Patents by Inventor Hiromichi Ninomiya
Hiromichi Ninomiya 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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Publication number: 20190210282Abstract: A three-dimensional fabricating apparatus includes a forward layer fabricator, a backward layer fabricator, and a controller. The forward layer fabricator is configured to discharge a fabrication material in a forward path to form a forward fabrication layer. The backward layer fabricator is configured to discharge a fabrication material in a backward path to form a backward fabrication layer. The controller is configured to control the forward layer fabricator and the backward layer fabricator so that a total discharge amount of the fabrication material in the backward path is larger than a total discharge amount of the fabrication material in the forward path.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2019Publication date: July 11, 2019Inventors: Kenji SUGIURA, Yoshihiro NORIKANE, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Yoichi SAKURAI, Kohta MATSUBARA, Yuta KOIKE, Yoshihito SHIMADA
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Patent number: 9500996Abstract: A sealing member is attached to a second member attached to and detached from a first member having a first opening through which powder passes and having a second opening that communicates with the first opening when the second member is coupled to the first member, and prevents the powder from leaking from a coupling portion between the first opening and the second opening. The sealing member includes: a first elastic member with a first surface arranged on the second member; and a second elastic member arranged on at least a part of a periphery of the first elastic member and having hardness different from that of the first elastic member.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2015Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Yuta Azeyanagi, Takeshi Kojima, Hajime Teraji, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Michiya Okamoto, Shinya Karasawa, Kentaroh Nodera, Daisuke Sawada
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Patent number: 9429895Abstract: A cleaning device comprises: a to-be-cleaned member; a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the to-be-cleaned member; a conveying member that conveys a substance removed from the surface of the to-be-cleaned member to outside of the device; a rotatable collecting member that conveys with its surface the substance toward the conveying member; and a partitioning member that guides the substance from the collecting member to the conveying member. The collecting member comprises a conveying portion that carries and conveys the substance; and a protrusion that protrudes toward an upstream side of the conveying portion in a rotating direction of the collecting member. One end of the partitioning member faces the rotating collecting member, and the other end faces the conveying member. The conveying portion and the protrusion are brought into contact with the partitioning member by the rotation of the collecting member.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Hajime Teraji, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Takeshi Kojima, Michiya Okamoto, Takuma Iwasaki, Shinya Karasawa, Daisuke Sawada, Kentaroh Nodera, Masanori Moro
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Patent number: 9395678Abstract: The waste toner container includes: a waste toner detection unit configured to detect a state in which a toner surface of waste toner at that position is displaced up to a ceiling portion or near the ceiling portion. The waste toner detection unit includes: a flexibility member installed so as to cover an opening portion formed in the ceiling portion or a side wall and is configured to be deformed by a direct or indirect push by the waste toner; and a movable member formed so as to contact the flexibility member from outside of the container and so as to be displaced by the direct or indirect push by the waste toner interposing the flexibility member such that displacement thereof is detected by a detection unit. The displacement of the movable member is limited by a regulating member.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Shinya Karasawa, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Takeshi Kojima, Hajime Teraji, Michiya Okamoto, Takuma Iwasaki, Daisuke Sawada, Kentaroh Nodera, Daisuke Tomita, Masanori Moro
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Patent number: 9285754Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearer on which a latent image is formed and developed into a toner image; a transfer member that is arranged so as to come in contact with or face the image bearer to form a transfer position; a cleaning unit that removes and collects untransferred toner; a guide member that guides conveyance of the recording medium; a neutralizing light source that irradiates a position downstream of the transfer position and upstream of the cleaning unit in a running direction of the image bearer with neutralizing light which is incident on and reflected by the recording medium sent out from the transfer position and/or the guide member; and a shielding member that blocks light such that the image bearer is not irradiated directly with a part or whole of neutralizing light emitted from the neutralizing light source.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2015Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Kentaroh Nodera, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Masahiko Shakuto, Takuma Iwasaki, Hajime Teraji, Daisuke Sawada
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Patent number: 9256190Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device includes a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2015Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Satoshi Hatori, Ryohta Gotoh, Akira Fujimori, Naohiro Kumagai, Kaoru Yoshino, Hideyasu Seki, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Yuta Azeyanagi, Yasuhito Kuboshima
