Printing Or Reproduction Device Patents (Class 219/216)
  • Patent number: 10678171
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater including a heat generator that is divided into a plurality of heat generating portions in an axial direction of the endless belt. The heat generator defines a dividing region between adjacent ones of the plurality of heat generating portions and a non-dividing region other than the dividing region. A primary guide contacts and guides the endless belt. The primary guide is disposed opposite the dividing region of the heat generator and has a first thermal capacity. A secondary guide contacts and guides the endless belt. The secondary guide is disposed opposite the non-dividing region of the heat generator and has a second thermal capacity that is greater than the first thermal capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Furuichi, Yukimichi Someya, Tomoya Adachi
  • Patent number: 10671001
    Abstract: In an image heating device having a plurality of heating blocks which are controllable independently in a longitudinal direction of a heater, an increase of the size of the heater can be suppressed, and temperatures of a plurality of heating block can be detected. A heater has a first temperature sensor corresponding to a first heating block, a second temperature sensor corresponding to a second heating block, a first electric conductor electrically coupled to the first temperature sensor, a second electric conductor electrically coupled to the second temperature sensor, and a common electric conductor electrically coupled to the first and second temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimura, Akira Kato, Atsushi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10663921
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a fixing portion, a duct and a water vapor moving portion through which water vapor generated in the fixing portion moves. The water vapor moving portion is cooled by air blowing in the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshinori Shiratori, Keita Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10663900
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to begin to supply AC power to a first heater at a start of a first half-cycle of the AC power, begin to supply the AC power to a second heater at a first timing after beginning to supply the AC power to the first heater, in the first half-cycle, when an estimated combined peak current is more than a threshold, begin to supply the AC power to the second heater at a second timing in a second half-cycle next to the first half-cycle, the second timing satisfying that a time period between a start of the second half-cycle and the second timing is equal to a time period between the start of the first half-cycle and a timing from which the estimated combined current is equal to or less than the threshold until the end of the first half-cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoya Yada
  • Patent number: 10660238
    Abstract: A thermal connector comprising an electrically insulating beam having a first end face at a first end and a second end face at a second end is provided. The second end face may be opposite the first end face in an X direction. The beam may have a width in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. The beam may also have a top face and a bottom face offset from the top face in a Z direction. The thermal connector may include a first terminal attached to the bottom face and adjacent the first end and a second terminal attached to the top face and adjacent the first end. The connector may have an overall thickness in the Z direction, which includes the first and second terminals and is greater than 1.27 mm and less than 3.81 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: AVX Corporation
    Inventor: Scott B. Durgin
  • Patent number: 10642179
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to toner compositions containing an IR-taggant, and method of making thereof. The disclosure also relates to method for confirming authenticity of an item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Qi, Eugene F. Young, Shigeng Li, Chieh-Min Cheng, Richard P. N. Veregin, Laura Jenson
  • Patent number: 10632488
    Abstract: A control unit for an aerosol generating device includes: a sensor that outputs a value related to a temperature of a power source capable of being charged and discharged to a load for atomizing an aerosol source; and a controller configured to execute one or more functions of operating the power source when an output value of the sensor is within a first range having at least one of a first upper limit and a first lower limit. The first upper limit or the first lower limit is smaller or larger than a second upper limit or a second lower limit of a second range that is a range of a value related to a temperature at which the one or more functions can be executed, a range of a value related to a temperature at which deterioration of the power source is suppressed, a range of a value related to a temperature at which the power source deteriorates due only to a factor that is the same as normal temperature, or a range corresponding to an operating temperature of the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Oda, Hiroshi Okuno, Takeshi Akao, Hajime Fujita
  • Patent number: 10632676
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for emitting thermal energy, includes a heater which emits the thermal energy directed at a thermal expansion sheet that expands according to a heating amount absorbed, a relative mover which causes the heater and the thermal expansion sheet to move relatively in a predetermined direction, and a controller which changes one of a speed of the relative movement by the relative mover and a heat generation amount by the heater, according to the relative movement of the heater and the thermal expansion sheet, so that the heating amount received by the thermal expansion sheet is close to uniform regardless of the position in the predetermined direction while the thermal energy is emitted by the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshimune Motoyanagi
  • Patent number: 10635031
