Patents by Inventor Shinji Kato

Shinji Kato 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: 8311423
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes a latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit, a toner supplier, a toner concentration detector, a prediction calculator, and a toner supply controller. The toner supplier includes a single driving source and supplies toner to a two-component developer at a predetermined supply position by driving a toner supply member with the driving source. The toner concentration detector detects a toner concentration in the developer at a predetermined detection position located upstream of the supply position. The prediction calculator predicts changes in the toner concentration in the developer over time at a prediction position located at the supply position or downstream of the supply position and upstream of a developer feed position to the developer carrier when toner is not supplied. The toner supply controller adjusts an amount of the toner supplied based on the prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Eichi Koizumi, Shinji Kato
  • Patent number: 8254795
    Abstract: A supply control unit is configured to, in a successive image-forming operation, perform a process of successively generating a driving control pattern for a toner supply device based on image information of each page, and synthesizing an unused portion of the driving control pattern which is obtained by eliminating a portion of the driving control pattern already reflected on a driving control of the toner supply device from the driving control pattern generated based on image information of a previous page with a driving control pattern generated based on a subsequent page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Eichi Koizumi, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Akira Yoshida, Shinji Kato
  • Publication number: 20120201552
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a first controller forms a first image pattern on an image bearer and determines a first image formation condition based on a detection result of density of a toner image. The first controller then controls a toner image forming device based on the first image formation condition. A second controller forms a second image pattern different from the first image pattern on an image bearer and determines a second image formation condition based on a detection result of density of a toner image. The second controller then controls a toner image forming device based on the second image formation condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Shuji HIRAI, Satoshi Kaneko, Shinji Kato, Jun Yamane, Koichi Kudo, Shingo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8238768
    Abstract: A first developer container having a toner supplying opening is provided in a developing unit. A toner concentration sensor is arranged downstream of the toner supplying opening to detect toner concentration in developer. A supply controlling unit is provided to determine an excess or a shortage in the amount of supplied toner based on image information correspondingly to a detection result by the toner concentration sensor, and to correct the driving amount of a toner supplying unit that has been determined based on the image information correspondingly to the recognized excess or shortage in the amount of supplied toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Eichi Koizumi, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Akira Yoshida, Shinji Kato
  • Publication number: 20120162959
    Abstract: A wiring harness guiding apparatus guides a wiring harness 4 between a floor of a car and a seat arranged slidably at the floor, and includes a support body 7A supporting the seat; a protector 8A guiding the airing harness 4 toward the seat; a rail arranging the support body 7A and the protector 8A slidably therein; and an excess portion receiving section receiving a excess portion of the wiring harness 4. The protector 8A includes a wiring harness fixing member 80 fixing the wiring harness 4 led into the rail; a lead-out member 83 extending with a pipe shape from the wiring harness fixing member 80 and leading the wiring harness 4 therethrough toward the slide body; and a support body mount member 87 arranged at a mounted member of the support body so as to be movable along a widthwise direction of the rail by having a clearance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyasu Terada, Tsukasa Sekino, Shinji Kato
  • Publication number: 20120163845
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes a latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit, a toner supplier, a toner concentration detector, a prediction calculator, and a toner supply controller. The toner supplier includes a single driving source and supplies toner to a two-component developer at a predetermined supply position by driving a toner supply member with the driving source. The toner concentration detector detects a toner concentration in the developer at a predetermined detection position located upstream of the supply position. The prediction calculator predicts changes in the toner concentration in the developer over time at a prediction position located at the supply position or downstream of the supply position and upstream of a developer feed position to the developer carrier when toner is not supplied. The toner supply controller adjusts an amount of the toner supplied based on the prediction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Eichi KOIZUMI, Shinji Kato
  • Patent number: 8207276
    Abstract: A dip-forming latex composition comprising a conjugated diene rubber latex and an organic peroxide, wherein the residual effective activity of organic peroxide defined as the ratio of organic peroxide retaining reactivity to the whole organic peroxide contained in the latex composition is 35% or higher. The invention provides a dip-formed article, which exhibits good softness of touch and comfortable fittingness and excellent in tensile strength and resistance to flexing fatigue; which itself hardly suffers coloration especially when the article thereof is worn as a glove for continuous operation for a long time and is hard to reduce adhesiveness and following characteristics to hand while wearing it; and a dip-forming latex composition capable to give such an article by dip-forming thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumi Kodama, Shinji Kato
