Including Lubricant Patents (Class 399/346)
  • Patent number: 12078944
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt has metal oxide particles as a solid lubricant on a surface of the intermediate transfer belt, in which an average spacing between the metal oxide particles on the surface is 1,000 nm or less, and an average height of the metal oxide particles from the surface is 15 nm or more and 320 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Daisuke Tanemura, Masato Ono, Shigeru Fukuda, Masato Furukawa, Hiroaki Tanaka, Yosuke Kubo, Iori Nishimura, Masayuki Seko, Koichi Matsumoto, Satoya Sugiura
  • Patent number: 12070906
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping device includes an injection head having a nozzle, a stage, a motor, a brush, a blade, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to execute a program so as to cause the nozzle to reciprocally move along a zigzag path in a cleaning operation such that the nozzle passes from a side of the blade toward a side of the brush and from the side of the brush toward the side of the blade several times to contact at least one of the brush and the blade at different positions several times. The brush and the blade are disposed at a height at which the brush and the blade contact with the nozzle. The brush and the blade have a melting point higher than a plasticizing temperature of the plasticizing material and have hardness lower than hardness of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuo Akasaka
  • Patent number: 12045000
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, an intermediate transferor, a primary transferor, a second transferor, and a cleaning blade. The latent image bearer has a surface onto which a lubricant comprising zinc stearate is supplied. The intermediate transferor has a surface onto which the toner image is transferred, the surface including an adhering region to which the lubricant from the latent image bearer adheres. The cleaning blade cleans the surface of the intermediate transferor including the adhering region, after the toner image is secondarily transferred. In a region outside at least a horizontal A4 sheet passing width on the intermediate transferor, a ratio of a peak area derived from zinc stearate to a peak area derived from the intermediate transferor in a difference spectrum between attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared absorption spectrums of the intermediate transferor in an unused state and after use is 0.892 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Watanabe, Hiroshi Nakai
  • Patent number: 12036740
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping device includes an injection head having a nozzle, a stage, a motor, a brush, a blade, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to execute a program so as to cause the nozzle to reciprocally move along a zigzag path in a cleaning operation such that the nozzle passes from a side of the blade toward a side of the brush and from the side of the brush toward the side of the blade several times to contact at least one of the brush and the blade at different positions several times. The brush and the blade are disposed at a height at which the brush and the blade contact with the nozzle. The brush and the blade have a melting point higher than a plasticizing temperature of the plasticizing material and have hardness lower than hardness of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuo Akasaka
  • Patent number: 12025939
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveyance passage, an image forming apparatus, a sheet discharge unit, an apparatus body, a sheet discharge port, a pair of sheet pressing members, a discharge tray, and an overhang portion. The image forming unit includes an image carrying member. The sheet discharge unit is disposed above the image forming unit. The sheet discharge port is provided in the sheet discharge unit and has an upper edge and a lower edge. The pair of sheet pressing members press the sheet passing through the sheet discharge port. The overhang portion protrudes from the upper edge of the sheet discharge port in the sheet discharge direction beyond the lower edge. The overhang portion is disposed such that the straight line passing through the distal end of the overhang portion and the lower edge of the sheet discharge port passes above the image carrying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hironori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 12025951
    Abstract: The toner has a toner matrix particle containing a crystalline polyester resin. Associated silica including two or more of primary particles is present on the surface of the toner matrix particle. The coverage with associated silica onto the toner matrix particle is 1% or more to 30% or less, and the adherence strength of associated silica to the toner matrix particle is 20% or more to 90% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Maeda
  • Patent number: 11927908
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus include an image forming device, an image bearer, a transferrer, a cleaner, and an adhesion amount detector. The image forming device forms, on the image bearer, a toner image to be transferred to a recording medium and a toner image pattern to be input to the cleaner without being transferred to the recording medium. The cleaner cleans the image bearer. The adhesion amount detector detects a toner adhesion amount of the toner image. The toner image pattern is a belt-shaped pattern elongated in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a traveling direction of the image bearer and having a greater amount of toner input to a portion of the cleaner corresponding to a position of the adhesion amount detector in the orthogonal direction than that input to a portion of the cleaner not corresponding to the position of the adhesion amount detector in the orthogonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Hoshi, Yusuke Mitani
  • Patent number: 11921455
    Abstract: A lubricant solid contains, in a content of 92 mass % or more and 100 mass % or less, a lubricant having a polygonal network bond structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yohei Saito, Jiro Korenaga, Shoko Hachiya, Ryo Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 11886135
