Patents by Inventor Shingo Nishizaki

Shingo Nishizaki 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: 10459368
    Abstract: A powder detector includes a driver to drive a motor, a stirrer to stir powder in a vessel, a vibration plate disposed in the vessel and vibrated by a flip of the stirrer rotated by the motor, and circuitry. The circuitry detects a vibration of the vibration plate, estimates an amount of powder based on a detection result of the vibration, and causes the driver to drive the motor from a starting point, so as to move the stirrer to a preset halt position. The starting point is a rotation angle of the motor on detection of the vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Sumihiro Inokuchi, Hiroshi Adachi, Masashi Hommi, Naohiro Funada, Norio Muraishi, Kengo Tanaka, Shingo Nishizaki, Masaki Karakawa
  • Publication number: 20190196360
    Abstract: A powder detector includes a driver to drive a motor, a stirrer to stir powder in a vessel, a vibration plate disposed in the vessel and vibrated by a flip of the stirrer rotated by the motor, and circuitry. The circuitry detects a vibration of the vibration plate, estimates an amount of powder based on a detection result of the vibration, and causes the driver to drive the motor from a starting point, so as to move the stirrer to a preset halt position. The starting point is a rotation angle of the motor on detection of the vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Sumihiro INOKUCHI, Hiroshi ADACHI, Masashi HOMMI, Naohiro FUNADA, Norio MURAISHI, Kengo TANAKA, Shingo NISHIZAKI, Masaki KARAKAWA
  • Patent number: 10228632
    Abstract: A powder detection device includes a detection mechanism including an oscillation unit and a vibrated member, a vibrating member, and a detection unit. The oscillation unit outputs a signal having a frequency according to a state of a magnetic flux passing a space facing the oscillation unit. The vibrated member affecting the magnetic flux and disposed inside a container to face the oscillation unit via the container is vibrated by the vibrating member in a direction of facing the oscillation unit. The detection unit acquires frequency information of the signal at predetermined periods, determines presence/absence of an error of the detection mechanism based on error information associating a type of the error with a state of the signal, detects vibration of the vibrated member based on a change in the frequency information, and detects a remaining amount of powder in the container based on the detected vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsufumi Yamamoto, Tetsuro Hirota, Kenji Kikuchi, Kazuho Satoh, Shingo Nishizaki, Ko Tokumaru
  • Patent number: 10099876
    Abstract: A sheet material thickness detection device includes a guide member, a non-rotating pressing member, a sensor, and a calculator. The guide member guides one side of a sheet material being conveyed. The pressing member presses the sheet material against the guide member in a manner displaceable in accordance with the thickness of the sheet material. The sensor is configured to magnetically or electrically detect a displaced amount of the pressing member that is displaced in accordance with the thickness of the sheet material. The calculator is configured to calculate the thickness of the sheet material based on an output signal of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Shingo Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 10029871
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that forms an image on a sheet material based on a sheet material setting relating to the sheet material. The image forming apparatus includes an accepting unit configured to accept a selection of a sheet material type, a thickness measurement unit configured to measure a thickness of the sheet material, and a setting determination unit configured to determine the sheet material setting that relates to the thickness of the sheet material based on the sheet material type accepted by the accepting unit and the thickness of the sheet material measured by the thickness measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita Maejima, Shingo Nishizaki, Yuji Ikeda, Takuya Murata, Kazuho Satoh
  • Publication number: 20170336748
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that forms an image on a sheet material based on a sheet material setting relating to the sheet material. The image forming apparatus includes an accepting unit configured to accept a selection of a sheet material type, a thickness measurement unit configured to measure a thickness of the sheet material, and a setting determination unit configured to determine the sheet material setting that relates to the thickness of the sheet material based on the sheet material type accepted by the accepting unit and the thickness of the sheet material measured by the thickness measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita MAEJIMA, Shingo NISHIZAKI, Yuji IKEDA, Takuya MURATA, Kazuho SATOH
  • Publication number: 20170174457
    Abstract: A sheet material thickness detection device includes a guide member, a non-rotating pressing member, a sensor, and a calculator. The guide member guides one side of a sheet material being conveyed. The pressing member presses the sheet material against the guide member in a manner displaceable in accordance with the thickness of the sheet material. The sensor is configured to magnetically or electrically detect a displaced amount of the pressing member that is displaced in accordance with the thickness of the sheet material. The calculator is configured to calculate the thickness of the sheet material based on an output signal of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro HIROTA, Shingo NISHIZAKI
  • Publication number: 20160349101
    Abstract: A powder detection device includes a detection mechanism including an oscillation unit and a vibrated member, a vibrating member, and a detection unit. The oscillation unit outputs a signal having a frequency according to a state of a magnetic flux passing a space facing the oscillation unit. The vibrated member affecting the magnetic flux and disposed inside a container to face the oscillation unit via the container is vibrated by the vibrating member in a direction of facing the oscillation unit. The detection unit acquires frequency information of the signal at predetermined periods, determines presence/absence of an error of the detection mechanism based on error information associating a type of the error with a state of the signal, detects vibration of the vibrated member based on a change in the frequency information, and detects a remaining amount of powder in the container based on the detected vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsufumi Yamamoto, Tetsuro Hirota, Kenji Kikuchi, Kazuho Satoh, Shingo Nishizaki, Ko Tokumaru
  • Patent number: 9507290
    Abstract: A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Shunji Katoh, Masayuki Yamane, Masahiro Watanabe, Shingo Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 9507291
    Abstract: A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Shunji Katoh, Masayuki Yamane, Masahiro Watanabe, Shingo Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 9499363
