By Intermediate Transfer Member Patents (Class 399/302)
  • Patent number: 11656564
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt including a base layer and an electroconductive layer positioned on an inner peripheral surface side of base layer and forming an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and a roller provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt and including a roller portion around which the belt is wound and which is formed of a metal material. The electroconductive layer contains a binder resin, an electroconductive agent, and a copper compound, and has surface resistivity of 5.0×106?/? or less. The roller portion includes a base material of a first metal material comprising a first metal, and a coating layer which forms a surface contacting the electroconductive layer formed of a second metal material comprising a second metal. A difference in standard potential between the second metal and copper is smaller than that between the first metal and copper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Ishio, Keisuke Ishizumi, Shinji Katagiri, Eiichi Hamana, Noriaki Egawa
  • Patent number: 11614699
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an annular endless belt; a drive roller, around which the endless belt is wound and which moves the endless belt; a first tension roller, around which the endless belt moved by the drive roller is wound; a biasing mechanism connected to the first tension roller and including an elastic member that applies a tension to the endless belt via the first tension roller; a second tension roller, around which the endless belt moved by the drive roller is wound at a different position from the first tension roller; and a moving mechanism connected to the second tension roller to move the second tension roller in directions closer to and away from the endless belt. A range of adjustment of a circumferential length of the endless belt by the moving mechanism is larger than a range of adjustment of the circumferential length of the endless belt by the biasing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Satoshi Ezawa
  • Patent number: 11609513
    Abstract: A belt driving device includes an adjustment roller to stretch and rotate an endless belt; an inclination adjuster including a cam to adjust inclination of the roller to control deviation of the belt; a belt position detector to detect a belt position in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the belt; a stepping motor to rotate the cam; and a control output adjuster to adjust a control output to be supplied to the motor based on the belt position. When obtaining a rotation angle less than one step of the motor, the control output adjuster supplies the control output to the motor for a time corresponding to the rotation angle less than the one step out of a supply time of the control output for obtaining a rotation angle of the one step, and stops supplying the control output for a remaining time out of the supply time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Motoharu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11609514
    Abstract: A transfer member includes: an inner layer; an outer layer provided on an outer periphery of the inner layer; and a surface layer provided on an outer periphery of the outer layer, both end portions of the surface layer in circumferential directions extending in the circumferential directions from both end portions of the outer layer in the circumferential directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Koichiro Yuasa, Kazuyoshi Hagiwara, Kei Tanaka, Tomoaki Yoshioka, Toshiaki Baba, Yoko Miyamoto, Hirotaka Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11603078
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to a machine including a prime mover, a drive pulley, a chassis, a subframe, a drive device, a drive belt, and a pulley arrangement. The drive pulley is coupled to the prime mover. The chassis is configured to support at least an operator and the prime mover. The subframe is pivotally coupled to the chassis about a pivot axis. The subframe is further coupled to the chassis via a suspension device. The drive device is configured to drive wheels of the machine. The drive device is configured to be driven by the prime mover. The pulley arrangement is configured to direct the drive belt from the drive pulley to a driven pulley on the drive device. The pulley arrangement comprises at least one idler pulley having a diameter and a rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Erik R. Slegelis, Travis Rasch
  • Patent number: 11537067
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt, a driving roller, a tension roller, and a roller supporting frame. The roller supporting frame includes first and second supporting frames, and has a coupling portion formed on it. The coupling portion includes a rotary shaft and a shaft hole. The roller supporting frame shifts from a first state to a second state by rotating the first supporting frame in the forward direction to have the intermediate transfer belt wound around it. The rotary shaft includes a projection. A shaft hole has a restricting wall portion. As the first supporting frame in the second state rotates in the forward direction, the projection makes contact with the restricting wall portion to restrict rotation of the first supporting frame in the forward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuro Arata
  • Patent number: 11537071
