Patents by Inventor Kengo Tsubaki

Kengo Tsubaki 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: 11964499
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head angle adjuster for individually adjusting inclination angles of a plurality of liquid discharge heads includes a plurality of array members and a plurality of array supports. The plurality of array members holds the liquid discharge heads. The plurality of array supports the array members. At least one of the array supports includes a first support, a second support, and a pressing member. The first support is disposed on one side in a direction in which one of the liquid discharge heads is rotated when an inclination angle of the one of the liquid discharge heads is adjusted. The first support supports a rotation fulcrum of one of the array members. The second support is disposed on a side opposite the first support, and supports another of the array member. The pressing member presses the rotation fulcrum against the first support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20230034705
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head angle adjuster for individually adjusting inclination angles of a plurality of liquid discharge heads includes a plurality of array members and a plurality of array supports. The plurality of array members holds the liquid discharge heads. The plurality of array supports the array members. At least one of the array supports includes a first support, a second support, and a pressing member. The first support is disposed on one side in a direction in which one of the liquid discharge heads is rotated when an inclination angle of the one of the liquid discharge heads is adjusted. The first support supports a rotation fulcrum of one of the array members. The second support is disposed on a side opposite the first support, and supports another of the array member. The pressing member presses the rotation fulcrum against the first support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventor: Kengo TSUBAKI
  • Publication number: 20220169055
    Abstract: A recording-head position adjustment mechanism adjusts a position of a recording head that discharges liquid droplets. The recording-head position adjustment mechanism includes a supporting member and a discharge angle adjuster. The supporting member includes an upper support to support an upper portion of the recording head and a lower support to support a lower portion of the recording head. The discharge angle adjuster swings the lower portion around the upper portion as a fulcrum to adjust a discharge direction of the liquid droplets from the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventor: Kengo TSUBAKI
  • Patent number: 11267269
    Abstract: A recording-head position adjustment mechanism adjusts a position of a recording head. The recording-head position adjustment mechanism includes a first support, a second support, and an adjuster. The first support supports a first end of the recording head in a longitudinal direction of the recording head. The second support supports a second end of the recording head in the longitudinal direction. The adjuster moves the second support with respect to the first support in a transverse direction intersecting the longitudinal direction to adjust an inclination of the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20210162784
    Abstract: A recording-head position adjustment mechanism adjusts a position of a recording head. The recording-head position adjustment mechanism includes a first support, a second support, and an adjuster. The first support supports a first end of the recording head in a longitudinal direction of the recording head. The second support supports a second end of the recording head in the longitudinal direction. The adjuster moves the second support with respect to the first support in a transverse direction intersecting the longitudinal direction to adjust an inclination of the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 10457052
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a plurality of head arrays each including a plurality of liquid discharge heads to discharge a liquid from nozzles onto a medium, a drum to rotate and convey the medium to a position facing the plurality of head arrays, and a wiper to wipe the plurality of liquid discharge heads. The plurality of head arrays is inclined at different angles, and the wiper includes a plurality of wiping surfaces to wipe nozzle surfaces of the plurality of liquid discharge heads of the plurality of head arrays, respectively, the nozzles are formed on the nozzle surfaces, and the plurality of wiping surfaces is inclined at the different angles in accordance with the plurality of head arrays, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20190077158
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a plurality of head arrays each including a plurality of liquid discharge heads to discharge a liquid from nozzles onto a medium, a drum to rotate and convey the medium to a position facing the plurality of head arrays, and a wiper to wipe the plurality of liquid discharge heads. The plurality of head arrays is inclined at different angles, and the wiper includes a plurality of wiping surfaces to wipe nozzle surfaces of the plurality of liquid discharge heads of the plurality of head arrays, respectively, the nozzles are formed on the nozzle surfaces, and the plurality of wiping surfaces is inclined at the different angles in accordance with the plurality of head arrays, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 9827761
    Abstract: A processing target reforming apparatus includes: a conveying unit that conveys a processing target along a conveyance path; a discharge unit including a plurality of discharge electrodes aligned along the conveyance path, a counter electrode with the conveyance path interposed therebetween, and a power source that applies a voltage waveform to the discharge electrodes; and a control unit that controls the discharge unit such that a phase of the voltage waveform applied to a first discharge electrode of the discharge electrodes at a timing when a certain point of the processing target passes between the first discharge electrode and the counter electrode is shifted with respect to a phase of the voltage waveform applied by the power source to a second discharge electrode of the discharge electrodes at a timing when the certain point of the processing target passes between the second discharge electrode and the counter electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Yoshiyuki Araseki, Akira Saito
  • Patent number: 9566802
    Abstract: A treated object modifying apparatus includes a plasma-treating unit that includes a first electrode unit, a second electrode unit, and a dielectric that is interposed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, and that plasma-treats a treated object positioned between the first electrode unit and the dielectric; and a controlling unit that controls the plasma-treating unit so that the amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of sides of the treated object in a duplex treatment that are performed with the one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit and with the other side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit is different from the amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides of the treated object in a simplex treatment that is performed with the one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Satoshi Katoh
  • Patent number: 9352589
    Abstract: A modification device includes: a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a processed object such that a surface of the processed object has a predetermined water contact angle; and a cooling unit that cools the surface of the processed object at least from when the plasma processing is performed to when ink is discharged such that a surface temperature of the processed object during discharge of the ink to the processed object is a temperature at which a target water contact angle range is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Katoh, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Haruki Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20160096377
