Patents by Inventor Ken Onodera

Ken Onodera has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230391107
    Abstract: A supporting structure for a temperature sensor, and a drying device provided with the supporting structure. The supporting structure includes a front panel, a rear panel, a first supporting member having both ends in a longer-side direction of the first supporting member, and a second supporting member attachable to and detachable from the first supporting member. In the supporting structure, both ends of the first supporting member are removably supported by the front panel and the rear panel. In the supporting structure, the temperature sensor is disposed on the second supporting member, and the temperature sensor detects a surface temperature of a heating roller disposed between the front panel and the rear panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Onodera, Yasuyuki Horie, Yoshitaka Akiyama, Kenji Maruoka, Hiroshi Kato, Junichi Terai, Masaki Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11697292
    Abstract: A conveyance device includes a conveyor having an outer face that contacts a sheet adhered with liquid. The conveyor conveys the sheet. A heat radiator generates air. A ventilator sends the air to the outer face of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Onodera
  • Publication number: 20220281233
    Abstract: A conveyance device includes a conveyor having an outer face that contacts a sheet adhered with liquid. The conveyor conveys the sheet. A heat radiator generates air. A ventilator sends the air to the outer face of the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventor: Ken ONODERA
  • Patent number: 11312156
    Abstract: A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Onodera, Sho Sawahata, Junji Nakai, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Yasuhisa Katoh, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Satoshi Kitaoka, Hideaki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11117393
    Abstract: A blower includes a blowout port configured to blow air outside the blower, a channel member connected to the blowout port, the channel member configured to guide the air to the blowout port, a first heat insulation member configured to cover an inner wall of the channel member, and a second heat insulation member configured to cover an outer wall of the channel member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 11090950
    Abstract: A heating roller unit includes a heating roller, a heat source disposed inside the heating roller, and a tubular member at an end of the heating roller. Inside the tubular member, a terminal of the heat source is disposed. The tubular member has an opening via which inside of the tubular member communicates with an outside in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the heating roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Yorimoto, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 11090949
    Abstract: A dryer for conveying and drying an object to be dried, the dryer includes a conveyor including a first path and a second path along which the object to be dried is conveyed, a conveyance direction of the second path being different from a conveyance direction of the first path, and a blower to blow air onto the object to be dried. The blower includes a first air outlet that faces the first path and blows the air onto the object to be dried conveyed along the first path, and a second air outlet that faces the second path and blows the air onto the object to be dried conveyed along the second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kitaoka, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 11014379
    Abstract: A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Onodera, Sho Sawahata, Junji Nakai, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Yasuhisa Katoh, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Satoshi Kitaoka, Hideaki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10801776
    Abstract: A drying device including multiple heating rollers to dry a recording medium wound around the heating rollers while conveying the recording medium is provided. The heating rollers include upstream heating rollers and downstream heating rollers, disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium. Each of the upstream heating rollers includes an upstream heat source. Each of the downstream heating rollers includes a downstream heat source. The upstream heat source and the downstream heat source have different configurations. The upstream heat source has a maximum amount of current greater than that of the downstream heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohki Asada, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Genichiro Kawamichi, Ken Onodera, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20200307259
    Abstract: A heating roller unit includes a heating roller, a heat source disposed inside the heating roller, and a tubular member at an end of the heating roller. Inside the tubular member, a terminal of the heat source is disposed. The tubular member has an opening via which inside of the tubular member communicates with an outside in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the heating roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Yorimoto, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 10723119
    Abstract: A dryer for drying a drying object includes a hot air generator to generate hot air to be blown onto the drying object, a contact heater to contact and heat the drying object, and a controller to control a heating temperature of the contact heater and a temperature of the hot air. The controller controls the heating temperature of the contact heater to be above a first predetermined temperature from a start of generation of the hot air by the hot air generator until the temperature of the hot air reaches a second predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hoshino, Ken Onodera, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20200164663
