Seal Patents (Class 399/102)
  • Patent number: 12066769
    Abstract: A toner container includes a toner storage unit, a container base portion including a discharge port provided on an outer surface of the container base portion, the outer surface extending in a first direction, the discharge port communicating with the toner storage unit, and a container shutter configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a direction along the first direction between a shielding position and an open position. The container base portion includes an engaging portion configured to be engaged with an engaged portion of the image forming apparatus so that rotation of the container base portion with respect to the image forming apparatus about the rotation axis is restricted. At least a part of the engaging portion of the container base portion is exposed from the container shutter in a case where the container shutter is in the shielding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Isao Koishi, Hiroshi Takarada, Shohei Katsuya, Shunsuke Hijikata, Goshi Ozaki, Mitsuhiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11754945
    Abstract: A toner storage apparatus to which a toner cartridge is mountable by being moved in a moving direction includes a toner storage frame that has a reception port and a seal attachment surface, stores toner supplied from the cartridge via the reception port, and has a protrusion from the attachment surface, and a seal portion that is attached to the attachment surface, has a rubbing surface that rubs against the cartridge when the cartridge is moved in the moving direction, and has a communication hole with the reception port. At least part of the protrusion is inside the communication hole and upstream of the reception port in the moving direction. An end of the protrusion is closer to the attachment surface than the rubbing surface in a direction perpendicular to the attachment surface. The seal portion contacts an outer peripheral surface of the protrusion extending in the perpendicular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsukasa Abe
  • Patent number: 11681241
    Abstract: A processing apparatus including an apparatus housing, powder processing unit for processing powder, a powder recovery unit for recovering discharged powder, a powder discharge unit for transporting and discharging the powder to a discharge portion to be recovered, and a powder receiver. The powder recovery unit is attached to the apparatus housing and the power receiver is positioned below the powder recovery unit on the same side of the apparatus housing that the powder recovery unit is attached to the apparatus housing. When the powder recovery unit is detached from the apparatus housing, the powder receiving unit receives powder discharge falling from the discharge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Keigo Shinoto
  • Patent number: 11675307
    Abstract: A cover covering an image bearing member such that the image bearing member is kept unexposed includes a holding portion holding an end portion of a sealing sheet sealing an opening portion such that an initial developer is accommodated in an accommodating chamber. Due to release of the seal of the opening portion with the sealing sheet, the initial developer accommodated in the accommodating chamber moves from the accommodating chamber to a second chamber through the opening portion, and the seal of the opening portion with the sealing sheet is released due to movement of a casing with respect to the cover and detachment of the cover from the casing, responsive to an operation of movement of a cartridge in an attachment direction, with the holding portion holding the end portion of the sealing sheet and a regulation portion regulating movement of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Shimoi
  • Patent number: 11520275
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade, a supporting member, a housing, a pressing member, and a sealing member. The supporting member is a metal member extended in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade. The supporting member includes a first flat surface portion formed along a widthwise direction, a curved surface portion bent toward a rotatable member with respect to a thickness direction of the cleaning blade, and a second flat surface portion formed along the thickness direction of the cleaning blade. As viewed in the longitudinal direction, a swing center of the supporting member is positioned on a rotation center side of the rotatable member relative to a plane including the first flat surface portion and relative to a plane including the second flat surface portion. The sealing member is provided in contact with the curved surface portion and seals between the supporting member and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonori Kitan
  • Patent number: 11415910
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a first conveyance screw in a first chamber and a second conveyance screw in a second chamber, a developer accommodating portion disposed above the second conveyance screw, and an opening portion in the accommodating portion and through which the developer is supplied to the second chamber. In addition, a sealing sheet is attached to a sheet attaching portion and seals the opening portion, and a sheet discharge portion is disposed above the sheet attaching portion and discharges the sealing sheet to out of the developing apparatus. The sheet discharge portion is formed along a radial direction of the second conveyance screw in a cross section perpendicular to a rotation axis direction of the second conveyance screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 11179955
    Abstract: The cleaning device includes a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning part having a contact surface brought into contact with a surface of a conveyance roller to clean the surface of the conveyance roller, and a housing that supports the cleaning part. The cleaning part includes a web of a strip shape, the web forming the contact surface that comes in contact with the conveyance roller, a pressing roller that presses the web against the conveyance roller, a feed-out roller that feeds out the web so as to cause a part of the web that comes in contact with the conveyance roller to shift, and a take-up roller that takes up the web. The housing has an opening that receives foreign matter dropping from the vicinity of a nip portion formed between the pressing roller and the conveyance roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventors: Shunsuke Yamasaki, Shinobu Ohata, Naoto Miyakoshi, Hiroatsu Tamai, Yasuhiro Michishita, Takeshi Watanabe, Kenichi Satake, Hiroki Sakane, Masato Usui, Yuzuru Yuasa, Yusuke Tamekuni
