Patents by Inventor Masafumi Furusawa

Masafumi Furusawa 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).

  • Plastic optical element, optical scanning device, and image forming apparatus using the optical scanning device
    Patent number: 8004554
    Abstract: A plastic optical element for guiding a scanned light beam in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, which is prepared by a molding method using a die. The element includes: a main body including at least two optically functional surfaces, which are transfer surfaces formed by contacted with transfer surfaces of the die and through which the light beam passes; and at least two ribs located on surfaces of the main body other than the optically functional surfaces and extending in parallel in the main scanning direction. A recessed portion is present on a surface of at least one of the ribs, and the recessed portion has a side transfer surface and a bottom surface, which is a non-transfer surface, and the distance between the optically functional surfaces is less than the length of the main body in the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Go Takahashi, Eiichi Hayashi, Kan Aoki, Masafumi Furusawa, Takamichi Ohhashi
  • PLASTIC OPTICAL ELEMENT, OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20100054809
    Abstract: A plastic optical element for guiding a scanned light beam in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, which is prepared by a molding method using a die. The element includes: a main body including at least two optically functional surfaces, which are transfer surfaces formed by contacted with transfer surfaces of the die and through which the light beam passes; and at least two ribs located on surfaces of the main body other than the optically functional surfaces and extending in parallel in the main scanning direction. A recessed portion is present on a surface of at least one of the ribs, and the recessed portion has a side transfer surface and a bottom surface, which is a non-transfer surface, and the distance between the optically functional surfaces is less than the length of the main body in the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Go Takahashi, Eiichi Hayashi, Kan Aoki, Masafumi Furusawa, Takamichi Ohhashi