Patents by Inventor Osamu Endou

Osamu Endou 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: 9201336
    Abstract: A developing device including: a toner bearing member configured to bear a toner on a surface of the toner bearing member and configured such that the surface thereof is rotated to supply the toner to and develop a latent electrostatic image on a surface of a latent electrostatic image bearing member in a developing region which faces the latent electrostatic image bearing member; and a regulating member configured to regulate an amount of the toner to be moved towards the developing region, wherein the surface of the toner bearing member has regularly arranged convex portions, and wherein a non-electrostatic adhesive force between the toner and the surface of the toner bearing member is less than 9.0 nN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Endou, Yasuyuki Ishii, Yoshiko Ogawa, Yuuji Ishikura, Hideyasu Seki, Toshio Koike, Akihiro Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9158228
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and a planar metal developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer carried by the developer bearer to the development range. The developer bearer includes a developer carrying range having surface unevenness, and the developer regulator includes a fixed end portion held by a regulator holder and a free end portion to contact a surface of the developer bearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiko Ogawa, Osamu Endou, Yasuyuki Ishii, Yuuji Ishikura, Hideyasu Seki, Tetsuro Hirota
  • Patent number: 8965254
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer and a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer transported to the development range by the developer bearer. The developer bearer includes a developer carrying range having surface unevenness; and a surface of the developer bearer is coated with a coating material including a resin material and particles to roughen the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiko Ogawa, Yasuyuki Ishii, Osamu Endou, Yuuji Ishikura
  • Patent number: 8929782
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer transported to the development range by the developer bearer. Multiple projections are formed in a surface of the developer bearer, and, in a direction in which the developer bearer rotates, a downstream end of each of the multiple projections is higher than an upstream end of the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Endou, Yasuyuki Ishii, Tetsuro Hirota, Yoshiko Ogawa, Atsushi Kurokawa, Yuuji Ishikura, Hideyasu Seki
  • Publication number: 20140014166
    Abstract: The present invention provides a solar cell module in which the frame is easily assembled, and in which cracking and chipping of protective members used on the front surface side and back surface side of a solar cell panel can be prevented. The present invention is a solar cell module including a solar cell panel (10) having a plurality of solar cells (11) sealed between a first protective member (12) and a second protective member (13), and a frame (20) mounted on the periphery of the solar cell panel (10). Machined surfaces (12c, 13c) that have been chamfered are provided on the edges of the first protective member (12) and the second protective member (13), respectively, and the machined surface (12c) formed on the first protective member (12) is larger than the machined surface (13c) provided on the second protective member (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Endou
  • Publication number: 20130216277
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer transported to the development range by the developer bearer. Multiple projections are formed in a surface of the developer bearer, and, in a direction in which the developer bearer rotates, a downstream end of each of the multiple projections is higher than an upstream end of the projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Osamu ENDOU, Yasuyuki ISHII, Tetsuro HIROTA, Yoshiko OGAWA, Atsushi KUROKAWA, Yuuji ISHIKURA, Hideyasu SEKI
  • Publication number: 20130216250
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer transported to the development range by the developer bearer. Multiple projections are formed in a surface of the developer bearer, and the developer bearer rotates in a reverse direction to a direction of rotation for image development while image development is not performed. The developer regulator includes a blade having a first end held by a regulator holder and a second end that contacts the multiple projections formed in the surface of the developer bearer and is disposed in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the developer bearer for image development.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Hideyasu SEKI, Yasuyuki Ishii, Yoshiko Ogawa, Osamu Endou, Yuuji Ishikura, Masayuki Yamane, Keiichi Yoshida, Atsushi Kurokawa, Masahiro Watanabe, Akihiro Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20130216276
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer and a developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer transported to the development range by the developer bearer. The developer bearer includes a developer carrying range having surface unevenness; and a surface of the developer bearer is coated with a coating material including a resin material and particles to roughen the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Yoshiko OGAWA, Yasuyuki Ishii, Osamu Endou, Yuuji Ishikura
  • Publication number: 20130209143