  • Patent number: 10871743
    Abstract: A cleaning device, including: a cleaning frame; a cleaning member having one end and the other end, an image bearing member being capable of rotating and bearing a developer image formed of a developer so as to remove the developer remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developer image from the image bearing member; and a sheet member having flexibility and having one end and the other end; wherein a work function W (D) of the developer and a work function W (S) of the sheet member satisfy 0?W(D)?W(S)?0.23 and the developer includes inorganic particles, and at least one kind of the inorganic particles has an average primary particle diameter of 50 nm or larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei Tokiwa, Takayuki Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 10805500
    Abstract: An image reading device comprises a document table having a plate-shaped transparent member for a document to be placed thereon, an image reading unit for reading the document placed on the upper surface of the transparent member from the lower surface side of the transparent member, a carriage for driving the image reading unit to move reciprocally, and a case for containing the carriage. The document table has a frame member along a periphery of the transparent member and is secured to the case by engagement right under the frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeru Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 10802420
    Abstract: Disclosed is a development cartridge detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus. The development cartridge includes a lateral waste toner sealing member contacting an end portion of a photosensitive drum in a lengthwise direction of the photosensitive drum to prevent a waste toner from leaking through the end portion of the photosensitive drum, and a photosensitive frame including a waste toner container to contain the waste toner, a first attachment surface, to which the lateral waste toner sealing member is attached, and a side wall to form a boundary at an upstream side of the first attachment surface with respect to a rotation direction of the photosensitive drum. The lateral waste toner sealing member includes an opposite surface facing the side wall, and a protrusion protruding towards the side wall is provided on the opposite surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Jong In Kim
  • Patent number: 10705478
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning portion including a blade and a blade supporting member having a flat surface portion, and a cleaning frame including a mounting portion, a disposing portion and an accommodating portion. The disposing portion opposes the flat surface portion with a gap with respect to a thickness direction. The accommodating portion is adjacent to respective sides of the disposing portion with respect to a height direction. A distance between the flat surface portion and the accommodating portion with respect to the thickness direction is larger than the gap. The cleaning device includes a sealing member formed of a thermoplastic resin material and configured to seal the gap by a portion extending in a longitudinal direction between the disposing portion and the flat surface portion. A part of the sealing member is accommodated in the accommodating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonori Kitan
  • Patent number: 10684574
    Abstract: A container includes a container body, an opening/closing member, and a suppressing portion. The container body has a circumferential surface, and has an opening in the circumferential surface through which powder contained in the container body is discharged to outside of the container body. The opening/closing member has an inner circumferential surface. The opening/closing member is mounted to the container body, and is moved, when the container body is relatively rotated to one side in a circumferential direction of the container body, from a closed position to an open position. The opening/closing member is moved, when the container body is relatively rotated to another side in the circumferential direction, from the open position to the closed position. The suppressing portion is formed in the inner circumferential surface of the opening/closing member. The suppressing portion suppresses leakage of the powder from the opening/closing member to outside of the opening/closing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kobayashi, Takuji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10514629
    Abstract: A sealing material reduces heat due to friction produced by contact with a rotating body. The sealing material 1 has cut pile woven fabric 3c having stripes. The sealing material 1 prevents leakage of powder 8 from rotating body or straight body 7b. The woven pile fabric 3b constituting sealing material 1 is woven pattern 3a having stripes which is woven from pile yarn 6 comprising a plurality of filaments 9, woven pattern 3a being cut pile woven fabric 3c having cut pile 4 at which pile 4 is of prescribed length, cut pile woven fabric 3c having steps 7e produced by differences in thickness of cut pile 4 including woven pattern 3e having stripes. The length of cut pile 4 of prescribed length has cut pile length 4d which is greater than the spacing of a pitch between pile supporting yarns 5 that support pile 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignees: SANWA TECHNO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Shoji, Kazuro Fukui
  • Patent number: 10409202
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit includes an endless intermediate transfer belt to which a toner image is primarily transferred from an image carrying member, a driving roller that conveys the intermediate transfer belt with the primarily transferred toner image to a secondary transfer position for a sheet material, and a cleaning device which cleans a peripheral surface of the driving roller around which the intermediate transfer belt is wound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Satoru Nakamura, Ayaka Kondo, Teppei Shibuya
