Using Light As Exposure Means Patents (Class 347/118)
  • Patent number: 11966173
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with an exposure device including a plurality of light emitting points, includes a photoconductor and a processor. The processor controls the light emission of each of the plurality of light emitting points of the exposure device based on the image to be formed. The processor calculates a fourth correction coefficient by changing a third correction coefficient, which is calculated based on a first correction coefficient for correcting a first physical quantity related to the exposure condition of the photoconductor by the light emitting point, and a second correction coefficient for correcting a second physical quantity related to the exposure condition of the photoconductor by the light emitting point, based on the light emission time set according to the gradation of the image to be formed, and corrects the light output of each of the plurality of light emitting points by the fourth correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11960231
    Abstract: A transfer device includes an intermediate transfer member that has an outer peripheral surface to which a toner image is to be transferred, a primary transfer device that has a primary transfer member performing primary transfer of a toner image formed on a surface of an image holder to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer device that has a secondary transfer member which is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member and performs secondary transfer of the toner image transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member to a surface of a recording medium, and a cleaning device that has a cleaning blade cleaning the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member, in which a coefficient D of dynamic friction between the intermediate transfer member and the cleaning blade is 0.2 or more and 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Yoshiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11953840
    Abstract: A first exposure head forms an image corresponding to a first color based on a first synchronization signal. A second exposure head forms the image corresponding to a second color based on a second synchronization signal. A period of the first synchronization signal in a case where the first exposure head is to form the image for a second surface of a sheet is shorter than a period of first synchronization signal in a case where the first exposure head is to form the image for a first surface of the sheet. A period of the second synchronization signal in a case where the second exposure head is to form the image for the second surface is shorter than a period of the second synchronization signal in a case where the second exposure head is to form the image for the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Goda
  • Patent number: 11884085
    Abstract: A recording device includes a transportation path that transports a medium, a recording portion configured to move with respect to the transportation path in a direction intersecting with a recording surface of the medium, a moving mechanism that moves the recording portion, and a motor that causes the recording portion to move, and the moving mechanism includes a first member on which a first rack is formed in a moving direction of the recording portion, a first pinion gear that is engaged with the first rack, a second rack that is provided at a position facing the first rack in the recording portion, formed in the moving direction, and engaged with the first pinion gear, and a second member in which the first pinion gear is rotatably provided that is configured to move in the moving direction by receiving the power of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobutaka Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11841633
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor; an image signal generating unit configured to generate an image signal based on input image data; a light emitting portion configured to emit light based on the image signal and expose the photoreceptor; a driving unit configured to drive the light emitting portion; a first substrate in which the driving unit is provided and a plurality of the light emitting portions is provided in a direction parallel to a rotational axis direction of the photoreceptor; an exposure head including the first substrate; a reference clock signal generating unit configured to generate a reference clock signal that is a clock signal of a constant frequency; a modulated clock signal generating unit configured to generate a modulated clock signal by performing spread spectrum on the reference clock signal, the modulated clock signal being a composite wave in which odd-order harmonics are combined with a fundamental wave when a triangular wave is subjected to Fourier series expansi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Izuru Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 11619894
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposing unit, an intermediary transfer belt, a cleaning blade to clean a remaining toner on the intermediary transfer belt, and a controller to control so as to form a toner image on the intermediary transfer belt to supply toner as a lubricant of the cleaning blade. The controller controls a first line count when a first toner image is formed to supply the toner to the cleaning blade to become fewer than a second line count when a second toner image is formed to transfer to a recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuji Saito
  • Patent number: 11467523
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing roller, a photoconductor drum, a density detector, a current detector, and a controller. The developing roller carries a toner. The photoconductor drum carries a toner patch. The density detector detects toner density of the toner patch. The current detector detects developing current flowing to the toner patch. The controller calculates an inclination of an approximate straight line approximating a relation between the toner density and the developing current. The developing roller develops three or more toner patches, different in toner density and different in developing current from one another, on the photoconductor drum. The controller calculates the inclination, using different mathematical expressions depending on whether three toner patches or four toner patches are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Nakai
