Patents by Inventor Takehisa Shimazu

Takehisa Shimazu 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: 20210039900
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyor, a plurality of processing tools, and a tool moving device. The sheet conveyor is configured to convey a sheet. The plurality of processing tools is disposed in a conveyance direction of the sheet and is configured to perform processing to the sheet. The tool moving device is configured to move the plurality of processing tools in an intersecting direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehisa SHIMAZU, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Wataru TAKAHASHI, Yuji SUZUKI, Joji AKIYAMA, Yosuke IIDA
  • Patent number: 10097720
    Abstract: A sound absorber, which is included in a sheet feeder included in an image reading device, an image forming apparatus, and an electronic device, includes a cavity, a communication portion through which the cavity communicates with an outside of a sheet feeder, and a communication direction changing device configured to change a communication direction of the communicating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaya Ochiai, Takeshi Akai, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takehisa Shimazu, Youhei Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 9950886
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes a passage forming body and a sound absorber. The passage forming body is configured to define a sheet conveying passage through which a sheet passes. The sound absorber includes a hollow portion and a communication portion configured to communication the hollow portion and the sheet conveying passage. A position of the communication portion of the sound absorber is changeable in the sheet conveying passage. The sheet conveying device included in the image reading device includes an original document conveying device configured to convey an original document having an image on a surface. The sheet conveying device included in the image forming apparatus includes a recording medium conveying device configured to convey the recording medium accommodated in a recording medium container to the image forming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takehisa Shimazu, Takeshi Akai, Keisuke Sugiyama, Takaya Ochiai
  • Patent number: 9938099
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveyer to convey a sheet and a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction. A secondary sheet guide is disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and includes a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction. A sheet conveyance path is defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. The primary sheet guide includes a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path and a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path. The communication through-hole is disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Akai, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takehisa Shimazu, Youhei Niitsuma, Takaya Ochiai
  • Patent number: 9834398
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a primary sheet guide including a bending portion to bend a sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change a sheet conveyance direction and a secondary sheet guide disposed opposite the primary sheet guide with an interval between the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. A noise attenuator intakes and attenuates slide noise generated by the bending portion while the sheet slides over the bending portion. The noise attenuator includes a resonant cavity disposed opposite an outer face of one of the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. A sound inlet is disposed in proximity to the bending portion and intakes the slide noise generated by the bending portion. A sound guide communicates with the sound inlet and the resonant cavity to guide the slide noise from the sound inlet to the resonant cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Youhei Niitsuma, Takeshi Akai, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takehisa Shimazu, Takaya Ochiai
  • Publication number: 20170260015
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes a passage forming body and a sound absorber. The passage forming body is configured to define a sheet conveying passage through which a sheet passes. The sound absorber includes a hollow portion and a communication portion configured to communication the hollow portion and the sheet conveying passage. A position of the communication portion of the sound absorber is changeable in the sheet conveying passage. The sheet conveying device included in the image reading device includes an original document conveying device configured to convey an original document having an image on a surface. The sheet conveying device included in the image forming apparatus includes a recording medium conveying device configured to convey the recording medium accommodated in a recording medium container to the image forming device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehisa SHIMAZU, Takeshi AKAI, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Takaya OCHIAI
  • Publication number: 20170180586
    Abstract: A sound absorber, which is included in a sheet feeder included in an image reading device, an image forming apparatus, and an electronic device, includes a cavity, a communication portion through which the cavity communicates with an outside of a sheet feeder, and a communication direction changing device configured to change a communication direction of the communicating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaya Ochiai, Takeshi Akai, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takehisa Shimazu, Youhei Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20170108812
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a primary sheet guide including a bending portion to bend a sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change a sheet conveyance direction and a secondary sheet guide disposed opposite the primary sheet guide with an interval between the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. A noise attenuator intakes and attenuates slide noise generated by the bending portion while the sheet slides over the bending portion. The noise attenuator includes a resonant cavity disposed opposite an outer face of one of the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. A sound inlet is disposed in proximity to the bending portion and intakes the slide noise generated by the bending portion. A sound guide communicates with the sound inlet and the resonant cavity to guide the slide noise from the sound inlet to the resonant cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Youhei NIITSUMA, Takeshi Akai, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takehisa Shimazu, Takaya Ochiai
