms part of the bottom wall. The first opening in the bottom wall extends from the first side wall to the second side wall and is provided between the front wall and the guide member. The second opening in the bottom wall extends from the first side wall to the second side wall and is provided between the guide member and the image carrying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Soichiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7212770
    Abstract: A photoconductive drum device is inserted into and removed from an image forming device main body, horizontally from a side of the image forming device main body. The photoconductive drum device includes a frame, a photoconductive drum and a cover. The photoconductive drum is supported rotatably on the frame under a state in which a part of an outer circumferential surface of the photoconductive drum is exposed. The cover is supported on the frame in a manner capable of swinging. In response to an insertion of the photoconductive drum device into the image forming device main body, the cover swings to an opened position so as not to block off a light path an exposure ray irradiated toward the exposed part of the photoconductive drum. In response to a removal of the photoconductive drum device from the image forming device main body, the cover swings to a closed position to cover the exposed part of the photoconductive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Konishi
  • Patent number: 7212771
    Abstract: A grid electrode, disposed along a corotron wire, includes a planar, plate-shaped member having plural openings in each of which a longitudinal direction and a short side direction are formed, the longitudinal directions of the respective openings being lined up to be in a same direction, and connecting portions connecting openings adjacent to each other in a opening longitudinal direction and connecting portions connecting openings adjacent to each other in a opening short side direction. At each opening, a shortest distance from a center point to an opening edge is less than 1.5 mm, a grid opening ratio is greater than or equal to 82%, and a length of the longitudinal direction is at least 1.3 times a length of the short side direction. The connecting portions connecting openings adjacent to each other in the opening longitudinal direction are not disposed on a same line which is orthogonal to the corotron wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mihoko Tanaka, Akihito Nishimura, Masaru Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7212772
    Abstract: An electrophotographic printer is configured to print a three-dimensional texture on a substrate by applying clear toner in locations corresponding to where texture is desired. The clear toner for texture may be applied either after, or before, other colors (e.g., CMYK) are applied to the substrate. The clear toner may be applied during the same pass as the other colors in an electrophotographic printer (10) having five imaging units (20C, 20M, 20Y, 20K, and 20X). Alternatively, the clear toner may be applied during a second pass of the substrate through the electrophotographic printer (10) if, on the first pass, all five imaging units are occupied with different colored toners. An electrophotographic printing system that includes a front-end station for scanning a document coupled to an electrophotographic printer (10) allows an operator to add texture to a scanned document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: W. Charles Kasiske, John L. Hryhorenko
  • Patent number: 7212773
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus whereby it is possible to prevent unevenness in developing density caused by misalignment between the central axes of a driven side rotational coupling section for rotating a developer carrier and a drive side rotational coupling section for transmitting rotational drive force to the driven side rotational coupling section. The driven side rotational coupling section is fixed and the position thereof can be corrected slightly, by engaging the driven side rotational coupling section with a drive side rotational coupling section. A transmission gear is provided which meshes with the driven side rotational coupling section and transmits rotational drive force used to move the surface of the developer carrier. By means of an axle provided on at least one end of the transmission gear engaging with a positioning member on the main body of the image forming apparatus, the developer carrier is positioned in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Sudo, Kazuyuki Sugihara, Hideo Yoshizawa, Katsumi Masuda, Hideki Kimura, Kiyotaka Sakai, Tsuyoshi Imamura
  • Patent number: 7212774
    Abstract: A developer cartridge is configured to be installed and removed in a direction orthogonal to a rotating shaft of a developing unit main body and the image forming apparatus main body is configured to provide an operation hampering member for hampering at least a portion of a developer cartridge which is not disposed at the interchanging position and which is exposed from a space for taking out the image forming unit from being installed or removed when the image forming unit is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Okamoto, Kazuaki Iikura
  • Patent number: 7212775
    Abstract: In an image heating device for heating images on a recording member by heating a belt using an induction heating system, a belt guide for restricting the belt position is fixed to a belt part opposing a coil so as not to rotate the belt guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayoshi Kachi
  • Patent number: 7212776
    Abstract: A fixing belt for fixing the toner image on a recording medium includes an electroformed nickel endless belt body. The belt body exhibits hardness higher at the rear surface than at the front surface after heated at 350° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Nitto Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Takagi, Goki Inukai
  • Patent number: 7212777
