Forced Air Circulation Patents (Class 399/92)
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Patent number: 12372921Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit including a photosensitive drum (image bearing body) 11, and an exposure unit including an exposure head that emits light to expose the photosensitive drum to form a latent image. The exposure unit has a duct unit extending in the X direction (longitudinal direction) of the image forming unit. The duct unit has an inlet opening through which air flows into the duct unit and an outlet opening through which the air is discharged from the duct unit. The exposure unit is provided pivotably about a pivot axis (virtual straight line) passing through the inlet opening.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2023Date of Patent: July 29, 2025Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kohei Minami
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Patent number: 12372920Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a separating mechanism, and a cooling unit. The developing device includes a developing roller and a developing housing, and is detachably supported by a support frame. The separating mechanism separates the developing roller from a photoconductor drum before the developing device is removed from the support frame. The cooling unit cools the developing device. The developing housing has a bottom plate with high thermal conductivity. The cooling unit includes a heat receiving plate facing the bottom plate, and a cooling tube supported by the heat receiving plate. In the image forming apparatus, when the developing roller is not separated, the bottom plate comes in contact with the cooling tube, and when the developing roller is separated, the bottom plate is separated from the cooling tube.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2024Date of Patent: July 29, 2025Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Geki Son
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Patent number: 12326687Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum and a fuser. The fuser includes an upper frame. The upper frame includes an upper first rib downstream of a heating rotating member in a sheet conveying direction, an upper second rib adjacent to the upper first rib in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and first and second conveying rollers. The upper first rib includes a first guide surface, and a separation surface. The upper second rib includes a second guide surface. The second guide surface is located downstream of the first guide surface in the sheet conveying direction. A distance between a nip point between the first and second conveying rollers and the second guide surface in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction and the width direction is smaller than a distance between the nip point and the separation surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2023Date of Patent: June 10, 2025Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kimio Takeuchi, Shinichi Hatakeyama
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Patent number: 12298708Abstract: An image forming apparatus having front and rear surfaces, a photoreceptor having a rotation axis extending in a first direction, an exposure unit, and a cooling unit. The exposure unit includes a substrate having a longitudinal axis extending in the first direction, a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of light emitting elements that emit light toward the photoreceptor are mounted on the first surface of the substrate. The cooling unit includes an intake port that sucks air from outside of the image forming apparatus. The intake port is disposed at an intake port distance in the first direction to the rear surface. The intake port distance is shorter than a distance in the first direction of a center of the substrate to the rear surface. The cooling unit cools the substrate by blowing air sucked by the intake port onto the second surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2023Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takehiro Ishidate, Hiroki Takano, Ryoichi Kawasumi
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Patent number: 12298707Abstract: A cooling device which cools an inside of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on paper, the cooling device includes an overall cooler that cools an entire inside of the image forming apparatus using overall cooling air flowing inside the image forming apparatus, and a partial cooler that blows cooling air to a part to be cooled to cool the part to be cooled, in which volume of the cooling air on a leeward side of the overall cooling air is smaller than volume of the cooling air on a windward side of the overall cooling air in the partial cooler.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2023Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventor: Hideyuki Umeno
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Patent number: 12271149Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoconductors; a plurality of exposure unis each corresponding to a different one of the plurality of photoconductors, each of the plurality of exposure units including a substrate on which a plurality of light emitting portions configured to emit light to expose the photoconductors, and a duct configured to guide an airflow that cools the substrate along the substrate; a fan configured to generate the airflow that cools the substrate; and a duct unit configured to communicate with the ducts of the plurality of exposed portions via different ones of a plurality of openings, wherein an area of a first opening that is a longest flow path from the fan among the plurality of openings is larger than an area of a second opening that is a shortest flow path from the fan among the plurality of openings.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryoichi Kawasumi, Takehiro Ishidate, Hiroki Takano, Koji Suzuki
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Patent number: 12253810Abstract: An image forming including: a photoconductor; an exposure unit including a substrate provided with a plurality of light emitting portions configured to emit light to expose the photoconductor, and a first duct configured to guide an airflow that cools the substrate from one side to another side in a longitudinal direction of the substrate along the substrate; an IC mounted on the substrate; a fan configured to generate an airflow that cools the substrate; and a second duct configured to communicate with the first duct through a first opening portion, and guide the airflow generated by the fan, the first opening portion is located on the one side with respect to the center of the substrate in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, and the IC is located between the center of the substrate in the longitudinal direction and the first opening portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2023Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takehiro Ishidate, Ryoichi Kawasumi, Hiroki Takano
