Patents by Inventor Kazumi Suzuki

Kazumi Suzuki 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: 8309128
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a milnacipran formulation which is more stable than a conventionally known milnacipran formulation, and a method of stabilizing a milnacipran formulation. The object could be achieved by using a milnacipran-containing composition in which milnacipran or a salt thereof is allowed to exist in a porous carrier, packing a powder containing milnacipran or a salt thereof in an HPMC capsule, or combining an additive which does not cause an interaction with milnacipran with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Pierre Fabre Medicament
    Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Hitoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 8263304
    Abstract: A method for producing a toner including periodically forming and discharging liquid droplets of a toner composition liquid containing at least a resin, a releasing agent and a colorant from a plurality of nozzles formed in a thin film which is provided in a reservoir for the toner composition liquid, by vibrating the thin film using a mechanically vibrating unit, and forming toner particles by solidifying the liquid droplets, wherein the forming toner particles comprises primarily drying the liquid droplets under a stream of dry gas containing an organic solvent whose partial pressure is equal to or higher than 1/10 of a saturated vapor pressure thereof but is equal to or lower than the saturated vapor pressure, the saturated vapor pressure being that at a drying temperature; and secondarily drying the primarily dried liquid droplets for solidification while the organic solvent is being evaporated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Honda, Yohichiroh Watanabe, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8252500
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner containing at least two binder resins composed of at least a resin A and a resin B which are incompatible with each other, and a colorant, wherein the toner has an average circularity of 0.93 to 0.98 and is produced by atomizing a toner composition liquid in a vapor phase to form liquid droplets and solidifying the liquid droplets, and the toner composition liquid is prepared by dissolving or dispersing the at least two binder resins and the colorant in an organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohichiroh Watanabe, Kazumi Suzuki, Shinji Ohtani, Takahiro Honda, Yoshihiro Norikane
  • Publication number: 20120202147
    Abstract: An anisotropic magnetic material-dispersed resin carrier including: fine magnetic particles; and a binder resin in which at least the fine magnetic particles are dispersed, wherein the anisotropic magnetic material-dispersed resin carrier has a magnetic anisotropy where magnetic fields of the fine magnetic particles are orientated in the same direction, and wherein the anisotropic magnetic material-dispersed resin carrier has a saturation magnetization of 16 emu/g to 30 emu/g, a coercive force of 15 kA/m to 40 kA/m, and a number average particle diameter of 15 ?m or more but less than 100 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazumi SUZUKI, Masaki Yoshino, Hisao Kurosu, Tatsuya Morita, Tomoko Kino, Shingo Sakashita
  • Publication number: 20120082926
    Abstract: A toner comprising an amorphous polyester, a crystalline polyester that is forming domains in the toner, and a colorant that is being dispersed at least in the domains of the crystalline polyester. The toner may be obtained by dispersing an oil phase including the amorphous polyester or a precursor capable of producing the amorphous polyester, the crystalline polyester, the colorant, and an organic solvent, in an aqueous medium to prepare an O/W dispersion, the oil phase; and removing the organic solvent from the O/W dispersion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Kazumi SUZUKI, Tatsuya MORITA, Shingo SAKASHITA, Tsuyoshi SUGIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8137087
    Abstract: A method of preparing a toner, including periodically dripping and discharging a droplet of a toner constituent liquid including a resin and a colorant; and solidifying and granulating the droplet, wherein the dripper includes a thin film including plural nozzles; and an oscillator including an oscillation generator generating an oscillation; and an oscillation amplifier, including an oscillation surface facing the thin film in parallel therewith, amplifying the oscillation, and wherein the toner constituent liquid is fed between the thin film and the oscillation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Norikane, Shinji Ohtani, Yohichiroh Watanabe, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8126346
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for image fixing are disclosed. A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a heater, and a pressure controller. The fixing member and the pressure member face with each other to form a nip. The heater heats a surface of the fixing member when the fixing member rotates. The pressure controller changes a pressure generated at the nip, according to an operation of the fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Yura, Koichi Kato, Hiroshi Nakai, Kazumi Suzuki, Kei Yasutomi, Hideki Kosugi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Ichiro Kadota
  • Patent number: 8110332