    Abstract: A heating device includes: a power unit as a primary device which supplies an alternating-current output voltage; and a secondary device including a heater which generates heat by using the alternating-current output voltage. The power unit includes: a rectifier which rectifies an alternating-current input voltage; an inverter which converts a direct-current voltage generated from an output of the rectifier to the alternating-current output voltage; a first detector which detects the alternating-current input voltage; a second detector which detects the alternating-current output voltage; and an inverter controller which receives information indicating a set voltage of an output of the inverter, and controls the inverter such that the alternating-current output voltage approaches the set voltage based on a first detection value outputted from the first detector and on a second detection value outputted from the second detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Yasutaka Haga
  • Patent number: 10626555
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet manufacturing apparatus including: a defibrating unit configured to defibrate a material including fibers in the air; a deposition unit configured to deposit at least a part of defibrated materials defibrated by the defibrating unit in the air; and a pressing unit configured to press a deposited material that is deposited by the deposition unit, in which the pressing unit includes a pair of pressing rollers that initially presses the deposited material, and among the pair of the pressing rollers, the pressing roller positioned at an upper portion is positioned on a downstream side of the pressing roller positioned at a lower portion in a horizontal component of a transfer direction of the deposited material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhito Gomi
  • Patent number: 10627753
    Abstract: A heater according to an embodiment includes a substrate that is formed of a heat resistant insulating material, a heating resistor that is provided on the substrate, a conductor that is provided on the substrate and that is electrically connected to the heating resistor, and a coating film that covers the heating resistor and the conductor. A plurality of groove portions are arranged on an end surface of the substrate along an outer periphery of the substrate, and a coefficient A=100×D/(T×P) satisfies 0.4?A?0.9 where T [?m] is the thickness of the substrate, D [?m] is the depth of the groove portion in a thickness direction of the substrate, and P [?m] is a pitch between the groove portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Tsubouchi, Kentaro Kimura, Yoshitatsu Matsui, Takanobu Ueno
  • Patent number: 10627756
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical rotatable fixing belt, a flat heater, a heater holding part, a pressuring member, and a connector. In the flat heater, an electrode part, a feeder and a heat generating part are formed in the same face state. The heater holding part holds the flat heater so that the heat generating part faces to an inner circumference face of the fixing belt. The pressuring member sandwiches the fixing belt with the flat heater. The connector has a contacting portion coming into contact with the electrode part. The feeder has a portion arranged at a near side from the electrode part in an attaching direction of the connector. The heater holding part includes a protecting portion covering the portion of the feeder arranged at the near side from the electrode part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Eiki, Hiroki Kawasaki, Atsushi Kohama, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 10613459
    Abstract: In an image heating device having a plurality of heating blocks which are controllable independently in a longitudinal direction of a heater, an increase of the size of the heater can be suppressed, and temperatures of a plurality of heating block can be detected. A heater has a first temperature sensor corresponding to a first heating block, a second temperature sensor corresponding to a second heating block, a first electric conductor electrically coupled to the first temperature sensor, a second electric conductor electrically coupled to the second temperature sensor, and a common electric conductor electrically coupled to the first and second temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimura, Akira Kato, Atsushi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10599195
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for controlling a hot plug operation of a CPU in a mobile terminal. The method includes: adjusting (101) at least one temperature threshold of the CPU when detecting that a number of hot plug operations of the CPU within a preset period is greater than a preset threshold, where the temperature threshold is used for controlling the hot plug operations of the CPU; and controlling (102) the hot plug operation of the CPU by use of the adjusted temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Hujun Li, Hongxia Liu, Yingfang Chen
  • Patent number: 10590594
    Abstract: A magnetic field thermal generator has one or more heat elements comprised of rotating pipes placed so they travel across the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field chamber, with said magnetic field being generated by either permanent magnets or electromagnets. The relative motion of the heat element to the magnetic flux from the magnetic field magnets results in heat generation. When placed in series, the thermal generator may be used to dry items and/or to generate hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Inventor: Elberto Berdut-Teruel
  • Patent number: 10591855
