Patents by Inventor Nobuyasu Makino

Nobuyasu Makino 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: 9207552
    Abstract: A classifying apparatus including a cylindrical casing, a powder material feeding port, a louver ring disposed in the casing to be in communication with the powder material feeding port in a horizontal direction, a center core, a separator core, a dispersion chamber defined by the center core and an inner wall of the casing at the powder material-fed side, a classification chamber defined by the center core, the separator core and a side inner wall of the casing, and a flow path encircling the louver ring, wherein in a horizontal cross section of part of the classifying apparatus where the part contains the powder material feeding port and the louver ring, the louver ring is located at a position where the louver ring does not intersect with an extended line of a wall surface of the powder material feeding port at the side of the louver ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Matsushita, Tetsuya Tanaka, Nobuyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 9022307
    Abstract: The pulverizer including a pulverization chamber, a jet nozzle, a pulverization nozzle, and a collision member is provided. The pulverization nozzle includes an acceleration tube. The acceleration tube includes an acceleration part A and an acceleration part B. A center (a) of the supply aperture is positioned within the acceleration part A. A point of intersection (b) where central axes of the acceleration tube and the supply aperture intersect is positioned within the acceleration part B. An angle ? formed between the central axes of the acceleration tube and the supply aperture satisfies an inequation 30°??<60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Kakuda, Nobuyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 8905340
    Abstract: A pulverizer, including a spray nozzle to spray airstream; a pulverization chamber to pulverize a subject with the airstream; and a cylindrical adaptor to be fitted to the spray nozzle, including a flow path to pass the airstream sprayed from a front end face of the spray nozzle, including an inlet hole to inhale the subject pulverized in the pulverization chamber into the flow path on a side wall thereof, wherein the front end face of the spray nozzle and a rear end face of the inlet hole are located on the same plane when the cylindrical adaptor is fitted to the spray nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Kazuo Kuratani
  • Patent number: 8757387
    Abstract: A classification device for classifying particles by size including an upper impeller-type rotor, a first end of which is covered with a cover disc without penetration hole and a second end of which is covered with an upper cover disc with a penetration hole; and a lower impeller-type rotor, a first end of which is covered with a cover disc without penetration hole and a second end of which is covered with a lower cover disc with a penetration hole. The upper impeller-type rotor and the lower impeller-type rotor are provided so that axes thereof are coincident and the first ends face with each other forming a gap therebetween in an axial direction, and the diameters of the penetration holes of the upper cover disc and the lower cover disc are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Masakazu Yashiro, Kazuo Kuratani
  • Patent number: 8668091
    Abstract: An air classifier contains a cylindrical casing provided with at an upper part thereof a feed port to feed high pressure air and a powder material, an umbrella-shaped center core in the casing, and an umbrella-shaped separator core arranged downstream of the center core in the casing and including an opening at center thereof. The air classifier has a configuration containing a dispersion chamber to disperse the powder material, being surrounded by an inner wall of the upper part casing and the center core, and a classification chamber to classify the powder material into fine and coarse powders by centrifugation, being surrounded by the center core, separator core and inner wall of the casing. In the dispersion chamber provided are a louver ring containing guide slats circularly arranged at regular intervals, and a space encircling the louver ring and serving as flow passage of the air and powder material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Eiichi Masushio, Fumitoshi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20130248628
    Abstract: The pulverizer including a pulverization chamber, a jet nozzle, a pulverization nozzle, and a collision member is provided. The pulverization nozzle includes an acceleration tube. The acceleration tube includes an acceleration part A and an acceleration part B. A center (a) of the supply aperture is positioned within the acceleration part A. A point of intersection (b) where central axes of the acceleration tube and the supply aperture intersect is positioned within the acceleration part B. An angle ? formed between the central axes of the acceleration tube and the supply aperture satisfies an inequation 30°??<60°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Shigeaki KAKUDA, Nobuyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 8540174
    Abstract: A method for producing powder including supplying a powder material to a fluidized bed container, jetting fluid from each of a plurality of fluid jetting nozzles provided in the fluidized bed container to collide against each other, thereby fluidizing and pulverizing the powder material in the fluidized bed container to form powder, classifying the powder using a centrifugal classification rotor provided at the upper part of the fluidized bed container and discharging the classified powder from an outlet by being guided by the centrifugal classification rotor, wherein the centrifugal classification rotor is rotated at a first rotating speed for a predetermined time from the beginning of the flow of the powder material in the fluidized bed container, and at a second rotating speed after the predetermined time has passed, and the centrifugal classification rotor is controlled so that the first rotating speed is higher than the second rotating speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 8469297
