Patents by Inventor Kenji Hiratani

Kenji Hiratani 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: 10632761
    Abstract: A printer includes a body, a cloth holder to hold a cloth thereon, a receiver to hold and move back and forth while holding the cloth holder partially within the body of the printer, and a printing unit to print an image on the cloth held by the cloth holder held on the receiver. The cloth holder is detachably attached to the receiver while holding the cloth thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Kenji Hiratani, Yoshinori Uchino, Tsuyoshi Miyata, Daisuke Nakamura, Ryoh Idehara
  • Patent number: 10625522
    Abstract: An image adding system includes a cloth holder to hold a cloth to which an image is added, a printer to print the cloth held by the cloth holder with an image, and a heater to heat the cloth. The cloth holder is used by both the printer and the heater with the cloth held on the cloth holder when the printer prints the image on the cloth and the heater heats the cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakamura, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Kenji Hiratani, Yoshinori Uchino, Tsuyoshi Miyata, Kohei Chubachi
  • Publication number: 20170320316
    Abstract: An image adding system includes a cloth holder to hold a cloth to which an image is added, a printer to print the cloth held by the cloth holder with an image, and a heater to heat the cloth. The cloth holder is used by both the printer and the heater with the cloth held on the cloth holder when the printer prints the image on the cloth and the heater heats the cloth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Daisuke NAKAMURA, Kazuyoshi MATSUMOTO, Kenji HIRATANI, Yoshinori UCHINO, Tsuyoshi MIYATA, Kohei CHUBACHI
  • Publication number: 20170320339
    Abstract: A printer includes a body, a cloth holder to hold a cloth thereon, a receiver to hold and move back and forth while holding the cloth holder partially within the body of the printer, and a printing unit to print an image on the cloth held by the cloth holder held on the receiver. The cloth holder is detachably attached to the receiver while holding the cloth thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi MATSUMOTO, Kenji Hiratani, Yoshinori Uchino, Tsuyoshi Miyata, Daisuke Nakamura, Ryoh Idehara
  • Patent number: 8523337
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes a liquid jet head; a container main body; an air opening mechanism configured to open and close an air opening path in the container main body. The air opening mechanism includes a holding part, and an opening member movably provided at the holding part. The opening member includes an air communicating path, a filter member, and an air room. An opening cross-sectional area of the air room in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction is greater than an opening cross-sectional area of the air communicating path in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tsukamura, Kenji Hiratani, Makoto Kikura, Yuzo Obata, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20130155158
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes a liquid jet head; a container main body; an air opening mechanism configured to open and close an air opening path in the container main body. The air opening mechanism includes a holding part, and an opening member movably provided at the holding part. The opening member includes an air communicating path, a filter member, and an air room. An opening cross-sectional area of the air room in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction is greater than an opening cross-sectional area of the air communicating path in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tsukamura, Kenji Hiratani, Makoto Kikura, Yuzo Obata, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8398218
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes a liquid jet head; a container main body; an air opening mechanism configured to open and close an air opening path in the container main body. The air opening mechanism includes a holding part, and an opening member movably provided at the holding part. The opening member includes an air communicating path, a filter member, and an air room. An opening cross-sectional area of the air room in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction is greater than an opening cross-sectional area of the air communicating path in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tsukamura, Kenji Hiratani, Makoto Kikura, Yuzo Obata, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20110141209
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes a liquid jet head; a container main body; an air opening mechanism configured to open and close an air opening path in the container main body. The air opening mechanism includes a holding part, and an opening member movably provided at the holding part. The opening member includes an air communicating path, a filter member, and an air room. An opening cross-sectional area of the air room in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction is greater than an opening cross-sectional area of the air communicating path in a direction perpendicular to an air flow-in direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tsukamura, Kenji Hiratani, Makoto Kikura, Yuzo Obata, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6478294
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller that is driven to rotate, and a base plate to stack sheets thereupon. The sheet feeding device is configured to rotate around a supporting axis thereof in directions to contact and separate from the feeding roller. A base plate pressing member is configured to press the base plate toward the feeding roller, such that an uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate contacts the feeding roller in order to be fed by the feeding roller. A first friction device is arranged in a vicinity of a first part of an upper surface of the base plate so as to oppose the feeding roller. The first friction device is configured to provide a bottom sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate with a first frictional resistance greater than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Hiratani
  • Publication number: 20020003332
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller that is driven to rotate, and a base plate to stack sheets thereupon. The sheet feeding device is configured to rotate around a supporting axis thereof in directions to contact and separate from the feeding roller. A base plate pressing member is configured to press the base plate toward the feeding roller, such that an uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate contacts the feeding roller in order to be fed by the feeding roller. A first friction device is arranged in a vicinity of a first part of an upper surface of the base plate so as to oppose the feeding roller. The first friction device is configured to provide a bottom sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate with a first frictional resistance greater than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Hiratani
  • Patent number: 5484140
    Abstract: A catch type sheet tray for accommodating sheets sequentially driven out of an image forming apparatus by catching the leading edges of the sheets. The tray has a transport unit for transporting the sheet driven out through the outlet downward. A holder receives the sheet conveyed by the transport unit by catching the leading edge of the sheet while causing the trailing edge of the sheet to hand down to the outside. A mounting section mounts the transport unit on a portion of the apparatus from which the horizontal tray has been removed. The catch type tray is mounted on the apparatus in place of the horizontal tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hirose, Kenji Hiratani, Masashi Kimijima