Patents by Inventor Hirokatsu Suzuki
Hirokatsu Suzuki 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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Image forming apparatus and method of switching collected developer route in image forming apparatus
Patent number: 9442429Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device; a transfer device; a waste-developer container; a developer collecting device including a collected-developer conveyor, a waste channel, a reuse channel, and a channel switching member to switch a route between the waste channel and the reuse channel; a switching determiner to determine whether to dispose or reuse collected developer; an operating condition data collector to collect and store operating condition data used as a degradation speed index of developer in the developing device; a determination type selector to select, according to the degradation speed index, one of a first determination type based on an operating amount and a second determination type based on developer replacement data indicating an amount of developer replaced with supplied developer in the developing device; and a switching controller to control the channel switching member according to determination made by the switching determiner.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2015Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Tetsuto Ueda, Hiroomi Tamura, Kazuya Saitoh, Sho Sekiguchi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Takeshi Kojima, Takuma Iwasaki, Taichi Urayama -
Patent number: 9316997Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes an image bearer, a developing device to develop a latent image, a transfer device to transfer a developed image from the image bearer, a developer collecting device to collect developer remaining on the image bearer, and a waste-developer container to contain developer to be disposed. The apparatus also includes a switching determiner to perform a determination of a preferred transfer amount of developer in a target period, an estimation of an accumulative consumption of developer in the target period, a determination of whether to dispose or reuse collected developer, and a determination of whether to perform switching between disposal and reuse of the collected developer based on comparison between the preferred transfer amount and the estimated accumulative consumption of developer. The apparatus also includes a switching controller to cause the developer collecting device to perform the switching between disposal and reuse.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2015Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuto Ueda, Hiroomi Tamura, Kazuya Saitoh, Sho Sekiguchi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Takeshi Kojima, Takuma Iwasaki
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IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF SWITCHING COLLECTED DEVELOPER ROUTE IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
Publication number: 20160041504Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device; a transfer device; a waste-developer container; a developer collecting device including a collected-developer conveyor, a waste channel, a reuse channel, and a channel switching member to switch a route between the waste channel and the reuse channel; a switching determiner to determine whether to dispose or reuse collected developer; an operating condition data collector to collect and store operating condition data used as a degradation speed index of developer in the developing device; a determination type selector to select, according to the degradation speed index, one of a first determination type based on an operating amount and a second determination type based on developer replacement data indicating an amount of developer replaced with supplied developer in the developing device; and a switching controller to control the channel switching member according to determination made by the switching determiner.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Tetsuto UEDA, Hiroomi TAMURA, Kazuya SAITOH, Sho SEKIGUCHI, Hirokatsu SUZUKI, Takeshi KOJIMA, Takuma IWASAKI, Taichi URAYAMA -
Patent number: 9223261Abstract: An image forming apparatus including multiple imaging units and a fixing unit is provided. Each of the imaging units includes an image bearing member, a developing device containing a toner including a pressure-induced phase transition resin or a thermoplastic resin, a transfer device, and an image bearing member cleaner, and is adapted to form a toner image with the toner. The fixing unit includes a pressure fixing device adapted to fix the toner including the pressure-induced phase transition resin on the recording medium by applying a temperature Tb and a pressure Pb thereto in a pressure fixing nip, and a heat fixing device adapted to fix the toner including the thermoplastic resin on the recording medium by applying a temperature Ta and a pressure Pa thereto in a heat fixing nip. The image forming apparatus satisfies the following inequations: Tb<Ta and Pb>Pa.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2012Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hirohmi Tamura, Satoru Ishikake, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Ryuji Yoshida, Takashi Bisaiji
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Publication number: 20150227108Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a developing device to develop a latent image; a transfer device to transfer a developed image from the image bearer; a developer collecting device to collect developer remaining on the image bearer; a waste-developer container to contain developer to be disposed, a switching determiner to perform determination of a preferred transfer amount of developer in a target period, estimation of an accumulative consumption of developer in the target period, determination of whether to dispose or reuse collected developer collected by the developer collecting device, and determination of whether to perform switching between disposal and reuse of the collected developer based on comparison between the preferred transfer amount and the estimated accumulative consumption of developer; and a switching controller to cause the developer collecting device to perform the switching between disposal and reuse.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2015Publication date: August 13, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Tetsuto Ueda, Hiroomi Tamura, Kazuya Saitoh, Sho Sekiguchi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Takeshi Kojima, Takuma Iwasaki