  • Patent number: 11435676
    Abstract: A focus adjustment method is disclosed. The focus adjustment method includes depositing, using a print apparatus, print agent onto a printable substrate, the print apparatus comprising a photoconductive surface and a writing head having a first end and a second end, the writing head having an array of light sources to emit radiation onto the photoconductive surface during a printing operation. The method also includes during said depositing, moving the writing head relative to the photoconductive surface, between a first position and a second position, to create a printed image. The method also includes determining, based on the printed image, for each of a plurality of locations along the writing head, a position of the writing head relative to the photoconductive surface at which the writing head is most focussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Oron Ambar, Zvi Erlich, Haim Vladomirski
  • Patent number: 11422481
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus superimposes a plurality of color images each formed of a single-color developer to form a superimposed color image. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry forms, as a correction pattern, combination patterns arranged along a conveyance direction of the color images and including a first pattern, a second pattern, and a third pattern. A formation interval of the first pattern constituting one combination pattern is shorter than a formation interval between one horizontal line of the first pattern constituting the one combination pattern and another horizontal line of the first pattern constituting another combination pattern. The one horizontal line is opposite the other horizontal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Murakami
  • Patent number: 11378896
    Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosures, a controller of an image forming apparatus is configured to determine, when printing is started, whether a particular condition is satisfied, the particular condition being satisfied when an elapsed time from a time when the polygon mirror starts rotating to a time when a rotation speed of the polygon mirror has reached a determination speed which is slower than a target speed is less than an upper limit time, when the particular condition is determined to be satisfied, feed the sheet from the sheet tray with the feed roller before the rotation speed reaches the target speed, and when the particular condition is determined not to be satisfied, feed the sheet from the sheet tray with the feed roller after the rotation speed has reached the target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takato Mori
  • Patent number: 11366405
    Abstract: A holding member includes a first opposing portion (first inner wall surface) and a second opposing portion (second inner wall surface) which oppose side wall surfaces of a lens array. Side wall surfaces of the lens array on opposite end sides with respect to a longitudinal direction of the lens array are exposed from opposite ends of the first opposing portion and opposite ends of the second opposing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuaki Otoguro, Yuta Okada, Daisuke Aruga, Hitoshi Iwai, Shinichiro Hosoi, Yuichiro Imai, Toshiki Momoka, Yoshitaka Otsubo, Saimon Gokyu, Takehiro Ishidate
  • Patent number: 11345102
    Abstract: In a toric lens comprising a toric surface having a fine uneven structure, the fine uneven structure includes a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes have a hole depth H and a surface opening diameter ?t which satisfy an expression of 0.3?H/?t?0.6, and (a) the plurality of holes have a hole structure having a cylindrical shape on a bottom surface side and a circular truncated cone shape having an opening diameter increasing toward a surface side, or (b) an angle ? formed between an opening portion and the surface of the plurality of holes satisfies 78°???85°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junji Terada, Toshiaki Yoshikawa, Kazuhiro Arai, Noriyuki Nakai, Yu Kameno, Miwa Takachi
  • Patent number: 11347159
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes: a base plate extending in a first direction; a plurality of light emitting units arranged over a front surface of the base plate while being shifted from each other in the first direction, and each including a support body extending in the first direction and a plurality of light sources supported on the support body while being arranged in the first direction; a flow path disposed on a side of the base plate opposite to a side facing the light emitting units to feed air therethrough in the first direction; and a wire electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of the light emitting units, and disposed inside the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yosuke Kasuya, Takahiko Kobayashi, Tsutomu Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11294298
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus with accurate color shift correction with consideration of a change in a rotational speed of a driving portion of a laser scanning member includes a light source, the laser scanning member, a driving portion, a speed controlling portion, a light detecting portion, a light source controlling portion, a scanning lens, a housing, a temperature gradient detecting portion, a first temperature detecting portion, and a correction processing portion. The temperature gradient detecting portion detects a temperature gradient in the housing. The first temperature detecting portion detects a temperature of the scanning lens. The correction processing portion corrects an emission start timing at which light corresponding to a line of image data is emitted from the light source, based on the temperatures detected by the temperature gradient detecting portion and the first temperature detecting portion, the rotational speed of the driving portion, and a preset arithmetic expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Aiichiro Otana
  • Patent number: 11249413
