Patents by Inventor Keisuke Kubota
Keisuke Kubota 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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Publication number: 20170269522Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separator is disposed downstream from the nip former in a recording medium conveyance direction and stretches the fixing belt. The separator is spaced apart from the pressure rotator via the fixing belt. A presser is interposed between an exit of the fixing nip and an upstream end of the separator in the rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser comes into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to press the fixing belt against the pressure rotator.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Keisuke KUBOTA, Seiji SAITOH, Masami OKAMOTO, Kensuke YAMAJI, Fumihiro HIROSE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Yuuta KANDA
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Publication number: 20170269526Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator. A gap retainer contacts the nip former and is coupled to the presser to retain isolation of the presser from the nip former.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Shuutaroh YUASA, Keisuke Kubota, Masami Okamoto, Seiji Saitoh, Fumihiro Hirose, Kensuke Yamaji, Jun Ogino, Yuuta Kanda
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Publication number: 20170269524Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt and including an elastic layer as a surface layer. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Seiji SAITOH, Masami OKAMOTO, Fumihiro HIROSE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kenji NOZAWA, Kaori HEMMI, Jun OGINO, Yuuta KANDA
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Publication number: 20170269525Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt that is endless and rotatable in a rotation direction and a nip former stretching the fixing belt. A pressure rotator presses against the nip former via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A presser is disposed downstream from an exit of the fixing nip in the rotation direction of the fixing belt. The presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator. A mover is coupled to the presser to move the presser between a contact position where the presser brings the fixing belt into contact with the pressure rotator and an isolation position where the presser isolates the fixing belt from the pressure rotator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Masami OKAMOTO, Seiji SAITOH, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Fumihiro HIROSE, Yuuta KANDA
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Patent number: 9733600Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt looped over a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to decrease a radius of curvature of the fixing belt. A polishing roller, disposed downstream from the separation aid and upstream from the second roller in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt. An opposed roller, disposed opposite the polishing roller via the fixing belt, forms a polishing nip between the polishing roller and the fixing belt.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2016Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nozawa, Masami Okamoto, Yuuki Kikushima, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Patent number: 9601255Abstract: In an amorphous core transformer, an amorphous core is constructed such that, when a plurality of kinds of amorphous magnetic strips having different widths are arranged in abutting relation and laminated, the amorphous magnetic strips are alternated in arrangement for lamination so that abutting surfaces of the arranged and laminated amorphous magnetic strips are displaced with respect to one another. Thus, hours of wrapping work are drastically reduced and working efficiency is improved.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2012Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.Inventors: Keisuke Kubota, Toshiki Shirahata, Junji Ono, Yoetsu Shiina
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Publication number: 20170052492Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet, a fixing device including a fixing member that fixes the image formed on the sheet and a polishing device that polishes a surface of the fixing member, and circuitry that determines whether an interruption required operation is to be performed, at a time while image formation is being performed by the image forming device to execute an image forming job, or at a time after image formation is executed for one job and before image formation is to be executed for a subsequent job, controls the image forming device to stop image formation to perform the interruption required operation, based on a determination indicating that the interruption required operation is to be performed, and controls the polishing device to polish the surface of the fixing member concurrently with the interruption required operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2016Publication date: February 23, 2017Inventors: Hiroshi KAWABE, Kaori HEMMI, Keisuke KUBOTA
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Patent number: 9563155Abstract: A cooling device, which is includable to an image forming apparatus, includes a conveyor, a cooler, and at least one roller. The conveyor conveys a recording medium with a first roller and a second roller each of which is in a loop. The cooler is disposed within the loop of the second belt and cools the recording medium discharged from a fixing device. The at least one roller is a roller within the loop of the first belt and between a first end roller disposed at an end of the first belt facing a plane of a conveyance path. Alternatively, the at least one roller is multiple rollers within the loop of the first belt and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the first belt against the cooler and an upstream roller of the multiple rollers has a smallest pressing force of the multiple rollers.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2015Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ishii, Hiroaki Miyagawa, Tohru Matsumoto, Masahiro Yamazaki, Keisuke Kubota
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Patent number: 9519249Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Masami Okamoto, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Kensuke Yamaji, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160306304Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a slider, and a controller. The fixing rotator is heated by the heater. The pressure rotator presses at least a portion of the fixing rotator and forms a nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing rotator. The fixing rotator fixes an unfixed toner image on a recording material in the nip. The slider slides over a surface of the fixing rotator. The controller causes the slider to perform a first sliding operation for a predetermined time after a predetermined condition is satisfied. The controller causes the slider to perform a second sliding operation for a time equal to or less than the predetermined time at earlier timing than when the predetermined condition is satisfied, in addition to the first sliding operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kaori Hemmi, Masami Okamoto, Keisuke Kubota, Yuuki Kikushima, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Fumihiro Hirose, Kensuke Yamaji, Kenji Nozawa
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Publication number: 20160306306Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt looped over a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to decrease a radius of curvature of the fixing belt. A polishing roller, disposed downstream from the separation aid and upstream from the second roller in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt. An opposed roller, disposed opposite the polishing roller via the fixing belt, forms a polishing nip between the polishing roller and the fixing belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nozawa, Masami OKAMOTO, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMM!
