Patents by Inventor Shigefumi Soga

Shigefumi Soga 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: 11530103
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a roller pair being mutually non-separable; and a roller pair being mutually separable. The sheet feeding device temporarily stops a sheet in a registration position of the non-separable roller pair and then resumes feeding the sheet. The sheet feeding device feeds sheets such that a following sheet reaches the registration position from the separable roller pair after completion of ejection of a preceding sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryohei Morisaki, Shigefumi Soga, Chisa Kato
  • Publication number: 20210087007
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a roller pair being mutually non-separable; and a roller pair being mutually separable. The sheet feeding device temporarily stops a sheet in a registration position of the non-separable roller pair and then resumes feeding the sheet. The sheet feeding device feeds sheets such that a following sheet reaches the registration position from the separable roller pair after completion of ejection of a preceding sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryohei Morisaki, Shigefumi Soga, Chisa Kato
  • Patent number: 8770570
    Abstract: A sheet processing device provided with a stacking unit configured to stack thereon one or more conveyed sheets, a staple unit configured to staple a bundle of sheets stacked on the stacking unit, a moving unit configured to move the staple unit to a staple position, and a projecting and retrieving unit configured to project and retrieve the stacking unit in a space overlapped with a motion space for the staple unit to move therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Shigefumi Soga
  • Patent number: 8511678
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a fixed tray and a movable tray. The fixed tray is fixed at its downstream portion in a sheet transport direction and includes a sheet loading surface. A downstream portion of the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray is positioned at a higher level than an upstream portion thereof. The movable tray is pivotally supported, at its upstream portion, by a pivot support provided on the fixed tray. An angle between a sheet loading surface of the movable tray and a horizontal direction is more gentle than an angle between the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray and the horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Terumitsu Azuma, Shigefumi Soga, Takeshi Hirabayashi, Kentaro Fukami, Shinji Tanoue, Hiroki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8433236
    Abstract: A paper processing apparatus includes: a discharging unit that discharges the paper onto a staple tray; a paper returning unit that reverses the paper discharged by the discharging unit and performs alignment in a conveying direction by abutting the paper against a rear end reference fence; a supporting unit that supports the discharging unit in a state capable of coming in contact with or separating from the paper; a contact and separation unit by which the discharging unit comes in contact with or separates from the paper; and a pressurizing unit that is moved by the contact and separation unit, does not load the discharging unit in a standby state where the discharging unit is held apart from the paper, and applies contact pressure in a state where the discharging unit is in contact with the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Terumitsu Azuma, Shigefumi Soga, Takeshi Hirabayashi, Kentaro Fukami, Daishi Watanabe, Kazumasa Takeuchi, Hiroki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20120223470
    Abstract: A sheet processing device provided with a stacking unit configured to stack thereon one or more conveyed sheets, a staple unit configured to staple a bundle of sheets stacked on the stacking unit, a moving unit configured to move the staple unit to a staple position, and a projecting and retrieving unit configured to project and retrieve the stacking unit in a space overlapped with a motion space for the staple unit to move therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Shigefumi Soga
  • Patent number: 8196915
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a staple tray on which sheets are stacked temporarily and stapled after being aligned together and from which the stapled sheets are discharged to a discharge tray; a discharger to discharge the sheets to the staple tray; a rear end reference against which rear ends of the sheets are abutted to be aligned together; a returner to return the sheets discharged by the discharger and to align the sheets together in a conveying direction based on the rear end reference fence; a lifter to lift and lower the returner with respect to a sheet; and a guide configured to guide the sheets toward the rear end reference fence when the sheets are returned and to be lifted and lowered in synchronization with the lifting and lowering by the lifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hirabayashi, Shigefumi Soga, Terumitsu Azuma, Kentaro Fukami, Shinji Tanoue, Hiroki Yoshida, Toshikazu Satoh, Daishi Watanabe, Kazumasa Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20110091260
    Abstract: A paper processing apparatus includes: a discharging unit that discharges the paper onto a staple tray; a paper returning unit that reverses the paper discharged by the discharging unit and performs alignment in a conveying direction by abutting the paper against a rear end reference fence; a supporting unit that supports the discharging unit in a state capable of coming in contact with or separating from the paper; a contact and separation unit by which the discharging unit comes in contact with or separates from the paper; and a pressurizing unit that is moved by the contact and separation unit, does not load the discharging unit in a standby state where the discharging unit is held apart from the paper, and applies contact pressure in a state where the discharging unit is in contact with the paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Terumitsu Azuma, Shigefumi Soga, Takeshi Hirabayashi, Kentaro Fukami, Daishi Watanabe, Kazumasa Takeuchi, Hiroki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110074081
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a staple tray on which sheets are stacked temporarily and stapled after being aligned together and from which the stapled sheets are discharged to a discharge tray; a discharger to discharge the sheets to the staple tray; a rear end reference against which rear ends of the sheets are abutted to be aligned together; a returner to return the sheets discharged by the discharger and to align the sheets together in a conveying direction based on the rear end reference fence; a lifter to lift and lower the returner with respect to a sheet; and a guide configured to guide the sheets toward the rear end reference fence when the sheets are returned and to be lifted and lowered in synchronization with the lifting and lowering by the lifter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Hirabayashi, Shigefumi Soga, Terumitsu Azuma, Kentaro Fukami, Shinji Tanoue, Hiroki Yoshida, Toshikazu Satoh, Daishi Watanabe, Kazumasa Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20100237556
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a fixed tray and a movable tray. The fixed tray is fixed at its downstream portion in a sheet transport direction and includes a sheet loading surface. A downstream portion of the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray is positioned at a higher level than an upstream portion thereof. The movable tray is pivotally supported, at its upstream portion, by a pivot support provided on the fixed tray. An angle between a sheet loading surface of the movable tray and a horizontal direction is more gentle than an angle between the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray and the horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Terumitsu Azuma, Shigefumi Soga, Takeshi Hirabayashi, Kentaro Fukami, Shinji Tanoue, Hiroki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6851609
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a line sensor for reading an image of an original, a scanning optical system that has a light source and scans the original, a reference reflection member provided in such a position as to reflect a light emitted from the light source, a buffer memory for storing data of the image, an intermittent reading part interrupting and restarting scanning performed by the scanning optical system based on a residual storage capacity of the buffer memory, and a light amount variation correction part correcting a variation in an amount of light of the light source during an interruption of the scanning based on an amount of reflected light from the reference reflection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Ando, Yukio Noguchi, Koichi Ichihara, Youji Mouri, Fumihiro Kitahara, Kazuhiko Nakaya, Shigefumi Soga, Hisatsugu Niki
  • Publication number: 20020050520
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a line sensor for reading an image of an original, a scanning optical system that has a light source and scans the original, a reference reflection member provided in such a position as to reflect a light emitted from the light source, a buffer memory for storing data of the image, an intermittent reading part interrupting and restarting scanning performed by the scanning optical system based on a residual storage capacity of the buffer memory, and a light amount variation correction part correcting a variation in an amount of light of the light source during an interruption of the scanning based on an amount of reflected light from the reference reflection member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Ando, Yukio Noguchi, Koichi Ichihara, Youji Mouri, Fumihiro Kitahara, Kazuhiko Nakaya, Shigefumi Soga, Hisatsugu Niki