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Patent number: 12228880Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor; an exposure portion configured to include a substrate having a plurality of light emitting portions arranged along a rotation axis direction of the photoreceptor and exposes the photoreceptor to form a latent image on the photoreceptor; a development portion configured to develop a latent image formed on the photoreceptor with toner; an exposure duct configured to guide the airflow generated by a first fan along a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a development duct configured to guide the airflow generated by a second fan along the rotation axis direction of the development portion; and a first duct communicating with the exposure duct and the development duct, the first duct configured to exhaust air introduced from the exposure duct and exhaust air introduced from the development duct.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2023Date of Patent: February 18, 2025Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Naoki Hashimoto
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Patent number: 12210316Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet includes a rotatable image bearing member, a transfer roller, a fan, and a duct. The duct extends in a parallel direction to a shaft direction of the transfer roller and includes an inflow port to guide air. The duct further includes, in an area opposing the transfer roller, a first opening portion that is provided at a position closer to a first end side of the duct than to a second end side of the duct, and a second opening portion that is provided at a position closer to the second end side than to the first end side, in the parallel direction. The air supplied to the duct by the fan through the inflow port passes through the first opening portion and the second opening portion, and is supplied to the transfer roller.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2023Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yuji Mitsui
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Patent number: 12210309Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of stations and a plurality of stays arranged along a first direction; and a first board support member supporting a first electric board. Each of the plurality of stations includes: a rotation shaft extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a photosensitive member and a flywheel provided to the rotation shaft. The first board support member is attached to two of the plurality of stays so as to bridge a gap between the two stays, and provided, in the second direction, on a first side opposite to a second side of the flywheel on which the photosensitive member is provided. The first board support member overlaps with the flywheel of at least one of the plurality of stations when viewed from a viewpoint along the second direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2023Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Shigeharu Kurita
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Patent number: 12194731Abstract: A medium drying device includes a transport roller pair as a transport unit that transports a medium and a heat roller pair as one heating unit that heats the medium transported by the transport roller pair and is provided in a transport direction of the medium, in which the medium is configured to be transported to a heating area by the heat roller pair a plurality of times.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2023Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yutaro Harada, Kohei Ueno, Nobuyuki Mizushima, Shunpei Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 12189328Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a heating unit, a fixing unit, a first cover member, an opening portion, a second cover member, an interlocking mechanism, an operating portion, and an operation portion. The operating portion is provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body and operates to turn ON or OFF a power supply. The operation portion is provided on the first cover member and operates the operating portion in a state where the first cover member is arranged at a first closed position.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2023Date of Patent: January 7, 2025Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Takuro Morita
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Patent number: 12181831Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a fan unit, a support member interposed between the casing and the fan unit, and an elastic member arranged between the support member and the casing. The first duct includes a fixing portion fixed to the casing, the fixing portion being provided on a first side of the fan unit in a first direction. One of the second duct and the support member includes a support projection provided on a second side, opposite to the first side, of the fan unit, and the other one of the second duct and the support member includes a support hole portion defining a support hole. On the second side, the fan unit is supported on the casing via the support member when the support projection is inserted to the support hole and a gap is provided between the support projection and the support hole portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2023Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shogo Terakawa
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Patent number: 12174564Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, an air nozzle, and a pipe. The pipe includes a portion provided in a range overlapping with the first rotatable member and making one reciprocation or more in a case that when a direction crossing a feeding direction of a recording material fed in a nip is a widthwise direction of the first rotatable member, the pipe is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2023Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasuharu Toratani, Shutaro Saito, Keisuke Yoshida, Yuya Yamada, Taku Ashida, Asuna Fukamachi, Shohei Tsuzaki, Yusuke Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Miyamoto
