Continuous Web Patents (Class 399/329)
  • Patent number: 11550247
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt, a roller, a heater, and a reflector. The belt is rotatable in a rotational direction. The roller is positioned to be in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the belt so as to form a nip between the roller and the belt. The heater is disposed within an inner circumference of the belt. The reflector is configured to reflect heat generated by the heater toward an inner surface of the belt. The reflector includes a first portion that is in contact with the belt at a first region downstream with respect to the nip in the rotational direction. The first portion causes a curvature of the belt at the first region to be greater than the curvature of the belt at regions of the belt adjacent to the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11543765
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a heater, a pressure rotator, a stay, a biasing member fixed to the stay, and a nip formation pad. The nip formation pad is supported by the stay, disposed inside the fixing rotator, and forms a nip. The nip formation pad includes at least one engaged portion at a position other than both ends of the nip formation pad or engaged portions at both ends of the nip formation pad. The at least one engaged portion engages an engaging portion in the stay to generate a first rotational moment. The engaged portions at both ends engage engaging portions in the stay to generate a second rotational moment. Each rotational moment is smaller than a rotational moment generated by engagement between an engaging portion in the stay and an engaged portion at only one end of the nip formation pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11531293
    Abstract: A heating device includes a cylindrical film a heater disposed inside the cylindrical film on an inner surface of the cylindrical film. The heater has a plurality of heating elements on a first surface that are spaced from each other at intervals along an axial direction. A heat transfer member contacts a second surface of the heater. The heat transfer member is arranged such that, in a first region of the heater that includes just a single one of the heating elements, contact between the heater and heat transfer member is greater than in a second region of the heater that includes an interval between a pair of adjacent heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryota Saeki
  • Patent number: 11513457
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating and fixing rotator, a pressing rotator, a blower, a guide, an opening and closing device, and a driving device. The heating and fixing rotator is rotatable and heats an unfixed image on a recording medium to fix the unfixed image on the recording medium. The pressing rotator is rotatable, faces the heating and fixing rotator, and is pressed against the recording medium. The guide has an air blowing port and guides air sent from the blower to at least one of the heating and fixing rotator and the pressing rotator. The opening and closing device moves to open and close the air blowing port. The driving device includes a driver to move the opening and closing device and at least one member other than the opening and closing device and separately drives the opening and closing device and the at least one member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshikuni Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11513458
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a rotatable belt, a rotatable pressurizing member, a steering roller, a contact portion, a detected portion, a sensor, and a guiding portion. The contact portion comes into contact with an end portion, in the width direction, of the belt. A position of the detected portion is changed on a basis of a position of the contact portion. The sensor detects the position of the detected portion. An inclination of the steering roller is controlled on a basis of a detection result of the sensor. The guiding portion is provided by connecting with the contact portion. The lubricant is guided from the contact portion to the guiding portion. The guiding portion is provided in a region below the contact portion in a vertical direction, inside of the belt, and overlapped with the belt in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Kozuma
  • Patent number: 11500315
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heater and a feeding member. The heater includes a base and an electrode mounted on an electrode mounting face of the base. The feeding member includes a connector terminal and a restrictor. The connector terminal contacts the electrode. The restrictor engages the heater and restricts displacement of the feeding member relative to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukimichi Someya, Tomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi
  • Patent number: 11493866
    Abstract: In some examples, a system is disclosed that includes a roller assembly for a printer. The roller assembly includes a pressure roller, a belt coupled, a drive assembly to rotate the pressure roller and to urge the pressure roller into the belt, a heater to apply heat to the belt, and a temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the belt. In addition, the roller assembly includes a controller to increase a pressure applied to the pressure roller from a first to a second pressure in pressure in response to a temperature of the belt being greater than or equal to a first temperature threshold. Also, the controller is to initiate an advance of a print media to contact the belt in response to the temperature of the belt being greater than or equal to a second, higher temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jody L Clayburn, Lorraine T Golob, Daniel James Magnusson, Brooke Hoyer
  • Patent number: 11493099
    Abstract: A one-way clutch including: a driving force input member; a driving force output member; and a driving force transmitting member, wherein, when the driving force input member performs forward rotation, the second engaging part performs forward rotation in a state of being engaged with the first engaging part, so as to connect the first ratchet engaging part and the second ratchet engaging part, in order to make the driving force output member perform forward rotation, wherein, when the driving force input member performs reverse rotation, the second engaging part performs reverse rotation in a state of being engaged with the first engaging part, so as to make the driving force transmitting member and the first ratchet engaging part perform reverse rotation so that the first ratchet engaging part is separated from the second ratchet engaging part, in order not to make the driving force output member perform reverse rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Nisca Inc.