    Abstract: Provided are an electrophotographic toner and a method for producing the electrophotographic toner that satisfy high image quality, cleaning stability, and high productivity. The electrophotographic toner is produced by spray-drying a toner ingredient-containing liquid, wherein the toner ingredient-containing liquid dissolves or disperses at least a resin, a low molecular mass organic material, and a colorant in an organic solvent, the resin is soluble in the organic solvent, the low molecular mass organic material is a crystalline compound or a composition of crystalline compounds that is soluble in the organic solvent, the toner ingredient-containing liquid contains substantially no particles having a particle diameter of 500 nm or more, the crystalline compound or the composition of crystalline compounds crystallizes upon spray-drying to deform toner particles into a circularity of 0.93 or higher to 0.98 or less, and volume average particle diameter of the toner particles is 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Yohichiroh Watanabe, Takahiro Honda, Yoshihiro Norikane, Shinji Ohtani, Tsuyoshi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8105742
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner, including periodically forming liquid droplets of a toner constituent liquid comprising a resin and a colorant by vibrating a thin film having a plurality of holes provided on a retention part thereof to discharge the liquid droplets of the toner constituent liquid from the plurality of holes and forming toner particles by solidifying the liquid droplets discharged from the plurality of holes. In periodically forming the liquid droplets of the toner constituent liquid, a flow of gas in a direction of discharge of the liquid droplets is formed by a gas flow generation unit provided downstream from the thin film relative to the direction of discharge of the liquid droplets, including a tapered part forming an aperture corresponding to a hole formation area of the thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Norikane, Shinji Ohtani, Yohichiroh Watanabe, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8092677
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method of producing a separating agent for an enantiomeric isomer having a high optical resolution power together with sufficient solvent resistance. That is, a method of producing a separating agent for an enantiomeric isomer comprising the steps of allowing the porous carrier to carry the optically active polymer compound by bringing the porous carrier into contact with a dope of the optically active polymer compound and exposing a product to radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Suzuki, Atsushi Onishi, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8034526
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner, including: dissolving or dispersing toner constituents including a resin, a colorant, a release agent, and a graft polymer including a polyolefin resin unit and a vinyl resin unit in a solvent, to prepare a toner constituent liquid; supplying the toner constituent liquid to a retention part configured to retain the toner constituent liquid; discharging the toner constituent liquid from the retention part to a granulation space through plural holes arranged on the retention part, while exciting the toner constituent liquid by a vibration means in contact with a part of the retention part, so that the discharged columnar toner constituent liquid is constricted to form liquid droplets; and converting the liquid droplets into solid toner particles; together with a toner manufactured by the above method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Yohichiroh Watanabe, Shinji Ohtani, Yoshihiro Norikane, Yasuaki Iwamoto, Yasutada Shitara, Kazumi Suzuki, Takahiro Honda
  • Patent number: 8012660
    Abstract: An image forming method is provided including: charging an image bearing member; irradiating the image bearing member with a light beam to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image on the image bearing member; primarily transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member; secondarily transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer-fixing member; heating the toner image on the transfer-fixing member; and fixing the toner image on a recording medium passing through a nip formed between the transfer-fixing member and a pressing member, wherein the toner has a weight average particle diameter (D4) from 3 to 5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamashita, Takashi Fujita, Kazumi Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20110177447
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner containing base particles formed by emulsifying or dispersing, in an aqueous medium, a toner composition liquid which is obtained by dissolving or dispersing, in an organic solvent, at least a binder resin soluble in the organic solvent and a colorant masterbatch containing a colorant and a colorant dispersion resin, wherein the colorant dispersion resin is a resin having sparing solubility defined below: where the “sparing solubility” means that when 4 parts by mass of the colorant dispersion resin are added to and mixed with 10 parts by mass of the organic solvent, the mixture becomes white turbid at 25° C. or becomes a transparent solution once at 25° C. and then becomes white turbid within 12 hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Tatsuya Morita
  • Patent number: 7970325
    Abstract: A transfer fixing member containing a base, and an outermost surface layer composed of an elastic material in which a conductive material is dispersed, wherein when a pressure applied to a surface of the transfer fixing member by making a toner image bearing member in contact with the transfer fixing member upon transferring of a toner image on the toner image bearing member onto the transfer fixing member is 0.2 kg/cm2 to 2.0 kg/cm2, the transfer fixing member has a volume resistance of 106 ?·cm or more to less than 1012 ?·cm, and when a pressure applied to the surface of the transfer fixing member by making the transfer fixing member in contact with the recording medium located between the transfer fixing member and a pressurizing member upon transfer-fixing of the toner image onto the recording medium is 3.0 kg/cm2 to 20 kg/cm2, the transfer fixing is member has a volume resistance of less than 106 ?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Takashi Fujita, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Seto, Shin Kayahara, Atsushi Nagata
