Patents by Inventor Rie OHTSUKA

Rie OHTSUKA 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: 11917785
    Abstract: A circuit-board holder includes a first restraint, a second restraint, and a third restraint. The first restraint restricts a circuit board from moving in a direction orthogonal to an insertion direction of the circuit board. The circuit board is inserted to the circuit-board holder in a direction parallel to a surface of the circuit board. The second restraint restricts the circuit board from moving in a normal-line direction to the surface of the circuit board. The third restraint restricts the circuit board from moving in the insertion direction of the circuit board when the circuit board has been inserted to a prescribed position. One end of the third restraint in the insertion direction of the circuit board is fixed. Another end of the third restraint in the insertion direction of the circuit board is elastically deformable and displaceable in a normal-line direction to the surface of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rie Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20220124932
    Abstract: A circuit-board holder includes a first restraint, a second restraint, and a third restraint. The first restraint restricts a circuit board from moving in a direction orthogonal to an insertion direction of the circuit board. The circuit board is inserted to the circuit-board holder in a direction parallel to a surface of the circuit board. The second restraint restricts the circuit board from moving in a normal-line direction to the surface of the circuit board. The third restraint restricts the circuit board from moving in the insertion direction of the circuit board when the circuit board has been inserted to a prescribed position. One end of the third restraint in the insertion direction of the circuit board is fixed. Another end of the third restraint in the insertion direction of the circuit board is elastically deformable and displaceable in a normal-line direction to the surface of the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rie OHTSUKA
  • Patent number: 11279573
    Abstract: A sheet holder includes a regulator, a rotary body, a detection target, a rotational position detector, and a biasing body. The regulator moves in directions to approach and separate from an end portion of a sheet. The rotary body has a contact portion and rotates according to movement of the regulator. The detection target is attached to the rotary body, has a contact target portion, and rotates together with the rotary body by contacting of the contact portion of the rotary body with the contact target portion of the detection target in a rotational direction of the rotary body. The rotational position detector detects a rotational position of the detection target. The biasing body applies a biasing force between the rotary body and the detection target to maintain a contact state of the contact portion of the rotary body and the contact target portion of the detection target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Rie Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 11242213
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeder, a contact member, a movement restricting member, a moving mechanism, and control circuitry. The feeder is configured to feed a sheet. A leading end of the sheet in a feeding direction is to contact the contact member. The movement restricting member is configured to lock the contact member to restrict movement of the contact member from a contact position where the contact member contacts the sheet. The moving mechanism is configured to move the movement restricting member between a locking position and a lock releasing position. The contact member is configured to take the contact position by gravity or a biasing force of a biasing part. The control circuitry is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the movement restricting member to the lock releasing position and then to the locking position when a feeding operation of the sheet is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Daikai Zaitsu, Rie Ohtsuka, Junichi Sugita, Mamoru Kambayashi
  • Publication number: 20200165086
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeder, a contact member, a movement restricting member, a moving mechanism, and control circuitry. The feeder is configured to feed a sheet. A leading end of the sheet in a feeding direction is to contact the contact member. The movement restricting member is configured to lock the contact member to restrict movement of the contact member from a contact position where the contact member contacts the sheet. The moving mechanism is configured to move the movement restricting member between a locking position and a lock releasing position. The contact member is configured to take the contact position by gravity or a biasing force of a biasing part. The control circuitry is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the movement restricting member to the lock releasing position and then to the locking position when a feeding operation of the sheet is finished.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daikai ZAITSU, Rie OHTSUKA, Junichi SUGITA, Mamoru KAMBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200017321
    Abstract: A sheet holder includes a regulator, a rotary body, a detection target, a rotational position detector, and a biasing body. The regulator moves in directions to approach and separate from an end portion of a sheet. The rotary body has a contact portion and rotates according to movement of the regulator. The detection target is attached to the rotary body, has a contact target portion, and rotates together with the rotary body by contacting of the contact portion of the rotary body with the contact target portion of the detection target in a rotational direction of the rotary body. The rotational position detector detects a rotational position of the detection target. The biasing body applies a biasing force between the rotary body and the detection target to maintain a contact state of the contact portion of the rotary body and the contact target portion of the detection target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rie Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 10144599
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet container to accommodate a recording medium, a sheet feeding body to press a surface of the recording medium in the sheet container and feed the recording medium in a sheet conveying direction, a pair of sheet position regulators to regulate a position of the recording medium in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and a load applier to contact the surface of the recording medium and apply a load to the recording medium at the surface. The recording medium is brought to move toward one of the pair of sheet position regulators while the recording medium is being fed. A lower face position in a standby state of the sheet feeding body is lower than a lower face position in a standby state of the load applier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu Wakabayashi, Kaoru Shoji, Masashi Sato, Shohei Shinkawa, Tetsutaro Oishi, Rie Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20170185025