    Abstract: An example lubricant applying device includes a rotatable applicator, a solid lubricant source to supply lubricant to the applicator, an urging member to urge the lubricant source to contact the applicator, and a guide member to restrict an urging of the lubricant source along a displacement direction. In a transverse cross section of the lubricant applying device that is taken orthogonally to a rotation axis of the applicator, a reference line extends from a contact surface of the lubricant source to the rotation axis of the applicator, in a direction parallel to the displacement direction of the guide member. In the transverse cross section, the lubricant source has a width that is substantially orthogonal to the displacement direction. The lubricant source is positioned to offset a widthwise center of the lubricant source to a downstream side of the reference line, in the rotational direction of the applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Koichiro Takashima, Yasuyuki Ishii, Yoichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11868075
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a lubricant roller to transfer a lubricant to the image carrier, a solid lubricant in contact the lubricant roller to supply the lubricant to the lubricant roller, and a pressing member to urge the solid lubricant against the lubricant roller. The lubricant roller includes a foam that is in contact with the image carrier. The foam is selected to have a permeability of approximately 0.15 dm3/s to 1.4 dm3/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Katsushi Higashida, Takayuki Wakai
  • Patent number: 11644762
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a friction coefficient of a surface of 0.8 or less; a charging device including a charging member that is in contact with and charges the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor and includes a conductive base material, an elastic layer provided on the conductive base material and having a storage elastic modulus G of 5.0 MPa or less at 100 Hz, and a surface layer provided on the elastic layer; an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to form a toner image by a developer containing a toner; and a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a surface of a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kinuta, Yuki Tagawa, Takuya Yamamoto, Ken Ozaki, Noboru Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 11579557
    Abstract: An example lubricant application device includes a rotatable applicator to apply a lubricant from a solid lubricant source to a rotating member, a support member to support the solid lubricant source in contact with the rotatable applicator, a near-end detection member and an end detection member coupled to the support member. The near-end detection member is coupled to the support member such that it comes in contact with the rotatable applicator after a first amount of the solid lubricant source has been consumed. The end detection member is coupled to the support member such that it comes in contact with the rotatable applicator after a second amount of the solid lubricant source has been consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Katsushi Higashida, Takayuki Wakai
  • Patent number: 11573520
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a lubricant application target member, an application roller which is provided at a position adjacent to the lubricant application target member to apply a lubricant to the lubricant application target member, a lubricant support member which supports the lubricant, and a movement mechanism which includes a guide coupled to the lubricant support member and extending along a linear direction. An engaging portion engages with the guide and restricts movement of the lubricant support member in a linear direction of the guide by engagement of the guide with the engaging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Koichiro Takashima, Katsushi Higashida, Hiroyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 11561498
    Abstract: A cleaning blade is provided. The cleaning blade includes an elastic body having a contact edge to contact a surface of a cleaning target to remove a residue on the surface. The elastic body includes a coating layer on at least a part of the contact edge. The coating layer contains fluorine-based particles and a binder comprising a fluorine-based oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichiro Juri, Masahiro Ohmori
  • Patent number: 11454916
    Abstract: A lubricant application device for an image forming apparatus includes a grinding roller that is rotatable to scrape off a lubricant from a solid lubricant source, and a scattering member to scatter the lubricant from the grinding roller toward a separate rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Takayuki Wakai, Takeshi Uchitani, Katsushi Higashida
  • Patent number: 11454917
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a protectant applicator, a heating device, and a protectant biasing member. The protectant applicator applies protectant to the image bearer. The heating device includes a heater including a base, a heat generator, an electrode, and a conductor coupling the heat generator to the electrode. The heater has a first position and a second position having a higher temperature than the first position. These are symmetrical to each other with respect to a longitudinal center of a heat generation area of the heater. The protectant biasing member biases the protectant to the protectant applicator with a first biasing force at a position closer to the first position than to the second position and with a second biasing force larger than the first biasing force at a position closer to the second position than to the first, and the protectant contacts the protectant applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Yabe, Yuusuke Furuichi, Tomoya Adachi
  • Patent number: 11448996
