Patents by Inventor Masafumi Yamada

Masafumi Yamada 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).

  • Patent number: 9550375
    Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus is provided. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes a recording unit, a selection heater, a heater, and a processor. The recording unit forms an ink image on a recording medium being conveyed. The selection heater is disposed downstream from the recording unit relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and selectively heats the ink image formed on the recording medium. The heater is disposed downstream from the selection heater relative to the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and heats the recording medium on which the ink image has been selectively heated. The processor controls the recording unit, the selection heater, and the heater, and sets an output of the selection heater in view of an occurrence of cockling on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamada, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 9327524
    Abstract: A dryer for drying an ink image formed on a recording medium is provided. The dryer includes a selective heating dryer, a uniform heating dryer, and a controller. The selective heating dryer is disposed on an upstream side of a feeding path of the recording medium, and performs a first-time drying of the ink image under an output condition in which an amount of cockling becomes equal to or less than a given amount. The uniform heating dryer is disposed on a downstream side from the selective heating dryer on the feeding path, and performs a second-time drying of the ink image after the selective heating dryer performs the first-time drying. The controller changes the output condition of the selective heating dryer in accordance with image information of the ink image, when the ink image is formed with a conductive-particle-containing ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamada, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto
  • Publication number: 20160114600
    Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus is provided. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes a recording unit, a selection heater, a heater, and a processor. The recording unit forms an ink image on a recording medium being conveyed. The selection heater is disposed downstream from the recording unit relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and selectively heats the ink image formed on the recording medium. The heater is disposed downstream from the selection heater relative to the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and heats the recording medium on which the ink image has been selectively heated. The processor controls the recording unit, the selection heater, and the heater, and sets an output of the selection heater in view of an occurrence of cockling on the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masafumi YAMADA, Takuma NAKAMURA, Tetsurou SASAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8637152
    Abstract: Disclosed is a packaging material, wherein a barrier layer, an adhesive layer and a sealant layer are laminated in this order, and the adhesive layer includes an acid-modified polyolefin resin that contains a (meth)acrylic acid ester component. The packaging material is preferably produced by forming on the barrier layer the adhesive layer including the acid-modified polyolefin resin that contains a (meth)acrylic acid ester component, and by subsequently laminating a molten sealant resin on the adhesive layer by extrusion lamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Unitika Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenjin Shiba, Takuma Yano, Masafumi Yamada, Takamasa Yoshino
  • Patent number: 8535774
    Abstract: Disclosed is a release sheet including a substrate and a resin layer formed on the substrate. The resin layer includes: 100 parts by mass of an acid-modified polyolefin resin including an acid-modifying component in a content of 1 to 10% by mass; and 1 to 50 parts by mass of a crosslinking agent and/or 5 to 1000 parts by mass of polyvinyl alcohol. The crosslinking agent is composed of a carbodiimide compound and/or an oxazoline compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Unitika Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Okumura, Masafumi Yamada, Kenjin Shiba
  • Patent number: 8494427
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device applying a bubble-like fixing liquid to resin-containing particles adhered to a medium so that the resin-containing particles are fixed to the medium, the bubble-like fixing liquid being formed by transforming a fixing liquid into foam that dissolves or swells at least a part of the resin, includes a control device that, based on a difference between a moisture content included in the medium after fixing and a target value of the moisture content, adjusts an application amount of the fixing liquid for a next medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Nagao, Takuma Nakamura, Yuichi Aoyama, Masafumi Yamada, Shunichi Abe, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Takanori Inadome
  • Patent number: 8472852
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a foam fixer generator unit generating a foam fixer containing a softener softening toner by dissolving or swelling part of resin of the toner, an application roller carrying and transferring the foam fixer onto a recording sheet, a pressure roller applying pressure to a toner image on the recording sheet via the foam fixer on the application roller to fix the toner image on the recording sheet, a cleaning device removing residual components remaining on the application roller, a recording sheet detector unit detecting presence or absence of the recording sheet, a remover unit being in contact with and separated from the application roller to remove the foam fixer on the application roller, and a control unit controlling the contact-separation operation of the remover unit based on a detected result of a front end and/or a rear end of the recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Aoyama, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Masafumi Yamada, Shunichi Abe