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a housing, a transmissive member, a wire-shaped member, a driving portion, a cleaning holder, a cleaning member, a stopper, and a control portion. The control portion is capable of executing a cleaning mode including at least one of a forward travel operation of controlling the wire-shaped member to travel in a first direction so that the cleaning holder moves along the transmissive member and a backward travel operation of, after executing the forward travel operation, controlling the wire-shaped member to travel in a second direction so that the cleaning holder moves in an opposite direction to a direction of the forward travel operation. The control portion executes a load releasing operation of controlling the cleaning holder to move by a prescribed amount in an opposite direction to the direction of the forward travel operation or the direction of the backward travel operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shingo Yoshida, Tatsuya Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11194264
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image information on a sheet includes a photosensitive member; a scanner unit for scanning the member with a laser beam in accordance with the information, the scanner unit including a source for emitting the beam, a deflector having a polygonal mirror for reflecting the beam to deflect it, and a sensor for receiving the beam deflected by the deflector; a controller for controlling scanning start timing of the beam in response to an output of the sensor. A reference position of scanning lines of the beam in a sub-scan direction and a center position of a receipt surface of the sensor in the direction are deviated from each other. For all scanning lines by reflecting surfaces of the rotatable polygonal mirror, only parts, in the direction, of the scanning lines pass the receipt surface of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Katayama, Jun Nagatoshi
  • Patent number: 11175617
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure device, a developer image forming unit, a memory, and a processor. The image carrier carries a developer image. The exposure device exposes the image carrier. The developer image forming unit forms the developer image by transporting a developer to a latent image formed on the image carrier. The processor generates correction data for correcting density unevenness in a main scanning direction detected based on an image generated by the developer image, corrects the density unevenness in the main scanning direction occurring in the developer image by changing an exposure amount when the image carrier is exposed by the exposure device, using the generated correction data, and when a position change of the developer image forming unit in the main scanning direction is detected, adjusts the correction data by a detected position change amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Yuma Motegi
  • Patent number: 11112721
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an exposure portion including surface light emitting element arrays each including light emitting elements, and a clock generating portion. The clock generating portion generates a reference clock signal and a spread spectrum modulation clock signal. The exposure portion exposes the photosensitive member to light by sequentially subjecting a predetermined number of the light emitting elements to light emission control on the basis of a signal obtained by subjecting the modulation clock signal to modulation with image data. A modulation cycle in which a frequency of the modulation clock signal is modulated is n times (n: integer of n>1) an exposure cycle which is a time in which the light emitting elements are subjected to the light emission control on the basis of the reference clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Izuru Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 10895820
    Abstract: There is provided a pulse signal generation circuit capable of generating a high-resolution pulse signal by generating pattern data by performing a logical operation on rising data that indicates the rising of a pulse signal and falling data that indicates the falling of the pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Takao
  • Patent number: 10831122
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a first light source, a second light source, a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a deflector. The first light source emits a first light flux. The second light source emits a second light flux. The second light flux is separated from the first light flux by an opening angle in a main scanning direction. The first aperture shapes a beam shape of the first light flux in a sub-scanning direction. The second aperture shapes a beam shape of the second light flux in the sub-scanning direction. The third aperture shapes the beam shape of the first light flux and the beam shape of the second light flux. The deflector deflects the first light flux and the second light flux at positions separated in the sub-scanning direction on a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasushi Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 10819878
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of an error due to an increase in the amount of data transfer per unit time while suppressing occurrence of an error due to thickness of a conveyed document sheet. A conveying speed of a document sheet is controlled based on the thickness thereof. As a frequency of an image transfer clock for transferring image data of the document sheet from a scanner section to an image processor, a frequency is used which is the lower of a first frequency determined based on whether an image processing process is executed in parallel with any other image processing process different from the image processing process and a second frequency determined based on the thickness of the document sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toyomi Hirao
  • Patent number: 10782628
