Patents Issued in March 8, 2016
  • Patent number: 9280090
    Abstract: A toner container installed in an image forming apparatus includes a toner container main body having a predetermined length and in which toner is accommodated, a discharge port through which the toner is discharged from the toner container main body, a shutter which opens and closes the discharge port, a handle provided on the toner container main body, and a pressed portion provided on the toner container main body and which is pressed by the image forming apparatus to project the handle out from the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisashi Kimura, Takafumi Amano
  • Patent number: 9280091
    Abstract: A toner conveying device includes a first communication opening, a toner supply opening, a toner conveyance passage, an opening/closing member, and a moving member. The first communication opening communicates with a toner discharge outlet formed in a toner case in a state where the toner case is attached to a predetermined attachment position, the toner case including an operation portion. The toner conveyance passage connects the first communication opening to the toner supply opening. The opening/closing member moves between a closing position and an opening position. When the opening/closing member is at the closing position, the toner supply opening is closed, and when the opening/closing member is at the opening position, the toner supply opening is opened. The moving member is dislocated in conjunction with an operation of the operation portion in such a way as to move the opening/closing member from the closing position to the opening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Morita
  • Patent number: 9280092
    Abstract: A developing device includes a storing portion, a stirring member, a developing roller, a shield plate, and a guide portion. The storing portion stores developer. The stirring member is rotatably provided in the storing portion and stirs the developer in the storing portion by being rotationally driven in a predetermined first rotation direction. The developing roller is rotatably provided above the stirring member, has a magnet that attracts the developer in the storing portion by a magnetic force, and is rotationally driven in a predetermined second rotation direction. The shield plate is made of a nonmagnetic material and provided at a facing position where the developing roller and the stirring member face each other. The guide portion is provided more on an upstream side in the first rotation direction than the facing position, and guides the developer from the storing portion to the developing roller side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Wada, Masaru Hatano, Yoshinori Horiuchi, Akira Matayoshi, Ayaka Kondo, Motoki Moriguchi, Masahito Ishino
  • Patent number: 9280093
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a developing agent cartridge for supplying developing agent and toner to a developing device comprises a cartridge main body, in which there is a first room and a second room and the boundary of the two rooms is closed by a closure member, configured to respectively fill the toner and the developing agent into the first room and the second room; a supply section configured to supply the infill in the second room to the developing device while stirring it; and an opening section configured to open the closure member to enable the toner to be moved to the second room after the developing agent filled into the second room is supplied to the developing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Yokoyama, Takafumi Amano
  • Patent number: 9280094
    Abstract: A developer unit for a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. An auger is positioned to convey developer mix in the reservoir toward the outer surface of a magnetic roll on a front of the housing. A ledge on an inner surface of the housing extends axially with respect to the magnetic roll along a front of the reservoir. The ledge is positioned upstream from a trim bar and downstream from a pickup pole of the magnetic roll with respect to the operative rotational direction of the magnetic roll. The ledge has a concave curved inner surface that is open to the reservoir and extends from near the trim bar to near a front side of the auger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Brian Bacelieri, Robert Dan Bennett, III, Gary Allen Denton, Katherine Marie Gilliam, Elliott Vincent Jernigan, Matthew Lee Rogers, Dominique Renee Rowe, Courtney Harrison Soale
  • Patent number: 9280095
    Abstract: A developing device forms an image by developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor rotating about a rotation axis. The developing device includes a housing having an opening opposite the photoreceptor, a developing sleeve disposed inside the housing, a magnetic body disposed in a central portion of the developing sleeve and not in no-magnet portions thereof at both sides of the central portion, and seal members supported by the housing. Each of the seal members shields either one of portions of the photoreceptor that are located opposite the no-magnet portions and is in surface contact with either one of end portions of the photoreceptor farther from a center of the photoreceptor than the no-magnet portions. Each of the seal members includes, at an end thereof closer to the center of the photoreceptor than the other end thereof, a non-contact portion that is not in contact with the photoreceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hideji Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9280096
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an image forming apparatus has an image carrier, a transfer unit, and a spacer. The spacer is detachably attached between the image carrier and the transfer unit. When having been attached to the transfer unit, the spacer makes the image carrier and the transfer unit to be separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasushi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9280097
