Patents Issued in July 3, 2018
  • Patent number: 10012912
    Abstract: An exposure method includes: exposing, with a photomask including a shot pattern including chip patterns arranged therein, a plurality of the shot patterns onto a wafer as a first pattern; aligning the photomask on the wafer so that a first region of the shot pattern overlaps the first pattern, a second region other than the first region of the shot pattern is outside the first pattern, and chip patterns are continuously arranged in the first pattern and the second region; adjusting focus on the wafer, with the photomask having been aligned on the wafer; and shielding the first region from light and exposing a pattern of the second region onto the wafer as a second pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Kimie Hatakenaka
  • Patent number: 10012913
    Abstract: A partial section of an aerial image measuring unit is arranged at a wafer stage and part of the remaining section is arranged at a measurement stage, and the aerial image measuring unit measures an aerial image of a mark formed by a projection optical system. Therefore, for example, when the aerial image measuring unit measures a best focus position of the projection optical system, the measurement can be performed using the position of the wafer stage, at which a partial section of the aerial image measuring unit is arranged, in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system as a datum for the best focus position. Accordingly, when exposing an object with illumination light, the position of the wafer stage in the direction parallel to the optical axis is adjusted with high accuracy based on the measurement result of the best focus position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 10012914
    Abstract: A sensor includes two shear-mode piezoelectric transducers, wherein each piezoelectric transducer has a bottom surface and a top surface, wherein the top surfaces of the piezoelectric transducers are rigidly connected to each other, and wherein the bottom surfaces of the piezoelectric transducers are configured to be attached to an object to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Antonius Gerardus Akkermans, Ruud Antonius Catharina Maria Beerens, Sander Christiaan Broers, Jeroen Johannes Theodorus Hendrikus De Best, Adrianus Marinus Wouter Heeren, George Alois Leonie Leenknegt, Bo Lenssen, Hendrikus Johannes Schellens, Peter Van Der Krieken, Theodorus Petrus Maria Cadee, Jan Van Eijk, Richard Henricus Adrianus Van Lieshout
  • Patent number: 10012915
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support and a photosensitive layer in this order. The photosensitive layer contains a chlorogallium phthalocyanine crystal obtained by mixing a hydroxygallium phthalocyanine crystal and an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nishida, Masato Tanaka, Masataka Kawahara, Jumpei Kuno, Kaname Watariguchi, Hidetoshi Hirano
  • Patent number: 10012916
    Abstract: Provided is a photoreceptor for electrophotography, having high sensitivity and high-speed response performance, and which prevents accumulation of residual potential even when used repeatedly. Also, provided are a photoreceptor cartridge and an image forming apparatus, each employing the photoreceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: S-PRINTING SOLUTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takamura
  • Patent number: 10012917
    Abstract: There is provided a toner comprising a binder resin, a wax, a charge control resin and a colorant. As a result of gas chromatography analysis, a first total amount of components detected in a range of a peak detecting time of hydrocarbons having 5 to 9 carbons is 500 ppm or less in terms of styrene; a second total amount of components detected in a range of a peak detecting time of hydrocarbons having 10 to 18 carbons is 5,000 ppm or less in terms of styrene; and an amount of a component corresponding to a maximum peak of peaks of hydrocarbons having 10 to 18 carbons is 3,000 ppm or less in terms of styrene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeru Chiba, Hiroshi Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10012918
    Abstract: A toner having a toner particle that is produced through a step of melt-kneading a resin composition containing a binder resin, a colorant, a hydrocarbon wax, and a wax dispersing agent, cooling the obtained kneaded material, pulverizing the obtained cooled material, and heat treating the resulting resin particles, wherein the wax dispersing agent is a polymer provided by graft polymerizing a styrene-acrylic polymer onto a polypropylene, the styrene-acrylic polymer is a polymer having a monomer unit derived from a cycloalkyl (meth)acrylate, and specific relationships are satisfied where Mp(p) is the melting point (° C.) of the polypropylene and Mp(w) is the melting point (° C.) of the hydrocarbon wax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koh Ishigami, Takeshi Ohtsu, Kentaro Kamae, Ryuichiro Matsuo, Yosuke Iwasaki, Wakiko Katsumata, Kenta Mitsuiki, Masaharu Miura, Yuichi Mizo
  • Patent number: 10012919
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle containing a binder resin, a colorant, an amorphous polyester, and a crystalline polyester, wherein the binder resin contains a vinyl resin; the amorphous polyester has a monomer unit derived from a linear aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 6 to 12 carbons, and a monomer unit derived from a dialcohol; the content of the monomer unit derived from a linear aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 6 to 12 carbons is 10 to 50 mol % with reference to the total monomer units derived from a carboxylic acid in the amorphous polyester; and in a cross section of the toner particle, the vinyl resin constitutes a matrix and the amorphous polyester constitutes domains, and the crystalline polyester is present in the interior of the domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Matsui, Yuujirou Nagashima, Keisuke Tanaka, Shohei Tsuda, Naoki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10012920