  • Patent number: 9624061
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a sheet processing unit that is moved to perform sheet processing on a sheet; a sheet-processing moving unit that moves the sheet processing unit; a drive-mode determining unit that determines a drive mode of the sheet-processing moving unit; and a drive control unit that drives the sheet-processing moving unit in accordance with the drive mode. The drive-mode determining unit determines the drive mode such that the sheet processing unit is moved at combination acceleration that is a combination of first acceleration and second acceleration with a shift of time that is determined based on the cycle of the natural vibration that occurs during acceleration of the sheet processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shingo Matsushita, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kiyoshi Hata, Takashi Saito, Akihiro Musha, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takehisa Shimazu, Takeshi Akai, Kyosuke Nakada, Jun Yamada, Joh Ebara, Takaya Ochiai, Takuya Sano, Masatada Satoh
  • Publication number: 20170101280
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveyer to convey a sheet and a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction. A secondary sheet guide is disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and includes a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction. A sheet conveyance path is defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. The primary sheet guide includes a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path and a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path. The communication through-hole is disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi AKAI, Ikuhisa OKAMOTO, Takehisa SHIMAZU, Youhei NIITSUMA, Takaya OCHIAI
  • Publication number: 20160221787
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a sheet processing unit that is moved to perform sheet processing on a sheet; a sheet-processing moving unit that moves the sheet processing unit; a drive-mode determining unit that determines a drive mode of the sheet-processing moving unit; and a drive control unit that drives the sheet-processing moving unit in accordance with the drive mode. The drive-mode determining unit determines the drive mode such that the sheet processing unit is moved at combination acceleration that is a combination of first acceleration and second acceleration with a shift of time that is determined based on the cycle of the natural vibration that occurs during acceleration of the sheet processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shingo MATSUSHITA, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Kiyoshi HATA, Takashi SAITO, Akihiro MUSHA, Ikuhisa OKAMOTO, Takehisa SHIMAZU, Takeshi AKAI, Kyosuke NAKADA, Jun YAMADA, Joh EBARA, Takaya OCHIAI, Takuya SANO, Masatada SATOH
  • Patent number: 9075376
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an ADF includes: a sheet-feed cover unit; a switch unit to be switched on or off depending on whether the sheet-feed cover unit is open or closed and including a first terminal, to which a first voltage, by which a driving motor is driven, is input, and a second terminal connected to the driving motor; and an open/close-detection circuit unit that includes a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit is switched on or off based on a threshold voltage that is larger than a second voltage to be generated in the driving motor by a jammed-document removing motion and smaller than the first voltage. The open/close-detection circuit unit detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is closed when the second switch circuit is energized, but detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is open when the second switch circuit is de-energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroaki Utagawa, Hiroshi Kubo, Shinya Kitaoka, Takehisa Shimazu, Takeshi Akai, Fumiyuki Heishi, Norio Kimura, Yoshito Suzuki, Jun Yamada
  • Patent number: 9013763
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a transmitting glass; and a step member that is located upstream of a reading position, at which an image of a conveyed document is read by a reading unit via a transmitting glass, in a conveying direction of the document, and has a document guiding surface at a position away from a surface of a transmitting glass by a prescribed distance and forms a step between the document guiding surface and the transmitting glass. The step member is provided with a protrusion protruding downstream in the conveying direction of the document to form space between the transmitting glass and a downstream part of the step member in the conveying direction of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubo, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Atsushi Kanaya, Shinya Kitaoka, Takeshi Akai, Fumiyuki Heishi, Takehisa Shimazu, Koki Sakano, Takuya Sano
  • Patent number: 8925913
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device such as a feed mechanism includes a pick-up roller and a cover member. The pick-up roller feeds, into an apparatus, a sheet such as a document on a placing table such as a document placing table on which the sheet is placed. The cover member such as a pick-up cover covers the pick-up roller. The cover member is supported at both ends thereof on a shaft of the pick-up roller or on shaft bearings that receive the shaft of the pick-up roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kubo, Shinya Kitaoka, Takehisa Shimazu, Takeshi Akai, Takuma Ariga, Fumiyuki Heishi, Michitaka Suzuki, Yoshito Suzuki, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Utagawa, Kenji Hayasaka, Jun Yamada, Kenichiro Morita, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Satoshi Saito
  • Patent number: 8896891