    Inventor: Masayoshi Sakuyama
  • Patent number: 11487232
    Abstract: An endless belt includes a metal substrate, and a heat-resistant resin layer that is disposed as an innermost layer on an inner peripheral surface of the metal substrate and that contains a resin and a thermally conductive filler having an aspect ratio of 20 or more. In the heat-resistant resin layer, an orientation ratio of the thermally conductive filler with respect to a circumferential direction of the endless belt is 20% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kenji Omori, Hideaki Ohara, Tomotake Inagaki, Hitoshi Komuro, Jun Kimura
  • Patent number: 11474463
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure applying member, and a heater holding member. The fixing belt fixes toner to a sheet. The pressure applying member forms a nip portion together with an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt and causes the fixing belt to peripherally rotate while applying pressure to the fixing belt at the nip portion. The heater holding member holds a heater that applies heat to the fixing belt. The heater holding member includes: a side portion that extends from the nip portion along an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt and guides the fixing belt; and a plurality of inclined ribs that are disposed on the side portion to face the inner peripheral surface and formed such that an interval between them is gradually narrowed as they proceed in a direction in which the fixing belt peripherally rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Fumito Nakamoto, Masakazu Uehara, Tomohiro Watatani, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 11467521
    Abstract: A fixing device for an image forming apparatus has a tubular fixing member that has a lubricant-coated inner surface. A rotating member contacts an outer surface of the fixing member. A heater is on an inner surface side of the fixing member at a first position. A pressing member presses against the inner surface of the fixing member at a second position. The pressing member extends beyond the outer edges of the fixing member and includes first grooves in an outward facing surface that contacts the inner surface of fixing member. At least one first groove has end portion that extends beyond an outer edge of the fixing member, an inner portion inside the outer edges of the fixing member, and connecting portion connecting the two other portions. The connector portion is angled inward toward a center of the fixing member and crosses the outer edge of the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshihiro Sone
  • Patent number: 11467533
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a drawer, an operation panel, and a sensor. The housing includes a first side wall having a first opening, and a second side wall having a vent and extending in a direction crossing the first side wall. The drawer supports a cartridge. The drawer is movable through the first opening between an inner position at which the drawer is accommodated in the housing and an outer position at which a part of the drawer is exposed to outside the housing. At least part of the operation panel protrudes from an outer surface of the second side wall. The sensor is arranged in the housing between the drawer and the second side wall. The sensor is configured to detect at least temperature or humidity of ambient air taken in through the vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Hachiya, Masaaki Wakizaka, Kentaro Aoyama, Shinta Sugiura, Toshinori Araki, Keita Inoue
  • Patent number: 11467518
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming device including: a conveying unit configured to convey a recording medium while rotating, in a state of being in contact with a back surface of the recording medium having a front surface on which a toner image is transferred; a main heating unit configured to heat the conveyed recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium; and a preheating unit disposed upstream of the main heating unit in a conveying direction of the recording medium and configured to heat, in a non-contact state, the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying unit, a portion of the conveying unit that is in contact with the recording medium being formed of a material that makes a maximum temperature of the portion be equal to or lower than a temperature of the recording medium when the recording medium is heated by the preheating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masato Yamashita, Takayuki Yamashita, Tetsuro Kodera, Yoshiki Shimodaira, Kosuke Yamada, Tokuya Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11454907
    Abstract: In some examples, a media conditioner includes a conveying component to convey a sheet of printable media, a heating element to heat the conveying component, a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of the conveying component, a media sensor to detect the sheet of printable media, and a controller to provide a power level to the heating element. A temperature set-point is set to a pre-established value. Based on data from the temperature sensor, the controller is to maintain the temperature of the conveying component at the temperature set-point by varying the power level. The controller is to apply a boost to the power level based on a signal from the media sensor while the temperature set-point remains at the pre-established value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alan Shibata, Matthew Raisanen, Robert Yraceburu, Richard Lee Brinkly
  • Patent number: 11448988
