Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Fujiwara

Hiroshi Fujiwara 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).

  • Recording medium conveyer capable of effectively conveying recording medium of various types
    Publication number: 20100019440
    Abstract: In a recording medium conveyer, a driver drives a feeding member and a conveying member provided downstream from the feeding member in a recording medium conveyance direction independently. A controller stops driving the feeding member when a first time period elapses after a recording medium reaches the conveying member. When a selector judges that the thickness of the recording medium identifies the recording medium as thin paper, the controller does not drive the feeding member after the controller starts driving the conveying member, and when the selector judges that the recording medium has a thickness greater than a thickness of the recording medium that identifies the recording medium as thin paper, the controller restarts driving the feeding member no later than when the controller starts driving the conveying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fujiwara, Mizuna Tanaka, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Toshikane Nishii, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Haruyuki Honda
  • Sheet feeding device, image forming apparatus, and sheet feeding method
    Publication number: 20090315250
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a first roller that draws a recording medium at a first position and feeds the recording medium; a friction pad that comes into contact with the first roller with a predetermined contact pressure at a second position that is close to and downstream of the first position in a conveying direction of the recording medium and nips the recording medium with the first roller to convey the recording medium in the conveying direction; and a second roller that comes into contact with the first roller at a third position that is close to and downstream of the second position in the conveying direction and nips the recording medium with the first roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Ippei Kimura, Yasuo Matsuyama, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Toshikane Nishii, Mizuna Tanaka, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Haruyuki Honda, Masafumi Takahira
  • Image forming apparatus, optional sheet feeder, and base plate member
    Publication number: 20090302521
    Abstract: A base plate is selectively attached to a lower surface of a main body of an image forming apparatus or to an optional sheet feeder attachable to the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yasuo Matsuyama, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Toshikane Nishii, Mizuna Tanaka, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Haruyuki Honda, Masafumi Takahira
  • Sheet discharge device and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20090295061
    Abstract: A sheet discharge device discharges a sheet to a sheet discharge tray. The sheet discharge device includes a rotary shaft, two inside drive rollers, two outside drive rollers, two inside driven rollers, two outside driven rollers, two end retainers, and two inside retainers. The drive rollers are rotatably attached to the rotary shaft. Each of the driven rollers opposes a corresponding one of the drive rollers to be driven by the drive roller. The end retainers and the inside retainers rotatably extend from the rotary shaft across a common tangent of the driven rollers and the drive rollers. The end retainers are longer than the inside rollers and constructed so as to rest on the stacked sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Haruyuki Honda, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Toshikane Nishii, Mizuna Tanaka, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki
  • Sheet conveyance apparatus having mechanism for flexibly controlling interval between sheets and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7607658
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path, a first conveyance mechanism located upstream in the sheet conveyance path, and a first drive mechanism configured to drive the first conveyance mechanism. The apparatus further includes a second conveyance mechanism located downstream in the sheet conveyance path, a second drive mechanism configured to drive the second conveyance mechanism, a first intermediate conveyance mechanism located between the first and second conveyance mechanisms in the sheet conveyance path, and a first drive transmission mechanism configured to intermittently transmit drive force from the first drive mechanism to the first intermediate conveyance mechanism. The sheet conveyance apparatus can be provided in an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Fujiwara
  • Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20090174135
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet containing unit that contains sheets; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheets; a separating unit that separates a single sheet from the sheets; a holding unit that holds the separating unit; and a vibration applying unit that applies a vibration to any one of the sheets conveyed by the sheet conveying unit and the separating unit before starting conveyance of the sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Yasuo Matsuyama, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Toshikane Nishii, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Haruyuki Honda, Ippei Kimura, Masafumi Takahira
  • Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20090121418
