Patents by Inventor Shuutaroh Yuasa

Shuutaroh Yuasa 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).

  • Publication number: 20180081309
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a tubular rotator and a first heater disposed inside the tubular rotator and extended in a longitudinal direction of the first heater. The first heater heats the tubular rotator. A second heater is disposed inside the tubular rotator and extended in a longitudinal direction of the second heater. The second heater heats the tubular rotator. A heating adjuster is interposed between the first heater and the second heater. The heating adjuster adjusts heat conduction from the first heater to the second heater. A joint combines the heating adjuster with the second heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Keisuke KUBOTA, Masami OKAMOTO, Jun OGINO, Kensuke YAMAJI, Shuutaroh YUASA, Yuuta KANDA
  • Publication number: 20180046121
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Teppei KAWATA, Masahiko SATOH, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Kenji ISHll, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Tadashi OGAWA, Takahiro IMADA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Kazuya SAITO, Naoki IWAYA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Takamasa HASE, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Takuya SESHITA, Takeshi UCHITANI, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20170357197
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a separator disposed downstream from a nip former in a recording medium conveyance direction and isolated from a pressure rotator via a fixing belt. The separator stretches the fixing belt. A presser is interposed between a fixing nip formed between the living belt and the pressure rotator and an upstream end of the separator in a rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser comes into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to press the fixing belt against the pressure rotator. A pressure adjuster, contacting the pressure rotator, changes a pressing position of the pressure rotator relative to the fixing belt to adjust pressure exerted from the pressure rotator to the fixing belt. A presser position adjuster, contacting the presser, changes a presser position of the presser relative to the fixing belt according to the pressing position of the pressure rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Masami OKAMOTO, Keisuke Kubota, Seiji Saitoh, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Yuuta Kanda, Fumihiro Hirose, Kensuke Yamaji
  • Patent number: 9811031
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20170293245
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless fixing rotary member which is formed into a loop and comes into contact with the image on the recording medium, an opposed rotary member which is in contact with the fixing rotary member, a nip forming member provided inside the loop of the fixing rotary member to be in contact with the opposed rotary member via the fixing rotary member to form a nip portion to which the recording medium is fed in a feeding direction, a support member which supports the nip forming member, and a heating source which heats the fixing rotary member. The nip forming member includes a downstream portion extending downstream in the feeding direction from a center of the nip portion and an upstream portion extending upstream in the feeding direction from the center and longer than the downstream portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Takamasa Hase, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20170285542
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary endless fixing belt; a nip forming member disposed in an interior of the fixing belt; a rotary opposed member to contact the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip together with the fixing belt; a heat source to directly heat the fixing belt at a portion other than the nip, including at lease one heat-generation part disposed outside lateral ends of a maximum area of the fixing belt where a recording medium passes through, wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed image is conveyed to the nip and the fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording medium; and a shielding member disposed between the fixing belt and the heat generation part of the heat source and configured to shield heat from the heat source at least at an area outside the maximum passing area of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Takamasa HASE, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Takeshi UCHITANI, Yutaka IKEBUCHI, Takuya SESHITA, Shuutaroh YUASA
  • Publication number: 20170277091
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Takeshi UCHITANI, Masahiko SATOH, Kenji ISHII, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Takamasa HASE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI, Takuya SESHITA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Kazuya SAITO, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Takayuki SEKI, Yuji ARAI, Ryuuichi MIMBU, Yoshiki YAMAGUCHI, Shuntaroh TAMAKI, Yutaka IKEBUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170269522
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separator is disposed downstream from the nip former in a recording medium conveyance direction and stretches the fixing belt. The separator is spaced apart from the pressure rotator via the fixing belt. A presser is interposed between an exit of the fixing nip and an upstream end of the separator in the rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser comes into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to press the fixing belt against the pressure rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke KUBOTA, Seiji SAITOH, Masami OKAMOTO, Kensuke YAMAJI, Fumihiro HIROSE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Yuuta KANDA
  • Publication number: 20170269524
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt and including an elastic layer as a surface layer. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Seiji SAITOH, Masami OKAMOTO, Fumihiro HIROSE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kenji NOZAWA, Kaori HEMMI, Jun OGINO, Yuuta KANDA
  • Publication number: 20170269525
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in the rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator. A mover is coupled to the presser to move the presser between a contact position where the presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator and an isolation position where the presser isolates the fixing belt from the pressure rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Masami OKAMOTO, Seiji SAITOH, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Fumihiro HIROSE, Yuuta KANDA
  • Publication number: 20170269526
