Patents by Inventor Norio Kudo
Norio Kudo 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).
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Publication number: 20140016960Abstract: A development device includes a developer containing part containing two-component developer, a cylindrical developer carrier to carry by rotation the developer to a development range, a first developer transport member disposed in the developer containing part, to supply the developer to the developer carrier while transporting the developer in an axial direction of the developer carrier, and a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer carrier, having three developer-carrying magnetic poles, consisting of a development pole to generate a first magnetic field in the development range, a pre-development pole to generate a second magnetic field to transport the developer supplied from the developer containing part to the development range, and a post-development pole to generate a third magnetic field disposed between the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field, to transport the developer to a release position where the developer is separated from the developer carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Inventors: Yasuo MIYOSHI, Norio KUDO, Yoshihiro FUJIWARA, Tsukuru KAI, Hiroshi HOSOKAWA, Hiroaki OKAMOTO
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Publication number: 20140010572Abstract: An image carrier surface treatment device is disposed opposite an image carrier rotatable in a first rotation direction and carrying a toner image. The image carrier surface treatment device includes a roller rotatable in a second rotation direction while contacting an outer circumferential surface of the image carrier. The roller includes a shaft projecting from each lateral end of the roller in an axial direction thereof. A rolling-element bearing is fitted on the shaft of the roller to support and position the roller inside the image carrier surface treatment device.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2013Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Shinya KARASAWA, Takeshi SHINTANI, Kenji HONJOH, Hiroyuki UENISHI, Daisuke TOMITA, Norio KUDO, Kohsuke YAMAMOTO
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Patent number: 8571449Abstract: A development device includes a developer containing part containing two-component developer, a cylindrical developer carrier to carry by rotation the developer to a development range, a first developer transport member disposed in the developer containing part, to supply the developer to the developer carrier while transporting the developer in an axial direction of the developer carrier, and a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer carrier, having three developer-carrying magnetic poles, consisting of a development pole to generate a first magnetic field in the development range, a pre-development pole to generate a second magnetic field to transport the developer supplied from the developer containing part to the development range, and a post-development pole to generate a third magnetic field disposed between the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field, to transport the developer to a release position where the developer is separated from the developer carrier.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2010Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yasuo Miyoshi, Norio Kudo, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Tsukuru Kai, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20130251380Abstract: In an embodiment, provided is a lubricant supplying device that includes: a solid lubricant; a supplying member that supplies lubricant of the solid lubricant to a lubricant supplying target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the solid lubricant being at a given amount or less. The remaining amount detecting unit is provided on a downstream side in a rubbing direction of the supplying member with respect to the solid lubricant.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Inventors: Akira FUJIMORI, Satoshi Hatori, Naohiro Kumagai, Kaoru Yoshino, Hideyasu Seki, Ryohta Gotoh, Takeshi Shintani, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Norio Kudo, Kenji Honjoh, Yuta Azeyanagi
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Publication number: 20130251382Abstract: A lubricant supplying device used with a solid lubricant, includes a supplying member to supply lubricant taken from the solid lubricant to an object to be supplied with the lubricant, and a remaining amount detecting section to detect a remaining amount of the solid lubricant becoming below a predetermined value. A detection of the remaining amount of the solid lubricant is executed when an operation to supply the lubricant to the object to be supplied with the lubricant stops.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Inventors: Kenji HONJOH, Takeshi SHINTANI, Kohsuke YAMAMOTO, Daisuke TOMITA, Norio KUDO
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Patent number: 8433224Abstract: A development device includes a developer carrier, a supply compartment having a downstream end portion positioned outside the development area in the axial direction of the developer carrier, a collection compartment disposed lower than the supply compartment, first and second communication ports respectively formed in the downstream end portion and an upstream end portion of the supply compartment, a developer circulation unit including first and second developer conveyance members respectively provided in the supply compartment and the collection compartment, a toner supply port formed in an upper portion of the downstream end portion of the supply compartment, and an airflow path limiter provided in the downstream end portion of the supply compartment, closer to the development area than the toner supply port in the axial direction of the developer carrier, to restrict an airflow path above the developer in the downstream end portion of the supply compartment.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2010Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Yasuo Miyoshi, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Norio Kudo, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20120328332Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charger, an irradiator, a developing device, a transfer device, a neutralizer, and a varying device is provided. The neutralizer is adapted to neutralize the image bearing member by emitting neutralization light thereto, after a toner image formed on the image bearing member is transferred therefrom. The varying device is adapted to vary an amount of the neutralization light to be emitted to the image bearing member by pulse-width modulation of a voltage to be supplied to the neutralizer. The image forming apparatus satisfies the following formula: f/V>5 wherein f (Hz) represents a frequency of the pulse-width modulation and V (mm/s) represents a linear speed of the image bearing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2012Publication date: December 27, 2012Inventors: Akio KOSUGE, Shinichi Kawahara, Nobuo Kuwabara, Takeshi Shintani, Norio Kudo, Daisuke Tomita
