Patents by Inventor Ikumi Takashima

Ikumi Takashima 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: 11528376
    Abstract: A sheet alignment apparatus includes a sheet leading-end aligning device, a sheet side-end aligning device. The sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to align a leading end of a sheet bundle in a sheet conveyance direction. The sheet side-end aligning device is configured to align a side end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction and move the sheet bundle to a predetermined position. The sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to maintain contact with the leading end of the sheet bundle when the sheet leading-end aligning device retracts from a movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device along which the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Itoh, Ikumi Takashima
  • Publication number: 20210337079
    Abstract: A sheet alignment apparatus includes a sheet leading-end aligning device, a sheet side-end aligning device. The sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to align a leading end of a sheet bundle in a sheet conveyance direction. The sheet side-end aligning device is configured to align a side end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction and move the sheet bundle to a predetermined position. The sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to maintain contact with the leading end of the sheet bundle when the sheet leading-end aligning device retracts from a movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device along which the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeyuki ITOH, Ikumi TAKASHIMA
  • Patent number: 9914280
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, a binding device includes a first rotary member including a first serrated portion on its circumferential surface, a second rotary member including, on its circumferential surface, a second serrated portion to be engaged with the first serrated portion at an engaging position and configured to perform a binding process by rotating together with the first rotary member with a bundle of sheets pinched therebetween to form serrations in the sheet bundle in thickness direction and bring the sheets into engagement with each other while relatively moving the sheet bundle in a predetermined moving direction, and a clamping unit configured to, when the binding process is performed, clamp the sheet bundle at a clamping position upstream of the engaging position to apply a predetermined pulling force acting in a direction opposite to the moving direction to the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ikumi Takashima, Akihiro Tsuno, Hirotaka Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9270849
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first conveying unit configured to convey a sheet; a holding unit configured to hold the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit; a first post-processing unit configured to perform a post-process on the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit; a second post-processing unit configured to perform a post-process on the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit, the second post-processing unit being arranged below the first post-processing unit; a moving unit configured to move the holding unit from the first post-processing unit to the second post-processing unit; a second conveying unit configured to convey the sheet subjected to the post-processed by the first post-processing unit or the second post-processing unit in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the sheet is conveyed by the first conveying unit; and a stacking unit configured to stack the sheet conveyed by the second conveying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ikumi Takashima
  • Publication number: 20160041516
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, a binding device includes a first rotary member including a first serrated portion on its circumferential surface, a second rotary member including, on its circumferential surface, a second serrated portion to be engaged with the first serrated portion at an engaging position and configured to perform a binding process by rotating together with the first rotary member with a bundle of sheets pinched therebetween to form serrations in the sheet bundle in thickness direction and bring the sheets into engagement with each other while relatively moving the sheet bundle in a predetermined moving direction, and a clamping unit configured to, when the binding process is performed, clamp the sheet bundle at a clamping position upstream of the engaging position to apply a predetermined pulling force acting in a direction opposite to the moving direction to the sheet bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Ikumi TAKASHIMA, Akihiro TSUNO, Hirotaka HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8967610
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a clamp configured to clamp an edge portion of a sheet, the edge portion being on a side of an edge parallel to a direction in which the sheet has been conveyed; a first processing unit configured to perform a first process on the sheet at the side of the edge, the first processing unit being disposed at a first position; a second processing unit configured to perform a second process on the sheet at the side of the edge, the second processing unit being disposed at a second position that is different from the first position in a vertical direction; and a moving unit configured to move the clamp from the first position to the second position or vice versa so that the clamp moves on a loop passing through the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ikumi Takashima
  • Patent number: 8740212
