Patents Assigned to Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8351826
    Abstract: An image forming method, includes a charging step of charging an image carrier; an image writing step of writing image data onto the image carrier; a developing step of developing a latent image area written by the image writing step on the image carrier; a transferring step of transferring a toner image developed by the developing step to a transferring member; an image writing position adjusting step of detecting a position of the image carrier where the image is written in a case where designated conditions are satisfied, and of adjusting an image writing position; and a voltage output control step of controlling voltages applied for charging, developing, and transferring in the charging step, the developing step, and the transferring step, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd., Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Mohri
  • Patent number: 8087761
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes: a plurality of nozzles that discharge liquid droplets; and a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate pressure for discharging liquid droplets from the respective nozzles, wherein the piezoelectric elements are performed with repolarization process to set non-uniformity of the droplet discharging characteristics of the nozzles to be in a predetermined range by combining adjustment of a polarization sensitivity and adjustment of a polarization voltage for each of the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Tomohiko Koda, Hitoshi Kida
  • Patent number: 8003160
    Abstract: A substrate is provided on which wires can be formed satisfactorily using a dispersion liquid of metal microparticles without causing disconnection or short circuit. The wiring substrate comprises a substrate, an organic membrane formed on the substrate, and a metal wire formed on the organic membrane. An arithmetic mean deviation Ra of the profile of the surface of the organic membrane where the metal wire is formed is not less than 60 nm and not more than 5×10?2D, where D is the width of the metal wire. The contact angle with respect to water on the surface of the organic membrane where the metal wire is formed is not less than 110°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sasaki, Makoto Kurosawa, Kazuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7914126
    Abstract: In an ink jet head manufacturing device, first and second diodes are arranged on a path extending from a gate of a control unit to an individual electrode of an ink-pressure control part in an ink jet head, the first diode allowing a current from the individual electrode of the ink-pressure control part to flow into a first wiring, and the second diode allowing a current from a second wiring to flow into the individual electrode of the ink-pressure control part. A short-circuit unit is arranged to short-circuit the first wiring and the second wiring when depolarization or polarization of the ink-pressure control part is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kida, Takahiro Yamada, Tomohiko Koda
  • Publication number: 20110061216
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid discharging head, the method including forming a plurality of nozzles that discharge liquid droplets, forming a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate pressure for discharging liquid droplets from the respective nozzles; and performing a repolarization process on the piezoelectric elements to set non-uniformity of the droplet discharging characteristics of the nozzles to be in a predetermined range by combining adjustment of a polarization sensitivity and adjustment of a polarization voltage for each of the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH PRINTING SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro YAMADA, Tomohiko KODA, Hitoshi KIDA
  • Patent number: 7887151
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a liquid ejection head including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting droplets and a plurality of piezoelectric elements for generating a pressure for discharging droplets in respective nozzles. The image forming apparatus includes a polarization adjustment unit that performs a polarization adjustment in parallel for adjustment of target nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Hitoshi Kida, Tomohiko Koda
  • Patent number: 7744197
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an inkjet recording head includes an ejecting step, a measuring step, dividing step and applying step. The ejecting step ejects test ink droplets and print ink droplets from nozzles. The measuring step measures ejection results of the test ink droplets. The dividing step divides a plurality of nozzles into a plurality of groups based on the ejection results. The applying step applies a group-based polarizing voltage determined for each group to the piezoelectric elements belonging to a corresponding group to polarize the piezoelectric elements so that ejection results of the print ink droplets fall in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Satoru Tobita, Hitoshi Kida, Kenichi Kugai, Nobuhiro Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 7745307