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator that rotates and a heat source that heats the fixing rotator. A pressure rotator contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. A nip former is disposed opposite the pressure rotator via the fixing rotator to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. A support supports the nip former and includes a metal member. The nip former includes a resin nip forming member made of resin and a metal nip forming member made of metal and interposed between the resin nip forming member and the fixing rotator. The metal nip forming member includes a contact face disposed in at least a part of a lateral end span of the nip former in a longitudinal direction of the nip former. The contact face contacts the metal member of the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuya Saito
  • Patent number: 11442382
    Abstract: An imaging system includes an endless belt to convey a medium, a heating member to heat the endless belt, a pressure member to press the endless belt against the heating member, and a cooling device. The cooling device is in contact with the endless belt at a non-linear portion of the endless belt and includes an interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Yasuo Suzuki, Koichi Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 11429042
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device and a control unit. The fixing device includes a heating resistor formed of a positive temperature coefficient material. The control unit energizes the heating resistor with a first energization amount if a temperature of the heating resistor is lower than a predetermined temperature, and energizes the heating resistor with a second energization amount that is higher than the first energization amount if the temperature of the heating resistor is higher than the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Furuyama
  • Patent number: 11429046
    Abstract: A rotatable endless fixing belt configured to fix a toner image borne on a recording material includes a base body and a polyimide layer. The polyimide layer is formed on an inner-circumferential-surface of the base body and configured to slide on a backup member in contact with the backup member. The polyimide layer includes filler having shape anisotropy. An orientation ratio of the filler inclined with respect to a generating line of the fixing belt by a predetermined angle or less is smaller in a first area than in a second area in a cross section of the fixing belt taken along the generating line of the fixing belt, the first area being an area formed in an inner-circumferential-surface side of the polyimide layer in a thickness direction, the second area being an area formed in a base-body side of the polyimide layer in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11429047
    Abstract: A roller used in a fixing device includes a rubber layer including a plurality of void portions, pore passage portions connecting the void portions, and a filler, wherein an aspect ratio RA of the filler is 2.5?RA?215, and a linear expansion coefficient of the rubber layer is less than or equal to 400×10?6/K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Nomura, Kazuya Nakai
  • Patent number: 11422490
    Abstract: An infrared irradiating portion is turned on in accordance with power-on of an image forming apparatus 10, and an air sucking operation of an air sucking portion 300 is started after a temperature of an infrared radiation member 305 of an IR irradiating portion 13 reaches a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michiaki Endo, Tomoharu Kitajima, Shuhei Takahashi, Shuichi Tamura
  • Patent number: 11409214
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an endless first rotary member, a second rotary member configured to form a nip portion, and a nip member configured to be rubbed against the first rotary member via lubricant, and being configured to receive radiant heat from a heating element and heat the nip portion. The nip member involves a nip forming portion configured to be in contact with the first rotary member, and an extending portion formed continuously with a downstream edge portion of the nip forming portion. The extending portion involves a holding portion configured to hold the lubricant. The holding portion is longer than the second rotary member and shorter than the first rotary member, and when viewed in a sheet conveyance direction, both end portions of the holding portion are position outside of end portions of the second rotary member and inside of end portions of the first rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takao Kume, Masahito Omata
  • Patent number: 11402774
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing film, a heater for heating the fixing film, a heater holder including a heater holding portion holding the heater, and a pressing roller forming a nip between itself and the fixing film to be heated by the heater. In the nip, a toner image carried on a recording material is fixed. The heater holder includes an opposing surface which is provided on a side upstream of the heater holding portion with respect to a recording material feeding direction and which opposes the pressing roller, a lubricant holding portion provided on the opposing surface, for supplying a lubricant to between the fixing film and the heater, and a projected portion provided on the side upstream of the heater holding portion with respect to the recording material feeding direction and projecting toward the pressing roller from the opposing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 11397395
