Patents by Inventor Shinya Tanaka

Shinya Tanaka 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: 9291934
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, and a transfer bias power source to apply to the transfer device a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component in a superimposed transfer mode to transfer the toner image. The superimposed transfer bias has a waveform in which a first polarity in a direction of transferring the toner image onto the recording medium and a second polarity opposite the first polarity switch alternately. The superimposed transfer bias is output such that a standard value of each of the DC component and the AC component is multiplied by a respective correction ratio, and the correction ratio of the DC component is different from that of the AC component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunobu Shimizu, Hiromi Ogiyama, Hirokazu Ishii, Shinya Tanaka, Keigo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9285722
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer bias output device and an information receiving device. The transfer bias output device outputs a transfer bias including a superimposed bias composed of an AC bias superimposed on a DC bias to form a transfer electric field in a transfer nip between an image bearing member bearing a toner image and a nip forming member, to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium in the transfer nip. A controller operatively connected to the information receiving device and the transfer bias output device causes the transfer bias output device to change a target output of a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC bias based on information received by the information receiving device that affects transfer of the toner image and to reduce a target output of the DC bias as the target output value of the peak-to-peak voltage of the AC bias increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Tanaka, Hirokazu Ishii, Yasunobu Shimizu, Keigo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9285723
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, a transfer member to form a transfer nip by contacting the image carrier surface, and a power supply to output a voltage to the recording material captured in the transfer nip so as to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier surface. The voltage is switching alternately between a voltage in the transfer direction and a voltage opposite to the voltage in the transfer direction, and a time average value (Vave) of the voltage is set to have a polarity of the transfer direction, and is set to a value in the transfer voltage side, and a change mode to change a cycle of the voltage output from the power supply can be changed based on the toner deterioration information which determines the deterioration status of the toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomi Sugimoto, Shinya Tanaka, Haruo Iimura, Shinji Aoki, Yasuhiko Ogino, Keigo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9274461
    Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer member and a bias applicator. The transfer member contacts a surface, on which a toner image is borne, of an image bearing body, to form a transfer nip. The bias applicator applies a DC voltage and an AC voltage as transfer bias to transfer the toner image on the image bearing body to a recording sheet in the transfer nip. The bias applicator applies a DC voltage having a same polarity as the DC voltage of the transfer bias and an AC voltage having an amplitude smaller than the AC voltage of the transfer bias or applies the DC voltage having the same polarity as the DC voltage of the transfer bias without applying an AC voltage, when an inter-sheet area that exists on the image bearing body passes through the transfer nip during a continuous image formation period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kato, Hirokazu Ishii, Takehide Mizutani, Shinya Tanaka, Yasufumi Takahashi, Osamu Ichihashi, Yuji Kato
  • Patent number: 9256168
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a power source and a controller. A time-averaged value (Vave) of a voltage output from the power source has a polarity in a transfer direction, and an absolute value of Vave is greater than a midpoint value (Voff) of the voltage intermediate between a maximum value and a minimum value of the voltage. With an increase in a difference (Vpp) between the maximum value and the minimum value of the voltage, the controller controls the power source to increase a duty ratio (Duty) expressed by A/(A+B), where A is an application time in one cycle at a return direction side opposite a transfer direction side relative to Voff and B is an application time at the transfer direction side relative to Voff, and with a decrease in (Vpp), the controller controls the power source to reduce Duty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9205206
    Abstract: A mouthpiece (150A) has an aerosol lead-out flow passage (104), an aerosol lead-out opening (105), and exhalation discharge openings (106). The lead-out flow passage (104) includes a first flow passage (104A) extending upward, a second flow passage (104B) extending obliquely forward from the first flow passage (104A), and a corner flow passage (104C) for connecting the first flow passage (104A) and second flow passage (104B) of the lead-out flow passage (104). The mouthpiece (150A) has a curvature portion (153) formed by curving that portion of the first flow passage (104A) wall surface which crosses the center line of the first flow passage (104A). The exhalation discharge openings (106) are provided in a wall surface defining the second flow passage (104B), at a position circumferentially displaced from the wall surface portion at which the curvature portion (153) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Hamaguchi, Shinya Tanaka, Satoshi Kurata, Hideyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9208741
    Abstract: On a display panel 10, a first scanning signal line drive circuit 12 is formed along a side of a display region 11 and a second scanning signal line drive circuit 13 is formed along the opposite side by the same process as pixel circuits. The size of a transistor included, the width of a wiring line, or the like, differs between the first and second scanning signal line drive circuits 12 and 13, and the two scanning signal line drive circuits have different sizes in a lateral direction. By this, the center of the display region matches that of a non-integral-type display panel, ensuring compatibility with the non-integral-type display panel. Moreover, by suitably determining the widths of or spacings between wiring lines included in the two scanning signal line drive circuits, leakage between the wiring lines and breaks in the wiring lines are reduced, improving yield of display panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Ueda, Isao Ogasawara, Satoshi Horiuchi, Shinya Tanaka, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Masahiro Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20150346650
    Abstract: A transfer device includes an image bearer to bear a toner image, a nip forming device to contact the image bearer to form a transfer nip, a transfer bias power source including a direct current (DC) power source and an alternating current (AC) power source electrically connected to each other to output a transfer bias including at least one of a DC bias and a superimposed bias to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a recording medium interposed in the transfer nip, a contact-and-separation device to cause the image bearer and the nip forming device to contact and separate from each other, and a controller to control the contact-and-separation device to increase a size of a space between the image bearer and the nip forming device upon transfer using the superimposed bias such that the space is larger than the space upon transfer using the DC bias.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji Kato, Shinya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9195179
    Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer bias power source, a switching device, and a sheet dependent condition setting device. The transfer bias power source applies to a transfer member, based on sheet dependent conditions for a recording medium onto which a toner image is transferred, one of a DC transfer bias and a superimposed transfer bias including an alternating current (AC) component superimposed on a DC component. The switching device switches a transfer mode between a DC transfer mode in which the DC transfer bias is applied to the transfer device and a superimposed-bias transfer mode in which the superimposed transfer bias is applied to the transfer device. The sheet dependent condition setting device sets arbitrarily at least one of the sheet dependent conditions for the recording medium at the superimposed-bias transfer mode. The sheet dependent conditions include a DC component value and an AC component value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunobu Shimizu, Shinya Tanaka, Hiromi Ogiyama, Hirokazu Ishii, Keigo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9182698
    Abstract: A method of transferring an image includes the steps of; bringing an image bearer bearing an image thereon as a transfer origin in contact with a transferring objective (onto which the image is transferred) as a transfer destination; moving at least one of the image bearer and the transferring objective in a prescribed direction; and sequentially transferring the image borne on the image bearer onto the transferring objective in a contacting section in which the image bearer and the transferring objective contact each other in a direction in which the image does not pass through the contacting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Ichikawa, Kenji Sengoku, Shinya Tanaka, Junpei Fujita, Kunio Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9176334
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a display device having a display section that displays different images intended for a plurality of different viewing ranges on the same screen, wherein provisions are made so that the image intended for at least one viewing range can be viewed in good condition, and a method for mounting such a display device. More specifically, a display device according to the invention includes a display section that displays different images intended for a plurality of different viewing ranges on the same screen, wherein the viewing range of at least one of the different images displayed on the display section is not narrower than 20°, but not wider than 40°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Shogo Tanaka, Shinya Tanaka, Minoru Maehata
  • Publication number: 20150302278
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first image processor configured to perform a first image processing not using a setting by a user on image data obtained by scanning a document; a first storage unit configured to store first image data corresponding to the image data on which the first image processing has been performed; a second image processor configured to perform a second image processing using the setting by the user on the first image data; a second storage unit configured to store second image data corresponding to the first image data on which the second image processing has been performed; and a preview image generator configured to generate a preview image based on the second image data, the preview image indicating a predicted result of a print execution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Shinya TANAKA
  • Patent number: 9164462
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a recording medium, a sheet separation device to separate the recording medium from the image bearing member, a sheet separation bias application device to apply to the sheet separation device a sheet separation bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component, and a transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer device one of a DC transfer bias having a DC component and a superimposed transfer bias in which an AC component is superimposed on a DC component. Upon application of the superimposed transfer bias to the transfer device, the sheet separation bias applied to the sheet separation device is changed from the sheet separation bias applied upon application of the DC transfer bias to the transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Keigo Nakamura, Hirokazu Ishii, Yasunobu Shimizu, Hiromi Ogiyama, Shinya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150286168
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, provided is a transfer device including: a nip forming member that abuts against a surface of an image carrier carrying a toner image; and a transfer voltage application unit that applies a transfer voltage including a DC component and an AC component. The transfer voltage is an alternating voltage in which a supply voltage having polarity in a transfer direction and a return voltage having polarity opposite. A time average value Vave of the transfer voltage is set to be at polarity in the transfer direction and is set to be closer to a peak value Vt of the supply voltage relative to a center value Voff between a maximum and minimum value. An absolute value of the peak value Vr of the return voltage is set to be larger than an absolute value of the time average value Vave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Naomi SUGIMOTO, Shinya TANAKA, Haruo IIMURA, Shinji AOKI, Yasuhiko OGINO, Keigo NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20150261143