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Patent number: 9052643Abstract: The image forming method comprising: forming a toner image on an image carrier; transferring the toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium; and transforming the toner image on the image carrier into a semi-film by applying a pressure. And the image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a toner image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium; and a toner image transforming unit configured to transfer the toner image on the image carrier into a semi-film by applying a pressure to the toner image.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2012Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Takashi Bisaiji, Hiroomi Tamura, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Takamasa Ozeki, Satoru Ishikake
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Patent number: 9042778Abstract: A powder refilling device includes a refill powder chamber to accommodate a powder bag containing powder, an opener to open the powder bag inside the refill powder chamber, and a squeezer to squeeze the opened powder bag to discharge powder therefrom and reduce a volume of the opened powder bag.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2013Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuya Saitoh, Akio Kosuge, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Ryuji Yoshida, Takuya Suganuma, Tetsuto Ueda, Taichi Urayama, Sho Sekiguchi
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Patent number: 9026007Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of housing units that houses toners of mutually different colors, at least one toner inside of the plurality of housing units being to be used for forming a toner image on a recording medium; and a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium to the recording medium, wherein a housing unit among the plurality of housing units that houses a toner with a lowest peak temperature of loss elastic modulus is disposed in a portion with a lower temperature than a temperature of a portion where another housing unit is disposed, or in a position farther from the fixing unit than a portion where another housing unit is disposed.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2012Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Bisaiji, Hiroomi Tamura, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Satoru Ishikake, Ryuji Yoshida
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Patent number: 8824922Abstract: A toner container removably installed into an image forming apparatus body. The toner container includes a pouch member that contains a new toner therein and can be turned inside out, and a cover member that covers an outside of the pouch member and includes an inlet through which a waste toner flows in, the inlet being formed opposite to a side of the cover member from which the new toner contained in the pouch member is discharged. After the new toner contained in the pouch member is discharged, the pouch member is turned inside out, and the waste toner flows from the inlet into the pouch member.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2012Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kazuaki Kamihara, Yosuke Saito
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Publication number: 20140027012Abstract: A powder refilling device includes a refill powder chamber to accommodate a powder bag containing powder, an opener to open the powder bag inside the refill powder chamber, and a squeezer to squeeze the opened powder bag to discharge powder therefrom and reduce a volume of the opened powder bag.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2013Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuya SAITOH, Akio KOSUGE, Hirokatsu SUZUKI, Ryuji YOSHIDA, Takuya SUGANUMA, Tetsuto UEDA, Taichi URAYAMA, Sho SEKIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20130164053Abstract: The image forming method comprising: forming a toner image on an image carrier; transferring the toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium; and transforming the toner image on the image carrier into a semi-film by applying a pressure. And the image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a toner image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium; and a toner image transforming unit configured to transfer the toner image on the image carrier into a semi-film by applying a pressure to the toner image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2012Publication date: June 27, 2013Inventors: Takashi BISAIJI, Hiroomi TAMURA, Hirokatsu SUZUKI, Takamasa OZEKI, Satoru ISHIKAKE
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Publication number: 20130156466Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of housing units that houses toners of mutually different colors, at least one toner inside of the plurality of housing units being to be used for forming a toner image on a recording medium; and a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium to the recording medium, wherein a housing unit among the plurality of housing units that houses a toner with a lowest peak temperature of loss elastic modulus is disposed in a portion with a lower temperature than a temperature of a portion where another housing unit is disposed, or in a position farther from the fixing unit than a portion where another housing unit is disposed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2012Publication date: June 20, 2013Inventors: Takashi BISAIJI, Hiroomi TAMURA, Hirokatsu SUZUKI, Satoru ISHIKAKE, Ryuji YOSHIDA
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Patent number: 8441065Abstract: A semiconductor device which combines reliability and the guarantee of electrical characteristics is provided. A power MOSFET and a protection circuit formed over the same semiconductor substrate are provided. The power MOSFET is a trench gate vertical type P-channel MOSFET and the conduction type of the gate electrode is assumed to be P-type. The protection circuit includes a planar gate horizontal type offset P-channel MOSFET and the conduction type of the gate electrode is assumed to be N-type. These gate electrode and gate electrode are formed in separate steps.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2010Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Renesas Electronics CorporationInventors: Hirokatsu Suzuki, Atsushi Fujiki, Yoshito Nakazawa