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator. A gap retainer contacts the nip former and is coupled to the presser to retain isolation of the presser from the nip former.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Shuutaroh YUASA, Keisuke Kubota, Masami Okamoto, Seiji Saitoh, Fumihiro Hirose, Kensuke Yamaji, Jun Ogino, Yuuta Kanda
  • Publication number: 20170255150
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Takamasa HASE, Masahiko SATOH, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Kenji ISHll, Takeshi UCHITANI, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Kazuya SAITO, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Naoki IWAYA, Takuya SESHITA, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 9733600
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt looped over a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to decrease a radius of curvature of the fixing belt. A polishing roller, disposed downstream from the separation aid and upstream from the second roller in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt. An opposed roller, disposed opposite the polishing roller via the fixing belt, forms a polishing nip between the polishing roller and the fixing belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nozawa, Masami Okamoto, Yuuki Kikushima, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
  • Patent number: 9727011
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first heater disposed opposite and heating at least a center of a fixing belt in an axial direction thereof and a second heater disposed opposite and heating at least a lateral end of the fixing belt in the axial direction thereof. A power supply supplies power to the first heater and the second heater. A controller that controls the power supply includes a calculator to calculate an elapsed time elapsed after at least one of the first heater and the second heater starts heating the fixing belt. The controller controls the power supply to supply power to the first heater and the second heater such that a power density of the second heater is greater than a power density of the first heater when the elapsed time calculated by the calculator is smaller than a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Ikebuchi, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takayuki Seki, Yuji Arai, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Shuntaro Tamaki, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Toshiharu Hachisuka
  • Patent number: 9727008
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless fixing rotary member which is formed into a loop and comes into contact with the image on the recording medium, an opposed rotary member which is in contact with the fixing rotary member, a nip forming member provided inside the loop of the fixing rotary member to be in contact with the opposed rotary member via the fixing rotary member to form a nip portion to which the recording medium is fed in a feeding direction, a support member which supports the nip forming member, and a heating source which heats the fixing rotary member. The nip forming member includes a downstream portion extending downstream in the feeding direction from a center of the nip portion and an upstream portion extending upstream in the feeding direction from the center and longer than the downstream portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Takamasa Hase, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9715198
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary endless fixing belt; a nip forming member disposed in an interior of the fixing belt; a rotary opposed member to contact the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip together with the fixing belt; a heat source to directly heat the fixing belt at a portion other than the nip, including at lease one heat-generation part disposed outside lateral ends of a maximum area of the fixing belt where a recording medium passes through, wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed image is conveyed to the nip and the fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording medium; and a shielding member disposed between the fixing belt and the heat generation part of the heat source and configured to shield heat from the heat source at least at an area outside the maximum passing area of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takeshi Uchitani, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Takuya Seshita, Shuutaroh Yuasa
  • Patent number: 9715203
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Takuya Seshita, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kazuya Saito, Shinichi Namekata, Takayuki Seki, Yuji Arai, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Yutaka Ikebuchi
  • Patent number: 9690243
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Masahiko Satoh, Shinichi Namekata, Kenji Ishii, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9568868
    Abstract: Heat-equalizing rotation of a fixing member and a pressing member for equalizing the distribution of the temperature of a surface of the fixing member in a width direction is performed after a recording medium having a size less than or equal to a predetermined size in the width direction passes a nip portion and before a recording medium having a size greater than the predetermined size in the width direction passes the nip portion. Further, a termination condition of the heat-equalizing rotation is selected from among a plurality of different kinds of termination conditions, based on image formation related information related to next image formation performed after the heat-equalizing rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi Namekata, Takeshi Uchitani, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kazuya Saito, Ryota Yamashina, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Seo, Takumi Waida
  • Patent number: 9535380
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a first heat generator and a second heat generator that heat the fixing rotator, and a support disposed inside the fixing rotator. A reflector, interposed between the support and each of the first heat generator and the second heat generator, reflects light radiated from the first heat generator and the second heat generator toward the fixing rotator. The reflector includes a body mounted on the support and a shield portion projecting from the body toward the first heat generator and the second heat generator to shield the fixing rotator from the first heat generator and the second heat generator. An electric circuit is connected to the first heat generator and the second heat generator. A heat generation restrainer is provided in the electric circuit to restrict heat generation in the electric circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Shimokawa, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takayuki Seki, Yuji Arai, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Shuntaro Tamaki, Kazuya Saito, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Takuya Seshita, Hajime Gotoh, Takahiro Imada, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki