Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Wakamatsu

Kazuhiro Wakamatsu 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: 10801776
    Abstract: A drying device including multiple heating rollers to dry a recording medium wound around the heating rollers while conveying the recording medium is provided. The heating rollers include upstream heating rollers and downstream heating rollers, disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium. Each of the upstream heating rollers includes an upstream heat source. Each of the downstream heating rollers includes a downstream heat source. The upstream heat source and the downstream heat source have different configurations. The upstream heat source has a maximum amount of current greater than that of the downstream heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohki Asada, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Genichiro Kawamichi, Ken Onodera, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20160273832
    Abstract: A drying device including multiple heating rollers to dry a recording medium wound around the heating rollers while conveying the recording medium is provided. The heating rollers include upstream heating rollers and downstream heating rollers, disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium. Each of the upstream heating rollers includes an upstream heat source. Each of the downstream heating rollers includes a downstream heat source. The upstream heat source and the downstream heat source have different configurations. The upstream heat source has a maximum amount of current greater than that of the downstream heat source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohki Asada, Kazuhiro WAKAMATSU, Genichiro KAWAMICHI, Ken ONODERA, Toshihiro YOSHINUMA
  • Patent number: 9238566
    Abstract: A moving unit of a sheet cutting device is movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which a sheet of recording media is fed along a sheet feed path. A cutter holder accommodates a cutter, is connected to the moving unit and is rotatable in a thickness direction of the sheet relative to the moving unit. A guide member is disposed along the sheet width direction to guide the moving unit in the sheet width direction. A drawing member is mounted on the moving unit to draw the moving unit toward a downstream side in a cutting direction in which the cutter holder moves to cut the sheet. The moving unit is connected to the cutter holder at a position downstream in the cutting direction from an accommodated position of the cutter in the cutter holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Ogawa, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Masahiko Yamada, Yuichiro Maeyama, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Patent number: 9004390
    Abstract: A roll medium holding unit is disclosed that includes a core part configured to be inserted in a core pipe of a roll medium; and plural diameter-increasing members configured to be variably arranged at corresponding first positions provided along a periphery of the core part and arranged at corresponding second positions provided away from the core part. The roll medium holding unit is capable of being set in a first holding state where the diameter-increasing members arranged at an outer peripheral surface of the core part support the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding first positions and capable of being set in a second holding state where the core part of a holding member supports the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Morinaga, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Niihara, Kikuya Nakada
  • Patent number: 8967028
    Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter holder, a moving unit, and a guide member. The cutter holder accommodates a cutter. The cutter has opposed blades opposing each other to cut a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path of a feed guide plate unit. The moving unit holds the cutter holder and is movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The guide member is disposed along the sheet width direction to guide the moving unit in the sheet width direction. The cutter holder partially overlaps with the feed guide plate unit in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet width direction and the sheet feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Yamada, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Patent number: 8967790
    Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter including opposed blades to cut a sheet fed along a sheet feed path to the device, a cutter holder holding the cutter and reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed, and a guide member including a first path to guide the holder in the width direction of the sheet to cut the sheet with the cutter and a second path to guide the holder in the width direction after the sheet is cut. The second path is disposed away from the first path in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet feed direction and the width direction of the sheet. When the holder moves along the second path, the holder is retracted away from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Yamada, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Patent number: 8955962
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a carriage, a sheet cutting device, a cutter position detecting device, and a notification device. The carriage mounts the recording head and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of a sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction. The sheet cutting device includes a cutter and a cutter holder. A movement area of the carriage overlaps, in a thickness direction of the sheet, a movement area of the cutter holder in which the cutter holder moves to cut the sheet with the cutter. The cutter holder, after cutting the sheet, is movable in the width direction of the sheet with the cutter holder being retracted from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction of the sheet. The notification device notifies a user of an abnormality of the cutter holder based on a detection result of the cutter position detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Maeyama, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Masahiko Yamada, Masato Ogawa, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Patent number: 8925436
    Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter holder, a moving unit, a connecting member, and a drawing member. The cutter holder accommodates a cutter. The cutter has opposed blades opposing each other to cut a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path. The moving unit is disposed away from the cutter holder in a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The moving unit is reciprocally movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet feed direction. The connecting member connects the cutter holder to the moving unit. The drawing member is mounted on the moving unit to draw the moving unit in the sheet width direction. The cutter holder is pivotable around the connecting member in a thickness direction of the sheet relative to the moving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yoshinuma, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Masahiko Yamada, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8764182
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a head holder, a cutter, and a cutter holder. The recording head ejects ink onto a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path to record an image on the sheet. The head holder holds the recording head. The cutter includes opposed blades opposing each other with the sheet interposed therebetween. The cutter holder holds the cutter and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The cutter holder is disposed downstream from the recording head in the sheet feed direction and within a width of the head holder in the sheet feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Ogawa, Masahiko Yamada, Yuichiro Maeyama, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Patent number: 8657402
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed device to feed a sheet along a sheet feed path, a sheet cutting device including a cutter and a cutter holder to cut the sheet to a desired length, a controller to control the sheet feed device and the cutter holder. The cutter holder holds the cutter and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction. The cutter holder, after cutting the sheet, is movable in the width direction with the cutter holder retracted away from the sheet feed path in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet feed direction and the width direction. The controller controls the sheet feed device to feed the sheet while the cutter holder moves in the width direction with the cutter holder retracted away from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Maeyama, Masahiko Yamada, Masato Ogawa, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Patent number: 8593651