    Abstract: A modification device includes: a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a processed object such that a surface of the processed object has a predetermined water contact angle; and a cooling unit that cools the surface of the processed object at least from when the plasma processing is performed to when ink is discharged such that a surface temperature of the processed object during discharge of the ink to the processed object is a temperature at which a target water contact angle range is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Katoh, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka, Haruki Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20150258815
    Abstract: A treated object modifying apparatus includes a plasma-treating unit that includes a first electrode unit, a second electrode unit, and a dielectric that is interposed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, and that plasma-treats a treated object positioned between the first electrode unit and the dielectric; and a controlling unit that controls the plasma-treating unit so that the amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of sides of the treated object in a duplex treatment that are performed with the one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit and with the other side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit is different from the amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides of the treated object in a simplex treatment that is performed with the one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Satoshi Katoh
  • Publication number: 20150076124
    Abstract: A processing target reforming apparatus includes: a conveying unit that conveys a processing target along a conveyance path; a discharge unit including a plurality of discharge electrodes aligned along the conveyance path, a counter electrode with the conveyance path interposed therebetween, and a power source that applies a voltage waveform to the discharge electrodes; and a control unit that controls the discharge unit such that a phase of the voltage waveform applied to a first discharge electrode of the discharge electrodes at a timing when a certain point of the processing target passes between the first discharge electrode and the counter electrode is shifted with respect to a phase of the voltage waveform applied by the power source to a second discharge electrode of the discharge electrodes at a timing when the certain point of the processing target passes between the second discharge electrode and the counter electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Yoshiyuki Araseki, Akira Saito
  • Patent number: 8905529
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device including a line engine including a plurality of recording heads that are aligned in a main scanning direction, in which an arbitrary one of the plurality of recording heads is replaceable. Each of the plurality of recording heads includes a head tank attached on the corresponding one of the plurality of recording heads. The head tank includes a supply port and a discharge port for ink. The head tanks that are adjacent to each other are connected by the respective discharge ports and the supply ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Watanabe, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyoshi Komaba, Yoshiya Itoh
  • Patent number: 8851643
    Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus which is provided with a line engine in which one or more recording heads are aligned in a main scanning direction and which has replacably configured an arbitrary one of the recording heads is disclosed. In the inkjet image forming apparatus, each of the recording heads includes a head tank mounted on the recording head, the head tank including a supply port and a discharge port for ink, the head tanks which are adjacent are mutually connected by a path in which the discharge port and supply port of the respective head tanks are coupled via a coupling unit, a path from the discharge port and a path to the supply port differ in an inner path diameter over the coupling unit, and the inner path diameter on the discharge port side is larger than the inner path diameter on the supply port side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyoshi Komaba, Tatsuro Watanabe, Yoshiya Itoh, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka
  • Publication number: 20140063141
    Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus which is provided with a line engine in which one or more recording heads are aligned in a main scanning direction and which has replacably configured an arbitrary one of the recording heads is disclosed. In the inkjet image forming apparatus, each of the recording heads includes a head tank mounted on the recording head, the head tank including a supply port and a discharge port for ink, the head tanks which are adjacent are mutually connected by a path in which the discharge port and supply port of the respective head tanks are coupled via a coupling unit, a path from the discharge port and a path to the supply port differ in an inner path diameter over the coupling unit, and the inner path diameter on the discharge port side is larger than the inner path diameter on the supply port side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyoshi Komaba, Tatsuro Watanabe, Yoshiya Itoh, Hiroyuki Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 8534810
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head unit includes a liquid container tank storing a liquid and a head discharging liquid droplets from its nozzles. The head includes a common channel supplying the liquid to liquid-chambers communicating with the nozzles, and the common channel includes a supply port introducing the liquid and a discharge port discharging the liquid. The liquid container tank includes a container including upstream and downstream chambers separated via a filtering member, a supply path supplying the liquid from the downstream chamber to the supply port of the head, a discharge path discharging the liquid obtained from the discharge port of the head, a communication path via which the downstream chamber communicates with the discharge path, and a communication path via which the upstream chamber communicates with the discharge path, where a fluid resistance of the second communication path is higher than that of the first communication path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20130235131
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device including a line engine including a plurality of recording heads that are aligned in a main scanning direction, in which an arbitrary one of the plurality of recording heads is replaceable. Each of the plurality of recording heads includes a head tank attached on the corresponding one of the plurality of recording heads. The head tank includes a supply port and a discharge port for ink. The head tanks that are adjacent to each other are connected by the respective discharge ports and the supply ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Watanabe, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyoshi Komaba, Yoshiya Itoh
  • Patent number: 8480214
    Abstract: In a liquid jetting head unit, a tank case in a head tank includes a first connection path connecting a downstream chamber of the tank case and a discharge path, and a second connection path connecting an upstream chamber of the tank case and the discharge path. The discharge path includes a filter member provided between a first part of the discharge path connected to the first connection path and a second part of the discharge path connected to the second connection path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 8465125
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural heads each having a nozzle configured to discharge a droplet of a recording fluid; a distributing member to which the plural heads are attached, the distributing member having an inlet portion, a supply channel portion, and a common fluid chamber communicated with the inlet portion and configured to supply the recording fluid to the plural heads; and a fluid containing unit configured to supply the recording fluid to the distributing member via the inlet portion and the supply channel portion. The distributing member includes a flow-directing wall disposed between the supply channel portion and the common fluid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Tsubaki, Tatsuro Watanabe