Patents by Inventor Masaya Kawarada

Masaya Kawarada 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: 11731846
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a conveyance rotator, a separation rotator, a torque applier, a torque control circuit, and a torque transmission switcher. The conveyance rotator conveys a sheet in a sheet feeding direction. The separation rotator sandwiches the sheet together with the conveyance rotator. The torque applier applies a reverse torque to the separation rotator in a sheet reversing direction to reverse the sheet. The torque control circuit controls the reverse torque applied to the separation rotator to be equal to or less than a given value. The torque transmission switcher switches, between a transmission state and a non-transmission state, a state of a torque transmission path between the torque applier and the separation rotator. The transmission state is a state in which the reverse torque is transmitted. The non-transmission state is a state in which the reverse torque is not transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masaya Kawarada
  • Patent number: 11572247
    Abstract: A sheet material cutting device includes a cutting blade and a guard member. The cutting blade is displaceably disposed and cuts a web-shaped sheet material. The guard member faces the sheet material and has a slit through which the cutting blade passes when the cutting blade is displaced to a cutting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaya Kawarada
  • Patent number: 11214079
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a coater, a first discharger, a first dryer, a second discharger, and a second dryer. The coater applies a coating liquid to both faces of a sheet material. The first discharger discharges a first liquid to one face of the sheet material with the coating liquid applied to both faces of the sheet material. The first dryer dries the sheet material to which the first liquid discharged from the first discharger is applied. The second discharger discharges a second liquid to the other face of the sheet material that has passed through the first dryer. The second dryer dries the sheet material to which the second liquid discharged by the second discharger is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masaya Kawarada
  • Publication number: 20210284472
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a conveyance rotator, a separation rotator, a torque applier, a torque control circuit, and a torque transmission switcher. The conveyance rotator conveys a sheet in a sheet feeding direction. The separation rotator sandwiches the sheet together with the conveyance rotator. The torque applier applies a reverse torque to the separation rotator in a sheet reversing direction to reverse the sheet. The torque control circuit controls the reverse torque applied to the separation rotator to be equal to or less than a given value. The torque transmission switcher switches, between a transmission state and a non-transmission state, a state of a torque transmission path between the torque applier and the separation rotator. The transmission state is a state in which the reverse torque is transmitted. The non-transmission state is a state in which the reverse torque is not transmitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaya KAWARADA
  • Publication number: 20210188588
    Abstract: A sheet material cutting device includes a cutting blade and a guard member. The cutting blade is displaceably disposed and cuts a web-shaped sheet material. The guard member faces the sheet material and has a slit through which the cutting blade passes when the cutting blade is displaced to a cutting position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaya Kawarada
  • Publication number: 20210187970
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a coater, a first discharger, a first dryer, a second discharger, and a second dryer. The coater applies a coating liquid to both faces of a sheet material. The first discharger discharges a first liquid to one face of the sheet material with the coating liquid applied to both faces of the sheet material. The first dryer dries the sheet material to which the first liquid discharged from the first discharger is applied. The second discharger discharges a second liquid to the other face of the sheet material that has passed through the first dryer. The second dryer dries the sheet material to which the second liquid discharged by the second discharger is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventor: Masaya KAWARADA
  • Patent number: 10919321
    Abstract: A dryer includes a heater in a conveyance area in which an object is conveyed, the heater configured to heat the object on which a liquid is applied, a heated portion in an outer area outside the conveyance area, the heated portion connected to the heater, a partition wall partitioning the conveyance area and the outer area, an air supply unit in the conveyance area, the air supply unit configured to feed air to the object conveyed in the conveyance area, and a duct in the outer area, the duct connected to the air supply unit and configured to take in air around the heated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Yasuhisa Katoh
  • Publication number: 20200207119
    Abstract: A dryer includes a heater in a conveyance area in which an object is conveyed, the heater configured to heat the object on which a liquid is applied, a heated portion in an outer area outside the conveyance area, the heated portion connected to the heater, a partition wall partitioning the conveyance area and the outer area, an air supply unit in the conveyance area, the air supply unit configured to feed air to the object conveyed in the conveyance area, and a duct in the outer area, the duct connected to the air supply unit and configured to take in air around the heated portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Yasuhisa Katoh
