Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100123194 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - In a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, first to third drain offset regions of a second conductivity type are formed in that order in a bottom up manner. A body region of the first conductivity type is formed partly in the second drain offset region and partly in the third drain offset region. The second drain offset region has a lower impurity concentration than the first and third drain offset regions. A curvature portion of the body region is located in the second drain offset region. | 05-20-2010 |
20120261750 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - A semiconductor device includes a drift diffusion region of a first conductivity type, a body diffusion region of a second conductivity type, a source diffusion region of the first conductivity type, an insulating film buried in a trench formed in an upper portion of the drift diffusion region and spaced apart from the body diffusion region, a drain diffusion region of the first conductivity type formed in an upper portion of the drift diffusion region and adjacent to the insulating film on the opposite side of the insulating film from the source diffusion region, and a gate electrode formed on a portion of the body diffusion region, the drift diffusion region, and a portion of the insulating film. The drift diffusion region includes a substrate inner region, and a surface region containing an impurity of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than that of the substrate inner region. | 10-18-2012 |
20150223467 | OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR-DISPERSED RESIN COMPOSITION, METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME, AND ANTIBACTERIAL MEMBER - An optical semiconductor-dispersed resin composition of the present invention includes: an optical semiconductor; 0.1 to 5 parts by mass of a copper compound per 100 parts by mass of the optical semiconductor; 50 to 350 parts by mass of an active energy ray-curable resin per 100 parts by mass of the optical semiconductor; and 0.1 to 20 parts by mass of a photopolymerization initiator per 100 parts by mass of the active energy ray-curable resin. The resin composition is manufactured by performing polymerization of the active energy ray-curable resin and excitation of the optical semiconductor through exposure to active energy rays. | 08-13-2015 |
20150351385 | CUPROUS OXIDE PARTICLE DISPERSION LIQUID, COATING AGENT COMPOSITION, AND ANTIBACTERIAL/ANTIVIRAL MEMBER - A cuprous oxide particle dispersion liquid includes: cuprous oxide particles; 20 to 100 parts by mass of a phosphate ester-based anionic surfactant per 100 parts by mass of the cuprous oxide particles; and 500 to 10000 parts by mass of an organic solvent per 100 parts by mass of the cuprous oxide particles. The cuprous oxide particles have an average primary particle diameter of 2 nm to 80 nm and have an average secondary particle diameter of 50 nm to 150 nm, the average secondary particle diameter being measured by dynamic light scattering using cumulant analysis. A coating agent composition includes the cuprous oxide particle dispersion liquid and a binder resin, wherein the cuprous oxide particles are contained in a range from 0.1 to 50 parts by mass in 100 parts by mass of a non-volatile matter content of the coating agent composition. An antibacterial/antiviral member includes a substrate and a coating film formed on the substrate and containing the coating agent composition. | 12-10-2015 |
20150351386 | COPPER COMPLEX TITANIUM OXIDE DISPERSION LIQUID, COATING AGENT COMPOSITION, AND ANTIBACTERIAL/ANTIVIRAL MEMBER - A copper complex titanium oxide dispersion liquid includes: titanium oxide particles; and 0.1 to 20 parts by mass of cuprous oxide particles per 100 parts by mass of the titanium oxide particles. The dispersion liquid further includes: 5 to 100 parts by mass of phosphate ester-based anionic surfactant per 100 parts by mass of the titanium oxide particles and the cuprous oxide particles combined; and 300 to 2000 parts by mass of an organic solvent per 100 parts by mass of the titanium oxide particles and the cuprous oxide particles combined. The titanium oxide particles and the cuprous oxide particles have an average primary particle diameter of 2 nm to 80 nm and have an average secondary particle diameter of 50 nm to 150 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering using cumulant analysis. Moreover, 10 or more parts by mass of the titanium oxide particles are contained in 100 parts by mass of non-volatile matter content of the copper complex titanium oxide dispersion liquid. | 12-10-2015 |
20160075887 | COATING AGENT COMPOSITION AND ANTIBACTERIAL/ANTIVIRAL MEMBER - A coating agent composition of the present invention contains photocatalyst particles composed of metal oxide in which an upper end potential of a valence band is 3 V (vs SHE) or more and a lower end potential of a conduction band is 0.16 V (vs SHE) or less. Moreover, the coating agent composition contains cuprous oxide particles, metal oxide particles without photocatalytic activity, a binder resin, and an organic solvent. Then, in 100 parts by mass of a non-volatile matter content of the coating agent composition, a content of the photocatalyst particles is 1 to 80 parts by mass, a content of the cuprous oxide particles is 0.1 to 5 parts by mass, and a total content of the photocatalyst particles and the metal oxide particles is 40 to 80 parts by mass. | 03-17-2016 |
