Patents by Inventor Satoshi Tohkai
Satoshi Tohkai 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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Patent number: 11846903Abstract: A belt device includes a secured member, a belt, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt has an endless shape and slides on a slide surface of the secured member. The belt has an inner portion having an elastic power of 55% or more and a sliding surface sliding on the slide surface of the secured member. The sliding surface has a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the slide surface of the secured member. The pressure rotator presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the sliding surface of the belt and the slide surface of the secured member.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Yuusuke Furuichi, Hiroyuki Shimada, Yukimichi Someya, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Patent number: 11829091Abstract: A belt device includes a belt, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt is rotatable and has an endless shape. The belt includes an inner portion having an inner circumferential surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The inner circumferential surface of the belt slides on the secured member. The pressure rotator includes a porous elastic body and presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the belt and the secured member.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2022Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hiroyuki Shimada, Yukimichi Someya, Yuusuke Furuichi, Daisuke Inoue, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Patent number: 11762317Abstract: A pressing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form and includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator is to slide. The slide surface has a smaller surface roughness than a surface roughness of the sliding surface. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant between the rotator and the secured member has a consistency of 275 or less.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2022Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yukimichi Someya, Hiroyuki Shimada, Daisuke Inoue, Yuusuke Furuichi, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Patent number: 11635718Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form. The rotator includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is disposed inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator is to slide. The slide surface has a smaller surface roughness in a sliding direction of the rotator than a surface roughness of the sliding surface in the sliding direction of the rotator. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is provided between the rotator and the secured member.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2022Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Yuusuke Furuichi, Hiroyuki Shimada, Yukimichi Someya, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Publication number: 20230081075Abstract: A belt device includes a heater and a belt. The heater includes a substrate and a heat generator on the substrate. The heater has a first heater surface and a second heater surface opposite the first heater surface. The first heater surface is adjacent to the heat generator. The belt is rotatable, has an endless shape, and slides on the second heater surface. The belt includes an inner portion having an inner circumferential surface to slide on the second heater surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 52% or more.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2022Publication date: March 16, 2023Inventors: Yukimichi SOMEYA, Hiroyuki SHIMADA, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Daisuke INOUE, Satoshi TOHKAI, Yumiko HAYASHI
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Publication number: 20230063779Abstract: A belt device includes a belt, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt is rotatable and has an endless shape. The belt includes an inner portion having an inner circumferential surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The inner circumferential surface of the belt slides on the secured member. The pressure rotator includes a porous elastic body and presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the belt and the secured member.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2022Publication date: March 2, 2023Inventors: Hiroyuki SHIMADA, Yukimichi SOMEYA, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Daisuke INOUE, Satoshi TOHKAI, Yumiko HAYASHI
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Patent number: 11592770Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form. The rotator includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is disposed inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator slides. The slide surface has a larger hardness than a hardness of the sliding surface of the rotator. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is provided between the rotator and the secured member.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2022Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hiroyuki Shimada, Yukimichi Someya, Yuusuke Furuichi, Daisuke Inoue, Satoshi Tohkai, Yumiko Hayashi
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Publication number: 20220382192Abstract: A belt device includes a secured member, a belt, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The belt has an endless shape and slides on a slide surface of the secured member. The belt has an inner portion having an elastic power of 55% or more and a sliding surface sliding on the slide surface of the secured member. The sliding surface has a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the slide surface of the secured member. The pressure rotator presses the secured member via the belt to form a nip between the belt and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is interposed between the sliding surface of the belt and the slide surface of the secured member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke INOUE, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Hiroyuki SHIMADA, Yukimichi SOMEYA, Satoshi TOHKAI, Yumiko HAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220308511Abstract: A pressing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form and includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator is to slide. The slide surface has a smaller surface roughness than a surface roughness of the sliding surface. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant between the rotator and the secured member has a consistency of 275 or less.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2022Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventors: Yukimichi SOMEYA, Hiroyuki SHIMADA, Daisuke INOUE, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Satoshi TOHKAI, Yumiko HAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220299920Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form. The rotator includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is disposed inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator slides. The slide surface has a larger hardness than a hardness of the sliding surface of the rotator. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is provided between the rotator and the secured member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2022Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Hiroyuki SHIMADA, Yukimichi SOMEYA, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Daisuke INOUE, Satoshi TOHKAI, Yumiko HAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220299919Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotator, a secured member, a pressure rotator, and lubricant. The rotator has flexibility and a sleeve form. The rotator includes an inner portion having a sliding surface. The inner portion has an elastic power of 55% or more. The secured member is disposed inside a loop of the rotator and has a slide surface on which the sliding surface of the rotator is to slide. The slide surface has a smaller surface roughness in a sliding direction of the rotator than a surface roughness of the sliding surface in the sliding direction of the rotator. The pressure rotator presses the rotator against the secured member and forms a nip between the rotator and the pressure rotator. The lubricant is provided between the rotator and the secured member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2022Publication date: September 22, 2022Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke INOUE, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Hiroyuki SHIMADA, Yukimichi SOMEYA, Satoshi TOHKAI, Yumiko HAYASHI