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Patent number: 12174561Abstract: A printing drum for a liquid electrophotographic printing system which comprises a photosensitive surface and a heating device mounted to the printing drum. The heating device heats the photosensitive surface of the printing drum to a predetermined temperature.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.Inventors: Lavi Cohen, Asaf Shoshani, Yulia Haddad
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Patent number: 12164240Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor that rotates about a first axis; an exposure portion that includes a substrate that includes a plurality of light emitting portions for exposing a surface of the photoconductor, and a support portion for supporting the substrate, and that moves between an exposure position where the photoconductor is exposed and a retracted position where the photoconductor is retracted from the exposure position; and a rotational member that has a second axis along the first axis, and that moves the exposure portion between the retracted position and the exposure position by rotation about the second axis.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2023Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryoichi Kawasumi, Takehiro Ishidate, Hiroki Takano
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Patent number: 12158723Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a sheet conveyance direction includes a frame including a first side plate and a second side plate disposed in parallel in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, an intake unit disposed on an outer side of the frame in the width direction and configured to draw air into an interior of the frame, an exhaust unit disposed between the first side plate and the second side plate and configured to discharge air outside of the frame, and a cooling object unit disposed on a path of the air which is drawn into the interior of the frame by the intake unit and moves toward the exhaust unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2023Date of Patent: December 3, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takehiro Miyashita, Takeo Kawanami, Ryosuke Takahashi
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Patent number: 12140890Abstract: A first rotating member a heating recording medium, a second rotating member forming a nip portion with the first rotating member, a holding member disposed downstream of the nip portion in a conveying direction and holds a conveying member conveying the recording medium, and a guide member facing the conveying member, the fixing apparatus is not exposed to an outside when opening/closing member is in a closed state, the fixing apparatus is exposed to the outside when the opening/closing member is in an opened state. A distance between the holding member being in the closed state and at a first position and the guide member is a first distance. A distance between the holding member being in the opened state and at a second position and the guide member is a second distance, and the second distance is shorter than the first distance.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2023Date of Patent: November 12, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroki Yamaguchi, Terutaka Endo
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Patent number: 12130584Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a forming unit, a transfer unit, a blowing unit, a temperature detection unit, and a control unit. The forming unit forms a toner image on a photosensitive member. The transfer unit transfers the formed toner image onto a recording material. The blowing unit takes outside air into the apparatus to generate an air flow for adjusting a temperature of the transfer unit. The temperature detection unit detects an ambient temperature outside the apparatus. The control unit controls driving of the blowing unit based on the detected ambient temperature. The control unit drives the blowing unit in a case where the detected ambient temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold and a gradient value indicating a change in the detected ambient temperature is at least a first gradient threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2023Date of Patent: October 29, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroyuki Kadowaki
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Patent number: 12117767Abstract: A second duct for guiding air outside an image forming apparatus A to a charging device includes: a first flow passage; a second flow passage bent from the first flow passage and extending in a direction orthogonal to a rotational direction and a rotational axis direction of a photosensitive drum, the second flow passage being provided with an outlet; and a plurality of flow dividing plates provided in the second flow passage, the plurality of flow dividing plates being disposed in parallel along the rotational axis direction and forming a third flow passage between the flow dividing plates adjacent to each other, in which a relationship between a length in the orthogonal direction and a length in the rotational axis direction of the third flow passage is a predetermined relationship.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2022Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuya Otsuka, Hiroki Sato, Ryuichi Kojima
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Patent number: 12111611Abstract: A duct unit is disposed inside a housing of an image forming apparatus and used. The duct unit includes an airflow generation unit, a duct, and a first holding portion and a second holding portion. The duct has a shape in which a center of an intake port and a center of an exhaust port are shifted from each other. The first holding portion and the second holding portion are provided at different positions with respect to the duct so as to be able to hold the duct unit with respect to the housing in a first posture and a second posture.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2023Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yuki Tashiro
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Patent number: 12098859Abstract: An air treatment system includes an air handling unit to direct air into a building structure; a sensor to detect the presence of a target material and produce a signal indicative of the detection of a target material greater than a threshold amount; and a control system to control the air handler based on the signal from the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2021Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignee: AirPure Control Systems, LLCInventor: Peter J. Bonzani, Jr.