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member to bear a latent electrostatic image, an irradiation device and developing device to develop a toner latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member, a cleaning blade to remove toner particles remaining on the image bearing member, and a transfer device to transfer the toner image formed on the image bearing member to a recording material. The image forming apparatus satisfies relationships (1) and (2): (1) 0.10< or =Dm3/V< or =3.41, wherein Dm represents a weight average particle diameter of the toner and V represents a circumference velocity of the image bearing member; and (2) Tave< or =1.40 kgf·cm, wherein Tave represents the average of a torque T of the image bearing member when the torque is measured for 15 seconds while the cleaning blade is in contact with the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Takada, Takaaki Ikegami, Akihiro Sugino
  • Patent number: 7212778
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for an image forming apparatus includes a cleaned member and a cleaning member having a cleaning blade coming into contact with a surface of the cleaned member thereby scraping off a toner, wherein the cleaning blade includes an elastic material having an anisotropy in tensile stress and the cleaning blade shows a deformation, resulting from a tensile stress induced in a direction of load by a friction with the cleaned member, smaller than a breaking elongation of the cleaning blade in the vicinity of a contact portion of the cleaning blade with the cleaned member. In this manner a longer service life of the image forming apparatus can be realized while securing a desired cleaning performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisataka Hisakuni
  • Patent number: 7212779
    Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide a conductive brush excelling in functionality and being useful as a cleaning brush in the color copier using the color toner of fine grain than before. The present invention is a conductive brush, which comprises a base fabric and a mixed fiber of a polyethylene terephthalate fiber and a nylon-66 fiber being raised on the base fabric by pile-flocking and, said polyethylene terephthalate fiber and/or said nylon-66 fiber having a volume resistivity of 100 to 106 ?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Gunze Limited
    Inventors: Hirofumi Yanagizawa, Yukio Mori, Shoichi Tsukada
  • Patent number: 7212780
    Abstract: Preparing substrates for one-sided or two-sided printing in an electrophotograpically operated digital printing apparatus, in which process substrates are fed out of a supply unit or several supply units onto a conveyor operation sequence and are transferred, preferably in the course of the conveyor operation sequence, onto a conveyor belt that runs through a printing unit, with the least possible space between successive substrates. An acceleration time related to the type of substrate stock, of which the substrate is composed, is selected for feeding a substrate from a supply unit or from the supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Uwe Weinlich, Eckhard Bauer, Jörg Leyser
  • Patent number: 7212781
    Abstract: A mobile terminal is provided for achieving continuous program viewing/listening by appropriately switching between program reception through broadcasting and program reception through communication with a broadcast receiving function and a communication function working cooperatively. A receiver receives a program broadcasted from a broadcasting station. A reception state monitoring section monitors a state of receiving the broadcast program in the receiver. If the reception state is in a satisfactory state, the broadcast program is reproduced by the reproducing section. Upon determination by the reception state monitoring section that the reception state has been deteriorated, a program information generating section generates program information specifying the broadcast program being currently received by the receiver, and then gives the program information to a communication section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satomi Hikomoto
  • Patent number: 7212782
    Abstract: Frequency converting circuits each correspond to one satellite and convert frequency bands of two types of polarization signals received from the corresponding satellite into two intermediate frequency bands that do not overlap with each other. Signal couplers each correspond to one satellite and perform frequency-multiplexing of the two types of polarization signals from the corresponding satellite having their frequency bands converted, to generate a first combined signal. A signal rearranging circuit selects any two first combined signals from the two first combined signals allowing duplicate selection, and takes out any one polarization signal from each of the selected first combined signals, and performs frequency-multiplexing of the taken out two polarization signals to generate a second combined signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Atarashi
  • Patent number: 7212783
    Abstract: A system and method for managing content between different client devices in various domains (such as vehicle, home, and person). The system and method include receiving an input from a user on the first client device to delay the content. After receiving the input, the first client device determines whether the first client device is connected to a wireless communication system. If the first client device is connected to the wireless communication system, the first client device sends a data message to a host system. In one embodiment, the host system will then obtain the content (in whole or in part) after receiving the data message to permit the user to resume playback of the content on the first client device or another client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Gaumond, Richard M. Clayton, Parvathy Bhaskaran
  • Patent number: 7212784
    Abstract: Memory (237) stores relative correction values that indicate the differences of transfer characteristics between a) a radio unit made up of transmission circuit (211) and reception circuit (212), and b) a radio unit made up of transmission circuit (221) and reception circuit (222). Correction control unit (239), by means of phase shifter (240) and amplifier (241), uses the relative correction values to correct transmission signals. In similar fashion, the adaptive array apparatus and the radio base station perform corrections in order that identical array antenna patterns are formed at times of reception and transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Doi, Seigo Nakao, Takaaki Makita