20160115326 | COLD-CURING PHOTOCATALYTIC COATING MATERIAL, COLD-CURING COATING COMPOSITION AND INTERIOR MATERIAL - A cold-curing photocatalytic coating material of the present invention contains an acrylic emulsion-type resin including acrylic resin particles with an average particle diameter of 80 nm to 200 nm, in which a glass transition temperature is 20° C. or less. Moreover, the photocatalytic coating material contains: copper compound-supported titanium oxide in which fineness of grind prescribed in JIS K5600-2-5 is 1 μm to 30 μm; and an aqueous medium that disperses the acrylic emulsion-type resin and the copper compound-supported titanium oxide. The copper compound-supported titanium oxide is contained by 1 to 80 parts by mass in 100 parts by mass of a non-volatile matter content of the photocatalytic coating material. In the photocatalytic coating material, a minimum film-forming temperature is 10° C. or less, and a content of an organic solvent is less than 10% by mass. | 04-28-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110052224 | FAILURE DIAGNOSIS DEVICE, FAILURE DIAGNOSIS METHOD, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A first feature quantity computing unit that computes a first feature quantity representing an average of a plurality of driving loads recorded by a driving load of a fixing section recording unit of an image forming device that records the driving load acquired by a driving load acquiring unit that acquires the driving load, a second feature quantity computing unit that computes a second feature quantity representing a deviation of the plurality of the driving loads, and a diagnosis unit that performs failure diagnosis including estimation of a cause of a failure of the fixing section using the first feature quantity and the second feature quantity are used. | 03-03-2011 |
20110206402 | FIXING DEVICE FOR LOCALLY HEATING A FIXING MEMBER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING THE FIXING DEVICE - A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image onto a recording medium, a first heater that locally heats the fixing member by providing heat only to a portion of the fixing member corresponding to the toner image, and a pressing member that presses a recording medium against the fixing member. A second heater is provided to heat the pressing member. | 08-25-2011 |
20110217057 | Fixing device and image forming apparatus including same - A fixing device includes a heat conductive member; a flexible fixing belt looped around the heat conductive member, an inner circumference of the flexible fixing belt slidably contacting a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the heat conductive member; a rotary pressing member disposed opposing the heat conductive member; heat sources disposed in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt at a predetermined interval to heat the heat conductive member; and temperature detectors provided to detect a surface temperature of the fixing belt at a detection position at which heating intensity of a corresponding one of the heat sources is not affected by any other one. In operation, the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt contacts the heat conductive member at a position at which each temperature detector contacts the fixing belt as the detection position or a position proximal to the detection position of each temperature detector. | 09-08-2011 |
20110222927 | Fixing device, image forming apparatus, and fixing condition control method - A fixing device includes a temperature rise characteristic acquisition unit that acquires a temperature rise characteristic of a recording medium based on temperature change information of the recording medium acquired on a temperature basis of the recording medium detected by a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the recording medium, and a heat generation unit that generates a heat quantity provided to the recording medium in a fixing nip for fixing an image carried on the recording medium, that is adjusted on the basis of the temperature rise characteristic acquired by the temperature rise characteristic acquisition unit. | 09-15-2011 |
20120093532 | FIXING DEVICE, FIXING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, a rotary driver, a thermometer, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The heater heats the fuser member. The rotary driver imparts torque to at least one of the fuser and pressure members. The fuser member and the pressure member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip therebetween. The thermometer is disposed external to the fixing nip to detect a temperature outside the fixing nip. The controller is operatively connected with the thermometer to control an amount of heat applied to the recording medium through the fixing nip according to the detected temperature, so that the recording medium exhibits a substantially constant post-fixing temperature downstream from the fixing nip. | 04-19-2012 |
20120093534 | FIXING DEVICE, FIXING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member a heater, a rotatable pressure member, a thermometer, and a feedback controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The heater heats the fuser member to a heating temperature. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The fuser member and the pressure member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is conveyed, so as to fix the toner image in place under heat and pressure. The thermometer is disposed adjacent to the pressure member to detect an operational temperature of the pressure member. The feedback controller is operatively connected with the thermometer to control the heating temperature according to the detected operational temperature, so that the recording medium exhibits a substantially constant post-fixing temperature downstream from the fixing nip regardless of the heat capacity of the recording medium. | 04-19-2012 |
20120201547 | FIXING DEVICE, FIXING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing unit, a shearing unit, a detection unit, and a controller. The fixing unit fixes a toner image in place on a printed surface of a recording medium. The shearing unit is disposed downstream from the fixing unit along the media conveyance path to at least partially shear toner from the fixed toner image, so as to create a shorn image area that exhibits a different image density than that of an intact, unshorn image area on the printed surface of the recording medium. The detection unit is disposed at least partially downstream from the shearing unit along the media conveyance path to measure the image densities of the shorn and unshorn image areas. The controller is operatively connected to the fixing unit and the detection unit to adjust one or more operational parameters according to a difference between the measured image densities. | 08-09-2012 |
