Patents by Inventor Atsushi Nakafuji
Atsushi Nakafuji 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: 7526242Abstract: A first guide member and a second guide member guide a recording medium into a nip between a transfer member and a nip-forming member. The first guide member and the second guide member are arranged so as to form a substantial V-shape with tip of the V-shape being toward the nip. A distance between the first guide member and the second guide member at the tip being equal to or less than 5 millimeters.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2006Date of Patent: April 28, 2009Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Fujita, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hirohmi Tamura, Hiroyuki Kunii, Kohji Ue
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Patent number: 7433641Abstract: A fixing member heat bonds a toner on a recording material. The fixing member includes a releasing layer, a layer of elastic material, below the releasing layer, and a layer of adiabatic and hygroscopic material, below the layer of elastic material. The layer of elastic material includes a layer of electrically conducting material to pass electric currents, an adiabatic, elastic, and hydrophobic material, and a porous material to the release of the moisture absorbed by the layer of adiabatic and hygroscopic material.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2005Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Toshihiko Baba, Shigeo Kurotaka, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hiroyuki Kunii, Yukimichi Someya, Katsuhiro Echigo, Takashi Fujita
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Publication number: 20080138124Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2008Publication date: June 12, 2008Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Shigeo Kurotaka, Kiyoshi Ohshima, Takashi Fujita, Toshihiko Baba, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Jun Yura, Echigo Katsuhiro, Hideki Kosugi
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Patent number: 7369803Abstract: A fixing device for fixing image information on a recording medium passing a nip of the present invention includes a rotatable member for transferring and conveying a non-fixed image, a first heating means for heating an image present on the rotatable member and a rotatable pressing member forming a nip in combination with the rotatable member. A heat pipe extends in parallel to the axis of the rotatable member. A radiating member is positioned at one end of the heat pipe while a heating member is positioned at the other end of the heat pipe.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2005Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Katsuhiro Echigo, Takashi Fujita, Shigeo Kurotaka, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yukimichi Someya, Toshihiko Baba, Hiroyuki Kunii, Atsushi Nakafuji, Kohji Ue
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Publication number: 20080069610Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for bearing a visible image thereon, an endless transfer-fixing belt stretchedly disposed between a plurality of spanning members, a pressure member for pressing the transfer-fixing belt to the image carrier while contacting a backside of the transfer-fixing belt at the transfer nip, and a heater for heating the visible image. The visible image on the image carrier is transferred onto the front surface of the transfer-fixing belt at the transfer nip and is transported to the transfer-fixing nip while heated by the heater, where the visible image is transferred and fixed on a recording member. The transfer-fixing belt is stretchedly arranged such that the transfer-fixing belt travels in a direction substantially perpendicular to a pressure direction of the pressure member in the proximity of the transfer nip.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2007Publication date: March 20, 2008Inventors: Atsushi NAKAFUJI, Takashi Fujita, Shin Kayahara, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Seto, Katsuaki Miyawaki, Kazumi Suzuki, Hirohmi Tamura
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Patent number: 7346305Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2006Date of Patent: March 18, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, LtdInventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Shigeo Kurotaka, Kiyoshi Ohshima, Takashi Fujita, Toshihiko Baba, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Jun Yura, Katsuhiro Echigo, Hideki Kosugi
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Patent number: 7333760Abstract: A fixing device including a magnetic field generating device to generate a magnetic field, a fixing member to heat a recording material by heat generated in a first recording material passing area having a first width on the fixing member by electromagnetic induction heat generation by the magnetic field formed by the magnetic field generating device, a pressing member to form a nip portion where the pressing member and the fixing member press against each other to fix an unfixed image on the recording material, and at least one radiation heating device configured to heat a second recording material passing area having a second width.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2005Date of Patent: February 19, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Toshihiko Baba, Shigeo Kurotaka, Katsuhiro Echigo, Takashi Fujita, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yukimichi Someya, Hiroyuki Kunii, Atsushi Nakafuji, Kohji Ue