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Patent number: 12078956Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a transfer unit having a transfer belt, a primary transfer roller, a secondary transfer inner roller below the primary transfer roller in a vertical direction, and a stretching roller, a secondary transfer outer roller, a support unit, and an air duct provided in the transfer unit. The secondary transfer outer roller faces the secondary transfer inner roller via the transfer belt and forms a nip portion for secondarily transferring a toner image on the transfer belt to a sheet. The air duct is located downstream of the nip portion in a sheet conveyance direction and below a portion of the transfer belt stretched between the secondary transfer inner roller and the stretching roller in the vertical direction. The air duct includes an air intake port and moves with the transfer unit with movement of the transfer unit from the support unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2023Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keiko Fujita, Kentaro Yamana, Shigeo Doi, Yuya Yokobori, Hiroshi Nojima
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Patent number: 12066766Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable photoconductor; an exposure portion including a substrate on which a plurality of chips each including a plurality of light emitting portions that emit light for exposing the photoconductor is mounted, and a support portion configured to support the substrate; a fan configured to generate an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; and a duct configured to communicate with the fan and to communicate with the support portion to guide the airflow generated by the fan to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2023Date of Patent: August 20, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryoichi Kawasumi, Takehiro Ishidate, Hiroki Takano
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Patent number: 12061427Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports an object along a transport path; a transfer unit that transfers an image onto the object on the transport path; and a fixing unit that has a heat source for increasing a temperature inside the fixing unit, into which the object onto which the image has been transferred is carried along the transport path, and includes a first opening and closing member that opens a carry-in opening when the object is carried into the fixing unit and closes the carry-in opening after the object is carried into the fixing unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2022Date of Patent: August 13, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Tetsuro Kodera, Tomoaki Yoshioka, Takayuki Yamashita
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Patent number: 12034894Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first image reading unit, a second image reading unit provided on a side opposite from the first image reading unit with respect to a sheet feeding passage, a first guiding member, a second guiding member, a first unit holding the first image reading unit and the second guiding member, and a second unit holding the second image reading unit and the first guiding member. One of the first unit and the second unit is movable relative to the other unit so as to open the sheet feeding passage.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2022Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Kazuhisa Okuda, Michiaki Endo
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Patent number: 12007712Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus in which, while image formation is prevented from being performed, scattered toner that has dropped from a filter and adhered to an outer peripheral surface of a developer carrying member is recovered by a cleaning unit through intermediation of an image bearing member. An absolute value of a perpendicular-magnetic-force gradient of a fixed magnet of the developer carrying member is 4.0 mT/° or less at a position where the fixed magnet faces a central portion of the filter in a rotation direction of a developing sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2023Date of Patent: June 11, 2024Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Junichi Nakagawa, Tamotsu Shimizu, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Kenichi Tamaki, Takuji Watanabe
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Patent number: 11994826Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an exposure portion that exposes the photoconductor; a fan that generates an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; a duct portion that communicates with the fan; and an elevating duct that relatively moves with respect to the duct portion integrally with the exposure portion, in which the elevating duct includes a rib protruding in a direction away from the exposure portion in a vertical direction, the duct portion includes a sealing member surrounding an opening portion that communicates with the elevating duct, when the elevating duct is located at an exposure position, a surface of the rib intersecting a rotation axis of the photoconductor is in contact with the sealing member, and when the elevating duct is located at a retracted position, a surface of the rib intersecting with the rotation axis of the photoconductor is in contact with the sealing member.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2023Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryoichi Kawasumi, Takehiro Ishidate, Hiroki Takano
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Patent number: 11982958Abstract: There is provided image forming apparatus including: casing; temperature sensor configured to detect temperature in the casing; image forming unit configured to form toner image on sheet; fuser which has heating member configured to heat the sheet, and which is configured to fix the toner image to the sheet; a fan; and a controller. The controller is configured to execute: changing of driving speed of the fan; and waiting control including: stopping supply, to the image forming unit, of next sheet, before the changing of the driving speed; completing the fixing of the toner image to the sheet, before the changing of the driving speed; and restarting supply of the next sheet to the image forming unit after the changing of the driving speed and after waiting time has elapsed since the completion of the fixing of the toner image to the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tatsuya Koyama, Kotaro Fujishiro