  • Patent number: 8428503
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device for fixing resin particles softened by applying a foam fixer thereon to a recording medium includes a foam fixer generator unit to introduce air bubbles into a liquid fixer containing a softener for softening the resin particles by dissolving or swelling a part of the resin particles to generate the foam fixer, a fixer application member to be brought into contact with a facing member facing the fixer application member to form an application nip and transfer the generated foam fixer to the application nip by moving its surface while carrying the foam fixer to apply the foam fixer to a surface of the recording medium carrying the resin particles at the application nip, and a foam accumulation detector unit to detect a foam accumulation formed of the foam fixer accumulated at an entrance side of the application nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsurou Sasamoto, Takuma Nakamura, Masafumi Yamada, Yuichi Aoyama, Takanori Inadome, Kazuya Nagao, Shunichi Abe
  • Patent number: 8373678
    Abstract: An electronics device having a projector module including a first light source, and a first scanner scanning an image projection surface in a biaxial direction; a distance measuring device performing one-dimensional scanning on a plane over the image projection surface to determine the position of an optical interceptor and including a second light source, a second scanner performing scanning with the second light beam, and a light detector detecting the second light beam reflected from the optical interceptor; and a controller. The uniaxial-scanning component of the first scanner is shared with the second scanner. The positional data are compared with two-dimensional coordinate data of the projected image to determine the position of the optical interceptor on the projected image. The controller inputs a signal to the electronics device when determining that the optical interceptor performs optical interception on the projected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20120301193
    Abstract: A fixing device for applying a foam fixing agent to particles including resin resting on a medium to fix the particles including resin onto the medium. The foam fixing agent includes a softener for softening the particles including resin by dissolving or swelling at least part of the resin. The fixing device includes a first foam fixing agent generating unit that generates a first foam fixing agent from a fixing agent; a second foam fixing agent generating unit that generates a second foam fixing agent from the fixing agent, the second foam fixing agent having a lower density than the first foam fixing agent; and a foam application member on which a first film formed with the first foam fixing agent and a second film formed with the second foam fixing agent are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Takanori Inadome, Takuma Nakamura, Yuichi Aoyama, Shunichi Abe, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Masafumi Yamada, Kazuya Nagao
  • Patent number: 8170457
    Abstract: A disclosed cleaning device for removing adhering matter from a surface of a member subject to cleaning includes a belt-shaped film member arranged in a stretched configuration capable of being wound or endlessly move in a direction opposite to a surface movement direction of the member subject to cleaning while being in contact with the surface of the member subject to cleaning, and a cleaning blade configured to abut on the surface of the member subject to cleaning via the belt-shaped film member at a position where the belt-shaped film member is brought into contact with the member subject to cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Aoyama, Yasuo Katano, Yukimichi Someya, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Shunichi Abe, Masafumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110275015
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device applying a bubble-like fixing liquid to resin-containing particles adhered to a medium so that the resin-containing particles are fixed to the medium, the bubble-like fixing liquid being formed by transforming a fixing liquid into foam that dissolves or swells at least a part of the resin, includes a control device that, based on a difference between a moisture content included in the medium after fixing and a target value of the moisture content, adjusts an application amount of the fixing liquid for a next medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Kazuya NAGAO, Takuma Nakamura, Yuichi Aoyama, Masafumi Yamada, Shunichi Abe, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Takanori Inadome
  • Patent number: 8023877
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of using a recording medium having a transparent portion includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, and an applicator. The image forming unit forms an image on a face of the recording medium. The fixing unit fixes the image, formed by the image forming unit, on the face of the recording medium. The applicator applies a non-transparent liquid to at least the fixed image on the face of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Sudo, Mikio Ishibashi, Yukiko Iwasaki, Megumi Ohtoshi, Reki Nakamura, Masafumi Yamada, Nobuyuki Koinuma, Takashi Sakamaki
  • Publication number: 20110222924