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a width-information acquisition unit, an environmental-condition detecting unit, a heat roller, an end-portion-temperature-detecting unit, a first heater, a second heater, a first control unit, a first control unit, a correction-value derivation unit, an extracting unit, and a second control unit. The first heater heats a center portion of the heat roller. The second heater heats the end portion of the heat roller. The first control unit controls electric power supplied to the first heater with a first duty ratio. The correction-value derivation unit derives a correction value for the temperature condition based on an environmental condition. The extracting unit reflects the correction value for the temperature condition to extract a second duty ratio from among a plurality of second duty ratios. The second control unit controls the electric power supplied to the second heater with the data of the extracted second duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Junta Maenishi
  • Patent number: 10589306
    Abstract: A control unit for an aerosol generating device includes: a sensor that outputs a value related to a temperature of a power source capable of being charged and discharged to a load for atomizing an aerosol source; and a controller configured to execute one or more functions of operating the power source when an output value of the sensor is within a first range having at least one of a first upper limit and a first lower limit. The first upper limit or the first lower limit is smaller or larger than a second upper limit or a second lower limit of a second range that is a range of a value related to a temperature at which the one or more functions can be executed, a range of a value related to a temperature at which deterioration of the power source is suppressed, a range of a value related to a temperature at which the power source deteriorates due only to a factor that is the same as normal temperature, or a range corresponding to an operating temperature of the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Oda, Hiroshi Okuno, Takeshi Akao, Hajime Fujita
  • Patent number: 10594876
    Abstract: A reading apparatus that performs colorimetry for an image on a sheet, includes a conveyor that conveys the sheet along a conveyance path; a first guide member that includes a reference surface arranged to face the conveyance path and to oppose the sheet and provided with an opening, and, guides the sheet; a first opposite member that urges the sheet toward the reference surface, and, brings the sheet in contact with the reference surface; a colorimetry unit that is disposed at a side opposite to the conveyance path so as to sandwich the first guide member, and, performs colorimetry for the image through the opening; and a processor that controls the conveyor and the first opposite member so as to convey the sheet in a state of being brought in contact with the reference surface, before the colorimetry unit performs colorimetry for the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Tianzi Xu
  • Patent number: 10591857
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to one embodiment includes a transport unit, an image forming unit, a heating member, a first pressurizing member, a second pressurizing member, and a processor. The transport unit is configured to transport a print medium. The image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on the print medium by a first toner. The first pressurizing member is configured to form a fixing nip for fixing with the heating member. The second pressurizing member is configured to form a decolorizing nip for decolorizing with the heating member. The processor is configured to control the heating member to the first temperature, allows the print medium on which the toner image is formed by the first toner to pass through the fixing nip, and allows the print medium on which an image is formed by a second toner, to pass through the decolorizing nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuuichi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 10588358
    Abstract: A heater assembly for an aerosol-generating system includes a perforated glass substrate and a heater element. The heater element is encapsulated in the glass substrate. The heater element includes a thin metal foil. The heater element is isolated from an adjacent aerosol-forming substrate. The perforations have a width ranging from about 1 micron to about 500 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Fabien Duc, Alain Tabasso
  • Patent number: 10558154
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pressing device, an apparatus body, an opening body, and a vibration insulator. The pressing device housed in the apparatus body is configured to press a pressing body to a pressing target body. The opening body is configured to open and close to the apparatus body. The opening body presses a pressing target portion of the apparatus body, at a first pressing portion to cancel a pressing state of the pressing device by opening of the opening body and at a second pressing portion to enter the pressing state of the pressing device by closing of the opening body. The vibration insulator is provided on at least one of the pressing target portion and the second pressing portion, at a contact portion at which the pressing target portion contacts the second pressing portion when the first pressing portion cancels the pressing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kajiyama, Naoki Iwaya, Hitoshi Fujiwara, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Yoshiharu Takahashi, Natsuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10555373
    Abstract: A heater controller and heater control method is disclosed. The hater controller includes a detector, a determination circuit, a limiting circuit, a selection circuit, and a driving circuit. The detector detects a temperature of the heating object, which is heated by the heater. The determination circuit determines turn-on ratio for the heater for every control cycle of AC voltage, based on the surface temperature of the heating object and a target temperature of the heating object. The limiting circuit limits the turn-on ratio of current control cycle when the control method of previous control cycle is phase control. The selection circuit selects control pattern to control the heater, based on the turn-on ratio, and the driving circuit applies a heater driving signal to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shuntaro Nakayama, Keita Maejima, Ryota Kubokawa
  • Patent number: 10545437