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Patent number: 11981130Abstract: A printer is provided with a head configured to discharge ink, a fan configured to cool the head, a sensor configured to output a detection signal indicating a state of the fan. A processer of the printer performs decision processing of deciding print control based on a detection signal output by the sensor. In the decision processing, the processor decides a first print control to drive the fan and control printing by the head in a first print mode, when the detection signal does not indicate a failure state of the fan. In the decision processing, the processor decides a second print control to control the printing by the head in a second print mode suppressing generation of heat more than the first print mode, when the detection signal indicates the failure state of the fan.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ko Masuoka, Katsunori Nishida
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Patent number: 11977351Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a development device, and a control unit that controls the development device. The development device includes a toner collection mechanism having a duct, a filter, and an exhaust fan. The duct is connected to a conveyance chamber of the development container and allows air in the conveyance chamber to flow through. The filter is disposed at a connecting part between the duct and the conveyance chamber, and collects toner flowing into the duct from the conveyance chamber. The exhaust fan makes the air in the conveyance chamber flow to the outside via the duct. The control unit changes rotational frequency or operation frequency of the exhaust fan based on current detected by a current detection unit at non-image forming time.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2023Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventors: Takuji Watanabe, Junichi Nakagawa, Kenichi Tamaki, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Tamotsu Shimizu
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Patent number: 11971680Abstract: An abutting portion that abuts on an operation lever for moving a pressure roller is provided on an inner side of an exterior cover provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to a housing that accommodates a fixing unit. The pressure roller is movable to a first pressing position where the pressure roller presses a heating roller with a first pressing force and to a second pressing position where the pressure roller presses the heating roller with a second pressing force smaller than the first pressing force. In addition, the operation lever is moved to a first position for positioning the pressure roller at the first pressing position and to a second position for positioning the pressure roller at the second pressing position. When the exterior cover is closed while the operation lever is located at the second position, the abutting portion abuts on the operation lever.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2021Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hisashi Otaka
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Patent number: 11947312Abstract: An example developing device includes a developing roller, a regulation blade to regulate a thickness of a toner layer attached to an outer circumference of the developing roller, a blade bracket for supporting the regulation blade, and an inner duct including an air supply port and extending in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller to form a flow path of air to cool the blade bracket.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Minguk Go, Horyul Lee, Yoshihiko Ichikawa, Yunkyu Shim
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Patent number: 11940752Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing; a powered body for image formation provided inside the housing; an attachable/detachable body that is attached to and detached from the housing; a power supply path body that is attached to and detached from the attachable/detachable body to form a power supply path; and a substrate that supplies power to the powered body, is directly mounted on the attachable/detachable body or the power supply path body, and is separated from the attachable/detachable body or the power supply path body.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventor: Atsushi Kaneko
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Patent number: 11914320Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for forming an image with a fixing unit that fixes a toner image to a recording material and with a first transport path, includes: a first guide unit that guides one side of a recording material discharged from the fixing unit and transported through the first transport path; a second guide unit that guides the other side of the recording material transported thorough the first transport path; a blowing part through which gas is sent to the one side of the recording material transported through the first transport path; and a gas guiding part that faces the second guide unit with the first transport path interposed between the gas guiding part and the second guide unit and that guides, in a direction away from the first transport path, gas that is sent from the blowing part and whose traveling direction is changed by a recording material.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Kazunari Ishii, Koji Yoshitsugu, Yuta Shimatate, Shunsuke Yamasaki, Naoki Sambe, Yasuhisa Gonda