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an inkjet head, a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer is produced on the surface of first silicon member formed from single-crystal silicon. Next, a glass layer formed of borosilicate glass or the like is sputtered onto the surface of the silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer. A silicon oxide (SiOx, x<2) layer is then formed on the surface of a second silicon member. The first and second silicon members and are bonded together by applying heat at about 450° C. with heaters, as a DC voltage is applied across electrode terminals. As a result, a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer is formed at the interface of the glass layer and silicon oxide (SiOx, x<2) layer, anodically bonding the two layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Umeda, Osamu Machida, Jun Nagata
  • Patent number: 7695114
    Abstract: A disclosed inkjet head includes an ink channel unit formed by stacking a channel plate having a nozzle hole formed therein, a channel plate having a pressure chamber formed therein, and a channel plate having a restrictor formed therein and by bonding the channel plates together by diffusion bonding, which channel plates have substantially the same thickness; a pressure generating source attached to a surface of the ink channel unit and configured to generate pressure to jet ink; and a housing formed by stacking housing plates and by bonding the housing plates together by diffusion bonding and configured to hold the ink channel unit, which housing plates have substantially the same thickness as that of the channel plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Koda, Satoru Tobita, Takashi Sato, Yoshinari Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7681987
    Abstract: An inkjet recording head includes a nozzle plate, chamber plate, and a diaphragm plate. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets, a plurality of connecting channels in communication with the nozzles and pressure chambers. The nozzles are formed in a row at a uniform pitch. The connecting channels extend from the nozzles alternately in opposite directions in a staggered formation and are offset a prescribed angle to a direction orthogonal to the row of nozzles. The chamber plate includes the pressure chambers, restrictors, and common ink chambers formed therein. Each pressure chamber has an elongated shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the row of nozzles. The pressure chambers are formed in rows, one on either side of the row of nozzles, so that the pressure chambers in one row oppose the corresponding pressure chambers in the other row. The diaphragm plate has a vibration plate that seals the pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Tobita, Ryouta Matsufuji, Tomohiko Koda
  • Patent number: 7654652
    Abstract: An ink jet head having: a common ink chamber for storing an ink supplied from an ink supply part; an ink supply path for supplying the ink stored in the common ink chamber; a pressure chamber to which the ink is supplied via the ink supply path; and a nozzle for discharging the ink in the pressure chamber in accordance with a pressure change in the pressure chamber. The components being constructed by stacking a plurality of thin plate members, wherein a plurality of the ink supply paths are arranged in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Tobita, Toshiharu Sumiya, Ryouta Matsufuji
  • Patent number: 7651203
    Abstract: A droplet ejecting device includes a nozzle unit, a piezoelectric member and a drive voltage generating unit. The piezoelectric member has a common electrode and a discrete electrode. A first differentiation by polarization voltage of a characteristic curve indicating change in a polarization of the piezoelectric member with respect to change in the polarization voltage has a plurality of extremal values including a first extremal value at a prescribed positive voltage Vbp that is the smallest polarization voltage among plus polarization voltages corresponding to the plurality of extremal values, and a second extremal value at a prescribed negative voltage Vbn that is the largest polarization voltage among minus polarization voltages corresponding to the plurality of extremal values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Hitoshi Kida, Satoru Tobita, Kenichi Kugai
  • Patent number: 7651197
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an inkjet head, a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer is produced on the surface of first silicon member formed from single-crystal silicon. Next, a glass layer formed of borosilicate glass or the like is sputtered onto the surface of the silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer. A silicon oxide (SiOx, x<2) layer is then formed on the surface of a second silicon member. The first and second silicon members and are bonded together by applying heat at about 450° C. with heaters, as a DC voltage is applied across electrode terminals. As a result, a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer is formed at the interface of the glass layer and silicon oxide (SiOx, x<2) layer, anodically bonding the two layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Umeda, Osamu Machida, Jun Nagata
  • Patent number: 7648734
    Abstract: To coat a solution on both surfaces continuously in such a state that an edge portion of the substrate is so constructed as to be fixed, and the substrate is attached to a substrate fixing frame having a positioning mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Machida, Makoto Kurosawa, Kazuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7604311