    Abstract: A developing device including: a toner bearing member configured to bear a toner on a surface of the toner bearing member and configured such that the surface thereof is rotated to supply the toner to and develop a latent electrostatic image on a surface of a latent electrostatic image bearing member in a developing region which faces the latent electrostatic image bearing member; and a regulating member configured to regulate an amount of the toner to be moved towards the developing region, wherein the surface of the toner bearing member has regularly arranged convex portions, and wherein a non-electrostatic adhesive force between the toner and the surface of the toner bearing member is less than 9.0 nN.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: Osamu ENDOU, Yasuyuki ISHII, Yoshiko OGAWA, Yuuji ISHIKURA, Hideyasu SEKI, Toshio KOIKE, Akihiro KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20130071148
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, a planar developer regulator disposed to contact a surface of the developer bearer to adjust an amount of developer carried to the development range, and a lateral end seal to contact an axial end portion of the developer bearer. The developer bearer includes an uneven surface range having projections and recesses and including an axial center of the developer bearer and smooth surface ranges positioned outside the uneven surface range in an axial direction of the developer bearer, and the lateral end seal is disposed astride the uneven surface range and the smooth surface range of the developer bearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Yuuji ISHIKURA, Yasuyuki ISHII, Osamu ENDOU, Yoshiko OGAWA, Katsuhiro AOKI, Masaaki YAMADA, Masayuki YAMANE, Atsushi KUROKAWA, Yuuki SATOH
  • Publication number: 20130071147
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and a planar metal developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer carried by the developer bearer to the development range. The developer bearer includes a developer carrying range having surface unevenness, and the developer regulator includes a fixed end portion held by a regulator holder and a free end portion to contact a surface of the developer bearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Yoshiko OGAWA, Osamu Endou, Yasuyuki Ishii, Yuuji Ishikura, Hideyasu Seki, Tetsuro Hirota
  • Patent number: 8376494
    Abstract: An image forming device, including a toner bearer including plural linear electrodes located at a first regular pitch in a crosswise direction thereof, flying a toner on the surface thereof between the plural linear electrodes with a pulse voltage thereto to form a floating toner layer; and a substrate including plural hole-electrode combinations arranged in a longitudinal direction of the linear electrodes, each formed of a through-hole and a hole-adjacent electrode located close to the through-hole, wherein the floating toner layer is formed in an area facing the through-hole, and a toner passes through only the through-holes facing a desired image from the floating toner layer with a record on or off voltage, and the plural hole-electrode combinations are lined at a second regular pitch in a crosswise direction of the toner bearer, and the second regular pitch is an integral multiple of the first regular pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Masanori Horike, Shin Kayahara, Osamu Endou, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8259141
    Abstract: An image creating apparatus includes a casing that stores therein an agent, an agent carrier rotatably supported by the casing, a hole defining member defining a plurality of holes therein and opposed to the agent carrier, a plurality of spray electrodes provided on the hole defining member respectively corresponding to the holes and forming an electric field for selectively causing the agent to be sprayed from the agent carrier towards the holes, and a positioning member provided on the casing to cover the agent carrier and positioning the hole defining member with respect to the agent carrier so that the agent carrier and the hole defining member are in a predetermined positional relationship. The angle of the positioning member is adjustable relative to the casing about a rotation shaft that is coaxial with the agent carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masanori Saitoh, Osamu Endou, Masanori Horike, Nobuaki Kondoh, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8259142
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a toner-bearing member that bears toner and makes the toner clouded thereon. A toner passage control device including plural widthwise lines of toner passage holes in a printing medium conveyance direction is provided. Each of the toner passage holes includes a control electrode that controls passage of the toner through each of the toner passage holes toward a printing medium. a control pulse proving device provides a control pulse to the control electrode to operate. The control pulse applied to the control electrode of the one of the plural lines is different from that applied to the control electrode of the other one of the plural lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hirota, Masanori Horike, Nobuaki Kondoh, Osamu Endou, Shin Kayahara, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8167410