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Patent number: 11904598Abstract: A conditioner includes a pressure roller assembly, a tension roller assembly, a heating element, a pressure roller drive motor, a tension drive motor, and a controller. The heating element heats the pressure roller assembly. The pressure roller drive motor rotates the pressure roller assembly. The tension drive motor rotates the tension roller assembly. The controller receives a print job complete notification to initiate a conditioner shutdown. In response to the print job complete notification, the controller turns off the tension drive motor. The controller sets the heating element to a predetermined temperature and waits a first predetermined period. In response to the first predetermined period elapsing, the controller turns off the heating element. With the heating element turned off, the controller turns off the pressure roller drive motor.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2018Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Jody L Clayburn, Ian Anderson, Brooke Hoyer
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Patent number: 11868084Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing having an opening, a cover configured to open the opening in an open state and to close the opening in a close state, a photosensitive drum, a heater, a fan configured to force air out of the housing, and a controller. The cover in the open state is configured to allow a sheet with a toner image fixed thereon to be ejected through the opening. The heater is configured to heat a sheet to fix a toner image on the sheet, and is located between the cover in the close state and the photosensitive drum. During execution of a printing process, the controller is configured to cause the fan to rotate at a first speed if the cover is in the closed state, and to rotate at a second speed lower than the first speed if the cover is in the open state.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji Abe
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Patent number: 11868074Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first casing including a transfer unit, a second casing including a fixing unit, and a third casing provided between the first casing and the second casing and including an intermediary feeding member. The first casing includes a first discharging port discharging a recording material with a toner image. The second casing includes a first receiving port receiving the recording material with the toner image. A height from an installing surface of the image forming apparatus to the first receiving port in a vertical direction is different from a height from the installing surface to the first discharging port. The intermediary feeding member of the third casing is provided obliquely in the vertical direction from a second receiving port receiving the recording material from the first discharging port to a second discharging port delivering the recording material to the first receiving port.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Akio Ogasawara
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Patent number: 11846908Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image forming apparatus and a first housing is provided. The first housing has a top cover, a front cover, a side cover, a first guide, and a second guide. The front cover has a front wall having a first outlet port and a first upper wall. The side cover has a first side wall having a second outlet port and a second upper wall. The first guide guides liquid entering the first housing to the first outlet port and is connected to the front wall. The second guide guides the liquid entering the first housing to the second outlet port and is connected to the first side wall.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Abe, Tomohiro Wada
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Patent number: 11835876Abstract: In opposition to a sheet feeding path, an ultrafine particle (UFP) collecting filter provided between transfer and fixing is easily exchanged. Therefore, a duct unit kept in a state of holding the UFP collecting filter is removably and easily mounted to a duct.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2020Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ryoichi Kawasumi
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Patent number: 11822282Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet, a fixing portion configured to heat and pressurize the sheet bearing the toner image to fix the toner image to the sheet, a shutter provided to be movable to an open position at which the shutter opens an opening that the sheet being conveyed toward the fixing portion is able to pass through, and a closed position at which the shutter closes the opening, an urging portion configured to urge the shutter toward the open position, and an abutment portion that the shutter urged toward the open position by the urging portion abuts to be positioned at the open position.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Akitoshi Toyota
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Patent number: 11822284Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit, and an intake unit. The intake unit includes an intake duct provided at one side relative to the first and the second image forming units in an arrangement direction of the plurality of image forming units and configured to take in air outside the image forming apparatus from an intake port, a first fan configured to take in air from a first communication port, and a second fan configured to take in air from a second communication port. The intake unit branches air taken in from the intake duct to the air taken in from the first communication port by the first fan and the air taken in from the second communication port by the second fan, and blows the air to each of the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yuki Tashiro
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Patent number: 11822285Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image forming units, and first and second fans. The first and second image forming units are positioned on one and the other endmoset sides in an arrangement direction of the plurality of image forming units, respectively. The first and second fans are provided closer on one and the other endmoset side than the first and second image forming units, respectively. A first suction port for supplying outside air to the first fan is positioned closer to the first image forming unit than to the second image forming unit. A second suction port is positioned closer to the second image forming unit than to the first image forming unit. The first fan is positioned closer to the first image forming unit than to the second image forming unit, and the second fan is positioned closer to the second image forming unit than to the first image forming unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hideto Abe
