Patents by Inventor Akira Azami
Akira Azami 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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Patent number: 11681238Abstract: An image forming method includes forming, fixing, and applying. The forming forms a toner image on a recording medium by an image forming device. The fixing fixes the toner image on the recording medium with heat by a fixing device. The applying applies an electric charge by a charge applying device to the recording medium on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device, in a state in which an output-adjustable power source for the charge applying device has an electric current that is controlled to be constant.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2022Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Akira Azami
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Patent number: 11635711Abstract: An image forming method is provided. The image forming method includes: forming an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image bearer; developing the electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image bearer with a toner to form a toner image; transferring the toner image from the electrostatic latent image bearer onto a continuous resin film; fixing the toner image on the continuous resin film with a heat roller or a heat belt. The toner contains a maleic-acid-modified polyolefin having a polypropylene block in a main chain.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Minoru Masuda, Kazumi Suzuki, Toyoshi Sawada, Akira Azami
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Patent number: 11635724Abstract: A method for manufacturing a removable information sheet includes: forming a toner image on a recording medium; applying an energy-ray-curable pressure-sensitive composition precursor onto the medium to form an energy-ray-curable pressure-sensitive composition precursor layer; irradiating, with an energy ray, the medium to cure the layer and form an energy-ray-curable pressure-sensitive composition; and attaching faces with the composition and pressure-bonding the faces. A region size of a toner-image flat part is 200 ?m or less in the image, which is determined by a measurement method including: defining a site at a depth of 2 ?m or more from a surface of a solid part of the image as a recess; defining a site other than the recess as the flat part; acquiring and binarizing a micrograph of the solid part; drawing circles out of contact with the recess; and defining a largest circle diameter as the size of the flat part.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Kaori Hemmi, Akira Azami, Takahiro Suzuki
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Publication number: 20230024199Abstract: A sheet conveyance guide includes a sheet material. The sheet material has a surface to face a sheet when the sheet conveyance guide guides the sheet travelling in a conveyance direction. The sheet material has irregularities over a whole area of the surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2022Publication date: January 26, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hideyo MAKINO, Akira AZAMI, Michihito OHASHI, Akio KOSUGE, Kaori HEMMI
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Publication number: 20220350271Abstract: An image forming method includes forming, fixing, and applying. The forming forms a toner image on a recording medium by an image forming device. The fixing fixes the toner image on the recording medium with heat by a fixing device. The applying applies an electric charge by a charge applying device to the recording medium on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device, in a state in which an output-adjustable power source for the charge applying device has an electric current that is controlled to be constant.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventor: Akira AZAMI
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Publication number: 20220075310Abstract: A method for manufacturing a removable information sheet includes: forming a toner image on a recording medium; applying an energy-ray-curable pressure-sensitive composition precursor onto the medium to form an energy-ray-curable pressure-sensitive composition precursor layer; irradiating, with an energy ray, the medium to cure the layer and form an energy-ray-curable pressure-sensitive composition; and attaching faces with the composition and pressure-bonding the faces. A region size of a toner-image flat part is 200 ?m or less in the image, which is determined by a measurement method including: defining a site at a depth of 2 ?m or more from a surface of a solid part of the image as a recess; defining a site other than the recess as the flat part; acquiring and binarizing a micrograph of the solid part; drawing circles out of contact with the recess; and defining a largest circle diameter as the size of the flat part.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Toshiyuki KABATA, Kaori HEMMI, Akira AZAMI, Takahiro SUZUKI
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Publication number: 20210311416Abstract: An image forming method is provided. The image forming method includes: forming an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image bearer; developing the electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image bearer with a toner to form a toner image; transferring the toner image from the electrostatic latent image bearer onto a continuous resin film; fixing the toner image on the continuous resin film with a heat roller or a heat belt. The toner contains a maleic-acid-modified polyolefin having a polypropylene block in a main chain.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2021Publication date: October 7, 2021Inventors: Minoru MASUDA, Kazumi SUZUKI, Toyoshi SAWADA, Akira AZAMI
