Patents by Inventor Masataka Shimoohsako

Masataka Shimoohsako 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: 7744080
    Abstract: A sheet feed device includes a sheet storage portion, a pick-up unit, a sheet-feed separation unit, and an air blower. The sheet storage portion stores a stack of sheets. The pick-up unit picks up the sheets stored in the sheet storage portion. The sheet-feed separation unit separates and feeds one by one the sheets picked up by the pick-up unit. The air blower blows air against a lateral side face of the stack of sheets stored in the sheet storage portion. The pick-up unit picks up the sheets while the air blower blows air and before the sheet-feed separation unit starts to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka Shimoohsako
  • Patent number: 7675051
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism, a sheet conveyance mechanism, and a sheet detector. The image forming mechanism forms an image and transfers it onto the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance mechanism. The sheet detector is arranged upstream from an image transfer region and configured to detect the sheet. The sheet detector includes a light source, a plurality of photoreceptors, and a controller. The plurality of photoreceptors is arranged in line in a main-scanning direction and includes a first photoreceptor group and a second photoreceptor group. The first photoreceptor group changes output voltages when overridden by the side edge of the sheet. The second photoreceptor group includes an opposite end of the plurality of photoreceptors being out of the side edge of the sheet. The controller is configured to adjust a light emission amount in accordance with characteristics of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: So Ohta, Masataka Shimoohsako, Noriaki Fukube, Tetsuya Ohfuchi
  • Publication number: 20090096154
    Abstract: A sheet feed device includes a sheet storage portion, a pick-up unit, a sheet-feed separation unit, and an air blower. The sheet storage portion stores a stack of sheets. The pick-up unit picks up the sheets stored in the sheet storage portion. The sheet-feed separation unit separates and feeds one by one the sheets picked up by the pick-up unit. The air blower blows air against a lateral side face of the stack of sheets stored in the sheet storage portion. The pick-up unit picks up the sheets while the air blower blows air and before the sheet-feed separation unit starts to operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventor: Masataka Shimoohsako
  • Publication number: 20070138416
    Abstract: A sheet detector, a sheet detector mechanism and an image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus may include an image forming mechanism, a sheet conveyance mechanism, and a sheet detector. The image forming mechanism may form an image and transfer the image onto the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance mechanism. The sheet detector may be arranged upstream from an image transfer region and configured to detect the sheet. The sheet detector may include a light source emitting light, a plurality of photoreceptors, and a controller. The plurality of photoreceptors may be arranged in a line in a main-scanning direction and may include a first photoreceptor group and a second photoreceptor group. The first photoreceptor group may change output voltages when overridden by the side edge of the sheet. The second photoreceptor group may include an opposite end of the plurality of photoreceptors being out of the side edge of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: So Ohta, Masataka Shimoohsako, Noriaki Fukube, Tetsuya Ohfuchi
  • Patent number: 6996349
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet type detection device to automatically detect a type of a recording sheet. A setting device sets an image forming condition by an operator. The image forming condition includes the type of the recording sheet. An image forming device forms a visible image on the recording sheet. A sheet feeding device feeds the recording sheet to the image forming device. A controller controls the image forming apparatus not to form an image on the recording sheet when the image forming condition with regard to the type of the recording sheet set by the operator does not match the type of the recording sheet detected by the recording sheet type detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: So Ohta, Masataka Shimoohsako
  • Publication number: 20040146310
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet type detection device to automatically detect a type of a recording sheet. A setting device sets an image forming condition by an operator. The image forming condition includes the type of the recording sheet. An image forming device forms a visible image on the recording sheet. A sheet feeding device feeds the recording sheet to the image forming device. A controller controls the image forming apparatus not to form an image on the recording sheet when the image forming condition with regard to the type of the recording sheet set by the operator does not match the type of the recording sheet detected by the recording sheet type detection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: So Ohta, Masataka Shimoohsako
  • Patent number: 6718145
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet type detection device to automatically detect a type of a recording sheet. A setting device sets an image forming condition by an operator. The image forming condition includes the type of the recording sheet. An image forming device forms a visible image on the recording sheet. A sheet feeding device feeds the recording sheet to the image forming device. A controller controls the image forming apparatus not to form an image on the recording sheet when the image forming condition with regard to the type of the recording sheet set by the operator does not match the type of the recording sheet detected by the recording sheet type detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: So Ohta, Masataka Shimoohsako
  • Publication number: 20020186979
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet type detection device to automatically detect a type of a recording sheet. A setting device sets an image forming condition by an operator. The image forming condition includes the type of the recording sheet. An image forming device forms a visible image on the recording sheet. A sheet feeding device feeds the recording sheet to the image forming device. A controller controls the image forming apparatus not to form an image on the recording sheet when the image forming condition with regard to the type of the recording sheet set by the operator does not match the type of the recording sheet detected by the recording sheet type detection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Inventors: So Ohta, Masataka Shimoohsako