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image reading unit disposed in an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, an image forming unit disposed below the image reading unit to form an image on a sheet fed from a sheet roll, a pair of flange members attached to both lateral ends of the sheet roll in a width direction of the sheet roll, a sheet roll supporter disposed below the image reading unit in a rear portion of the image forming apparatus to support the sheet roll, an opening through which the sheet roll is set to the sheet roll supporter, and a guide assembly provided at upper and lower parts of the opening to position at least one of the pair of flange members attached to the sheet roll in the width direction to guide the sheet roll to the sheet roll supporter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Niihara, Masahiko Yamada, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa, Shigeru Morinaga, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu
  • Patent number: 8561979
    Abstract: An open/close mechanism can be used for paper trays of an image forming apparatus. The open/close mechanism includes a plate member provided on a side of a housing of the image forming apparatus and configured to pivot upon an axis between an open position and a close position, and a box member that is arranged in the housing beneath the plate member and that can be drawn out of the housing from the side. The open/close mechanism includes also includes a restricting unit that is coupled to the plate member and that abuts against the box member when the box member is set in the housing and when the plate member is in the open position thereby restricting detachment of the box member from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikane Nishii, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Mizuna Tanaka, Haruyuki Honda, Masafumi Takahira, Hiroshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20120222530
    Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter holder, a moving unit, a connecting member, and a drawing member. The cutter holder accommodates a cutter. The cutter has opposed blades opposing each other to cut a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path. The moving unit is disposed away from the cutter holder in a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The moving unit is reciprocally movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet feed direction. The connecting member connects the cutter holder to the moving unit. The drawing member is mounted on the moving unit to draw the moving unit in the sheet width direction. The cutter holder is pivotable around the connecting member in a thickness direction of the sheet relative to the moving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiro YOSHINUMA, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Masahiko Yamada, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20120222531
    Abstract: A moving unit of a sheet cutting device is movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which a sheet of recording media is fed along a sheet feed path. A cutter holder accommodates a cutter, is connected to the moving unit and is rotatable in a thickness direction of the sheet relative to the moving unit. A guide member is disposed along the sheet width direction to guide the moving unit in the sheet width direction. A drawing member is mounted on the moving unit to draw the moving unit toward a downstream side in a cutting direction in which the cutter holder moves to cut the sheet. The moving unit is connected to the cutter holder at a position downstream in the cutting direction from an accommodated position of the cutter in the cutter holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato OGAWA, Kazuhiro WAKAMATSU, Masahiko YAMADA, Yuichiro MAEYAMA, Toshihiro YOSHINUMA
  • Publication number: 20120222532
    Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter holder, a moving unit, and a guide member. The cutter holder accommodates a cutter. The cutter has opposed blades opposing each other to cut a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path of a feed guide plate unit. The moving unit holds the cutter holder and is movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The guide member is disposed along the sheet width direction to guide the moving unit in the sheet width direction. The cutter holder partially overlaps with the feed guide plate unit in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet width direction and the sheet feed direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko YAMADA, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20120210838
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a carriage, a sheet cutting device, a cutter position detecting device, and a notification device. The carriage mounts the recording head and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of a sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction. The sheet cutting device includes a cutter and a cutter holder. A movement area of the carriage overlaps, in a thickness direction of the sheet, a movement area of the cutter holder in which the cutter holder moves to cut the sheet with the cutter. The cutter holder, after cutting the sheet, is movable in the width direction of the sheet with the cutter holder being retracted from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction of the sheet. The notification device notifies a user of an abnormality of the cutter holder based on a detection result of the cutter position detecting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichiro MAEYAMA, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Masahiko Yamada, Masato Ogawa, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20120139987
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed device to feed a sheet along a sheet feed path, a sheet cutting device including a cutter and a cutter holder to cut the sheet to a desired length, a controller to control the sheet feed device and the cutter holder. The cutter holder holds the cutter and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction. The cutter holder, after cutting the sheet, is movable in the width direction with the cutter holder retracted away from the sheet feed path in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet feed direction and the width direction. The controller controls the sheet feed device to feed the sheet while the cutter holder moves in the width direction with the cutter holder retracted away from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichiro MAEYAMA, Masahiko Yamada, Masato Ogawa, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20120140011
    Abstract: A sheet cutting device includes a cutter including opposed blades to cut a sheet fed along a sheet feed path to the device, a cutter holder holding the cutter and reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed, and a guide member including a first path to guide the holder in the width direction of the sheet to cut the sheet with the cutter and a second path to guide the holder in the width direction after the sheet is cut. The second path is disposed away from the first path in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet feed direction and the width direction of the sheet. When the holder moves along the second path, the holder is retracted away from the sheet feed path in the thickness direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko Yamada, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yuichiro Maeyama, Masato Ogawa, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20120140010
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a head holder, a cutter, and a cutter holder. The recording head ejects ink onto a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path to record an image on the sheet. The head holder holds the recording head. The cutter includes opposed blades opposing each other with the sheet interposed therebetween. The cutter holder holds the cutter and is reciprocally movable in a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The cutter holder is disposed downstream from the recording head in the sheet feed direction and within a width of the head holder in the sheet feed direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Ogawa, Masahiko Yamada, Yuichiro Maeyama, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Toshihiro Yoshinuma
  • Publication number: 20120104685
    Abstract: An open/close mechanism can be used for paper trays of an image forming apparatus. The open/close mechanism includes a plate member provided on a side of a housing of the image forming apparatus and configured to pivot upon an axis between an open position and a close position, and a box member that is arranged in the housing beneath the plate member and that can be drawn out of the housing from the side. The open/close mechanism includes also includes a restricting unit that is coupled to the plate member and that abuts against the box member when the box member is set in the housing and when the plate member is in the open position thereby restricting detachment of the box member from the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikane NISHII, Kazuhiro Wakamatsu, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Ippei Kimura, Mizuna Tanaka, Haruyuki Honda, Masafumi Takahira, Hiroshi Fujiwara