    Abstract: In a heater according to the present invention, one of conductive lines is arranged to extend from a temperature detection element toward one end portion of a substrate in a lengthwise direction of the substrate, whereas the other the conductive line is arranged to extend from the temperature detection element toward the other end portion of the substrate in the lengthwise direction of the substrate, and at least one of the two conductive lines has an area that is inclined in both of the lengthwise direction and the widthwise direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Jinkoma, Tomonori Sato, Atsushi Iwasaki, Takashi Nomura
  • Patent number: 10545440
    Abstract: Provided is a pressure roller for an image heating device that forms a nip part together with a heating member, the pressure roller including at least a mandrel, a first elastic layer, and a second elastic layer provided between the mandrel and the first elastic layer, wherein the first elastic layer has open-cell voids, is made of rubber, and has a thickness of at least 50 ?m and less than 500 ?m, and the second elastic layer is made of solid rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoichiro Ikegami, Naofumi Murata, Yutaka Arai, Jun Miura
  • Patent number: 10534295
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a controller that determines a duty ratio of a drive signal to be a first duty ratio if an alternating voltage of a commercial alternating current power supply detected by a voltage detector is less than a predetermined voltage, and to determine the duty ratio of the drive signal to be a second duty ratio, which is less than the first duty ratio, if the alternating voltage is greater than the predetermined voltage. The controller also supplies the drive signal, set to the determined duty ratio, to a driving circuit if a temperature detected by a temperature detector is less than a first temperature, and not to supply the drive signal to the driving circuit if the temperature detected by the temperature detector is not less than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Saito
  • Patent number: 10534296
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a first and second heat generating elements, a thyristor that controls electrical power supplied to the heat generating elements, and a relay that switches a supply destination of the electrical power supply between the heat generating elements. A controller switches the thyristor from on to off, and then actuates the relay to switch the supply destination from the first heat generating element to the second heat generating element, and, thereafter switches the thyristor from off to on. The controller sets a timing of switching of the thyristor from on to off to be in a period in which an image on a current recording material is in a nip, and sets timing of switching of the thyristor from off to on to be in a period in which an image on a current recording material or a subsequent recording material is not in the nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Iwasaki, Masato Sako, Shotaro Yoshimura, Ryota Ogura
  • Patent number: 10527985
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes determination means for determining a size of an image forming area of a medium, heating means for including an endless rotating body, plural heat-generating members which are formed in a perpendicular direction to a transport direction and divided by a predetermined length, and are disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the rotating body, and a switching unit which switches individual conduction of these heat-generating members, and heats the medium, pressing means for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plural heat-generating members, and nipping and carrying the medium in the transport direction along with the heating means, and heating control means for controlling the switching unit to select and conduct heat-generating members and controlling the heating means to heat the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 10524955
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system (100) for controlling a temperature, the system (100) comprising: a temperature sensor module (10), which is configured to measure a temperature value; a microcontroller module (20), which is coupled to the temperature sensor module (10) and which is configured to generate AC heating pulse signals by separate sequential code steps based on the measured temperature value; a coupling module (30) which is coupled to the microcontroller module (20) and which is configured to transform the generated AC heating pulse signals into transformed AC heating pulse signals using a transfer function which is substantially zero for DC signal components; and a heating module (40) which is coupled to the coupling module (30) and which is configured to generate heat according to the transformed AC heating pulse signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Josephus Arnoldus Henricus Maria Kahlman
  • Patent number: 10518564
    Abstract: An air filter for an image forming apparatus includes a housing including an air intake part and an air exhaust part, a fan disposed in the housing to form an air flow from the air intake part to the air exhaust part, and a filter disposed in the housing to filter the air flow. The fan draws air in a suction direction along an ejection direction of a sheet ejected from an ejection port in the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Keiichi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10488792
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heater including a first heat generating block and a second heat generating block, and a power control portion that controls electrical power to be supplied to the respective heat generating blocks. When a recording material passes the position of the heater, and, in a longitudinal direction of the heater, when an entire range in which the second heat generating block is provided is a range in which the recording material passes and only a portion of a range in which the first heat generating block is provided is a range in which the recording material passes, the power control portion controls the electrical power to be supplied to the respective heat generating blocks so that electrical power Wd supplied to the first heat generating block is less than electrical power Wc supplied to the second heat generating block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Sako, Atsushi Iwasaki, Keisuke Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 10481536