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Patent number: 11036168Abstract: An image forming method for an image forming apparatus having a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator opposite the fixing rotator includes transferring white toner and color toner onto a surface of a metallic sheet. The metallic sheet has a thermal conductivity of 0.34 W/m·K or less as measured by hot-wire method. The transferring process forms an unfixed color toner layer layered on an unfixed white toner layer on the metallic sheet. Further, the method includes conveying the metallic sheet, with the surface on which the white toner layer and the color toner layer being transferred facing the fixing rotator, between the fixing rotator heated and the pressure rotator to fix the white toner layer and the color toner layer onto the metallic sheet.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2020Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Megumi Arai, Akira Azami, Toshiaki Motohashi
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Publication number: 20200301328Abstract: An image forming method for an image forming apparatus having a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator opposite the fixing rotator includes transferring white toner and color toner onto a surface of a metallic sheet having a thermal conductivity of 0.34 W/m·K or less as measured by hot-wire method to form an unfixed color toner layer layered on an unfixed white toner layer on the metallic sheet and conveying the metallic sheet, with the surface on which the white toner layer and the color toner layer are transferred facing the fixing rotator, between the fixing rotator heated and the pressure rotator to fix the white toner layer and the color toner layer onto the metallic sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Inventors: Toshiyuki KABATA, Megumi ARAI, Akira AZAMI, Toshiaki MOTOHASHI
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Publication number: 20180285895Abstract: Variation of attribute values of agents are estimated by performing a method including obtaining a first matrix that represents sales records, each sales record including an item among items, a sales event among sales events, and an agent among agents. The first matrix is decomposed into a second matrix that represents first attribute values for each of the sales events, and a third matrix that represents the first attribute values for each of the items. The first attribute values are calculated for an agent among the agents, based on the second matrix, and a variation of the first attribute values for the agent are estimated as caused by a variation of sales records of each of the item among the items.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2017Publication date: October 4, 2018Inventors: Akira Azami, Tetsuro Morimura
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Publication number: 20180285891Abstract: Variation of attribute values of agents are estimated by performing a method including obtaining a first matrix that represents sales records, each sales record including an item among items, a sales event among sales events, and an agent among agents. The first matrix is decomposed into a second matrix that represents first attribute values for each of the sales events, and a third matrix that represents the first attribute values for each of the items. The first attribute values are calculated for an agent among the agents, based on the second matrix, and a variation of the first attribute values for the agent are estimated as caused by a variation of sales records of each of the item among the items.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2017Publication date: October 4, 2018Inventors: Akira Azami, Tetsuro Morimura
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Patent number: 9921541Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer to carry, by rotation, developer including toner and magnetic carrier to a developing range facing a latent image bearer; a casing including a developer container and an opening to expose a part of the developer bearer disposed in the casing; an opposing face of the casing including a conductive material and opposing to a surface of the developer bearer downstream from the developing range in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer; a developing bias source to apply a developing bias to the developer bearer; and an insulation layer disposed on the opposing face of the casing. The opposing face is disposed across, from the developer bearer, a casing gap sized to allow the developer borne on the developer bearer to contact the opposing face.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yasunobu Shimizu, Akira Azami, Masaaki Yamada, Yoshiko Ogawa, Toshio Koike, Mutsuki Morinaga, Yutaka Takahashi, Keinosuke Kondoh, Kentaro Mikuniya, Yoshiharu Kishi
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Patent number: 9772579Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer disposed facing a latent image bearer in a developing range to transport developer by rotation, a support to support the developer bearer and including a holder mount, a rod-shaped developer regulator disposed facing a surface of the developer bearer across a gap, and a holder secured to the holder mount of the support to hold the rod-shaped developer regulator. The rod-shaped developer regulator extends in an axial direction of the developer bearer.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2016Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuki Oshikawa, Akira Azami, Yoshiko Ogawa, Masaaki Yamada, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Noriyuki Kimura, Yoshiharu Kishi, Yasunobu Shimizu, Junichi Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Yuuji Ishikura, Kei Saito
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Publication number: 20170108795Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer disposed facing a latent image hearer in a developing range to transport developer by rotation, a support to support the developer bearer and including a holder mount, a rod-shaped developer regulator disposed facing a surface of the developer bearer across a gap, and a holder secured to the holder mount of the support to hold the rod-shaped developer regulator. The rod-shaped developer regulator extends in an axial direction of the developer bearer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2016Publication date: April 20, 2017Inventors: Yuki OSHIKAWA, Akira Azami, Yoshiko Ogawa, Masaaki Yamada, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Noriyuki Kimura, Yoshiharu Kishi, Yasunobu Shimizu, Junichi Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Yuuji Ishikura, Kei Saito