  • Patent number: 10286699
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit to obtain a captured image of a test pattern and a reference mark to locate the test pattern and at least one processor. The test pattern includes a pair of first marks and a second mark. The processor includes a position detector configured to detect the reference mark in the captured image and locate the pair of first marks and the second mark in the captured image, and a ratio calculator configured to calculate one of a first ratio between a distance between the pair of first marks in the captured image and a deviation of the second mark in the captured image, and a second ratio between the distance between the pair of first marks in the captured image and a distance from one of the pair of first marks to the second mark in the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh, Suguru Yokozawa, Kohta Aoyagi, Kenta Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10252517
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device; an imaging device; and at least one processor including a pattern forming unit to cause a recording head to form a pair of first marks, with first and second nozzles disposed at a first distance from each other in a direction of conveyance of a recording medium, while the recording head moves in a first direction and cause the recording head to form a second mark while the recording head moves in a second direction, a position detector to detect positions of the first and second marks in a captured image, a ratio calculator to calculate a ratio between a distance between the first marks in the captured image and a deviation of the second mark in the captured image, and distance calculator to calculate a distance of the deviation based on the first distance and the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kahei Nakamura, Masaya Kawarada, Kohta Aoyagi, Suguru Yokozawa, Nobuyuki Satoh
  • Patent number: 10207495
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor to convey a recording medium; an image forming device including a recording head to form a test pattern including a first mark and a pair of second marks; an imaging device; and a processor. The processor includes a pattern forming unit to cause the image forming device to form one of the first and second marks and form the other after the conveyor conveys the recording medium by a predetermined conveyance amount, a position detector to detect positions of the first and second marks in the captured image, a ratio calculator to calculate a ratio between a distance between the second marks and deviation of the first mark in the captured image, and a distance calculator to calculate an actual distance of the deviation based on a theoretical distance between the second marks and the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohta Aoyagi, Suguru Yokozawa, Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh
  • Patent number: 10158767
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: a casing having an opening; a light source arranged inside the casing; a sensor arranged inside the casing and configured to capture, through the opening, an image of an object present outside the casing while the light source is on; and a distance calculator to calculate a distance between the casing and the object, based on an image that has been captured by the sensor and contains, within an image region of the object defined by the opening, a high-luminance region and low-luminance regions located more outside than the high-luminance region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Sasa, Nobuyuki Satoh, Yuichi Sakurada, Kenji Morita, Masaya Kawarada, Daisaku Horikawa
  • Patent number: 10093087
    Abstract: A distance measuring device includes: an imaging unit that captures a test pattern image including a pair of first markers and a second marker that is formed under a condition different from a condition applied to the first markers; a position detecting unit that detects a position of each of the pair of first markers and the second marker in a captured image captured by the imaging unit; a ratio calculating unit that calculates a ratio of a distance between the pair of the first markers in the captured image and an actual distance between the pair of the first markers; and an actual distance calculating unit that calculates an actual distance between one of the first markers as the pair and the second marker by multiplying a distance between the one of the first markers as the pair and the second marker in the captured image by the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh, Kenji Morita, Yuichi Sakurada, Tomohiro Sasa, Daisaku Horikawa
  • Publication number: 20180147835
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device; an imaging device; and at least one processor including a pattern forming unit to cause a recording head to form a pair of first marks, with first and second nozzles disposed at a first distance from each other in a direction of conveyance of a recording medium, while the recording head moves in a first direction and cause the recording head to form a second mark while the recording head moves in a second direction, a position detector to detect positions of the first and second marks in a captured image, a ratio calculator to calculate a ratio between a distance between the first marks in the captured image and a deviation of the second mark in the captured image, and distance calculator to calculate a distance of the deviation based on the first distance and the ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kahei Nakamura, Masaya Kawarada, Kohta Aoyagi, Suguru Yokozawa, Nobuyuki Satoh