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus according includes: a heater that includes a substrate, a heating element provided on the substrate, and an electrode provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the heating element; and a power supply member that includes a first member bonded or coupled to the electrode to supply power to the heating element and a second member bonded or coupled to an opposite surface of the first member to a surface, which is bonded or coupled to the electrode, of the first member, wherein the heater generates heat by power supplied via the power supply member, and an image formed on a recording material is heated by heat of the heater; and a liner expansion coefficient of the first member is different from a liner expansion coefficient of the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Suzuki, Kazushi Nishikata
  • Patent number: 11392067
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator, a belt facing the rotator and having an outer peripheral surface which contacts the rotator to form a nip therebetween, a first pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator to form one part of the nip, a second pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator, to form another part of the nip, a holder holding the first pad and the second pad, a stay supporting the holder, and an urging member urging the stay toward the rotator in an urging direction. The second pad is located upstream of the first pad in a conveyance direction in the nip orthogonal to the urging direction. At least a portion of a contact area between the stay and the holder is located downstream of a center of the nip and upstream of a front edge of the first pad in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Tomonori Watanabe, Kenji Takeuchi, Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Patent number: 11378903
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a pressing roller, a fixing belt disposed to be rotated by the pressing roller around a rotation axis of the fixing belt, a pressing member disposed within the fixing belt and to press a portion of the fixing belt toward the pressing roller, a pair of rotation ring members to support corresponding ends of the fixing belt respectively and being rotated by the fixing belt, and a pair of flange members to rotatably support the pair of the rotation ring members respectively, in which a rotation ring member of the pair of rotation ring members is an inclined state towards the fixing belt on a corresponding flange member, in which, with respect to the rotational axis of the fixing belt, an area of the rotation ring member opposite to a contacting area of the rotation member contacting with the pressed portion of the fixing belt protrudes more toward the fixing belt than the contacting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Dong Kyun Kim, Bong Hee Lee, Seong Yul Kim, Se Min An
  • Patent number: 11372353
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a belt support surrounded by the belt, and a sliding sheet configured to be pinched at the nip between an inner peripheral surface of the belt and the belt support. The belt support is configured to form a nip with the rotator. One of the belt support and the sliding sheet includes a hook engaging portion. The hook engaging portion includes an aperture. The other of the belt support and the sliding sheet includes a hook engaged to the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokifumi Tanaka, Kenji Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11370200
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fluororesin film or fluororesin laminate excellent in heat resistance and excellent in interlayer adhesion to an object to be laminated, such as a prepreg, a method for producing a hot pressed laminate using said film or laminate, and a method for producing a printed circuit board. The fluororesin film contains a fluororesin having a melting point of from 260 to 380° C., and has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of at least 3.0 nm when inside of 1 ?m2 of at least one surface thereof in the thickness direction is measured by an atomic force microscope. The laminate 1 has a layer A10 containing said fluororesin and a layer B12 made of another substrate, wherein the layer A10 has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of at least 3.0 nm when inside of 1 ?m2 of a second surface 10b thereof is measured by an atomic force microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoya Hosoda, Tatsuya Terada, Atsumi Yamabe, Nobutaka Kidera, Wataru Kasai
  • Patent number: 11360417
    Abstract: A heater includes a substrate formed of metal into a plate shape in which a length in a longitudinal direction thereof is greater than a length in a short direction thereof when viewed in a thickness direction thereof, an insulating layer formed of insulating material on a first surface of the substrate on a first side in the thickness direction, a heating element arranged on the insulating layer and configured to generate heat by flowing electric current therethrough, and a cover layer arranged to cover the heating element. The heater is a warped shape when receiving no external force, such that a center portion of the heater in the longitudinal direction protrudes to the first side in the thickness direction compared to both end portions of the heater in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichiro Ikegami, Tomoo Akizuki, Hiroki Sasame, Yusuke Shimizu, Tatsuya Kinukawa
  • Patent number: 11347169
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a pad member, a pressure member, a heating roller, a stretching roller, and, an outer stretching roller. The outer stretching roller disposed between the heating roller and the stretching roller and configured to press the heating roller from an outer surface of the belt and bring the belt into contact with the heating roller. In a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the pressure member, a surface between the heating roller and the stretching roller of the belt in a state where the belt is pushed toward the heating roller by the outer stretching roller is located inside that of the belt in a state where the outer stretching roller is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shutaro Saito, Keisuke Yoshida, Atsushi Ishigami
