Patents by Inventor Seiichi Kogure
Seiichi Kogure 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: 20160170364Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image bearer, a transferer, a guide unit, and a plurality of contact members. The belt-shaped image bearer has an image bearing surface to bear an image thereon. The transferer forms a transfer section between the transferer and the image bearer, to transfer the image onto a recording medium. The guide unit is disposed upstream from the transfer section in a delivery direction of the recording medium, to guide the recording medium toward the transfer section. The plurality of contact members are disposed side by side at positions opposing the guide unit and in contact with a non image bearing surface of the image bearer opposite to the image bearing surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Seiichi KOGURE, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Junpei FUJITA, Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Tatsuya OHSUGI, Kenji SUGIURA, Yuuji WADA, Takehide MIZUTANI
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Publication number: 20160170365Abstract: A cleaning device includes a plurality of cleaners. The plurality of cleaners includes at least a first cleaner, a second cleaner, and a third cleaner arranged next to each other in a traveling direction of a cleaning target. The first cleaner is disposed at an extreme upstream end of the traveling direction and supplied with a first voltage having a same polarity as a polarity of a normally-charged toner. The cleaners, other than the first cleaner, disposed downstream from the first cleaner, is supplied with a second voltage having a polarity opposite the polarity of the normally-charged toner.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: YUSUKE MITANI, KENJI SUGIURA, YUUJI WADA, KAZUKI YOGOSAWA, JUNPEI FUJITA, SEIICHI KOGURE, NAOHIRO KUMAGAI
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Publication number: 20160161887Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a toner image forming device, a nip forming device, a power source, a controller, and a temperature-and-humidity detector. The toner image forming device forms a toner image on the image bearer. The nip forming device contacts the image bearer to form a transfer nip. The power source outputs a transfer bias, in which an alternating current component is superimposed on a direct current component, to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium interposed in the transfer nip. The temperature-and-humidity detector detects a temperature and humidity. The controller controls the power source to output the transfer bias including the direct current component with a smaller absolute value as at least one of the detected temperature and humidity increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2015Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Kenji SUGIURA, Toshitaka YAMAGUCHI, Hiroyoshi HAGA, Hirokazu ISHII, Shinya TANAKA, Takehide MIZUTANI, Yuuji WADA, Tatsuya OHSUGI, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Junpei FUJITA, Kazuki YOGOSAWA
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Publication number: 20160161888Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image bearer; a transfer device disposed opposing to the image bearer; an opposed device disposed opposing to the transfer device; and a transfer bias power source. The image bearer is disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the transfer device at at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the transfer portion in a direction of conveyance of the recording medium. The transfer bias power source cyclically alternates the transfer bias applied to the transfer portion, between a transfer directional bias in a transfer direction to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto the recording medium and a reverse directional bias in a reverse direction of the transfer direction. The transfer bias power source applies the reverse directional bias during a time period longer than 50% of one cycle of the applied transfer bias in the one cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2015Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Yuuji WADA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Junpei FUJITA, Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Kenji SUGIURA, Takehide MIZUTANI, Tatsuya OHSUGI, Hiroyoshi HAGA, Hirokazu ISHll
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Patent number: 9360807Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image transferred from the image bearer, a secondary transfer member, a guide assembly, and a biasing device. The secondary transfer member meets the intermediate transfer belt to form a secondary transfer nip in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording sheet. The guide assembly disposed upstream from the secondary transfer member in a transport direction of the recording sheet guides the recording sheet at a position lower than the secondary transfer nip such that a leading end of the recording sheet contacts the secondary transfer member before entering the secondary transfer nip. The biasing device biases the secondary transfer member to move the secondary transfer member in one of a direction of bias and a vertical direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Seiichi Kogure, Naohiro Kumagai, Junpei Fujita, Kazuki Yogosawa, Kenji Sugiura, Yuuji Wada, Yusuke Mitani
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Patent number: 9354589Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes at least two cleaning brush members to electrostatically remove residual toner on an object; a memory; a voltage applicator to apply a voltage to the cleaning brush members based on the setup voltage values stored in the memory; a current detector to detect the amounts of currents flowing through contact portions of the object with the cleaning brush members; and a setup voltage changing device to change the setup voltage values based on the amounts of currents detected by the current detector. The setup voltage changing device performs change of the setup voltage values for the cleaning brush members at a time.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2014Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Junichi Ichikawa, Kazuki Yogosawa
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Publication number: 20160124374Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaner, a plurality of cleaning sub-units, a sub-unit holder, a detachable transmission assembly, and a plurality of joint couplers. The cleaner scrapes off adhered material from a surface of a cleaning target while contacting the surface of the cleaning target. The cleaning sub-units each includes a holder to hold the cleaner and a drive-receive rotator to receive a driving force. The sub-unit holder holds the cleaning sub-units. The detachable transmission assembly includes a driving-force receive rotator to receive a driving force from an external unit and a plurality of drive transmission rotators to transmit the driving force received by the driving-force receive rotator to the drive-receive rotators of the cleaning sub-units. The joint couplers mounted on the drive-receive rotators and the drive transmission rotators couple the drive-receive rotators with the drive transmission rotators in a rotation axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2016Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Kenji SUGIURA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Junpei FUJITA, Yuuji WADA, Yusuke MITANI