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt, tension rollers, an outer member, a pressing member, a moving mechanism, and an attachable unit. The belt bears a toner image and the tension rollers stretch the belt around rollers. The toner image is transferred at the outer member from the belt onto a recording material. The moving mechanism moves the pressing member to press an inner surface of the belt toward an outer surface side. The attachable unit includes the pressing member or the belt and attaches to and detaches from the image forming apparatus. A mode is executed in which the pressing member presses the belt to transfer the toner image onto the recording material. Information is stored based on an individual difference of the attachable unit related to a setting of a moving mechanism position in executing the mode, where the setting is based on the stored information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Kitago
  • Patent number: 11526102
    Abstract: An electrophotographic belt having an endless shape, has grooves in an outer surface of the electrophotographic belt, and the grooves each are extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, wherein the outer surface has at least a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is n, and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is more than n, and the grooves in the second region include a first groove that has a width gradually decreasing in a first circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and a second groove that is adjacent to the first groove and has a width gradually decreasing in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatsugu Toyonori
  • Patent number: 11526101
    Abstract: A control portion controls a change mechanism so as to pass through a third stretched form in switching a stretched form of a belt member from a second stretched form to a first stretched form. The first stretched form is a stretched form enabling a toner image to be transferred from a photosensitive drum to the belt member by positioning a transfer member at a first position and a separation roller at a second position. The second stretched form is a stretched form of separating each of the transfer member and the separation roller from a transfer surface toward an opposite side of the photosensitive drum. The third stretched form is a stretched form in which the transfer member is positioned at the first position, and the separation roller is positioned at a third position away from the transfer surface toward the opposite side of the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takao Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11520254
    Abstract: A transfer unit includes, as transfer rollers, first and second rollers of which the second has an elastic layer larger in an axial direction than the first, first and second bearing members, a roller holder, first and second urging members, a switching cam, a driving mechanism, and a first pre-transfer guide. By rotating the roller holder, the first or second roller is arranged opposite an image carrier and, by rotating the switching cam, the first or second roller arranged opposite the image carrier is arranged selectively either at a reference position where the first or second roller is in pressed contact with the image carrier or at a released position where the first or second roller lies away from the image carrier. With the first or second roller arranged at the reference position, the first pre-transfer guide is arranged at a first guide position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Masaru Takagi, Masayuki Yamada, Yuya Shimohora, Takehiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11500308
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member, a first unit including an intermediate transfer belt on which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member and a first roller disposed in contact with an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt to stretch the intermediate transfer belt, the first unit being drawable from a main body of the image forming apparatus, a second unit including a second roller configured to form, with the first roller, a transfer nip portion in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording material, the second unit being drawable from the main body, and a high-voltage circuit board disposed in the second unit and configured to apply a voltage to the first roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kentaro Yamana
  • Patent number: 11493863
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an annular transfer belt having an outer surface on which an image is transferred; a transferring unit including a transfer cylinder having a transfer area that sandwiches a recording medium with the outer surface of the transfer belt to transfer the image from the outer surface of the transfer belt to the recording medium, and a pair of first rotating bodies disposed on both axial end sides of the transfer cylinder; a pair of circulating members each being wound around the first rotating body and being circulated by rotation of the first rotating bodies; and a holding unit attached to the circulating members, the holding unit configured to hold the recording medium, transport the recording medium with circulation of the circulating members, and pass the recording medium through the transfer area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Yoshioka, Mitsuaki Kuroda, Kazuyoshi Hagiwara, Shohei Miyagawa, Kei Tanaka, Masaaki Takahashi, Yoko Miyamoto, Toshiaki Baba
  • Patent number: 11435680
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt including a base layer and an electroconductive layer positioned on an inner peripheral surface side of the belt than the base layer and forming an inner peripheral surface of the belt, and a roller provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt and including a roller portion around which the belt is wound and which is formed of an aluminum material. The electroconductive layer contains a binder resin, an electroconductive agent, and a copper compound, and has surface resistivity of 5.0×106?Q/? or less. The roller includes an alumite layer forming a surface contacting the electroconductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Ishio, Keisuke Ishizumi, Shinji Katagiri, Eiichi Hamana, Noriaki Egawa
