Patents by Inventor Masateru UJIIE

Masateru UJIIE 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: 11550246
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device and circuitry. The fixing device includes a fixing rotator, an electromagnetic induction heater configured to heat the fixing rotator, and a magnetic flux control member. The circuitry is configured to control the electromagnetic induction heater to lead a temperature of the fixing rotator to a target temperature and change an upper limit of power supplied to the electromagnetic induction heater based on the target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akiyasu Amita, Tetsuo Tokuda, Masateru Ujiie, Fumihiro Hirose, Daisuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20220082968
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device and circuitry. The fixing device includes a fixing rotator, an electromagnetic induction heater configured to heat the fixing rotator, and a magnetic flux control member. The circuitry is configured to control the electromagnetic induction heater to lead a temperature of the fixing rotator to a target temperature and change an upper limit of power supplied to the electromagnetic induction heater based on the target temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiyasu AMITA, Tetsuo TOKUDA, Masateru UJIIE, Fumihiro HIROSE, Daisuke ARAI
  • Patent number: 11150583
    Abstract: A belt device includes an endless belt, a plurality of support rotators configured to support the endless belt, and a support configured to support shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators. The support has an attaching and detaching path through which the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators pass in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of at least one of the plurality of support rotators when the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators are detached from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Masateru Ujiie, Akiyasu Amita, Tetsuo Tokuda
  • Patent number: 11099506
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is included in a fixing device and an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet contacting body and a lateral relative position shifting body. The sheet contacting body is configured to contact a sheet to be conveyed. The lateral relative position shifting body is configured to shift a passing position of the sheet being conveyed toward the sheet contacting body, in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction and a relative position to the sheet contacting body, each time the sheet is conveyed by a number of sheets based on a setting. The setting of the number of sheets varies based on information of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Naoto Suzuki, Yohhei Watanabe, Akiyasu Amita, Masateru Ujiie, Shinichi Namekata, Takashi Sakamaki, Teppei Kawata
  • Publication number: 20210096488
    Abstract: A belt device includes an endless belt, a plurality of support rotators configured to support the endless belt, and a support configured to support shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators. The support has an attaching and detaching path through which the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators pass in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of at least one of the plurality of support rotators when the shaft portions of the plurality of support rotators are detached from the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masateru UJIIE, Akiyasu AMITA, Tetsuo TOKUDA
  • Patent number: 10488796
    Abstract: A fixing device controller includes a plurality of voltage detectors to detect voltages of a plurality of power sources for supplying power to a plurality of heaters to heat a fixing member of a fixing device that fixes a toner image on a recording medium and a heater controller to execute duty control to turn on the plurality of heaters. The heater controller corrects a duty of at least one of the plurality of heaters based on the voltages detected by the plurality of voltage detectors and rated output values of the plurality of heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Shinichi Namekata, Akiyasu Amita, Masateru Ujiie, Yohhei Watanabe, Fumihiro Hirose, Takashi Sakamaki
  • Patent number: 10234798
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, and a pressure assembly that forms a fixing nip therebetween and includes a first adjuster and a second adjuster. The first adjuster includes a pressure cam, a first biasing device, a first pressure lever that holds the pressure rotator, and a second pressure lever that moves with the pressure cam and presses against the first pressure lever via the first biasing device. The first adjuster adjusts a load of the first biasing device to adjust a pressure force from the pressure rotator to the fixing rotator. The second adjuster includes an adjustment screw is driven into the second pressure lever, and a retainer that retains an adjusted state between the adjustment screw and the first pressure lever. The second adjuster adjusts a holding position of the first pressure lever to hold the pressure rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohhei Watanabe, Naoto Suzuki, Shinichi Namekata, Akiyasu Amita, Takashi Sakamaki, Teppei Kawata, Masateru Ujiie, Fumihiro Hirose
  • Patent number: 10191423