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Patent number: 8433216Abstract: An image forming apparatus that has a monochrome mode and a full color mode as image forming modes, includes: a power supply unit configured to supply power thereto; a main power switch configured to turn on and off the power supply unit; a mode switching unit configured to selectively and manually be switched between the monochrome mode and the full color mode, wherein the main power switch and the mode switching unit are integrally formed as one mode switch; a power supply interrupting unit configured to interrupt power supply to a part that is necessary to form an image in a mode other than the monochrome mode, when the mode switch is set to the monochrome mode.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2011Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Satoru Ishikake, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideyo Watanabe, Yosuke Saito, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Hiroki Atari, Kimie Toda
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Patent number: 8422897Abstract: By using a black-image forming device, an abrasive pattern is formed on a sheet conveying belt so that toner is input to a contact section where a cleaning blade is in contact with the sheet conveying belt. After the toner is input to the contact section where the cleaning blade is in contact with the sheet conveying belt and then the sheet conveying belt makes one or more revolutions, a process control is performed in which Y, M, and C toner patterns and B toner pattern are transferred onto the sheet conveying belt.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2010Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kazuhisa Sudo, Masanori Kawasumi, Shunichi Hashimoto, Mugijirou Uno, Akira Shinshi, Masaharu Furuya, Masahiko Satoh, Hirohmi Tamura, Kazuya Saitoh, Tomoko Takahashi, Takuya Suganuma
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Patent number: 8385793Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier, a second image carrier, an intermediate transfer member disposed facing the second image carrier, a conveyance belt to transport a transfer sheet, disposed facing both the first image carrier and the intermediate transfer member, a first transfer member to transfer a first toner image formed on the first image carrier onto the transfer sheet, a second transfer member to transfer a second toner image formed on the second image carrier onto the intermediate transfer member, and a third transfer member disposed downstream from the second image carrier in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member, to transfer the second toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto the transfer sheet transported by the conveyance belt. The first image carrier and the intermediate transfer member inflect the conveyance belt at a first inflection angle and a second inflection angle, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2010Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Masaharu Furuya, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Hirohmi Tamura, Kazuya Saitoh, Takuya Suganuma, Mugijirou Uno, Shunichi Hashimoto, Akira Shinshi, Kazuhisa Sudo, Tomoko Takahashi
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Publication number: 20130011171Abstract: An image forming apparatus including multiple imaging units and a fixing unit is provided. Each of the imaging units includes an image bearing member, a developing device containing a toner including a pressure-induced phase transition resin or a thermoplastic resin, a transfer device, and an image bearing member cleaner, and is adapted to form a toner image with the toner. The fixing unit includes a pressure fixing device adapted to fix the toner including the pressure-induced phase transition resin on the recording medium by applying a temperature Tb and a pressure Pb thereto in a pressure fixing nip, and a heat fixing device adapted to fix the toner including the thermoplastic resin on the recording medium by applying a temperature Ta and a pressure Pa thereto in a heat fixing nip. The image forming apparatus satisfies the following inequations: Tb<Ta and Pb>Pa.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2012Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hirohmi Tamura, Satoru Ishikake, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Ryuji Yoshida, Takashi Bisaiji
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Publication number: 20120177406Abstract: A toner container removably installed into an image forming apparatus body. The toner container includes a pouch member that contains a new toner therein and can be turned inside out, and a cover member that covers an outside of the pouch member and includes an inlet through which a waste toner flows in, the inlet being formed opposite to a side of the cover member from which the new toner contained in the pouch member is discharged. After the new toner contained in the pouch member is discharged, the pouch member is turned inside out, and the waste toner flows from the inlet into the pouch member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kazuaki Kamihara, Yosuke Saito
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Patent number: 8126346Abstract: An apparatus and method for image fixing are disclosed. A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a heater, and a pressure controller. The fixing member and the pressure member face with each other to form a nip. The heater heats a surface of the fixing member when the fixing member rotates. The pressure controller changes a pressure generated at the nip, according to an operation of the fixing device.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Jun Yura, Koichi Kato, Hiroshi Nakai, Kazumi Suzuki, Kei Yasutomi, Hideki Kosugi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Ichiro Kadota
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Publication number: 20110164895Abstract: An image forming apparatus that has a monochrome mode and a full color mode as image forming modes, includes: a power supply unit configured to supply power thereto; a main power switch configured to turn on and off the power supply unit; a mode switching unit configured to selectively and manually be switched between the monochrome mode and the full color mode, wherein the main power switch and the mode switching unit are integrally formed as one mode switch; a power supply interrupting unit configured to interrupt power supply to a part that is necessary to form an image in a mode other than the monochrome mode, when the mode switch is set to the monochrome mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Inventors: Satoru Ishikake, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideyo Watanabe, Yosuke Saito, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Hiroki Atari, Kimie Toda