Patents by Inventor Junji Nakai

Junji Nakai 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: 9873266
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Masakazu Yoshida, Souichi Nakazawa, Tatsuro Watanabe, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Koji Nagai
  • Publication number: 20170334217
    Abstract: A drying device includes a first heater, a second heater, a conveyance path, and an infrared heater. The first heater contacts and heats a medium on which liquid is applied. The second heater contacts and heats the medium. The second heater contacts the medium at a distance longer than a distance at which the first heater contacts the medium. The conveyance path of the medium includes a first conveyance-path portion and a second conveyance-path portion. The medium is conveyed while contacting the first heater in the first conveyance-path portion. The first conveyance-path portion is disposed upstream from the second heater in a direction of conveyance of the medium. The second conveyance-path portion is disposed downstream from the second heater in the direction of conveyance of the medium. The infrared heater is disposed in the second conveyance-path portion, to irradiate an infrared ray to the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Toshihiro YOSHINUMA, Yasuhisa KATOH, Junji NAKAI, Hirokazu IKENOUE, Sho SAWAHATA, Ken ONODERA
  • Publication number: 20170320349
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit configured to acidify at least a surface of a print medium by applying plasma treatment to the surface of the print medium, a first primer applying unit configured to apply primer treatment by applying treatment liquid to the surface of the print medium having undergone the plasma treatment, and a first recording unit configured to perform recording by inkjet recording on the print medium having undergone the primer treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi MATSUMOTO, Junji NAKAI, Masakazu YOSHIDA, Toshitaka OSANAI
  • Publication number: 20170266990
    Abstract: A drying device includes a plurality of heaters and a conveyance path. The plurality of heaters is disposed side by side in a direction of conveyance of a medium to contact and heat the medium to which liquid is applied. The medium is conveyed on the conveyance path while contacting the plurality of heaters. The conveyance path includes a first path and a second path. On the first path, the medium is conveyed while contacting the plurality of heaters. On the second path, the medium is conveyed while contacting again at least one of the plurality of heaters having contacted on the first path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Toshihiro YOSHINUMA, Ken ONODERA, Sho SAWAHATA, Junji NAKAI
  • Publication number: 20170266991
    Abstract: A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Ken ONODERA, Sho SAWAHATA, Junji NAKAI, Toshihiro YOSHINUMA, Yasuhisa KATOH, Hirokazu IKENOUE, Satoshi KITAOKA, Hideaki NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 9764565
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma processor, a recording unit, and a heating unit. The plasma processor performs plasma processing on a processing target matter. The recording unit discharges ink and records dots onto the processing target matter on which the plasma processing has been performed. The heating unit heats an ink discharge region of the processing target matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9738101
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit configured to acidify at least a surface of a print medium by applying plasma treatment to the surface of the print medium, a first primer applying unit configured to apply primer treatment by applying treatment liquid to the surface of the print medium having undergone the plasma treatment, and a first recording unit configured to perform recording by inkjet recording on the print medium having undergone the primer treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Junji Nakai, Masakazu Yoshida, Toshitaka Osanai
  • Publication number: 20170182799
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Masakazu Yoshida, Souichi Nakazawa, Tatsuro Watanabe, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Koji Nagai
  • Patent number: 9643429
    Abstract: A processing object modifying apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a processing object; a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing onto a surface of the processing object while the processing object is being conveyed by the conveying unit; a measuring unit that measures a pH value of the processing object to which the plasma processing has been applied; and a controlling unit that controls the conveying unit to change a conveying speed of the processing object on the basis of a measurement result of the measuring unit, the processing object to which the plasma processing is being applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Compant, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Junji Nakai
  • Patent number: 9623677
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Masakazu Yoshida, Souichi Nakazawa, Tatsuro Watanabe, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Koji Nagai
  • Patent number: 9487026
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma processing unit that processes a surface of a processing object by using plasma; a recording unit that performs ink jet recording on the surface of the processing object, which has been plasma-processed by the plasma processing unit; a setting unit that sets a print mode of an image to be recorded by the recording unit, the print mode corresponding to the processing object; and a control unit that controls the plasma processing unit to plasma-process the processing object with a plasma energy amount based on the print mode set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yamanaka, Junji Nakai, Yohji Hirose
