Patents by Inventor Ippei Fijimoto

Ippei Fijimoto 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).

  • Image forming apparatus, and method of controlling warming-up time of image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 8073352
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and a fixing process managing system. The fixing process managing system, including a mode switchover unit, controls a time mode and a temperature mode for heating a fixing member. In the time mode, the fixing unit is determined to be ready for a fixing process when a given time elapses after activation of the image forming apparatus. In the temperature mode, the fixing unit is determined to be ready for a fixing process when a temperature of the fixing member attains a given reference temperature after activation of the image forming apparatus. The mode switchover unit selects between the temperature mode and the time mode. The fixing process managing system selects the temperature mode instead of the time mode when a supply amount of electrical power to the fixing unit is determined to be below a required electrical power supply level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kunii, Ippei Fijimoto, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Toshiharu Hachisuka, Yasunori Ishigaya, Shinichi Namekata
  • IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING WARMING-UP TIME OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20090169232
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and a fixing process managing system. The fixing process managing system, including a mode switchover unit, controls a time mode and a temperature mode for heating a fixing member. In the time mode, the fixing unit is determined to be ready for a fixing process when a given time elapses after activation of the image forming apparatus. In the temperature mode, the fixing unit is determined to be ready for a fixing process when a temperature of the fixing member attains a given reference temperature after activation of the image forming apparatus. The mode switchover unit selects between the temperature mode and the time mode. The fixing process managing system selects the temperature mode instead of the time mode when a supply amount of electrical power to the fixing unit is determined to be below a required electrical power supply level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kunii, Ippei Fijimoto, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Toshiharu Hachisuka, Yasunori Ishigaya, Shinichi Namekata