  • Patent number: 11392071
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a driving unit having a first drum gear, a first coupling member, a second drum gear, and a second coupling member. The first coupling member is provided at a first position of the first drum gear. The second coupling member is provided at a second position of the second drum gear and is configured to rotate together with the second drum gear. A first angle from a first meshing position to a first transfer position in a first direction and a second angle from a second meshing position to a second transfer position in a second direction are different from each other. The second position of the second drum gear is shifted from a position corresponding to the first position of the first drum gear by a difference between the first angle and the second angle in a direction opposite of the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritomo Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro Fukase, Takeo Kawanami
  • Patent number: 11372351
    Abstract: An electrophotographic member has a base layer, an elastic layer, and a surface layer on the elastic layer, in this order in a thickness direction, wherein the surface layer includes a urethane resin, a perfluoropolyether compound including a specific repeating structure, and a polyol compound having a specific structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Miyauchi, Toshio Tanaka, Yasutomo Tsuji
  • Patent number: 11366411
    Abstract: A detection unit executes correction control of an image formation condition on a basis of a detection result of reflected light when infrared light is radiated to a test patch, which is transferred from a photosensitive drum to an intermediate transfer belt, and the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the intermediate transfer belt has a base layer which is thickest among a plurality of layers forming the intermediate transfer belt in a thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt and to which an ion conductive agent is added, and an inner surface layer which has a light transmittance lower than that of the base layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishizumi, Shohei Ishio, Takayuki Tanaka, Hiroomi Kojima
  • Patent number: 11327419
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a belt roller, an endless belt, a steering member, a tilting mechanism, and a link mechanism. The endless belt rotates about the belt roller which extends in a longitudinal direction. The steering member is located inside the endless belt. The tilting mechanism is operably coupled to a center portion of the steering member. The link mechanism is operably coupled to the tilting mechanism and operates the tilting mechanism so that the steering member is tilted in response to a displacement of the endless belt in the longitudinal direction of the belt roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Satoru Hori
  • Patent number: 11317507
    Abstract: A laminate comprising a substrate; an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of both surfaces of the substrate so as to be in direct contact with the substrate; and a plating layer formed on a surface of the adhesive layer opposite to the substrate, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a plating catalyst containing a precious metal, and a silane coupling agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Arisawa Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Suzuki, Makoto Tai, Shuichi Fujita
  • Patent number: 11262673
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt has a first region and a second region in an outer circumferential surface thereof that is in contact with a blade. The first region has a first dynamic friction coefficient in a belt conveyance direction, and the second region has a second dynamic friction coefficient. The distance of the second region in the belt conveyance direction is less than the distance of the first region and is greater than the distance of a contact portion in which the blade is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishizumi, Shohei Ishio, Shinji Katagiri, Takayuki Tanaka, Tsuguhiro Yoshida, Shuichi Tetsuno
  • Patent number: 11221572
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt has a first region and a second region in an outer circumferential surface thereof that is in contact with a blade. The first region has a first dynamic friction coefficient in a belt conveyance direction, and the second region has a second dynamic friction coefficient. The distance of the second region in the belt conveyance direction is less than the distance of the first region and is greater than the distance of a contact portion in which the blade is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishizumi, Shohei Ishio, Shinji Katagiri, Takayuki Tanaka, Tsuguhiro Yoshida, Shuichi Tetsuno
  • Patent number: 11143988
    Abstract: A belt driving device to drive an endless belt, includes a drive roller and a suspension roller which extend in a first direction and face each other in a second direction. The belt driving device includes a steering roller located between the drive roller and the suspension roller in a tiltable manner. A pulley (or wheel) is located at an end portion of the steering roller. The belt driving device includes a link mechanism which presses the end portion of the steering roller to tilt the steering roller with the movement of the pulley (or wheel).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Koji Miyake, Satoru Hori, Yuji Aoshima, Kensuke Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11131945