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Publication number: 20160033922Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearer on which a latent image is formed and developed into a toner image; a transfer member that is arranged so as to come in contact with or face the image bearer to form a transfer position; a cleaning unit that removes and collects untransferred toner; a guide member that guides conveyance of the recording medium; a neutralizing light source that irradiates a position downstream of the transfer position and upstream of the cleaning unit in a running direction of the image bearer with neutralizing light which is incident on and reflected by the recording medium sent out from the transfer position and/or the guide member; and a shielding member that blocks light such that the image bearer is not irradiated directly with a part or whole of neutralizing light emitted from the neutralizing light source.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Kentaroh NODERA, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Masahiko SHAKUTO, Takuma IWASAKI, Hajime TERAJI, Daisuke SAWADA
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Patent number: 9207625Abstract: A lubricant supply device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant holder to hold the solid lubricant, a lubricant supply member to supply lubricant to a lubrication target, a pressing member to press the solid lubricant toward the lubricant supply member, and a pressing force adjuster to change an amount of pressing force exerted by the pressing member.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Ryohta Gotoh, Kaoru Yoshino, Satoshi Hatori, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Naohiro Kumagai, Shinichi Kawahara, Nobuo Kuwabara, Hideyasu Seki, Yuta Azeyanagi
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Publication number: 20150331362Abstract: A sealing member is attached to a second member attached to and detached from a first member having a first opening through which powder passes and having a second opening that communicates with the first opening when the second member is coupled to the first member, and prevents the powder from leaking from a coupling portion between the first opening and the second opening. The sealing member includes: a first elastic member with a first surface arranged on the second member; and a second elastic member arranged on at least a part of a periphery of the first elastic member and having hardness different from that of the first elastic member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2015Publication date: November 19, 2015Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yuta AZEYANAGI, Takeshi KOJIMA, Hajime TERAJI, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Michiya OKAMOTO, Shinya KARASAWA, Kentaroh NODERA, Daisuke SAWADA
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Publication number: 20150268619Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device includes a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: Satoshi HATORI, Ryohta GOTOH, Akira FUJIMORI, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Kaoru YOSHINO, Hideyasu SEKI, Noboyuki TAGUCHI, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Yuta AZEYANAGI, Yasuhito KUBOSHIMA
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Publication number: 20150261172Abstract: The waste toner container includes: a waste toner detection unit configured to detect a state in which a toner surface of waste toner at that position is displaced up to a ceiling portion or near the ceiling portion. The waste toner detection unit includes: a flexibility member installed so as to cover an opening portion formed in the ceiling portion or a side wall and is configured to be deformed by a direct or indirect push by the waste toner; and a movable member formed so as to contact the flexibility member from outside of the container and so as to be displaced by the direct or indirect push by the waste toner interposing the flexibility member such that displacement thereof is detected by a detection unit. The displacement of the movable member is limited by a regulating member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2015Publication date: September 17, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Shinya KARASAWA, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Takeshi KOJIMA, Hajime TERAJI, Michiya OKAMOTO, Takuma IWASAKI, Daisuke SAWADA, Kentaroh NODERA, Daisuke TOMITA, Masanori MORO
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Publication number: 20150234341Abstract: A cleaning device comprises: a to-be-cleaned member; a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the to-be-cleaned member; a conveying member that conveys a substance removed from the surface of the to-be-cleaned member to outside of the device; a rotatable collecting member that conveys with its surface the substance toward the conveying member; and a partitioning member that guides the substance from the collecting member to the conveying member. The collecting member comprises a conveying portion that carries and conveys the substance; and a protrusion that protrudes toward an upstream side of the conveying portion in a rotating direction of the collecting member. One end of the partitioning member faces the rotating collecting member, and the other end faces the conveying member. The conveying portion and the protrusion are brought into contact with the partitioning member by the rotation of the collecting member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2015Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Hajime TERAJI, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Takeshi KOJIMA, Michiya OKAMOTO, Takuma IWASAKI, Shinya KARASAWA, Daisuke SAWADA, Kentaroh NODERA, Masanori MORO
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Patent number: 9104171Abstract: A detachable device, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a unit drive mechanism, and a cover disposed at one end and an opposite end in the given attachment/detachment direction to cover the unit drive mechanism thereof. The cover includes a first cover and a second cover. The first cover includes at least one first inlet port to intake air from the apparatus body and guide the air to the detachable unit. The second cover includes a second inlet port to intake the air guided into the detachable unit and an air outlet port to exhaust the air introduced from the second inlet port to the apparatus body.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2014Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuta Azeyanagi, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Satoshi Hatori, Naohiro Kumagai, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Kaoru Yoshino, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Hideyasu Seki, Ryohta Gotoh
