Patents by Inventor Masahiro Kawamoto

Masahiro Kawamoto 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: 7879268
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a particulate resin, including: a fine nozzle opening configured to extrude a melted resin mixture including a resin; an extrusion output control mechanism for controlling an extrusion output of the melted resin mixture; a collision mechanism configured to collide the melted resin mixture extruded from the fine nozzle opening with a high-temperature gas stream having a temperature of not less than a T1/2 temperature of the resin, so that the melted resin mixture is granulated to provide a particulate resin; a heat retention mechanism configured to retain the particulate resin in an atmosphere having a temperature of not less than a Tg of the resin for 0.01 to 10 seconds; and a cooling mechanism configured to cool the particulate resin; and a method for manufacturing a particulate resin using the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Naotoshi Kinoshita, Tetsuya Tanaka, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 7790344
    Abstract: A method of preparing a powder, including bombarding a spray gas to a liquid material through a spray nozzle to form an atomized liquid material; and solidifying the atomized liquid material, wherein 5 to 40% by weight of the spray gas are previously mixed with the liquid material to form a two-phase flow in a flow path of the spray nozzle, and 60 to 95% by weight of the spray gas is further discharged from a circumference of the flow path discharging the two-phase flow and bombarded thereto to uniformly atomize the liquid material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Naotoshi Kinoshita, Tetsuya Tanaka, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20100072311
    Abstract: A fluid spray nozzle for spraying fluid, satisfying a formula (r?r0)?L tan 35°, wherein r0 is a radius of a section having a minimum area of the nozzle when cut perpendicular to a spray direction of the fluid; and r is a radius of cross-sections of an upstream side and a downstream side of the spray direction from the section having a minimum area with a distance of L.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya TANAKA, Masahiro KAWAMOTO, Akio MATSUI, Hiroki MORIOKA, Kaoru AOKI
  • Patent number: 7662534
    Abstract: To provide a method including processing electrophotographic toner constituent material to a fibrous fine precursor and pulverizing and cutting it to obtain a uniform fibrous toner with energy efficiency in an apparatus for producing electrophotographic toner including a nozzle unit containing a nozzle having a flow path tapering toward the nozzle hole at 2° to 20° and a gas nozzle unit containing a gas nozzle and gas flow path tapering toward the nozzle hole at 15° to 33° relative to a direction of a nozzle axis, wherein the toner constituent material containing a raw material A containing a resin and pigment, and a raw material B containing one of a low melting point resin, wax and organic solvent, is extruded from the nozzle at 150° C. to 320° C., and drawn by gas flow from the gas nozzles so as to be a fibrous fluid while controlling the flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Naotoshi Kinoshita, Tetsuya Tanaka, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20080305421
    Abstract: There is provided a method for producing resinous particles, containing: melting a mixture containing a binder resin and at least one additive having a melting point lower than T1/2 of the binder resin so as to prepare a molten material; atomizing resinous particles from the molten material in an atmosphere having a temperature higher than Tg of the binder resin and lower than 3 times of T1/2 of the binder resin; retaining the resinous particles in an atmosphere having a temperature higher than Tg of the binder resin, and lower than 1.5 times of T1/2 of the binder resin for 1 s to 15 s; and cooling and solidifying the resinous particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Naotoshi KINOSHITA, Tetsuya TANAKA, Masahiro KAWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080305420
    Abstract: A method for coating particles with a coating liquid including supplying airflow to fluidize the particles; mixing the coating liquid with a spray gas in a two-fluid spray nozzle to form a two-phase flow; and atomizing the two-phase flow with the spray gas to spray a mist of the coating liquid upon the particles. A coating device including a vessel; a fluidizing device configured to supply airflow to fluidize a powder in the vessel; and a spray nozzle configured to mix the coating liquid with a spray gas to form a two-phase flow, and to atomize the two-phase flow with the spray gas to spray a mist of the coating liquid. A particulate carrier for use in electrophotographic developer including particles of a core material and a cover layer thereon and prepared by the coating method mentioned above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Naotoshi KINOSHITA, Tetsuya TANAKA, Masahiro KAWAMOTO, Hiroyuki INA, Jun HITOSUGI