    Abstract: A transfer device and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. Shapes of cam profiles of first cam members and second cam members controlling movement of first slider members moving a first transfer roller corresponding to a black developer, and second slider members moving a second transfer roller corresponding to a color developer. Times are different as when movement of the first slider members is completed and when movement of the second slider members is completed in mode conversion among a ready mode, a mono mode and a color mode, and thus a driving load generated when the first and second cam members are rotated is reduced, non-uniformity of the rotating speeds of the first and second cam members is reduced, and problems generated due to non-uniform rotating speeds of the cam members are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Yong Ju, Jun Ho Lee, Byeong Hwa Ahn
  • Patent number: 9280098
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a switching unit that can switch polarities of potentials of an intermediate transfer member generated at a primary transfer part and a secondary transfer part in synchronization, and a control unit that executes adjustment processing in which a potential having a polarity opposite to the polarity upon the transfer is generated at least one of the primary transfer part and the secondary transfer part, in which the control unit controls the switching unit in a manner that, in a case where the adjustment processing is performed in a course of continuous image formation on a plurality of transfer materials conveyed to the secondary transfer part, a timing for generating the potential having the opposite polarity corresponds to a timing at which toner images are not transferred at both of the primary transfer part and the secondary transfer part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Kanno
  • Patent number: 9280099
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first transfer unit and a second transfer unit, and a control device. If a prescribed condition is satisfied, the control device sets a transfer current value for the second transfer unit so that an absolute value of a difference between the first current value and a second current value is greater than an absolute value of a difference between a third current value and a fourth current value. The first current value is set in a black-white mode, in which an image is formed by using black toner only, under the prescribed condition; the second current value is set if the prescribed condition is unsatisfied in the black-white mode; the third current value is set in a multi color mode, in which an multi-color image is formed, under the prescribed condition; and the fourth current value is set if the prescribe condition is unsatisfied in the multi color mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Makino, Yuji Takimoto
  • Patent number: 9280100
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which is capable of suitably preventing a separating discharge phenomenon from occurring at a fixing entrance guide for guiding a recording material to a fixing device, includes a control portion for controlling a transfer bias voltage and a separation bias voltage. A transfer roller transfers a toner image from a surface of a photosensitive drum onto a sheet at a transfer nip portion, and the control portion changes the transfer bias voltage applied to the transfer roller and the separation bias voltage applied to a charge eliminating needle to have larger voltage values before a trailing edge of the sheet, which is conveyed to the transfer nip portion and is subjected to transfer, passes through the transfer nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventor: Kenta Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 9280101
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomooku Koyama, Ken Murooka, Wataru Uchida, Jun Agata, Yohei Suzuki, Daisuke Takamura
  • Patent number: 9280102
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes: a rotatable heating member; a belt unit including an endless belt configured to heat the rotatable heating member, and a supporting portion configured to rotatably support an inner surface of the belt; a holding portion configured to rotatably hold the belt unit; a detecting portion configured to detect that the belt is out of a predetermined zone with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt; a tilting portion configured to tilt the belt unit relative to the holding portion in a direction of causing the belt to return into the predetermined zone on the basis of an output of the detecting portion; and a limiting portion configured to limit tilting of the belt unit to an angle exceeding a predetermined angle range wider than an angle range in which the belt unit is capable of being tilted by the tilting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9280103
    Abstract: A fuser unit may include a cylindrical member, a heat generator, a nip member, and a backup member. A nip part may be defined between the cylindrical member and the backup member. The fuser unit may further include a conductive member, arranged to cover the heat generator at the inside of the cylindrical member, a temperature detection unit, a wiring, a first frame having insulation, arranged at an opposite side to the heat generator with respect to the conductive member being interposed therebetween at the inside of the cylindrical member, and which extends along the conductive member, and a second frame, arranged at an opposite side to the conductive member with respect to the first frame being interposed therebetween at the inside of the cylindrical member, and which extends along the first frame, wherein the wiring is arranged between the first frame and the second frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Ishida, Noboru Suzuki, Takuji Matsuno, Yoshihiro Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 9280104
    Abstract: A fixing device according to the invention comprises a first belt in an endless form, a first heat source for heating the first belt, a first reflection member reflecting heat from the first heat source toward the first belt, and a first temperature detecting member for detecting temperature of the first reflection member by contacting the first reflection member, wherein the first reflection member is disposed between the first heat source and the first temperature detecting member. The fixing device is able to accurately detect the temperature of the member heated by the heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Murakami