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fixing apparatus including a tubular film, a heater provided at an inside of the film, a protection element provided at the inside of the film, and at least one conductive member provided at the inside of the film. The protection element includes two terminals and a switch that turns off to shut off power to the heater when the heater abnormally generates heat. A first end of the conductive member is electrically connected to one of the terminals of the protection element. The conductive member is not coated with an insulator, and a second end of the conductive member projects out of the film so that the cost of the fixing apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Fujita, Naoki Hayashi, Masaaki Takeuchi, Koji Fujinaka
  • Patent number: 10459379
    Abstract: A heater of the present invention includes jointed heat generating resistors having a positive temperature characteristic of resistance and provided between a first conductive element and a second conductive element on a substrate in a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and a plurality of heating blocks provided in the longitudinal direction, each of which is a set of the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the heat generating resistor, and power supplied to at least one of the plurality of heating blocks can be controlled independent of other heating blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Shimura
  • Patent number: 10452012
    Abstract: A cylindrical fixing member for use with a fixing device includes a heat generating layer and an electrode layer contacting the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is smaller in volume resistance value than the heat generating layer. The electrode layer is formed in a helical shape so that a helical axis thereof extends in a direction along a generatrix direction of the fixing member. One end and the other end of the electrode layer are electrically open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatake Usui, Takaaki Tsuruya, Yasuo Yoda, Yasunari Kobaru, Akira Kato, Hiroki Eguchi, Michio Uchida, Tetsuya Sano, Atsuyoshi Abe, Aoji Isono, Minoru Hayasaki, Hiroshi Mano, Yuki Nishizawa, Akira Kuroda
  • Patent number: 10452011
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing device for preventing an increase in torque when a fixing belt starts to be driven. The fixing device may include a fixing belt that is rotatable; a pressure roller configured to pressure-contact an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt and to form a fixing nip portion between the pressure roller and the fixing belt. A contact member is located inside the fixing belt and includes a contact portion that contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The contact portion includes a surface having a plate shape that faces the pressure roller and a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the surface toward the pressure roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: HP PRINTING KOREA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Suzuki, Takayuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 10455644
    Abstract: A heater used in a fixing device includes a substrate, a first heat generation resistor, a second heat generation resistor with a gap to the first heat generation resistor in the longitudinal direction, a first conductive pattern, a second conductive pattern, and the third conductive pattern, wherein a width of at least one of the first and second heat generation resistors in the transverse direction in a first area adjacent to the gap is smaller than the width in a second area, arranged adjacent to the first area, farther from the gap in the longitudinal direction than the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Takagi
  • Patent number: 10437187
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing belt; a contact portion that comes into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in a width direction; a holding portion disposed opposite the inner peripheral surface to guide and hold the fixing belt; a pressing unit that presses the fixing belt against the contact portion; a protrusion disposed at a portion of the holding portion upstream of the contact portion in a rotation direction of the fixing belt to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface in the width direction; a gap forming portion that forms a gap at a portion of the holding portion between the protrusion and the contact portion, the gap extending in the width direction of the fixing belt without allowing the fixing belt to come into contact with the holding portion; and a lubricant applied to the inner peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toko Hara, Motoharu Nakao
  • Patent number: 10437184
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing section, a transfer section, and a fixing section. The developing section attaches a metal-containing toner to a latent image, and attaches a non-metal-containing toner to the latent image. The transfer section transfers, onto an intermediate transfer medium, the metal-containing toner and transfers, onto a print medium, the metal-containing toner. The transfer section transfers, onto the intermediate transfer medium, the non-metal-containing toner and transfers, onto the print medium, the non-metal-containing toner. The fixing section fixes, to the print medium, the metal-containing toner, and fixes, to the print medium, the non-metal-containing toner. The fixing section causes a temperature at which the metal-containing toner is fixed to the print medium to be lower than a temperature at which the non-metal-containing toner is fixed to the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Koido
  • Patent number: 10437181