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a toner that exhibits high levels of the low-temperature fixability, storability, and charging performance all at the same time. The toner of the present invention is a toner that has a toner particle comprising a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin, the toner being characterized in that the toner satisfies 0.00?(Wt2/Wt1)?0.50; the toner particle has a matrix-domain structure in which domains of the crystalline resin are present in a matrix of the amorphous resin; at least 90 number % of the crystalline resin domains are domains with a diameter from 0.05 ?m to 0.50 ?m; and SF1 for the crystalline resin domains is from 100 to 130.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaho Shibata, Hayato Ida, Junichi Tamura, Yuya Chimoto, Ryuji Murayama
  • Patent number: 10012921
    Abstract: A toner having a toner particle containing an amorphous resin, a crystalline resin, a colorant, a release agent, and a polymer in which a styrene-acrylic polymer is graft-polymerized on a polyolefin, wherein the amorphous resin contains an amorphous polyester resin A, and the amorphous polyester resin A has a monomer unit derived from polyhydric alcohol and a monomer unit derived from polyhydric carboxylic acid, has, a particular amount of a succinic acid-derived monomer unit in the monomer unit derived from polyhydric carboxylic acid, and has, a particular amount of a monomer unit derived from a propylene oxide adduct on bisphenol A in the monomer unit derived from polyhydric alcohol; and has a particular softening point, a particular solubility parameter, and a particular peak molecular weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Kamae, Ryuichiro Matsuo, Yosuke Iwasaki, Wakiko Katsumata, Kenta Mitsuiki, Takeshi Ohtsu, Masaharu Miura, Koh Ishigami, Yuichi Mizo
  • Patent number: 10012922
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle containing a pigment, a resin A and a resin B, wherein the pigment is a pigment having a structure derived from a basic compound, the resin A has an acidic functional group, the resin B has an acid value of at least 2.0 mg KOH/g, the resin B has a glass transition temperature TgB of at least 50° C., and the hydrophobic parameter HPA of the resin A and the hydrophobic parameter of the resin B satisfy the following formulae: HPA?0.60 HPB?0.70 HPA?HPB>0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Yoshida, Yuhei Terui, Haruko Kubo, Hitoshi Itabashi
  • Patent number: 10012923
    Abstract: Provided is a toner including toner particles, each of which contains a binder resin, a colorant, a releasing agent and a crystalline polyester, wherein in an observation of a cross-section each of the toner particles by transmission electron microscopy, specific toner particles each of which has domains of the crystalline polyester and domains of the releasing agent, are present at a ratio of at least 70% by number of the toner particles in the toner, an arithmetic mean of maximum diameters of the domains of the releasing agent is within prescribed range, and the specific toner particles satisfy prescribed conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa Sano, Yusuke Hasegawa, Yoshitaka Suzumura, Satoshi Arimura, Takuma Ikejiri
  • Patent number: 10012924
    Abstract: An electrophotographic electro-conductive member comprising an electro-conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive elastic layer on the electro-conductive mandrel, wherein the electro-conductive elastic layer has an elastic coefficient of 1 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less, as well as a matrix containing first rubber and a plurality of electro-conductive domains dispersed in the matrix. Each of the electro-conductive domains contains an electro-conductive particle, and the electro-conductive elastic layer includes regions containing second rubber in the circumferences of the electro-conductive domains. The matrix has an elastic coefficient R1, the regions containing second rubber have an elastic coefficient R2, and the elastic coefficients R1 and R2 satisfy a relationship: R1<R2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Yoshidome, Saki Tominaga, Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Norifumi Muranaka, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10012925
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a light source, and circuitry that receives: first image data including first pixels each indicating image density or one of turning on and off the light source; and tag data indicating an attribute of each first pixels. The circuitry sets specific data to identify a first target pixel subjected to change out of the first pixels, converts the first image data into second image data having a higher resolution than that of the first image data, and controls the light source according to the second image data to form an image. In conversion, the circuitry identifies a second target pixel corresponding to the first target pixel out of second pixels of the second image data according to the specific data and the tag data, and changes the second target pixel into a pixel to turn on the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Miyadera, Muneaki Iwata, Hayato Fujita
  • Patent number: 10012926