  • Patent number: 9280105
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a pressing member that is rotatably held and provides a pressure acting in one direction; a heating member that is rotatably held, faces the pressing member, and includes a substantially cylindrical member and a heating unit, the substantially cylindrical member receiving the pressure, the heating unit being provided inside the substantially cylindrical member, the heating member fixing a toner image on a sheet with the pressure and heat; a drive source that outputs a driving force with which the heating member is rotated; and a transmission member having a space that receives an end of the substantially cylindrical member with a gap interposed therebetween, the transmission member having an inner circumferential surface that comes into contact with the end of the substantially cylindrical member in the space when the substantially cylindrical member receives the pressure, the transmission member transmitting the driving force to the heating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Ryu, Yasutaka Gotoh, Koji Okabe, Yuki Kubota
  • Patent number: 9280106
    Abstract: A fuser device includes a belt part rotating in a tension free state to carry a medium in a medium carrying direction, a first nip forming part arranged inside the belt part, a second nip forming part arranged outside the belt part sandwiching the belt part with the first nip forming part so that a nip area is formed therebetween, and a regulation member regulating a movement of the belt in a width direction of the belt part. The regulation member is configured with a belt regulation part and a slant part. The belt regulation part has a flat shape arranged near one of side edges of the belt part along the nip area with a predetermined gap (W6). The slant part extends from an edge of the belt regulation part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Murakami
  • Patent number: 9280107
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary fixing member; a pressure roller pressed against the fixing member to form a nip in association with the fixing member; and an induction heater, as a heat source, to heat the fixing member. The induction heater includes an excitation coil to induction-heat the fixing member; a side core disposed along an outer circumference in a longitudinal direction of the excitation coil; and a plurality of arch-shaped cores disposed to cover the excitation coil in the longitudinal direction thereof. The arch-shaped cores include center portions corresponding to an inner side of the excitation coil and bent to the fixing member; and outer end portions extending in the direction leading to the side core without interfering with the excitation coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motokazu Hasegawa, Yukari Isoe, Susumu Matsusaka
  • Patent number: 9280108
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a cylindrical film; a nip forming member; and a back-up member for forming a nip. The nip forming member includes a projected portion. The projection amount of the projected portion is smaller in an end portion region positioned at an end portion of the projected portion with respect to a generatrix direction of the film than in a central region positioned at a central portion of the projected portion with respect to the generatrix direction, at least a part of the end portion region being inside a feeding region of a maximum-sized recording material usable in the fixing device. With respect to the recording material feeding direction, the width of the part of the projected portion inside the nip is broader in the end portion region than in the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriaki Sato, Yasutaka Yagi, Hiroshi Kataoka, Eiji Uekawa, Keisuke Mochizuki, Shuji Saito, Naoto Tsuchihashi
  • Patent number: 9280109
    Abstract: A fixation device includes: a heating member; a fixation belt configured to be heated by the heating member and formed like an endless belt; a first fixation member configured to abut on an inner circumferential surface of the fixation belt; a second fixation member located upstream of the first fixation member in a paper conveyance direction and configured to abut on the inner circumferential surface of the fixation belt; a press member located between the first fixation member and the second fixation member and configured to abut on the fixation belt; a pressurization member configured to abut on an outer circumferential surface of the fixation belt, and press at least against the first fixation member and the press member via the fixation belt; a support frame configured to support the first fixation member; and a holding plate configured to support the press member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeru Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 9280110
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a body having a pair of frames, and an image formation unit configured to form an image on a sheet, and a re-feeding path which is used when the sheet, on one surface of which an image has been formed by the image formation unit, is fed again to the image formation unit. The re-feeding path includes a first path vertically extending from a downstream side, in a sheet feed direction, of the image formation unit, a second path extending horizontally, and a curved portion connecting the first path and the second path. The pair of frames are connected with a metal plate which is formed and arranged to extend along the curved portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hikaru Iino
  • Patent number: 9280111
