Patents by Inventor Eiji Shimojo
Eiji Shimojo 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: 7769310Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a visible image is transferred to a transfer material includes a pre-transfer exposing unit that makes only a portion of a latent image carrier that corresponds to a leading edge of the transfer material expose, and a transfer-bias applying unit that applies a bias for transferring the visible image. The transfer-bias applying unit starts applying the bias to the transfer material, at least step-by-step, when a predetermined time is passed from a point of time at which the leading edge of the transfer material comes into a contact with the latent image carrier by controlling the pre-transfer exposing unit and a bias applying timing of the transfer-bias applying unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hirokazu Ishii, Satoshi Takano, Hiroshi Saitoh, Ryoh Tanoue, Itaru Matsuda, Yuji Suzuki, Eiji Shimojo, Noboru Onodera, Hidenori Nihei
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Patent number: 7672605Abstract: A transfer device is provided for an image forming apparatus designed such that toner images formed on a plurality of image bearing members are transferred one over another on a transfer body disposed in contact with each of the image bearing members with predetermined pressure and thus a toner image in two or more colors is formed on the transfer body. The transfer device includes a pressure varying mechanism which is capable of separating the transfer body from at least some of the image bearing members, and capable of varying transfer pressure between the image bearing members and the transfer body in contact with said image bearing members.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2007Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Shin Kayahara, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Eisaku Murakami, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Eiji Shimojo, Shunichi Hashimoto
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Patent number: 7630659Abstract: A method and an apparatus of controlling a charge voltage including the steps of applying, charging, detecting, and determining. The applying step applies an application voltage having a direct-current voltage and an alternating-current voltage superimposed onto the direct-current voltage to a charge-applying member to charge a charge carrier. The changing step charges the alternating-current voltage of the application voltage. The detecting step detects an alternating current flowing through the charge carrier when the charge-applying member applies the application voltage to the charge carrier. The determining step determines a value of the alternating-current voltage of the application voltage based on at least two alternating currents detected by the alternating-current detector.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2006Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Eisaku Murakami, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Eiji Shimojo, Shunichi Hashimoto, Shin Kayahara
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Patent number: 7603062Abstract: A conductive member, including a long conductive supporting body, an electrical resistance adjusting layer, disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the conductive supporting body and having a reduced diameter section at either end, and a pair of gap maintaining members which are respectively fitted onto said reduced diameter sections of the electrical resistance adjusting layer. The outer circumferential surfaces of the gap maintaining members have a height differential with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the electrical resistance adjusting layer, in such a manner that when abutted against an image carrier, a prescribed gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier and the outer circumferential surface of the electrical resistance adjusting layer. An interval between the end faces of the electrical resistance adjusting layer and the faces of the gap maintaining members opposing the end faces satisfies a predetermined relationship.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2006Date of Patent: October 13, 2009Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Eiji Shimojo, Masanori Kawasumi, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Masahiko Satoh, Takeshi Uchitani, Hideki Zemba, Yutaka Narita, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eisaku Murakami, Shin Kayahara
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Patent number: 7555243Abstract: A charging member, which can be provided in a process cartridge and/or in an image forming apparatus, includes a conductive supporting member, an electrical resistance control layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the conductive supporting member, and a nonconductive gap retaining member configured to retain a gap between the conductive supporting member and an image carrying member closely disposed to each other to have a constant distance. At least a portion of the nonconductive gap retaining member is mounted on the electrical resistance control layer at both ends of the conductive supporting member, and a circumference of the nonconductive gap retaining member projects from the electrical resistance control layer. An amount of projection of the gap retaining member from the electrical resistance control layer decreases as the gap retaining member tapers in a direction toward a center of an image formation region.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2007Date of Patent: June 30, 2009Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Eisaku Murakami, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Shin Kayahara, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eiji Shimojo
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Patent number: 7333744Abstract: A charge apparatus charges by uniformly superimposing an alternate current bias voltage with a fixed frequency over a direct current bias voltage as the charge bias voltage on a photosensitive member. An exposure apparatus exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive member based on image data, and writes a latent image, and a developing apparatus supplies toner to and makes visible the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member. A transfer apparatus transfers the visible image on the photosensitive member to a transfer medium, and a cleaning apparatus cleans the surface of the photosensitive member after transfer.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2005Date of Patent: February 19, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Eiji Shimojo, Haruji Mizuishi, Tokuya Ojimi, Masanori Kawasumi, Takuzi Yoneda, Ken Amemiya, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Hiroshi Ono, Toshio Koike, Masami Tomita, Yuji Arai, Takeshi Uchitani
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Publication number: 20080008499Abstract: A charging member, which can be provided in a process cartridge and/or in an image forming apparatus, includes a conductive supporting member, an electrical resistance control layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the conductive supporting member, and a nonconductive gap retaining member configured to retain a gap between the conductive supporting member and an image carrying member closely disposed to each other to have a constant distance. At least a portion of the nonconductive gap retaining member is mounted on the electrical resistance control layer at both ends of the conductive supporting member, and a circumference of the nonconductive gap retaining member projects from the electrical resistance control layer. An amount of projection of the gap retaining member from the electrical resistance control layer decreases as the gap retaining member tapers in a direction toward a center of an image formation region.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2007Publication date: January 10, 2008Inventors: Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Eisaku Murakami, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Shin Kayahara, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eiji Shimojo