    Abstract: A belt unit according to an embodiment may include: an endless belt including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a drive roller in contact with the second surface and configured to drive the endless belt. A surface potential of the first surface of the belt is a voltage of not more than 20 volts, 0.1 seconds after an application of a voltage of 6000 volts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Takazawa
  • Patent number: 11042107
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer medium onto which a toner image is transferred is provided. The intermediate transfer medium comprises a base layer and an elastic layer overlying the base layer. The elastic layer contains spherical fine particles to form an irregular surface, and the spherical fine particles have a volume resistivity of 1×10?4 ?·cm or more and less than 1×100 ?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kubo, Masahiro Ohmori
  • Patent number: 11029626
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt, an outer roller, stretching rollers including an inner roller and an upstream roller, a voltage source, a supporting member, a moving mechanism, a sensor, and a controller. On the basis of a first detection result of the sensor acquired under application of a test bias in a state in which the supporting member is disposed at a first position, the controller determines a first transfer bias to be applied to the outer roller or the inner roller during an operation in a first mode. On the basis of a second detection result of the sensor acquired under application of the test bias in the state in which the supporting member is disposed at a second position, the controller determines a second transfer bias to be applied to the outer roller or the inner roller during an operation in a second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuusuke Torimaru, Dai Kanai, Shozo Aiba, Tatsuya Kohno
  • Patent number: 11022922
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a movable intermediate transfer member onto which a toner image borne by an image bearing member is to be transferred; a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and a control unit configured to adjust a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, wherein a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member are formed in a surface of the intermediate transfer member in a width direction intersecting the movement direction, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuji Saito, Seiji Nakahara, Ken Yokoyama, Hiroshi Kita, Koujirou Izumidate, Kazushi Ino
  • Patent number: 10946640
    Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a head unit (210C, 210K) to process an object (W) transferred in a transfer direction, a first support member disposed upstream in the transfer direction with respect to a process position to support the object, a second support member disposed downstream in the transfer direction of the process position to support the object, a surface detector between the first and second support members to detect first surface information of the object, an upstream surface detector disposed upstream in the transfer direction with respect to the surface detector to detect second surface information of the object, an edge detector disposed closer to the upstream surface detector than the surface detector in the transfer direction to detect an edge of the object, and a controller to move the head unit based on detection results of the surface detector and the upstream surface detector and a detection result of the edge detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taiichi Katoh, Tomoaki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10942474
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer belt, a cleaning blade, a counter-roller, and a supporting member. The intermediate transfer belt is endless and, to it, toner images formed on the outer circumferential faces of the plurality of image carriers are transferred by being sequentially superposed on each other. The cleaning blade is arranged with its tip end portion in contact with the outer circumferential face of the intermediate transfer belt and removes deposits left on the outer circumferential face of the intermediate transfer belt. The counter-roller is arranged at a position opposite the cleaning blade across the intermediate transfer belt and is in contact with the inner circumferential face of the intermediate transfer belt. The supporting member supports the cleaning blade. The supporting member supports the cleaning blade rotatably about the rotation axis of the counter-roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Morita
  • Patent number: 10935908
    Abstract: A transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt including a resin and in which in a spatial distribution of conductive carbon particles that are present in an evaluation region of 6.3 ?m×4.2 ?m on an outer peripheral surface, an integrated value of a statistic L(r) in an interparticle distance r of 0.05 ?m or more and 0.30 ?m or less is 0 or more and 0.1 or less; and a cleaning component including a cleaning blade which contacts the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt and in which a value of M100/Re is 0.25 or more and a value of Re is 25 or more where M100 represents a 100% modulus (MPa) of a contact portion of the cleaning blade contacts the intermediate transfer belt, and Re represents a rebound resilience coefficient (%) of the contact portion: L(r):=?{square root over (K(r)/?)}?r??(1) K ? ( r ) := ? i ? j N ? 1 ? ( ? X i - X j ? ? r ) / s ? ( ? X i - X j ? ) ? 2 .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO.. LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Seko, Shigeru Fukuda, Satoya Sugiura, Daisuke Tanemura, Masato Ono, Masato Furukawa, Hiroaki Tanaka, Shogo Hayashi, Koichi Matsumoto, Daisuke Tano