  • Publication number: 20080277490
    Abstract: A method of preparing a powder, including bombarding a spray gas to a liquid material through a spray nozzle to form an atomized liquid material; and solidifying the atomized liquid material, wherein 5 to 40% by weight of the spray gas are previously mixed with the liquid material to form a two-phase flow in a flow path of the spray nozzle, and 60 to 95% by weight of the spray gas is further discharged from a circumference of the flow path discharging the two-phase flow and bombarded thereto to uniformly atomize the liquid material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Naotoshi KINOSHITA, Tetsuya Tanaka, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 7438245
    Abstract: Disclosed is a milling and classifying apparatus, adapted to produce toner fine particles, comprising a collision mill, and an air classifier, wherein the collision mill comprises a jet nozzle room, a path, a collision plate, and a collision member mounted to a support of the collision plate at downstream of the collision plate, the air classifier comprises a dispersion room and a classification room, the classification room is disposed below the dispersion room, and a flow stabilizer is arranged at a central suction of the separator core to control swirl stream generated within the classification room so as to centrifuge the powder into coarse particles and fine particles by action of the swirl stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawamoto, Kohta Wakimoto, Kohji Kubota, Mamoru Kawaguchi, Yoshiyuki Okegawa, Hideyuki Ueda, Masayuki Kakimoto, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Tomoyuki Yamada, Yuuichi Kohyama, Masato Kobayashi, Fumio Nishide, Kenkoh Degura, Hirofumi Yamanaka, Tohru Suganuma, Shoji Watanabe, Ikuo Tasaki
  • Publication number: 20080122132
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a particulate resin, including: a fine nozzle opening configured to extrude a melted resin mixture including a resin; an extrusion output control mechanism for controlling an extrusion output of the melted resin mixture; a collision mechanism configured to collide the melted resin mixture extruded from the fine nozzle opening with a high-temperature gas stream having a temperature of not less than a T1/2 temperature of the resin, so that the melted resin mixture is granulated to provide a particulate resin; a heat retention mechanism configured to retain the particulate resin in an atmosphere having a temperature of not less than a Tg of the resin for 0.01 to 10 seconds; and a cooling mechanism configured to cool the particulate resin; and a method for manufacturing a particulate resin using the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Naotoshi KINOSHITA, Tetsuya Tanaka, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20080063968
    Abstract: To provide a method including processing electrophotographic toner constituent material to a fibrous fine precursor and pulverizing and cutting it to obtain a uniform fibrous toner with energy efficiency in an apparatus for producing electrophotographic toner including a nozzle unit containing a nozzle having a flow path tapering toward the nozzle hole at 2° to 20° and a gas nozzle unit containing a gas nozzle and gas flow path tapering toward the nozzle hole at 15° to 33° relative to a direction of a nozzle axis, wherein the toner constituent material containing a raw material A containing a resin and pigment, and a raw material B containing one of a low melting point resin, wax and organic solvent, is extruded from the nozzle at 150° C. to 320° C., and drawn by gas flow from the gas nozzles so as to be a fibrous fluid while controlling the flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Naotoshi Kinoshita, Tetsuya Tanaka, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20060032952
    Abstract: Disclosed is a milling and classifying apparatus, adapted to produce toner fine particles, comprising a collision mill, and an air classifier, wherein the collision mill comprises a jet nozzle room, a path, a collision plate, and a collision member mounted to a support of the collision plate at downstream of the collision plate, the air classifier comprises a dispersion room and a classification room, the classification room is disposed below the dispersion room, and a flow stabilizer is arranged at a central suction of the separator core to control swirl stream generated within the classification room so as to centrifuge the powder into coarse particles and fine particles by action of the swirl stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawamoto, Kohta Wakimoto, Kohji Kubota, Mamoru Kawaguchi, Yoshiyuki Okegawa, Hideyuki Ueda, Masayuki Kakimoto, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Tomoyuki Yamada, Yuuichi Kohyama, Masato Kobayashi, Fumio Nishide, Kenkoh Degura, Hirofumi Yamanaka, Tohru Suganuma, Shoji Watanabe, Ikuo Tasaki