    Abstract: An optical scanner includes a multi beam light source, a scanning optical system, and a controller. The controller specifies selected beams, and changes light quantities of the respective selected beams at the same change timing based on the same profile data at respective positions in the main scanning direction which are fixedly determined as light quantity change positions. When the position of a center region in an arrangement width of the plurality of selected beams is moved in the main scanning direction in response to a selected mode of the beams, in the profile data, the controller derives a shift light quantity at a position shifted in the main scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the movement of the position of the center region, and the light quantity is modified so that the shift light quantity is used at the light quantity change position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hideji Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10761450
    Abstract: The optical scanning apparatus includes a deflecting unit that scans first and second (FaS) scanned surfaces in main scanning direction by deflecting FaS light fluxes incident on a first deflecting surface at different angles with respect to main scanning section in sub-scanning section, and a first optical element including FaS optical portions which guide FaS light fluxes deflected by deflecting unit to FaS scanned surfaces, respectively. An incident surface of first optical element projects most toward deflecting unit at a position of surface vertex on the incident surface in sub-scanning section including the surface vertex. At least one of FaS exit surfaces of FaS optical portions is a sagittal tilt surface. A distance between surface vertices on FaS exit surfaces in sub-scanning section including an incident position of axial ray is larger than the corresponding distance in sub-scanning section including an incident position of outermost off-axis ray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayasu Teramura, Yu Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10743418
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thinned flexible polyimide substrate and a method for manufacturing the same. The thinned flexible polyimide substrate comprises a polyimide resin, a conductor layer, and a polyimide insulating layer. The polyimide resin has a linear thermal expansion coefficient of less than 40 ppm/K. The conductor layer is formed of a plurality of stacked metal nanoparticles having pores therebetween, and each of the pores has a size between 0.1 ?m and 1 ?m. A portion of the polyimide resin fills into the pores. The polyimide insulating layer is formed of the polyimide resin coated on the conductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Microcosm Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Tang-Chieh Huang
  • Patent number: 10656551
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of process units, a transferring member, a sensor, and a processor. The plurality of process units include a photosensitive drum, an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum, an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction configured by the plurality of light emitting elements, and irradiates the photosensitive drum to form a latent image, and a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image to form a toner image. The transferring member receives the toner image from the photosensitive drum. The sensor detects the toner image transferred to the transferring member. The processor calculates a skew deviation amount based on the detection result of the sensor, and controls turning on and off the light emitting element based on a central tendency and the skew deviation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidehito Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10656542
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an undercoat layer, a charge generation layer, and a charge transport layer in this order. The undercoat layer contains a cured product of a composition containing an electron transport material, a particle having an average primary particle size of 10 nm or more, and a silicone oil. A content of the particle in the undercoat layer is 3% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less. A content of the silicone oil in the undercoat layer is 0.01% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less relative to the content of the particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Nishi, Kunihiko Sekido, Yuka Ishiduka, Akihiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 10620561
    Abstract: An optical scanning device including: a light source; a deflector that deflects light from the light source; an optical element that guides light deflected by the deflector on an optical path to a photosensor; and a housing that accommodates the deflector and the optical element. The housing is integrally formed and includes a bottom plate, a side wall standing upright from a periphery of a main surface of the bottom plate, and a pair of ribs parallel with each other and standing upright from the bottom plate. Both longitudinal ends of each of the ribs in plan view are joined to the side wall. A region of the bottom plate between the ribs in the plan view has a portion displaced farther upward in an upright direction of the side wall than other regions of the bottom plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Saito, Ryo Hasegawa, Hajime Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 10607675
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for operating a ferroelectric memory cell or cells are described. Before reading a memory cell, the voltage on an access line of the memory cell may be initialized to a value associated with the threshold voltage of a switching component in electronic communication with the memory cell. The voltage may be initialized by reducing the existing voltage on the access line to the value. The switching component or an additional pull down device, or both, may be used to reduce the voltage of the access line. After the access line has been initialized to the value, the read operation may be triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aswin Thiruvengadam, Hernan A. Castro
  • Patent number: 10527989