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a foam fixer generator unit generating a foam fixer containing a softener softening toner by dissolving or swelling part of resin of the toner, an application roller carrying and transferring the foam fixer onto a recording sheet, a pressure roller applying pressure to a toner image on the recording sheet via the foam fixer on the application roller to fix the toner image on the recording sheet, a cleaning device removing residual components remaining on the application roller, a recording sheet detector unit detecting presence or absence of the recording sheet, a remover unit being in contact with and separated from the application roller to remove the foam fixer on the application roller, and a control unit controlling the contact-separation operation of the remover unit based on a detected result of a front end and/or a rear end of the recording sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Aoyama, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Masafumi Yamada, Shunichi Abe
  • Publication number: 20110217099
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device for fixing resin particles softened by applying a foam fixer thereon to a recording medium includes a foam fixer generator unit to introduce air bubbles into a liquid fixer containing a softener for softening the resin particles by dissolving or swelling a part of the resin particles to generate the foam fixer, a fixer application member to be brought into contact with a facing member facing the fixer application member to form an application nip and transfer the generated foam fixer to the application nip by moving its surface while carrying the foam fixer to apply the foam fixer to a surface of the recording medium carrying the resin particles at the application nip, and a foam accumulation detector unit to detect a foam accumulation formed of the foam fixer accumulated at an entrance side of the application nip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsurou Sasamoto, Takuma Nakamura, Masafumi Yamada, Yuichi Aoyama, Takanori Inadome, Kazuya Nagao, Shunichi Abe
  • Publication number: 20110151167
    Abstract: Disclosed is a release sheet including a substrate and a resin layer formed on the substrate. The resin layer includes: 100 parts by mass of an acid-modified polyolefin resin including an acid-modifying component in a content of 1 to 10% by mass; and 1 to 50 parts by mass of a crosslinking agent and/or 5 to 1000 parts by mass of polyvinyl alcohol. The crosslinking agent is composed of a carbodiimide compound and/or an oxazoline compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: UNITIKA LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Okumura, Masafumi Yamada, Kenjin Shiba
  • Patent number: 7960084
    Abstract: An information recording medium includes a transparent recording member and a substantially non-transparent member. The transparent recording member has at least one transparent area and a concavo-convex pattern on a first surface thereof while bearing a reverse toner image on a second surface thereof. The substantially non-transparent member is formed on the second surface of the transparent recording member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Koinuma, Mikio Ishibashi, Kazuhisa Sudo, Megumi Ohtoshi, Reki Nakamura, Masafumi Yamada, Yukiko Iwasaki, Takashi Sakamaki
  • Patent number: 7883089
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed from a sheet feeding unit to obtain an image with photographic quality, at least a part of the recording medium has a transparent portion. When an image obtained by reversing an original image is transferred onto the transparent part, sheet-delivery rollers are operable in a direction in which a pressure onto the recording medium is reduced immediately after fixing of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Sudo, Mikio Ishibashi, Megumi Ohtoshi, Reki Nakamura, Masafumi Yamada, Toshihiro Sugiyama, Yukiko Iwasaki, Nobuyuki Koinuma, Takashi Sakamaki
  • Publication number: 20110008081
    Abstract: A disclosed cleaning device for removing adhering matter from a surface of a member subject to cleaning includes a belt-shaped film member arranged in a stretched configuration capable of being wound or endlessly move in a direction opposite to a surface movement direction of the member subject to cleaning while being in contact with the surface of the member subject to cleaning, and a cleaning blade configured to abut on the surface of the member subject to cleaning via the belt-shaped film member at a position where the belt-shaped film member is brought into contact with the member subject to cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Yuichi AOYAMA, Yasuo Katano, Yukimichi Someya, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Shunichi Abe, Masafumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7865121
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes an image bearing member to bear a latent electrostatic image, a charging device to charge a surface of the image bearing member, an irradiating device to irradiate the surface of the image bearing member to form the latent electrostatic image thereon, a developing device to develop the latent electrostatic image, an optional cleaning unit to clean the surface of the image bearing member, a transfer device to transfer the developed image to an opaque medium, an optional cleaning device to clean a surface of the transfer device, a fixing device to fix the transferred image on the opaque medium, and an attachment device to attach the fixed image to a transparent medium after the opaque medium is overlaid with the transparent medium, and recording media for use in the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukiko Iwasaki, Kazuhisa Sudo, Reki Nakamura, Mikio Ishibashi, Nobuyuki Koinuma, Toshihiro Sugiyama, Takashi Sakamaki, Megumi Ohtoshi, Masafumi Yamada