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding member, a friction separation member, a retaining member, a downstream guiding member, and a biasing member. The downstream guiding member is arranged downstream of a sheet conveyance direction than the friction separation member such that its guide surface is inclined at a predetermined angle to a front surface of the friction separation member towards the sheet feeding member. A line joining an apex of a sheet guiding member arranged upstream of the sheet conveyance direction than the friction separation member and an apex of the downstream guiding unit is positioned towards the sheet feeding member than a contact portion of the sheet feeding member and the friction separation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Yasuo Matsuyama, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Toshikane Nishii, Ippei Kimura, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Haruyuki Honda, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Masafumi Takahira, Ikuo Jujii
  • Image forming device
    Publication number: 20090110459
    Abstract: An image forming device is disclosed. The device includes a toner-image forming unit which forms a toner image; a transfer unit; a fixing unit; a paper-output unit; a drive unit; a first drive-power transmission gear; a second drive-power transmission gear; a gear housing; a first positioning unit which positions the fixing unit relative to a device body; and a second positioning unit. The second positioning unit positions the paper-output unit relative to the device body in the direction of a gap between the first drive-power transmission gear and the second drive-power transmission gear by engaging the gear housing with the device body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Haruyuki Honda, Yasuo Matsuyama, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Toshikane Nishii, Mizuna Tanaka, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Masafumi Takahira
  • Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
    Patent number: 7517800
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including a TiN film, including a deposition step of forming a TiN film by the CVD method, an anneal step of performing a heat treatment to the formed TiN film in an atmosphere of NH3 gas, an NH3 gas purge step of purging NH3 gas, and a step of further repeating the deposition step, the anneal step, and the NH3 gas purge step for at least one time. The deposition step is performed using titanium halide gas and NH3 gas as material gases and with a deposition temperature of 300° C.-450° C. to form the TiN film by a thickness of 1 nm-5 nm for each deposition step. Thus, a semiconductor device in which generation of irregularly grown objects in the TiN film is suppressed and a manufacturing method thereof can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tomonori Okudaira, Takeshi Hayashi, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Yasushi Fujita, Kiyoteru Kobayashi
  • Image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20090056484
    Abstract: A reciprocating-motion converting mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a rotation center; a reciprocating member that is reciprocated due to rotation of the cam; and a pressing unit that presses the reciprocating member to the cam. A first load torque is generated by a load applied at a point of contact of the cam and the reciprocating motion member. A load applying unit applies a load to the cam to generate a second load torque having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the first load torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Toru Hanashima, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Haruyuki Honda, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Tatsuo Fukushima, Kimihiro Tanaka
  • Image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20090022514
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cover and a supporting unit. The supporting unit includes a holding member, a supporting member, a first biasing unit, and a positioning unit. The holding member holds the transferring member. The supporting member movably supports the holding member, so that the transferring member can move toward or away from a specific member arranged in the main body. The first biasing unit biases the transferring member toward the specific member. When the cover is in a closed state, the transferring member is pressed against the specific member. The positioning unit performs positioning of the supporting member with respect to the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fujiwara, Masafumi Takahira, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Tomofumi Inoue, Takeru Muramatsu
  • Switchback mechanism and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080284090
    Abstract: In a color printer in which a drive force of a fixed gear that rotates not in both a forward direction and a reverse direction but in either one direction only is transmitted to a discharging unit, a swing gear is attached to a branch guide via a switching link and a transmission link as a link mechanism. When a solenoid mechanism starts driving, the transmission link rotates. In accordance with the rotation of the transmission link, the switching link rotates, so that a switching among a discharge conveying path, a duplex-printing conveying path, and a switchback conveying path by the branch guide and a switching of a rotating direction of a transmission gear can be simultaneously performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Haruyuki Honda, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Toshikane Nishii, Shigeo Nanno, Mizuna Tanaka, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Masafumi Takahira
  • Sheet discharging device and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080273908