    Abstract: A density correction unit calculates a density change rate to a change in an exposure amount as a first density change rate based on a difference between a density of a part of reference patch images, in which a position in a main scanning direction is identical to a position of a first patch image. As for a second patch image, the density correction unit similarly calculates a second density change rate. A light amount when forming the first patch image is smaller than a reference light amount. A light amount when forming the second patch image is larger than the reference light amount. The density correction unit uses the first or the second density change rate based on whether a density of each position of the reference patch images in the main scanning direction higher or lower than a target density to correct the exposure amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Seiji Taki
  • Patent number: 10527963
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a deflector configured to deflect first and second beams to scan an effective area of a first scanned surface in a main scanning direction, and first and second imaging optical systems configured to guide the first and second beams deflected by the deflector to first and second areas, respectively, which are included in the effective area and different from each other in the main scanning direction. In the main scanning direction, the first area and the second area are asymmetric in width with respect to an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 10488808
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transferer that transfers a toner image formed on a surface of a photo-conductor onto an image carrier; and an irradiator that irradiates the surface of the photo-conductor before transfer with light such that a potential of an image area where the toner image has been formed and a potential of a non-image area where the toner image has not been formed in the photo-conductor before transfer satisfy formula (1): 0?|Va|?|Vb|?200 [V]??(1) where |Va| represents the potential of the image area after the surface of the photo-conductor before transfer is irradiated with light, and |Vb| represents the potential of the non-image area after the surface of the photo-conductor before transfer is irradiated with light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi Ishida, Kazuhiro Kuramochi, Seisuke Maeda
  • Patent number: 10479108
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a light source configured to emit a light beam; a rotary polygon mirror including a plurality of reflection surfaces each configured to deflect the light beam emitted by the light source so that the light beam scans a surface of a photosensitive member; a light receiving portion configured to output a light receiving signal by receiving the light beam reflected by each of the plurality of reflection surfaces; a conversion unit configured to convert the light receiving signal to a pulse signal; a measurement unit configured to measure pulse widths of a plurality of pulse signals corresponding to the plurality of reflection surfaces, respectively; and an identification unit configured to identify a rotation phase of the rotary polygon mirror based on a measurement result of the measurement unit and reference values to be compared with the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Morishita
  • Patent number: 10478257
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for robotic surgery, and in particular for measuring a rotational position of elongate shafts of surgical tools. For example, a surgical tool is provided with an elongate shaft having an end effector at a distal end thereof. The elongate shaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and the surgical tool is configured to measure a rotational position of the shaft about the longitudinal axis relative to an initial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Mark Overmyer, Jeffrey S. Swayze
  • Patent number: 10468853
    Abstract: A light emitting chip including: a substrate that is provided with a first semiconductor laminate part, a tunnel junction layer or a metallic electrically conductive group III-V compound layer, and a second semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor laminate part includes light emitting elements. The tunnel junction layer or the metallic electrically conductive group III-V compound layer is provided on the first semiconductor laminate part. The second semiconductor layer is provided on the tunnel junction layer or the group III-V compound layer, and includes a driving portion. The driving portion includes setting thyristors and drives the light emitting elements to make the light emitting elements be able to shift to an ON state sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Kondo
  • Patent number: 10386741
    Abstract: A photo drum may be to receive a color separation. A controller may be to change a location of the color separation on the photo drum from a first location to a second location when a separation location history for the color separation is outside of a threshold range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Vitaly Portnoy, Maya Bar-Sadeh, Michel Assenheimer
  • Patent number: 10372057
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum assembly, an exposure head, and a bearing, is provided. The photosensitive drum assembly includes a photosensitive drum and a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of an axis of the photosensitive drum. The flange contacts an inner surface of the photosensitive drum. The exposure head includes a plurality of light emitters aligned along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a lens array focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum, and a head frame to support the light emitters and the lens array. The bearing has a first contact face to contact the exposure head to define a distance between the lens array and the photosensitive drum along a direction of an optical axis of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamasa Tsukada, Junichi Yokoi
  • Patent number: 10372059
    Abstract: A lens unit according to an embodiment includes: a lens array that includes lens elements each provided with an optical axis and extends in a first direction; a support member that supports the lens array; and an adhesive that bonds the lens array and the support member. The support member includes a first adhesive holding portion with a specified depth in a direction of the optical axis and a second adhesive holding portion shallower than the first adhesive holding portion. The first adhesive holding portion and the second adhesive holding portion are aligned in the first direction. The adhesive is arranged at the first adhesive holding portion and the second adhesive holding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Taishi Kaneto