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Publication number: 20160209789Abstract: A sheet separation device includes a separator disposed to contact one face of a sheet conveyed through a nip between conveyors contacting each other. The separator configured to separate from surfaces of the conveyors the sheet conveyed through the nip. The separator includes a conveyance face and a slanted face. The conveyance face is configured to contact and convey the sheet conveyed through the nip. The slanted face is disposed closer to the nip than the conveyance face and inclined with respect to the conveyance face toward one conveyor of the conveyors at a same side as the one face of the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2016Publication date: July 21, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji NOZAWA, Masami OKAMOTO, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Fumihiro HIROSE, Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMMI, Seiji SAITOH
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Patent number: 9389560Abstract: A fixing device includes a guide disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A pressure rotator side separator, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, includes an opposed tip disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the pressure rotator and a separation-conveyance face that separates the recording medium from the pressure rotator. The opposed tip and the separation-conveyance face define a hypothetical circle having a curvature not smaller than 1/20 that intersects a guide face of the guide at an intersection at which a hypothetical tangent is tangent to the hypothetical circle. The hypothetical tangent and the guide face define a downstream intersection angle that is downstream from the hypothetical tangent in the recording medium conveyance direction and is greater than 90 degrees.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2015Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Masami Okamoto, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Kensuke Yamaji, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160170348Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masami Okamoto, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Kensuke Yamaji, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160170350Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masami OKAMOTO, Kenji NOZAWA, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMMI
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Publication number: 20160139549Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt stretched taut across a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation. A pressure rotator is pressed against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to separate the recording medium from the fixing belt, includes a contact face contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and a bulge disposed at a center of the contact face in a longitudinal direction of the separation aid. The bulge projects toward the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt relative to each lateral end of the contact face in the longitudinal direction of the separation aid.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2015Publication date: May 19, 2016Inventors: Kenji NOZAWA, Masahiko SATOH, Masami OKAMOTO, Keisuke KUBOTA, Yuuki KlKUSHIMA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Fumihiro HIROSE, Kensuke YAMAJI, Kaori HEMMI
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Patent number: 9316979Abstract: A fixing device includes a first roller contacting a fixing belt to generate a rotation friction force therebetween to rotate the fixing belt and a second roller contacting the fixing belt to exert a first inhibition force to the fixing belt in a direction opposite a direction of rotation of the fixing belt. A separation aid is disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between the fixing belt and a pressure rotator in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to decrease a curvature of the fixing belt and exert a second inhibition force to the fixing belt in the direction opposite the direction of rotation of the fixing belt. The second inhibition force is added to the first inhibition force to obtain a combined inhibition force that is smaller than the rotation friction force between the fixing belt and the first roller.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2015Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nozawa, Masami Okamoto, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Yuuki Kikushima, Fumihiro Hirose, Keisuke Kubota, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160070218Abstract: A fixing device includes a guide disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A pressure rotator side separator, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, includes an opposed tip disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the pressure rotator and a separation-conveyance face that separates the recording medium from the pressure rotator. The opposed tip and the separation-conveyance face define a hypothetical circle having a curvature not smaller than 1/20 that intersects a guide face of the guide at an intersection at which a hypothetical tangent is tangent to the hypothetical circle. The hypothetical tangent and the guide face define a downstream intersection angle that is downstream from the hypothetical tangent in the recording medium conveyance direction and is greater than 90 degrees.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Fumihiro HIROSE, Masami OKAMOTO, Kenji NOZAWA, Yuuki KIKUSHIMA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Keisuke KUBOTA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kaori HEMMI
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Patent number: 9268276Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt stretched taut across a fixing rotator and a support rotator. A pressure rotator is pressed against the fixing rotator via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The pressure rotator includes a recess defining an outer diameter of each lateral end of the pressure rotator in an axial direction thereof that is greater than an outer diameter of a center of the pressure rotator in the axial direction thereof. A first separator is disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The first separator is isolated from the pressure rotator and includes a projection disposed opposite the recess of the pressure rotator.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Fumihiro Hirose, Masami Okamoto, Keisuke Kubota, Kenji Nozawa, Yuuki Kikushima, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Kensuke Yamaji, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kaori Hemmi
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Publication number: 20160026125Abstract: A cooling device, which is includable to an image forming apparatus, includes a conveyor, a cooler, and at least one roller. The conveyor conveys a recording medium with a first roller and a second roller each of which is in a loop. The cooler is disposed within the loop of the second belt and cools the recording medium discharged from a fixing device. The at least one roller is a roller within the loop of the first belt and between a first end roller disposed at an end of the first belt facing a plane of a conveyance path. Alternatively, the at least one roller is multiple rollers within the loop of the first belt and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the first belt against the cooler and an upstream roller of the multiple rollers has a smallest pressing force of the multiple rollers.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2015Publication date: January 28, 2016Inventors: Kenji ISHII, Hiroaki MIYAGAWA, Tohru MATSUMOTO, Masahiro YAMAZAKI, Keisuke KUBOTA