Patents by Inventor Kensuke Yamaji
Kensuke Yamaji 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).
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Publication number: 20160209789Abstract: A sheet separation device includes a separator disposed to contact one face of a sheet conveyed through a nip between conveyors contacting each other. The separator configured to separate from surfaces of the conveyors the sheet conveyed through the nip. The separator includes a conveyance face and a slanted face. The conveyance face is configured to contact and convey the sheet conveyed through the nip. The slanted face is disposed closer to the nip than the conveyance face and inclined with respect to the conveyance face toward one conveyor of the conveyors at a same side as the one face of the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2016Publication date: July 21, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji NOZAWA, Masami OKAMOTO, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Fumihiro HIROSE, Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMMI, Seiji SAITOH
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Patent number: 9389560Abstract: A fixing device includes a guide disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A pressure rotator side separator, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, includes an opposed tip disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the pressure rotator and a separation-conveyance face that separates the recording medium from the pressure rotator. The opposed tip and the separation-conveyance face define a hypothetical circle having a curvature not smaller than 1/20 that intersects a guide face of the guide at an intersection at which a hypothetical tangent is tangent to the hypothetical circle. The hypothetical tangent and the guide face define a downstream intersection angle that is downstream from the hypothetical tangent in the recording medium conveyance direction and is greater than 90 degrees.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2015Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Masami Okamoto, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Kensuke Yamaji, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160170348Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masami Okamoto, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Kensuke Yamaji, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160170350Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masami OKAMOTO, Kenji NOZAWA, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMMI
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Patent number: 9367010Abstract: According to an embodiments, provided is a fixing device that includes: an endless fixing belt, heats and melts a toner image, and has flexibility; a stationary member that is set stationary on an inner peripheral surface side of the fixing belt and comes into contact under pressure to form a nip portion; and a reinforcement member that is set stationary on the inner peripheral surface side of the fixing belt and comes into abutment with the stationary member. If it is assumed that a length of the nip portion in a direction of conveyance of the recording medium is designated as A; and a length between an upstream-side abutment portion and a downstream-side abutment portion at which the stationary member and the reinforcement member come into abutment with each other is designated as B, following relation is established: A<B, and interval B includes interval A.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2012Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: RICOII COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Hiromasa Takagi, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Teppei Kawata, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
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Publication number: 20160139549Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt stretched taut across a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation. A pressure rotator is pressed against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to separate the recording medium from the fixing belt, includes a contact face contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and a bulge disposed at a center of the contact face in a longitudinal direction of the separation aid. The bulge projects toward the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt relative to each lateral end of the contact face in the longitudinal direction of the separation aid.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2015Publication date: May 19, 2016Inventors: Kenji NOZAWA, Masahiko SATOH, Masami OKAMOTO, Keisuke KUBOTA, Yuuki KlKUSHIMA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Fumihiro HIROSE, Kensuke YAMAJI, Kaori HEMMI
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Patent number: 9316972Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a pressing rotary body pressed against the fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heater is disposed inside the fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body. A reflector, disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body via the heater, reflects light emitted from the heater onto the fixing rotary body. The reflector includes a movable portion movable relative to the heater to direct the light emitted from the heater onto a variable heating span of the fixing rotary body spanning in an axial direction thereof. The variable heating span varies depending on a width of the recording medium in the axial direction of the fixing rotary body.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2013Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yuji Arai, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
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Patent number: 9316971Abstract: A method for forming a toner image on a recording medium includes receiving a job, rotating a pressing rotary body in a predetermined direction of rotation, rotating a flexible endless belt disposed opposite the pressing rotary body to form a nip therebetween, turning on a belt heater disposed opposite to an inner circumferential surface of the flexible endless belt, conveying the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip, turning off the belt heater for a predetermined first time period after the recording medium is discharged from the nip while the flexible endless belt and the pressing rotary body rotate, stopping the flexible endless belt and the pressing rotary body, turning on the belt heater when a predetermined second time period elapses after stopping the flexible endless belt and the pressing rotary body, and turning off the belt heater.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Tadashi Ogawa, Takeshi Uchitani, Satoshi Ueno, Teppei Kawata, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji
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Publication number: 20160098003Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2015Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: Takeshi UCHITANI, Masahiko SATOH, Kenji ISHII, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Takamasa HASE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI, Takuya SESHITA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Kazuya SAITO, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Takayuki SEKI, Yuji ARAI, Ryuuichi MIMBU, Yoshiki YAMAGUCHI, Shuntaroh TAMAKI, Yutaka IKEBUCHI