  • Publication number: 20180141359
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit to obtain a captured image of a test pattern and a reference mark to locate the test pattern and at least one processor. The test pattern includes a pair of first marks and a second mark. The processor includes a position detector configured to detect the reference mark in the captured image and locate the pair of first marks and the second mark in the captured image, and a ratio calculator configured to calculate one of a first ratio between a distance between the pair of first marks in the captured image and a deviation of the second mark in the captured image, and a second ratio between the distance between the pair of first marks in the captured image and a distance from one of the pair of first marks to the second mark in the captured image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh, Suguru Yokozawa, Kohta Aoyagi, Kenta Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20180141329
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor to convey a recording medium; an image forming device including a recording head to form a test pattern including a first mark and a pair of second marks; an imaging device; and a processor. The processor includes a pattern forming unit to cause the image forming device to form one of the first and second marks and form the other after the conveyor conveys the recording medium by a predetermined conveyance amount, a position detector to detect positions of the first and second marks in the captured image, a ratio calculator to calculate a ratio between a distance between the second marks and deviation of the first mark in the captured image, and a distance calculator to calculate an actual distance of the deviation based on a theoretical distance between the second marks and the ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohta Aoyagi, Suguru Yokozawa, Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh
  • Publication number: 20170361605
    Abstract: A distance measuring device includes: an imaging unit that captures a test pattern image including a pair of first markers and a second marker that is formed under a condition different from a condition applied to the first markers; a position detecting unit that detects a position of each of the pair of first markers and the second marker in a captured image captured by the imaging unit; a ratio calculating unit that calculates a ratio of a distance between the pair of the first markers in the captured image and an actual distance between the pair of the first markers; and an actual distance calculating unit that calculates an actual distance between one of the first markers as the pair and the second marker by multiplying a distance between the one of the first markers as the pair and the second marker in the captured image by the ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh, Kenji Morita, Yuichi Sakurada, Tomohiro Sasa, Daisaku Horikawa
  • Patent number: 9782967
    Abstract: A distance measuring device includes: an imaging unit that captures a test pattern image including a pair of first markers and a second marker that is formed under a condition different from a condition applied to the first markers; a position detecting unit that detects a position of each of the pair of first markers and the second marker in a captured image captured by the imaging unit; a ratio calculating unit that calculates a ratio of a distance between the pair of the first markers in the captured image and an actual distance between the pair of the first markers; and an actual distance calculating unit that calculates an actual distance between one of the first markers as the pair and the second marker by multiplying a distance between the one of the first markers as the pair and the second marker in the captured image by the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh, Kenji Morita, Yuichi Sakurada, Tomohiro Sasa, Daisaku Horikawa
  • Patent number: 9654671
    Abstract: An imaging device including a light source; a two-dimensional image sensor that receives reflected light from a subject containing specular light of the light source and outputs an image of the subject; a light transmission member disposed in an optical path of light emitted from the light source to the subject; and a light shielding unit that, when a position on the subject at which light from the light source is regularly reflected and enters the two-dimensional image sensor is defined as a first specular position, whereas a position on the light transmission member at which light from the light source is regularly reflected and enters the two-dimensional image sensor is defined as a second specular position, shields the light directed from the light source toward the second specular position without shielding the light directed from the light source toward the first specular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Mamoru Yorimoto, Nobuyuki Satoh, Kenji Morita, Masaya Kawarada, Masahiro Hiranuma, Daisaku Horikawa
  • Patent number: 9609163
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes: a two-dimensional image sensor that captures an image of a predetermined image capture area including a subject; a light source that illuminates the image capture area; and a light blocking member that blocks light traveling from the light source toward a specular reflection position, the specular reflection position being a position that is in the image capture area and where, if light travels from the light source, the light would be specularly reflected to the two-dimensional sensor. The light blocking member is arranged outside the image capture area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Kawarada, Nobuyuki Satoh, Mamoru Yorimoto, Kenji Morita, Masahiro Hiranuma, Daisaku Horikawa