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sensor that detects discontinuation of printing or a decrease in print speed; and an electric circuit configured to set an available time to print according to an amount of advance payment; count a usage time during which the image forming apparatus is used; determine permission or prohibition of printing based on the available time to print and the usage time; determine whether to count the usage time based on a factor for the discontinuation of printing or the decrease in print speed when the sensor detects the discontinuation of printing or the decrease in print speed; and prohibit printing when the counted usage time reaches the available time to print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Osamu Shimotoso, Michio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9280112
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a storing unit, a printing unit, a receiving unit, and a controlling unit. The storing unit stores a size of a sheet. The printing unit prints an image on the sheet based on a specified print job sheet size. The receiving unit is configured to receive, from a user and before the printing, an instruction for notifying the user of an error where the specified print job sheet size does not match the stored sheet size. If the receiving unit receives the instructions and the specified print job sheet size does not match the stored sheet size, the user is notified of the error and the printing unit executes printing. If the receiving unit does not receive the instruction and the specified print job sheet size does not match the stored sheet size, the printing unit executes printing without notifying the user of the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Akimoto
  • Patent number: 9280113
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of stabilizing image density on a long-term basis by compensating for an error in prediction of toner particle charge amount, while reducing variation in image density on a short-term basis by the prediction. A CPU predicts an amount of electrostatic charge of toner particles in a developer container and sets an exposure condition and causes a toner image to be fixed on a recording medium and a pattern image for detecting image density, to be each formed on a photosensitive drum according to the set exposure condition, while performing gradation correction based on the gradation conversion table. The CPU updates the gradation conversion table such that a detected density of the pattern image becomes closer to a target density. The CPU sets the exposure condition based on a result of the prediction such that toner image density becomes constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jun Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 9280114
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a zero cross signal generator, a lower limit detector for detecting whether or not an absolute value of a peak voltage of an AC voltage is a lower limit value or lower, a determining unit to control a first up/down counter to increment by one when the absolute value of the peak voltage of the AC voltage is the lower limit value or lower in a half period and to decrement by one when the absolute value has not become the lower limit value or lower, and to determine that a to-be-recorded deviation for which information is recorded has occurred when a value of the first up/down counter becomes a predetermined lower limit reference value or higher, and a storage unit for storing deviation information indicating the deviation in a nonvolatile manner when the to-be-recorded deviation has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masanobu Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9280115
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a counting unit which counts the number of pixels at each tone level in a halftone image corresponding to an input image; a determination unit which determines a halftone region in the halftone image; an acquisition unit which acquires tone characteristic information of an output density of the image forming apparatus; a correction unit which obtains a density in a region to be formed by using a developing material from the number of pixels at each of the tone levels and information of the halftone region and correct the density in accordance with the tone characteristic information; and a first prediction unit which predicts a consumption amount of the developing material by using the density corrected by the correction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jun Nagai
  • Patent number: 9280116
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a developing device; a supply device which supplies toner to the developing device; a density detector which detects information about a toner density as a ratio of toner and carrier of the developer of the developing device; and a controller which interrupts an image forming operation and is capable of executing a forced supply mode of performing the toner supply to the developing device from the supply device, based on first information of at least one of detection results of the density detector and information about a toner consumption, second information about the amount of supply operation supplied by the supply device, in which the controller determines whether or not to execute the forced supply mode, and third information about an accumulated value of the amount of toner consumption after the forced supply mode executed last time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noriyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 9280117
    Abstract: When images of a plurality of document sheets are to be read and formed on a plurality of recording materials, an image forming apparatus performs control to convey a document sheet and a recording material at one of a recording material conveyance speed and a document conveyance speed, whichever is lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Nakajima, Masaru Aoki, Hiroto Endo
  • Patent number: 9280118
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a duplex conveyance path through which the sheet having the image formed by the image forming unit on a first side passes when an image is formed on a second side that is a back side of the first side, a guiding member provided along the duplex conveyance path, a reversing roller pair capable of rotating in a forward direction and in a reverse direction, and a conveyance roller pair provided on the duplex conveyance path, wherein at least one of the reversing roller pair is inclined to the width direction so that, in the width direction, the side end of the sheet being conveyed by the reversing roller pair rotating in the reverse direction moves closer to the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Terutaka Endo