    Abstract: An imaging system includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, a coating roller to transfer a lubricant from a lubricant source to a surface of the image carrier, the coating roller being disposed adjacent to the image carrier to receive a toner from the image carrier, and a toner adjustment element to adjust a toner amount of the coating roller in an axial direction of the coating roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yoshida, Koichiro Takashima, Noriaki Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11402790
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a main body to accommodate a roller, and a lubricant unit. The lubricant unit includes a casing having an opening and a lubricant storage disposed inside the casing to store a lubricant. The casing is pivotably connected to the main body to displace the casing between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the lubricant storage is positioned to bring the lubricant in contact with the roller through the opening, and the pivotable connection is disposed below the casing. In the open position, the opening is exposed to an outside of the main body, and the opening of the casing is disposed upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Katsushi Higashida, Yasuyuki Ishii, Hiroyuki Sato, Koichiro Takashima
  • Patent number: 11402791
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: a transfer member; a first image carrier on which a first toner image using toner of a first color is formed; a second image carrier which is provided on a downstream side relative to the first image carrier in a moving direction (rotating direction) of the transfer member, and on which a second toner image using toner of a second color is formed; a lubricant supply section that supplies a lubricant to the second image carrier; and a control section that controls a supply amount of the lubricant to the second image carrier in accordance with an overlap amount between the first toner image and the second toner image which are transferred from the first image carrier and the second image carrier to the transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Kei Yuasa, Takenobu Kimura, Takashi Akazawa, Kei Okamura
  • Patent number: 11366420
    Abstract: A lubricant application device includes an application roller with application bristles radially arranged about an outer circumferential surface thereof for receiving a lubricant from a lubricant supply source and applying the lubricant to a photosensitive body. A minimum distance between the outer circumferential surface of the application roller and the photosensitive body is shorter than a length of the application bristles. The lubricant application device has a drive unit for rotating the application roller and a controller for controlling the drive unit. The controller is adapted to control the drive unit to counteract a bristle-bending tendency of the application bristles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishii, Katsushi Higashida, Koichiro Takashima
  • Patent number: 11150594
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to rotate about a rotation axis, a cleaning blade to contact a surface of the image carrier, and a protective agent coater. The protective agent coater has a rotatable shaft extending along the rotation axis of the image carrier, an elastic body formed around the rotatable shaft, and a waste toner supply member. The waste toner supply member supplies waste toner to the elastic body of the protective agent coater. The elastic body transfers protective agent from a protective agent supply to the image carrier. The protective agent coater is positioned upstream of the cleaning blade in the rotation direction of the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishii, Takayuki Wakai, Yoichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11092921
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; a transfer portion; a photoconductor cleaner that removes residual toner from a surface of the photoconductor; and a first processor that forms a toner patch on the surface of the photoconductor. When the toner patch passes the transfer portion, the transfer portion makes the toner patch stay on the surface of the photoconductor such that toner of the toner patch is able to be supplied to the photoconductor cleaner. The first processor further determines an amount of toner for the toner patch with reference to a circumferential distance the photoconductor travels for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yusuke Murakami
  • Patent number: 10908554
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a lubricant application device to apply a lubricant to a photoreceptor surface of the image forming apparatus, and a lubricant residual amount detector to detect a residual amount of the lubricant. The residual amount of the lubricant is compared to a predetermined amount, and a charging device charges the photoreceptor surface by selectively applying a DC voltage of varying voltage to the photoreceptor surface in response to the comparison of the residual amount of the lubricant to the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 10712704
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying unit that carries a toner image on a surface of the image carrying unit along with rotation of the image carrying unit to transfer the toner image onto a target transfer unit, and a supply unit that supplies a larger amount of fatty acid metal salt to the image carrying unit as a rotation speed of the image carrying unit increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasutaka Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10691058
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier whose rotational speed changes depending on a printing speed of an image onto a sheet, an applicator that applies a lubricant to a surface of the latent image carrier, and a hardware processor that causes a surface of the applicator to move such that a difference between a first moving speed and a second moving speed is within a certain range, the first moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the latent image carrier moves, the second moving speed being a speed at which the surface of the applicator moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA INC.