  • Patent number: 11340542
    Abstract: A fixing device that fixes a toner image to a medium, includes: a heating body rotatably supported; an auxiliary heating member disposed along an inner surface of the heating rotation body; a temperature sensor facing the inner surface via the auxiliary heating member; a first elastic body configured to press, via a first force, the temperature sensor against the inner surface; and a second elastic body configured to press, via a second force, a sliding member against the inner surface. A product of a distance from a center of the auxiliary heating member to the first elastic body and the first elastic force is equal to a product of a distance from the center to the second elastic body and the second elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11340546
    Abstract: A tubular fuser device rotates and is in contact with a sheet on which a positively charged toner image is formed to fix the toner image to the sheet. The fuser device includes a tubular substrate made of a metal, a rubber layer covering the outer periphery of the substrate, an adhesion layer covering the outer periphery of the rubber layer, and a surface layer made of a resin covering the outer periphery of the adhesion layer. In the fuser device, C·R/A2 is less than 1.1×10?53 F?/cm4 in which C·R/A2 is a product of an electrostatic capacity per unit area C/A in a thickness direction of the fuser device and an electrical resistance per unit area R/A in the thickness direction of the fuser device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventors: Masaya Suzuki, Kenji Sasaki, Wataru Nemoto, Hidetomo Mukai
  • Patent number: 11334011
    Abstract: A heating device for an image forming unit includes a heater unit, a cylindrical film, a support member, a first heat transfer unit, and a second heat transfer unit. The cylindrical film is at least partially disposed around the heater unit. The support member is configured to support the heater unit above the cylindrical film and such that the heater unit is located between the support member and the cylindrical film. The first heat transfer unit is disposed between the cylindrical film and the heater unit and in confronting relation with a first surface of the heater unit. The first heat transfer unit has a first contact area with the heater unit. The second heat transfer unit is disposed between the heater unit and the support member and in confronting relation with a second surface of the heater unit. The second surface is opposite the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11300909
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a heating device includes a belt and a heat generating member. The belt has a tubular shape. The heat generating member is provided inside the belt. The heat generating member is formed in an arc shape along the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The heat generating member is slidably in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. When the amount of deflection of the belt is D, the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of the belt is A, and the radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the heat generating member is B, the following equations (1) and (2) are satisfied: D?10 mm??(1) 0.4 mm?A?B?0 mm??(2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11300907
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tomonori Watanabe, Shuhei Fukue, Kenji Takeuchi, Kazuna Taguchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 11294308
    Abstract: In an image forming device, a first fixing member has a roller. A second fixing member has a belt to form a nip together with the first fixing member. A pressure modifying mechanism modifies a nip pressure at the nip to selected one of a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. A controller drives the first motor to drive the roller and fixes the developer image on a sheet in a state that the nip pressure is the first nip pressure. The controller modifies the nip pressure from the first nip pressure to the second nip pressure while driving the first motor in a case where a final sheet among one or more sheets fixed according to a print job has passed the nip, and halts the first motor after the nip pressure is modified to the second nip pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Mizuno, Fumitake Tajiri, Tokifumi Tanaka, Tomonori Watanabe, Sadaharu Kato, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Patent number: 11281138
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a cylindrical film and a pressing element that rotates with the cylindrical film and forms a nip with the cylindrical film. A medium is conveyed through the nip from an upstream side to a downstream side. The heating apparatus further includes a guide member arranged inside the cylindrical film and including a first end portion that contacts the cylindrical film at a location that is downstream of an upstream end of the nip, and a substrate arranged inside the cylindrical film and on which a heating element is disposed. An upstream end of the substrate is located downstream of the first end portion of the guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11281142