20120243895 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD OF THERMAL FIXING DEVICE, THERMAL FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A temperature control method of calculating a temperature of a recording medium after fixing and used in a thermal fixing device includes separating calculations of calculating the temperature of the recording medium after fixing into first-stage calculations to be performed before start of printing and second-stage calculations to be performed in real time during the printing, performing the first-stage calculations, and performing the second-stage calculations to calculate a result of the temperature of the recording medium after fixing. Further, the result of the temperature of the recording medium after fixing is used to control obtaining a desired temperature of the recording medium after fixing, and the temperature of the recording medium after fixing is calculated without directly measuring the temperature of the recording medium after fixing. | 09-27-2012 |
20130195477 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device comprises a rotatable fixing member to apply heat to a recording medium bearing an unfixed image thereon, a heat source to heat the fixing member, and a rotatable pressing member pressing against the fixing member forming a nip therebetween. A driving source rotates and drives the fixing member and the pressing member. An overheat safety device has a relay to open and close a power supply path connected to the heat source. A temperature detector is connected to both the relay and the control unit to detect temperature of the fixing member. The overheat safety device turns off the relay and cuts off power supply to the heat source when the fixing member is overheated. The fixing member is allowed to radiate heat and cool down when the temperature detected by the temperature detector is more than a prescribed level. | 08-01-2013 |
20130195493 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - According to an embodiment, provided is a fixing device that includes: a rotatable fixing member that heats a recording medium on a side carrying an unfixed image; a rotatable pressing member that is pressed and is contacted with the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member; a heat source heating the fixing member; a relay switch provided in an energizing path for the heat source; a temperature detection sensor detecting a temperature of the fixing member; and a control unit that controls energization of the heat source according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection sensor. The control unit keeps the relay switch in an off state if the temperature of the fixing member is equal to or more than a predetermined temperature when the fixing member has stopped rotation. | 08-01-2013 |
20130202322 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member that heats a surface of a recording medium on which an unfixed image is carried, a rotatable pressing member that makes pressure-contact with the fixing member to form a nip portion therebetween, a heat source that heats the fixing member, a temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of the fixing member, and a temperature control unit that controls turning-on/off the heat source in accordance with a predetermined duty for a predetermined control cycle in a turning-on/off cycle, based on input temperature information. The temperature control unit, during execution of a continuous image-forming job for continuously forming images on a plurality of recording media, sets the control cycle and a space between the recording media to be conveyed to the nip so that a number of turn-ons of the heat source is the same for all the recording media. | 08-08-2013 |
20130209120 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Heat-equalizing rotation of a fixing member and a pressing member for equalizing the distribution of the temperature of a surface of the fixing member in a width direction is performed after a recording medium having a size less than or equal to a predetermined size in the width direction passes a nip portion and before a recording medium having a size greater than the predetermined size in the width direction passes the nip portion. Further, a termination condition of the heat-equalizing rotation is selected from among a plurality of different kinds of termination conditions, based on image formation related information related to next image formation performed after the heat-equalizing rotation. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209122 | FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which multiple recording media, each spaced apart from each other by an interval distance in a conveyance direction, are sequentially conveyed at a conveyance speed. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The controller is operatively connected to the heater to control power supply to the heater through a series of on-off switching control cycles, each including an on-time during which the heater power supply is on, and an off-time during which the heater power supply is off, in synchronization with conveyance of the recording medium. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209123 | FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which multiple recording media, each spaced apart from each other by an interval distance in a conveyance direction, are sequentially conveyed at a conveyance speed. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The controller is operatively connected to the heater to control power supply to the heater through a series of on-off switching control cycles, each including an on-time during which the heater power supply is on, and an off-time during which the heater power supply is off, in synchronization with conveyance of the recording medium. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209124 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a heating device to heat an endless rotary body with radiant heat, a power source to supply power to the heating device, a first heat source to heat a region on the endless rotary body corresponding to a width of the small size sheet, and a second heat source to heat regions on the endless rotary body corresponding to both widthwise ends of the large size sheet outside the width of the small size sheet. The power source supplies power only to the first heat source when the small size sheet is printed and to both the first and second heat sources when the large size sheet is printed. The power source supplies more power to the first heat source when the small size sheet is printed than when the large size sheet is printed within a maximum power available to the fixing device. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209126 | FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which multiple recording media, each spaced apart from each other by an interval distance in a conveyance direction, are sequentially conveyed at a conveyance speed. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The controller is operatively connected to the heater to control power supply to the heater through a series of on-off switching control cycles, each including an on-time during which the heater power supply is on, and an off-time during which the heater power supply is off, in synchronization with conveyance of the recording medium. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209127 | FIXING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD USED THEREIN - A fixing device includes a rotatable fuser member, a rotatable pressure member, a heater, a temperature detector, and a controller. The rotatable fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotatable pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The pressure member presses against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween. The heater is disposed adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The temperature detector is directed to at least one of the fuser member, the pressure member, and the heater to detect an operational temperature of the fixing device. The controller is operatively connected to the temperature detector and the heater to control power supply to the heater according to readings of the temperature detector, so as to regulate the detected operational temperature at a setpoint temperature that is variable depending on a print page printed on the recording medium. | 08-15-2013 |
20130209131 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device capable of shifting to a sleep state includes a heat source; a rotatable fixing member that is partly heated by the heat source to heat an unfixed image carrying surface of a recording medium; a rotatable pressing member that is in pressure contact with the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member; a rotation drive unit that directly or indirectly rotates the fixing member; a temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of the fixing member; and a controller configured to prohibit the fixing device from shifting to the sleep state when the temperature of the fixing member in a region facing the heat source is equal to or more than a predetermined temperature T | 08-15-2013 |
20130308990 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes an endless belt formed into a loop and rotatable in a given direction of rotation. An opposed rotary body contacts the endless belt to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heater is disposed in proximity to an irradiation span spanning on an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt in a circumferential direction thereof to emit light that irradiates and heats the irradiation span of the endless belt. A shield is interposed between the heater and the irradiation span of the endless belt in a diametrical direction thereof to shield the irradiation span of the endless belt from heated air surrounding the heater. | 11-21-2013 |
20140010578 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a stationary member, a metal member, flanges, a first heater, and a second heater. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a nip therebetween. The metal member is fixedly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member over an area other than the nip. The flanges are disposed at axial edges of the metal member in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the metal member. The first heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat an axial middle portion of the metal member. The second heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat axial end portions of the metal member. The first heater is disposed farther from the nip than the second heater. | 01-09-2014 |
20140099138 | FIXING DEVICE TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device temperature control method is performed by a fixing device including a heat conductor contacting and heating an unfixed toner image formed on a recording medium, a heater disposed opposite and heating the heat conductor, and a pressing roller pressed against the heat conductor to form a fixing nip between the heat conductor and the pressing roller through which the recording medium is conveyed. The method includes detecting a temperature of the pressing roller and controlling an input voltage to the heater based on the detected temperature of the pressing roller to maintain a temperature of the recording medium discharged from the fixing nip at a target temperature. | 04-10-2014 |
20140133877 | FIXING DEVICE TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device temperature control method includes selectively energizing at least one of a plurality of heaters that heats a fixing rotary body according to an image area on a recording medium where a toner image is formed on the recording medium, detecting a temperature of a pressing rotary body pressed against the fixing rotary body, and controlling the energized, at least one of the plurality of heaters based on the detected temperature of the pressing rotary body so as to heat the fixing rotary body to a target temperature. The image area on the recording medium corresponds to a plurality of axial heating spans on the fixing rotary body. | 05-15-2014 |