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Publication number: 20120321330Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant supplying roller configured to rotate in a certain direction and makes a sliding contact with an image carrier on which a toner image is carried; a solid lubricant arranged to slide in contact with the lubricant supplying roller; a changing unit configured to change a revolution of the lubricant supplying roller to adjust an amount of the solid lubricant supplied onto the image carrier; and a calculation unit configured to obtain a product life or total consumption of the solid lubricant from a total running distance or total operating time of the image carrier or the lubricant supplying roller, the product life or the total consumption of the solid lubricant being corrected based on the amount of the solid lubricant supplied onto the image carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2012Publication date: December 20, 2012Inventors: Norio KUDO, Shinichi Kawahara, Nobuo Kuwabara, Takeshi Shintani, Akio Kosuge, Daisuke Tomita, Makoto Yasuda
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Publication number: 20120315053Abstract: A lubricant supply device including a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, a detector, and a varying device is provided. The lubricant supply roller is adapted to supply the lubricant to a toner image bearing member and is rotatable in a predetermined direction while slidably contacting both the solid lubricant and the toner image bearing member. The detector is adapted to detect an absolute humidity around the lubricant supply device. The varying device is adapted to vary an amount of the lubricant to be supplied to the toner image bearing member based on the absolute humidity detected by the detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2012Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Norio Kudo, Shinichi Kawahara, Nobuo Kuwabara, Takeshi Shintani, Akio Kosuge, Daisuke Tomita
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Patent number: 8326184Abstract: A development device includes a developer container internally divided by a partition into a supply path and a recovery path, a developer bearing member, a supply conveyance member to apply force to convey developer to a developer retaining space through the supply path, the developer retaining space retaining the developer to be conveyed by the developer bearing member, a recovery conveyance member, a communication pathway provided between the supply path and the developer retaining space, the communication pathway passing the developer from the supply path to the developer retaining space, and a developer softening member to soften the developer that is present above the partition, provided at least one of at a position in the communication pathway and at a position close to the communication pathway.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2010Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Norio Kudo, Yasuo Miyoshi, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Patent number: 8326180Abstract: A development device to develop a latent image with two-component developer includes a developer carrier disposed facing the image carrier, to carry the developer, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer carrier, to form multiple magnetic poles around the developer carrier, an interior wall dividing the interior of the development device into a first transport chamber and a second transport chamber parallel to the first transport chamber, a first transport member disposed in the first transport chamber, facing the developer carrier, to supply the developer to the developer carrier while transporting the developer longitudinally, a second transport member disposed in the second transport chamber, facing the developer carrier, to transport the developer separated from the developer carrier longitudinally, a partition disposed between the developer carrier and the second transport member to prevent resupply of the used developer in the second transport chamber from to the developer carrier.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2010Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Yasuo Miyoshi, Takuya Seshita, Norio Kudo
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Patent number: 8238801Abstract: A developing device, process cartridge method, and image forming apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier, the developing device including a first carrying member that supplies a developer to a developer carrier at the position of a developer attracting fourth magnetic pole while longitudinally carrying the developer, and a second carrying member that carries the developer released from the developer carrier at the position of a developer releasing third magnetic pole. The developer carrier has two magnetic poles (second and fourth magnetic poles) of the same polarity sandwiching the developer releasing third magnetic pole. Moreover, the developer releasing third magnetic pole is formed by the two magnetic poles (second and fourth magnetic poles) so that the polarity of the developer releasing third magnetic pole differs from the polarity of the two magnetic poles (second and fourth magnetic poles).Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2009Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yasuo Miyoshi, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Takuya Seshita, Norio Kudo
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Developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus, method of developing latent image
Patent number: 8135314Abstract: A developing device includes a first screw that supplies a developer to a developing roller while agitating/conveying the developer in a first direction, and a screw that collects residual developer from the developing roller, agitates/conveys the residual developer in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and delivers the residual developer to the first screw. Between two points that a magnetic flux density in a normal direction of a magnetic field formed in a developer separating magnetic pole in the developing roller become substantially zero, a point at a downstream side in a rotating direction of the developing roller is formed at an upstream side to a developing roller rotating direction, than a line joining the center of the developing roller and the center of the second screw.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2008Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yasuo Miyoshi, Hisashi Kikuchi, Norio Kudo, Nobuo Iwata, Tsukuru Kai -
