Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Other

Renesas Technology Corp.

Tokyo Sheet Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Seat Co., Ltd.

Satoshi Narumi

Kiyonori Tsuda

Yuji Arai

Hiroshi Hosokawa

Masanori Kawasumi

Kazuhiko Umemura

Ryuta Takeichi

Hiroshi Ishii

Makoto Kikura

Kazuosa Kuma

Yutaka Fukuchi

Kazuki Suzuki

Yuusuke Noguchi

Toshiya Suzuki

Masayuki Yamane

Satoshi Hatori

Seiji Terazawa

Kazuhisa Sudo

Kenzo Tatsumi

Nobuyuki Taguchi

Emi Kita

Takeroh Kurenuma

Fumio Ogata

Masaharu Hoashi

Shinji Tamaki

Haruji Mizuishi

Kazuhito Watanabe

Tsutomu Katoh

Hiroyuki Tamagawa

Tetsuroh Tanigawa

Kimio Yoshimura

Hiroyuki Nagashima

Yoshiyuki Kimura

Nobuo Kuwabara

Minoru Kurosawa

Atsushi Sampe

Hideki Zemba

Misao Tanzawa

Wakako Murakami

Keisuke Katoh

Takeshi Ohtsuki

Naoto Watanabe

Takeo Suda

Tomoji Ishikawa

Hiroshi Murakami

Satoshi Kusaka

Masaaki Kato

Daisuke Suetsugu

Hikaru Nakamura

Takeichi Ryuta

Hirokazu Ohmura

The semiconductor device includes: a current detection circuit configured to detect a current flowing through a three-phase motor by driving of a drive circuit; and a controller configured to control the drive circuit, based on the detected current. The controller is configured to control, when the three-phase motor is stationary, an energization pattern in such a way that a wave detection current sequentially flows from the drive circuit to each phase of the three-phase motor, to obtain, from the wave detection current detected by the current detection circuit, a first, a second and a third interphase current differences, each of which is a difference among wave detection currents flowing in directions opposite to one another, to determine the energization pattern based on a magnitude relationship among the first, the second and the third interphase current differences.

Semiconductor device, motor drive system, and control method thereof

The magnetic pole position of the rotor is estimated with high accuracy at the initial start of a three-phase motor of the sensorless system. Semiconductor device for driving and controlling the three-phase motor of the sensorless system have a detector connected to the three-phase output nodes of the inverter circuit and the virtual neutral point (or neutral point), and detecting a voltage generated in the output node of the non-energized phase of the three-phase. Controller applies the initial drive voltage by the inverter circuit to any two phases of the three-phase motor based on the estimated position of the magnetic pole of the rotor in the stop state. Controller estimates the position of the rotor based on a difference voltage detected by the detector in a driving voltage applying period and a regeneration period immediately after or immediately before the driving voltage applying period.

Semiconductor device, motor drive system, and method of starting motor

The present disclosure starts up a three-phase motor in a stable manner. During a start-up operation of a brushless DC motor, a motor drive system detects the position of a particularly suitable rotor while the rotor is resting, and applies a drive current to two phases in accordance with the detected position of the rotor. A controller changes the time of drive current application in accordance with the magnitude of back electromotive force that is in a non-conducting phase and detected by a detector during drive current application.

Semiconductor device, motor drive system, and motor control program

To surely detect a back electromotive force generated in a non-conduction phase at an extremely low duty ratio, a motor driving system includes a three-phase motor, an inverter circuit, and a semiconductor device. A controller included in the semiconductor device compares a voltage at an output node corresponding to a non-conduction phase of the inverter circuit and a reference voltage with each other, thereby estimating a position of a rotor of the three-phase motor and generating a pulse width modulation signal based on the estimated position of the rotor. The controller detects the voltage at the output node of the non-conduction phase in a regeneration period of the pulse width modulation signal when a duty ratio of the pulse width modulation signal is less than a threshold value, the regeneration period being a period in which current is made to flow to the three-phase motor on a regeneration path.

Semiconductor device, motor driving system, and motor control program

The junction temperature of a field effect transistor is detected with a higher degree of accuracy than in the past. A semiconductor device controls multiple field effect transistors that configure a power conversion device, and includes a differential amplifier and a controller that controls ON/OFF of the multiple field effect transistors. The differential amplifier detects the potential difference between a source and a drain of a field effect transistor that is controlled in the OFF state by the controller and that induces an electric current flowing through the body diode thereof, among the multiple field effect transistors.

Semiconductor device, power module, and control method of power conversion device

A toner bottle includes: a bottle main part to contain toner therein and having a rotational axis; an outlet at an end of the bottle main part; a spiral raised ridge in an inner wall of the bottle main part and arranged to deliver the toner contained in the bottle main part to the outlet by rotation of the bottle main part around the rotational axis; a plurality of toner guiding portions on a side of the spiral raised ridge adjacent to the outlet and arranged to move the toner to the outlet beyond the spiral raised ridge; and a gear adjacent to the outlet to rotate the bottle main part around the rotational axis. The bottle main part has a diameter larger than a diameter of the outlet, and the gear is formed integrally with the bottle main part between the outlet and the plurality of toner guiding portions.