  • Publication number: 20110008723
    Abstract: An electrophotographic toner which is produced by a pulverization method or generated in an aqueous medium, and which includes at least a colorant and a binder reasin, wherein the colorant includes at least a pigment represented by General Formula (1) described below and a fatty acid amide compound, where X and Y are independently selected from the following structures: ?C(CN)—CONH—CH3, ?C(CN)—CONH—(C6H4)—Z, and ?C(CN)—CONH—(C6H3)—Z2, where Z denotes one of an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group and a halogen atom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Tatsuya MORITA, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7869752
    Abstract: A cleaning device including a cleaning member that moves in a predetermined direction and is in contact with a cleaning target that moves in a predetermined direction and which is directly or indirectly heated by a heater, to remove toner particles on a surface of the cleaning target. A contact surface of the cleaning member with the cleaning target includes a plurality of regions of different toner-releasing ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Shin Kayahara, Takashi Fujita, Takeshi Takemoto, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Seto, Kazumi Suzuki, Atsushi Nagata
  • Patent number: 7856201
    Abstract: A transfer fixation apparatus includes: a fixing member that carries the toner image; a pressurizing member that becomes in contact with the fixing member with pressure to form a nip through which the recording target medium is transported; and a plurality of heating members that are provided at relatively upstream positions when viewed from the relatively downstream nip and apply heat to the surface of the recording target medium that is transported toward the nip, wherein the number of heating members that apply heat to the surface of the recording target medium is changed depending on whether the transfer of the toner image is performed only on the front side of the recording target medium or the transfer of the toner image is performed also on the reverse side of the recording target medium after the transfer of the toner image on the front side of the recording target medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Fujita, Shin Kayahara, Takashi Seto, Atsushi Nagata, Takeshi Takemoto, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7790343
    Abstract: A process includes developing toner images on a photoconductor, transferring to an intermediate transfer belt and a transferring-and-fixing roller. The toner images are transferred to and fixed to a paper simultaneously while the paper moves between the transferring-and-fixing roller and a pressure roller which is pressed against the transferring-and-fixing roller. After transfer process to the paper, residual toner particles remaining on the transferring-and-fixing roller are removed by a cleaning roller. In order to achieve a cleanability from the transferring-and-fixing roller and prevent the intermediate belt from becoming too high temperature, the elastic modulus of the toner particles measured when the toner particles are heated is greater than the elastic modulus of the toner particles when cooled in a temperature range where the glass transition temperature and 10° C. lower than the melting temperature of the toner particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumi Suzuki, Hiromitsu Takagaki, Takashi Fujita, Atsushi Nakafuji, Hiromi Tamura, Shin Kayahara, Tsuyoshi Sugimoto, Takashi Seto, Katsuaki Miyawaki
  • Patent number: 7725056
    Abstract: A developing device configured to form toner cloud without making toner particles adhere to the electrostatic transport substrate having electrodes. By applying periodical voltages to electrodes, electrically charged toner particles float on the electrostatic transport substrate. Also, a rotatable toner transporter designed to carry toner particles floating on the electrostatic transport substrate. Also, a two-component developer bearer including a sleeve with magnets on which the two-component developer is borne. The two-component developer borne on the sleeve is sent to the toner transporter by rotation of the sleeve. There, toner particles are transported to the toner transporter because of the electric bias applied between the two-component developer bearer and the toner transporter. Toner particles electrically floating on the toner transporter are sent to the photoconductor for development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Kosugi, Ichiro Kadota, Kazumi Suzuki, Takeo Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7724394
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pseudo half tone processing unit that performs a pseudo half tone process on input image data to generate output image data. An exposure unit executes light modulation of a plurality of light emitting sources based on the output image data. The exposure unit performs writing in such a way that different numbers of light emitting sources are used when writing a character/line image and a picture image or a graphics image. The pseudo half tone processing unit performs pseudo half tone processes with different resolutions on a character/line image and a picture image or a graphics image based on the numbers of the light emitting sources to be used for the writing by the exposure unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kei Yasutomi, Jun Yura, Hideki Kosugi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kohichi Katoh, Hiroshi Nakai, Ichiro Kadota, Kazumi Suzuki