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet container to accommodate a recording medium, a sheet feeding body to press a surface of the recording medium in the sheet container and feed the recording medium in a sheet conveying direction, a pair of sheet position regulators to regulate a position of the recording medium in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and a load applier to contact the surface of the recording medium and apply a load to the recording medium at the surface. The recording medium is brought to move toward one of the pair of sheet position regulators while the recording medium is being fed. A lower face position in a standby state of the sheet feeding body is lower than a lower face position in a standby state of the load applier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: YU WAKABAYASHI, Kaoru Shoji, Masashi Sato, Shohei Shinkawa, Tetsutaro Oishi, Rie Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 8941849
    Abstract: A sheet positioning device includes a sheet setting plate, first and second regulating members disposed facing each other to move in an orthogonal direction to a sheet conveyance direction to regulate positions of two facing ends of the sheet on the plate by contacting these ends, a driving mechanism to move the first regulating member in the orthogonal direction, first and second contact detectors mounted on the first and second regulating members to detect contact of the two facing ends, and a controller to stop the driving mechanism based on detection results obtained by the first and second contact detectors. The first and second regulating members are used to adjust a position of the sheet to a predetermined position. Respective contact surfaces of the first and second contact detectors with the sheet extend over an entire maximum loadable range in a sheet setting direction on the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Ohtsuka, Satoshi Araaki, Jumpei Aoyama, Yosuke Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8894063
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a sheet positioning device can be provided to perform a sheet positioning includes an image forming device and a sheet positioning device that includes a sheet setting plate, a pair of side fence units disposed facing each other along opposite sides of the sheet setting plate to move in a lateral direction of the sheet, a moving mechanism to move the pair of side fence units, a contact member to contact and press the sheet, a position detector to detect the position of the contact member, and a controller moving the pair of side fence units when the sheet is placed on the sheet setting plate, halting movement of the pair of side fence units after the contact member has contacted and pressed the sheet, and moving the pair of side fence units again based on detection results obtained by the position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Araaki, Jumpei Aoyama, Yosuke Eguchi, Rie Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 8783440
    Abstract: In a sheet member position correcting device and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a controller moves a driving roller toward one end side of the width direction by using a moving unit until a driven roller the position of which is deviated in the width direction with respect to the driving roller abuts on a stopper portion, and, subsequently, the controller further moves the driving roller to a predetermined position toward one end side of the width direction by using the moving unit in a state where the driven roller abuts on the stopper portion to correct the position of the driven roller in the width direction with respect to the driving roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Rie Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20130270765
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a sheet positioning device can be provided to perform a sheet positioning includes an image forming device and a sheet positioning device that includes a sheet setting plate, a pair of side fence units disposed facing each other along opposite sides of the sheet setting plate to move in a lateral direction of the sheet, a moving mechanism to move the pair of side fence units, a contact member to contact and press the sheet, a position detector to detect the position of the contact member, and a controller moving the pair of side fence units when the sheet is placed on the sheet setting plate, halting movement of the pair of side fence units after the contact member has contacted and pressed the sheet, and moving the pair of side fence units again based on detection results obtained by the position detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi ARAAKI, Jumpei AOYAMA, Yosuke EGUCHI, Rie OHTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20130250328
    Abstract: A sheet positioning device includes a sheet setting plate, first and second regulating members disposed facing each other to move in an orthogonal direction to a sheet conveyance direction to regulate positions of two facing ends of the sheet on the plate by contacting these ends, a driving mechanism to move the first regulating member in the orthogonal direction, first and second contact detectors mounted on the first and second regulating members to detect contact of the two facing ends, and a controller to stop the driving mechanism based on detection results obtained by the first and second contact detectors. The first and second regulating members are used to adjust a position of the sheet to a predetermined position. Respective contact surfaces of the first and second contact detectors with the sheet extend over an entire maximum loadable range In a sheet setting direction on the plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie OHTSUKA, Satoshi ARAAKI, Jumpei AOYAMA, Yosuke EGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130168210
    Abstract: In a sheet member position correcting device and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a controller moves a driving roller toward one end side of the width direction by using a moving unit until a driven roller the position of which is deviated in the width direction with respect to the driving roller abuts on a stopper portion, and, subsequently, the controller further moves the driving roller to a predetermined position toward one end side of the width direction by using the moving unit in a state where the driven roller abuts on the stopper portion to correct the position of the driven roller in the width direction with respect to the driving roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Tomoyoshi YAMAZAKI, Rie OHTSUKA