Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Yuuki

Kazuhiko Yuuki 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: 7289748
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7218880
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20060099006
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20040197120
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6748190
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6690896
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electro photographic image forming apparatus comprising a replacement assembly having a toner container attachable to the image forming apparatus, a feeding unit to feed toner from the toner container to a development unit, and a read/write non-volatile memory, wherein, the image forming apparatus comprising an estimation unit which generates information in such way that first, the estimation unit obtains an amount of a toner feed period for the feeding unit during forming images, next, accumulates the amount of a toner feed period into an accumulated sum of the amount of a toner feed periods, then, generates the information on the amount of toner in the replacement assembly and stores the information in the read/write non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motonori Hanada, Jun Hosokawa, Kouta Fujimori, Kazuhiko Yuuki
  • Publication number: 20030198487
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6603943
    Abstract: In a developing apparatus, the interior of a case is divided into a first space positioned on a developer supply side for the supply of a developer to an image bearing member and a second space which is supplied with a replenishing toner, first and second agitating members are included and are adapted to be rotated to agitate and convey the developer are disposed within the first and second spaces, respectively, and a screw member is provided having n threads (n≧2) is used as the first agitating member disposed in the first space, and a screw member having (n−x) threads (x≧0) is used as the second agitating member disposed in the second space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yuuki, Yoshinori Ozawa
  • Patent number: 6567637
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20020085848
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electro photographic image forming apparatus comprising a replacement assembly having a toner container attachable to the image forming apparatus, a feeding unit to feed toner from the toner container to a development unit, and a read/write non-volatile memory, wherein, the image forming apparatus comprising an estimation unit which generates information in such way that first, the estimation unit obtains an amount of a toner feed period for the feeding unit during forming images, next, accumulates the amount of a toner feed period into an accumulated sum of the amount of a toner feed periods, then, generates the information on the amount of toner in the replacement assembly and stores the information in the read/write non-volatile memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Motonori Hanada, Jun Hosokawa, Kouta Fujimori, Kazuhiko Yuuki
  • Publication number: 20020051657
    Abstract: A developing apparatus is disclosed wherein the occurrence of a defective development caused by screw pitch traces or deficient supply of a developer is minimized. In the developing apparatus, the interior of a case 53 is divided into a first space 65 positioned on a developer supply side for the supply of a developer to an image bearing member and a second space 64 which is supplied with a replenishing toner, first and second agitating members 56, 55 adapted to be rotated to agitate and convey the developer are disposed within the first and second spaces, respectively, a screw member having n threads (n≧2) is used as the first agitating member disposed in the first space, and a screw member having (n−x) threads (x≧0) is used as the second agitating member disposed in the second space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yuuki, Yoshinori Ozawa
  • Patent number: 6366754
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming sections independent of each other. The image forming sections store respective toner of different colors that are chargeable to the same polarity. All the toner are implemented by the same binder resin and provided with the same particle size distribution. Further, developing units each storing toner of particular color are identical in specification. When two-ingredient type developers are used, the developers contain an identical carrier. The apparatus recycles the toner of different colors to the respective developing units. The alien color toner collected in each developing unit is prevented from remaining by being chargeable to the same polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Yoshinori Ozawa, Atsushi Takehara
  • Patent number: 6334039
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt member to convey a sheet-formed medium, a belt supporting device to support the belt member, and a plurality of recording units including rotating image bearing members arranged in a conveying direction of the sheet-formed medium by the belt. The image forming apparatus performs processes of (1) forming a latent image on a surface of each image bearing member, (2) developing each latent image into a toner image with toner, and (3) then transferring each toner image onto the sheet-formed medium carried on the belt. A detection device detects arbitrary toner image patterns formed at the plurality of recording units and then directly transferred onto the belt, for obtaining information about density and placements of images without the toner patterns being deteriorated by contacting following downstream recording units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Yoshinori Ozawa, Atsushi Takehara
  • Publication number: 20010021326
    Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner conveyance path for connecting a toner storing device with a developing device, a toner conveying device for conveying the toner from the toner storing device to the developing device along the toner conveyance path, and an air supplying device connected to the toner conveyance path vie an air supply path for supplying the toner storing device with air from a bottom of the toner storing device so as to agitate the toner pooling in the toner storing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki Yanagisawa, Masumi Sato, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Akio Kosuge, Yoshinori Ozawa, Yoshi Hattori, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Kouta Fujimori, Satoshi Muramatsu, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6141521
    Abstract: The invention relates to an image forming device and method therefor solving the subject matter that, if the linear speed of the developing solution carrier for that of the latent image carrier is lowered in order to secure the development capacity, the line image is deteriorated and there occurs a troublesome matter such as the blanking at the halftone rear edge. Such image forming device of the present invention is provided with a two-component magnetic brush type developing apparatus in which the developing bias composed of the DC bias and the AC bias superposed thereon is applied to the developing apparatus, and the latent image formed on the latent image carrier is developed with the two-component developing solution including the magnetic toner and the magnetic carrier. In the image forming device, the magnetic substance including percentage of the magnetic toner is set to 5 wt %.about.35 wt %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yuuki, Shinji Tamaki, Manabu Mochizuki, Takeshi Saitoh
  • Patent number: 6101361
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method in which a transfer device is provided in a position separated from an image carrier. A transfer sheet is conveyed along and contacting a part of a circumferential surface of the image carrier facing the transfer device when transferring a toner image from the image carrier to the transfer sheet. A conveying guide is included to guide and covey the transfer sheet separated from the image carrier to a fixing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Kohichi Yamazaki, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Manabu Mochizuki, Noriyuki Usui, Asami Mae, Masakuni Konja
  • Patent number: 5884134
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a transfer device is provided in a position separated from an image carrier. A transfer sheet is conveyed along and contacting a part of a circumferential surface of the image carrier facing the transfer device when transferring a toner image from the image carrier to the transfer sheet. A conveying guide is included to guide and covey the transfer sheet separated from the image carrier to a fixing unit. The conveying guide includes a guiding member to direct the conveying direction of the transfer sheet upward when the leading edge of the transfer sheet contacts the guiding member and to convey the transfer sheet at a part of the conveying guide or the guiding member in a position higher than the position of the leading edge of the transfer sheet contacting the conveying guide or the guiding member, so that the contact area between the transfer sheet and the image carrier increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Karashima, Kohichi Yamazaki, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Yuuki, Manabu Mochizuki, Noriyuki Usui, Asami Mae, Masakuni Konja