  • Patent number: 10317813
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit: starting up a rotary polygon mirror based on a first signal output by a driving unit thereof; causing a light source to emit a laser-beam while controlling a rotational speed of the rotary polygon mirror based on the first signal to acquire a second signal output from a detecting unit of the laser-beam; turning off the light source after acquiring a phase relation between the first and second signals; causing a charging unit to charge a photosensitive member; making the laser-beam to enter onto the detecting unit without exposing the photosensitive member based on the phase relation in response to the rotational speed reaching a target speed; controlling the rotational speed based on the second signal in response to the laser-beam being entered; and starting image formation in response to the rotational speed converging within a predetermined range including the target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasutomo Furuta
  • Patent number: 10295929
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a correction mechanism that rotates a synchronization detection mirror around a sub-scanning axis in accordance with a change in the temperature of a casing, wherein the correction mechanism includes a fixing support part provided to the casing and fixing the synchronization detection mirror thereto, and a first adhesive part and a second adhesive part respectively provided at one end side and the other end side of the synchronization detection mirror in a width direction perpendicular to a sub-scanning direction and serving as adhesives for allowing the synchronization detection mirror to adhere to the fixing support part. The correction mechanism is configured to rotate the synchronization detection mirror around the sub-scanning axis due to a difference between of thermal deformation amounts of the first adhesive part and the second adhesive part in a thickness direction when the temperature inside the casing has changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Ryotaro Todokoro
  • Patent number: 10216116
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a deflector configured to deflect a light beam from a light source to cause the light beam to scan a surface to be scanned in a main scanning direction, an incident optical system that includes a single incident optical element and is configured to guide the light beam from the light source to the deflector, and an image-forming optical system configured to condense the light beam having been deflected by the deflector as condensing points on the surface to be scanned. At least one of the incident optical system and the image-forming optical system includes a diffractive surface that corrects displacement amounts of the condensing points in a main scanning section and a sub scanning section when a wavelength of the light beam from the light source varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noa Sumida
  • Patent number: 10008823
    Abstract: A flange portion of this semiconductor laser element is press-fitted, with a front face of the semiconductor laser element serving as the leading head, into an externally-contacting hole portion of a through-hole in a vertical wall portion. The externally-contacting hole portion contacts an outer peripheral surface of the flange portion. A collimator lens is mounted to a support body before or after the flange portion is press-fitted into the externally-contacting hole portion. The press-fitting of the flange portion into the externally-contacting hole portion is stopped at a position where an edge portion, of the flange portion, on the front face side of the semiconductor laser element rests within the externally-contacting hole portion. The collimator lens is mounted to the support body in a path of emitted light in front of the semiconductor laser element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroatsu Tamai
  • Patent number: 9983503
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driver and an image forming apparatus incorporating the semiconductor laser driver. The semiconductor laser driver includes a light source including a plurality of laser-beam source units disposed in a sub-scanning direction that serves as a group direction, the laser-beam source units having a plurality of groups arranged in a main scanning direction, each of the laser-beam source units emitting a laser beam of a light quantity dependent upon a driving current, a shading corrector to correct, according to at least one shading correction value, the driving current given to the laser-beam source units for each of the groups, and a light quantity adjuster to adjust the driving current according to a light-quantity adjustment value for the laser-beam source units. The image forming apparatus includes a semiconductor laser drive circuit, and the semiconductor laser driver that serves as the semiconductor laser driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 9979856
    Abstract: An optical print head comprises a first light emitting element row, a second light emitting element row, a lens array, a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit. The first light emitting element row includes the arrangement of first light emitting elements. The second light emitting element row includes second light emitting elements arranged in parallel with the first light emitting element row. The lens array concentrates light emitted by the first light emitting elements and the second light emitting elements. The first drive circuit drives each first light emitting element with an identical first current value. The second drive circuit drives each second light emitting element with an identical second current value different from the first current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishikawa, Koji Tanimoto
  • Patent number: 9955031
