Patents by Inventor Kazuki SETO
Kazuki SETO 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).
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Patent number: 11868073Abstract: An image forming apparatus is to supply paper sheets on which images are formed to a post-processing apparatus to pressure-bind binding areas of paper sheets bundled. The image forming apparatus includes a conveyor, an image forming device, and a controller. The conveyor conveys a paper sheet. The image forming device discharges liquid ink to the paper sheet conveyed by the conveyor. The controller repeatedly executes a process of: causing the conveyor to convey the paper sheet to a position facing the image forming device; causing the image forming device to discharge the liquid ink to form an image on the paper sheet; and causing the conveyor to convey the paper sheet on which the image has been formed toward the post-processing apparatus. The controller further causes the image forming device to apply the liquid ink to a binding area of at least one of the paper sheets.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
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Publication number: 20230416040Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a liquid applier, a post-processing device, and circuitry. The liquid applier includes a liquid application member that applies liquid to a part of a medium, the medium being at least one medium. The post-processing device binds a bundle of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier. The circuitry changes, according to a binding condition for the post-processing device, at least one of an amount of movement of the liquid application member toward the medium or a contact time during which the liquid application member is in contact with the medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2023Publication date: December 28, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kei SASAKI, Kazuki SETO, Kohta ABE
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Publication number: 20230399191Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a liquid applier, a post-processing device, and circuitry. The liquid applier applies liquid to a part of a medium, the medium being at least one medium. The post-processing device binds a bundle of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier. The circuitry controls operations of the liquid applier and the post-processing device. The circuitry causes the liquid applier to apply different amounts of liquid to a plurality of sample areas in the medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2023Publication date: December 14, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Eiji Akamatsu, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
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Patent number: 11800030Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a tray, a conveyor, a liquid applicator, a crimper, and a mover. The tray holds recording media on each of which an image is formed by an image forming apparatus. The conveyor conveys the recording media toward the tray in a conveyance direction of the recording media. The liquid applicator applies liquid to the recording media held in the tray at a binding position at which the recording media is bound. The crimper presses and deforms the recording media at the binding position to bind the recording media. The mover moves the liquid applicator and the crimper separately along a surface of the recording media held in the tray.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Kazuki Seto, Kei Sasaki
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Publication number: 20230294950Abstract: A medium processing device includes a plurality of crimping teeth and circuitry. The plurality of crimping teeth presses and deforms a position on a sheet bundle to bind the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle is a bundle of stacked sheet-shaped media. The plurality of crimping teeth flattens the position pressed and deformed to unbind the sheet bundle. The circuitry causes the plurality of crimping teeth to sandwich the position on the sheet bundle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2023Publication date: September 21, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hitoshi Ibuka, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
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Publication number: 20230271804Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a liquid applier, a crimper, a stapler, and circuitry. The liquid applier applies liquid to a liquid application position of a medium. The crimper presses and deforms at least a part to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, to bind a plurality of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied. The stapler performs stapling with a staple on a medium bundle in which the plurality of media is bound by the crimper. The circuitry controls operations of the crimper, the liquid applier, and the stapler, and selectively switches between first binding performed by the liquid applier and the crimper and second binding performed by only the stapler, in accordance with information on the medium or a binding position at which the medium bundle is bound by the crimper.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kohta ABE, Kei SASAKI, Kazuki SETO, Kazuki MISHINA, Naoki KOBAYASHI
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Publication number: 20230242369Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a liquid applier, and a crimper. The conveyor conveys a medium. The liquid applier applies liquid to a part of the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The medium is at least one medium. The crimper presses and deforms a bundle of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, to bind the bundle of media. The liquid applier includes a liquid application member and a retained liquid amount detector. The liquid application member applies the liquid to a position to be bound by the crimper on the medium. The retained liquid amount detector detects an amount of the liquid retained by the liquid application member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yasushi Tsuruoka, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto, Takamasa Matsumoto