  • Patent number: 10919719
    Abstract: A belt driving device includes an annular belt member, rotary members, a protrusion, and a contact member. The belt member includes first and second edges. The belt member is wound around the rotary members. The protrusion protrudes from an inner peripheral surface of the belt member. The protrusion and each rotary member are arranged in an extending direction of the rotary member. The protrusion is provided at the second edge. The contact member is closer to the first edge. When the belt member deviates, the contact member comes into contact with the belt member. A difference between a position of the belt member when the protrusion comes into contact with an end surface of one of the rotary members and a position of the belt member when the belt member comes into contact with the contact member is equal to or less than a width of the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10908538
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a transfer member configured to form a transfer portion where the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member by being supplied with a transfer bias; a carrier liquid supplying portion configured to supply the carrier liquid to the transfer portion; a transfer bias voltage source capable of applying the transfer bias to the transfer portion; a detecting portion configured to detect at least one of a voltage and a current at the transfer portion; and a setting portion configured to set the transfer bias during non-image-formation on the basis of a detection result of the detecting portion when a setting bias is applied from the transfer member in a state in which the carrier liquid is in the transfer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shohei Okumura
  • Patent number: 10859951
    Abstract: An electrophotographic belt that, despite long-term usage, is not susceptible to unevenness in cleaning by a cleaning blade in a width direction. The electrophotographic belt has an endless shape and has grooves on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the grooves each extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, when equally dividing a groove-formed area of the outer circumferential surface into three areas in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and calculating average values of depths of the grooves contained in the three areas respectively to obtain Dm, De1 and De2, where Dm is an average value of depths of the grooves in a central area, De1 and De2 are average values of depths of the grooves contained in both ends areas, Dm, De1 and De2 satisfy equations (1) and (2): Dm<De1??(1) Dm<De2??(2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Matsuo, Kouichi Uchida, Masatsugu Toyonori
  • Patent number: 10831126
    Abstract: A developing roller is capable of preventing the generation of a difference in image density between a central portion and an end portion of an electrographic image. The developing roller has an electro-conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive layer on the mandrel, the electro-conductive layer has a crown shape in which an outer diameter of a central portion in a direction along the mandrel is larger than outer diameters of both end portions in the direction along the mandrel, an outer surface of the developing roller includes a first region having an electrically insulating property and a second region having a higher conductive property than the first region, and the first region and the second region are disposed adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenta Matsunaga, Minoru Nakamura, Kazuaki Nagaoka, Ryo Sugiyama, Masashi Uno, Fumihiko Utsuno
  • Patent number: 10719039
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: an image carrier having a surface on which a toner image is formed; a transfer roller cooperating with a surface of the image carrier to form a nip at a first position in a direction in which the image carrier rotates; a discharging member provided at a second position downstream of the nip in a direction in which the transfer roller rotates; a first power supply that applies a first voltage opposite in polarity to toner to the transfer roller to transfer the toner image to a recording medium when the recording medium is inserted in the nip; and a second power supply that applies a second voltage identical in polarity to the toner to the discharging member to cause an electric discharge to electrically charge the toner on the surface of the transfer roller to electrically attract the toner to the transfer roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya Tokutake, Hidetoshi Noguchi, Kazuyoshi Ota, Masanori Kawada
  • Patent number: 10715833
    Abstract: An encoding system may include a video source that captures video image, a video coder, and a controller to manage operation of the system. The video coder may encode the video image into encoded video data using a plurality of subgroup parameters corresponding to a plurality of subgroups of pixels within a group. The controller may set the subgroup parameters for at least one of the subgroups of pixels in the video coder, based upon at least one parameters corresponding to the group. A decoding system may decode the video data based upon the motion prediction parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yunfei Zheng, Dazhong Zhang, Xiaosong Zhou, Chris Y. Chung, Hsi-Jung Wu