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Patent number: 11815848Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms an image on a recording material, a forming device storage space storing the image forming device, a temperature adjustment space where a temperature adjustment device adjusts temperature, and a supply unit that supplies air in the temperature adjustment space into the forming device storage space.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2021Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Teruyo Ryuzaki, Satoru Nishikawa, Yoshitaka Kuroda, Shinji Kawashima, Shinya Mitorida
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Patent number: 11803137Abstract: A fixing device includes a first roller that is arranged in a region where an image formed on a recording medium is fixed to the recording medium and that heats the recording medium, a second roller that is arranged to face the first roller in the region and pressurizes the recording medium toward the first roller, a fan that sends air to the second roller, and a processor configured to control the fan, in which the second roller has a shape in which a diameter of an end portion in a longitudinal axis direction is larger than a diameter of a central portion in the longitudinal axis direction, the first roller and the second roller fix the image to the recording medium in the region, and the processor is configured to change a rotation speed of the fan between the central portion and the end portion of the second roller.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Makoto Hasegawa, Yasutaka Naito
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Patent number: 11802009Abstract: A trolley device is used to convey laminar elements. The trolley device includes at least one belt that defines a closed loop, a plurality of pulleys, at least one drive pulley being configured to act on the belt, the pulleys being mounted on a frame with a supporting region over which a section of the belt can be slid and wherein suction means linked to the belt are provided. The belt includes at least on the outer face thereof a projecting section of predetermined length that protrudes in height with respect to the rest of the belt, the projecting section being provided with a plurality of through holes aligned in position with through holes made in the belt.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2021Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: COMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL MAQUINARIA CARTON ONDULADO, S.L.Inventors: Ramon Serra Obiol, Jaume Pugès Triguero, Jordi Puig Vargas
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Patent number: 11803138Abstract: A fixing apparatus can include a heater roller, a tension roller, a belt movable from the heater roller to the tension roller, a pressure roller to make pressure contact with the heater roller via the belt to form a fixing nip, and a blower member including a first opening to direct air toward the belt and a second opening to direct air toward the heater roller.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2021Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Takayuki Horie, Yasuo Suzuki
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Patent number: 11772396Abstract: A recording device includes a recording unit configured to perform recording on a medium, and a discharge tray located above the recording unit in a height direction of the recording device and configured to support the medium discharged after recording is performed thereon, and a flow path of air for cooling a cooling target is formed along a lower surface of the discharge tray. The recording unit is an example of the cooling target.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Atsushi Takei, Junya Hayakawa
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Patent number: 11747755Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to identify a selected sheet size setting as defined by a dimension in the width direction and a dimension in the conveyance direction, set a cooling threshold at a first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a first size having a dimension in the width direction larger than a predetermined dimension, and a dimension in the conveyance direction larger than the dimension in the width direction, and set the cooling threshold at a second threshold lower than the first threshold if the selected sheet size setting is a second size having a dimension in the width direction that is the same as the dimension in the width direction of the first size, and a dimension in the conveyance direction smaller than the dimension in the width direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasuhiro Maruyama
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Patent number: 11720058Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first housing inside an image forming unit, a second housing that includes a fixing unit, a conveyance belt provided in the first housing to convey a sheet, first and second intake fans, and first and second duct units. The first intake fan takes in air to suction the sheet to an outer peripheral surface of the conveyance belt. The first duct unit provided in the first housing forms an air path for exhausting air from the first intake fan. The second intake fan provided in the second housing takes in air near the fixing unit. The second duct unit provided in the second housing passes air flowing in from the first duct unit and the air taken in by the second intake fan. The second duct unit includes an exhaust port for exhausting air outside and a filter through which the exhausted air passes.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2021Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Nojima, Keiko Fujita