20140219672 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body, an opposed member, a heater, and a heating controller. The opposed member opposes the fixing rotary body to form a nipping portion therebetween. The heater includes heat generators arranged in a width direction of a recording medium. When the recording medium fed to the nipping portion has an image area and a non-image area, the heating controller controls the outputs of the heat generators based on image information so that a first heat generator of the heat generators corresponding to the image area is higher in temperature and a second heat generator of the heat generators corresponding to the non-image area is lower in temperature. Based on information other than the image information, the heating controller temporarily shifts an area of the fixing rotary body corresponding to the non-image area to a temperature differing from a normal temperature. | 08-07-2014 |
20140219673 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a rotatable, endless fixing belt; a rotatable contact member configured to contact a circumferential surface of the fixing belt to form a nip in association with the fixing belt; and a heating member disposed at an interior surface of the fixing belt, configured to heat the fixing belt. The heating member includes a multiple heat sources arranged along the width of a sheet of recording media in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction. A controller changes an area to be heated by each heat source based on image data and corresponding to an unfixed image on the sheet. The fixing belt is heated by the heating member so that the unfixed image on the sheet that has been conveyed to the nip is fixed onto the sheet at least with heat. The heating member is disposed at a portion other than the fixing nip. | 08-07-2014 |
20140219696 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body, an opposed member opposing the fixing rotary body to form a nipping portion, and a heater to heat the fixing rotary body. The heater includes heat generators arranged in a width direction of a recording medium and separately supplied with power. When an unfixed image on the medium has an image area and a non-image area, power supplied to each of the heat generators is controlled so that, of the heat generators, a first heat generator corresponding to the image area becomes a higher temperature and second heat generators corresponding to the non-image area becomes a lower temperature. When the second heat generators are adjacent to each other, power supplied to one of the second heat generators closer to the image area is set to be greater than power supplied to another of the second heat generators farther from the image area. | 08-07-2014 |
20140270822 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ARRANGING SHEET DETECTOR - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form a toner image on a recording medium under a prescribed image forming condition, a fixing device to fix the toner image borne on the recording medium thereonto by heating the recording medium based on target fixing temperature, and a detector to detect a type of recording medium. The type is used in setting at least one of the image forming condition and the target fixing temperature. The inequality Tb>Ta is established when Ta represents a time period needed to reach a setting of fixing temperature allocated to the recording medium with its tip detected by the detector after detection of the tip and Tb represents a time period needed for the recording medium with its tip detected by the detector to reach the fixing device after detection of the tip. | 09-18-2014 |
20150071660 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus for forming an image on each of recording media includes an optical sensor to irradiate each of the recording media with light to detect smoothness of each of the recording media according to a strength of specularly reflected light of the light with which each of the recording media is irradiated, and a processor to compare the smoothness of the recording media to determine whether a normal image can be formed on one of the recording media having a smoothness detected last. | 03-12-2015 |
20150071661 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance passage unit, a fixing device, an optical sensor, a fixing condition adjuster, and a regulator. A recording medium passes through the conveyance passage unit. The fixing device fixes a toner image onto the recording medium. The optical sensor includes a light-emitting device and a light-receiving device to detect smoothness of the recording medium according to strength of light received. The fixing condition adjuster adjusts fixing conditions according to the smoothness detected. The regulator is disposed in the conveyance passage unit to regulate conveyance of the recording medium, such that at least a part of the recording medium passes through an irradiated area including an intersection that is determined by an emission angle of a first optical axis of light emitted by the light-emitting device and a reflection angle of a second optical axis of light received by the light-receiving device. | 03-12-2015 |
20150078770 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes paper trays to contain and feed a recording sheet on which a toner image is transferred; status sensors to detect a storage status of the recording sheet contained in the paper trays; a sheet sensor to detect a smoothness of the recording sheet; a memory to store detection values of the smoothness detected by the sheet sensor; a fixing device to heat and press the toner image transferred onto the recording sheet and fix it onto the recording sheet; and a control circuit to determine a target fixing temperature of the fixing device based on the detection values stored in the memory. The control circuit determines the target fixing temperature for successive recording sheets depending on the detected smoothness, and resets the detection values stored in the memory to zero when the status sensors detect a change in the storage status of the paper trays. | 03-19-2015 |
20150116718 | OPTICAL SENSOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - An optical sensor includes a light-emitting unit to emit light onto a measuring object, a regular reflection light receiver to receive regular reflection light from the measuring object out of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, and a diffuse reflection light receiver to receive diffuse reflection light from the measuring object out of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit. An angle of incidence of the light emitted onto a surface of the measuring object is not smaller than 75° and not larger than 85°. The diffuse reflection light receiver receives, out of the diffuse reflection light from the measuring object, diffuse reflection light having an angle of reflection with respect to a perpendicular to the surface of the measuring object larger than 0° and smaller than an angle of reflection of the regular reflection light with respect to the perpendicular to the surface of the measuring object. | 04-30-2015 |