  • Patent number: 10234809
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging device, a developing device, a transfer member, a registration roller pair, a conveyance guide, and a first cover member. The conveyance guide includes a first conveyance guide opposing one surface of a recording medium conveyed from the registration roller pair to a transfer nip, the one surface being on a side of image carrier, and a second transfer guide opposing another surface of the recording member, the other surface being on a side of the transfer member. The first cover member covers an area along a peripheral surface of the image carrier from the developing device to the transfer member, and forms a substantially sealed space together with the image carrier, the developing device, the transfer member, the registration roller pair, and the transfer guide. A through hole is formed in the first transfer guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Kenichi Satake
  • Patent number: 10203654
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a cartridge frame member including a developer accommodation portion, an image bearing member rotatably provided to the cartridge frame member, an end sealing provided to the cartridge frame member and abutting on an end of the image bearing member in a longitudinal direction, a cleaning unit for acting on the image bearing member, a sealing portion integrally provided with the cartridge frame member and abut on an end of the cleaning unit in the longitudinal direction, a sheet member provided along the longitudinal direction and abut on the image bearing member at an end of the sheet member in a direction that crosses the longitudinal direction, and a fixing portion for fixing the sheet member and the cartridge frame member. The sealing portion and the fixing portion are integrally formed with the cartridge frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Satomura, Fumito Nonaka
  • Patent number: 10197970
    Abstract: A process unit includes an image bearing body, a flange provided on an end portion of the image bearing body, and a supporting portion that rotatably supports a rotational axis portion provided on the flange. A seal is provided that to seal at least a part of a space formed between the supporting portion and the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoharu Kitajima
  • Patent number: 10088800
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit is attached to a position in the main body portion from a front side of the main body portion along the depth direction in a detachable manner. A cover portion extends in the depth direction and along a region of the outer circumferential surface of a rotating image carrying member that is more on a downstream side in a rotation direction of the image carrying member than the top region of the rotating image carrying member that is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt. A shield portion is provided on a portion of an upper surface of the cover portion that is closer to a front surface of the main body portion than the intermediate transfer belt. The shield portion has a taper surface that is inclined diagonally downward from a top surface of the shield portion toward the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Tsuji
  • Patent number: 10036993
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a potential applier, a cleaning device and a hardware processor. The cleaning device includes an abutting member abutting a surface of the image carrier and removes residual toner on the surface of the image carrier by means of the abutting member after a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material. In a cleaning mode for removing a foreign matter attached to the abutting member of the cleaning device, the hardware processor controls the potential applier to alternately apply a first potential and a second potential which is lower than the first potential to the image carrier so as to periodically change a potential of the abutting member without causing saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yasunori Shigenaga
  • Patent number: 9996030
    Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a shutter mount and a shutter. The case main body contains a toner to be replenished to a development device provided in an apparatus main body and is detachably attached to the apparatus main body. The case main body has an opened face on which a discharge port is arranged and the discharge port corresponds to a replenishment port of the development device in a state where the case main body is attached to the apparatus main body. The shutter mount is provided to form a gap between the opened face of the case main body and the shutter mount. The shutter is provided between the opened face of the case main body and the shutter mount to be slidable to open and close the discharge port. The shutter mount includes a film which comes into sliding contact with the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Kainuma, Masanobu Maeshima
  • Patent number: 9977369
    Abstract: A developer conveying apparatus for conveying a developer that develops an electrostatic latent image includes a rotation unit which rotates around a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction and parallel to a developer conveying direction, a first developer conveying portion which is provided in the rotation unit and which has an opening configured to convey the developer in a first axial direction of the rotation shaft, and a second developer conveying portion which is provided in the rotation unit and which has an opening configured to convey the developer in a second axial direction opposite to the first axial direction. A distance from the rotation shaft to the opening in the first developer conveying portion is different than a distance from the rotation shaft to the opening in the second developer conveying portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventors: Hideo Nagura, Chihiro Tanaka, Masashi Wakisaka, Naoki Tamaru, Ryo Nakajima, Tsuyoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9964891