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member disposed facing the image bearing member to form a transfer region therebetween, a transfer bias application device to apply to the transfer region a transfer bias including a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium as the recording medium passes through the transfer region, and a controller operatively connected to the transfer bias application device to allow, during a bias change period in a sheet absent period in which the image bearing member rotates and no recording medium passes through the transfer region, the transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer region one of the transfer bias without the AC component and the transfer bias with a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC component less than that applied in image formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Keigo NAKAMURA, Yasunobu SHIMIZU, Hiromi OGIYAMA, Hirokazu ISHII, Shinya TANAKA
  • Patent number: 9134656
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member, a power supply, and a control device that controls the power supply to output a DC-AC superimposed bias or a DC bias to transfer a toner image on the image carrier onto a recording medium. The control device controls the power supply to alternately output a first bias being a DC component the same in polarity as the DC bias and a second bias being a DC component opposite in polarity to the DC bias to clean the transfer member when image formation is not taking place. The first bias is output with two target output values including a first value and a second value lower than the first value. The second bias is output with one target output value. An output time of the second bias is longer than an output time of the first bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehide Mizutani, Hirokazu Ishii, Tsutomu Kato, Yasufumi Takahashi, Shinya Tanaka, Osamu Ichihashi, Yuji Kato
  • Patent number: 9122207
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member disposed facing the image bearing member to form a transfer region therebetween, a transfer bias application device to apply to the transfer region a transfer bias including a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium as the recording medium passes through the transfer region, and a controller operatively connected to the transfer bias application device to allow, during a bias change period in a sheet absent period in which the image bearing member rotates and no recording medium passes through the transfer region, the transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer region one of the transfer bias without the AC component and the transfer bias with a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC component less than that applied in image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keigo Nakamura, Yasunobu Shimizu, Hiromi Ogiyama, Hirokazu Ishii, Shinya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150239996
    Abstract: [Problem to be solved] There is provided a process for producing an olefin polymer that is capable of producing an olefin polymer having high heat resistance and high molecular weight with excellent catalytic activity. [Solution to problem] The process for producing an olefin polymer includes a step of polymerizing at least one olefin selected from ethylene and ?-olefins having 4 to 30 carbon atoms in the presence of an olefin polymerization catalyst containing a transition metal compound represented by the general formula [I], the olefin polymer including constituent units derived from ethylene and ?-olefins having 4 to 30 carbon atoms in a total amount between more than 50 mol % and not more than 100 mol %, [in the formula [I], R1, R3 and R5 to R16 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group or the like; R2 is a hydrocarbon group or the like; R4 is a hydrogen atom; M is a transition metal of Group IV; Q is a halogen atom or the like; and j is an integer of 1 to 4].
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Munehito Funaya, Atsushi Sakuma, Ikuko Ebisawa, Shinsuke Kinoshita, Akiko Matsumoto, Hirokazu Tanaka, Shinya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9111810
    Abstract: A circuit board (1) includes a plurality of transistor elements on an insulating substrate (2). At least one of the plurality of transistor elements is an oxide TFT (10) including, as a channel layer (11), an oxide semiconductor. At least one of the plurality of transistor elements is an a-SiTFT (20) (i) being different from the oxide TFT (10) in functions as circuit components and (ii) including, as a channel layer (21), an amorphous silicon semiconductor. The oxide TFT (10) is a top gate transistor, and the a-SiTFT (20) is a bottom gate transistor. This provides: a configuration that can (a) enhance the performance of the circuit board equipped with the TFTs differing in their respective functions as circuit components and (b) reduce the area necessary for mounting the TFTs; and a method for producing the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kitagawa, Shinya Tanaka, Hajime Imai, Atsuhito Murai, Mitsunori Imade, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Kazunori Morimoto, Junya Shimada, Jun Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20150225623
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide compositions which have low-temperature heat sealing properties, are free from stickiness, may achieve a heat seal strength controlled within a certain definite range when heat sealing takes place at low temperatures, have small changes in heat seal strength with time, and are such that in the packaging applications, the strength required to open the packages may be easily controlled within a certain definite range, and high-performance packages may be designed. The invention resides in a 1-butene ?-olefin copolymer composition including 99 to 1 parts by mass of at least one olefin polymer (X) selected from propylene polymers (X-1) and ethylene polymers (X-2), and 1 to 99 parts by mass of a 1-butene ?-olefin copolymer (Y) containing 0.1 to 30 mol % of one or more ?-olefins selected from ?-olefins and having a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of 1.0 to 3.5 [wherein the total of (X) and (Y) in the composition is 100 parts by mass].
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Ikuo Akai, Tomohiro Abe, Koya Yoshimoto, Masayoshi Yamaguchi, Shinya Tanaka, Koji Matsunaga, Makoto Egawa