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Patent number: 9329533Abstract: A cleaning device includes a plurality of cleaners. The plurality of cleaners includes at least a first cleaner, a second cleaner, and a third cleaner arranged next to each other in a traveling direction of a cleaning target. The first cleaner is disposed at an extreme upstream end of the traveling direction and supplied with a first voltage having a same polarity as a polarity of a normally-charged toner. The cleaners, other than the first cleaner, disposed downstream from the first cleaner, is supplied with a second voltage having a polarity opposite the polarity of the normally-charged toner.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2015Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Mitani, Kenji Sugiura, Yuuji Wada, Kazuki Yogosawa, Junpei Fujita, Seiichi Kogure, Naohiro Kumagai
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Publication number: 20160109832Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a transfer member, and a power source. The image bearer includes a plurality of layers. The transfer member forms a transfer nip between the image bearer and the transfer member. The power source outputs a transfer bias to transfer a toner image from the image bearer onto a recording sheet in the transfer nip. The transfer bias alternates between a transfer-side bias that causes the toner image to move from the image bearer to the recording sheet, and an opposite-side bias different from the transfer-side bias. A duty ratio of a time period, during which the opposite-side bias is output, relative to one cycle of a waveform, is greater than 50%.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Tatsuya OHSUGI, Kenji SUGIURA, Jyunya SAKURABA, Hirokazu ISHll, Toshitaka YAMAGUCHI, Hiroyoshi HAGA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Junpei FUJITA, Yuuji WADA, Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Shinya TANAKA, Masayoshi NAKAYAMA
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Publication number: 20160041508Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image transferred from the image bearer, a secondary transfer member, a guide assembly, and a biasing device. The secondary transfer member meets the intermediate transfer belt to form a secondary transfer nip in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording sheet. The guide assembly disposed upstream from the secondary transfer member in a transport direction of the recording sheet guides the recording sheet at a position lower than the secondary transfer nip such that a leading end of the recording sheet contacts the secondary transfer member before entering the secondary transfer nip. The biasing device biases the secondary transfer member to move the secondary transfer member in one of a direction of bias and a vertical direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Seiichi KOGURE, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Junpei FUJITA, Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Kenji SUGIURA, Yuuji WADA, Yusuke MITANI
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Patent number: 9256167Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a toner image forming unit, a transfer unit, a detector, and a controller. The toner image forming unit forms a plurality of types of density detection patterns on the surface of the image bearer in mutually-different positions in a surface-movement direction of the image bearer. The density detection patterns have mutually-different lengths in a direction orthogonal to the surface-movement direction of the image bearer. The transfer unit transfers the density detection patterns onto the surface of the transfer member. The detector detects image densities of the density detection patterns transferred on the surface of the transfer member. The controller calculates an image density difference between the density detection patterns on a basis of a detection result obtained by the detector, and corrects a transfer bias for transferring a toner image on a basis of a value of the image density difference.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Atsushi Nagata, Kenji Sugiura, Naohiro Kumagai, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Yuuji Wada, Yusuke Mitani, Kazuki Yogosawa
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Publication number: 20160033915Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a detector, an image bearer support, and a fulcrum. The image bearer bears an image on a surface thereof. The detector detects a condition of the image bearer. The image bearer support supports the image bearer and includes a stopper to regulate movement of the detector. The fulcrum pivotally supports the image bearer and the detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Kazuki Yogosawa, Kenji Sugiura, Yuuji Wada, Yusuke Mitani
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Patent number: 9248638Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaner, a plurality of cleaning sub-units, a sub-unit holder, a detachable transmission assembly, and a plurality of joint couplers. The cleaner scrapes off adhered material from a surface of a cleaning target while contacting the surface of the cleaning target. The cleaning sub-units each includes a holder to hold the cleaner and a drive-receive rotator to receive a driving force. The sub-unit holder holds the cleaning sub-units. The detachable transmission assembly includes a driving-force receive rotator to receive a driving force from an external unit and a plurality of drive transmission rotators to transmit the driving force received by the driving-force receive rotator to the drive-receive rotators of the cleaning sub-units. The joint couplers mounted on the drive-receive rotators and the drive transmission rotators couple the drive-receive rotators with the drive transmission rotators in a rotation axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2015Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuki Yogosawa, Kenji Sugiura, Naohiro Kumagai, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Yuuji Wada, Yusuke Mitani