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Publication number: 20080008505Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit, an intermediate transferring unit which has an intermediate transfer belt and a plurality of rollers supporting the intermediate transfer belt, and a transfer fixing unit. The transfer fixing unit has a transfer fixing belt, a plurality of rollers supporting the transfer fixing belt, a heating member, and a pressurizing member forming a transfer fixing nip with the transfer fixing belt. A first roller, which is one of the plurality of rollers supporting the intermediate transferring belt, is opposite to a second roller, which is one of the plurality of rollers supporting the fixing transfer belt. The first roller and the second roller form a transfer nip between the intermediate transferring belt and the fixing transfer belt. The diameter of the first roller is smaller than the diameter of the second roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2007Publication date: January 10, 2008Inventors: Takashi SETO, Takashi Fujita, Katsuaki Miyawaki, Shin Kayahara, Atsushi Nakafuji, Kazumi Suzuki, Hirohmi Tamura, Hiromitsu Takagaki
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Patent number: 7299003Abstract: A fixing belt is heated by electromagnetic induction. The fixing belt has a heat generating layer that has a thickness not greater than 40 ?m and a releasing layer that has a thickness not less than 10 ?m. A toner that includes at least a binder resin, a colorant, and a mold releasing agent, and has a glass transition temperature in a range of 35° C. to 50° C. and an outflow-start temperature in a range of 80° C. to 110° C., is used.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2005Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Shigeo Kurotaka, Masami Tomita, Katsuhiro Echigo, Takashi Fujita, Toshihiko Baba, Hisashi Kikuchi, Hiroyuki Kunii, Atsushi Nakafuji, Yukimichi Someya, Kohji Ue
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Publication number: 20070218386Abstract: A process includes developing toner images on a photoconductor, transferring to an intermediate transfer belt and a transferring-and-fixing roller. The toner images are transferred to and fixed to a paper simultaneously while the paper moves between the transferring-and-fixing roller and a pressure roller which is pressed against the transferring-and-fixing roller. After transfer process to the paper, residual toner particles remaining on the transferring-and-fixing roller are removed by a cleaning roller. In order to achieve a cleanability from the transferring-and-fixing roller and prevent the intermediate belt from becoming too high temperature, the elastic modulus of the toner particles measured when the toner particles are heated is greater than the elastic modulus of the toner particles when cooled in a temperature range where the glass transition temperature and 10° C. lower than the melting temperature of the toner particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2007Publication date: September 20, 2007Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Fujita, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hiromi Tamura, Shin Kayahara, Tsuyoshi Sugimoto, Takashi Seto, Katsuaki Miyawaki
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Publication number: 20070212126Abstract: A transfer unit for use in an image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, and a counter member. The transfer belt, having a given circumferential length, receives an un-fixed image, formed of an image developer, from an image carrier at a first nip, which is defined between the transfer belt and the image carrier. The counter member faces the transfer belt to form a second nip with the transfer belt. The un-fixed image is transferred from the transfer belt to a recording medium passing through the second nip. A slack portion is generated in the transfer belt, when a front edge of the recording medium passes through the second nip. The slack portion of the transfer belt being generated in a first portion of the transfer belt returning from the second nip to the first nip.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2007Publication date: September 13, 2007Inventors: Takashi Seto, Takeshi Takemoto, Takashi Fujita, Katsuaki Miyawaki, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Shin Kayahara, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hiromi Tamura, Kazumi Suzuki
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Patent number: 7269384Abstract: A transfer-fixing unit for use in an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer member and a transfer-fixing unit, which includes a pressure member and a transfer-fixing member. The intermediate transfer member receives a toner image thereon. The transfer-fixing member has a deformable surface layer thereon, and directly receives the toner image from the intermediate transfer member, and transfers and fixes the toner image to a recording medium while deforming the surface layer in response to surface irregularities of the recording medium. The transfer-fixing member forms a nip portion with the pressure member and presses the recording medium at the nip portion when the recording medium passes through the nip portion with a nip time.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2005Date of Patent: September 11, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yukimichi Someya, Takashi Fujita, Atsushi Nakafuji, Katsuhiro Echigo, Hiroyuki Kunii, Shigeo Kurotaka, Hisashi Kikuchi, Toshihiko Baba, Kohji Ue, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Hirohmi Tamura
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Patent number: 7254362Abstract: A fixing device containing at least one fixing member configured to fix a toner image on a transfer material, which includes a first substrate and a pressing member configured to form a nip with the at least one fixing member, which includes a second substrate, and a heater. At least one of the at least one fixing member and the pressing member further contains a heat insulating layer overlying the first or second substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2004Date of Patent: August 7, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Takashi Fujita, Yukimichi Someya, Katsuhiro Echigo, Hiroyuki Kunii, Shigeo Kurotaka, Atsushi Nakafuji
