Patents by Inventor Hideo Ichikawa

Hideo Ichikawa 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).

  • Publication number: 20090136266
    Abstract: A developer container includes: a container chamber that has a container space for containing a developer; and an conveyance member having a rotation shaft and a spiral member and which rotates inside the container space about the rotation shaft, the spiral member being spirally extended to hold a first angle to an axial direction of the rotation shaft, and the spiral member being provided with a plurality of low-angle portions, wherein at least one of the low-angle portions is provided in each unit segment which is equivalent to one turn of the spiral member about the rotation shaft, and an amount of a developer contained in the container space is enough to constantly bury any of the plurality of low-angle portions in the developer under a condition that the axial direction of the rotation shaft is held to be horizontal inside the container space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideo ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20090129827
    Abstract: A developer storage container includes a container body, an opening formed in the container body, an opening-and-closing cover, a cover holding frame that holds the cover so that the cover is movable between opening and closing positions, a protrusion portion, a blocking portion and a position regulating protrusion. When the opening-and-closing cover moves in the opening-and-closing direction toward the opening position and reaches a certain intermediate position, the blocking portion contacts with the protrusion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo ICHIKAWA, Hirokazu MURASE
  • Publication number: 20090129821
    Abstract: A conveyor includes a rotation shaft and a plurality of convey members provided along an axial direction of the rotation shaft, wherein at least one part of the plurality of convey members is an arc convey member that includes: an arc part having an outer periphery that forms an arc forming a part of a spiral so that an angle between two perpendiculars extended from two ends of the arc is smaller than 360°; and a support part that supports the arc part, with the outer periphery of the arc part inclined to the axial direction of the rotation shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Hirokazu Murase
  • Publication number: 20070286646
    Abstract: A detachable cartridge includes: a buffer portion that contacts with a contacted portion when the detachable cartridge is attached to an image forming apparatus body, the contacted portion being provided on the image forming apparatus body, and that buffers impact, the detachable cartridge being detachable from the image forming apparatus body during an image recording operation of recording an image on a recording sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Naoto Nishi, Ryuji Hattori
  • Publication number: 20070209761
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a label affixing jig which has an A member formed so as to allow a container to pass therethrough, a B member formed so as to allow the container to pass therethrough, a C member, and a D member, wherein the A member is configured to follow expansion and contraction of the B member to closely contact with the adhesive surface of a cylindrically curled stretch label and hold the stretch label on the A member; the B member is configured to contract and expand the A member in the radial direction of the cylindrically curled stretch label; and the C member is a holder of the container; and the D member is a pedestal for the C member and is equipped with a height adjustment unit configured to adjust the height of the C member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Teruo Hitosugi, Hideo Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20070113957
    Abstract: A stretch label attaching device for attaching a stretch label on a good, including an adapter supporting the label from the inside thereof and has an opening into which the good is inserted; an adapter support member configured to support a lower portion of the adapter and has an opening into which the good is inserted; and an adapter fixing member configured to fix the lower portion of the adapter together with the adapter support member. A method for attaching a stretch label on a good including setting a stretch label on the adapter mentioned above; inserting the good into the openings of the adapter and adapter support member while extending the label at a ratio not greater than 5%; and releasing the stretch label attaching device from the good while holding the label, to attach the label to the predetermined position of the good.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Makoto KAWAGUCHI, Hideo Ichikawa, Kotaro Koide, Masashi Hasegawa, Toshihide Tomotaka, Tomokazu Saitoh, Masaki Serizawa, Atsushi Inoue, Seiji Terazawa
  • Patent number: 7191514
