Patents by Inventor Sotohiro Tsujihara

Sotohiro Tsujihara 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: 7603055
    Abstract: A cover for use in an apparatus includes a plate and at least one rib. The plate has an inner surface, and at the least one rib is formed on the inner surface of the plate to define one or more compartments. Each compartment is configured to receive a corresponding part removed from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Sotohiro Tsujihara
  • Publication number: 20060170982
    Abstract: A cover for use in an apparatus includes a plate and at least one rib. The plate has an inner surface, and at the least one rib is formed on the inner surface of the plate to define one or more compartments. Each compartment is configured to receive a corresponding part removed from the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventor: Sotohiro Tsujihara
  • Patent number: 6393246
    Abstract: A fixing device and method for fixing a toner image on a sheet in an image forming apparatus, includes a frame, a fusing roller rotatably provided in the frame, a pressure roller rotatably provided in the frame and configured to press against the fusing roller, a separating member configured to separate the sheet passed between the fusing roller and the pressure roller from the fusing roller, a sheet guide member configured to guide the sheet separated by the separating member and rotatably supported by the frame, and a shield member configured to prevent air from flowing from a space between the frame and the sheet guide member at a position where the sheet guide member is supported by the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Sotohiro Tsujihara
  • Publication number: 20010036377
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet in an image forming apparatus, includes a frame, a fusing roller rotatably provided in the frame, a pressure roller rotatably provided in the frame and configured to press against the fusing roller, a separating member configured to separate the sheet passed between the fusing roller and the pressure roller from the fusing roller, a sheet guide member configured to guide the sheet separated by the separating member and rotatably supported by the frame, and a shield member configured to prevent air from flowing from a space between the frame and the sheet guide member at a position where the sheet guide member is supported by the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Applicant: Ricoh Companay, Ltd.
    Inventor: Sotohiro Tsujihara
  • Patent number: 6080255
    Abstract: In a toner removing apparatus in which, after toner attached to transferring paper is heated and adheres to a peeling-off belt, transferring paper is separated from the belt and thereby toner is peeled off from transferring paper, the peeling-off belt is cooled by a cooling fan and thereafter toner is removed therefrom. The transferring paper is tightly attached to the peeling-off belt, and a cleaning fan is provided so as to oppose to the peeling-off belt passing through the pressurizing portions of upper and lower heating rollers for heating the belt and moving to the cleaning portion in the belt cleaning apparatus. The temperature of toner is lowered in order to harden toner to an extent that the condensation of the image forming substance sticking on the peeling-off belt turns out to be larger than the sticking force between the image forming substance and the peeling-off belt member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Shinkai, Tarou Terashi, Sotohiro Tsujihara, Masatoshi Saitou, Tomoaki Sugawara
  • Patent number: 5968301
    Abstract: A method of recycling an image supporting material from an image supporting material comprising a non-absorbent substrate and an absorbent swelling layer that swells with absorption of liquids, which is overlaid on the non-absorbent substrate, includes the steps of: applying to an image-bearing side of the image supporting material a liquid in an amount which exceeds a maximum amount of the liquid that can be absorbed by the swelling layer; leveling the liquid applied to the image-bearing side of the image supporting material to form a liquid film layer on the image supporting material; heating the swelling layer or the liquid film layer; bringing a peeling member into contact with the image forming material with the application of heat and pressure thereto when at least part of the liquid reaches an interface between the swelling layer and the image forming material deposited on the swelling layer; and separating said peeling member from image supporting material, to remove the image forming material from th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kakuji Murakami, Sotohiro Tsujihara, Takeshi Iijima, Masaaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 5897726
    Abstract: In a toner removing apparatus in which, after toner attached to transferring paper is heated and adheres to a peeling-off belt, transferring paper is separated from the belt and thereby toner is peeled off from transferring paper, the peeling-off belt is cooled by a cooling fan and thereafter toner is removed therefrom. The transferring paper is tightly attached to the peeling-off belt, and a cleaning fan is provided so as to oppose to the peeling-off belt passing through the pressurizing portions of upper and lower heating rollers for heating the belt and moving to the cleaning portion in the belt cleaning apparatus. The temperature of toner is lowered in order to harden toner to an extent that the condensation of the image forming substance sticking on the peeling-off belt turns out to be larger than the sticking force between the image forming substance and the peeling-off belt member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Shinkai, Tarou Terashi, Sotohiro Tsujihara, Masatoshi Saitou, Tomoaki Sugawara
  • Patent number: 4692020
    Abstract: A sheet-reversing device suitable for use in copying machines and other sheet-handling machines has a main roller and a feed-in and a feed-out roller which are frictionally driven by the main roller. The axes of those rollers remain fixed with respect to each other. When a sheet is fed to the nip between the main roller and the feed-out roller, it is transported without reversing, but when fed up to the nip between the main roller and the feed-in roller, it enters into a switchback path and the formerly trailing edge of the sheet is fed to the nip between the main roller and the feed-out roller and then is reversely transported (trailing edge first). By selecting the appropriate inlet path, the sheet is selectively reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1987
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Sotohiro Tsujihara