  • Patent number: 8203726
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, damage to the apparatus caused by power conduction at the time of installation is prevented. When initial adjustment at factory ends and service person moves the apparatus, a power switch is turned OFF. Using this OFF operation as a trigger, a control unit 100 reads specific information (information related to pre-processing before starting power supply to the apparatus), and displays the information on electronic paper 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Ishikura, Yuji Okamoto, Shuhji Fujii, Nobuyuki Ueda, Shinji Kato, Nobuyasu Yamada
  • Patent number: 8203729
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can support the user in sleep mode is provided. When the apparatus enters sleep mode, guidance information is displayed on an electronic paper. The electronic paper maintains displayed contents even when power is not supplied and, therefore, even when power is not supplied to a display panel in the sleep mode, the display for the user is continuously given, thereby supporting the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouji Miyake, Shuhji Fujii, Shinji Kato, Tsutomu Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20120121858
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a superhydrophobic film composed of a polymer having surface microstructures (irregularities) and in particular to a method for producing a superhydrophobic film that utilizes a phase separation phenomenon caused by a polymerization reaction by energy ray irradiation and to a superhydrophobic film formed by this production method. The method includes a step of preparing a film-forming composition (X) by mixing a polymerizable compound (A) that can be polymerized by energy ray irradiation and a compound (B) that is compatible with the polymerizable compound (A) but incompatible with a polymer of the polymerizable compound (A), a step of forming a layer of the film-forming composition (X); and a step of removing the compound (B) after polymerizing the polymerizable compound (A), in which the compound (B) is liquid or solid, has a molecular weight of 500 or less, and has a saturation vapor pressure of 400 Pa or less at 25° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicants: Kawamura Institue of Chemical Research, DIC Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Kato
  • Patent number: 8175471
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an image density control unit that performs control operations based on an image density control condition that is adjustably set to control an output image to have a predetermined image density, an image density control condition modifying unit that calculates a modified image density control condition based on information on an amount of toner exchanged at a developing apparatus within a predetermined period and a parameter for image density control condition calculation and sets the modified image density control condition as the image density control condition to be used by the image density control unit, and a parameter modifying unit that modifies the parameter for image density control condition calculation used by the image density control condition modifying unit based on a toner pattern detection result obtained by detecting a toner pattern formed on a belt member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentaroh Tomita, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Hitoshi Ishibashi, Shin Hasegawa, Shinji Kato, Kohta Fujimori, Kayoko Tanaka, Yushi Hirayama
  • Patent number: 8155543
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an image forming mechanism, an optical sensor, and a controller. The image forming mechanism performs an image forming operation for forming a reference toner image on the image carrying member under a specific setting associated with the image forming mechanism. The optical sensor is arranged in a vicinity to the image carrying member. The controller performs an optical toner test for checking, by using the optical sensor, optical characteristics of the reference toner image formed on the image carrying member and to adjust the specific setting based on a result of the optical toner test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ishibashi, Osamu Ariizumi, Shinji Kobayashi, Kazumi Kobayashi, Fukutoshi Uchida, Takashi Enami, Ryohta Morimoto, Shin Hasegawa, Shinji Kato, Kohta Fujimori, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Kayoko Tanaka, Yuushi Hirayama, Naoto Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8145100
    Abstract: A process cartridge for use in an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a developer bearing member to bear developer including toner and carrier, a casing forming a developer container containing the developer, a screw having a shaft with a spiral screw blade, a toner density sensor to detect a density of the toner on a detection surface, and a detection surface agitating member fixedly mounted on the shaft of the screw at a position facing a detection surface to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface as the screw rotates. The detection surface agitating member includes an elastic sheet elastically deformable to scrape away the developer accumulated on the detection surface and disposed at a substantially same angle to an axial direction of the shaft of the screw as the spiral screw blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yushi Hirayama, Shinji Kato, Takeroh Kurenuma, Keiichi Yoshida, Shin Hasegawa, Hitoshi Ishibashi, Yoshiaki Miyashita, Kohta Fujimori, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Tetsuya Muto, Akira Yoshida, Hiroyuki Uenishi
  • Patent number: 8139962
