Patents by Inventor Jun Aoto

Jun Aoto 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).

  • Publication number: 20130334014
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt member including a substrate; and an elastic layer overlying the substrate, an image former forming an image on the surface of the belt member or a recording material borne thereon, and a contact member contacting the surfaces of both ends of the belt member in its width direction, wherein the contact member has a hardness not greater than 30 when measured by Durometer Type C in an environment of 23° C. and 50% RH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Mashiko, Jun Aoto
  • Patent number: 8521073
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer member including a base layer as first layer, an elastic layer as second layer, and a particle layer as third layer and containing fine spherical particles arranged in plane direction thereof where the particle layer has a concavo-convex pattern formed by the fine spherical particles, the elastic layer and the particle layer being formed on the base layer in this order, wherein the intermediate transfer member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm2 or lower and an elastic recovery rate of 75% or higher when the intermediate transfer member is indented at a load of 40 mN under conditions of 25° C. and 50% RH, wherein an embedment rate of the fine spherical particles in the elastic layer is 33% to 99%, and wherein the intermediate transfer member is configured to receive a toner image formed by developing, with a toner, a latent image on an image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kubo, Jun Aoto, Kenichi Mashiko, Shinichi Nitta, Sayaka Katoh
  • Publication number: 20130129395
    Abstract: To provide a belt for an image forming apparatus, which contains: a base layer; an elastic layer; and spherical particles, wherein the belt for an image forming apparatus is provided across a plurality of rollers of the image forming apparatus to rotate, wherein the belt for an image forming apparatus has a laminate structure where at least the base layer and the elastic layer are provided in this order, wherein the spherical particles are partially embedded in an exposed surface of the elastic layer, and wherein, relative to a width direction of the belt for an image forming apparatus, a thickness of an edge portion of the belt for an image forming apparatus is 50% to 95% of a thickness of a center portion of the belt for an image forming apparatus, and an edge curling amount of the belt is 4 mm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kubo, Jun Aoto, Kenichi Mashiko, Sayaka Katoh, Daisuke Aoki
  • Publication number: 20130004212
    Abstract: To provide an intermediate transfer belt, which contains a base layer, and an elastic layer formed on the base layer, wherein the base layer contains polyimide which has a constitutional unit derived from pyromellitic acid and a constitutional unit derived from diaminodiphenyl ether, wherein the intermediate layer has a curling amount of 1.5 mm or less in an absolute value, and wherein the intermediate transfer belt is configured to receive, by transferring, a toner image formed by developing, with a toner, a latent image formed on an image bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Hidetaka KUBO, Jun Aoto, Kenichi Mashiko, Sayaka Katoh
  • Publication number: 20120262739
    Abstract: To provide an intermediate transfer belt, containing a base, an elastic layer formed on the base, and spherical particles deposited on a surface of the elastic layer, in which wherein the elastic layer has micro rubber hardness of 40° or lower in the environment of 10° C. and 15% RH, and the intermediate transfer belt is designed to be mounted in an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kubo, Jun Aoto, Kenichi Mashiko, Sayaka Katoh, Shinichi Nitta
  • Publication number: 20120230740
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt including: a base layer; and an elastic layer, the elastic layer being laid on the base layer to form a laminated structure, wherein the elastic layer is an acrylic rubber-elastic layer with flame retardancy where the acrylic rubber-elastic layer has VTM-0 grade according to the UL94VTM burning test, wherein the elastic layer has a Martens hardness of 0.2 N/mm2 to 0.8 N/mm2 when indented to a depth of 10 ?m, wherein the elastic layer has a uniform concavo-convex pattern in a surface thereof, and the uniform concavo-convex pattern is formed by arranging individual spherical resin particles in the surface of the elastic layer in a plane direction thereof, and wherein the intermediate transfer belt is configured to receive a toner image formed by developing, with a toner, a latent image on an image bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu MIKAMI, Jun Aoto, Atsuo Hirai, Shinichi Nitta
  • Publication number: 20120201578
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt configured to receive a toner image formed by developing, with a toner, a latent image on an image bearing member, the intermediate transfer belt including a base layer and an elastic layer laid on the base layer, wherein the elastic layer includes spherical resin particles and a layer formed of an elastic body, and has a concavo-convex pattern in a surface of the elastic layer, wherein the spherical resin particles are arranged in a plane direction in the surface of the elastic layer, and wherein the intermediate transfer belt has glossiness of 35% or higher as determined based on reflected light at 85° on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Kenichi MASHIKO, Jun Aoto, Hidetaka Kubo, Sayaka Katoh, Shinichi Nitta
  • Patent number: 8173229
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt, which receives plural color toner images from one or more image bearing members and then transfers the plural color toner images onto a receiving material. The intermediate transfer belt includes a substrate; and an outermost layer located overlying the substrate and including an epoxy-silicone copolymer. An image forming apparatus including at least one image bearing member configured to bear plural color toner images thereon; a primary transfer device including the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the primary transfer device transfers the plural color toner images from the at least one image bearing member to the intermediate transfer belt to form a combined color toner image thereon; and a secondary transfer device configured to transfer the combined color toner image onto a receiving material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Aoto
  • Publication number: 20120082488