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing belt stretched across a first roller and a second roller including an elastic layer. A pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt. A recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed through the fixing nip. A clearance detector detects a clearance between the first roller and the second roller. A mover moves the pressure rotator with respect to the second roller in a pressing direction in which the pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt and a separation direction in which the pressure rotator separates from the second roller. A controller controls an amount of movement of the pressure rotator moved by the mover toward the second roller based on the clearance detected by the clearance detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryohhei Sugiyama, Hironori Yamaoka, Takashi Sakamaki, Tetsuo Tokuda, Akiyasu Amita, Shinichi Namekata, Yohhei Watanabe, Fumihiro Hirose, Teppei Kawata, Masateru Ujiie
  • Publication number: 20190018348
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, and a pressure assembly that forms a fixing nip therebetween and includes a first adjuster and a second adjuster. The first adjuster includes a pressure cam, a first biasing device, a first pressure lever that holds the pressure rotator, and a second pressure lever that moves with the pressure cam and presses against the first pressure lever via the first biasing device. The first adjuster adjusts a load of the first biasing device to adjust a pressure force from the pressure rotator to the fixing rotator. The second adjuster includes an adjustment screw is driven into the second pressure lever, and a retainer that retains an adjusted state between the adjustment screw and the first pressure lever. The second adjuster adjusts a holding position of the first pressure lever to hold the pressure rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohhei Watanabe, Naoto Suzuki, Shinichi Namekata, Akiyasu Amita, Takashi Sakamaki, Teppei Kawata, Masateru Ujiie, Fumihiro Hirose
  • Publication number: 20190018351
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is included in a fixing device and an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet contacting body and a lateral relative position shifting body. The sheet contacting body is configured to contact a sheet to be conveyed. The lateral relative position shifting body is configured to shift a passing position of the sheet being conveyed toward the sheet contacting body, in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction and a relative position to the sheet contacting body, each time the sheet is conveyed by a number of sheets based on a setting. The setting of the number of sheets varies based on information of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Naoto SUZUKI, Yohhei WATANABE, Akiyasu AMITA, Masateru UJIIE, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Takashi SAKAMAKI, Teppei KAWATA
  • Publication number: 20190011864
    Abstract: A fixing device controller includes a plurality of voltage detectors to detect voltages of a plurality of power sources for supplying power to a plurality of heaters to heat a fixing member of a fixing device that fixes a toner image on a recording medium and a heater controller to execute duty control to turn on the plurality of heaters. The heater controller corrects a duty of at least one of the plurality of heaters based on the voltages detected by the plurality of voltage detectors and rated output values of the plurality of heaters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Teppei KAWATA, Shinichi Namekata, Akiyasu Amita, Masateru Ujiie, Yohhei Watanabe, Fumihiro Hirose, Takashi Sakamaki
  • Patent number: 10162294
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a drive rotator, a driven rotator, a rotation detector, and circuitry. The drive rotator contacts and rotates the endless belt. The driven rotator contacts an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rotation detector detects a rotational speed of the driven rotator. The circuitry is operatively connected to the rotation detector to control a rotational speed of the drive rotator based on the rotational speed of the driven rotator detected by the rotational detector. The circuitry changes the rotational speed of the drive rotator when a recording medium bearing a toner image is not conveyed over the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Namekata, Naoto Suzuki, Yohhei Watanabe, Takashi Sakamaki, Teppei Kawata, Masateru Ujiie
  • Publication number: 20180088502
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing belt stretched across a first roller and a second roller including an elastic layer. A pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt. A recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed through the fixing nip. A clearance detector detects a clearance between the first roller and the second roller. A mover moves the pressure rotator with respect to the second roller in a pressing direction in which the pressure rotator presses against the second roller via the fixing belt and a separation direction in which the pressure rotator separates from the second roller. A controller controls an amount of movement of the pressure rotator moved by the mover toward the second roller based on the clearance detected by the clearance detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Ryohhei SUGIYAMA, Hironori YAMAOKA, Takashi SAKAMAKI, Tetsuo TOKUDA, Akiyasu AMITA, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Yohhei WATANABE, Fumihiro HIROSE, Teppei KAWATA, Masateru UJIIE
  • Patent number: 9915901
    Abstract: A separation device includes an endless belt, a rotary body, a separation supporter, and a transfer mechanism. The separation supporter presses against an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt downstream from an area of contact between the endless belt and the rotary body in a recording medium conveyance direction to curve the endless belt toward an outer circumferential surface side of the endless belt at a greater curvature than a curvature of the endless belt at the area of contact between the endless belt and the rotary body. The transfer mechanism switches the separation supporter between a first position and a second position farther from the area of contact between the endless belt and the rotary body than the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Shinichi Namekata, Naoto Suzuki, Takashi Sakamaki, Masateru Ujiie