  • Patent number: 6395443
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image, including a binder, a coloring agent and a charge controlling agent. When that portion of the toner which has a particle diameter of 5.04 &mgr;m or less accounts for 15-60% of the total number N of the toner, that portion of the toner which provides a number average particle diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 &mgr;m has such a content C1% by weight of the charge controlling agent that gives a ratio of C1/CT of 1.00 to 1.10, where CT is a total amount, in terms of % by weight, of the charge controlling agent in the toner. When that portion of the toner which has a particle diameter of 5.04 &mgr;m or less accounts for 15% or less of the total number N, that portion of the toner which provides a number average particle diameter of 4.2 to 4.8 &mgr;m has such a content C2% by weight of the charge controlling agent that gives a ratio of C2/CT of 1.02 to 1.15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Kuroda, Tomoyuki Satoh, Yasushi Nakamura, Nobutaka Kinoshita, Masahiro Kawamoto, Shigeru Emoto, Osamu Kouzu
  • Publication number: 20010041298
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image, including a binder, a coloring agent and a charge controlling agent. When that portion of the toner which has a particle diameter of 5.04 &mgr;m or less accounts for 15-60% of the total number N of the toner, that portion of the toner which provides a number average particle diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 &mgr;m has such a content C1% by weight of the charge controlling agent that gives a ratio of C1/CT of 1.00 to 1.10, where CT is a total amount, in terms of % by weight, of the charge controlling agent in the toner. When that portion of the toner which has a particle diameter of 5.04 &mgr;m or less accounts for 15% or less of the total number N, that portion of the toner which provides a number average particle diameter of 4.2 to 4.8 &mgr;m has such a content C2% by weight of the charge controlling agent that gives a ratio of C2/CT of 1.02 to 1.15.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventors: Noboru Kuroda, Tomoyuki Satoh, Yasushi Nakamura, Nobutaka Kinoshita, Masahiro Kawamoto, Shigeru Emoto, Osamu Kouzu
  • Patent number: 5779445
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a noncontaminative centrifugal pump for pumping a high-purity liquid, such as a high-purity chemical or ultrapure water used in a VLSI circuit manufacturing system, without producing any trace of dust and without allowing foreign matters entering its casing. A noncontact shaft seal assembly provides an accurate gap between the rotating and fixed rings thereof to allow a required leakage from the noncontaminative centrifugal pump, does not produce dust by abrasion, inhibits foreign matters from entering the noncontaminative centrifugal pump and maintains the high-purity liquid in a high-purity condition. While the noncontaminative centrifugal pump is in operation, the impeller produces a hydraulic axial thrust to bias the main shaft in one direction by a distance equal to a play thereof so that the gap is maintained in a set size suitable for preventing generation of dust by abrasion and inhibiting foreign matters from entering the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yokota Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yokota, Tetsuya Tanimoto, Masahiro Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 4366080
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display element utilizing dynamic scattering uses a liquid crystal composition comprising a liquid crystal and charge transfer complex. The charge transfer complex contains nitro-substituted 9-fluorenones as the electron acceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1982
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Mizunoya, Shoichi Matsumoto, Hitoshi Tomii, Masahiro Kawamoto, Yuusuke Wada
  • Patent number: 4097128
    Abstract: A liquid crystal color display device which comprises a first electrode; a first substrate whose surface has a property of orientating the molecules of a nematic liquid crystal parallel with said surface; a second electrode; a second substrate whose surface has a property of orientating the molecules of the nematic liquid crystal perpendicular to said surface; a nematic liquid crystal interposed between the first and second substrates; at least one polarizer; and a means whereby the birefringence of the liquid crystal cell is changed to display various colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1978
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Matsumoto, Masahiro Kawamoto, Kiyoshi Mizunoya