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit, a toner supplier, a toner concentration detector, a prediction calculator, and a toner supply controller. The toner supplier includes a single driving source and supplies toner to a two-component developer at a predetermined supply position by driving a toner supply member with the driving source. The toner concentration detector detects a toner concentration in the developer at a predetermined detection position located upstream of the supply position. The prediction calculator predicts changes in the toner concentration in the developer over time at a prediction position located at the supply position or downstream of the supply position and upstream of a developer feed position to the developer carrier when toner is not supplied, based on a result of the toner concentration detection. The toner supply controller adjusts an amount of the toner supplied based on the prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Eichi Koizumi, Shinji Kato
  • Publication number: 20120024561
    Abstract: An electrical wire routing device for routing an electric wire between a floor in an automobile and a seat includes a case following parallel to a support rail to which a support body supporting the seat is slidably attached. The case includes a tubelar movement section attaching the electric wire thereto, guiding the electric wire to the seat, to which a slider sliding in association with the movement of the seat is slidably attached, and a housing section accommodating the extra length of the electric wire. The movement section and the housing section are provided as separated parts and placed parallel to each other. The extra length of the electric wire extracted from one end portion of the movement section and drawn into the housing section is accommodated in the housing section with the electric wire bent in a U-shape. The electric wire is accommodated in the corrugated tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2009
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Tsukasa Sekino, Tomoyasu Terada, Shinji Kato
  • Patent number: 8103181
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. The AC voltage applied to the charger in an adjustment of the AC voltage is not less than twice a charging start voltage Vth at which the image carrier starts to be charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ishibashi, Kohta Fujimori, Shin Hasegawa, Yushi Hirayama, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Shinji Kato, Kayoko Tanaka, Naoto Watanabe, Kentaroh Tomita, Satoru Komatsubara, Akio Kosuge
  • Patent number: 8103106
    Abstract: A method of processing a plurality of still images. The method includes the steps of: detecting an object photographed for each of the still images; arranging the object detected by the step of detecting an object with respect to the plurality of still images and detecting an object photographed by the plurality of still images; relating objects having a strong relationship out of the plurality of objects detected by the step of arranging the object; selecting a still image including at least one of the objects detected by the step of relating objects from the plurality of still images; and outputting the still image selected by the step of selecting a still-image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Kato
  • Patent number: 8097657
    Abstract: The present invention relates to organic polymer porous materials, and in particular, to an organic polymer porous material that functions as a reusable insoluble solid catalyst and a method for producing the same. The organic polymer porous material of the present invention is characteristic in that the amount of immobilized bases is high and the specific surface area is large. The object has been achieved by an organic polymer porous material including a polymer (PA) obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable composition (A) containing a compound (a) obtained by reacting a dendrimer (a1) having at least an amino group as a reactive functional group or a polyethyleneimine (a2) having at least an amino group as a reactive functional group with a compound (a3) having a vinyl group and a group that can react with the reactive functional group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignees: DIC Corporation, Kawamura Institute of Chemical Research
    Inventors: Shinji Kato, Shin Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 8064785
    Abstract: A fixing device according to this invention includes a heating roller, a heater driver, a thermistor, and a CPU. The heating roller has a heater and heats a recording sheet. The heater driver drives the heater. The thermistor detects a surface temperature of the heating roller. The CPU stops an operation of the heater driver when the surface temperature of the heating roller becomes higher than a predetermined temperature and, thereafter, causes the thermistor to perform detection of the surface temperature of the heating roller for a predetermined time period and issues an alarm about occurrence of a first abnormality when the surface temperature of the heating roller fails to drop in the predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuhji Fujii, Yuji Okamoto, Yuji Nakagawa, Takashi Nakagawa, Shinji Kato, Kaoru Ishikura, Nobuyuki Ueda, Atsushi Ogo
  • Publication number: 20110227445
    Abstract: A stator comprises: a stator core having a plurality of slots; and a cage coil formed of a rectangular combined conductor that is wound by a plurality of turns. The combined conductor includes: a first conductor formed in a continuous zig-zag pattern; a second conductor formed in a continuous zig-zag pattern, the first and second conductors being combined to overlap one on the other with a displacement of one pitch; conductor in-slot portions overlapped and mounted in each of the slots of the stator core; conductor connecting portions placed circumferentially on the outside of the slots; and conductor stepped portions connecting the conductor in-slot portions and the conductor connecting portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Washizu, Hisanori Nakamura, Shinji Kato, Tomoyuki Otake