    Abstract: A stretch label attaching device for attaching a stretch label on a good, including an adapter supporting the label from the inside thereof and has an opening into which the good is inserted; an adapter support member configured to support a lower portion of the adapter and has an opening into which the good is inserted; and an adapter fixing member configured to fix the lower portion of the adapter together with the adapter support member. A method for attaching a stretch label on a good including setting a stretch label on the adapter mentioned above; inserting the good into the openings of the adapter and adapter support member while extending the label at a ratio not greater than 5 %; and releasing the stretch label attaching device from the good while holding the label, to attach the label to the predetermined position of the good.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kawaguchi, Hideo Ichikawa, Kotaro Koide, Masashi Hasegawa, Toshihide Tomotaka, Tomokazu Saitoh, Masaki Serizawa, Atsushi Inoue, Seiji Terazawa
  • Patent number: 7106995
    Abstract: A developer cartridge container including a container body having a cylindrical body formed with an opening at one end and a bottom wall member provided on the other end opposite from the one end, an resilient thin wall container to be accommodated in the container body, and a closing lid having a developer discharge port capable of being attached to and detached from the container body and a mounting portion of a coupler for closing the opening of the container body and an opening of the resilient thin wall container in a state of being mounted to the container body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Nagai, Hideo Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6901230
    Abstract: A toner container has a hollow body having a small diameter mouth portion, a ramp surface at one end and a spiral. A removable lid is positioned at the mouth portion so as to close the mouth portion and a lug is provided at the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 6854493
    Abstract: A powder filling apparatus includes a first container configured to contain a powder. A weighing tank is configured to receive the powder from the first container and discharge a predetermined amount of the powder to a second container, which includes an opening configured to discharge the powder into the second container and a regulator configured to open and close the opening to discharge the predetermined amount of the powder into the second container. A connector is configured to feed the powder from the first container into the weighing tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Masanori Rimoto, Masakazu Nakada
  • Publication number: 20050025528
    Abstract: A developer cartridge container including a container body having a cylindrical body formed with an opening at one end and a bottom wall member provided on the other end opposite from the one end, an resilient thin wall container to be accommodated in the container body, and a closing lid having a developer discharge port capable of being attached to and detached from the container body and a mounting portion of a coupler for closing the opening of the container body and an opening of the resilient thin wall container in a state of being mounted to the container body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Takanori Nagai, Hideo Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20040161267
    Abstract: A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a developer, and a developer container for use therewith. The developer container, or toner bottle, includes a shoulder portion adjoining a first end of a hollow body. The body is formed with a spiral guide for guiding a developer stored in the developer container. The shoulder portion forms a wall and includes an engaging portion engageable with driver that causes the body to rotate. The engaging portion includes a lug protruding from the shoulder portion which allows a characteristic of toner to be identified. The engaging portion has an outside surface of a guide portion that guides a developer stored in the developer container. Two engaging portions may be angularly spaced from each other by 180 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 6751431
    Abstract: A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a developer, and a developer container for use therewith. The developer container, or toner bottle, includes a shoulder portion adjoining a first end of a hollow body. The body is formed with a spiral guide for guiding a developer stored in the developer container. The shoulder portion forms a wall and includes an engaging portion engageable with driver that causes the body to rotate. The engaging portion includes a lug protruding from the shoulder portion which allows a characteristic of toner to be identified. The engaging portion has an outside surface of a guide portion that guides a developer stored in the developer container. Two engaging portions may be angularly spaced from each other by 180 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Publication number: 20040094259
    Abstract: A stretch label attaching device for attaching a stretch label on a good, including an adapter supporting the label from the inside thereof and has an opening into which the good is inserted; an adapter support member configured to support a lower portion of the adapter and has an opening into which the good is inserted; and an adapter fixing member configured to fix the lower portion of the adapter together with the adapter support member. A method for attaching a stretch label on a good including setting a stretch label on the adapter mentioned above; inserting the good into the openings of the adapter and adapter support member while extending the label at a ratio not greater than 5%; and releasing the stretch label attaching device from the good while holding the label, to attach the label to the predetermined position of the good.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventors: Makoto Kawaguchi, Hideo Ichikawa, Kotaro Koide, Masashi Hasegawa, Toshihide Tomotaka, Tomokazu Saitoh, Masaki Serizawa, Atsushi Inoue, Seiji Terazawa