    Abstract: A laser scanning device includes light source, deflection portion, image forming lens, a block position setting portion, and a light source control portion. The image forming lens condenses a light beam deflected by the deflection portion on a scanned surface, and causes the light beam to be scanned on the scanned surface in a scanning direction at an equal speed. The block position setting portion sets one or more block areas which each include a plurality of section areas sectioned from each other on the scanned surface in the scanning direction. The light source control portion controls the light source to irradiate the light beam to the plurality of section areas at a plurality of irradiation timings that are determined for each of the block areas. The block position setting portion shifts set positions of the block areas along the scanning direction for each scan of at least one line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hideki Ishida, Yuji Toyota
  • Patent number: 9915911
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a housing having light emitting ports extending in a predetermined direction, a transparent cover that closes the light emitting ports, a screw shaft arranged so as to extend in the predetermined direction along the transparent cover, a holding member having an engaging part engaged with the screw shaft, and a cleaning member held to the holing member. An abutting fulcrum is provided at an end of a movement path of the holing member, abuts a predetermined place of a surface of a front side in a progress direction of the holing member, allows the holing member to rotate by employing an abutting part of the holding member with the abutting fulcrum as a fulcrum, and reduces a position shift amount between the one side end portion and the other side end portion of the holing member in the progress direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Daisuke Mimura
  • Patent number: 9846369
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which makes it possible to grasp such settings of a phase and a main scanning magnification of laser beams as reduce occurrence of moire, by visually checking a plurality of pattern images. Pattern images are formed using a laser beam irradiated from a reference light source and a laser beam irradiated from an adjustment target light source for which each of different phase values is set as a phase setting value. A phase relationship between the phases of the laser beams is adjusted based on the pattern images. Pattern images are formed using a laser beam irradiated from the adjustment target light source for which each of different magnification values is set as a magnification setting value. The magnification of the laser beams is adjusted based on these pattern images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Sato
  • Patent number: 9842407
    Abstract: A method and system for generating light pattern using reflective polygons are provided herein. The method may include: rotating at least one polygon having a plurality of reflective facets along a rotation axis parallel to the facets; transmitting a light beam on the facets of the polygon; tilting the light beam relative to the polygon in parallel to the rotation axis so that the light beam hits each of the facets at a different tilt angle, thereby producing a light pattern comprising a plurality of lines; and controlling at least one of: the light intensity, the rotating, and the tilting, so as to produce an adjustable light pattern transmitted at a scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Guy Raz, Yair Alpern, Nadav Grossinger
  • Patent number: 9784968
    Abstract: A light scanning device includes a deflection unit, a first imaging lens, and a second imaging lens. The first imaging lens has a bottom surface adhesively secured to a housing via a plurality of adhesion portions. The second imaging lens has a bottom surface adhesively secured to a top surface of the first imaging lens via a plurality of adhesion portions. The plurality of the adhesion portions interposed between the first imaging lens and the housing are symmetrically located with respect to a center position of the first imaging lens in a main-scanning direction. The adhesion portions interposed between the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens are symmetrically located with respect to the center position of the first imaging lens in the main-scanning direction, and are located outside in the main-scanning direction with respect to the adhesion portions between the first imaging lens and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Issei Nakano
  • Patent number: 9696650
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit in which multiple chips including multiple light emitting elements are arranged in a main scanning direction, the image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium, a reading unit that reads the image fixed on the recording medium by a fixing unit, a density specification unit that specifies a density of a region in the image for each of the chips, the region corresponding to each of the chips, a correction amount specification unit that specifies a correction amount of light quantity from the chip based on an approximate value obtained by approximating the density of a region corresponding to a chip arranged in a predetermined range from a chip for which the correction amount of the light quantity is specified, and a correction unit that corrects the light quantity in accordance with the correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Takaishi, Shigeru Arai
  • Patent number: 9645522
    Abstract: Provided is an optical scanning apparatus, including: a deflection unit; and an imaging optical element (IOE) guiding a light flux deflected by deflection unit onto a scanned surface, in which, an f? coefficient of IOE, a focal length of IOE, and when an intersection between deflection unit and an optical axis of IOE is set as an origin, a coordinate in an optical axis direction (OAD) of an intersection between a principal ray of an outermost off-axis light flux and an incident surface of IOE, a coordinate in OAD of an intersection between principal ray of outermost off-axis light flux and an exit surface of IOE, a coordinate in OAD of an intersection between a principal ray of an on-axis light flux and the incident surface, and a coordinate in OAD of an intersection between principal ray of on-axis light flux and the exit surface are appropriately set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Taki