Patents by Inventor Ichiro Ichihashi

Ichiro Ichihashi 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: 9102116
    Abstract: In a sheet creaser, a sheet set is pushed between a pair of folding rollers to fold the sheet set. Then, a re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set, which has been folded by the folding rollers, by rolling along the crease. Pressure applied on the sheet set by the folding rollers is released when the re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Takashi Saito, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Atsushi Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 8313098
    Abstract: A paper transport device is configured to independently drive a paper ejecting roller when predetermined abnormal events occur. When paper-jamming occurs and if no paper is present downstream of a jammed paper or a preceding paper that is present most downstream is located upstream of a predetermined position, the paper ejecting roller is stopped to prevent ejection of papers outside of the paper transport device. When paper-jamming occurs and if a preceding paper that is present most downstream is located downstream of the predetermined position, the paper ejecting roller is independently driven to complete ejection of the preceding paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 8191885
    Abstract: A processing unit performs a predetermined processing on a sheet in a process of carrying the sheet. A home-position detecting unit detects a home position of a moving member of the processing unit by detecting a part of the moving member using a detecting unit. The home-position detecting unit sets in advance a detection range for recognizing the home position, and when a part to detect the home position is detected in a state in which the moving member is stopped, sets a detection position as the home position by assuming that the detection position is in the detection range without moving the moving member once out of a detection range of the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Ichiro Ichihashi, Akira Kunieda, Makoto Hidaka, Naohiro Kikkawa, Junichi Tokita
  • Patent number: 8177226
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and associated method are provided. The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, a sheet stack tray, a sheet discharging member, a sheet guide member, and a sheet contact portion. The sheet conveying path is configured to convey a sheet, the sheet discharging member discharges the sheet to the sheet stack tray, and the sheet stack tray receives the sheet. The sheet guide member is movable from a first position that guides the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member to a second position that opens a sheet discharge path of the sheet discharging member. The sheet contact portion is arranged at an upstream side of the sheet discharging member with respect to the sheet conveying path, and responds to the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path in order to move the sheet guide member between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 8162306
    Abstract: A sheet aligning apparatus includes an alignment surface formed in a planar shape and that presses an end of a sheet to move and align the sheet; and a holding unit that holds the end of the sheet at a position contacting the alignment surface in a state that a curled end of the sheet contacts the alignment surface and the sheet is thus pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Takashi Saito, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Atsushi Kuriyama, Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 8162305
    Abstract: A sheet processing system includes a sheet processing device that includes a post-processing unit that performs a predetermined post-processing on a sheet member and a sheet supplying device that supplies the sheet member to the sheet processing device. The post-processing unit has two waiting positions including a first position that is a normal waiting position and a second position that is a position filling items to be used in the post-processing in the post-processing unit. When the post-processing unit moves from the second position to a post-processing position to perform the post-processing in response to a post-processing request, the sheet supplying device sets a supply time for supplying the sheet member to the sheet processing device longer than a time that is required for the sheet processing device to move from the first position to the post-processing position by a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Masahiro Tamura, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Atsushi Kuriyama, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Takashi Saito, Junichi Tokita, Naoyuki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8011281
    Abstract: A punching device includes a detecting unit, a punching unit, a moving unit, a storage unit, and a controlling unit. The detecting unit detects a lateral edge position of a recording medium to obtain edge position data. When the edge position data does not indicate an error value, the edge position data is stored in the storage unit as reference data. The controlling unit determines, when the edge position data indicates an error value, a movement amount of the punching unit based on reference data previously obtained and stored in the storage unit. The moving unit moves the punching unit by the movement amount in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Hidaka, Akira Kunieda, Junichi Tokita, Hitoshi Hattori, Ichiro Ichihashi, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Tamura, Tomoichi Nomura, Hiroshi Maeda, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa
  • Patent number: 8002274
    Abstract: A sheet stacking unit that stacks sheets thereon is movable up and down. A lifting unit moves the sheet stacking unit up and down. A driving unit drives the lifting unit. A control unit controls a driving speed of the driving unit. A position detecting unit detects a position of the sheet stacking unit in an up-and-down direction. The control unit controls the driving speed according to the position of the sheet stacking unit detected by the position detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Saito, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Atsushi Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 7967284
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device in which at least a sheet is guided and conveyed by a guiding member includes a discharging roller that conveys the sheet, a first guiding member and a second guiding member that are arranged along an outer periphery of the discharging roller, and a supporting shaft that rotatably supports both the first guiding member and the second guiding member. When the first guiding member is located at a first position in which a path between the first guiding member and the discharging roller is closed, the sheet is guided to a shift conveying path, and when the first guiding member is located at a second position in which the path is opened, the sheet is guided to a folding processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shuuya Nagasako, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Ichiro Ichihashi, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Naohiro Kikkawa
