Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Nieda

Hiroaki Nieda 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: 11789380
    Abstract: A powder container includes a toner storage disposed at an upper portion of the powder container and a powder collection portion disposed at a lower portion of the powder container. There is a conveying rotator inside the powder collection portion, the conveying rotator including a shaft portion and one of a screw blade and a coil wound around the shaft portion. There is further a flexible sheet to contact the conveying rotator and swing in a flow path from the outlet port to the conveying rotator. The flexible sheet includes a contact portion that contacts one of the screw blade and the coil; and a tip that does not contact the screw blade and does not contact the coil, the tip having a greater width than the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Kuniyori Takano, Shinichi Arasawa
  • Publication number: 20220206413
    Abstract: A powder container includes a collection port to communicate with an outlet port of a body or removable component, and to receive and collect powder flowing out through the outlet port. There is a shutter to open and close the collection port, and a rotation portion to be engageable with an engagement portion which is to open and close a cartridge shutter to open and close the outlet port through which the powder flows out. An operation device is to rotate the rotation portion in conjunction with an operation of the operation device, and a contact portion is included in the rotation portion to contact a restriction member. The contact portion is to cancel the restriction member from restricting rotation of the engagement portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki NIEDA, Kuniyori TAKANO, Shinichi ARASAWA
  • Patent number: 11307517
    Abstract: A powder container includes a collection port to communicate with an outlet port of a body or removable component, and to receive and collect powder flowing out through the outlet port. There is a shutter to open and close the collection port, and a rotation portion to be engageable with an engagement portion which is to open and close a cartridge shutter to open and close the outlet port through which the powder flows out. An operation device is to rotate the rotation portion in conjunction with an operation of the operation device, and a contact portion is included in the rotation portion to contact a restriction member. The contact portion is to cancel the restriction member from restricting rotation of the engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Kuniyori Takano, Shinichi Arasawa
  • Patent number: 11281123
    Abstract: A rotator includes a rotation shaft, a first radial flap, a second radial flap, and a holder. The first radial flap extends from the rotation shaft in a first radial direction, and the second radial flap extends from the rotation shaft in a second radial direction. The holder holds the first radial flap and the second radial flap and includes a support face and a hole. The support face faces toward a rotation direction of the rotator and is configured to fix the first radial flap by thermal caulking. The hole is configured to insert a part of the second radial flap to hold the second radial flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nieda
  • Patent number: 11175605
    Abstract: A powder container includes a rotator configured to rotate on a rotation axis as a rotation center. The rotator includes a flap configured to contact and rub against an inner wall surface of the powder container. The flap includes a base extending from the rotation axis as the rotation center in a radial direction and a bent portion bent from the base in a direction intersecting the radial direction and toward downstream in a rotation direction of the rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nieda
  • Publication number: 20210157254
    Abstract: A rotator includes a rotation shaft, a first radial flap, a second radial flap, and a holder. The first radial flap extends from the rotation shaft in a first radial direction, and the second radial flap extends from the rotation shaft in a second radial direction. The holder holds the first radial flap and the second radial flap and includes a support face and a hole. The support face faces toward a rotation direction of the rotator and is configured to fix the first radial flap by thermal caulking. The hole is configured to insert a part of the second radial flap to hold the second radial flap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroaki NIEDA
  • Publication number: 20210157256
    Abstract: A powder container includes a rotator configured to rotate on a rotation axis as a rotation center. The rotator includes a flap configured to contact and rub against an inner wall surface of the powder container. The flap includes a base extending from the rotation axis as the rotation center in a radial direction and a bent portion bent from the base in a direction intersecting the radial direction and toward downstream in a rotation direction of the rotator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroaki NIEDA
  • Publication number: 20210041805
    Abstract: A powder container includes a discharge port configured to discharge powder stored in the powder container, a container shutter configured to open and close the discharge port, a first rotation portion configured to be engageable with an engagement portion of a removable component, an operation device configured to rotate the first rotation portion in conjunction with an operation of the operation device, and a contact portion included in the first rotation portion. The engagement portion opens and closes a cartridge shutter to open and close an inlet port of the removable component. A restriction member of the removable component is configured to restrict the rotation of the engagement portion. The contact portion contacts the restriction member to cancel the restriction member from restricting rotation of the engagement portion in conjunction with attachment of the powder container to the removable component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroaki NIEDA, Kuniyori TAKANO, Shinichi ARASAWA
  • Patent number: 10877432