    Abstract: A developing device includes a housing, a developing roller, a developer conveyance path, a partition plate, a developer supply port and a developer conveying member. The developer conveying member rotates such that an outer peripheral part thereof moves from top to bottom in a first area between a second shaft portion and the partition plate and moves from bottom to top in a second area between the second shaft portion and the side wall. The developer supply port is obliquely open above the second area. The housing includes a first space formed above the second area of the first conveyance path and a second space formed up to a position higher than the partition plate to communicate with the first conveyance path above the first area of the first conveyance path and communicating with the first space in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Ikuo Makie, Takahisa Nakaue
  • Patent number: 10012927
    Abstract: A developing roller is provided, which includes a roller body having a simplified structure without a coating film and yet having a higher wear resistance. The developing roller (1) includes a roller body (2) made of a crosslinked product of a rubber composition containing a rubber component including 20 to 50 parts by mass of ECO and/or GECO as an ion conductive rubber and 50 to 80 parts by mass of NBIR based on 100 parts by mass of the overall rubber component, and an oxide film (6) formed in an outer peripheral surface (5) of the roller body (2) by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei Tajima, Yuta Imase
  • Patent number: 10012928
    Abstract: A developing apparatus capable of suppressing an excessive discharge of developer from a developer discharge hole is disclosed. A first opening part through which developer is carried from a first case part to a second case part, and a developer discharge hole through which the developer is discharged are provided to the first case part. A first carrying member includes a counter blade between the first opening part and the developer discharge hole. The counter blade carries the developer in an opposite direction to a carrying direction of a first carrying blade of the first carrying member. A gap is prepared between an upper part of the counter blade and the first case part. A cross-sectional area of a discharge path for the developer from the counter blade to the developer discharge hole changes according to a progress of the developer along the discharge path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: S-PRINTING SOLUTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoya Iwata
  • Patent number: 10012929
    Abstract: An imaging cartridge chip includes a communication module for providing data communication between the imaging cartridge chip and an imaging device; a non-volatile data storage module for storing at least two different serial numbers; a volatile temporary data storage module connecting between the communication module and the non-volatile data storage module and including at least two temporary data storage units; and a control module. The control module is configured to load different serial numbers into corresponding temporary data storage units; to send a serial number in a selected temporary data storage unit to the imaging device; to determine whether the serial number sent to the imaging device passes a legitimacy verification of the imaging device; and when the serial number sent to the imaging device does not pass the legitimacy verification, to send a serial number in another temporary data storage unit to the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: APEX MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xuefeng He
  • Patent number: 10012930
    Abstract: A toner supply unit for use in an image forming apparatus includes a main body, a driving device supplying a driving force, a controller to control the driving force, and a toner bottle containing toner, dismountably mounted to a mounting portion, and including a discharging portion for discharging the toner. A movable shutter member on the toner bottle moves between a closing position and an opening position for opening the discharging portion, and a bottle gear is provided on the toner bottle and receives the driving force. The driving force supplied to the bottle gear when a discharging mechanism first discharges the predetermined amount of toner from the discharging portion after the shutter member moves to the opening position is smaller than the driving force supplied to the bottle gear during moving of the shutter member to the opening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takao Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10012931
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a fixing device including a heater and a temperature sensor, and a controller configured to execute: first heater control processing including: first processing of driving the heater with a predetermined energization ratio for a first time period independently of the detected temperature of the temperature sensor; second processing of stopping the driving of the heater for a second time period independently of the detected temperature of the temperature sensor; the second processing being executed when the first processing has ended, comparison processing of comparing a detected temperature of the temperature sensor with a reference temperature, which is executed when the second processing has ended; and first determination processing of determining whether to execute the first processing again based on the result of the comparison processing which has been executed when the second processing had ended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoya Yada
  • Patent number: 10012932