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus, which is able to prevent the adherence of toner on the surface of toner controlling means and around a toner passage hole, and to stably carry out toner passage ON/OFF control when forming an image using the direct recording method. This image forming apparatus includes: a toner carrier; recording medium means; toner controlling means, disposed between the toner carrier and recording medium means, and having a plurality of toner passage holes; and cloud electrode means disposed between the toner carrier and toner controlling means, a toner cloud being formed by applying an AC bias between the toner carrier and cloud electrode means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Horike, Fuyuhiko Matsumoto, Masanori Saitoh, Nobuaki Kondoh, Shin Kayahara, Osamu Endou, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20110043589
    Abstract: An image forming device, including a toner bearer including plural linear electrodes located at a first regular pitch in a crosswise direction thereof, flying a toner on the surface thereof between the plural linear electrodes with a pulse voltage thereto to form a floating toner layer; and a substrate including plural hole-electrode combinations arranged in a longitudinal direction of the linear electrodes, each formed of a through-hole and a hole-adjacent electrode located close to the through-hole, wherein the floating toner layer is formed in an area facing the through-hole, and a toner passes through only the through-holes facing a desired image from the floating toner layer with a record on or off voltage, and the plural hole-electrode combinations are lined at a second regular pitch in a crosswise direction of the toner bearer, and the second regular pitch is an integral multiple of the first regular pitch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Tetsuro HIROTA, Masanori Horike, Shin Kayahara, Osamu Endou, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7844191
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, in which an image forming method is performed, includes an image carrier, an optical writing unit, a developing unit developing a toner image including an output image and a forcible toner consumption image, a transfer unit including an endless moving member to transfer the toner image onto the endless moving member directly or a recording medium carried on the endless moving member, a first remover to remove residual toner from the image carrier after transfer, a toner recycling unit to convey the residual toner to the developing unit, a controller to form the forcible toner consumption image and transfer the forcible toner consumption image onto the surface of the endless moving member, and a second remover to remove the forcible toner consumption image from the endless moving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Endou, Atsushi Tano
  • Patent number: 7835670
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a plurality of image forming units provided in parallel comprising a black image forming unit to form a black toner image and a plurality of color image forming units to form color toner images, an intermediate transfer device to primarily transfer color toner images formed by superimposing the toner images formed at each image forming unit, and a secondary transfer unit to transfer the color toner image to a transfer paper. The color image forming unit employs a non-magnetic-contact-type single-component development device to develop each color toner image with a single-component developer, and the black image forming unit is provided closest to the secondary transfer unit and employs a contact-type two-component development device to develop a black toner image with a two-component developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Osamu Endou
  • Publication number: 20100214364
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a toner-bearing member that bears toner and makes the toner clouded thereon. A toner passage control device including plural widthwise lines of toner passage holes in a printing medium conveyance direction is provided. Each of the toner passage holes includes a control electrode that controls passage of the toner through each of the toner passage holes toward a printing medium. a control pulse proving device provides a control pulse to the control electrode to operate. The control pulse applied to the control electrode of the one of the plural lines is different from that applied to the control electrode of the other one of the plural lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Tetsuro HIROTA, Masanori Horike, Nobuaki Kondoh, Osamu Endou, Shin Kayahara, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100183342
    Abstract: An image creating apparatus includes a casing that stores therein an agent, an agent carrier rotatably supported by the casing, a hole defining member defining a plurality of holes therein and opposed to the agent carrier, a plurality of spray electrodes provided on the hole defining member respectively corresponding to the holes and forming an electric field for selectively causing the agent to be sprayed from the agent carrier towards the holes, and a positioning member provided on the casing to cover the agent carrier and positioning the hole defining member with respect to the agent carrier so that the agent carrier and the hole defining member are in a predetermined positional relationship. The angle of the positioning member is adjustable relative to the casing about a rotation shaft that is coaxial with the agent carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Masanori SAITOH, Osamu ENDOU, Masanori HORIKE, Nobuaki KONDOH, Tomoko TAKAHASHI