Patents by Inventor Ayako Mito

Ayako Mito 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).

  • Patent number: 8953992
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing unit, a cleaning unit, and a controller. The fixing unit includes a pair of nipping members and a heat source that heats at least one of the pair of nipping members. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning web wound on a supply core to be supplied from the supply core and taken up on a take-up core, and a pressing roller that is pressed against one of the pair of nipping members. The controller causes the take-up core to rotate in such a manner that, when a leading portion of the cleaning web extending up to 2% of an overall length of the cleaning web from a leading end of the cleaning web is fed, a length of the cleaning web to be fed in one feeding is 10-30% larger than when a subsequent portion of the cleaning web is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ayako Mito, Ryuichi Kikegawa
  • Publication number: 20130236220
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing unit, a cleaning unit, and a controller. The fixing unit includes a pair of nipping members and a heat source that heats at least one of the pair of nipping members. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning web wound on a supply core to be supplied from the supply core and taken up on a take-up core, and a pressing roller that is pressed against one of the pair of nipping members. The controller causes the take-up core to rotate in such a manner that, when a leading portion of the cleaning web extending up to 2% of an overall length of the cleaning web from a leading end of the cleaning web is fed, a length of the cleaning web to be fed in one feeding is 10-30% larger than when a subsequent portion of the cleaning web is fed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ayako MITO, Ryuichi KIKEGAWA
  • Patent number: 8019247
    Abstract: A disclosed fusing device includes a fusing part; a pressing part rotatably pressed against the fusing part to form a fusing nip for fusing a toner image onto a sheet; a capacitor; a center heater for heating a center portion of the fusing part; an edge heater for heating edge portions of the fusing part; an auxiliary heater for heating the fusing part; and a control unit configured to continuously turn off the edge heater and to turn on the center heater and the auxiliary heater to heat the fusing part during a fusing process of one or more small-size sheets having a width less than that of the heat generating portion of the center heater. The control unit is configured to turn on the edge heater to heat the fusing part when the capacitor stops discharging electricity during a consecutive fusing process of multiple small-size sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayako Mito, Ryuichi Kikegawa
  • Publication number: 20090196643
    Abstract: A disclosed fusing device includes a fusing part; a pressing part rotatably pressed against the fusing part to form a fusing nip for fusing a toner image onto a sheet; a capacitor; a center heater for heating a center portion of the fusing part; an edge heater for heating edge portions of the fusing part; an auxiliary heater for heating the fusing part; and a control unit configured to continuously turn off the edge heater and to turn on the center heater and the auxiliary heater to heat the fusing part during a fusing process of one or more small-size sheets having a width less than that of the heat generating portion of the center heater. The control unit is configured to turn on the edge heater to heat the fusing part when the capacitor stops discharging electricity during a consecutive fusing process of multiple small-size sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Ayako MITO, Ryuichi Kikegawa