    Inventors: Kunitomo Sasaki, Masayasu Haga, Sayaka Morita, Tsugihito Yoshiyama
  • Patent number: 10642202
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier rotatably supported; a lubricant supplier that supplies lubricant to a surface of the image carrier; a blade that levels the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supplier in a film-like form on the surface of the image carrier; and a controller that controls image formation, wherein the controller has a lubricant removal mode to remove the lubricant accumulated on the blade, the lubricant removal mode includes a plurality of displacement modes each of which imparts different displacement to the blade, in each of the displacement modes, one of a displacement amount, a displacement speed, a displacement period, a displacement angle, and a displacement position of the blade is different, and the controller performs switching between the displacement modes dining execution of the lubricant removal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Kamoda, Shota Sakurai, Hiroyuki Saito, Tatsuya Furuta
  • Patent number: 10514653
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a lubricant supply section that supplies a lubricant of a lubricant rod extending along an axial direction of an image bearing member onto the image bearing member; and a hardware processor that controls displacement of a sheet conveyance member so as to displace a sheet along a width direction of the sheet. The hardware processor performs control of changing a position in the axial direction of the toner image formed on the image bearing member on the basis of a distribution status of a toner in the axial direction in a toner image formed on the image bearing member, and controls displacement of the sheet conveyance member after a tip end of the sheet in the conveyance direction enters the transfer section so that a sheet position in a width direction of an image transferred onto the sheet is correct in the transfer section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Kawakami, Yasuo Shiokawa, Takahiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 10317809
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor that includes a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and an inorganic surface layer arranged in that order, the inorganic surface layer containing a group 13 element and oxygen; a charging unit; an electrostatic image-forming unit; a developing unit; a transfer unit; a cleaning unit that performs cleaning by causing the cleaning blade to contact the surface of the photoreceptor; and a supply unit that supplies a fatty acid metal salt to a position where the cleaning blade in the cleaning unit contacts the photoreceptor. When the fatty acid metal salt is supplied, a portion of the surface of the photoreceptor downstream of the supply unit and upstream of the cleaning unit in a rotating direction of the photoreceptor is covered with a metal derived from the fatty acid metal salt at a coverage of about 40% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Hirakata, Hideya Katsuhara, Nobuyuki Torigoe, Yasutaka Matsumoto, Takeshi Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 10274891
    Abstract: A solid lubricant application device includes: a rotating body; a solid lubricant applied to the rotating body; a resilient urging member that causes the solid lubricant to abut toward a circumferential surface of the rotating body; and a guide mechanism that guides movement of the solid lubricant. When a straight line parallel to a direction in which the solid lubricant abuts against the rotating body is referred to as a first straight line, and a straight line parallel to a direction in which the resilient urging member and the solid lubricant are connected is referred to as a second straight line, the guide mechanism guides the movement of the solid lubricant such that an intersecting angle, which is a smaller one of angles formed by the first straight line and the second straight line, decreases as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Shingo Aoki
  • Patent number: 10185249
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container that accommodates an electrostatic image developer including toner containing a toner particle and a zinc stearate particle, a ratio (DT/DS) of a volume-average particle size (DT) of the toner particle to a volume-average particle size (DS) of the zinc stearate particle being about 1.9 or more; a developer carrier that supplies the toner to an image carrier; a supply conveyor that supplies the electrostatic image developer while conveying the electrostatic image developer; a mixing conveyor that conveys the electrostatic image developer while mixing the electrostatic image developer; and a partition disposed between the supply conveyor and the mixing conveyor. The electrostatic image developer is moved from the supply conveyor to the mixing conveyor through a first passage and is moved from the mixing conveyor to the supply conveyor through a second passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasutaka Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10152004