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer member including a base layer as first layer, an elastic layer as second layer, and a particle layer as third layer and containing fine spherical particles arranged in plane direction thereof where the particle layer has a concavo-convex pattern formed by the fine spherical particles, the elastic layer and the particle layer being formed on the base layer in this order, wherein the intermediate transfer member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm2 or lower and an elastic recovery rate of 75% or higher when the intermediate transfer member is indented at a load of 40 mN under conditions of 25° C. and 50% RH, wherein an embedment rate of the fine spherical particles in the elastic layer is 33% to 99%, and wherein the intermediate transfer member is configured to receive a toner image formed by developing, with a toner, a latent image on an image bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka KUBO, Jun Aoto, Kenichi Mashiko, Shinichi Nitta, Sayaka Katoh
  • Publication number: 20110293824
    Abstract: To provide an intermediate transfer belt for use in an electrophotographic apparatus, including as an outermost surface thereof: uniform convex regions formed by aligning independent spherical resin particles in a surface direction; and depressed regions formed of a lubricant layer which respectively lie between the convex regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun AOTO, Hidetaka Kubo, Kenichi Mashiko, Sayaka Katoh, Shinichi Nitta
  • Publication number: 20110177238
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt including a resin layer, which is a surface layer of the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the resin layer has a concavo-convex pattern formed by spherical resin particles which are independently embedded in the resin layer so that the embedment rate of the spherical resin particles in the thickness direction of the resin layer is higher than 50% but lower than 100%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Aoto, Hidetaka Kubo, Kenichi Mashiko, Sayaka Katoh, Shinichi Nitta, Shigeo Oonuma
  • Publication number: 20110042856
    Abstract: An electrophotographic intermediate transfer belt obtained by applying a coating liquid to any of an inner surface and an outer surface of the mold, and then drying or curing so as to form a film, and demolding the film, including a surface having a black density of 2.2 to 3, and the other surface having a black density which is different from that of the surface by 0.5 or less, wherein the black density is measured by a spectrodensitometer, and the other surface has been in contact with the mold and the surface having the black density of 2.2 to 3 has been exposed to air during the production of the intermediate transfer belt, and wherein the coating liquid comprises at least a carbon black, any of a resin and a resin precursor, and a solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun AOTO, Hidetaka Kubo, Kenichi Mashiko
  • Publication number: 20090208258
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt, which receives plural color toner images from one or more image bearing members and then transfers the plural color toner images onto a receiving material. The intermediate transfer belt includes a substrate; and an outermost layer located overlying the substrate and including an epoxy-silicone copolymer. An image forming apparatus including at least one image bearing member configured to bear plural color toner images thereon; a primary transfer device including the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the primary transfer device transfers the plural color toner images from the at least one image bearing member to the intermediate transfer belt to form a combined color toner image thereon; and a secondary transfer device configured to transfer the combined color toner image onto a receiving material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventor: Jun AOTO
  • Publication number: 20080199218
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer formed overlying one side of the electroconductive substrate, wherein the photosensitive layer includes at least two charge generation materials which have spectral sensitivity in a different wavelength region, and wherein the photosensitive layer further includes an organic sulfur-containing compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Yasuo Suzuki, Jun Aoto, Takehiko Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 7295802
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a cleaning blade for cleaning the photoconductor, and a blade holder holding the cleaning blade and having a first bent portion for increasing its rigidity. In the apparatus, blade holder has at least one of a protrusion and a second bent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Michio Kimura, Jun Aoto
  • Publication number: 20070110488
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a cleaning blade for cleaning the photoconductor, and a blade holder holding the cleaning blade and having a first bent portion for increasing its rigidity. In the apparatus, blade holder has at least one of a protrusion and a second bent portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Toshiyuki KABATA, Michio Kimura, Jun Aoto
  • Patent number: 7181156
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a cleaning blade for cleaning the photoconductor, and a blade holder holding the cleaning blade and having a first bent portion for increasing its rigidity. In the apparatus, blade holder has at least one of a protrusion and a second bent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Michio Kimura, Jun Aoto
  • Publication number: 20050069357
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a cleaning blade for cleaning the photoconductor, and a blade holder holding the cleaning blade and having a first bent portion for increasing its rigidity. In the apparatus, blade holder has at least one of a protrusion and a second bent portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Michio Kimura, Jun Aoto
  • Patent number: 6136483
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor including an electroconductive substrate, and a charge generating layer including a charge generating material and a charge transporting layer including a charge transporting material, which are overlaid and which are formed overlying one side of the electroconductive substrate, wherein the charge generating material includes an asymmetric disazo pigment and a metal-free phthalocyanine pigment, and wherein a ratio of the asymmetric disazo pigment to the metal-free phthalocyanine pigment is from 1.5:1 to 5:1 by weight and the asymmetric disazo pigment has the following formula (I):Cp1--N.dbd.N--A--N.dbd.N--Cp2 (I)wherein A represents a divalent group which is connected to each nitrogen atom of the adjacent azo groups through a carbon atom of said A group; and Cp1 and Cp2 independently represents a residual group of a coupler, wherein Cp1 is different from Cp2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Suzuki, Jun Aoto, Takehiko Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 5871876
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor has an electroconductive support and a photoconductive layer formed thereon, which contains a charge transport material with a polycarbonate structure having a triarylamino group at least on the main chain or side chain thereof, and a charge generation material with a phthalocyanine skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ikuno, Hiroshi Nagame, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hidetoshi Kami, Jun Aoto, Hiroshi Tamura, Narihito Kojima, Tatsuya Niimi