    Abstract: The airflow classifier includes a dispersing chamber dispersing a powdery raw material with high pressure air; a classifying chamber located below the dispersing chamber and including a center core located on an upper portion thereof and a separator core having an opening at a center thereof and located on a lower portion of the classifying chamber to subject the raw material, which is fed from the dispersing chamber, to centrifugal classification to classify the raw material into coarse particles and fine particles; a fine particle feeding pipe connected with a lower portion of the opening of the separator core; a shield ring to cover an upper portion of the opening; and a louver pipe which is located above the shield ring and in which plural blades are arranged on an edge of the opening at predetermined intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 8267340
    Abstract: The airflow pulverization and classification device includes a pulverizer and a classifier. The pulverizer includes a pulverization chamber including a collision member; a jet nozzle directing jet flow toward the pulverization chamber; a feeder feeding a particulate material; a supply nozzle having an acceleration tube connected with the jet nozzle and the pulverization chamber, and a supply tube connected with the feeder and the acceleration tube to supply the particulate material the acceleration tube so that the particulate material is collided with the collision member; and a pressure gauge measuring a static pressure in the feeder and/or the supply tube, and/or a static pressure at the junction of the acceleration tube and the supply tube to control the supply conditions of the particulate material supplied to the acceleration tube on the basis of the measured static pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Makino
  • Publication number: 20120228414
    Abstract: A pulverizer, including a spray nozzle to spray airstream; a pulverization chamber to pulverize a subject with the airstream; and a cylindrical adaptor to be fitted to the spray nozzle, including a flow path to pass the airstream sprayed from a front end face of the spray nozzle, including an inlet hole to inhale the subject pulverized in the pulverization chamber into the flow path on a side wall thereof, wherein the front end face of the spray nozzle and a rear end face of the inlet hole are located on the same plane when the cylindrical adaptor is fitted to the spray nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Nobuyasu MAKINO, Kazuo Kuratani
  • Patent number: 8132749
    Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic toner pulverizing apparatus and an electrophotographic toner pulverizing method for preventing reduction in wear resistance of a rotor, a stator, and the like even in long-term pulverizing of toner. The electrophotographic toner pulverizing apparatus according to the present invention has a pulverizing chamber with at least a rotor and a stator disposed therein. The surface of at least one of the rotor and the stator has a chromium plated layer having Cr as a main component and containing Mg, Al, Si, Ti, Mn, Fe, and C elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Noge, Nobuyasu Makino
  • Publication number: 20120048786
    Abstract: A classifying apparatus including a cylindrical casing, a powder material feeding port, a louver ring disposed in the casing to be in communication with the powder material feeding port in a horizontal direction, a center core, a separator core, a dispersion chamber defined by the center core and an inner wall of the casing at the powder material-fed side, a classification chamber defined by the center core, the separator core and a side inner wall of the casing, and a flow path encircling the louver ring, wherein in a horizontal cross section of part of the classifying apparatus where the part contains the powder material feeding port and the louver ring, the louver ring is located at a position where the louver ring does not intersect with an extended line of a wall surface of the powder material feeding port at the side of the louver ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Natsuko MATSUSHITA, Tetsuya TANAKA, Nobuyasu MAKINO
  • Patent number: 8096492
    Abstract: A pulverizing and coarse powder classifying apparatus including: a mechanical pulverizer that pulverizes a powder raw material, a cyclone that collects pulverized powder, and a coarse powder classifier that separates coarse powder from the collected powder, wherein the coarse powder classifier is a cyclone classifier including a dispersion chamber equipped with a center core and used for dispersing the powder, and a classification chamber equipped with a separator core, and wherein the center core has at its center a fine powder discharge pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Kouji Noge, Kenta Kawasumi
  • Publication number: 20110259982