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member having an abutment member being attached to a tip end portion of a support member. The support member includes a bent portion, an abutment-side support portion, and a fixed-side support portion. The abutment member abuts on a surface of an image carrying member. A point of fixation of the support member fixed to a fixing member is located downstream in a direction of movement relative to a normal at a point of abutment of the abutment member. With an angle of bending ? at the bent portion being set to 90°<?<180°, the abutment-side support portion is curved in a form of a crest toward downstream in the direction of movement whereas the fixed-side support portion is curved in a form of a crest toward upstream in the direction of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Eri Yoshida, Noritoshi Hagimoto
  • Patent number: 10001714
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive base; an organic photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive base, the organic photosensitive layer including a layer that constitutes a surface and contains a charge transport material, a binder resin having a viscosity-average molecular weight less than about 50,000, and silica particles in an amount of about 40% by weight or more; and an inorganic protective layer disposed on the organic photosensitive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Hirakata, Takeshi Iwanaga, Nobuyuki Torigoe, Hideya Katsuhara, Yoichi Kigoshi, Takashi Imai, Fumiaki Mera
  • Patent number: 9989885
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a developing unit which supplies a toner contained in a developer to the image carrier; a lubricant supply unit which supplies a lubricant to the image carrier; a lubricant amount detection unit which detects an amount of the lubricant which is supplied to the image carrier from the lubricant supply unit and is thereafter incorporated into the developing unit from the image carrier; and a control unit which controls the developing unit to discharge the lubricant from the developing unit according to the amount of the lubricant detected by the lubricant amount detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Saito, Tomohiro Kawasaki, Hiroyuki Saito, Kei Yuasa
  • Patent number: 9971282
    Abstract: A cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a rotatable member, a blade member contacted to the rotatable member, and a frame configured to support the blade member and the rotatable member. The cartridge also includes a seal member configured to fill a gap between the frame and the blade member at a longitudinal end portion of the blade member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuharu Hoshi, Fumito Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9927762
    Abstract: In an imaging device having a photoconductive drum and a lubricant applicator brush, methods and apparatus teach application of the lubricant to the drum at a transfer nip and removing undeveloped toner particles. A first voltage is applied to the drum while the brush receives a voltage that switches more positive and more negative than the first voltage. It attracts to the brush from the drum negatively and positively charged toner. Embodiments contemplate amounts of voltages and frequencies of switching. An elongate rod contacts the brush downstream of the transfer nip to flicker off the toner particles from the brush. The rod can also have voltages applied and switched greater than and lesser than the voltages of the applicator brush to facilitate toner removal. A cleaning blade downstream of the transfer nip scrapes clean a surface of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J Dixon, Pramod K Sharma, Alan S Campbell
  • Patent number: 9910398
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an organic photoreceptor in which at least a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, and a protective layer are laminated in order on a conductive support includes at least a unit for supplying a lubricant onto a surface of the organic photoreceptor and a unit for removing toner remaining on the surface of the organic photoreceptor with a cleaning blade, and satisfying the following conditions (1) to (3): (1) the protective layer of the organic photoreceptor contains at least metal oxide fine particles in a cured resin obtained by curing a polymerizable compound; (2) a universal hardness of the surface of the organic photoreceptor is in a range of 220 to 280 N/mm2; and (3) a JIS-A hardness of a portion of the cleaning blade to be abutted on the organic photoreceptor is in a range of 70 to 78°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi Inagaki, Seijiro Takahashi, Hiroshi Nakahara, Hiroshige Kidera
  • Patent number: 9904208
    Abstract: An accommodating device for collecting developer from an image bearing member includes an accommodating container for accommodating the developer from the image bearing member, a feeding member for feeding the developer in a developer feeding direction and provided in the accommodating container, and a wall member for partitioning inside of the accommodating container. The wall member is provided in the accommodating container and extends along a direction crossing the developer feeding direction and inclined toward a downstream side of the feeding member with respect to the developer feeding direction. The wall member is contactable to the developer being fed in the developer feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Maeda, Noriyuki Komatsu, Naoki Matsumaru, Ryuta Murakami, Takatoshi Hamada, Hiroaki Nosho
  • Patent number: 9869961