  • Publication number: 20110138596
    Abstract: A bond layer 11 is formed by thermally spraying a Ni—Al alloy on a worn portion of a member 10, and thereafter, a buildup layer 12 is formed by thermally spraying a stainless steel onto the bond layer 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Katsumi Namba, Ikuo Okada, Taiji Torigoe, Ichiro Ichihashi, Tomohiro Ono, Motoyoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7954800
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a sheet aligning unit that aligns a sheet recording medium. The sheet aligning unit is configured to be pulled out from a main body of the sheet processing device, and includes a sheet conveying member for conveying the sheet recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Maeda, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Tomoichi Nomura, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7950641
    Abstract: In a sheet creaser, when a sheet is conveyed to a folding unit by a conveyer unit, the folding unit folds the sheet and a pressing unit presses the folded sheet by sliding in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. A switching unit switches the conveyer unit between a first position to convey the sheet and a second position unable to convey the sheet. A driving unit drives both the switching unit and the pressing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Takashi Saito, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Atsushi Kuriyama, Hiroshi Maeda, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7946569
    Abstract: A sheet aligning device includes a transport path, a movable fence, a tapping tab, and jogger fences. The transport path transports a sheet stack. The movable fence and the tapping tab align the sheet stack in a first direction in which the sheet stack is transported on the transport path. The jogger fences align the sheet stack in a direction perpendicular to the first direction on the transport path. The movable fence, the tapping tab, and the jogger fences align the sheet stack according to a plurality of aligning modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limted
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Shohichi Satoh, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7934714
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit, a moving member, and a discharging member. The moving member moves up the pile stacked on the sheet stacking unit to one of a plurality of scooping positions, and the discharging member receives the pile from the moving member at the one of the scooping positions and scoops up the pile by supporting a bottom edge of the pile for discharging the pile out of the sheet stacking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ichiro Ichihashi, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7922163
    Abstract: A pressing unit presses vicinity of a trailing edge of a stack of sheets stacked in a tray. An aligning unit aligns the stack of sheets stacked in the tray. A stapling unit binds the stack of sheets aligned by the aligning unit. A discharging unit discharges the stack of sheets bound by the stapling unit. A control unit controls the pressing unit to keep a constant distance from a surface of a top sheet of the stack of sheets when the discharging unit discharging the stack of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ichiro Ichihashi, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7905473
    Abstract: A pressing unit includes a pressure roller that slides on the folded side while rotating, an elastic biasing unit that presses the pressure roller in a thickness direction of the stack of sheets, and a driving unit that slides the pressure roller in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveying direction of the stack of sheets. A lifting unit, when the pressure roller slides to a first position, temporarily lifts up the pressure roller, and when lifted-up pressure roller slides to a second position, lifts the lifted-up pressure roller down onto the folded side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Junichi Tokita, Takashi Saito, Hitoshi Hattori, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Atsushi Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 7896341
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes entrance rollers and registration rollers. The entrance rollers convey a sheet received from delivery rollers to the registration rollers. The registration rollers correct skew of the sheet. A conveying path between the delivery rollers and the registration rollers is equal to or slightly longer than a length of a sheet in a maximum allowable size for skew correction in a conveying direction in which the sheet is conveyed on the conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kunieda, Masahiro Tamura, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Ichiro Ichihashi, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7893648
    Abstract: A stepping motor driving device drives a stepping motor according to a drive pulse of a step signal. A phase matching unit matches, at a time when there is a possibility that a rotor and a phase signal are out of phase with each other, phases of the rotor and the phase signal by applying at least one drive pulse after energizing the stepping motor for a predetermined time and applying a phase signal having a predetermined duration for a final pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomoichi Nomura, Hiroshi Maeda, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Akira Kunieda, Makoto Hidaka, Ichiro Ichihashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Naohiro Kikkawa, Junichi Tokita
  • Patent number: 7866650
    Abstract: An aligning unit aligns a front end of a sheet bundle stacked in a tray in a discharging direction. A sheet bundle conveying unit holds a rear end of the sheet bundle and conveys the sheet bundle in the discharging direction. The aligning unit is arranged to be retracted from a conveying path of the sheet bundle after aligning the front end of the sheet bundle and to come out in the conveying path of the sheet bundle behind the sheet bundle conveying unit after a movement of the sheet bundle conveying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Nomura, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Shohichi Satoh, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7862023
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a stapling tray, a rear-end clamp, and a stapler that staples sheets while the rear-end clamp is clamping the sheets. In response to a start signal, the stapler moves to a position where the stapler does not interfere the rear-end clamp while being closest to a stapling position. When the last sheet of a sheet bundle to be stapled is conveyed into the stapling tray, timing at which the stapler moves to the stapling position is determined according to a preset condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ichiro Ichihashi, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Akira Kunieda, Shohichi Satoh