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Publication number: 20230241860Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a crimper, a liquid applier, a driving source, and a binding load detector. The crimper presses and deforms a part of a medium bundle, which is a plurality of sheet-shaped media bundled, to bind the medium bundle. The liquid applier applies liquid to a position on the media at which binding is to be performed by the crimper. The driving source operates the crimper. The binding load detector detects a load of the crimper during the binding. The liquid applier adjusts an amount of the liquid to be applied to the media in accordance with a magnitude of the load during the binding detected by the binding load detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takamasa Matsumoto, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto, Yasushi Tsuruoka
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Publication number: 20230241859Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a liquid applier, and a crimper. The conveyor conveys a medium. The liquid applier applies liquid to the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The crimper presses and deforms a medium bundle including at least one medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, to bind the medium bundle. The liquid applier selectively performs application of the liquid to all media constituting the medium bundle or application of the liquid to only some of the media constituting the medium bundle, based on a conveyance interval at which the media are conveyed by the conveyor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Jun Saito, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
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Publication number: 20230242370Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a liquid applier, and a crimper. The conveyor conveys a medium. The liquid applier performs liquid application of applying liquid to a part of the medium conveyed by the conveyor, the medium being at least one medium. The crimper presses and deforms a bundle of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, to bind the bundle of media. The liquid applier adjusts an application amount of the liquid in the liquid application according to an environmental condition that is a factor that affects a binding strength with which the bundle of media is bound by pressing and deforming of the crimper.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Oikawa, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
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Publication number: 20230234322Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a liquid applier, a crimper, a movement assembly, and circuitry. The crimper presses and deforms at least a portion of a plurality of media including a medium to which liquid is applied by the applier, to bind the media. The circuitry causes the assembly to move the applier from a standby position to a position at which the applier faces a liquid application position on the medium before the medium is conveyed to a position at which the liquid is applied; causes the applier to apply the liquid when the medium is conveyed to the position at which the applier faces the liquid application position; causes the assembly to not move the applier to the standby position until application of the liquid to the media ends; and causes the assembly to move the applier to the standby position after the application ends.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kensuke Fukuchi, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
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Publication number: 20230234804Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a receptacle, a liquid applier, and a crimper. The conveyor conveys a medium. The receptacle holds the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The liquid applier is disposed upstream from the receptacle in a conveyance direction of the medium to apply liquid to a liquid application position on the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The crimper presses and deforms the liquid application position on a plurality of media including the medium held on the receptacle to bind the plurality of media.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Junya Suzuki, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto, Kotomi Kameyama
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Publication number: 20220394145Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a tray, a conveyor, a liquid applicator, a crimper, and a mover. The tray holds recording media on each of which an image is formed by an image forming apparatus. The conveyor conveys the recording media toward the tray in a conveyance direction of the recording media. The liquid applicator applies liquid to the recording media held in the tray at a binding position at which the recording media is bound. The crimper presses and deforms the recording media at the binding position to bind the recording media. The mover moves the liquid applicator and the crimper separately along a surface of the recording media held in the tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Kazuki SETO, Kei SASAKI
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Publication number: 20220334525Abstract: An image forming apparatus is to supply paper sheets on which images are formed to a post-processing apparatus to pressure-bind binding areas of paper sheets bundled. The image forming apparatus includes a conveyor, an image forming device, and a controller. The conveyor conveys a paper sheet. The image forming device discharges liquid ink to the paper sheet conveyed by the conveyor. The controller repeatedly executes a process of: causing the conveyor to convey the paper sheet to a position facing the image forming device; causing the image forming device to discharge the liquid ink to form an image on the paper sheet; and causing the conveyor to convey the paper sheet on which the image has been formed toward the post-processing apparatus. The controller further causes the image forming device to apply the liquid ink to a binding area of at least one of the paper sheets.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Kei SASAKI, Kazuki SETO