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a nip portion forming member contacting the belt, a halogen heater including a bulb filled with gas and having a sealing portion sealing the bulb, a filament inside the bulb and having a light emission portion, an external lead extending to outside the halogen heater, and a metal body arranged in the sealing portion and electrically connected the filament and the external lead, and a reflection member reflecting the radiation light of the halogen heater toward the nip portion forming member, the reflection member being long in a longitudinal direction of the halogen heater, wherein a longitudinal end of the reflection member is configured to lie in an area between an end of a light emission area constituted by the light emission portion of the halogen heater and the metal body in the longitudinal direction of the halogen heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Kobaru
  • Patent number: 10429775
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a controller and fuser assembly. The fuser assembly has a heat transfer and backup member defining a nip and process direction of media travel. The heat transfer member includes a resistive trace with a length twice extending transverse to the process direction. The controller selectively applies AC power to the resistive trace. The controller calculates a power level from zero power to full power to heat the trace to a predetermined set-point temperature from a measured current temperature. The controller maps the calculated power level to one of only eight actual heating power levels that become applied or not to the resistive trace to achieve a desired power flicker and harmonics response otherwise unattainable by merely applying the calculated power level. The actual heating power levels include differing numbers of consecutive half-cycles of AC power and are applied at zero-crossings thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Jichang Cao, John Lemaster
  • Patent number: 10429776
    Abstract: A controller of an image heating apparatus executes a first heater control operation, when a sheet having a width such that the sheet passes both a position of a first temperature detector and a position of a second temperature detector, is heated in a nip, for controlling power supply to a heater so that a temperature detected by the second temperature detector is maintained at a heater target temperature, and a second heater control operation, when a sheet having a width such that the sheet passes through the position of the first temperature detector, but does not pass through the position of the second temperature detector, is heated in the nip, for controlling the power supply to the heater, so that the temperature detected by the first temperature detector, irrespective of the temperature detected by the second temperature detector, is maintained at a film target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Hashiguchi, Yusuke Hirota
  • Patent number: 10429782
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film a pressing member, and a preventing member including a preventing surface configured to prevent movement of the film in a longitudinal direction, and a film rotation guiding surface. As viewed in the longitudinal direction of the film, the preventing surface includes first and second regions positioned downstream and upstream, respectively, of a nip center line with respect to a recording material feeding direction. The first region retracts from a longitudinal film end surface relative to the second region. The second region continuously extends in the recording material feeding direction from a portion upstream of the nip center line to a portion downstream of the nip center line, and has a length, with respect to a rotational direction of the film, that is greater at the portion upstream of the nip center line than at the portion downstream of the nip center line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Honke, Satoru Taniguchi, Masaki Hirose, Taisuke Minagawa, Keita Nakajima, Kazushi Nishikata, Fumiki Inui, Koichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10429778
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat generation member to heat a recording material placed on a placement portion, an image forming unit, a detecting unit, a measuring unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image on the recording material conveyed from the placement portion. The detecting unit may detect information about a recording material characteristic. The measuring unit may measure a moisture content around the image forming apparatus as information. The storage unit stores information about a moisture content around the placement portion when the heat generation member is energized. When the heat generation member is not energized, the control unit sets an image forming condition based on an obtained detection result and measuring unit information. When the heat generation member is energized, the control unit sets the image forming condition based on the obtained detection result and the stored information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10423103
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes determination means for determining the size of a medium, heating means for including plural heat-generating members which are two-dimensionally arranged such that the heat-generating members are lined up along two parallel lines or more which are vertical to a transport direction of the medium and divided at locations on the parallel lines, and are disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the rotating body, and a switching unit which switches individual conduction, and heats the medium, pressing means for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plural heat-generating members, and heating control means for selecting a group of the heat-generating members which are lined up in the two-dimensional arrangement, conducting the selected group of the heat-generating members, and controlling the heating means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoko Shimmura, Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 10423098