    Abstract: A replaceable unit for an image forming apparatus according to one example embodiment includes a housing and at least one transmissive member positioned on an exterior of the housing. The at least one transmissive member is arranged to receive optical energy from the image forming apparatus and has a transmissivity for modifying an amount of the optical energy that leaves the at least one transmissive member relative to an amount of the optical energy received by the at least one transmissive member. The at least one transmissive member indicates information relating to a characteristic of the replaceable unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: John Douglas Anderson, Christopher Michael Nelson, Brian Keith Owens, Adam Randal Wiedemann
  • Patent number: 9934494
    Abstract: Methods and systems for retaining credit card usage through systematic recognition of recurring payments are described. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving user transaction data relating to a payment instrument issued to a user. The user transaction data may include payees and a schedule of payments to the payees. The method may further include identifying recurring payees based on a category of each of the payees. In response to a triggering event requiring an account update of the payment instrument, a report identifying the recurring payees may be generated for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)
    Inventors: Matthew David Nolte, Laura Elizabeth Ard, Jeffrey Rogers, Andrea G. Fallucca
  • Patent number: 9915915
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: an apparatus body; a photosensitive member; a developing cartridge configured to have a developer supporting body; a cleaner configured to collect developer remaining on the photosensitive member; and a waste developer container configured to contain developer collected by the cleaner. The apparatus body is configured to have an installment passage, through which the developing cartridge passes when the developing cartridge is installed into and removed from the apparatus body. The waste developer container is configured to be movable between a first position at which at least a part of the waste developer container is located within the installment passage and a second position at which the waste developer container is located away from the installment passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Junichi Yokoi
  • Patent number: 9891582
    Abstract: A process unit includes a photoreceptor drum, a frame and seal members. The photoreceptor drum has drum flanges protruded outwardly from both end surfaces of a substrate. The frame supports the photoreceptor drum rotatably. The seal members are provided between both end surfaces of the photoreceptor drum and the frame, and support the drum flanges. Each of the seal members includes an elastic member and a hard member. The elastic member and the hard member are adhered and laminated with each other in an axial direction of the photoreceptor drum. Furthermore, the hard member is arranged so as to be brought into contact with the photoreceptor drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yoshikawa, Yuhsuke Yoshimoto, Takeshi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 9864302
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrier, a development device and a seal member. The seal member is provided on a downstream side in a rotating direction of the image carrier beyond the development device. The seal member is configured to prevent toner from leaking into a downstream side space in the rotating direction through toner image non-forming areas. The seal member has an elastic member and a slide member. The elastic member has an opposed surface and an end surface. The opposed surface faces the toner image non-forming area. The end surface goes around into a direction separating from the development device from an upstream side end of the opposed surface in the rotating direction. The slide member is provided along the opposed surface and the end surface. The slide member is configured to come in contact with the toner image non-forming area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroki Morishita
  • Patent number: 9864320
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a housing, a cleaning blade, and first and second sealing members. The housing has formed therein an opening facing an image carrying member. The cleaning blade removes toner that remains attached to the image carrying member while being in contact with the circumferential surface of the image carrying member. The first and second sealing members prevent waste toner inside the housing from leaking out through a gap between the housing and the image carrying member, owing to the first and second sealing members abutting on the circumferential surface of the image carrying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Teppei Shibuya, Ayaka Kurokawa, Satoru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9811049
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a rotating body, a blade that extends in an axial direction of the rotating body and is disposed on the rotating body, a supporting member that is fixed to the blade and configured to support the blade in such a manner that the blade protrudes toward the rotating body in a shorter direction crossing the axial direction, a frame body including a placing surface that supports the supporting member, and a fixed portion that is disposed on the placing surface via the supporting member and fixed to the frame body. The supporting member includes a cut portion extending in the axial direction. The fixed portion includes a deformed portion deformed by given energy, and the deformed portion engages with the cut portion so that movement of the supporting member with respect to the frame body is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Hiroomi Matsuzaki, Shogo Satomura, Tetsuo Uesugi
  • Patent number: 9696667