Publication number: 20120051793Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation two-component developer to a development range to develop a latent image formed on a latent image bearer, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer, a developer regulator for adjusting an amount of the developer on the developer bearer, positioned upstream from the development range in a rotational direction of the developer bearer and facing the developer bearer across a regulation gap, a supply compartment from which the developer is supplied by a developer agitator to the developer bearer, a collection compartment, a pre-regulation portion adjacent to and upstream from the developer regulator in the rotational direction of the developer bearer, and a developer mobility adjuster that makes mobility of the developer in the pre-regulation portion higher on an upstream side in a developer conveyance direction in the supply compartment.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2011Publication date: March 1, 2012Inventors: Norio Kudo, Yasuo Miyoshi, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Patent number: 7995954Abstract: A developing device including a developer container casing, a developer bearing member to supply toner to a latent image, a supply path to convey developer in an axial direction of the developer bearing member, a supply conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the supply path to convey the developer, a recovery path to return the developer reaching a downstream end of the supply path to an upstream end of the supply path relative to a direction of conveyance of the developer, and a recovery conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the recovery path to convey the developer. A bottom surface of the supply path is tilted such that the bottom surface at the downstream end of the supply path relative to the direction of conveyance of the developer is lower than the bottom surface at the upstream end of the supply path.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2009Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company LimitedInventors: Norio Kudo, Yasuo Miyoshi, Hisashi Kikuchi, Nobuo Iwata, Tsukuru Kai
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Publication number: 20110150525Abstract: A development device includes a developer carrier, a supply compartment having a downstream end portion positioned outside the development area in the axial direction of the developer carrier, a collection compartment disposed lower than the supply compartment, first and second communication ports respectively formed in the downstream end portion and an upstream end portion of the supply compartment, a developer circulation unit including first and second developer conveyance members respectively provided in the supply compartment and the collection compartment, a toner supply port formed in an upper portion of the downstream end portion of the supply compartment, and an airflow path limiter provided in the downstream end portion of the supply compartment, closer to the development area than the toner supply port in the axial direction of the developer carrier, to restrict an airflow path above the developer in the downstream end portion of the supply compartment.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2010Publication date: June 23, 2011Inventors: Yoshihiro FUJIWARA, Yasuo Miyoshi, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Norio Kudo, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20110008073Abstract: A development device includes a developer container internally divided by a partition into a supply path and a recovery path, a developer bearing member, a supply conveyance member to apply force to convey developer to a developer retaining space through the supply path, the developer retaining space retaining the developer to be conveyed by the developer bearing member, a recovery conveyance member, a communication pathway provided between the supply path and the developer retaining space, the communication pathway passing the developer from the supply path to the developer retaining space, and a developer softening member to soften the developer that is present above the partition, provided at least one of at a position in the communication pathway and at a position close to the communication pathway.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2010Publication date: January 13, 2011Inventors: Norio KUDO, Yasuo Miyoshi, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20100215401Abstract: A development device to develop a latent image with two-component developer includes a developer carrier disposed facing the image carrier, to carry the developer, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer carrier, to form multiple magnetic poles around the developer carrier, an interior wall dividing the interior of the development device into a first transport chamber and a second transport chamber parallel to the first transport chamber, a first transport member disposed in the first transport chamber, facing the developer carrier, to supply the developer to the developer carrier while transporting the developer longitudinally, a second transport member disposed in the second transport chamber, facing the developer carrier, to transport the developer separated from the developer carrier longitudinally, a partition disposed between the developer carrier and the second transport member to prevent resupply of the used developer in the second transport chamber from to the developer carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2010Publication date: August 26, 2010Inventors: Yoshihiro FUJIWARA, Yasuo Miyoshi, Takuya Seshita, Norio Kudo
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Publication number: 20100202805Abstract: A development device includes a developer containing part containing two-component developer, a cylindrical developer carrier to carry by rotation the developer to a development range, a first developer transport member disposed in the developer containing part, to supply the developer to the developer carrier while transporting the developer in an axial direction of the developer carrier, and a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer carrier, having three developer-carrying magnetic poles, consisting of a development pole to generate a first magnetic field in the development range, a pre-development pole to generate a second magnetic field to transport the developer supplied from the developer containing part to the development range, and a post-development pole to generate a third magnetic field disposed between the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field, to transport the developer to a release position where the developer is separated from the developer carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2010Publication date: August 12, 2010Inventors: Yasuo MIYOSHI, Norio Kudo, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Tsukuru Kai, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Hiroaki Okamoto
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Publication number: 20090238610Abstract: A first carrying member supplies a developer to a developer carrier at the position of a developer attracting magnetic pole H4 while longitudinally carrying the developer, and a second carrying member carries the developer released from the developer carrier at the position of a developer releasing magnetic pole H3. The developer carrier 13a has two magnetic poles H2 and H4 of the same polarity sandwiching the developer releasing magnetic pole H3. Moreover, the developer releasing magnetic pole H3 is formed by the two magnetic poles H2 and H4 so that the polarity of the developer releasing magnetic pole H3 differs from the polarity of the two magnetic poles H2 and H4.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2009Publication date: September 24, 2009Inventors: Yasuo MIYOSHI, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Takuya Seshita, Norio Kudo