    Abstract: In a droplet ejection device, a latch circuit acquires discharge data in which a resolution is set up for each resolution section in a transport direction of a recording medium, and sets data elements in each resolution section for respective ones of a plurality of nozzles. An output enable signal generating unit generates an output enable signal periodically at intervals of a different distance. A drive waveform applying unit applies a drive waveform to a common electrode line of piezoelectric elements of the nozzles in synchronization with the output enable signal, the drive waveform having a time to discharge each piezoelectric element gradually. A switching circuit turns on or off a switch based on a logical AND of the output enable signal and the discharge data and grounds an individual electrode of each piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Kobayashi, Hitoshi Kida, Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7588244
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a sheet feeder including; an air blowing unit floating and separating an upper portion of sheet of paper laid on a tray; and a transfer belt adsorbing and transferring uppermost sheet of paper laid on the tray; an optical analog sensor sensing an upper face of the uppermost sheet of paper and comprising a sensing face including a light receiving surface; a shield plate movable with the sheet, the shield plate detecting a position of upper face of the sheet of paper so as to keep a position of the uppermost sheet at a constant position and comprising; an elastic shield member having a C-character shape, a surface of the elastic shield member where the elastic shield member is contact with the light receiving surface of the optical analog sensor being in the same plane of a surface of the elastic shield member where the elastic shield member is contact with the shield-plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Kawamoto, Shingo Takai
  • Patent number: 7582495
    Abstract: A method for producing an inkjet head for jetting an ink from a nozzle that is formed on a nozzle main body formed of a metal material, the method includes smoothening a surface of the nozzle main body, applying a silica sol solution to the nozzle main body so as to form a silica sol film, wherein the silica sol solution has a concentration that is controlled to avoid a nozzle clogging in the nozzle main body, heating the silica sol film formed on the nozzle main body to thereby convert the silica sol film into an SiO2 film, applying an ink repellent agent solution to the SiO2 film and drying to thereby form an ink repellent film, wherein the ink repellent agent solution is prepared by dissolving a compound having an alkoxysilane residue at an end of a perfluoro polyether chain in a solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinari Suzuki, Hiroshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7570904
    Abstract: In the image forming apparatus by: visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrostatic charge carrying member; transferring a toner image, which is thus visualized, to a recording medium, or to a recording medium through an intermediate transfer material; and fixing the toner image, which is thus transferred to the recording medium, to obtain a recorded image, the toner includes at least a fixing resin, a colorant, a releasing agent, and an external additive, the toner has an average particle diameter in a range of from 4 to 12 ?m and including no particle having a diameter of 45 ?m or more, a ratio of a toner adhesion amount in a character part to a toner adhesion amount in a solid image part upon printing is more than 0.5 and less than 4, and the toner adhesion amount in a character part is 1.6 mg/cm2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigenori Yaguchi, Junji Kobayashi, Hirobumi Ouchi, Tomonari Hokkyo
  • Publication number: 20090190970
    Abstract: A development device in which abrasion of a developing roller can be reduced to expand the life of the device, and high-speed and high-quality images can be obtained stably over a long time. The developing roller is composed of an elastic body. An intermediate roller made of metal is disposed closely to the developing roller so as to face the developing roller. A magnetic roller is disposed closely to the intermediate roller so as to face the intermediate roller. A developer layer composed of a magnetic carrier and a toner is formed on the surface of the magnetic roller. The developer layer is carried to the intermediate roller side, and only the toner in the developer layer is transferred to the intermediate roller. A toner layer formed thus is transferred from the intermediate roller to the developing roller, and brought into contact with the surface of an image carrying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira SHIMADA, Tomomi Shimada
  • Patent number: 7549716
    Abstract: The method of ejecting microdroplets of ink includes a first step for generating one ink column on the outside of the nozzle and for separating a tip end of the one ink column from a remaining part of the one ink column to form a microdroplet of ink on the outside of one nozzle, and a second step for controlling an ink volume velocity in the ink pressure chamber that is connected to the nozzle to generate another ink column and to push the another ink column out of the nozzle, thereby causing the another ink column to overtake and merge with the remaining part of the one ink column and to return into the nozzle while pulling the remaining part of the one ink column back into the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kida, Takahiro Yamada