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an organic photoreceptor in which at least a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, and a protective layer are laminated in order on a conductive support includes at least a unit for supplying a lubricant onto a surface of the organic photoreceptor and a unit for removing toner remaining on the surface of the organic photoreceptor with a cleaning blade, and satisfying the following conditions (1) to (3): (1) the protective layer of the organic photoreceptor contains at least metal oxide fine particles in a cured resin obtained by curing a polymerizable compound; (2) a universal hardness of the surface of the organic photoreceptor is in a range of 220 to 280 N/mm2; and (3) a JIS-A hardness of a portion of the cleaning blade to be abutted on the organic photoreceptor is in a range of 70 to 78°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi Inagaki, Seijiro Takahashi, Hiroshi Nakahara, Hiroshige Kidera
  • Patent number: 9841718
    Abstract: A lubricant applicator incorporated in a cleaning device disposed in an image forming apparatus having an image bearing member on which an image containing toner is formed, includes: a lubricant supplying unit that supplies lubricant; a brush roller that scrapes off the lubricant to apply the lubricant to a surface of the image bearing member; and a flicker member positioned on an upstream side from the lubricant supplying unit in a rotation direction of the brush roller, the flicker member coming into contact with the brush roller, wherein the flicker member is a plate-shaped member in which an opening is formed, the flicker member having elasticity to be allowed to elastically rock by coming into contact with the brush roller, and the opening is formed in a region with which the brush roller comes into contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ogura, Yukio Hosoya, Taiki Amemiya
  • Patent number: 9798288
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a toner image, a lubricant supply roller to supply lubricant to a surface of the image bearer, a rotation speed changer to change a rotation speed of the lubricant supply roller, and a controller to control the rotation speed changer to change the rotation speed of the lubricant supply roller to a target speed based on a predetermined condition. The controller is configured to control the rotation speed changer to avoid a predetermined speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maehata, Kenji Honjoh, Takeshi Shintani, Nobuo Kuwabara, Daisuke Tomita, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Yusuke Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9753426
    Abstract: An image bearer protective agent is provided. The image bearer protective agent includes a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant. The inorganic lubricant includes a first inorganic lubricant having a tap density of from 0.30 to 0.8 g/cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Komito, Hiroshi Nakai, Kohsuke Yamamoto, Hiroshi Mizusawa, Sho Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9588479
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which includes an image bearer, a charger to charge the image bearer, a latent image forming device to form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image with a toner, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a transfer medium, and a cleaning blade to remove residual toner particles remaining on the image bearer. The toner includes a binder resin and a release agent. The release agent has a longest length Lmax in the toner, which is equal to or greater than 1.1 times a maximum Feret diameter Df of the toner. The cleaning blade includes a strip-like elastic body blade having a contact part with the image bearer. The contact part includes a cured product of an ultraviolet curable composition including an acrylate or methacrylate compound having an alicyclic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Gohda, Masanobu Gondoh, Kaori Toyama, Yohta Sakon, Masahiro Ohmori, Yuka Aoyama, Yuta Nakamura, Yoshihiro Moriya, Satoshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 9535344
    Abstract: A photoconductor is used for an image-forming apparatus, and the photoconductor has a surface including irregularities having an arithmetic average roughness of 0.1 ?m or more and 0.5 ?m or less in a cycle length from 867 to 1,654 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Toriu, Hideki Nakamura, Tadayoshi Uchida, Hiroki Orii
  • Patent number: 9519256
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a measurement unit configured to measure a density of an image that an image forming unit forms, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image processing parameter serving as a correction value used to correct the measured density of the image, a generation unit configured to generate a cleaning patch image using the acquired image processing parameter, and a cleaning patch image forming unit configured to form the cleaning patch image generated by the generation unit on an image bearing member, wherein the cleaning patch image is formed during an interval after a first image is formed by the image forming unit on the image bearing member but before a second image having a printing instruction issued subsequent to a printing instruction issued for the first image is formed by the image forming unit on the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 9501026