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix a toner image onto a recording medium, a voltmeter to measure an input voltage from an external source, and a controller operatively connected to the fixing device and the voltmeter. The fixing device includes an endless, fixing rotator formed into a loop, a heater to heat the fixing rotator, a pressure pad disposed inside the loop, and a pressure rotator disposed opposite the pressure pad via the fixing rotator to press the fixing rotator against the pressure pad to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed. The controller controls a heating operation of the heater and a fixing operation of the fixing device to fix the toner image onto the recording medium, based on the input voltage measured by the voltmeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Ishigaya, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Hiromasa Takagi, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kazuya Saito, Keitaro Shoji
  • Patent number: 10012933
    Abstract: A fixing device having a fixing member heated from a heating member, and a pressing member in pressurized contact with the fixing member, formed with a contact portion either at the fixing member or at the pressing member, wherein the fixing member and the pressing member are driven only in an amount equal to or less than a width of the contact portion at every time when a certain period elapses, during a waiting state in which the fixing member and the pressing member are stopped from being driven, and in which the heating member is heating the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahiro Haruyama
  • Patent number: 10012934
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a fixation device has a fixation belt, a coil, and a heat-generation auxiliary plate. The coil is opposed to the fixation belt and the heat-generation auxiliary plate and generates magnetic flux. The heat-generation auxiliary plate assists heating of a recording medium by the fixation belt. The heat-generation auxiliary plate has a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer formed on the magnetic layer and contacting a base layer of the fixation belt. The non-magnetic layer is harder than the base layer of the fixation belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10012935
    Abstract: An image fixing apparatus includes a cylindrical rotatable member including an electroconductive layer and having a hole at least at one of longitudinal end portions, a driving member engaged with the longitudinal end portion to rotate the rotatable member and including a claw engaged with the hole, a coil provided inside the rotatable member for forming an alternating magnetic field for heat generation of the electroconductive layer, and a magnetic core. The rotatable member generates heat by a current flowing in a circumferential direction of the rotatable member induced in the electroconductive layer in the magnetic field. The rotatable member is provided with a slot at the longitudinal end, the slot being disposed at a position different from a position of the hole with respect to the circumferential direction of the rotatable member and overlapping the hole with respect to a longitudinal direction of the rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Nishizawa, Seiji Obata, Hirotomo Tamiya
  • Patent number: 10012936
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt and including an elastic layer as a surface layer. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Yamaji, Keisuke Kubota, Seiji Saitoh, Masami Okamoto, Fumihiro Hirose, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kenji Nozawa, Kaori Hemmi, Jun Ogino, Yuuta Kanda
  • Patent number: 10012937
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator. A gap retainer contacts the nip former and is coupled to the presser to retain isolation of the presser from the nip former.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuutaroh Yuasa, Keisuke Kubota, Masami Okamoto, Seiji Saitoh, Fumihiro Hirose, Kensuke Yamaji, Jun Ogino, Yuuta Kanda
  • Patent number: 10012938
    Abstract: Provided is an illumination optical system includes: a light source; and a light guiding member configured to guide a light flux emitted from the light source to an illuminated surface, the light guiding member having: an incident surface into which the light flux from the light source enters; an ellipsoidal reflection surface configured to reflect the light flux from the incident surface; and an exit surface from which the light flux reflected by the ellipsoidal reflection surface exits, in which the light source is arranged so as to be separated from a first focal point of the ellipsoidal reflection surface at a position farther from the illuminated surface, in a direction perpendicular to a light emitting surface of the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yu Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10012939
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device configured to form a first image on a first side of a recording medium and a second image on a second side of the recording medium, a position detector configured to detect respective positions of the first and second images, and a controller configured to perform, based on detection results obtained by the position detector, at least one of an image position correction by matching the first and second images and a magnification error correction by calculating and correcting a magnification error of one of the first and second images relative to the other. A program product used in the image forming apparatus includes a method of forming the first image and the second image, detecting the respective positions of the first and second images, and matching a position or a size of the first and second images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Nishimura, Hideyo Makino, Yasuyuki Sekino, Kohtaroh Oda, Tohru Matsumoto, Yuji Karikusa, Yukifumi Kobayashi, Kohsuke Yoshida, Daiki Sekita, Yuusuke Kumagawa, Hiroki Terauchi
