Patents by Inventor Gaku Hosono

Gaku Hosono 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: 10078301
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body accommodating an image forming device, a foreign object detector that detects a foreign object beside the apparatus body, and a detector holding unit that holds the foreign object detector. The foreign object detector and the detector holding unit are movable together into the apparatus body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruki Midorikawa, Shogo Terakawa, Tetsuji Nishikawa, Hiroshi Ishii, Kohta Takenaka, Hiroaki Murakami, Hidehiko Maeda, Gaku Hosono
  • Patent number: 10048628
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body accommodating an image forming device, a foreign object detector that detects a foreign object beside the apparatus body, and a detector holding unit that holds the foreign object detector. The foreign object detector and the detector holding unit are movable together into the apparatus body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruki Midorikawa, Shogo Terakawa, Tetsuji Nishikawa, Hiroshi Ishii, Kohta Takenaka, Hiroaki Murakami, Hidehiko Maeda, Gaku Hosono
  • Patent number: 9955595
    Abstract: A mount board tray is provided to hold multiple mount boards at different heights above and below the mount board tray. The mount board tray holds a topmost mount board placed at the topmost position among the multiple mount boards held by the mount board tray from below the topmost mount board. The mount board tray also holds a bottommost mount board placed at the bottommost position among the multiple mount boards from above the bottommost mount board at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Terakawa, Tetsuji Nishikawa, Kohta Takenaka, Hiroshi Ishii, Kouta Hirakawa, Hidehiko Maeda, Gaku Hosono
  • Publication number: 20170235264
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body accommodating an image forming device, a foreign object detector that detects a foreign object beside the apparatus body, and a detector holding unit that holds the foreign object detector. The foreign object detector and the detector holding unit are movable together into the apparatus body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruki Midorikawa, Shogo Terakawa, Tetsuji Nishikawa, Hiroshi Ishii, Kohta Takenaka, Hiroaki Murakami, Hidehiko Maeda, Gaku Hosono
  • Publication number: 20170017190
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a body; an openably closable drawer unit including an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and a circuit board. The circuit board is disposed in a substantial center of the drawer unit in a direction in which the drawer unit is pulled out of the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: HIDEHIKO MAEDA, Tetsuji Nishikawa, Kohta Takenaka, Hiroshi Ishii, Kouta Hirakawa, Gaku Hosono, Shogo Terakawa
  • Patent number: 9533846
    Abstract: A drawer unit including a housing and a drawer inserted into the housing in inserting direction and drawn therefrom in drawing direction is provided. A locking member is mounted on the housing or the drawer to extend in direction intersecting the inserting direction, and is rotatable on a rotating shaft extending in the inserting direction such that when the drawer is inserted, the locking member rotates from unlock position to lock position in locking direction while rotating from the lock position to the unlock position in unlocking direction prior to drawing of the drawer. A locking wall and a pushing wall are mounted on the other of the housing and the drawer. The locking member in the lock position is engaged with the locking wall. When being rotated in the unlocking direction, the locking member is contacted with the pushing wall, which pushes the drawer in the drawing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ishii, Kohta Takenaka, Kouta Hirakawa, Hidehiko Maeda, Gaku Hosono
  • Publication number: 20160381815
    Abstract: A mount board tray is provided to hold multiple mount boards at different heights above and below the mount board tray. The mount board tray holds a topmost mount board placed at the topmost position among the multiple mount boards held by the mount board tray from below the topmost mount board. The mount board tray also holds a bottommost mount board placed at the bottommost position among the multiple mount boards from above the bottommost mount board at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shogo TERAKAWA, Tetsuji NISHIKAWA, Kohta TAKENAKA, Hiroshi ISHII, Kouta HIRAKAWA, Hidehiko MAEDA, Gaku HOSONO
  • Publication number: 20160221770
    Abstract: A drawer unit including a housing and a drawer inserted into the housing in inserting direction and drawn therefrom in drawing direction is provided. A locking member is mounted on the housing or the drawer to extend in direction intersecting the inserting direction, and is rotatable on a rotating shaft extending in the inserting direction such that when the drawer is inserted, the locking member rotates from unlock position to lock position in locking direction while rotating from the lock position to the unlock position in unlocking direction prior to drawing of the drawer. A locking wall and a pushing wall are mounted on the other of the housing and the drawer. The locking member in the lock position is engaged with the locking wall. When being rotated in the unlocking direction, the locking member is contacted with the pushing wall, which pushes the drawer in the drawing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi ISHII, Kohta TAKENAKA, Kouta HIRAKAWA, Hidehiko MAEDA, Gaku HOSONO
  • Patent number: 9358817