20150205241 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a storage to store recording media, a smoothness detector to detect smoothness of the recording media, a memory unit to store smoothness values detected by the smoothness detector, a transfer device to transfer a toner image onto the recording media, a fixing device to fix the toner image onto the recording media, a temperature controller to determine a target fixing temperature for a second and subsequent recording media based on a predicted value calculated from the smoothness values, and a processor to reset the smoothness values in response to detection of an external factor that causes the smoothness detector to provide a smoothness value out of a predetermined range of the predicted value during an image forming operation from when the processor receives a sheet-feeding permission signal of one of the recording media stored in the storage until the recording medium is ejected. | 07-23-2015 |
20150227095 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device capable of shifting to a sleep state includes a heat source; a rotatable fixing member that is partly heated by the heat source to heat an unfixed image carrying surface of a recording medium; a rotatable pressing member that is in pressure contact with the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member; a rotation drive unit that directly or indirectly rotates the fixing member; a temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of the fixing member; and a controller configured to prohibit the fixing device from shifting to the sleep state when the temperature of the fixing member in a region facing the heat source is equal to or more than a predetermined temperature T | 08-13-2015 |
20150234329 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - According to an embodiment, provided is a fixing device that includes: a rotatable fixing member that heats a recording medium on a side carrying an unfixed image; a rotatable pressing member that is pressed and is contacted with the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member; a heat source heating the fixing member; a relay switch provided in an energizing path for the heat source; a temperature detection sensor detecting a temperature of the fixing member; and a control unit that controls energization of the heat source according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection sensor. The control unit keeps the relay switch in an off state if the temperature of the fixing member is equal to or more than a predetermined temperature when the fixing member has stopped rotation. | 08-20-2015 |
20150261161 | RECORDING MEDIA SMOOTHNESS DETECTOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A recording media smoothness detector includes a sensor and a calculator. The sensor includes a light source to emit light toward a recording medium and a light-detecting device to detect an amount of light reflected by the recording medium. The calculator includes a first memory to store an initial output value of the sensor and a second memory to store a decreased output percentage of the sensor relative to the initial output value per number of recording media detected. The calculator is configured to calculate a decreased output amount of the sensor from the decreased output percentage of the sensor per number of recording media detected, according to number of recording media detected by the sensor, to adjust a luminosity of the sensor based on the calculated decreased output amount of the sensor and determine smoothness of the recording medium based on an output of the sensor after the adjustment. | 09-17-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110013930 | APPARATUS HOUSING AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - An apparatus housing includes: a housing frame that contains an image forming element therein; and an exterior cover fixed to an exterior of the housing frame, wherein the exterior cover has a specified-color exterior cover different in lightness from the housing frame, the specified-color exterior cover has a plurality of cover members that are adjacent to each other and disposed on at least one surface of the housing frame, and a blind portion for blinding the surface of the housing frame with a color whose lightness is more similar to that of the specified-color exterior cover than the housing frame is provided at an adjacent area between the plurality of cover members so that the surface of the housing frame is not exposed through a gap between the plurality of cover members, and wherein the blind portion is provided to at least one of the plurality of cover members, and the blind portion extends to cover the entire adjacent area of the other cover members. | 01-20-2011 |
20120326038 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material, a human detecting device that detects a person including an optical sensing unit that converts only an upward light of incident light to the optical sensing unit to an electric signal, and a controller unit that controls the image forming section based on the electric signal. | 12-27-2012 |
20120327458 | OPERATION DEVICE, HUMAN DETECTING DEVICE AND CONTROLLING DEVICE - An operation device includes a first condition in which the operation device consumes a first amount of electric power; a second condition in which the operation device consumes a second amount of electric power; a first detecting unit, to which electric power is supplied in the second condition, having a first detection range and detecting a person in the first detection range; a second detecting unit having a second detection range and detecting the person in the second detection range; a transmitting section that transmits, when the person is detected by the first detecting unit in the second condition, the electric power required for the second detecting unit to detect the person to the second detecting unit; and an instructing section that instructs, when the person is detected by the second detecting unit, the operation device to change a condition from the second condition to the first condition. | 12-27-2012 |