  • Patent number: 9280119
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, an image forming unit, a discharge unit, and a discharge tray. The image reading unit is configured to read a document placed on a document placement table by moving and scanning of a scanning body in a sub-scanning direction. The image forming unit is configured to form an image read by the image reading unit on a paper sheet. The discharge unit is configured to discharge the paper sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit to a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction. The discharge tray is on which the paper sheet from the discharge unit is to be placed with a space portion at a lower side of the image reading unit. A bottom surface of a housing of the image reading unit facing the discharge tray is constituted of a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is a surface at a front side of the discharge unit in a discharging direction and high with respect to the discharge tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Nakanishi, Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 9280120
    Abstract: A decolorizing apparatus includes first and second heating units, first and second heat source units, and a controller. The first and second heating units decolorize an image using decolorable colorants which are decolorized if heated. The first heating unit heats one surface of a sheet. The second heating unit heats a remaining surface which is opposite to the one surface of the sheet heated by the first heating unit. The first heat source unit heats the first heating unit. The second heat source unit heats the second heating unit. The controller includes a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the controller performs a decolorizing process on both the surfaces of the sheet by heating the first and second heating units using the first and second heat source units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9280121
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotational force driving assembly and a process cartridge used for being engaged with a rotational force driving head inside an electrophotographic image forming device. The rotational force driving assembly can comprise a hub, a rotational force receiving component, a side plate, and an axis offset adjusting mechanism. When the axis offset adjusting mechanism is not subjected to external force, the axis offset adjusting mechanism enables the axis of the rotational force receiving component to be parallel and offset to the axis of the hub. When the axis offset adjusting mechanism is subjected to external force, the rotational force receiving component extends out to be engaged with the rotational force driving head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: APEX TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongbiao Xiao, Jinlian Liu, Chao Wang, Hui Cao, Hailong Ma, De Chen, Jianxin Cao, Miaoling Yang, Likun Zeng
  • Patent number: 9280122
    Abstract: A printing apparatus capable of shifting a power state to a second power state where power consumption is lower than a first power state includes detecting a heat source approaching the printing apparatus, calculating an average temperature of respective areas near the printing apparatus, specifying a current position of the heat source based on the calculated average temperature, calculating a distance between the current position and a predetermined reference point, determining whether the heat source is moving to pass by the printing apparatus, determining whether the heat source is approaching the printing apparatus, and shifting, when it is determined that the heat source is approaching the printing apparatus, the power state of the printing apparatus from the second power state to the first power state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9280123
    Abstract: A setting unit sets a high-voltage set value. A first generation unit generates a high voltage based on the set value set by the setting unit and a first reference voltage supplied from a supply unit. A second generation unit generates a second reference voltage by being supplied with the first reference voltage from the supply unit. A comparing unit compares the first reference voltage with the second reference voltage. A storage unit stores a comparison result that has been obtained in advance by the comparing unit comparing the first reference voltage with the second reference voltage. A correction unit corrects the high-voltage set value based on a comparison result that is obtained by the comparing unit when the image forming apparatus is in use and the comparison result that has been obtained in advance and is stored in the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naohiro Obata, Takashi Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 9280124
    Abstract: A photosensitive drum is rotatably supported in a main body. A developing cartridge is detachably mountable on the main body in a state where the photosensitive drum is supported in the main body. The developing cartridge includes a developing device and a frame. The developing device includes a developing roller disposed in confrontation with the photosensitive drum to supply developer to the photosensitive drum when the developing cartridge is mounted in the main body, and a developer-accommodating portion configured to accommodate developer. The frame includes a waste-developer-accommodating portion configured to accommodate waste developer and supports the developing device that is movable relative to the frame. The frame is disposed on an opposite side of the developing roller from the photosensitive drum. An urging member is disposed between the frame and the developing device to urge the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Hirotaka Mori, Makoto Souda
  • Patent number: 9280125