    Abstract: A constraining mechanism includes a porous member that is in contact with a rotating body, which rotates about a rotation axis, and restrains foreign objects from moving in an axial direction of the rotating body and a covering portion that covers a portion of the porous member including an end portion of the porous member located upstream in a direction of rotation of the rotating body and that is in contact with the rotating body as a result of being pressed by the porous member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9645543
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning member including a cleaning blade and a supporting plate for supporting the cleaning blade; a frame; first and second fixing portions, provided on the frame, for fixing the supporting plate in one end side and the other end side with respect to a longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade; a recessed portion provided on the frame at a position between the first and second fixing portions with respect to the longitudinal direction and recessed more than the first and second fixing portions in a direction away from the supporting plate; and a sealing material, applied onto the recessed portion within a range of the first and second fixing portions with respect to a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction, for sealing between the supporting plate fixed on the first and second fixing portions and the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kubota, Hiromasa Katayama
  • Patent number: 9500995
    Abstract: A developer accommodating container for accommodating a developer, includes: a frame provided with a hole; a rotatable member penetrating the hole; and a seal member, provided on the frame by injection molding, for sealing a gap between a circumference of the hole of the frame and an outer peripheral surface of the rotatable member to prevent the developer from leaking out of the developer accommodating container. The seal member includes a projected portion which projects toward an inside of the hole and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Satomura, Makoto Hayashida, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9501009
    Abstract: A fixing device according to the present invention includes a fixing belt (21), a cap member (28) attached to an end part (21a) of the fixing belt (21) and an elastic member (29) arranged between the fixing belt (21) and the cap member (28). The cap member (28) includes a main body part (55) covering an outside of the end part (21a) of the fixing belt (21) and a flange part (56) extending from the main body part (55) to an inside and covering an outer diameter side of the end part (21a) of the fixing belt (21). A step (s) is formed in an inner circumference face of the flange part (56). An outer circumference face of the elastic member (29) comes into contact with an inside part from the step (s) in the inner circumference face of the flange part (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shoji Koda, Kenichi Kasama
  • Patent number: 9477198
    Abstract: A cleaning device configured to remove a developing agent from a photosensitive body, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including the cleaning device, are provided. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade assembly including a cleaning blade configured to remove the developing agent, and a support plate configured to support the cleaning blade. The cleaning device further includes a housing portion configured to support the cleaning blade assembly. The cleaning device further includes a scattering prevention portion configured to prevent the developing agent from leaking through a gap between an end of the cleaning blade and the housing portion in a lengthwise direction, extend in the lengthwise direction over the end of the cleaning blade, and connect the cleaning blade assembly to the housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9417556
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a rotating body, a blade that extends in an axial direction of the rotating body and is disposed on the rotating body, a supporting member that is fixed to the blade and configured to support the blade in such a manner that the blade protrudes toward the rotating body in a shorter direction crossing the axial direction, a frame body including a placing surface that supports the supporting member, and a fixed portion that is disposed on the placing surface via the supporting member and fixed to the frame body. The supporting member includes a cut portion extending in the axial direction. The fixed portion includes a deformed portion deformed by given energy, and the deformed portion engages with the cut portion so that movement of the supporting member with respect to the frame body is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Hiroomi Matsuzaki, Shogo Satomura, Tetsuo Uesugi
  • Patent number: 9400449
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming unit, a developing unit, replenishing unit, and a control unit. The latent image forming unit forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image information signal on an image carrier. The developing unit develops the electrostatic latent image using a two-component developer in which magnetic carriers are mixed with toner to form a visible image. The replenishing unit replenishes the toner to the developing unit. The control unit controls switching between first processing, which includes idling processing for replenishing at least part of residual toner, which is to be replenished to the developing unit and remains without being replenished to the developing unit, to the developing unit and stirring the toner within the developing unit, and second processing, which includes the idling processing and density correction processing for correcting a density of the toner within the developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro Hagiwara, Yoshifumi Ozaki, Takuya Iwamura, Shinji Mitsui
  • Patent number: 9383678