Developer container, developer supplying device, and image forming apparatus

An insertion passageY for inserting a suction nozzleY fixed to an image forming apparatus is provided on a holderY, and a connecting passageY that connects the insertion passageY and a toner storage sectionY of the holderY is provided. After the toner sent from bottleY to the holderY falls towards the connecting passageY, the toner flows into the suction nozzleY through the connecting passageY and is then discharged out of the holderY. An airtightness between the insertion passageY and the suction nozzleY inserted into the insertion passageY is superior than an airtightness between the bottleY and the holderY engaged with the bottleY.

Toner cartridge, image forming apparatus, method of recycling toner cartridge

The present invention provides a motor drive apparatus which improves a trade-off relation between a stable position detection and noise at its driving. A sensorless drive operation circuit calculates by operation a zero cross point (point p) of a voltage of a position detection phase at the next interval, using time information measured based on an output signal from a comparison circuit at the previous interval and the present interval. After the point p has been calculated, points a and b are detected by interrupting a predetermined time drive current.

Motor drive apparatus

An image forming apparatus for use with a toner container which dispenses toner to the image forming apparatus, depending on an angular position of a rotatable cap of the toner container. The rotatable cap has a handle attached thereto. There is a toner container holder to support the toner container which permits the cap of the toner container to rotate. The image forming apparatus has a cover to selectively cover and uncover the toner container. There is also a device which moves with movement of the cover which interacts with the handle of the toner container.

An insertion passageY for inserting a suction nozzleY fixed to an image forming apparatus is provided on a holderY, and a connecting passageY that connects the insertion passageY and a toner storage sectionY of the holderY is provided After the toner sent from bottleY to the holderY falls towards the connecting passageY, the toner flows into the suction nozzleY through the connecting passageY and is then discharged out of the holderY An airtightness between the insertion passageY and the suction nozzleY inserted into the insertion passageY is superior than an airtightness between the bottleY and the holderY engaged with the bottleY.

Toner container, image forming apparatus, method of recycling toner container

An object of the present invention is to provide a motor driving device capable of outputting an accurate rotation signal while preventing a false detection of B-EMF in a position detecting comparator. The motor driving device includes an output circuit, filter circuit, comparison circuit, current zero ampere detecting circuit, position detecting circuit, sensorless drive arithmetic operation circuit, noise reduction current waveform generating circuit, signal synthesizing circuit, and output transistor control circuit, the comparison circuit including a comparator, polarity switching portion connected to a + terminal and &#x2212; terminal of the comparator and signal switching portion, the comparator being structured to be able to set and release an offset having a predetermined voltage value set preliminarily.

Motor driving device

A method of installing a toner container and a container. The container includes a body for storing toner, a handle attached to an end of the container, an opening for discharging the toner to an image forming device, and a shutter which selectively opens and closes the opening due to rotation of the handle. There is a gear which protrudes through the end of the container, and rotation of the gear causes toner in the body to be moved from the body of the container into the end of the container and subsequently out through the opening of the end of the container.

A developer container has a main part accommodating a developer therein and is detachably attached to a main part of an image forming apparatus. The developer container comprises an outlet provided at a side of the developer container to discharge the developer from the developer container. An input unit is provided adjacent to the outlet and has a small-diameter portion an inside diameter of which is smaller than a diameter of the container main part wherein, when the developer container is attached to the image forming apparatus, the input unit is engaged with a drive motor of the image forming apparatus to receive a rotating force of the drive motor. A developer guiding unit causes the developer inside the developer container to be moved to the outlet beyond the small-diameter portion of the input unit by rotation of the developer container.

A toner container for installation in a toner supply device is provided. The toner container includes a toner accommodation member and a cap member freely attachable to and detachable from the toner accommodation member. The toner accommodation member includes a bag member having an opening, and a connection member attached to the opening of the bag member and having a toner supply opening. The cap member is configured to receive toner supplied from the toner supply opening of the connection member of the toner accommodation member and to discharge the received toner. Either of the connection member of the toner accommodation member and the cap member includes a groove part and the other includes a protrusion part to engage with the groove part, and the cap member is attached to the toner accommodation member by engaging the groove part and the protrusion part with each other. The protrusion part elastically deforms to engage with the groove part.

Toner container, toner supply device and image forming apparatus

A carrier and a dummy toner are stored in a developing unit of a process cartridge in a brand new status. A plurality of process cartridges corresponding to a plurality of color toners is used in common. The color toners are respectively supplied to the developing unit from toner supply units after the process cartridges in the brand new status are installed in installation sections in a main unit of an image forming apparatus.

Image forming apparatus, process cartridge, developing unit, and image forming method

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Satoshi Narumi