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image bearer, a lubricant dispenser to apply lubricant to the first image bearer, and a controller to adjust a spatial interval during image formation between successive recording media on each of which an image is formed, according to a total amount of toner attached to the first image bearer for each of the successive recording media, to apply the lubricant to the first image bearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wakana Itoh, Tadashi Kasai, Takamasa Ozeki, Jun Hitosugi, Emiko Shiraishi, Makoto Yasuda, Kunio Hasegawa, Mutsuki Morinaga, Takatsugu Komori, Hitoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9280126
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a casing including a side wall having an opening; a drawer member configured to support a plurality of cartridges in such a manner as to allow the cartridges to be detachably attached thereto, and to be movable through the opening from an inside position in which the drawer member is located inside the casing to an outside position in which the drawer member is located outside the casing in a moving direction; and a leg portion configured to support the casing. In this image forming apparatus, the leg portion includes a portion located downstream from the opening in the moving direction of the drawer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Kato, Seiichi Senda, Atsushi Kato, Masanari Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 9280127
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main casing having side wall and a frame defining a sheet opening. The side wall of the main casing and the frame define an accommodating space therebetween. The frame defines a first vent, and the frame further defines a second vent disposed below the first vent closer to the side wall than the first vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9280128
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a side cover rotatably installed to open and close an opening provided at a body thereof while rotating, a first transfer unit to which a visible image of photoconductors of developing units is transferred, and a second transfer unit movably installed at the side cover to transfer the visible image to a printing medium, wherein the second transfer unit is provided at both sides thereof with a plurality of guide protrusions to perform a position restriction, and the body is provided at both sidewalls of inside thereof with a plurality of guide members to support the plurality of guide protrusions such that the second transfer unit is supported against both sidewalls of the inside of the body through the guide protrusion and the guide member, thereby reducing a reaction force applied to the side cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Yong Ju, Byeong Hwa Ahn, Jun Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 9280129
    Abstract: A developer cartridge has a rotatable body, a casing, a conveying guide structure, and a cover. The cover includes a facing part and a first covering part. The conveying guide structure includes a first conveying guide extending in the second direction, and a second conveying guide connected from the first conveying guide at an end on the other side of the second direction and extends toward the other side of the second direction so as to curve in the first direction with respect to the first conveying guide. The first covering part includes a first contacting part configured to contact the first conveying guide, and a second contacting part configured to curve in the first direction with respect to the first contacting part so as to extend toward the other side in the second direction, and contact the second conveying guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Shimizu, Satoru Ishikawa, Soun Kanada
  • Patent number: 9280130
    Abstract: The developer container includes a rotator that is rotated in the container body, a sequence of gears disposed outside the developer container that transmits a torque to the rotator, and a container guiding portion that fits with a main body side guiding portion and guides the developer container in a direction in which the developer container is attached to a mounting portion of an image forming device main body. A first gear included in the sequence of the gears is movable between an operating position where the first gear engages with a second gear and a retracted position where the first gear is retracted. On a surface on which the container guiding portion is disposed, a part of the container guiding portion is disposed within a projected area of the first gear being disposed at the operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kubota, Naoki Nakatake, Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Shoh Tsuritani, Manabu Hamada, Masato Tsuji, Masanari Fujita
  • Patent number: 9280131
    Abstract: Provided is a developer container that accommodates developer, including: a first frame that has a recessed portion; and a second frame that has a first protruding portion, wherein the first frame and the second frame are joined by a first adhering portion in which the recessed portion and the first protruding portion are welded together, and a second adhering portion in which a second protruding portion and a flat portion are welded together, the recessed portion having a positioning inner side face that performs positioning of the first frame and the second frame within a recessed portion. Also provided are a method to manufacture a developer container, a developing apparatus having the developer container, a cleaning apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Nakazawa, Sho Shirakata, Tachio Kawai, Kenji Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9280132
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a main body and a process cartridge including a photosensitive body cartridge and a developing cartridge. The photosensitive body cartridge includes a photosensitive body and a waste developing agent storage container. The developing cartridge includes a developing agent carrier. The photosensitive body cartridge is configured to receive the developing cartridge such that the developing cartridge is attached to and detached from the photosensitive body cartridge through a particular space defined in the main body. The process cartridge is configured to pivot, with respect to the main body, between a first position, in which the waste developing agent storage container is positioned outside the particular space entirely, and a second position, in which the waste developing agent storage container at least partially occupies the particular space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideshi Nishiyama, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9280133