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a pressure unit is pressed toward a roller by an arm, to form a nip region. The pressure unit includes a belt configured to contact the roller in a nip region, a pressure pad configured to press the belt in combination with the roller, and a side guide including an end guide surface configured to guide a side end of the belt, and a stay configured to support the pressure pad. A supporting member is located on an outer side of the side guide that is opposite to an inner side on which the end guide surface faces. The supporting member is held between the stay and the arm, the supporting member comprising a contact surface which contacts the side guide and on which the side guide is swayably supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mingguang Zhang, Tatsuo Ogasawara, Kenji Takeuchi, Tokifumi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11275331
    Abstract: A heater includes a single plate substrate that extends along a first direction, and a first heat generating member disposed on a first surface of the substrate and covering a first portion of the first surface. The first heat generating member has electrodes formed at both end portions thereof in a second direction crossing the first direction and is electrically connected to a power source. The heater further includes a second heat generating member disposed on a second surface of the substrate and covering a second portion of the second surface at a location on the substrate that is offset with respect to a location of the first portion on the substrate in the first direction. The second heat generating member has electrodes formed at both end portions thereof in the second direction and is electrically connected to the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 11269272
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing belt, a pad, a rotatable pressing member, a pressing member driving source, an auxiliary driving roller, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the pressing member driving source to the auxiliary driving roller, wherein a peripheral speed of the auxiliary driving roller is faster than a peripheral speed of the pressing member, and a steering roller provided so as to stretch the fixing belt at the inner surface of the fixing belt in a position downstream of the auxiliary driving roller and upstream the pad with respect to a rotational direction of the fixing belt. The steering roller adjusts a position of the fixing belt with respect to a widthwise direction of the fixing belt by inclining the fixing belt so as to be positioned within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Tatezawa, Youichi Chikugo, Rikiya Takemasa, Kenichi Tanaka, Yutaro Tsuno, Mitsuru Hasegawa, Suguru Takeuchi, Hiroki Kawai, Yasuharu Toratani, Ayano Ogata
  • Patent number: 11262678
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing film that can revolve, a contact member that comes into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing film, a pressure roller that press-contacts the fixing film from an outside of the fixing film toward the contact member to form a fixing nip area between the fixing film and the pressure roller, a heater that heats the fixing film, and a reflective member that reflects light emitted from the heater toward the fixing film. A protective member that allows irradiation of the light to the fixing film is provided between the heater and the fixing film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 11237511
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: a first rotating body that contacts a sheet for printing and heats the sheet; a second rotating body that rotates while pressing the first rotating body; a motor that rotates the first rotating body; and a hardware processor that determines whether an abnormal noise occurs on the basis of a plurality of condition values including a torque value of the motor, wherein the hardware processor performs abnormal noise prevention control that increases the rotation of the first rotating body or weakens pressing applied by the second rotating body to the first rotating body in a case where it is determined that the abnormal noise occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Tsubotani
  • Patent number: 11237508
    Abstract: A fuser, having a heater, a holder, and a first wire spring, is provided. The heater is in a form of a planar plate and has a first face and a second face. The holder has a supporting base supporting the first face of the heater. The first wire spring retain the heater on the holder. The first wire spring has a first facing portion, a first engageable portion, and a second engageable portion. The first facing portion faces and supports the second face of the heater. The first engageable portion and the second engageable portion extend from one and the other ends of the first facing portion. The first engageable portion and the second engageable portion are engageable with the holder in an end area on one side and an end area on the other side of the heater in a widthwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichi Ikeno
  • Patent number: 11237507
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater including a first sealing portion and a second sealing portion disposed at a first lateral end and a second lateral end of a tube in a longitudinal direction of a fixing rotator, respectively. The first sealing portion includes a first inboard end distanced from a first lateral end of a heat generating portion with a first distance in the longitudinal direction of the fixing rotator. The second sealing portion includes a second inboard end distanced from a second lateral end of the heat generating portion with a second distance in the longitudinal direction of the fixing rotator. The second distance is smaller than the first distance. A driving force transmitter transmits a driving force to the fixing rotator or an opposed rotator and is disposed in a first lateral end side of the fixing device where the first sealing portion is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Natsuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11209757