    Abstract: A document conveying device includes a document table on which a stack of document sheets is placed; a rotating shaft member detachably provided on a main body of the document conveying device; a feeding member configured to contact and feed a topmost sheet of the stack of document sheets, the feeding member being attached to the rotating shaft member via a driving force transmitting member; a separating unit configured to separate the topmost sheet from one or more sheets that are fed together with the topmost sheet, rotating members rotatably attached to the rotating shaft member; a holding member configured to hold the feeding member and the driving force transmitting member; and a rotating member position restricting unit configured to restrict a position of the rotating members other than the holding member to a given predetermined position with reference to a position of the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Heishi, Hiroshi Kubo, Takashi Fujii, Shinya Kitaoka, Takeshi Akai, Takehisa Shimazu, Takuma Ariga, Michitaka Suzuki, Yoshito Suzuki, Jun Yamada, Satoshi Saito, Kenichiro Morita, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Kenji Hayasaka, Hiroaki Utagawa
  • Publication number: 20140177012
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a transmitting glass; and a step member that is located upstream of a reading position, at which an image of a conveyed document is read by a reading unit via a transmitting glass, in a conveying direction of the document, and has a document guiding surface at a position away from a surface of a transmitting glass by a prescribed distance and forms a step between the document guiding surface and the transmitting glass. The step member is provided with a protrusion protruding downstream in the conveying direction of the document to form space between the transmitting glass and a downstream part of the step member in the conveying direction of the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroshi KUBO, Hidehiko FUJIWARA, Atsushi KANAYA, Shinya KITAOKA, Takeshi AKAI, Fumiyuki HEISHI, Takehisa SHIMAZU, Koki SAKANO, Takuya SANO
  • Patent number: 8743431
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a sheet housing unit that houses a sheet; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheet; a sheet detection unit that detects presence or absence of the sheet in the sheet housing unit; a sheet nipping unit that nips the sheet housed in the sheet housing unit; and a control unit. The control unit controls the sheet nipping unit to reach a nipping state to nip the sheet in the sheet housing unit upon the sheet detection unit detecting a sheet-present state, executes a power saving mode to stop supplying power to at least a part of the electric mechanisms when no drive command is input for a predetermined time, and controls the sheet nipping unit to cancel the nipping state before execution of the power saving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Hayasaka, Hiroshi Kubo, Shinya Kitaoka, Takehisa Shimazu, Takeshi Akai, Takuma Ariga, Fumiyuki Heishi, Yoshito Suzuki, Akihito Kameda, Hiroaki Utagawa, Jun Yamada, Takashi Fujii, Motoya Sano, Satoshi Saito, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Kenichiro Morita
  • Publication number: 20140140744
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a document stack unit; a conveying unit configured to separate a document from the documents stacked on the document stack unit and convey the document to a scanning position through a conveying path; document detecting units configured to detect the document; an upstream document detecting unit configured to detect the document, the upstream document detecting unit being arranged in the conveying path at an uppermost stream in a document conveying direction with respect to the document detecting units; and a determining unit configured to determine a passage of a trailing end of the document at positions of the document detecting units and the upstream document detecting unit and determine a presence of a hole on the document, based on the detection results. A detection range of the upstream document detecting unit is set to be wider than detection ranges of the document detecting units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi AKAI, Takashi FUJII, Satoshi SAITO, Hiroshi KUBO, Ikuhisa OKAMOTO, Shinya KITAOKA, Takehisa SHIMAZU, Kenichiro MORITA, Yoshito SUZUKI, Takuma ARIGA, Jun YAMADA, Kenji HAYASAKA, Akihito KAMEDA, Hiroaki UTAGAWA, Fumiyuki HEISHI
  • Publication number: 20130320611
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device such as a feed mechanism includes a pick-up roller and a cover member. The pick-up roller feeds, into an apparatus, a sheet such as a document on a placing table such as a document placing table on which the sheet is placed. The cover member such as a pick-up cover covers the pick-up roller. The cover member is supported at both ends thereof on a shaft of the pick-up roller or on shaft bearings that receive the shaft of the pick-up roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Hiroshi KUBO, Shinya KITAOKA, Takehisa SHIMAZU, Takeshi AKAI, Takuma ARIGA, Fumiyuki HEISHI, Michitaka SUZUKI, Yoshito SUZUKI, Norio KIMURA, Hiroaki UTAGAWA, Kenji HAYASAKA, Jun YAMADA, Kenichiro MORITA, Ikuhisa OKAMOTO, Satoshi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20130315610
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an ADF includes: a sheet-feed cover unit; a switch unit to be switched on or off depending on whether the sheet-feed cover unit is open or closed and including a first terminal, to which a first voltage, by which a driving motor is driven, is input, and a second terminal connected to the driving motor; and an open/close-detection circuit unit that includes a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit is switched on or off based on a threshold voltage that is larger than a second voltage to be generated in the driving motor by a jammed-document removing motion and smaller than the first voltage. The open/close-detection circuit unit detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is closed when the second switch circuit is energized, but detects that the sheet-feed cover unit is open when the second switch circuit is de-energized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroaki UTAGAWA, Hiroshi KUBO, Shinya KITAOKA, Takehisa SHIMAZU, Takeshi AKAI, Fumiyuki HEISHI, Norio KIMURA, Yoshito SUZUKI, Jun YAMADA