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Patent number: 9235164Abstract: A transfer device includes a nip forming member to contact a surface of an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween, a pressing device, and a nip pressure changing device. The pressing device includes a plurality of elastic members, to produce a contact pressure between the nip forming member and the image bearing member according to a restoring force of at least one of the elastic members upon deformation of the elastic member. The nip pressure changing device changes an amount of elastic deformation of the elastic member between at least two stages to change a nip pressure of the transfer nip. While the contact pressure is produced by one of the elastic members, the nip pressure changing device changes the amount of elastic deformation of a different elastic member, different from the one that produces the contact pressure, to change the nip pressure of the transfer nip.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Junichi Ichikawa, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Kazuki Yogosawa, Kenji Sugiura
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Publication number: 20150378284Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image onto a recording medium with a transfer bias applied thereto, a recording medium conveyor to deliver the recording medium to a transfer region while controlling an alignment of the recording medium having entered the transfer region in alignment control, and a transfer bias controller to obtain a toner adhesion amount information on a post-alignment-control toner image that passes through the transfer region after the recording medium is free from the alignment control, and to reduce, when the toner adhesion amount per unit area is less than a predetermined amount, the transfer bias after the alignment control is released to a level less than that of a transfer bias that is applied when the toner image having a same toner adhesion amount passes through the transfer region before the recording medium is free from the alignment control.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yuuji WADA, Kenji SUGIURA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Junpei FUJITA, Yusuke MITANI, Kazuki YOGOSAWA
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Patent number: 9213271Abstract: A cleaner includes a cleaning member electrostatically removing toner on an object; a first electricity supplier supplying a first voltage (or current) with polarity opposite to that of toner to the cleaning member; a toner collecting member collecting toner from the cleaning member; and a second electricity supplier supplying a second voltage with the polarity greater than the first voltage to the toner collecting member. The first and second electricity suppliers set plural setting values of the first and second voltages smaller than the targeted values of the first and second voltages, and first and second control members of the first and second electricity suppliers output first and second control signals while changing in step-by-step manner so that first and second output members of the first and second electricity suppliers apply the first and second voltage in step-by-step manner before the first and second voltages reach the targeted voltages.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuuji Wada, Kenji Sugiura, Naohiro Kumagai, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Yusuke Mitani, Kazuki Yogosawa
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Publication number: 20150268591Abstract: A belt unit is detachably attachable to a body of an image forming apparatus. The belt unit includes a belt, a pressing member, and a frame. The belt is wound around a plurality of supports to travel in a belt travel direction. The belt includes a base layer and an elastic layer. The pressing member presses warping on an edge of the belt. The frame supports the plurality of supports. The pressing member is positioned on the frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: Junpei FUJITA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Kenji SUGIURA, Yuuji WADA, Yusuke MITANI
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Publication number: 20150261137Abstract: A cleaning device includes a plurality of cleaners. The plurality of cleaners includes at least a first cleaner, a second cleaner, and a third cleaner arranged next to each other in a traveling direction of a cleaning target. The first cleaner is disposed at an extreme upstream end of the traveling direction and supplied with a first voltage having a same polarity as a polarity of a normally-charged toner. The cleaners, other than the first cleaner, disposed downstream from the first cleaner, is supplied with a second voltage having a polarity opposite the polarity of the normally-charged toner.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2015Publication date: September 17, 2015Inventors: Yusuke MITANI, Kenji Sugiura, Yuuji Wada, Kazuki Yogosawa, Junpei Fujita, Seiichi Kogure, Naohiro Kumagai
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Publication number: 20150212454Abstract: A pressing device includes a pressing member, a first lateral plate including a first connecting portion to support a first end of the pressing member, a second lateral plate including a second connecting portion to support a second end of the pressing member opposite to the first end, a first adjuster connected to the first lateral plate at the first connecting portion and to the second lateral plate at the second connecting portion, and a biasing member. The biasing member biases at least one of the first lateral plate, the second lateral plate, and the first adjuster to press the pressing member against the target in a pressing direction. The first adjuster is connected to the first lateral plate and the second lateral plate such that a relative position of the second connecting portion relative to the first connecting portion is changeable in the pressing direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2015Publication date: July 30, 2015Inventors: Junichi ICHIKAWA, Naohiro Kumagai, Seiichi Kogure, Junpei Fujita, Kazuki Yogosawa, Kenji Sugiura, Yuuji Wada, Yusuke Mitani
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Publication number: 20150205248Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaner, a plurality of cleaning sub-units, a sub-unit holder, a detachable transmission assembly, and a plurality of joint couplers. The cleaner scrapes off adhered material from a surface of a cleaning target while contacting the surface of the cleaning target. The cleaning sub-units each includes a holder to hold the cleaner and a drive-receive rotator to receive a driving force. The sub-unit holder holds the cleaning sub-units. The detachable transmission assembly includes a driving-force receive rotator to receive a driving force from an external unit and a plurality of drive transmission rotators to transmit the driving force received by the driving-force receive rotator to the drive-receive rotators of the cleaning sub-units. The joint couplers mounted on the drive-receive rotators and the drive transmission rotators couple the drive-receive rotators with the drive transmission rotators in a rotation axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2015Publication date: July 23, 2015Inventors: Kazuki YOGOSAWA, Kenji SUGIURA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Seiichi KOGURE, Junpei FUJITA, Yuuji WADA, Yusuke MITANI