Patents by Inventor Hidehiko MAEDA

Hidehiko MAEDA 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: 9229420
    Abstract: A cover open/close mechanism, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a cover having a free end and disposed movable between a closed state that a part of the apparatus body is covered and an open state that the covered part is exposed, a cover rotating shaft about which the cover rotates in a receding direction when the cover moves from the closed state to the open state, a support member rotating shaft disposed parallel to the cover rotating shaft, a cover rotating shaft support member to support the cover rotating shaft and to change a position of the cover rotating shaft with respect to the apparatus body by rotating about the support member rotating shaft, and a biasing member to bias the cover rotating shaft support member in a manner in which the cover rotating shaft support member rotates in an approaching direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mami Akiyama, Yuki Sato, Shiro Akama, Yuta Ueda, Hidehiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 9188946
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming section; a conveyance path to convey a recording medium to the image forming section; a drawer unit including the conveyance path and configured to be pulled out relative to the apparatus; an electrical cable to electrically connect the drawer unit and an interior of the apparatus even when the drawer unit is pulled out from the apparatus; and a cable holder (a first regulating member) to ensure that that the cable is securely prevented from protruding from the drawer unit. According to the present invention, the electric cable is prevented from running off from the drawer unit due to the folding of the cable caused by the regulating member, so that the electric cable is prevented from getting hung up on the parts disposed in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuji Nishikawa, Yusuke Funayama, Hidehiko Maeda, Junichi Kawase, Hiroshi Ishii, Joh Ebara, Kohta Takenaka, Yoshihide Ohta, Kohta Hirakawa, Toshihiro Shimada, Yusuke Masu, Makoto Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140248066
    Abstract: A cover open/close mechanism, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a cover having a free end and disposed movable between a closed state that a part of the apparatus body is covered and an open state that the covered part is exposed, a cover rotating shaft about which the cover rotates in a receding direction when the cover moves from the closed state to the open state, a support member rotating shaft disposed parallel to the cover rotating shaft, a cover rotating shaft support member to support the cover rotating shaft and to change a position of the cover rotating shaft with respect to the apparatus body by rotating about the support member rotating shaft, and a biasing member to bias the cover rotating shaft support member in a manner in which the cover rotating shaft support member rotates in an approaching direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Mami AKIYAMA, Yuki SATO, Shiro AKAMA, Yuta UEDA, Hidehiko MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20140055016
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming section; a conveyance path to convey a recording medium to the image forming section; a drawer unit including the conveyance path and configured to be pulled out relative to the apparatus; an electrical cable to electrically connect the drawer unit and an interior of the apparatus even when the drawer unit is pulled out from the apparatus; and a cable holder (a first regulating member) to ensure that that the cable is securely prevented from protruding from the drawer unit. According to the present invention, the electric cable is prevented from running off from the drawer unit due to the folding of the cable caused by the regulating member, so that the electric cable is prevented from getting hung up on the parts disposed in the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuji NISHIKAWA, Yusuke FUNAYAMA, Hidehiko MAEDA, Junichi KAWASE, Hiroshi ISHII, Joh EBARA, Kohta TAKENAKA, Yoshihide OHTA, Kohta HIRAKAWA, Toshihiro SHIMADA, Yusuke MASU, Makoto SUZUKI