    Abstract: A powder container is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus or a removable component in the image forming apparatus. The powder container includes an operation device and a rotation portion to rotate with operation of the operation device. The rotation portion is configured to contact a wall of the image forming apparatus or the removable component in a state in which the rotation portion maintains a posture in a direction of attachment of the powder container to the image forming apparatus or the removable component and is rotatable together with an engagement portion, which is opposed to the wall, of the image forming apparatus or the removable component while engaging the engagement portion, without hindering the powder container from moving in the direction of attachment, to restrain the powder container from moving in a direction of detachment from the image forming apparatus or the removable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Saito, Hiroaki Nieda
  • Patent number: 10871730
    Abstract: A developer container includes a developer chamber configured to store a developer, a discharge port configured to discharge the developer in the developer chamber to a developing device, a developer conveyance path configured to transport the developer in the developer chamber to the discharge port, a supply port configured to supply the developer in the developer chamber to the developer conveyance path, a conveyor disposed in the developer conveyance path and configured to transport the developer to the discharge port, a partition between the developer conveyance path and the developer chamber, and a communication port disposed in the partition between the discharge port and the supply port and connecting the developer conveyance path with the developer chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Emi Kita, Hiroaki Nieda
  • Patent number: 10866537
    Abstract: A powder container includes a discharge port configured to discharge powder stored in the powder container, a container shutter configured to open and close the discharge port, a first rotation portion configured to be engageable with an engagement portion of a removable component, an operation device configured to rotate the first rotation portion in conjunction with an operation of the operation device, and a contact portion included in the first rotation portion. The engagement portion opens and closes a cartridge shutter to open and close an inlet port of the removable component. A restriction member of the removable component is configured to restrict the rotation of the engagement portion. The contact portion contacts the restriction member to cancel the restriction member from restricting rotation of the engagement portion in conjunction with attachment of the powder container to the removable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Kuniyori Takano, Shinichi Arasawa
  • Publication number: 20200166872
    Abstract: A developer container includes a developer chamber configured to store a developer, a discharge port configured to discharge the developer in the developer chamber to a developing device, a developer conveyance path configured to transport the developer in the developer chamber to the discharge port, a supply port configured to supply the developer in the developer chamber to the developer conveyance path, a conveyor disposed in the developer conveyance path and configured to transport the developer to the discharge port, a partition between the developer conveyance path and the developer chamber, and a communication port disposed in the partition between the discharge port and the supply port and connecting the developer conveyance path with the developer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Emi KITA, Hiroaki NIEDA
  • Publication number: 20200166886
    Abstract: A powder container is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus or a removable component in the image forming apparatus. The powder container includes an operation device and a rotation portion to rotate with operation of the operation device. The rotation portion is configured to contact a wall of the image forming apparatus or the removable component in a state in which the rotation portion maintains a posture in a direction of attachment of the powder container to the image forming apparatus or the removable component and is rotatable together with an engagement portion, which is opposed to the wall, of the image forming apparatus or the removable component while engaging the engagement portion, without hindering the powder container from moving in the direction of attachment, to restrain the powder container from moving in a direction of detachment from the image forming apparatus or the removable component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Osamu SAITO, Hiroaki NIEDA
  • Patent number: 10627743
    Abstract: A powder container includes an inner wall, a rotation axis, and a flap to rotate about the rotation axis. The flap includes a comb-teeth tip portion to contact and slide along an inner wall surface of the powder container. The comb-teeth tip portion has teeth in which a distance from a root between adjacent teeth to the rotation axis when the comb-teeth tip portion does not contact the inner wall surface is longer than a shortest distance from the inner wall surface to the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nieda
  • Patent number: 10606188
    Abstract: A powder container includes a rotator and a coil disposed adjacent to the rotator. The rotator is configured to rotate in a predetermined direction. The coil is configured to be rotated by contact with the rotator and divided into a plurality of divided coil portions along a rotation center of the coil in an axial direction of the coil. A plurality of coil centers of the plurality of divided coil portions is eccentric relative to the rotation center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nieda
  • Patent number: 10591853
    Abstract: A moving device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a cam, a moving body, a biasing body, a drive source and a drive transmission device. The moving body is configured to be moved by the cam. The biasing body is configured to apply a biasing force to bias the moving body toward the cam. The drive source is configured to apply a driving force to the cam. The drive transmission device is configured to transmit the driving force to the cam and includes a load applying body configured to apply a load to a rotation of the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Tomita, Kimihiro Tanaka, Yohei Miura, Hiroaki Nieda
  • Patent number: D896306
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Emi Kita
  • Patent number: D924319
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Emi Kita
  • Patent number: D931365
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Emi Kita
  • Patent number: D983258
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nieda, Emi Kita