  • Patent number: 10012940
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a process device that forms a developer image; a transfer device that transfers the developer image formed by the process device onto a recording medium; a voltage applier that applies a voltage to the transfer device; and a voltage controller that acquires information on a width of the recording medium in a direction orthogonal to a medium conveyance direction, and controls the voltage applied by the voltage applier to the transfer device based on the width of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miura, Tetsuya Sato
  • Patent number: 10012941
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a printer device and an adjustment part. The printer device includes: an image formation unit that forms a toner image on a medium with toners including a regular toner and a special toner; and a fixation unit that performs a predetermined number of fixation operations of fusing the toner image on the medium. The adjustment part causes the printer device to print a first sample image using the special toner at various density levels, and receives a first setting for the density level of the special toner based on the printed first sample image. The printer device forms the toner image on the medium based on the first setting received, and fixes the toner image on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Masui, Hideo Suto
  • Patent number: 10012942
    Abstract: A drive device, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive motor and a plurality of gears driven by the drive motor. The plurality of gears include at least two gears disposed coaxially with each other and have a plurality of meshing portions. Each meshing portion is formed between a pair of gears of the plurality of gears. A difference between respective gear mesh frequencies of the plurality of meshing portions is set equal to or smaller than 100 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ishida, Naoki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10012943
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: first and second heaters; a frame; and first and second terminals. The frame includes first and second fixing surfaces. The first terminal is electrically-connected to the first heater and includes: a first plate-shaped portion including a first fixed portion fixed to the first fixing surface. The second terminal is electrically-connected to the second heater and includes: a second plate-shaped portion including a second fixed portion fixed to the second fixing surface; and a first electrical connection portion electrically-connected to a power source and including: a first intermediate portion bent from the second plate-shaped portion and extending in a first direction connecting the second fixed portion and the second fixing surface; and a first tip portion. The first intermediate portion has: a first end connected to the second plate-shaped portion; and a second end from which the first tip portion extends along the first plate-shaped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Koyama
  • Patent number: 10012944
    Abstract: A method for producing a cleaning blade including at least a strip-shaped elastic blade, the method including: (1) a step of producing an elastic blade preform formed of a polyurethane rubber; (2) a step of impregnating at least a part, which is to contact an image bearer, of the elastic blade preform with an ultraviolet-curable composition including a (meth)acrylate compound; (3) a step of immersing the part impregnated of the elastic blade preform in a washing solvent to remove the ultraviolet-curable composition including the (meth)acrylate compound remaining on a surface of the impregnated part; and (4) a step of curing the ultraviolet-curable composition including the (meth)acrylate compound that has impregnated the elastic blade preform to produce an elastic blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kaori Toyama, Shinji Nohsho, Masanobu Gondoh, Shohei Gohda, Masahiro Ohmori, Yohta Sakon, Hiromi Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 10012945
    Abstract: A base portion includes a cam surface formed around a support pin. A turning portion includes: a slide member provided movably in directions toward and away from the support pin; and a coil spring urging the slide member. The slide member is designed to slide on the cam surface while turning, together with an openable body, about the support pin. The cam surface includes a first sliding surface, a second sliding surface, and a third sliding surface. The first sliding surface presses the slide member back in a direction of closing of the openable body. The second sliding surface presses the slide member back in a direction of opening of the openable body. The third sliding surface presses the slide member back in the direction of closing of the openable body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Hanamoto
  • Patent number: 10012946
    Abstract: A lock device includes a lock cover, a restricting portion, a drive source, a biasing portion, and a pressing portion. The lock cover is opened and closed when a developer storing portion storing developer is attached or detached. The restricting portion, when the lock cover is closed, is engaged with the lock cover in such a way as to restrict the lock cover from being opened. The drive source drives the restricting portion in such a way as to release an engagement between the restricting portion and the lock cover. The biasing portion biases the restricting portion in a direction opposite to a direction in which the drive source drives the restricting portion. The pressing portion presses the lock cover in an opening direction in conjunction with an operation of the drive source to release the engagement between the restricting portion and the lock cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 10012947
