Patents by Inventor Ryuuichi Minbu

Ryuuichi Minbu 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: 8478183
    Abstract: A transferring unit transfers a toner image from an image carrier to a recording medium. A fixing unit fixes the toner image transferred onto the recording medium. A conveying unit conveys the recording medium from the transferring unit to the fixing unit along a conveyance surface. A guiding member receives the recording medium from the conveying unit and guides the recording medium to a fixing nip of the fixing unit along a guiding surface. An angle changing unit changes an angle between the conveyance surface and the guiding surface according to the type of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ryuuichi Minbu
  • Patent number: 8391734
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer body, and a registration roller. A linear speed difference between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer body is variably set based on a basis weight of a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryuuichi Minbu
  • Patent number: 8270886
    Abstract: In a transfer nip roller operative to transfer an image from an image carrier to a recording medium, a ratio (We3/Wt3)/(We30/Wt30) is 0.47 or more, where We3 is an elastic workload and Wt3 is a total workload measured by applying a load on a covering portion under a load push-in condition of 3 mN/10 seconds, and We30 is an elastic workload and Wt30 is a total workload measured by applying a load on the covering portion under a load push-in condition of 30 mN/10 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ryuuichi Minbu, Hiromi Ogiyama, Junroh Uda
  • Publication number: 20120003017
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer body, and a registration roller. A linear speed difference between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer body is variably set based on a basis weight of a recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventor: Ryuuichi MINBU
  • Patent number: 8036550
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer body, and a registration roller. A linear speed difference between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer body is variably set based on a basis weight of a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryuuichi Minbu
  • Publication number: 20100061741
    Abstract: A transferring unit transfers a toner image from an image carrier to a recording medium. A fixing unit fixes the toner image transferred onto the recording medium. A conveying unit conveys the recording medium from the transferring unit to the fixing unit along a conveyance surface. A guiding member receives the recording medium from the conveying unit and guides the recording medium to a fixing nip of the fixing unit along a guiding surface. An angle changing unit changes an angle between the conveyance surface and the guiding surface according to the type of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventor: Ryuuichi Minbu
  • Publication number: 20090142083
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer body, and a registration roller. A linear speed difference between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer body is variably set based on a basis weight of a recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: Ryuuichi MINBU
  • Patent number: 7502583
    Abstract: A transfer device includes an endless belt, an external roller, and an internal roller. The external roller is arranged outside of the loop of the endless belt and the inner roller is arranged inside of the loop of the endless belt. The endless belt is sandwiched between the external roller and the internal roller. A surface hardness of the external roller and a surface hardness of the internal roller are 50 degrees or more in an asker C scale. A logarithm (LogR) of volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer member is 10.0 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yuuji Sawai, Ryuuichi Minbu, Kazuchika Saeki, Atsushi Tano
  • Publication number: 20080232867
    Abstract: In a transfer nip roller operative to transfer an image from an image carrier to a recording medium, a ratio (We3/Wt3)/(We30/Wt30) is 0.47 or more, where We3 is an elastic workload and Wt3 is a total workload measured by applying a load on a covering portion under a load push-in condition of 3 mN/10 seconds, and We30 is an elastic workload and Wt30 is a total workload measured by applying a load on the covering portion under a load push-in condition of 30 mN/10 seconds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Ryuuichi Minbu, Hiromi Ogiyama, Junroh Uda
  • Publication number: 20060056884
    Abstract: A transfer device includes an endless belt, an external roller, and an internal roller. The external roller is arranged outside of the loop of the endless belt and the inner roller is arranged inside of the loop of the endless belt. The endless belt is sandwiched between the external roller and the internal roller. A surface hardness of the external roller and a surface hardness of the internal roller are 50 degrees or more in an asker C scale. A logarithm (LogR) of volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer member is 10.0 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Yuuji Sawai, Ryuuichi Minbu, Kazuchika Saeki, Atsushi Tano
  • Patent number: 6901234
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an intermediate image transfer belt passed over a plurality of support members and movable while carrying a toner image of preselected polarity transferred thereto. An electrode member contacts the inside surface of the belt and is applied with a preselected voltage for transferring the toner image from the belt to a recording medium. A contact member with high electric resistance contacts the belt at a position adjacent the electrode member and includes an insulating layer thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Ogiyama, Katsuya Kawagoe, Shin Kayahara, Ryuuichi Minbu, Yuuji Sawai, Mitsuru Takahashi, Satoru Uchida, Hideki Kamiyama
  • Publication number: 20030219287
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an intermediate image transfer belt passed over a plurality of support members and movable while carrying a toner image of preselected polarity transferred thereto. An electrode member contacts the inside surface of the belt and is applied with a preselected voltage for transferring the toner image from the belt to a recording medium. A contact member with high electric resistance contacts the belt at a position adjacent the electrode member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Hiromi Ogiyama, Katsuya Kawagoe, Shin Kayahara, Ryuuichi Minbu, Yuuji Sawai, Mitsuru Takahashi, Satoru Uchida, Hideki Kamiyama