  • Patent number: 10678168
    Abstract: A belt capable of holding a toner image, the belt being used for an image forming apparatus, includes a multilayer structure including a surface layer defining an outer peripheral surface of the belt. The belt has a 5-sec volume resistivity at 100 V of 10.0 log ?·cm or more and 12.5 log ?·cm or less. The outer peripheral surface of the belt has a 3-sec surface resistivity at 100 V of more than 11.0 log ?/sq and 13.5 log ?/sq or less. The difference between a 1-sec surface resistivity of the outer peripheral surface of the belt at 100 V and a 100-sec surface resistivity of the outer peripheral surface of the belt at 100 V is 0.5 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Furukawa, Shigeru Fukuda, Satoya Sugiura, Futoshi Takei, Hiroaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10670996
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first forming unit that forms a superimposed toner image, in which yellow, magenta, and cyan toner images are superimposed on one another, on a first intermediate transfer unit; a second forming unit that is located downstream of the first forming unit in a recording-medium transport direction and that forms a black toner image on a second intermediate transfer unit; a first transfer part that transfers the superimposed toner image formed on the first intermediate transfer unit by the first forming unit to a recording medium; and a second transfer part that is located downstream of the first transfer part in the recording-medium transport direction and that transfers, in a superimposed manner, the black toner image formed on the second intermediate transfer unit by the second forming unit to the superimposed toner image on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keita Hashimoto, Yukihiro Ichiki, Masaki Suto, Akira Shimodaira, Toshihiro Goda
  • Patent number: 10670997
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer body used in an electrophotographic image forming device includes: at least a substrate layer and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer is formed by a cured product obtained by curing a coating liquid containing a curable compound, an inorganic filler, and a fluorine-based surfactant having a reactive group, and the surface layer has a pure water contact angle of 75° or more and 90° or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihiro Honya, Kazunori Kurimoto, Teruo Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10656566
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt includes a region X having a first coefficient of dynamic friction in a belt conveying direction on an outer circumferential surface side where the intermediate transfer belt and a blade abut each other, and a region Y having a second coefficient of dynamic friction in the belt conveying direction greater in value than the first coefficient of dynamic friction. Further, in the belt conveying direction, a length of the region Y is shorter than a length of the region X and longer than a length at which the blade and the intermediate transfer belt are in contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Tanaka, Keisuke Ishizumi, Tsuguhiro Yoshida, Shohei Ishio
  • Patent number: 10571831
    Abstract: A printer includes a sheet feeder; an intermediate transfer body; a first image forming device; a second image forming device arranged downstream of the first image forming device; a secondary transfer roller arranged downstream of the second image forming device; and a processor. The processor moves the secondary transfer roller away from the intermediate transfer body, primarily transfers a second toner image onto the intermediate transfer body, rotates the intermediate transfer body until the second toner image reaches the first image forming device, primarily transfers the first toner image onto the intermediate transfer body by superimposing the first toner image on the second toner image, causes the secondary transfer roller to contact the intermediate transfer body, and secondarily transfers the first toner image and the second toner image onto the sheet using the secondary transfer roller. The printer further includes a fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Takahashi, Isao Yahata
  • Patent number: 10520860
    Abstract: According to an aspect there is provided a method for conditioning a blanket in an offset printer, the method comprising during a non-printing cycle of the offset printer, applying a first voltage to an intermediate transfer member of the offset printer, wherein the intermediate transfer member comprises the blanket, and maintaining the first voltage for a first period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Ido Finkelman, Rivay Mor
  • Patent number: 10514633
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a liquid electrophotographic ink developer unit. The unit comprises a developer roller, and a secondary roller that co-operates with the developer roller. The developer roller is formed of a material having a specific resistivity of less than 1×106 ?·cm. The secondary roller is formed of a material having a specific resistivity of 1×104 to 1×109 ?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Guang Jin Li, Stanley J. Kozmiski, Seongsik Chang, Daniel Tanchangco, David Sabo, Thomas Anthony, Omer Gila
  • Patent number: 10496015
    Abstract: A transfer device includes a first roller, a second roller that is disposed at a position facing the first roller in such a manner as to be freely movable in a direction in which the second roller comes into and out of contact with the first roller and that transfers a toner image onto a sheet, which has been transported, by nipping the sheet between the first roller and the second roller, and a controller that controls movement of the second roller in such a manner that, when a predetermined type of sheet is transported, a gap smaller than a thickness of the sheet is formed between the first roller and the second roller when a leading end of the sheet enters between the first roller and the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10474070
