Patents by Inventor Osamu Kiuchi

Osamu Kiuchi 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: 6684050
    Abstract: An image fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a sheet-like-shaped member, a sheet supporter, and a stopper. The fixing roller includes a heater and is rotated to forward a recording sheet having a toner image. The sheet-like-shaped member contacts the fixing roller to form a nip area with the fixing roller. The sheet supporter supports the sheet-like-shaped member at an upstream side of a bottom surface of the sheet-like-shaped member in a sheet transfer direction. The stopper stops a free side of the sheet-like-shaped member so that the free side of the sheet-like-shaped member is not lowered below a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 6658222
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a transfer mechanism, a fixing mechanism, a sheet ejection mechanism, and a driving source. The transfer mechanism including a transfer roller that transfers a toner image carried on a photosensitive member onto a recording sheet. The fixing mechanism fixes the toner image onto the recording sheet with heat and pressure. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing roller and a pressure plate, and applies heat and pressure to the toner image on the recording sheet when the recording sheet is caused to pass through a fixing nip portion. The sheet ejection mechanism ejects the recording sheet and includes sheet ejection rollers. The driving source drives the photosensitive member, the transfer roller, the fixing roller, and the sheet ejection rollers to transfer the recording sheet at a linear speed in a substantially constant manner from the photosensitive member through to the sheet ejection mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, LTD
    Inventors: Masahiko Kamijo, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Kohta Takenaka, Osamu Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 6542712
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a base, and a sheet-shaped pressing member. The fixing roller includes an inner heater. The base includes a mounting portion upstream from the fixing roller in a sheet transportation direction. The sheet-shaped pressing member includes a fixing side which is fixed to the mounting portion of the base and a free side downstream from the fixing side in the sheet transportation direction. The free side contacts the fixing roller with its upper surface under pressure to form a nip area. In the fixing apparatus, a recording sheet having a toner image passes through the nip area formed so as to receive heat and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Kamijo, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Kota Takenaka, Osamu Kiuchi
  • Publication number: 20030016974
    Abstract: An image fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a sheet-like-shaped member, a sheet supporter, and a stopper. The fixing roller includes a heater and is rotated to forward a recording sheet having a toner image. The sheet-like-shaped member contacts the fixing roller to form a nip area with the fixing roller. The sheet supporter supports the sheet-like-shaped member at an upstream side of a bottom surface of the sheet-like-shaped member in a sheet transfer direction. The stopper stops a free side of the sheet-like-shaped member so that the free side of the sheet-like-shaped member is not lowered below a predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 6463251
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a housing, a heat roller configured to be rotatably supported by bearings and a pressure roller configured to be located downward relative to the heat roller. The heat roller includes a heater having lead wires extending from each end of the heater, heater terminals provided at each end of the lead wires wherein the heater terminals have a connecting portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the heater and an attachment portion extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heater and fixedly attached to the housing at a fixing position. A flexible space formed on at least one of the fixing positions of the heater with the housing allows the heater terminal to bend along the longitudinal direction of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 6415113
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat roller rotatably supported by a bearing, a pressure roller, a heater for heating the heat roller, a thermal fuse connected to a power circuit to supply electricity to the heater and disposed adjacent to an outer circumference of the heat roller while keeping an insulation distance between the heat roller and the thermal fuse based on a safety standard, and a thermostable stopper which keeps the insulation distance between the heat roller and the fuse to a specific distance based on safety standards even if the bearing melts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi
  • Publication number: 20020081121
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a transfer mechanism, a fixing mechanism, a sheet ejection mechanism, and a driving source. The transfer mechanism including a transfer roller that transfers a toner image carried on a photosensitive member onto a recording sheet. The fixing mechanism fixes the toner image onto the recording sheet with heat and pressure. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing roller and a pressure plate, and applies heat and pressure to the toner image on the recording sheet when the recording sheet is caused to pass through a fixing nip portion. The sheet ejection mechanism ejects the recording sheet and includes sheet ejection rollers. The driving source drives the photosensitive member, the transfer roller, the fixing roller, and the sheet ejection rollers to transfer the recording sheet at a linear speed in a substantially constant manner from the photosensitive member through to the sheet ejection mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Masahiko Kamijo, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Kohta Takenaka, Osamu Kiuchi
  • Publication number: 20020061211
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a base, and a sheet-shaped pressing member. The fixing roller includes an inner heater. The base includes a mounting portion upstream from the fixing roller in a sheet transportation direction. The sheet-shaped pressing member includes a fixing side which is fixed to the mounting portion of the base and a free side downstream from the fixing side in the sheet transportation direction. The free side contacts the fixing roller with its upper surface under pressure to form a nip area. In the fixing apparatus, a recording sheet having a toner image passes through the nip area formed so as to receive heat and pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Inventors: Masahiko Kamijo, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Kota Takenaka, Osamu Kiuchi
  • Publication number: 20020001481
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a bearing including a C-shaped part; and a projection projected upwardly from a central part of an outer circumferential surface of the C-shaped part, in which the bearing is made of a synthetic resin having elasticity and conductivity, and a distance between both ends of the C-shaped part is elastically expanded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi
  • Publication number: 20020001480
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a bearing including a C-shaped part; and a projection projected upwardly from a central part of an outer circumferential surface of the C-shaped part, in which the bearing is made of a synthetic resin having elasticity and conductivity, and a distance between both ends of the C-shaped part is elastically expanded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 6269230
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a bearing including a C-shaped part; and a projection projected upwardly from a central part of an outer circumferential surface of the C-shaped part, in which the bearing is made of a synthetic resin having elasticity and conductivity, and a distance between both ends of the C-shaped part is elastically expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Kiuchi