    Abstract: A slide member over which a sliding member is configured to slide includes a slide portion over which the sliding member slides. The slide portion is weaved with a first fiber having a first color. The slide member further includes a non-slide portion over which the sliding member does not slide. The non-slide portion is weaved with a second fiber having a second color that is different and distinguished from the first color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Haruyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 11194274
    Abstract: A fuser including an endless belt, a pressurizing roller, a heater, a shaft supporting member, rotation member, and a washer. The pressurizing roller is to form a heating nip with the endless belt and is to rotate to drive the endless belt. The heater is to supply heat to the heating nip. The supporting member includes a shaft and a flange The rotation member is inserted into an inner diameter portion of the endless belt to support the endless belt, the rotation member is to be slidably rotatable with respect to the shaft. A washer interposed between the rotation member and the flange in an axial direction to regulate a movement of the endless belt in the axial direction, the washer is to slide-contact with at least one of the flange and the rotation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Dong Kyun Kim, Bong Hee Lee, Seong Yul Kim, Se Min An, Jin Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 11163250
    Abstract: A fixing unit includes an endless belt, a heating unit configured to heat the belt, a pressure rotary member configured to form a fixing nip portion that nips and conveys a recording material with the belt, a pad configured to press the belt toward the pressure rotary member, a sliding sheet provided on the pad and configured to slide against the belt, a plate-like member configured to fix the sliding sheet to the pad, the sliding sheet being fixed in a manner sandwiched between the plate-like member and the pad, and fixing tools configured to fix the plate-like member at a plurality of positions along a longitudinal direction of the plate-like member. A width of the sliding sheet is wider than a width of the fixing nip portion and narrower than a width of the plate-like member in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yasui, Junichi Moteki, Akiyoshi Shinagawa, Takuma Tadomi, Ikuo Nakamoto, Toru Katsumi, Takahiro Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 11157215
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit and a control unit. The obtaining unit obtains, from a verification apparatus configured to perform, for each printed material of printed materials, verification about whether the printed material satisfies a given condition, information that is based on a result of the verification. Each of the printed materials is a recording medium on which an image is printed by a printing apparatus. The control unit performs control so that output of the printed materials from the printing apparatus is suppressed when a given number of printed materials are handled as one bundle and the number of printed materials that satisfy the given condition reaches the given number based on the verification result. The control unit performs control so that insertion paper interspacing a plurality of bundles is output next to the given number of printed materials that satisfy the given condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11156947
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: an endless fixing belt; a pad unit and a driven roller disposed opposite to an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt so as to entrain the fixing belt; a pair of first supports located so as to sandwich the fixing belt in a width direction of the fixing belt, the pair of first supports supporting the pad unit by fixing the pad unit; and a pair of second supports located so as to sandwich the pair of first supports in the width direction of the fixing belt, the pair of second supports rotatably journaling the driven roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Naoki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11143995
    Abstract: A fixing belt and a fixing device suppress charging of the fixing belt and permit securing of a withstand voltage of secondary parts of the fixing belt are provided in addition to a heater. The fixing belt is formed of a tubular endless fixing film including, in order from an inner peripheral side of the film, a base layer, an elastic layer, and a release layer. A surface resistivity of the fixing belt measured from the base layer side is 7 [LOG ?/sq.] or more and 10 [LOG ?/sq.] or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryota Saeki
  • Patent number: 11126118
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a hollow rotating body, a pressing member that applies pressure to a recording medium and transports the recording medium in a transport direction along with rotation of the rotating body, a heating member that is in contact with the rotating body while extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and a holding member that holds the heating member. The heating member includes a contact portion and non-contact portions, the contact portion has a first end portion on a downstream side of the contact portion in the transport direction, each non-contact portion has a second end portion on the downstream side in the transport direction, and each second end portion is thicker than the first end portion in a direction perpendicular to the transport and axial directions. The holding member is in contact with the second end portions in the transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Jouta Kobayashi