  • Patent number: 9449798
    Abstract: A plasma processing device includes a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a predetermined area on a target recording medium at least two times; and a control unit that sets a plasma energy amount used by the plasma processing unit to perform a first plasma processing on the predetermined area of the target recording medium as a first energy amount and sets a plasma energy amount used by the plasma processing unit to perform a second plasma processing on the predetermined area as a second energy amount smaller than the first energy amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9427976
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a processing target surface side of a processing object; a recording unit that ejects ink on the processing target surface side of the processing object; an acquiring unit that acquires setting information, in which an adjustment target area for adjusting surface roughness and surface roughness of the adjustment target area on a surface of an ink layer formed with the ink are set; and a plasma control unit that controls the plasma processing unit to perform plasma processing on a processing area corresponding to the adjustment target area, on the processing target surface side of the processing object, with an amount of plasma energy for obtaining the set surface roughness on the surface of the ink layer formed on the processing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20160229199
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma processor, a recording unit, and a heating unit. The plasma processor performs plasma processing on a processing target matter. The recording unit discharges ink and records dots onto the processing target matter on which the plasma processing has been performed. The heating unit heats an ink discharge region of the processing target matter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9403382
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an acidification treatment unit that acidifies at least a surface of a treatment object by irradiating the treatment object with plasma; an inkjet recording unit that records to the treatment object having been acidified by the acidification pretreatment unit in an inkjet recording system; and a control unit that specifies an ink to be used by the inkjet recording unit from at least two types of inks having different properties, based on the type of the treatment object and an amount of plasma energy used in a plasma treatment performed by the acidification treatment unit or based on a pH value of the surface of the treatment object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshitaka Osanai, Masakazu Yoshida, Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20160214403
    Abstract: A processing object modifying apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a processing object; a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing onto a surface of the processing object while the processing object is being conveyed by the conveying unit; a measuring unit that measures a pH value of the processing object to which the plasma processing has been applied; and a controlling unit that controls the conveying unit to change a conveying speed of the processing object on the basis of a measurement result of the measuring unit, the processing object to which the plasma processing is being applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Junji Nakai
  • Publication number: 20160167402
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Nakai, Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Masakazu Yoshida, Souichi Nakazawa, Tatsuro Watanabe, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Koji Nagai
  • Publication number: 20160159108
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit configured to acidify at least a surface of a print medium by applying plasma treatment to the surface of the print medium, a first primer applying unit configured to apply primer treatment by applying treatment liquid to the surface of the print medium having undergone the plasma treatment, and a first recording unit configured to perform recording by inkjet recording on the print medium having undergone the primer treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi MATSUMOTO, Junji Nakai, Masakazu Yoshida, Toshitaka Osanai
  • Publication number: 20160129771
    Abstract: A peripheral structure of a windshield for a vehicle may include a front opening formed in a vehicle body and configured to be closed by the windshield, a depressed portion formed in the vehicle body so as to extend along the front opening and configured to receive a circumferential periphery of the windshield, and a molding attached to the depressed portion. The depressed portion has a bottom wall and a side wall. The bottom wall of the depressed portion is configured such that the circumferential periphery of the windshield is secured thereto. The molding is configured to cover a channel formed between the circumferential periphery of the windshield received in the depressed portion and the side wall of the depressed portion. The molding has a vent portion that is configured to release air in the channel therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Junji NAKAI, Kazuyoshi HOUJOU, Shun MORISHITA
  • Patent number: 9278548
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit configured to acidify at least a surface of a print medium by applying plasma treatment to the surface of the print medium, a first primer applying unit configured to apply primer treatment by applying treatment liquid to the surface of the print medium having undergone the plasma treatment, and a first recording unit configured to perform recording by inkjet recording on the print medium having undergone the primer treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Matsumoto, Junji Nakai, Masakazu Yoshida, Toshitaka Osanai