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Publication number: 20070286628Abstract: A transfer device is provided for an image forming apparatus designed such that toner images formed on a plurality of image bearing members are transferred one over another on a transfer body disposed in contact with each of the image bearing members with predetermined pressure and thus a toner image in two or more colors is formed on the transfer body. The transfer device includes a pressure varying mechanism which is capable of separating the transfer body from at least some of the image bearing members, and capable of varying transfer pressure between the image bearing members and the transfer body in contact with said image bearing members.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2007Publication date: December 13, 2007Inventors: Shin KAYAHARA, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Eisaku Murakami, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Eiji Shimojo, Shunichi Hashimoto
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Publication number: 20070127941Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a visible image is transferred to a transfer material includes a pre-transfer exposing unit that makes only a portion of a latent image carrier that corresponds to a leading edge of the transfer material expose, and a transfer-bias applying unit that applies a bias for transferring the visible image. The transfer-bias applying unit starts applying the bias to the transfer material, at least step-by-step, when a predetermined time is passed from a point of time at which the leading edge of the transfer material comes into a contact with the latent image carrier by controlling the pre-transfer exposing unit and a bias applying timing of the transfer-bias applying unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2007Publication date: June 7, 2007Inventors: Hirokazu Ishii, Satoshi Takano, Hiroshi Saitoh, Ryoh Tanoue, Itaru Matsuda, Yuji Suzuki, Eiji Shimojo, Noboru Onodera, Hidenori Nihei
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Publication number: 20070065178Abstract: A conductive member forming a charging roller having high durability which maintains a stable gap with respect to an abutting member, comprising a long conductive supporting body, an electrical resistance adjusting layer, and gap maintaining members, wherein, taking X2 to be the thickness of the portions of the gap maintaining members which oppose the end faces of the electrical resistance adjusting layer, the relationship 1 mm?X2?3 mm is satisfied, taking X3 to be the interval between the end faces of the electrical resistance adjusting layer and the gap maintaining members which oppose these end faces, the relationship 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2006Publication date: March 22, 2007Inventors: Eiji Shimojo, Masanori Kawasumi, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Masahiko Satoh, Takeshi Uchitani, Hideki Zemba, Yutaka Narita, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eisaku Murakami, Shin Kayahara
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Patent number: 7184678Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a visible image is transferred to a transfer material includes a pre-transfer exposing unit that makes only a portion of a latent image carrier that corresponds to a leading edge of the transfer material expose, and a transfer-bias applying unit that applies a bias for transferring the visible image. The transfer-bias applying unit starts applying the bias to the transfer material, at least step-by-step, when a predetermined time is passed from a point of time at which the leading edge of the transfer material comes into a contact with the latent image carrier by controlling the pre-transfer exposing unit and a bias applying timing of the transfer-bias applying unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2004Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hirokazu Ishii, Satoshi Takano, Hiroshi Saitoh, Ryoh Tanoue, Itaru Matsuda, Yuji Suzuki, Eiji Shimojo, Noboru Onodera, Hidenori Nihei
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Publication number: 20060251438Abstract: A method and an apparatus of controlling a charge voltage including the steps of applying, charging, detecting, and determining. The applying step applies an application voltage having a direct-current voltage and an alternating-current voltage superimposed onto the direct-current voltage to a charge-applying member to charge a charge carrier. The changing step charges the alternating-current voltage of the application voltage. The detecting step detects an alternating current flowing through the charge carrier when the charge-applying member applies the application voltage to the charge carrier. The determining step determines a value of the alternating-current voltage of the application voltage based on at least two alternating currents detected by the alternating-current detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2006Publication date: November 9, 2006Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Eisaku Murakami, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Eiji Shimojo, Shunichi Hashimoto, Shin Kayahara
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Publication number: 20060133837Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can prevent the generation of filming with the simplest possible configuration even if a plurality of photosensitive member linear velocities are provided and the AC frequency of the charge apparatus is fixed. A charge apparatus that charges by uniformly superimposing on a photosensitive member an alternate current bias voltage with a fixed frequency over a direct current bias voltage as the charge bias voltage; an exposure apparatus that exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive member based on image data, and writes a latent image; a developing apparatus that supplies toner to and makes visible the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member; a transfer apparatus that transfers the visible image on the photosensitive member to a transfer medium; and a cleaning apparatus that cleans the surface of the photosensitive member after transfer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2005Publication date: June 22, 2006Inventors: Eiji Shimojo, Haruji Mizuishi, Tokuya Ojimi, Masanori Kawasumi, Takuzi Yoneda, Ken Amemiya, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Hiroshi Ono, Toshio Koike, Masami Tomita, Yuji Arai, Takeshi Uchitani
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Publication number: 20050180767Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a visible image is transferred to a transfer material includes a pre-transfer exposing unit that makes only a portion of a latent image carrier that corresponds to a leading edge of the transfer material expose, and a transfer-bias applying unit that applies a bias for transferring the visible image. The transfer-bias applying unit starts applying the bias to the transfer material, at least step-by-step, when a predetermined time is passed from a point of time at which the leading edge of the transfer material comes into a contact with the latent image carrier by controlling the pre-transfer exposing unit and a bias applying timing of the transfer-bias applying unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2004Publication date: August 18, 2005Inventors: Hirokazu Ishii, Satoshi Takano, Hiroshi Saitoh, Ryoh Tanoue, Itaru Matsuda, Yuji Suzuki, Eiji Shimojo, Noboru Onodera, Hidenori Nihei