    Abstract: The airflow classifier includes a dispersing chamber dispersing a powdery raw material with high pressure air; a classifying chamber located below the dispersing chamber and including a center core located on an upper portion thereof and a separator core having an opening at a center thereof and located on a lower portion of the classifying chamber to subject the raw material, which is fed from the dispersing chamber, to centrifugal classification to classify the raw material into coarse particles and fine particles; a fine particle feeding pipe connected with a lower portion of the opening of the separator core; a shield ring to cover an upper portion of the opening; and a louver pipe which is located above the shield ring and in which plural blades are arranged on an edge of the opening at predetermined intervals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuyasu MAKINO
  • Publication number: 20110073687
    Abstract: A method for producing powder including supplying a powder material to a fluidized bed container, jetting fluid from each of a plurality of fluid jetting nozzles provided in the fluidized bed container to collide against each other, thereby fluidizing and pulverizing the powder material in the fluidized bed container to form powder, classifying the powder using a centrifugal classification rotor provided at the upper part of the fluidized bed container and discharging the classified powder from an outlet by being guided by the centrifugal classification rotor, wherein the centrifugal classification rotor is rotated at a first rotating speed for a predetermined time from the beginning of the flow of the powder material in the fluidized bed container, and at a second rotating speed after the predetermined time has passed, and the centrifugal classification rotor is controlled so that the first rotating speed is higher than the second rotating speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventor: Nobuyasu MAKINO
  • Patent number: 7776503
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing particles, where a viscous material is sprayed with a high-pressure gas for atomization while the viscous material is being discharged in a chamber, and cooling air is introduced in the chamber for granulation. The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a toner, where a mixture containing at least a binding resin and a colorant is melt mixed under pressure or melt mixed with an injection of a supercritical fluid, the obtained melt-mixed substance is sprayed with a high-pressure gas for atomization while the melt-mixed substance is being discharged in a chamber, and cooling air is introduced in the chamber from an air inlet formed on the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Masakazu Nakada
  • Patent number: 7753296
    Abstract: A pulverization/classification apparatus including a cylindrical vessel having an inner wall, on a surface of which a layer including a release agent is located; a pulverizer configured to pulverize a material such as toner raw materials in the cylindrical vessel using a compressed air to prepare a particulate material; and a classifier configured to classify the particulate toner material to prepare a powder of the material. Alternatively, the inner wall of the cylindrical vessel has a circumferentially projected portion. A method for manufacturing a powder such as toners using the pulverization/classification apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Tetsuya Tanaka, Satoru Miyamoto, Shinji Hirata, Mutsumi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100170966
    Abstract: The airflow pulverization and classification device includes a pulverizer and a classifier. The pulverizer includes a pulverization chamber including a collision member; a jet nozzle directing jet flow toward the pulverization chamber; a feeder feeding a particulate material; a supply nozzle having an acceleration tube connected with the jet nozzle and the pulverization chamber, and a supply tube connected with the feeder and the acceleration tube to supply the particulate material the acceleration tube so that the particulate material is collided with the collision member; and a pressure gauge measuring a static pressure in the feeder and/or the supply tube, and/or a static pressure at the junction of the acceleration tube and the supply tube to control the supply conditions of the particulate material supplied to the acceleration tube on the basis of the measured static pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventor: Nobuyasu MAKINO
  • Publication number: 20100170973
    Abstract: A pulverizing and coarse powder classifying apparatus including: a mechanical pulverizer that pulverizes a powder raw material, a cyclone that collects pulverized powder, and a coarse powder classifier that separates coarse powder from the collected powder, wherein the coarse powder classifier is a cyclone classifier including a dispersion chamber equipped with a center core and used for dispersing the powder, and a classification chamber equipped with a separator core, and wherein the center core has at its center a fine powder discharge pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Kouji Noge, Kenta Kawasumi
  • Publication number: 20100072115
    Abstract: A classification device for classifying particles by size including an upper impeller-type rotor, a first end of which is covered with a cover disc without penetration hole and a second end of which is covered with an upper cover disc with a penetration hole; and a lower impeller-type rotor, a first end of which is covered with a cover disc without penetration hole and a second end of which is covered with a lower cover disc with a penetration hole. The upper impeller-type rotor and the lower impeller-type rotor are provided so that axes thereof are coincident and the first ends face with each other forming a gap therebetween in an axial direction, and the diameters of the penetration holes of the upper cover disc and the lower cover disc are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuyasu MAKINO, Masakazu YASHIRO, Kazuo KURATANI