    Abstract: In a development device in which a developer containing unit underlies a development chamber, a supplying member in the development chamber forms a nip portion with a developer carrier and the developer carrier and the supplying member rotate in the direction in which their respective surfaces move from an upper end to a lower end of the nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Yoshida, Yoshihiro Mitsui, Kodai Hayashi, Yuichiro Hirata, Shinya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9280134
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge which is detachably mounted from a first direction to store a toner; and a processing unit which is detachably mounted from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and is provided with a photoconductor, a developing section for supplying a toner fed from the toner cartridge to the surface of the photoconductor to convert an electrostatic latent image to a toner image and a cleaning section for collecting the toner adhered on the surface of the photoconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Amano
  • Patent number: 9280135
    Abstract: A process cartridge for an image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum; a cleaning member having a blade contacted to end drum; a sheet contacted to end drum; an end seal provided at an end of a frame and contacted to the drum, end blade and end sheet; and a sealing mold, integrally molded at the end portion of end frame by injection molding, end sealing mold including a first seal provided between end cleaning member and end frame and extending in a direction crossing with the longitudinal direction, a second seal provided between the end seal and end frame and continuously molded with end first seal, and a third seal provided between end sheet and end frame and continuously molded with end second seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumito Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9280136
    Abstract: A photosensitive cartridge attachable to/detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an attachment unit configured to removably attach a developing cartridge including a developing member that develops a latent image formed on the photosensitive member to the photosensitive cartridge, and a locking member configured to prevent disengaging of the developing cartridge from the attachment unit when the developing cartridge is attached to the attachment unit, wherein the locking member comes into contact, when the photosensitive cartridge to which the developing cartridge has been attached is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, with a main body contact member provided to the main body and electrically connects the main body contact member and the developing cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Horikawa
  • Patent number: 9280137
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a development device which contains developer and develops a latent image on the image bearing member as a toner image, and an acquisition portion that acquires information about a residual amount of developer contained in the development device. In addition, a main body humidity sensor detects information about atmosphere humidity of a main body of the image forming apparatus, and a main body temperature sensor detects information about temperature of a main body of the image forming apparatus. A controlling portion controls development contrast as a potential difference between a DC bias applied to the development device and an image potential on the image bearing member, according to detection results of the main body humidity sensor and the main body temperature sensor, and information obtained by the acquisition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9280138
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a slidingly-rubbing roller abutting a surface of a photoconductive drum; a temperature detection section; a humidity detection section; and a heating control section. When the humidity detected by the humidity detection section is equal to or higher than a first threshold humidity and the temperature detected by the temperature detection section is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature, the heating control section heats and dries the surface of the photoconductive drum by a heat generator, while in a case when the humidity is equal to or higher than the first threshold humidity and the temperature is less than the threshold temperature, the heating control section polishes the surface of the photoconductive drum by the slindingly-rubbing roller with a polishing agent contained in a toner and heats and dries the drum surface by frictional heat generated from the polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroka Itani
  • Patent number: 9280139
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fan cover including a wall portion disposed to overlap a rotational axis of a fan in an axis direction along the rotational axis, the wall portion extending in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the axis direction, a first section disposed on one side relative to the wall portion in the orthogonal direction, the first section having a first opening disposed on one side relative to the fan in the axis direction and on the one side relative to the rotational axis in the orthogonal direction, and a second section disposed on an other side relative to the wall portion in the orthogonal direction, the second section having a second opening disposed on the one side relative to the fan in the axis direction and on the other side relative to the rotational axis in the orthogonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Saeki, Hirotaka Tatematsu