    Abstract: In a developer cartridge, a base portion may be fixed to a surface of one side of a frame, and extend from one end thereof to another end thereof in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A first portion may extend from one end thereof to another end thereof in the first direction. The one end of the first portion is connected to the other end of the base portion. A second portion may extend from one end thereof to another end thereof in a direction opposite to the second direction. The one end of the second portion is connected to the other end of the first portion. An electrode for the cartridge is deformable such that a distance between the base portion and the second portion can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Kato
  • Patent number: 10012948
    Abstract: A biasing portion biases a restricting portion in a direction opposite to a direction in which a drive source drives the restricting portion. Each of a lock cover and the restricting portion includes an engaging portion that has a contact surface, and when the lock cover is closed, the contact surfaces of the lock cover and the restricting portion are engaged with each other while facing each other. The contact surfaces of the lock cover and the restricting portion are not parallel to each other in a state where the lock cover is closed, and as the lock cover is displaced in an opening direction of the lock cover when the drive source is not driving the restricting portion, one or both of the engaging portions are bent and the contact surfaces become parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 10012949
    Abstract: A developing cartridge has a casing accommodating toner therein; a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending an axial direction; a cam electrically connected to the developing roller and rotatable about a second axis extending the axial direction from a first position to a second position, the cam being positioned at a third position distant from the casing by a first distance in the axial direction at the first position, and the cam being positioned at a fourth position distant from the casing by a second distance at the second position in the axial direction, the second distance being greater than the first distance; and a gear rotatable about the second axis, the gear engaging with the cam in a case where the cam is at the first position, and the gear disengaging from the cam in a case where the cam is at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nao Itabashi
  • Patent number: 10012950
    Abstract: A printer 100 includes a housing, an image forming unit 120H, a body unit 150, positioning mechanisms and a lock lever 50. The positioning mechanism includes a unit biasing spring and a biasing projection, and positions the image forming unit 120H by biasing the image forming unit 120H mounted at a first position in the housing. The lock lever 50 is pivotably provided on the image forming unit 120H. The lock lever 50 can change the posture thereof between a first posture for locking the image forming unit 120H at the first position and a second posture for unlocking the image forming unit 120H and allowing the image forming unit 120H to be removed from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Eto
  • Patent number: 10012951
    Abstract: An end member (30) comprises: a tubular bearing member (40); and a shaft member (50), wherein the shaft member comprises: a shaft-like rotating shaft (51) which is disposed coaxially to the bearing member, and moves in the shaft line direction by rotating around a shaft line with respect to the bearing member; and a tip end member (55) which is disposed coaxially to the rotating shaft, and where a rotating force receiving member (58) provided with an engaging member (60) which engages with a driving shaft (70) of the image forming apparatus main body is disposed at a tip end, wherein a rotating force around the shaft line is transmitted to the rotating force receiving member, the rotating shaft, and the bearing member, in this order, and the rotating force receiving member moves to be inclined with respect to the shaft line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichi Ikeda, Yohei Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 10012952
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heat unit extending in an axial direction and comprising a heater, the heat unit having a central region in the axial direction and an end region outside of the central region; an opponent member to face the heat unit; and a cover positioned opposite to the opponent member with respect to the heat unit. The cover has: a central cover portion positioned to face the central region and spaced away from the central region by a reference distance; and a side cover portion positioned to face the end region and movable between a first position providing a first distance from the heat unit and a second position providing a second distance from the heat unit, the first distance being not more than the reference distance, and the second distance being greater than the reference distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norio Uchida
  • Patent number: 10012953