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Patent number: 9625851Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer disposed facing a latent image bearer in a developing range to transport developer by rotation, a support to support the developer bearer and including a holder mount, a rod-shaped developer regulator disposed facing a surface of the developer bearer across a gap, and a holder secured to the holder mount of the support to hold the rod-shaped developer regulator. The rod-shaped developer regulator extends in an axial direction of the developer bearer.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2016Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuki Oshikawa, Akira Azami, Yoshiko Ogawa, Masaaki Yamada, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Noriyuki Kimura, Yoshiharu Kishi, Yasunobu Shimizu, Junichi Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Yuuji Ishikura, Kei Saito
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Publication number: 20160238966Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer disposed facing a latent image bearer in a developing range to transport developer by rotation, a support to support the developer bearer and including a holder mount, a rod-shaped developer regulator disposed facing a surface of the developer bearer across a gap, and a holder secured to the holder mount of the support to hold the rod-shaped developer regulator. The rod-shaped developer regulator extends in an axial direction of the developer bearer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2016Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventors: Yuki OSHIKAWA, Akira AZAMI, Yoshiko OGAWA, Masaaki YAMADA, Yoshihiro FUJIWARA, Noriyuki KIMURA, Yoshiharu KISHI, Yasunobu SHIMIZU, Junichi MATSUMOTO, Yoshiyuki FUKUDA, Yuuji ISHIKURA, Kei SAITO
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Publication number: 20150338824Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearer to carry, by rotation, developer including toner and magnetic carrier to a developing range facing a latent image bearer; a casing including a developer container and an opening to expose a part of the developer bearer disposed in the casing; an opposing face of the casing including a conductive material and opposing to a surface of the developer bearer downstream from the developing range in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer; a developing bias source to apply a developing bias to the developer bearer; and an insulation layer disposed on the opposing face of the casing. The opposing face is disposed across, from the developer bearer, a casing gap sized to allow the developer borne on the developer bearer to contact the opposing face.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Yasunobu Shimizu, Akira Azami, Masaaki Yamada, Yoshiko Ogawa, Toshio Koike, Mutsuki Morinaga, Yutaka Takahashi, Keinosuke Kondoh, Kentaro Mikuniya, Yoshiharu Kishi
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Publication number: 20150177646Abstract: A device that estimates carrier deterioration indicating a degree of deterioration of carrier inside a developing device using a two-component developer includes a first carrier deterioration calculation unit, a second carrier deterioration calculation unit, and a carrier deterioration degree output unit. The first carrier deterioration calculation unit uses toner consumption and agitation time to calculate a first carrier deterioration degree indicating a degree of carrier deterioration caused by a spent phenomenon. The second carrier deterioration calculation unit uses the toner consumption and the agitation time to calculate a second carrier deterioration degree indicating a degree of carrier deterioration caused by a carrier abrasion phenomenon. The carrier deterioration degree output unit uses the toner consumption to select one of the first carrier deterioration degree and the second carrier deterioration degree, and outputs the selected carrier deterioration degree.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2014Publication date: June 25, 2015Inventors: Masaaki YAMADA, Akira AZAMI, Atsushi TANO, Mutsuki MORINAGA, Emiko SHIRAISHI, Hiroaki KUWABARA
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Patent number: 9046821Abstract: A developing device to develop with two-component developer an electrostatic latent image includes a developer bearer to carry thereon developer supplied to the latent image bearer, a first conveyance channel disposed adjacent to the developer bearer, a second conveyance channel disposed adjacent to the first conveyance channel and farther from the developer bearer than the first conveyance channel, a first conveying member disposed in the first conveyance channel to agitate and transport developer supplied to the developer bearer, a second conveying member including a spiral blade winding around a shaft to transport developer in the second conveyance channel in a predetermined developer conveyance direction, and a collected-developer guide to guide a part of developer that leaves the developer bearer to the second conveyance channel beyond the first conveyance channel.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2013Date of Patent: June 2, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tomoya Ohmura, Akira Azami, Toshio Koike, Masaaki Yamada, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20140112687Abstract: A developing device to develop with two-component developer an electrostatic latent image includes a developer bearer to carry thereon developer supplied to the latent image bearer, a first conveyance channel disposed adjacent to the developer bearer, a second conveyance channel disposed adjacent to the first conveyance channel and farther from the developer bearer than the first conveyance channel, a first conveying member disposed in the first conveyance channel to agitate and transport developer supplied to the developer bearer, a second conveying member including a spiral blade winding around a shaft to transport developer in the second conveyance channel in a predetermined developer conveyance direction, and a collected-developer guide to guide a part of developer that leaves the developer bearer to the second conveyance channel beyond the first conveyance channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Inventors: Tomoya Ohmura, Akira Azami, Toshio Koike, Masaaki Yamada, Hiroaki Okamoto