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Patent number: 9291967Abstract: A fixing device that fixes an image on a recording medium includes a rotatable endless belt, deployed in a loop supported by rollers, a nip forming member provided inside the loop formed by the belt, a support member that supports the nip forming member, a counter rotation body disposed outside the loop formed by the belt and configured to form a nip with the belt by being in contact with the nip forming member through the belt, and a heat source configured to heat the belt directly by a radiant heat except at the nip. The support member includes a base portion that contacts the nip forming member and two arms extending from the base portion in a direction away from the nip forming member to partially surround a part of heat generating portion of the heat source.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Iwaya, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takeshi Uchitani, Hiromasa Takagi, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Hajime Gotoh, Arinobu Yoshiura, Teppei Kawata, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kazuya Saito, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki
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Publication number: 20160070218Abstract: A fixing device includes a guide disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A pressure rotator side separator, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, includes an opposed tip disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the pressure rotator and a separation-conveyance face that separates the recording medium from the pressure rotator. The opposed tip and the separation-conveyance face define a hypothetical circle having a curvature not smaller than 1/20 that intersects a guide face of the guide at an intersection at which a hypothetical tangent is tangent to the hypothetical circle. The hypothetical tangent and the guide face define a downstream intersection angle that is downstream from the hypothetical tangent in the recording medium conveyance direction and is greater than 90 degrees.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masami OKAMOTO, Kenji NOZAWA, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMMI
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Publication number: 20160054691Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Inventors: Takamasa HASE, Masahiko SATOH, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Kenji ISHll, Takeshi UCHITANI, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Kazuya SAITO, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Naoki IWAYA, Takuya SESHITA, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI
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Patent number: 9268276Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt stretched taut across a fixing rotator and a support rotator. A pressure rotator is pressed against the fixing rotator via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The pressure rotator includes a recess defining an outer diameter of each lateral end of the pressure rotator in an axial direction thereof that is greater than an outer diameter of a center of the pressure rotator in the axial direction thereof. A first separator is disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The first separator is isolated from the pressure rotator and includes a projection disposed opposite the recess of the pressure rotator.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Masami Okamoto, Keisuke Kubota, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Kensuke Yamaji, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Patent number: 9244431Abstract: A fixing device includes an elastic rotator and a cooler disposed opposite the rotator to cool the rotator with cooling air. A mover contacts and moves the rotator to a first position where the rotator is disposed opposite the cooler with an increased first interval therebetween and a second position where the rotator is disposed opposite the cooler with a decreased second interval therebetween. A rectification plate is movably mounted on the cooler to contact the rotator constantly to guide the cooling air to the cooler.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2015Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yuuki Kikushima, Masami Okamoto, Keisuke Kubota, Kenji Nozawa, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Fumihiro Hirose, Kensuke Yamaji, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Patent number: 9239553Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater disposed opposite the fixing rotary body. A heat shield is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater. An overheating suppressor is interposed between the heater and the heat shield to shield the heat shield from the heater. The heat shield includes an intermediate portion spanning in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and movable between a shield position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater directly and a retracted position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater via the overheating suppressor.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2015Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuji Arai, Takayuki Seki, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kazuya Saito, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Yamamoto, Shuutaroh Yuasa
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Patent number: 9239559Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Takuya Seshita, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kazuya Saito, Shinichi Namekata, Takayuki Seki, Yuji Arai, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Yutaka Ikebuchi
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Patent number: 9235177Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2012Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Seshita, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Teppei Kawata, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Ryota Yamashina, Yasunori Ishigaya
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Publication number: 20150378290Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Teppei KAWATA, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
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Patent number: 9207596Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Takamasa Hase, Masahiko Satoh, Shinichi Namekata, Kenji Ishii, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
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Patent number: 9164443Abstract: A fixing device includes a first heat generator and a second heat generator that heat a fixing rotator. A support is disposed inside the fixing rotator. A reflector is mounted on the support and interposed between the support and each of the first heat generator and the second heat generator to reflect light radiated from the first heat generator and the second heat generator toward the fixing rotator. The reflector includes a body mounted on the support and a shield portion projecting from the body toward the first heat generator and the second heat generator to shield the fixing rotator from the first heat generator and the second heat generator. The shield portion includes a wing disposed opposite a non-conveyance span of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof where a recording medium is not conveyed over the fixing rotator.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Toshihiko Shimokawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Takayuki Seki, Yuji Arai, Takeshi Yamamoto, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Takuya Seshita, Shuntaro Tamaki, Hajime Gotoh, Takahiro Imada, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki, Hiroshi Yoshinaga