20120328319 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material; an image reading device that is disposed above the image forming section, and reads an image on an original; a connecting section that is disposed at either one of end sides of an apparatus housing in a lateral direction thereof, and that connects the image forming section and the image reading device to each other; an operating section that is disposed in front of the image reading device, and that is operated by a person; a human detecting device that detects the person operating the operating section; a discharging section that discharges the recording material on which the image has been formed by the image forming section to a placing section; and the placing section on which the recording material discharged from the discharging section is placed. | 12-27-2012 |
20130250372 | MOVING OBJECT DETECTING DEVICE, POWER SUPPLY CONTROL DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A moving object detecting device includes a detecting device body that includes a detection unit formed in a chassis covering the inside of an apparatus and disposed to correspond to a monitoring window of which at least an aperture area or an aperture size is restricted and which monitors a moving object approaching the apparatus and a circuit board unit controlling a signal output from the detection unit and is disposed so that some optical axes among optical axes having detection surfaces of plural infrared detecting elements included in the detection unit, as focal points passes through the monitoring window and the other optical axes are blocked by the chassis, and an optical member that is formed in an inner wall of the chassis and that deflects the other optical axes of the infrared detection elements to pass through the monitoring window. | 09-26-2013 |
20130258424 | POWER SUPPLY CONTROL DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM STORING POWER SUPPLY CONTROL PROGRAM - A power supply control device includes a user interface unit including a touch panel unit that has a display function and an input function and a backlight unit, a control unit that controls the process of a processing apparatus body, at least two types of moving body detecting units that are capable of detecting a moving body and have at least relatively short and long detectable distances, a stepwise power supply unit that supplies power to the control unit when one moving body detecting unit with a short detection distance starts detection at the time when the other movement detecting unit with a long detection distance detects the moving body and detects the moving body, and an adjustment unit that, when the one moving body detecting unit does not detect the moving body, first adjusts the brightness of the backlight unit to predetermined brightness less than normal brightness. | 10-03-2013 |
20130300198 | POWER SUPPLY CONTROL DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND POWER SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD - A power supply control device includes a moving object detecting unit and a power supply unit. The moving object detecting unit is attached to a processing apparatus body including power supply targets and a controller, and is capable of detecting a moving object moving in the vicinity of the processing apparatus body. The moving object detecting unit has a lower detection range for detecting a part of a moving object that is substantially in contact with the floor, and an upper detection range for detecting a top part of a moving object. The power supply unit is included in the controller and is always supplied with power to monitor approach of a moving object with the moving object detecting unit. The power supply unit supplies, upon the moving object detecting unit detecting a moving object, power to a power supply target that includes a part of the controller. | 11-14-2013 |
20140092417 | POWER SUPPLY CONTROL DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, POWER SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A power supply control device includes a monitoring controller, a moving body detector, and a power supply controller. The monitoring controller controls a processor, an interface part, and an identification information acquisition part. The moving body detector detects whether or not a moving body including a user who intends to use the processor exists within a specific region. The power supply controller individually allows objects to be controlled including the processor, the interface part, the identification information acquisition part, and the monitoring controller to enter a power supply state or a power interruption state in an independent manner, in accordance with detection information by the moving body detector, and first controls the identification information acquisition part to be shifted from the power interruption state to the power supply state in a case where all the objects to be controlled are in the power interruption state. | 04-03-2014 |
20140140716 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A HUMAN USING A HUMAN DETECTING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material; an image reading device that is disposed above the image forming section, and reads an image on an original; a connecting section that is disposed at either one of end sides of an apparatus housing in a lateral direction thereof, and that connects the image forming section and the image reading device to each other; an operating section that is disposed in front of the image reading device, and that is operated by a person; a human detecting device that detects the person operating the operating section; a discharging section that discharges the recording material on which the image has been formed by the image forming section to a placing section; and the placing section on which the recording material discharged from the discharging section is placed. | 05-22-2014 |