    Abstract: A blower includes a blowout port configured to blow air outside the blower, a channel member connected to the blowout port, the channel member configured to guide the air to the blowout port, a first heat insulation member configured to cover an inner wall of the channel member, and a second heat insulation member configured to cover an outer wall of the channel member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 10603929
    Abstract: A drying device includes heaters disposed along the direction of conveyance of a recording medium to which liquid is applied, the heaters being configured to heat the recording medium, wherein the recording medium is conveyed in contact with the heaters on a conveyance path including a first path on which the recording medium is conveyed in contact with the heaters for the second time and a second path on which the recording medium is conveyed in contact with the heaters for the second time, wherein a dried film of the liquid formed by the following method has a Martens hardness of 30 N/mm2 or greater at 120 degrees C.: method: the liquid is applied to a glass plate to form a film and the film is dried with a reduced pressure at 100 degrees C. for three hours to obtain the dried film having an average thickness of 5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Iwasaki, Hiromi Sakaguchi, Yoshiki Yanagawa, Kaori Toyama, Satoshi Takahashi, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera, Sho Sawahata, Junji Nakai, Yasuhisa Katoh
  • Publication number: 20200001622
    Abstract: A dryer for conveying and drying an object to be dried, the dryer includes a conveyor including a first path and a second path along which the object to be dried is conveyed, a conveyance direction of the second path being different from a conveyance direction of the first path, and a blower to blow air onto the object to be dried. The blower includes a first air outlet that faces the first path and blows the air onto the object to be dried conveyed along the first path, and a second air outlet that faces the second path and blows the air onto the object to be dried conveyed along the second path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kitaoka, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera
  • Publication number: 20190344589
    Abstract: A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Ken ONODERA, Sho SAWAHATA, Juni NAKAI, Toshihiro YOSHINUMA, Yasuhisa KATOH, Hirokazu IKENOUE, Satoshi KITAOKA, Hideaki NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20190337307
    Abstract: A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Ken ONODERA, Sho SAWAHATA, Junji NAKAI, Toshihiro YOSHINUMA, Yasuhisa KATOH, Hirokazu IKENOUE, Satoshi KITAOKA, Hideaki NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 10442213
    Abstract: A drying device includes a plurality of blowers to blow air onto an object to be dried, the plurality of blowers being disposed along a direction of conveyance of the object to be dried, and a plurality of heaters to heat air inside the plurality of blowers. Each of the plurality of blowers includes an elongated nozzle arranged along a nozzle direction perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of the object to be dried, and an airflow generator to generate airflow to be blown from the elongated nozzle. The plurality of blowers includes a first blower including the airflow generator at a first end of the first blower in the nozzle direction and a second blower including the airflow generator at a second end of the second blower opposite the first end in the nozzle direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Wataru Sakamoto, Sho Sawahata, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 10434796
    Abstract: A dryer for conveying and drying an object to be dried, the dryer includes a conveyor including a first path and a second path along which the object to be dried is conveyed, a conveyance direction of the second path being different from a conveyance direction of the first path, and a blower to blow air onto the object to be dried. The blower includes a first air outlet that faces the first path and blows the air onto the object to be dried conveyed along the first path, and a second air outlet that faces the second path and blows the air onto the object to be dried conveyed along the second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kitaoka, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Ken Onodera
  • Patent number: 10384472
    Abstract: A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Onodera, Sho Sawahata, Junji Nakai, Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Yasuhisa Katoh, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Satoshi Kitaoka, Hideaki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10369813
    Abstract: A conveyor for printer includes, a first guide, a second guide disposed separately from the first guide, a third guide disposed between the first guide and the second guide, the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide defining a conveyance path along which a medium is conveyed, and a loading guide movable to guide the medium between the first guide and the second guide. The third guide is movable between a first position and a second position. The third guide presses the medium to the first guide and the second guide at the first position and is separated from the medium at the second position. The loading guide is disposed at a guiding position to guide the medium and is disposed at a retracted position retracted from the guiding position in response to the third guide disposed at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Nagasawa, Ken Onodera, Toshihiro Yoshinuma