Patents by Inventor Akimitsu Obana

Akimitsu Obana 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: 20240019807
    Abstract: A housing structure includes a lower housing, an upper housing, and a cover. The upper housing is mounted on the lower housing and includes a recessed hand grip on a side surface of the upper housing. The cover covers at least a part of the recessed hand grip of the upper housing. The cover is attached and secured to the lower housing from a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the upper housing. The cover includes at least a part of a temporary securing structure between the upper housing and the cover. The temporary securing structure temporarily secures the cover to the upper housing when the cover is attached from the direction perpendicular to the side surface of the upper housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akimitsu OBANA
  • Patent number: 11846907
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a power supply, a toner container, a cover, a first harness, and a second harness. The power supply supplies power to the fixing device. The toner container compartment is between the fixing device and the power supply and receives a toner container. The cover is on the toner container compartment and moves into the toner container compartment. The first harness is coupled to the power supply, and the second harness is coupled to the fixing device. The second harness is detachably coupled to the first harness above the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akimitsu Obana
  • Publication number: 20230266707
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a power supply, a toner container, a cover, a first harness, and a second harness. The power supply supplies power to the fixing device. The toner container compartment is between the fixing device and the power supply and receives a toner container. The cover is on the toner container compartment and moves into the toner container compartment. The first harness is coupled to the power supply, and the second harness is coupled to the fixing device. The second harness is detachably coupled to the first harness above the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akimitsu Obana
  • Patent number: 10935929
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device; a fixing device; a first conveyance passage downstream from the fixing device in a sheet conveyance direction; a second conveyance passage downstream from the fixing device and communicating with the first conveyance passage; a sheet reversing member to reverse a conveyance direction of the sheet to the second conveyance passage; a divider to switch a route of the sheet between the first conveyance passage and the second conveyance passage; and a sheet detection sensor disposed downstream from the fixing device and upstream from the divider. The first conveyance passage includes a sheet outlet from which the sheet is ejected outside the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a ventilation passage communicating with an outside, to guide air from the outside to pass the sheet detection sensor and enter at least one of the first conveyance passage and the second conveyance passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Tanaka, Shoji Asanuma, Taiga Shoen, Yoshihide Ohta, Akimitsu Obana, Makoto Kikura
  • Patent number: 10761477
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body including a body side connector and a removable unit removably inserted in the apparatus body. The removable unit includes a unit side connector configured to engage with the body side connector in conjunction with insertion of the removable unit into and from the apparatus body in an insertion direction and disengage from the body side connector in conjunction with removal of the removable unit from the apparatus body in a removal direction. The apparatus further includes a first holder and a second holder. The first holder holds the body side connector and restrict the body side connector from moving in the insertion direction and the removal direction relative to the first holder. The second holder holds the first holder and restrict the first holder from moving in a direction different from the insertion direction and the removal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihide Ohta, Makoto Kikura, Shoji Asanuma, Akimitsu Obana, Tomoya Tanaka, Taiga Shoen
  • Publication number: 20200133195
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body including a body side connector and a removable unit removably inserted in the apparatus body. The removable unit includes a unit side connector configured to engage with the body side connector in conjunction with insertion of the removable unit into and from the apparatus body in an insertion direction and disengage from the body side connector in conjunction with removal of the removable unit from the apparatus body in a removal direction. The apparatus further includes a first holder and a second holder. The first holder holds the body side connector and restrict the body side connector from moving in the insertion direction and the removal direction relative to the first holder. The second holder holds the first holder and restrict the first holder from moving in a direction different from the insertion direction and the removal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihide OHTA, Makoto KIKURA, Shoji ASANUMA, Akimitsu OBANA, Tomoya TANAKA, Taiga SHOEN
  • Publication number: 20200103823
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device; a fixing device; a first conveyance passage downstream from the fixing device in a sheet conveyance direction; a second conveyance passage downstream from the fixing device and communicating with the first conveyance passage; a sheet reversing member to reverse a conveyance direction of the sheet to the second conveyance passage; a divider to switch a route of the sheet between the first conveyance passage and the second conveyance passage; and a sheet detection sensor disposed downstream from the fixing device and upstream from the divider. The first conveyance passage includes a sheet outlet from which the sheet is ejected outside the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a ventilation passage communicating with an outside, to guide air from the outside to pass the sheet detection sensor and enter at least one of the first conveyance passage and the second conveyance passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya TANAKA, Shoji ASANUMA, Taiga SHOEN, Yoshihide OHTA, Akimitsu OBANA, Makoto KIKURA
  • Patent number: 10599091
    Abstract: A cabinet includes a first body side engagement and a second body side engagement mounted on a body and a first cover side engagement and a second cover side engagement mounted on a cover. Slide restriction faces of the first cover side engagement and the second cover side engagement come into contact with slide restriction faces of the first body side engagement and the second body side engagement, respectively, to restrict sliding of a slider when the first cover side engagement does not engage the first body side engagement. The slide restriction face of at least one of the first body side engagement and the first cover side engagement has a length that is greater than a length of the slide restriction face of other one of the first body side engagement, the first cover side engagement, the second body side engagement, and the second cover side engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kikura, Yoshihide Ohta, Shoji Asanuma, Gakushi Tanaka, Tomoya Tanaka, Akimitsu Obana, Taiga Shoen
  • Publication number: 20190227478
    Abstract: A cabinet includes a first body side engagement and a second body side engagement mounted on a body and a first cover side engagement and a second cover side engagement mounted on a cover. Slide restriction faces of the first cover side engagement and the second cover side engagement come into contact with slide restriction faces of the first body side engagement and the second body side engagement, respectively, to restrict sliding of a slider when the first cover side engagement does not engage the first body side engagement. The slide restriction face of at least one of the first body side engagement and the first cover side engagement has a length that is greater than a length of the slide restriction face of other one of the first body side engagement, the first cover side engagement, the second body side engagement, and the second cover side engagement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kikura, Yoshihide Ohta, Shoji Asanuma, Gakushi Tanaka, Tomoya Tanaka, Akimitsu Obana, Taiga Shoen
  • Patent number: 9244417
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an image forming unit, an intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer member, an image detector, a computing device, and a conveyor device. The computing device calculates a traveling speed of the intermediate transfer member based on detection information provided by the image detector. The conveyor device continuously transports to a secondary transfer portion a plurality of recording media one by one at a predetermined interval between successive recording media. The image forming unit forms a test image at a space between successive recording-medium contact regions of the intermediate transfer member at which the recording medium contacts the intermediate transfer member. A travel distance of the intermediate transfer member from the detection position on the intermediate transfer member to the secondary transfer portion in a traveling direction thereof is shorter than the space between the successive recording-medium contact regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Yuuki Shiga, Kimihiro Tanaka, Toshikane Nishii, Akimitsu Obana
  • Publication number: 20150153686
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an image forming unit, an intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer member, an image detector, a computing device, and a conveyor device. The computing device calculates a traveling speed of the intermediate transfer member based on detection information provided by the image detector. The conveyor device continuously transports to a secondary transfer portion a plurality of recording media one by one at a predetermined interval between successive recording media. The image forming unit forms a test image at a space between successive recording-medium contact regions of the intermediate transfer member at which the recording medium contacts the intermediate transfer member. A travel distance of the intermediate transfer member from the detection position on the intermediate transfer member to the secondary transfer portion in a traveling direction thereof is shorter than the space between the successive recording-medium contact regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Yuuki Shiga, Kimihiro Tanaka, Toshikane Nishii, Akimitsu Obana