    Abstract: An image forming device including a photoreceptor with a protective layer, a contact charger; and a metal cleaning blade, wherein the cleaning blade includes a first region and a second region facing the photoreceptor, the first region is of a predefined roughness, and J>h×(cos ?/sin ?)×d, where ? is an angle between the first region and a tangent plane of the second region, ? is an angle between the first region and a tangent line of the surface of the photoreceptor at a point of contact with the cleaning blade, h is an amount of depletion of the cleaning blade in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the photoreceptor at the point of contact when the surface of the photoreceptor travels a unit of distance, and d is a predicted total travel distance of the surface of the photoreceptor in a defined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Noritoshi Hagimoto, Yoshiki Nakane, Eri Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9395686
    Abstract: A process cartridge removably installable in an image forming apparatus includes a cartridge body including an image bearer; a cleaning unit removably attached to the cartridge body and including a lubricant supply device to lubricate the image bearer; a first contact terminal disposed in one of the cleaning unit and the cartridge body; and a second contact terminal disposed in the other of the cleaning unit and the cartridge body. The second contact terminal is disposed to contact the first contact terminal to establish electrical continuity between the cartridge body and the cleaning unit, and an end of the first contact terminal includes a sliding contact portion to slidingly contact the second contact terminal in attachment and removal of the cleaning unit to and from the cartridge body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shintani, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Yusuke Ishizuka, Kenji Honjoh, Nobuhiro Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 9389562
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a development unit configured to develop, as a toner image, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image to a medium to which a toner image is to be transferred; a cleaning unit configured to recover toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image; a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant on the image carrier; a charge unit disposed between the development unit and the cleaning unit, along a surface of the image carrier; and a control unit configured to perform a first mode and a second mode, the first mode configured to form the toner image, the second mode configured to allow the charge unit to increase the amount of charge on toner reaching the cleaning unit relative to that in the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kunitomo Sasaki, Kazuko Fukumoto, Yuji Kamoda, Yasuo Shirodai, Yuya Sato
  • Patent number: 9383715
    Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant supplier contacting an image bearer, a solid lubricant contacting the roller, a detector detecting a lubricant amount, and a controller controlling a supplying of the roller based on a detector detection. The detector outputs to the controller a first signal of a near-end state when the amount reaches a first amount, a second signal of an end state when the amount reaches a second amount smaller than the first amount, and a third signal of an absolute end state when the amount reaches a third amount smaller than the second amount. The controller temporarily stops the supplying when the second signal is output, cancels a roller temporary stopped state even when lubricant replacement is not completed after this state, stops the supplying when the third signal is output, and maintains a roller stopped state until the replacement is completed after this state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Honjoh, Takeshi Shintani, Nobuo Kuwabara, Yasuhiro Maehata, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Yusuke Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9360826
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a toner image forming unit to form a toner image on the image bearer; a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium; a cleaning device to remove untransferred toner from the image bearer; and a lubrication device including a solid lubricant, an applicator to apply lubricant scraped off from the solid lubricant to the image bearer while rotating, and an applicator driving device to rotate the applicator; and a controller to control the applicator driving device according to a predetermined variable to change a rotational frequency of the applicator during idle running of the image bearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Saito, Fumihito Itoh, Toshiya Sato, Norio Kudoh, Hiroyuki Uenishi
  • Patent number: 9321254
    Abstract: Article having a first single, discrete atomic, dry layer of a first weakly bonded crystalline material on at least a surface of a substrate. Embodiments of the articles are useful, for example, in automotive under-the-hood parts exposed to chemicals and extreme temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Arokiaraj Jesudoss, Ranjith Divigalpitiya, Gary A. Korba, Boon Kiat Lim, Melvin T. Zin