    Abstract: An apparatus for, and method of, image reconstruction. The method includes first breaking a holographic image into a plurality of interlaced sample sets corresponding to color separation images; and independently sampling, filtering, and reconstructing all sets. The resulting demodulated images contain no fringes. Notably, range-clipped tonal rendering curves are used to choose pixel regions of the demodulated images that will replace saturated regions. The image is reconstructed by integrating all un-saturated images into one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
    Inventors: William J Dallas, Chung-Chieh Yu, Isao Matsubara
  • Patent number: 10012954
    Abstract: A one-piece balance spring including a single strip wound on itself between an inner coil and an outer coil, the strip having a geometry such that when the angle of contraction of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees, there is a substantially constant distance between each coil from the inner coil to the penultimate coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Helfer, Yves-Alain Cosandier
  • Patent number: 10012955
    Abstract: A shock absorber bearing for an arbor of a timepiece wheel. The arbor includes a pivot-shank, the bearing includes a support including a housing arranged to receive a suspended pivot mechanism, and the pivot mechanism is arranged to absorb, at least in part, any shocks experienced by the timepiece wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Jean-Claude Martin
  • Patent number: 10012956
    Abstract: A drive device includes a first hand, a second hand, and a control unit that controls a movement operation of the second hand. The control unit starts movement of the second hand in a period after start of movement of the first hand before stop of the movement of the first hand. The control unit controls the movement operation of the second hand according to a decrease in a movement speed of the first hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mototaka Minakuchi, Noriyuki Kitta
  • Patent number: 10012957
    Abstract: A time measurement device measures a time interval between input timings of first and second pulsed target signals. The device includes: a processor; a number-of-periods detector that detects, by using a clock signal with a predetermined clock frequency and a predetermined clock period, the time interval in units of the clock period; and a phase detection unit including a band-pass filter. The band-pass filter receives at least one of the first and second target signals as a filtering target signal and extracts a signal component of the clock frequency from the filtering target signal. The phase detection unit detects a phase difference between the extracted signal and the clock signal. The processor derives, by using a result detected by the number-of-periods detector and the detected phase difference, the time interval at a resolution finer than the clock period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: RIKEN
    Inventors: Takashi Ohshima, Yuji Otake, Hirokazu Maesaka, Shin-ichi Matsubara
  • Patent number: 10012958
    Abstract: A time keeping assembly comprises a display configured to present at least a first display appearance and a second display appearance, the first display appearance corresponding to a first time period and, the second display appearance corresponding to a second time period. The first display appearance may also be associated with a color, such as red, while the second display appearance may also be associated with another color, such as blue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Inventor: Paul Antoney Gallimore
  • Patent number: 10012959
    Abstract: A lighting device includes: an illuminator which emits illumination light; a clock which measures time; a receiver which receives input of a set time from a user; a sensor which detects whether an eye of the user is open; and a controller which controls, at or after the set time, the illuminator, based on a result of the detection by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naohiro Toda, Kazuhiro Hatta
  • Patent number: 10012960
    Abstract: A watch including: a rear cover; a dial fixedly connected with the rear cover, the dial and the rear cover defining a first cavity; a transparent touch screen located on a side of the dial facing away from the rear cover and fixedly connected with the dial, the transparent touch screen and the dial defining a second cavity; at least one pointer located in the second cavity and being rotatable relative to the dial; and a driving system located in the first cavity and configured to drive the at least one pointer to rotate and the transparent touch screen to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiangyan Zhang
  • Patent number: 10012961
    Abstract: A servo control device includes a velocity command creation part configured to create a velocity command value for driving a servomotor; a velocity detection part configured to detect velocity of the servomotor; and a torque command creation part configured to create a torque command value using a difference between the velocity command value and the velocity detection value. The torque command creation part has an integral gain part and a proportional gain part, an integral gain and a proportional gain are obtained by multiplying a value calculated by multiplying an initial value by a ratio of load inertia of a machine relative to rotor inertia of the servomotor, by an integral gain magnification and a proportional gain magnification, respectively, and the integral gain magnification is set to a value smaller than the square of the proportional gain magnification according to a delay time of a velocity control loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryoutarou Tsuneki, Satoshi Ikai