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).
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Publication number: 20240019807Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2022Publication date: January 18, 2024Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Akimitsu OBANA
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Patent number: 11846907Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 19, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Akimitsu Obana
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Publication number: 20230266707Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2022Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Akimitsu Obana
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Patent number: 10935929Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tomoya Tanaka, Shoji Asanuma, Taiga Shoen, Yoshihide Ohta, Akimitsu Obana, Makoto Kikura
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Patent number: 10761477Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 24, 2019Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yoshihide Ohta, Makoto Kikura, Shoji Asanuma, Akimitsu Obana, Tomoya Tanaka, Taiga Shoen
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Publication number: 20200133195Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihide OHTA, Makoto KIKURA, Shoji ASANUMA, Akimitsu OBANA, Tomoya TANAKA, Taiga SHOEN
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Publication number: 20200103823Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2019Publication date: April 2, 2020Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tomoya TANAKA, Shoji ASANUMA, Taiga SHOEN, Yoshihide OHTA, Akimitsu OBANA, Makoto KIKURA
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Patent number: 10599091Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 12, 2018Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Kikura, Yoshihide Ohta, Shoji Asanuma, Gakushi Tanaka, Tomoya Tanaka, Akimitsu Obana, Taiga Shoen
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Publication number: 20190227478Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2018Publication date: July 25, 2019Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Kikura, Yoshihide Ohta, Shoji Asanuma, Gakushi Tanaka, Tomoya Tanaka, Akimitsu Obana, Taiga Shoen
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Patent number: 9244417Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 1, 2014Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Yuuki Shiga, Kimihiro Tanaka, Toshikane Nishii, Akimitsu Obana
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Publication number: 20150153686Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2014Publication date: June 4, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Yuuki Shiga, Kimihiro Tanaka, Toshikane Nishii, Akimitsu Obana