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detector incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveying member to rotate and convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction, a driven sheet conveying member to contact the sheet conveying member and form at least one first transfer nip therebetween in a lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to a thickness of the sheet passing through the first transfer nip and rotated with the sheet conveying member in the sheet conveyance direction, a displacement member to contact the sheet conveying member and form a second transfer nip smaller than the first transfer nip in the lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the sheet passing through the second transfer nip and supported at a support member, and a displacement amount detector to detect an amount of displacement of the displacement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuu Wakabayashi, Ryo Takenaka, Masashi Satoh, Shingo Nishizaki, Yusuke Ozaki, Yuji Ikeda, Hiroshi Okamura, Naohiro Funada, Tomohide Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20160041497
    Abstract: A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Shunji katoh, Masayuki Yamane, Masahiro Watanabe, Shingo Nishizaki
  • Publication number: 20160041495
    Abstract: A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Tetsuro HIROTA, Hiroshi HOSOKAWA, Shunji KATOH, Masayuki YAMANE, Masahiro WATANABE, Shingo NISHIZAKI
  • Patent number: 9170233
    Abstract: A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Shunji Katoh, Masayuki Yamane, Masahiro Watanabe, Shingo Nishizaki
  • Publication number: 20150108714
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detector incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveying member to rotate and convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction, a driven sheet conveying member to contact the sheet conveying member and form at least one first transfer nip therebetween in a lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to a thickness of the sheet passing through the first transfer nip and rotated with the sheet conveying member in the sheet conveyance direction, a displacement member to contact the sheet conveying member and form a second transfer nip smaller than the first transfer nip in the lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the sheet passing through the second transfer nip and supported at a support member, and a displacement amount detector to detect an amount of displacement of the displacement member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuu WAKABAYASHI, Ryo TAKENAKA, Masashi SATOH, Shingo NISHIZAKI, Yusuke OZAKI, Yuji IKEDA, Hiroshi OKAMURA, Naohiro FUNADA, Tomohide KONDOH
  • Patent number: 8950750
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detector incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveying member to rotate and convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction, a driven sheet conveying member to contact the sheet conveying member and form at least one first transfer nip therebetween in a lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to a thickness of the sheet passing through the first transfer nip and rotated with the sheet conveying member in the sheet conveyance direction, a displacement member to contact the sheet conveying member and form a second transfer nip smaller than the first transfer nip in the lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the sheet passing through the second transfer nip and supported at a support member, and a displacement amount detector to detect an amount of displacement of the displacement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuu Wakabayashi, Ryo Takenaka, Masashi Satoh, Shingo Nishizaki, Yusuke Ozaki, Yuji Ikeda, Hiroshi Okamura, Naohiro Funada, Tomohide Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20140312886
    Abstract: A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Tetsuro HIROTA, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Shunji Katoh, Masayuki Yamane, Masahiro Watanabe, Shingo Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 8794626
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detecting device for detecting a thickness of a sheet includes a fixed roller rotatably supported by a shaft so that the fixed roller faces the sheet; a movable roller rotatably provided so that the movable roller and the fixed roller sandwich and feed the sheet, and configured to be displaced in accordance with the thickness of the sandwiched sheet; a swing member rotatably supporting the movable roller and including a shaft so that the swing member is swung around the shaft, wherein the swing member further includes a detection target part formed in a manner that a distance between the detection target part and the shaft is greater than that between a position where the movable roller is supported by the swing member and the shaft; and a detecting unit detecting the displacement amount of the detection target part of the swing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryo Takenaka, Shingo Nishizaki, Yusuke Ozaki, Masashi Satoh, Hiroshi Adachi, Hiroshi Okamura, Naohiro Funada, Yuji Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20140015192
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detector incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveying member to rotate and convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction, a driven sheet conveying member to contact the sheet conveying member and form at least one first transfer nip therebetween in a lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to a thickness of the sheet passing through the first transfer nip and rotated with the sheet conveying member in the sheet conveyance direction, a displacement member to contact the sheet conveying member and form a second transfer nip smaller than the first transfer nip in the lateral direction and to displace by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the sheet passing through the second transfer nip and supported at a support member, and a displacement amount detector to detect an amount of displacement of the displacement member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuu WAKABAYASHI, Ryo TAKENAKA, Masashi SATOH, Shingo NISHIZAKI, Yusuke OZAKI, Yuji IKEDA, Hiroshi OKAMURA, Naohiro FUNADA, Tomohide KONDOH
  • Publication number: 20130200565
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detecting device for detecting a thickness of a sheet includes a fixed roller rotatably supported by a shaft so that the fixed roller faces the sheet; a movable roller rotatably provided so that the movable roller and the fixed roller sandwich and feed the sheet, and configured to be displaced in accordance with the thickness of the sandwiched sheet; a swing member rotatably supporting the movable roller and including a shaft so that the swing member is swung around the shaft, wherein the swing member further includes a detection target part formed in a manner that a distance between the detection target part and the shaft is greater than that between a position where the movable roller is supported by the swing member and the shaft; and a detecting unit detecting the displacement amount of the detection target part of the swing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Inventors: Ryo TAKENAKA, Shingo NISHIZAKI, Yusuke OZAKI, Masashi SATOH, Hiroshi ADACHI, Hiroshi OKAMURA, Naohiro FUNADA, Yuji IKEDA