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a conveyance unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a print medium. The conveyance unit has a belt member to convey the print medium in a state in which an end of the print medium in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the print medium is placed outside an end of the belt member in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuuzoh Obata, Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Gaku Hosono, Yoshinori Uchino, Norikazu Yanase, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9315045
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a media roll, art image forming device, and a feeder. In the media roll, a printing medium having an adhesive face is wound in a roll shape. The image forming device forms an image on the printing medium. The feeder feeds the printing medium. The feeder includes a protection belt and a pair of rotary bodies. The protection belt presses against and protects the adhesive face of the printing medium. The pair of rotary bodies sandwich and press the printing medium and the protection belt between the pair of rotary bodies. An approach angle of the printing medium is within a range from 0° to 30° and is formed by the printing medium drawn from the media roll and approaching to between the pair of rotary bodies and an opposing face of the protection belt opposing the image forming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kondo, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Kikura, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Gaku Hosono, Satoru Yoshida, Masashi Ohnishi, Suguru Masunaga
  • Patent number: 9308756
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet feeder to load a roll body including a recording medium wound around, an image forming unit to form an image on the recording medium, and a conveyance unit including a conveyance belt to convey the recording medium drawn out from the roll body so as to oppose the recording medium to the image forming unit. The sheet feeder and the conveyance unit are integrated as a sheet feed conveyance unit. The sheet feed conveyance unit is configured to load the roll body in at least the sheet feeder and be drawable from the apparatus body to a position at which the conveyance belt is visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Yoshinori Uchino, Gaku Hosono, Tohru Watanabe, Toshihisa Nakamura, Tadashi Okano, Naoki Saitoh
  • Patent number: 9233560
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form an image on a print medium by a reciprocation operation of a print head. There is a conveying device including a belt that holds the print medium, a fan that adsorbs air through suction holes in the belt, and a fan drive controller that drives the suction fan and adjusts power of adsorption of the suction fan. The fan drive controller performs control which makes the power of adsorption for the first reciprocation movement of the image forming device stronger than the power of adsorption for the second reciprocation movement of the image forming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Norikazu Yanase, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Kondoh, Yuuzoh Obata, Gaku Hosono
  • Patent number: 9186920
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image forming device, a transporting device, a first medium holding device, and a second medium holding device. The image forming device forms an image on a print medium unwound from a roll. The transporting device is configured to transport the unwound print medium on a transport path facing the image forming device. The first medium holding device is disposed upstream of the image forming device in a medium transporting direction, and configured to hold the print medium on the transport path and retract to an open position for opening the transport path. The second medium holding device is disposed downstream of the image forming device in the medium transporting direction, and configured to hold the print medium on the transport path and retract to an open position for opening the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Yoshinori Uchino, Gaku Hosono
  • Patent number: 9108433
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a conveyance unit, and an adhesive-surface guide unit. The adhesive-surface guide unit includes a second rotary body and an adhesive-surface guide member. The second rotary body is disposed at a position downstream from a first rotary body of a pair of rotary bodies of the conveyance unit in a conveyance direction. The adhesive-surface guide member is wound around the first and second rotary bodies to guide an adhesive surface of a print medium. The adhesive-surface guide unit is configured to press the adhesive-surface guide member against the adhesive surface, sandwich the print medium and the second rotary body between the pair of rotary bodies, move the print medium and the second rotary body together, and separate the adhesive-surface guide member from the adhesive surface at a side of the adhesive-surface guide unit at which the second rotary body is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kondo, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Kikura, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Yoshinori Uchino, Gaku Hosono, Tadayasu Enomoto
  • Patent number: 9110424