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Patent number: 7251429Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a fixing device for fixing a toner image formed on a recording medium. A heat source is applied with power for generating heat to thereby heating the heating device. A drive circuit includes a storage capable of being selectively charged or discharged and a charger for charging the storage by being supplied with power from a commercial power supply. A discharging device discharges the storage in a non-use mode in which the apparatus is not used.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2006Date of Patent: July 31, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Atsushi Nakafuji, Shigeo Kurotaka, Katsuhiro Echigo, Takashi Fujita, Hisashi Kikuchi, Jun Yura, Toshihiko Baba, Hirokazu Ikenoue
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Patent number: 7233762Abstract: An unfixed toner image on a transferring and fixing belt is passed through a pair of toner integrating rollers. A surface side of the toner integrated that is in contact with a paper, is heated by a halogen heater to impart a tackiness required for fixing. As a result of this, a temperature of a surface side of the toner that is in contact with the transferring and fixing belt is not as high as a temperature of the surface side of the toner that is in contact with the paper. Therefore, even if the toner is pressurized, and transferred and fixed at a fixing nip, a difference in an area of the toner is small. This enables to achieve a good image quality.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Kunii, Katsuhiro Echigo, Hisashi Kikuchi, Atsushi Nakafuji, Yukimichi Someya, Shigeo Kurotaka, Toshihiko Baba, Kohji Ue, Takashi Fujita
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Patent number: 7224928Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2004Date of Patent: May 29, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Shigeo Kurotaka, Kiyoshi Ohshima, Takashi Fujita, Toshihiko Baba, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Jun Yura, Katsuhiro Echigo, Hideki Kosugi
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Publication number: 20070104520Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes an image forming mechanism configured to form an image, and a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image formed on a recording medium. The fixing unit includes a fixing device having a first endless moving member configured to rotate, and a second endless moving member configured to rotate to form a nip area together with the first endless moving member to fix, at the nip area, a toner image disposed on the recording medium onto the recording medium with heat and pressure, the second endless moving member including a surface layer having a universal hardness HU and a maximum nip surface pressure P each within a predetermined range.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2006Publication date: May 10, 2007Inventors: Atsushi Nakafuji, Hiroyuki Kunii, Yukimichi Someya, Katsuhiro Echigo, Takashi Fujita, Hisashi Kikuchi, Toshihiko Baba, Shigeo Kurotaka
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Publication number: 20070071511Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with an image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit which forms a latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member, a developing unit which develops the latent electrostatic image by using a toner to form a toner image, a transfer fixing member 13 which is roll shaped or belt shaped and bears the toner image T, a heating unit 15 which heats the toner image on the transfer fixing member; and a pressurizing member 14 which is roll shaped and forms a transfer fixing nip N with the transfer fixing member. And the toner image T on the transfer fixing member is transferred and fixed simultaneously to a recording medium P which passes through the transfer fixing nip to record an image on the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2006Publication date: March 29, 2007Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Takashi Fujita, Hideki Kosugi, Ichiro Kadota, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hiromitsu Takagaki
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Publication number: 20070071513Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member to be heated and a pressure-contacting member for pressure contacting the fixing member. The fixing apparatus directs and conveys a recording member through a nip formed between the fixing member and pressure applying member in such a manner that a toner image carried on a recording member contacts the fixing member in order to be fixed thereto with heat and pressure. The fixing apparatus is configured to direct a tip margin of the recording member toward the pressure applying member across a virtual linear extension line drawn from a downstream end to upstream end of the nip when only the tip margin exits from the nip. A fixing member side separation device may be separately provided from the surface of the fixing apparatus so as to separate the recording member exiting from the nip. A gap formed between the downstream end of the nip and the tip of the fixing member side separation device is set smaller than the width of the tip margin.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2006Publication date: March 29, 2007Inventors: Hisashi KIKUCHI, Shigeo Kurotaka, Kiyoshi Oshima, Takashi Fujita, Toshihiko Baba, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hirokazu Ikenoue, Jun Yura, Katsuhiro Echigo, Hideki Kosugi
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Publication number: 20070065188Abstract: A first guide member and a second guide member guide a recording medium into a nip between a transfer member and a nip-forming member. The first guide member and the second guide member are arranged so as to form a substantial V-shape with tip of the V-shape being toward the nip. A distance between the first guide member and the second guide member at the tip being equal to or less than 5 millimeters.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2006Publication date: March 22, 2007Inventors: Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Fujita, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hirohmi Tamura, Hiroyuki Kunii, Kohji Ue