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Patent number: 9081347Abstract: In an embodiment, provided is a lubricant supplying device that includes: a solid lubricant; a supplying member that supplies lubricant of the solid lubricant to a lubricant supplying target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the solid lubricant being at a given amount or less. The remaining amount detecting unit is provided on a downstream side in a rubbing direction of the supplying member with respect to the solid lubricant.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Akira Fujimori, Satoshi Hatori, Naohiro Kumagai, Kaoru Yoshino, Hideyasu Seki, Ryohta Gotoh, Takeshi Shintani, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Norio Kudo, Kenji Honjoh, Yuta Azeyanagi
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Patent number: 9068693Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device includes a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Satoshi Hatori, Ryohta Gotoh, Akira Fujimori, Naohiro Kumagai, Kaoru Yoshino, Hideyasu Seki, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Yuta Azeyanagi, Yasuhito Kuboshima
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Patent number: 9008546Abstract: An image carrier includes a tubular image carrier body to carry an image on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a shaft disposed inside the image carrier body, a first flange mounted on the shaft, and a second flange spaced apart from the first flange in an axial direction of the image carrier and mounted on the shaft. Each of the first flange and the second flange includes a through-hole contacting the shaft, a first engagement portion to engage a lateral end of the image carrier body in the axial direction of the image carrier, and a second engagement portion, constituting at least a part of the through-hole, to engage the shaft. The second engagement portion is disposed inboard from the first engagement portion in the axial direction of the image carrier.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2013Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Nobuyuki Taguchi, Satoshi Hatori, Naohiro Kumagai, Kaoru Yoshino, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Yuta Azeyanagi, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Hideyasu Seki, Ryohta Gotoh
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Patent number: 8855507Abstract: In the present invention, a lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant end determining unit that determines that a solid lubricant is in an end state when the amount of a lubricant supplying operation reaches a threshold after a residual amount detecting unit detects that the residual amount of the solid lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The lubricant end determining unit makes a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of equal to or lower than a predetermined value lower than a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of higher than the predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2013Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hideyasu Seki, Satoshi Hatori, Naohiro Kumagai, Kaoru Yoshino, Akira Fujimori, Ryohta Gotoh, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Yuta Azeyanagi, Yasuhito Kuboshima
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Publication number: 20140270881Abstract: A lubricant supply device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant holder to hold the solid lubricant, a lubricant supply member to supply lubricant to a lubrication target, a pressing member to press the solid lubricant toward the lubricant supply member, and a pressing force adjuster to change an amount of pressing force exerted by the pressing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Ryohta GOTOH, Kaoru YOSHINO, Satoshi HATORI, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Nobuyuki TAGUCHI, Yasuhito KUBOSHIMA, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Shinichi KAWAHARA, Nobuo KUWABARA, Hideyasu SEKI, Yuta AZEYANAGI
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Publication number: 20140199091Abstract: A detachable device, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a unit drive mechanism, and a cover disposed at one end and an opposite end in the given attachment/detachment direction to cover the unit drive mechanism thereof. The cover includes a first cover and a second cover. The first cover includes at least one first inlet port to intake air from the apparatus body and guide the air to the detachable unit. The second cover includes a second inlet port to intake the air guided into the detachable unit and an air outlet port to exhaust the air introduced from the second inlet port to the apparatus body.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2014Publication date: July 17, 2014Inventors: Yuta AZEYANAGI, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Satoshi Hatori, Naohiro Kumagai, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Kaoru Yoshino, Yasuhito Kuboshima, Hideyasu Seki, Ryohta Gotoh
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Publication number: 20140147170Abstract: An image carrier includes a tubular image carrier body to carry an image on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a shaft disposed inside the image carrier body, a first flange mounted on the shaft, and a second flange spaced apart from the first flange in an axial direction of the image carrier and mounted on the shaft. Each of the first flange and the second flange includes a through-hole contacting the shaft, a first engagement portion to engage a lateral end of the image carrier body in the axial direction of the image carrier, and a second engagement portion, constituting at least a part of the through-hole, to engage the shaft. The second engagement portion is disposed inboard from the first engagement portion in the axial direction of the image carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Nobuyuki TAGUCHI, Satoshi HATORI, Naohiro KUMAGAI, Kaoru YOSHINO, Hiromichi NINOMIYA, Yuta AZEYANAGI, Yasuhito KUBOSHIMA, Hideyasu SEKI, Ryohta GOTOH