    Abstract: Herein is disclosed an intermediate transfer member for liquid electrophotographic printing. The intermediate transfer member may include at least one layer including a thermoplastic polyurethane. A liquid electrophotographic printer and a method of forming an intermediate transfer member are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Sergey Inotaev, Raia Slivniak, Ido Finkelman, Dima Libster, Eran Shiran
  • Patent number: 10466627
    Abstract: Member for an image forming apparatus having an outer layer that includes polyethylene glycol and a polyether ester amide having therein a structural unit of polyethylene glycol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Fujii, Akira Izutani, Ryoh Miyakoshi
  • Patent number: 10459375
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member configured to bear a toner image, the photosensitive member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin, and an intermediate transfer member configured to secondarily transfer the toner image having been primarily transferred from the photosensitive member onto a transfer material, the intermediate transfer member having a surface layer containing acrylic resin and having a ten-point average roughness Rz set within a range of 0.35 ?m?Rz?1.5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 10452015
    Abstract: When a mechanism enters a first state, an intermediate transfer member separates from a second photosensitive member. When the mechanism enters a second state, the intermediate transfer member contacts the second photosensitive member. When a first monochrome image is formed on a sheet of a first type by using toner of a first color, the mechanism enters the first state. When a second monochrome image is formed on a sheet of a second type by using toner of the first color, the mechanism enters the second state. A rotation speed of the second photosensitive member for forming the second monochrome image on the sheet of the second type is controlled to a predetermined rotation speed. The predetermined rotation speed is slower than a rotation speed of the second photosensitive member for forming the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rin Ishikawa, Tadashi Iwakawa, Koichi Taniguchi, Akira Hamano
  • Patent number: 10437168
    Abstract: Disclosed is an intermediate transfer belt used for an electrophotographic image-forming apparatus, wherein the intermediate transfer belt contains a substrate layer and a surface layer; the intermediate transfer belt has a relative dielectric constant of 15 or more, and a volume resistivity at an applied voltage of 100 V in the range of 1.0×105 to 9.0×109 ?·cm under an environment of temperature of 23° C. and humidity of 50% RH; and the surface layer has a relative dielectric constant of 6 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Ito Koga, Sadaaki Sakamoto, Shiori Tsugawa, Eiichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10423097
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a plurality of image formers each of which is provided for each color and forms a toner image; a plurality of image carriers each of which is provided in accordance with each of the image formers and carries the toner image formed by each image former; a first intermediate transfer body on which multiple toner images are formed; a secondary transferor that secondarily transfers to a sheet, the multiple toner images formed on the first intermediate transfer body; and an adhesion force reducer that is provided between a position where the multiple toner images are formed on the first intermediate transfer body and a secondary transfer position of the secondary transferor and that reduces an adhesion force of toner included in the multiple toner images formed on the first intermediate transfer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiki Hayami
  • Patent number: 10397871
    Abstract: Improvement of use efficiency of radio resources is realizable. An information processing device is an information processing device which includes a reception unit and a control unit. The reception unit included in this information processing device is a reception unit which receives a packet. In addition, the control unit included in the information processing device is a control unit which controls a packet monitoring state of the information processing device in case of detection of reception of a packet not addressed to the information processing device. The packet monitoring state is controlled on the basis of reception power at the time of reception of the packet not addressed to the information processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Morioka
  • Patent number: 10331069
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image adjustment unit that performs image adjustment on an image for adjustment formed on a rotary member by an image forming unit, based on a detection result by a detection unit. The image adjustment unit calculates the position of second data corresponding to the detection result by detecting an area in which the image for adjustment is formed, calculates first data corresponding to the position of the second data corresponding to the detection result by detecting an area in which the image for adjustment is not formed, and performs the image adjustment by using the first data and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Hagiwara