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Patent number: 11390475Abstract: A sheet separating device includes a receptacle, a pickup rotator, an air supplier, and a sheet floating restraint. The receptacle is configured to hold a plurality of sheets. The pickup rotator is configured to feed the plurality of sheets one by one from the receptacle. The air supplier includes an air outlet disposed ahead of the receptacle in a sheet feeding direction in which the plurality of sheets is fed. The air supplier is configured to blow air out from the air outlet toward a leading end of the plurality of sheets, held on the receptacle, in the sheet feeding direction. The sheet floating restraint is configured to restrain floating of a part of the plurality of sheets separated from each other by the air blown out from the air outlet.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2020Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: Ricoh Company, LTD.Inventors: Ryuhei Waragai, Naoki Oikawa, Kazuki Seto
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Publication number: 20200299081Abstract: A sheet separating device includes a receptacle, a pickup rotator, an air supplier, and a sheet floating restraint. The receptacle is configured to hold a plurality of sheets. The pickup rotator is configured to feed the plurality of sheets one by one from the receptacle. The air supplier includes an air outlet disposed ahead of the receptacle in a sheet feeding direction in which the plurality of sheets is fed. The air supplier is configured to blow air out from the air outlet toward a leading end of the plurality of sheets, held on the receptacle, in the sheet feeding direction. The sheet floating restraint is configured to restrain floating of a part of the plurality of sheets separated from each other by the air blown out from the air outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Ryuhei WARAGAI, Naoki Oikawa, Kazuki Seto
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Patent number: 9708140Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a tray main body and a cover member. The tray main body has a first mount surface. The cover member is rotatably connected to an end of the tray main body on the side opposite to the sheet feeding side so that the cover member can move rotationally between a closed position where the cover member covers the first mount surface and an open position where the first mount surface is exposed, and has a second mount surface on which a sheet is mounted over the first mount surface when cover member is in the open position. The cover member includes an opening for sheet insertion which penetrates through from an upper surface to a bottom surface of the cover member so that a sheet can be inserted onto the first mount surface when the cover member is in the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2016Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Kazuki Seto, Kenji Hayasaka, Kazuki Morita, Tomoyuki Okada, Hisayoshi Sugawara
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Publication number: 20160272443Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a tray main body and a cover member. The tray main body has a first mount surface. The cover member is rotatably connected to an end of the tray main body on the side opposite to the sheet feeding side so that the cover member can move rotationally between a closed position where the cover member covers the first mount surface and an open position where the first mount surface is exposed, and has a second mount surface on which a sheet is mounted over the first mount surface when cover member is in the open position. The cover member includes an opening for sheet insertion which penetrates through from an upper surface to a bottom surface of the cover member so that a sheet can be inserted onto the first mount surface when the cover member is in the closed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2016Publication date: September 22, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuki SETO, Kenji HAYASAKA, Kazuki MORITA, Tomoyuki OKADA, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA
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Patent number: 9415957Abstract: A sheet feed device that includes a sheet feed tray configured to be enabled to be drawn from a main body of an image forming apparatus; a bottom plate arranged in the sheet feed tray and configured to stack thereon a plurality of sheets; a driving unit configured to move the bottom plate upward; a drive transmitting unit configured to transmit a driving force from a drive source arranged on the main body to the driving unit; and a one-way rotation transmitting unit configured to unidirectionally transmit input from the drive transmitting unit to the driving unit and configured to be arranged on one side of the drive transmitting unit opposite to a side connected to the driving unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2014Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Munehisa Fuda, Takaya Ochiai, Kazuki Seto, Shinji Katsumata, Tatsuya Sugawara, Taewon Kim
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Publication number: 20140346728Abstract: A sheet feed device comprises: a sheet feed tray configured to be enabled to be drawn from a main body of an image forming apparatus; a bottom plate arranged in the sheet feed tray and configured to stack thereon a plurality of sheets; a driving unit configured to move the bottom plate upward; a drive transmitting unit configured to transmit a driving force from a drive source arranged on the main body to the driving unit; and a one-way rotation transmitting unit configured to unidirectionally transmit input from the drive transmitting unit to the driving unit and configured to be arranged on one side of the drive transmitting unit opposite to a side connected to the driving unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Munehisa FUDA, Takaya OCHIAI, Kazuki SETO, Shinji KATSUMATA, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Taewon KIM