    Abstract: A developer accommodating container for accommodating a developer for image formation, includes a first flexible member having a three-dimensional shape; a second flexible member for forming a space for accommodating the developer by covering a part of the first flexible member; wherein the developer accommodating container is constituted by bonding the first flexible member and the second flexible member to each other, and an injection opening, provided between the first flexible member and the second flexible member, for permitting injection of the developer into the developer accommodating container. An adjacent side, which is one of sides constituting an outer configuration of the three-dimensional shape and which is adjacent to the injection opening, has an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to an injection direction of the developer at the injection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Furutani, Kojiro Yasui, Hiroomi Matsuzaki, Koji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9348264
    Abstract: A cleaning unit usable with an image forming apparatus includes a cleaning blade, supported by a frame and including a free end contactable to an image bearing drum, for removing a developer from the drum; a first seal provided between the frame and the blade by injection molding into the frame adjacent to a longitudinal end portion of the blade, the first seal being effective to prevent developer leakage; and a second seal provided between the drum and the frame in contact with the free end of the blade adjacent to the longitudinal end portion, wherein the first seal includes a seal portion contacting the blade, and a seat supporting the second seal, the seat being deformable to move the second seal to urge the second seal to the free end of the blade when the drum is mounted to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritomo Yamaguchi, Yuichi Fukui, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Toshiki Fujino, Tetsuya Numata, Fumito Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9302801
    Abstract: A developer accommodating unit includes: a developer bag in which a developer is incorporated. The developer bag includes: a filling port for filling the developer; a filling region where the developer is filled; a non-filling region, provided outside the filling region, where the developer is not filled, and a folded portion formed by folding the filling region and the non-filling region. The folded portion includes a welding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Matsumura, Masaaki Matsushita, Koji Yamaguchi, Tetsuo Uesugi, Tatsuo Fujisaki, Kojiro Yasui, Masatomi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9304444
    Abstract: A cleaning unit for an image forming apparatus includes a frame; a cleaning blade; a first seal sealing between the frame and the blade, provided by injection molding into the frame adjacent to an axial end; and a second seal between the frame and the drum, provided opposing to the free end portion adjacent to the axial end portion, and the second seal having a L-like configuration with projection extending in a direction crossing with the axial direction outwardly beyond an end surface of the blade, wherein the first seal includes a base portion provided at a position inside of the end surface and extending in the crossing direction and an extension extending from the base portion in the axial direction, the extension having a free end portion compressed by the projection to seal between the projection and the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Shimizu, Susumu Nittani, Keisuke Nomura, Hideki Kakuta
  • Patent number: 9268262
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image-forming device which permits reduction in the size of the device to be made possible, and which permits prevention of toner leakage through use of a sealing member having projections and recesses, said sealing member serving as an end seal member. The image-forming device has a sealing member which serves as an end seal member for a toner carrier. The end seal member for preventing leakage of toner from the toner carrier is formed from the sealing member which has step(s) comprising band(s) formed by recessed region(s) and projecting region(s) as indicated in FIG. 1. The end seal member is capable of bending such that recessed region(s) come in contact with the toner carrier, inhibiting entry of toner thereinto, and the end seal member also has a toner scraping action and a toner movement action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Inventors: Susumu Shoji, Kazuro Fukui
  • Patent number: 9250606
    Abstract: A drum unit is provided. The drum unit includes a frame, a photosensitive drum that is rotatably supported by the frame, a contact member that is held to the frame and that contacts a circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum. The circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum has an image forming area on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a non-image forming area that is adjacent to the image forming area. The contact member is in surface-contact with the non-image forming area and is not contacting with the image forming area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeyuki Takagi, Fumio Morita
  • Patent number: 9217956
    Abstract: A toner container assembly including a seal assembly. The seal assembly can include an outer retainer ring having a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on a surface of the non-adhesive carrier, and a first opening through the outer retainer ring. The seal assembly can further include a foam ring having a second opening therethrough, wherein the foam ring is attached to the outer retainer ring with the first adhesive, and a double-sided adhesive attached to the foam ring. The seal assembly may further include a solid foam disc having a first slit therethrough and a second slit therethrough, wherein the first slit is perpendicular to the second slit and the solid foam disc is attached to the foam ring by the double-sided adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Paul M. Wegman
  • Patent number: 9146526
    Abstract: A cleaning unit usable with an image forming apparatus includes a cleaning blade, supported by a frame and including a free end contactable to an image bearing drum, for removing a developer from the drum; a first seal provided between the frame and the blade by injection molding into the frame adjacent to a longitudinal end portion of the blade, the first seal being effective to prevent developer leakage; and a second seal provided between the drum and the frame in contact with the free end of the blade adjacent to the longitudinal end portion, wherein the first seal includes a seal portion contacting the blade, and a seat supporting the second seal, the seat being deformable to move the second seal to urge the second seal to the free end of the blade when the drum is mounted to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritomo Yamaguchi, Yuichi Fukui, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Toshiki Fujino, Tetsuya Numata, Fumito Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9146496