  • Publication number: 20170357198
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a drive rotator, a driven rotator, a rotation detector, and circuitry. The drive rotator contacts and rotates the endless belt. The driven rotator contacts an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rotation detector detects a rotational speed of the driven rotator. The circuitry is operatively connected to the rotation detector to control a rotational speed of the drive rotator based on the rotational speed of the driven rotator detected by the rotational detector. The circuitry changes the rotational speed of the drive rotator when a recording medium bearing a toner image is not conveyed over the endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Namekata, Naoto Suzuki, Yohhei Watanabe, Takashi Sakamaki, Teppei Kawata, Masateru Ujiie
  • Patent number: 9785101
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a slider that slides over the fixing rotator. A cam presses the slider against the fixing rotator. The cam includes a cam rear disposed opposite a rear end of the fixing rotator in an axial direction thereof and a cam front disposed opposite a front end of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof. A controller rotates the cam to a first slide position where the cam rear presses the slider against the fixing rotator, a second slide position where the cam rear and the cam front press the slider against the fixing rotator, a third slide position where the cam front presses the slider against the fixing rotator, and an isolation position where the cam rear and the cam front do not press the slider against the fixing rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masateru Ujiie, Naoto Suzuki, Shinichi Namekata, Takashi Sakamaki, Teppei Kawata
  • Patent number: 9720357
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a member disposed opposite the fixing member, a rubbing member, a detector, and a rubbing operation controller. The fixing member fixes a toner image on a recording medium. The rubbing member rubs the fixing member to maintain a surface of the fixing member in optimum condition of the fixing member. The detector detects vibration of the rubbing member. The rubbing operation controller controls rubbing the fixing member with the rubbing member. The rubbing operation controller controls a rubbing rotation speed and a rubbing force in response to at least the vibration of the rubbing member as a trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masateru Ujiie
  • Publication number: 20170090368
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a slider that slides over the fixing rotator. A cam presses the slider against the fixing rotator. The cam includes a cam rear disposed opposite a rear end of the fixing rotator in an axial direction thereof and a cam front disposed opposite a front end of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof. A controller rotates the cam to a first slide position where the cam rear presses the slider against the fixing rotator, a second slide position where the cam rear and the cam front press the slider against the fixing rotator, a third slide position where the cam front presses the slider against the fixing rotator, and an isolation position where the cam rear and the cam front do not press the slider against the fixing rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masateru UJIIE, Naoto SUZUKI, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Takashi SAKAMAKI, Teppei KAWATA
  • Patent number: 9568864
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressing rotator, an oil applicator, a first adjuster, a surface modifier, a second adjuster, and a processor. The fixing rotator contacts a recording medium bearing a toner image. The pressing rotator forms a fixing nip with the fixing rotator. The oil applicator is pressed against at least one of applied members of the fixing rotator and pressing rotator. The first adjuster adjusts contact/separation of the oil applicator with respect to the applied member. The surface modifier contacts the fixing rotator to modify a surface thereof. The second adjuster adjusts contact/separation of the surface modifier with respect to the fixing rotator. The processor allows the surface modifier to modify the fixing rotator surface after the oil applicator contacts the applied member, and the oil applicator to separate from the applied member after the surface modifier is separated from the fixing rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto Suzuki, Yohhei Watanabe, Takashi Sakamaki, Masateru Ujiie
  • Patent number: 9535378
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotator rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a second rotator contacting the first rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heater is disposed opposite and heats at least one of the first rotator and the second rotator. An abutment separably contacts the first rotator to refresh an outer circumferential surface of the first rotator. A mover is connected to the abutment to move the abutment with respect to the first rotator. A degradation estimator is operatively connected to the mover to estimate a degradation level of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotator and control the mover to move the abutment with respect to the first rotator according to the degradation level of the first rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Sakamaki, Yohhei Watanabe, Naoto Suzuki, Masateru Ujiie