Patents by Inventor Makoto Kurata

Makoto Kurata 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: 7909456
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image reading section; a sheet feeding section; an image forming section configured to form an image on the sheet of the receiving material fed from the sheet feeding section; and a sheet discharging section located below the image reading section and configured to discharge the sheet bearing the image fed from the image forming section, wherein the sheet discharging section includes an outlet from which the sheet bearing the image is drawn; an inlet which is located on an upstream side from the outlet relative to the sheet discharging direction and from which the sheet bearing the image is discharged by the image forming section; a sheet receiving portion which receives the sheet bearing the image discharged from the inlet; and a top wall, and wherein the top wall is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Makoto Kurata, Masahiro Yonekawa
  • Patent number: 7764921
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reader, an image forming unit, an output portion, and a notifying mechanism for notifying the operator of the apparatus. The image reader is configured to read an image on an original sheet to create image data. The image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on a sheet according to the image data. The output portion is disposed between the image reader and the image forming unit and includes a bin tray configured to receive the sheet having the toner image. The notifying mechanism includes a signal generator and a notifying member. The signal generator is configured to generate a signal when the sheet is output onto the bin tray. The notifying member is configured to notify that the sheet is output on the bin tray in accordance with the signal generated by the signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Horiguchi, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: 7302204
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a main body housing, an image reading block for reading a manuscript image, and an image forming block located below the image reading block and for forming an image on a recording sheet. Also included is an operation block located at a front side part of the image reading block, and a sheet discharge space provided between the image reading block and the image forming block, and for receiving a discharge recording sheet having the image formed by the image forming block. The sheet discharge space is opened at at least one side in a width-wise direction of the main body housing and at a front side so the at least one opened side communicates with the front side. Further, a front end portion of the image reading block is located above the sheet discharge space and is arranged at a position shifted toward a rear end side of the main body housing from a front outside wall surface of the main body housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Goro Katsuyama, Hideyuki Takemoto, Takuji Takahashi, Makoto Kurata
  • Publication number: 20070236552
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image reading section; a sheet feeding section; an image forming section configured to form an image on the sheet of the receiving material fed from the sheet feeding section; and a sheet discharging section located below the image reading section and configured to discharge the sheet bearing the image fed from the image forming section, wherein the sheet discharging section includes an outlet from which the sheet bearing the image is drawn; an inlet which is located on an upstream side from the outlet relative to the sheet discharging direction and from which the sheet bearing the image is discharged by the image forming section; a sheet receiving portion which receives the sheet bearing the image discharged from the inlet; and a top wall, and wherein the top wall is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Masato SUZUKI, Makoto Kurata, Masahiro Yonekawa
  • Publication number: 20060210336
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reader, an image forming unit, an output portion, and a notifying mechanism for notifying the operator of the apparatus. The image reader is configured to read an image on an original sheet to create image data. The image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on a sheet according to the image data. The output portion is disposed between the image reader and the image forming unit and includes a bin tray configured to receive the sheet having the toner image. The notifying mechanism includes a signal generator and a notifying member. The signal generator is configured to generate a signal when the sheet is output onto the bin tray. The notifying member is configured to notify that the sheet is output on the bin tray in accordance with the signal generated by the signal generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Shigeru Horiguchi, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: 7108338
    Abstract: A storage table 2 is composed of a cabinet 10 open to the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and a tray 11 able to move into and out of the cabinet 10. The tray 11 includes a base plate 15 and a front cover 16. The base plate 26 is a flat part installed so that the base plate 26 can freely slide in and out of the cabinet 10 by the guide rails 13. The front cover 16 is assembled at a front end along an in-and-out direction of the base plate 26. The front cover 16 is integrally formed with a size covering the whole opening of the cabinet 10. The double-deck paper-loading unit 20 mounted on the storage table 2 has an upper tray 21 loaded on a lower tray 22, so that the lower tray 21 can move into and out of the cabinet 10 and the lower tray 21 is detachable to the base plate for altering the function of the storage table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Goro Katsuyama, Makoto Kurata
  • Publication number: 20040114958
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a main body housing, an image reading block for reading a manuscript image, and an image forming block located below the image reading block and for forming an image on a recording sheet. Also included is an operation block located at a front side part of the image reading block, and a sheet discharge space provided between the image reading block and the image forming block, and for receiving a discharge recording sheet having the image formed by the image forming block. The sheet discharge space is opened at at least one side in a width-wise direction of the main body housing and at a front side so the at least one opened side communicates with the front side. Further, a front end portion of the image reading block is located above the sheet discharge space and is arranged at a position shifted toward a rear end side of the main body housing from a front outside wall surface of the main body housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Goro Katsuyama, Hideyuki Takemoto, Takuji Takahashi, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: 6690901
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a main body housing, an image reading block for reading a manuscript image, and an image forming block located below the image reading block and for forming an image on a recording sheet. Also included is an operation block located at a front side part of the image reading block, and a sheet discharge space provided between the image reading block and the image forming block, and for receiving a discharge recording sheet having the image formed by the image forming block. The sheet discharge space is opened at at least one side in a width-wise direction of the main body housing and at a front side so the at least one opened side communicates with the front side. Further, a front end portion of the image reading block is located above the sheet discharge space and is arranged at a position shifted toward a rear end side of the main body housing from a front outside wall surface of the main body housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Goro Katsuyama, Hideyuki Takemoto, Takuji Takahashi, Makoto Kurata
  • Publication number: 20020195915
    Abstract: A storage table 2 is composed of a cabinet 10 open to the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and a tray 11 able to move into and out of the cabinet 10. The tray 11 includes a base plate 15 and a front cover 16. The base plate 26 is a flat part installed so that the base plate 26 can freely slide in and out of the cabinet 10 by the guide rails 13. The front cover 16 is assembled at a front end along an in-and-out direction of the base plate 26. The front cover 16 is integrally formed with a size covering the whole opening of the cabinet 10. The double-deck paper-loading unit 20 mounted on the storage table 2 has an upper tray 21 loaded on a lower tray 22, so that the lower tray 21 can move into and out of the cabinet 10 and the lower tray 21 is detachable to the base plate for altering the function of the storage table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Goro Katsuyama, Makoto Kurata
  • Publication number: 20020150403
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a main body housing, an image reading block for reading a manuscript image, and an image forming block located below the image reading block and for forming an image on a recording sheet. Also included is an operation block located at a front side part of the image reading block, and a sheet discharge space provided between the image reading block and the image forming block, and for receiving a discharge recording sheet having the image formed by the image forming block. The sheet discharge space is opened at at least one side in a width-wise direction of the main body housing and at a front side so the at least one opened side communicates with the front side. Further, a front end portion of the image reading block is located above the sheet discharge space and is arranged at a position shifted toward a rear end side of the main body housing from a front outside wall surface of the main body housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Goro Katsuyama, Hideyuki Takemoto, Takuji Takahashi, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D556821
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Horiguchi, Tamaki Someya, Masateru Kohno, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D557736
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Horiguchi, Tamaki Someya, Kazuyoshi Yamada, Osamu Miki, Masateru Kohno, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D558259
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masateru Kohno, Shigeru Horiguchi, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D559892
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Horiguchi, Tamaki Someya, Kazuyoshi Yamada, Osamu Miki, Masateru Kohno, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D589083
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Masahiro Yonekawa, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D589084
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Masahiro Yonekawa, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D727416
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kurita, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D791779
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto Tsuruoka, Makoto Kurata
  • Patent number: D970605
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kurata, Naoto Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: D1001886
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Hibi, Sakiko Tomizawa, Ryuichi Shirane, Makoto Kurata