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a transport unit that transports a sheet; an abutting unit that abuts an end of the sheet being transported to form a bent portion at the sheet; a folding unit that nips the bent portion of the sheet by a pair of folding rollers to form a fold line in the sheet; a guide member that partially covers the folding roller and guides the sheet; and a position adjustment unit that adjusts a position of the guide member. An exposure amount of the folding roller with respect to the sheet can be varied by adjusting the position of the guide member through the position adjustment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Isao Yasuda, Ikumi Takashima
  • Patent number: 8695959
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a transport unit that transports a sheet; an abutting unit that abuts an end of the sheet being transported to form a bent portion at the sheet; a folding unit that nips the bent portion of the sheet by a pair of folding rollers to form a fold line in the sheet; a guide member that partially covers the folding roller and guides the sheet; and a position adjustment unit that adjusts a position of the guide member. An exposure amount of the folding roller with respect to the sheet can be varied by adjusting the position of the guide member through the position adjustment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Isao Yasuda, Ikumi Takashima
  • Publication number: 20130242330
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first conveying unit configured to convey a sheet; a holding unit configured to hold the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit; a first post-processing unit configured to perform a post-process on the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit; a second post-processing unit configured to perform a post-process on the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit, the second post-processing unit being arranged below the first post-processing unit; a moving unit configured to move the holding unit from the first post-processing unit to the second post-processing unit; a second conveying unit configured to convey the sheet subjected to the post-processed by the first post-processing unit or the second post-processing unit in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the sheet is conveyed by the first conveying unit; and a stacking unit configured to stack the sheet conveyed by the second conveying unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ikumi TAKASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20130243511
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a clamp configured to clamp an edge portion of a sheet, the edge portion being on a side of an edge parallel to a direction in which the sheet has been conveyed; a first processing unit configured to perform a first process on the sheet at the side of the edge, the first processing unit being disposed at a first position; a second processing unit configured to perform a second process on the sheet at the side of the edge, the second processing unit being disposed at a second position that is different from the first position in a vertical direction; and a moving unit configured to move the clamp from the first position to the second position or vice versa so that the clamp moves on a loop passing through the first position and the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ikumi TAKASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20110058876
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a transport unit that transports a sheet; an abutting unit that abuts an end of the sheet being transported to form a bent portion at the sheet; a folding unit that nips the bent portion of the sheet by a pair of folding rollers to form a fold line in the sheet; a guide member that partially covers the folding roller and guides the sheet; and a position adjustment unit that adjusts a position of the guide member. An exposure amount of the folding roller with respect to the sheet can be varied by adjusting the position of the guide member through the position adjustment unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Isao Yasuda, Ikumi Takashima
  • Patent number: 7731187
    Abstract: A sheet medium adjustment apparatus, e.g., in an image forming system, includes: an ejector to eject a conveyed sheet; a stacking device to stack each sheet ejected from the sheet ejector into a stack on a tray; a moving device to shift the stacking device in a movement direction perpendicular to a sheet-ejecting direction; a sheet aligning member to align ends of the sheets in the stack that are parallel to the sheet-ejecting direction; a stepping motor to move the sheet aligning member; and an evacuation device to evacuate the aligning member by an amount representing an evacuation displacement in the movement direction at a timing of aligning the sheet, the evacuation displacement being determined adaptively according to at least one of an attribute of a given sheet in the stack, an attribute of the stack as a whole and an attribute of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Horio, Minoru Hattori, Shigeru Mizuno, Ikumi Takashima, Koji Furuta, Masanobu Kimata, Miyuki Ito, Yoshihide Sugiyama, Akihiro Tsuno, Nakayama Naoya, Ueno Shinichi
  • Publication number: 20070176357
    Abstract: A sheet medium adjustment apparatus, e.g., in an image forming system, includes: an ejector to eject a conveyed sheet; a stacking device to stack each sheet ejected from the sheet ejector into a stack on a tray; a moving device to shift the stacking device in a movement direction perpendicular to a sheet-ejecting direction; a sheet aligning member to align ends of the sheets in the stack that are parallel to the sheet-ejecting direction; a stepping motor to move the sheet aligning member; and an evacuation device to evacuate the aligning member by an amount representing an evacuation displacement in the movement direction at a timing of aligning the sheet, the evacuation displacement being determined adaptively according to at least one of an attribute of a given sheet in the stack, an attribute of the stack as a whole and an attribute of the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Toru Horio, Minoru Hattori, Shigeru Mizuno, Ikumi Takashima, Koji Furuta, Masanobu Kimata, Miyuki Ito, Yoshihide Sugiyama, Akihiro Tsuno, Nakayama Naoya, Ueno Shinichi