    Abstract: A sheet-discharging device includes an upper discharging roller, a lower discharging roller, and a protruding member. The protruding member allows discharging of a sheet to outside from the nip between the upper discharging roller and the lower discharging roller, and prevents taking-in of a sheet that has already been discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Yasuhide Ohkubo, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Toshikane Nishii, Haruyuki Honda, Masafumi Takahira, Mizuna Tanaka
  • Sheet loading device, sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080237970
    Abstract: A sheet cassette loads and houses therein a plurality of sheets. A separating unit separates the sheets loaded in the sheet cassette one by one. The separating unit is arranged in the sheet cassette in opposite to a feeding roller that conveys the sheets from the sheet cassette. A rib is formed on a rear surface of a bottom plate of the sheet cassette. The rib is pressed by a pressing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Shigeo Nanno, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Haruyuki Honda, Ippei Kimura, Masafumi Takahira, Toshikane Nishii
  • Feeding device and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080224385
    Abstract: A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Masafumi Takahira, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Shigeo Nanno, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Mizuna Tanaka, Toshikane Nishii, Haruyuki Honda, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki
  • PRESSING MOLD AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20080203272
    Abstract: A pressing mold for use in press working of a material includes a mold body, a coating film formed on the portion of the pressing mold that comes into contact with the material in the press working, the coating film being formed by PVD method. The coating film includes a TiN layer formed on a surface of the mold body, a Ti(CxNy) layer (wherein, x+y=1, x<1, and x gradually increases to 1 as it becomes more distant from the surface of the TiN layer) formed on the TiN layer, and a TiC layer formed on the Ti(CxNy) layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Toyo Advanced Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fujiwara, Ichiro Kanba, Tadashi Takano
  • Sliding Mechanism, sheet guide, sheet loading device, and image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080143046
    Abstract: A sliding mechanism includes a sheet position limiting member having a sheet position limiting surface, the sheet position limiting member being configured to slide in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sheet position limiting surface; and a guide member configured to guide the sliding of the sheet position limiting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Toshikane Nishii, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Shigeo Nanno, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Masafumi Takahira
  • Open/close mechanism for paper tray for use in image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080054554
    Abstract: An open/close mechanism can be used for paper trays of an image forming apparatus. The open/close mechanism includes a plate member provided on a side of a housing of the image forming apparatus and configured to pivot upon an axis between an open position and a close position, and a box member that is arranged in the housing beneath the plate member and that can be drawn out of the housing from the side. The open/close mechanism includes also includes a restricting unit that is coupled to the plate member and that abuts against the box member when the box member is set in the housing and when the plate member is in the open position thereby restricting detachment of the box member from the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: Toshikane Nishii, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Mizuna Tanaka, Haruyuki Honda, Masafumi Takahira, Hiroshi Fujiwara
  • Image forming apparatus
    Publication number: 20080006166
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a first unit to be attached inside the apparatus main body, a rotatable part attached to the apparatus main body and rotatable between an open position for opening the apparatus main body and a closed position for closing the apparatus main body, and a second unit removably attached to the rotatable part. When the rotatable part is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the first unit is allowed to be attached to or removed from the apparatus main body by being moved horizontally. By removing the second unit from the rotatable part, the first unit is attached to or removed from the apparatus main body without coming into contact with the second unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Yasuhide Ohkubo, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Shigeo Nanno, Ippei Kimura, Yoshihide Ohta, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Masafumi Takahira, Haruyuki Honda
  • Medium storing apparatus and medium storing system
    Publication number: 20080002273
    Abstract: To provide a medium storing apparatus and a medium storing system capable of realizing a management of information recording media even when an identifier for specifying the information recording media is not attached to the information recording media such as a magnetic tape. When the medium storing apparatus determines that the identifier of the information recording media can not be read (S104: YES), each kind of data is read from a memory of the information recording media (S105), and whether or not the identifier is included in each kind of data is determined (S106), and when it is so determines that the identifier is included (S106: YES), the identifier thus read is outputted (S107), and when it is so determines that the identifier is not included (S106: NO), the identifier based on the information read in step S105 is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroshi Fujiwara