Patents by Inventor Kenichiroh Yamahiro

Kenichiroh Yamahiro 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: 11878886
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a support, a rotation driver, a guide, a support shaft, a biasing member, a leading end sensor, a roller, an outer diameter sensor, and circuitry. The circuitry causes the rotation driver to rotate a spool in a winding direction to determine a timing at which a signal change rate exceeds a change rate threshold as a passing time at which a leading end of a continuous sheet passes through the leading end sensor, causes the rotation driver to rotate the spool by a rotation angle in the winding direction, from the passing time, to position the leading end of the continuous sheet at a feeding start position, and rotates the spool in a feeding direction to feed the continuous sheet from the feeding start position along a guide portion. Further, the circuitry changes the change rate threshold based on an outer diameter of a roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Okada, Takuya Moriyama, Kenichiroh Yamahiro
  • Patent number: 11613137
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a support that detachably supports a roll, a rotation driver that rotates a spool, a guide including a facing portion and a guide portion, a support shaft that swingably supports the guide, a biasing member that presses the guide, a sensor that retractably projects from the facing portion and outputs a detection signal, a roller that contacts an outer circumferential surface of the roll, and circuitry that controls the rotation driver. The circuitry determines a passing time based on a first change rate and a second change rate, and causes the rotation driver to rotate the spool by a predetermined angle in a winding direction, from the passing time, to position a leading end of a continuous sheet at a feeding start position, and rotates the spool in the feeding direction to feed the continuous sheet from the feeding start position along the guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Okada, Yuuki Nobuoka, Kenichiroh Yamahiro
  • Publication number: 20210371227
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a support, a rotation driver, a guide, a support shaft, a biasing member, a leading end sensor, a roller, an outer diameter sensor, and circuitry. The circuitry causes the rotation driver to rotate a spool in a winding direction to determine a timing at which a signal change rate exceeds a change rate threshold as a passing time at which a leading end of a continuous sheet passes through the leading end sensor, causes the rotation driver to rotate the spool by a rotation angle in the winding direction, from the passing time, to position the leading end of the continuous sheet at a feeding start position, and rotates the spool in a feeding direction to feed the continuous sheet from the feeding start position along a guide portion. Further, the circuitry changes the change rate threshold based on an outer diameter of a roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Okada, Takuya Moriyama, Kenichiroh Yamahiro
  • Publication number: 20210370693
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a support that detachably supports a roll, a rotation driver that rotates a spool, a guide including a facing portion and a guide portion, a support shaft that swingably supports the guide, a biasing member that presses the guide, a sensor that retractably projects from the facing portion and outputs a detection signal, a roller that contacts an outer circumferential surface of the roll, and circuitry that controls the rotation driver. The circuitry determines a passing time based on a first change rate and a second change rate, and causes the rotation driver to rotate the spool by a predetermined angle in a winding direction, from the passing time, to position a leading end of a continuous sheet at a feeding start position, and rotates the spool in the feeding direction to feed the continuous sheet from the feeding start position along the guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Okada, Yuuki Nobuoka, Kenichiroh Yamahiro