  • Publication number: 20030155035
    Abstract: A powder filling apparatus includes a first container configured to contain a powder. A weighing tank is configured to receive the powder from the first container and discharge a predetermined amount of the powder to a second container, which includes an opening configured to discharge the powder into the second container and a regulator configured to open and close the opening to discharge the predetermined amount of the powder into the second container. A connector is configured to feed the powder from the first container into the weighing tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Masanori Rimoto, Masakazu Nakada
  • Publication number: 20030138273
    Abstract: A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a developer, and a developer container for use therewith. The developer container, or toner bottle, includes a shoulder portion adjoining a first end of a hollow body. The body is formed with a spiral guide for guiding a developer stored in the developer container. The shoulder portion forms a wall and includes an engaging portion engageable with driver that causes the body to rotate. The engaging portion includes a lug protruding from the shoulder portion which allows a characteristic of toner to be identified. The engaging portion has an outside surface of a guide portion that guides a developer stored in the developer container. Two engaging portions may be angularly spaced from each other by 180 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 6418293
    Abstract: A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a developer, and a developer container for use therewith. The developer container, or toner bottle, includes a shoulder portion adjoining a first end of a hollow body. The body is formed with a spiral guide for guiding a developer stored in the developer container. The shoulder portion forms a wall and includes an engaging portion engageable with driver that causes the body to rotate. The engaging portion includes a lug protruding from the shoulder portion which allows a characteristic of toner to be identified. The engaging portion has an outside surface of a guide portion that guides a developer stored in the developer container. Two engaging portions may be angularly spaced from each other by 180 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Publication number: 20020001485
    Abstract: A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a developer, and a developer container for use therewith. The developer container, or toner bottle, has a mouth portion at one end thereof which is smaller in diameter than a hollow cylindrical main body. At the end of the bottle provided with the mouth, a shoulder has the inner periphery thereof partly raised to the edge of the mouth portion to form a raised portion for scooping up a toner. In addition, a part of the inner periphery of the circumferential wall of the bottle which is contiguous with the raised portion is also raised toward the axis of the bottle about which the bottle is rotatable, thereby forming another raised portion. When the bottle is mounted to a bottle holder, which is included in the replenishing device, substantially horizontally with the mouth portion oriented sideways, the bottle is rotated to raise the toner from the bottom of the main body to the mouth portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Applicant: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 6289195
    Abstract: A developer replenishing device for replenishing a developing device with a developer, and a developer container for use therewith. The developer container, or toner bottle, has a mouth portion at one end thereof which is smaller in diameter than a hollow cylindrical main body. At the end of the bottle provided with the mouth portion, a shoulder has the inner periphery thereof partly raised to the edge of the mouth portion to form a raised portion for scooping up a toner. In addition, a part of the inner periphery of the circumferental wall of the bottle, which is contiguous with the raised portion, is also raised toward the axis of the bottle, about which the bottle is rotatable, thereby forming another raised portion. When the bottle is mounted on a bottle holder, which is included in the replienishing device, substantially horizontally with the mouth portion oriented sideways, the bottle is rotated to raise the toner from the bottom of the main body to the mouth portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Takeshi Saito, Sunao Ikeda, Nobuhiro Makita, Seiji Ozawa, Shigeru Yoshiki, Takaaki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: RE37542
    Abstract: In a developing device included in an image forming apparatus, a toner cartridge has a body and a replenishing member disposed in the body. The cartridge makes it needless to adhere or otherwise affix an elastic piece to the edge of the base of the replenishing member that slidably contacts the inner periphery of the body. The replenishing member is capable of scooping up toner while being held in sliding contact with the inner periphery of the body under a constant pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ichikawa, Seiji Terazawa, Sunao Ikeda