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Patent number: 9494902Abstract: A fixing belt for a fixing device of an image forming apparatus includes a base layer including a heat-resistant resin and a mesh member embedded in the heat-resistant resin and including a metal member, in which the mesh member includes an opening. The heat-resistant resin fills in the opening. A thickness of the thinnest portion of the mesh member is 40% or more of the thickness of the base layer. A fixing device includes a heating member; a pressure member; and the fixing belt as described above. Further, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and the fixing device including the above described fixing belt.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Atsushi Takai, Satoshi Tohkai, Norihiko Aze
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Publication number: 20160154351Abstract: A fixing belt for a fixing device of an image forming apparatus includes a base layer including a heat-resistant resin and a mesh member embedded in the heat-resistant resin and including a metal member, in which the mesh member includes an opening. The heat-resistant resin fills in the opening. A thickness of the thinnest portion of the mesh member is 40% or more of the thickness of the base layer. A fixing device includes a heating member; a pressure member; and the fixing belt as described above. Further, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and the fixing device including the above described fixing belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: June 2, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Atsushi Takai, Satoshi Tohkai, Norihiko Aze
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Patent number: 8309172Abstract: A method and a device for coating a hollow cylindrical member. The method includes radially coating an entire inner surface of the hollow cylindrical member with a first coating material discharged by a first slit nozzle and simultaneously circularly coating an entire outer surface of the hollow cylindrical member with a second coating material discharged in an axial direction of the hollow cylindrical member by a second slit nozzle located opposite the first slit nozzle with the hollow cylindrical member therebetween. The first slit nozzle and the second slit nozzle discharge the first coating material and the second coating material, respectively, to a same height of the hollow cylindrical member relative to the inner surface and the outer surface thereof.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2008Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Michitaka Higaki, Takayuki Yoshii, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Kohji Kamiya, Hidenori Machida, Satoshi Tohkai
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Patent number: 7628858Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus, which applies a paint to an outer circumferential face of an object to be coated to form a coating film, the coating film forming apparatus, includes: a retention section which retains the coated object in a state in which the outer circumferential face is exposed and in which an axial core of the coated object is in parallel with a vertical direction; an applying nozzle formed in an annular shape, arranged to oppose the outer circumferential face and to have an interval therebetween, and coaxially arranged with the coated object retained by the retention section, the applying nozzle having a first slit, which discharges the paint to an inner circumferential face formed throughout a whole circumference thereof; a movement section, which relatively moves the retention section and the applying nozzle along the axial core; a paint supply section which supplies the paint to the applying nozzle; and a gaseous body discharger which discharges a gaseous body toward the paint discharType: GrantFiled: December 27, 2007Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Michitaka Higaki, Takayuki Yoshii, Satoshi Tohkai
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Patent number: 7539450Abstract: An image fixing apparatus stably maintains high efficiency in heat generation and reduces loss of electric power consumption for fixing an image, which includes a coil member to generate a magnetic flux, a heat member to generate heat with the magnetic flux, and a support member to support the coil member so that the coil member faces a front and a back side of the heat member, wherein the support member includes a heat dissipation part that releases heat generated in the coil member.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2006Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Norihiko Aze, Machida Hidenori, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Satoshi Tohkai
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Publication number: 20080311293Abstract: A method and a device for coating a hollow cylindrical member. The method includes radially coating an entire inner surface of the hollow cylindrical member with a first coating material discharged by a first slit nozzle and simultaneously circularly coating an entire outer surface of the hollow cylindrical member with a second coating material discharged in an axial direction of the hollow cylindrical member by a second slit nozzle located opposite the first slit nozzle with the hollow cylindrical member therebetween. The first slit nozzle and the second slit nozzle discharge the first coating material and the second coating material, respectively, to a same height of the hollow cylindrical member relative to the inner surface and the outer surface thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2008Publication date: December 18, 2008Inventors: Michitaka Higaki, Takayuki Yoshii, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Kohji Kamiya, Hidenori Machida, Satoshi Tohkai
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Publication number: 20080156259Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus, which applies a paint to an outer circumferential face of an object to be coated to form a coating film, the coating film forming apparatus, includes: a retention section which retains the coated object in a state in which the outer circumferential face is exposed and in which an axial core of the coated object is in parallel with a vertical direction; an applying nozzle formed in an annular shape, arranged to oppose the outer circumferential face and to have an interval therebetween, and coaxially arranged with the coated object retained by the retention section, the applying nozzle having a first slit, which discharges the paint to an inner circumferential face formed throughout a whole circumference thereof; a movement section, which relatively moves the retention section and the applying nozzle along the axial core; a paint supply section which supplies the paint to the applying nozzle; and a gaseous body discharger which discharges a gaseous body toward the paint discharType: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2007Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventors: Michitaka Higaki, Takayuki Yoshii, Satoshi Tohkai
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Publication number: 20070140758Abstract: An image fixing apparatus stably maintains high efficiency in heat generation and reduces loss of electric power consumption for fixing an image, which includes a coil member to generate a magnetic flux, a heat member to generate heat with the magnetic flux, and a support member to support the coil member so that the coil member faces a front and a back side of the heat member, wherein the support member includes a heat dissipation part that releases heat generated in the coil member.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2006Publication date: June 21, 2007Inventors: Norihiko Aze, Machida Hidenori, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Satoshi Tohkai