    Abstract: A cleaning device has housing, cleaning member, pair of bearing portions, toner receiving seal, and end seal. The housing is formed with opening facing, and waste toner retaining portion. The cleaning member is rotatably borne by the pair of bearing portions at both ends of rotation axis. The toner receiving seal is disposed facing to entire area in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning member, and extends to be laid across each end portion of the cleaning member and outer periphery of the bearing portion. The bearing portion has the same outer diameter in contact portion where the toner receiving seal contacts, as outer diameter of the cleaning member. The end seal is disposed, in gap between the housing and each of the bearing portions, facing to the contact portion with the toner receiving seal interposed therebetween, and prevents leakage of waste toner from both end portions of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Satoru Yonemoto
  • Patent number: 9110431
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger having a case surrounding a discharge electrode, an opening on the photosensitive member side and a grid disposed in the opening and having a mesh area, a shutter that covers the opening, and first and second contact members. The contact members are disposed on a downstream side of the charger and an upstream side of a cleaning blade in a rotational direction of the photosensitive member and come in contact with areas of the photosensitive member corresponding to both longitudinal ends of the mesh area of the grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadashi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9098012
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member (drum); a developer carrying member; a cleaning blade for cleaning the drum; a developer seal member of a peripheral surface seal type, provided at an end portion of the developer carrying member, for preventing leakage of the developer; and a developer retaining member provided at an end portion of the cleaning blade. With respect to a longitudinal direction of the drum, the developer seal member is disposed in a region where the cleaning blade is provided, an inside end position of the retaining member is located at the same position as or inside an inside end position of the developer seal member, and an outside end position of the retaining member is located at the same position as or outside an outside end position of the developer seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Yamamoto, Taku Watanabe, Yasunori Toriyama, Hideki Maeshima, Kuniaki Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 9063459
    Abstract: A toner case includes a main body, a cover, a rotating member, an agitating member, a protrusion arrangement part and a depression arrangement part. The main body has a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, a fourth wall, a bottom board, an opening at an upper side and a toner discharge port discharging a toner stored inside to an outside. The protrusion arrangement part is formed on one of an upper face facing upward formed in the first or second wall and a lower face facing to the upper face formed in the cover. The protrusion arrangement part has a plurality of protrusions arranged in the direction from the third wall to the fourth wall. The depression arrangement part is formed on another of the upper and lower faces. The depression arrangement part has a plurality of depressions, into which the protrusions insert, arranged in the direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 9052641
    Abstract: A developing cartridge includes: a frame defining a developer chamber for accommodating developer and being formed with an opening elongated in a longitudinal direction for allowing the developer to flow out of the developer chamber; a member assembled to the frame at a position opposite to the developer chamber with respect to the opening; a seal extending in the longitudinal direction and interposed between the member and the frame; and a protrusion protruding into the seal from at least one of the frame and the member in a protruding direction crossing the longitudinal direction, the protrusion being configured to restrict the seal from moving in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nao Itabashi
  • Patent number: 9046823
    Abstract: A developer accommodating container for accommodating a developer, includes: a frame provided with a hole; a rotatable member penetrating the hole; and a seal member, provided on the frame by injection molding, for sealing a gap between a circumference of the hole of the frame and an outer peripheral surface of the rotatable member to prevent the developer from leaking out of the developer accommodating container. The seal member includes a projected portion which projects toward an inside of the hole and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Satomura, Makoto Hayashida, Akira Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20150139683
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearing member, a developer regulating member, and a space ensuring member. The space ensuring member includes a maintaining unit configured to maintain the space between the image bearing member and the developer bearing member, a rotation regulating portion configured to prevent the space ensuring member from moving, and a cover portion disposed to be not in contact with a surface of the developer bearing member and configured to cover a part of the developer bearing member. The cover portion is configured to cover at least part of an area in which the developer bearing member faces the image bearing member in a rotational direction of the developer bearing member, the area being on an outer side than an end portion of the developer regulating member in a longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Kojiro Yasui