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a roll body including a print medium wound around, the medium having an adhesive face, an image forming unit to form an image on the adhesive face, a conveyance unit having a pair of a conveyance rotor and an opposed rotor to convey the medium with the medium interposed between the conveyance rotor and the opposed rotor and an adhesive face guide unit to guide the medium when the conveyance unit returns the medium in a return direction opposite a conveyance direction of the medium. The adhesive face guide unit has a downstream rotor disposed downstream from the opposed rotor in the return direction and an endless adhesive face guide member wound around the opposed rotor and the downstream rotor. The adhesive face guide member is configured to receive and guide the adhesive face of the medium returned, in a separable state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kondo, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Kikura, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Gaku Hosono, Yoshinori Uchino, Masateru Ujiie, Shu Kanno
  • Patent number: 8998371
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a conveyance unit, a correction unit, and an attitude controller. The image forming device forms an image on a printing medium. The conveyance unit is disposed opposing the image forming device to convey the printing medium. The correction unit corrects an attitude of a leading edge of the printing medium sent out from the conveyance unit. The attitude controller controls correction of the attitude of the leading edge of the punting medium performed by the correction unit. The attitude controller determines whether or not the correction of the attitude of the leading edge of the printing medium is to be performed, and causes the correction unit to perform the correction when the attitude controller determines that the correction is to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Nakano, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Shingo Masaoka, Yasukazu Kitamura, Namio Ogihara, Yoshimitsu Ogura, Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Yoshinori Uchino, Gaku Hosono, Takao Otsuka, Seiya Ogawa, Yuuichiroh Tsujiguchi, Masashi Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20150077494
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a conveyor, and a separation unit. The image forming device forms an image on a printing medium. The separation unit separates a printing medium from the belt. The separation unit includes a claw portion to contact the belt, and a first wing and a second wing disposed at both sides of the claw portion in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the printing medium. Each of the first wing and the second wing has a guide face to guide the printing medium. The guide face is a sloped face that slopes downward in a direction away from the claw portion with respect to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the printing medium. Each of the first wing and the second wing has an upstream end that recedes toward a downstream side in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuuzoh Obata, Tohru Watanabe, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Toshihisa Nakamura, Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Norikazu Yanase, Gaku Hosono
  • Publication number: 20150077459
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form an image on a print medium by a reciprocation operation of a print head. There is a conveying device including a belt that holds the print medium, a fan that adsorbs air through suction holes in the belt, and a fan drive controller that drives the suction fan and adjusts power of adsorption of the suction fan. The fan drive controller performs control which makes the power of adsorption for the first reciprocation movement of the image forming device stronger than the power of adsorption for the second reciprocation movement of the image forming device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Norikazu YANASE, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Kondoh, Yuuzoh Obata, Gaku Hosono
  • Patent number: 8967755
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a print medium, a conveyance unit, art image forming unit, a cutter unit, a holding unit, a sensor, and a controller. The print medium has an adhesive face with no separation sheet. The cutter unit cuts the medium having an image formed into a print medium piece. The holding unit is configured to hold the piece in a state in which the piece is drawable from outside of the body. The holding unit has a surface separatable from an adhesive face of the piece to hold the adhesive face of the piece. The sensor detects presence or absence of the piece held by the holding unit. After the sensor detects that the piece is drawn out, the controller controls the conveyance unit to convey the medium to the holding unit and controls the holding unit to hold the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kikura, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Yoshinori Uchino, Gaku Hosono
  • Publication number: 20150054898
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a media roll, art image forming device, and a feeder. In the media roll, a printing medium having an adhesive face is wound in a roll shape. The image forming device forms an image on the printing medium. The feeder feeds the printing medium. The feeder includes a protection belt and a pair of rotary bodies. The protection belt presses against and protects the adhesive face of the printing medium. The pair of rotary bodies sandwich and press the printing medium and the protection belt between the pair of rotary bodies. An approach angle of the printing medium is within a range from 0° to 30° and is formed by the printing medium drawn from the media roll and approaching to between the pair of rotary bodies and an opposing face of the protection belt opposing the image forming device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kondo, Kazuyoshi MATSUMOTO, Makoto KIKURA, Yuuzoh Obata, Norikazu Yanase, Gaku Hosono, Satoru Yoshida, Masashi Ohnishi, Suguru Masunaga