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include: a first conveyer; a second conveyer provided downstream of the first conveyer; a detector that detects a deflection of the medium between the first and second conveyers; a speed controller that controls a speed of the second conveyer within a first speed range; a calculator that calculates an average convey speed of the second conveyer. The calculator calculates a first average speed in a first period from when a leading end of the medium reaches the second conveyer to when the medium is conveyed a predetermined distance from the second conveyer. The speed controller changes, after the first period elapses, the speed of the second conveyer within a second speed range with the calculated first average convey speed as a criteria speed of the second conveyer, based on the detection result from the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Sato, Daitetsu Amada, Satoru Tajima
  • Patent number: 10416598
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image heating apparatus that includes a heater including a plurality of independently controllable heating blocks in a longitudinal direction thereof, each including a first conductor, a second conductor, and a heating element. At least one of electrodes corresponding to the respective heating blocks is disposed in an area where the heating element is located in the longitudinal direction on a second surface of the heater that is opposite to a first surface that comes into contact with an endless belt. An electrical contact is arranged so as to face the second surface of the heater. An overheating occurring in a no-media passage portion when an image formed on a recording material having a small size is heated is suppressed or reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimura, Koji Nihonyanagi, Ryota Ogura
  • Patent number: 10394169
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a tubular rotator and a first heater disposed inside the tubular rotator and extended in a longitudinal direction of the first heater. The first heater heats the tubular rotator. A second heater is disposed inside the tubular rotator and extended in a longitudinal direction of the second heater. The second heater heats the tubular rotator. A heating adjuster is interposed between the first heater and the second heater. The heating adjuster adjusts heat conduction from the first heater to the second heater. A joint combines the heating adjuster with the second heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Keisuke Kubota, Masami Okamoto, Jun Ogino, Kensuke Yamaji, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Yuuta Kanda
  • Patent number: 10391765
    Abstract: A control circuit includes a memory interface and a power interface. The control circuit is configured to: read out identifiers and voltage values from a memory via the memory interface, the memory storing the identifiers and the voltage values associated with the identifiers, the identifiers identifying actuators for jetting liquid, the voltage values corresponding to values of voltages to be supplied to the actuators; based on the voltage values, associate each of the identifiers with one of power circuits; detect whether failure occurs in any of the power circuits via the power interface communicated with the power circuits each changeable in output voltage; and based on detection of the failure occurring in any power circuits, associate specified identifiers with a non-failure power circuit in which the failure does not occur, the specified identifiers associated with a failure power circuit in which the failure is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Etsuteru Inoue
  • Patent number: 10386759
    Abstract: A belt unit for forming a heating nip portion configured to heat a toner image in cooperation with a rotary member facing the belt unit, includes an endless belt, an nip forming member provided along a longitudinal direction of the endless belt on an inner side of the endless belt and configured to contact to an inner surface of the endless belt for forming the heating nip portion, a regulation member configured to regulate a position of the endless belt in the longitudinal direction, and a snap-fit unit formed of the nip forming member and the regulation member and configured to regulate the regulation member from being disengaged from the nip forming member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Michiaki Endo
  • Patent number: 10384474
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes an ejection head configured to eject an ink to form an image, a head heater configured to heat the ejection head to a temperature T1 and a control unit configured to control the temperature of the ejection head and the temperature at an image forming position by the ejection head. The control unit controls heating of the ejection head by the head heater and the temperature at the image forming position in such a way that the temperature of the ejection head is higher than the temperature at the image forming position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Hirokawa, Yoichi Takada, Mitsutoshi Noguchi, Shingo Okushima, Toru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10371443
    Abstract: Infrared air float bar for use in floating and drying a continuous planar web of a material in a dryer. Direct radiated or reflected infrared electromagnetic energy from an infrared light source in a removable channel assembly accelerates drying, or evaporation of solvents, or curing of web material passing in proximity to the bar, either by infrared electromagnetic energy, or in combination with convention airflow. The infrared source is cooled by pressurized air passing through an interior portion of the removable air bar channel assembly, and the air is further conducted into fluid contact with the web in an air gap between the emitter and web to promote convective heat transfer and to contribute to the air pressure field supporting web flotation. The removable channel assembly is configured for replacement of the infrared emitter and to allow the setting of the pressurized cooling air flow to the optimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Durr MEGTEC, LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Zagar, Michael O. Rocheleau