Patents by Inventor Takahiro Imada

Takahiro Imada 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: 11971674
    Abstract: A heating device includes a rotator, a heater, a heater holder, and a first high thermal conduction member. The heater includes a base and a plurality of heat generators being arranged on the base and including neighboring heat generators. The heater has a gap area between the neighboring heat generators. The first high thermal conduction member has a higher thermal conductivity than the base and faces the gap area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeo Nanno, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takahiro Imada, Takumi Waida, Daisuke Hirano
  • Patent number: 11841652
    Abstract: A contact-separation device brings a contact-separation member into contact with a contacted member separably and includes a biasing member that generates a biasing force. A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member. A cam presses the presser in an opposite direction being opposite to the pressing direction. The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Saitoh, Takahiro Imada, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Tamotsu Ikeda, Hiromasa Takagi, Jun Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20230359142
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a pair of conveyors each including a conveyance face to convey a recording medium inside an image forming apparatus. One of the pair of conveyors further includes an exposed face, a handle, and a swing fulcrum. The exposed face is exposed to an outside of the apparatus while an inside of the apparatus is open. The handle is exposed to the outside of the apparatus and operatable to expose the conveyance face to the outside of the apparatus while the inside of the apparatus is open. The swing fulcrum swings the one of the pair of conveyors to expose the conveyance face to the outside of the apparatus when the handle is operated while the inside of the apparatus is open. The handle includes a partial annular portion. The partial annular portion is included in a plane including a swing direction around the swing fulcrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takuya SESHITA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Arinobu YOSHIURA
  • Patent number: 11693362
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Takagi, Seiji Saitoh, Jun Okamoto, Tamotsu Ikeda, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Takahiro Imada
  • Patent number: 11687020
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating rotator, a pressure rotator, a planar heater, and a holder. The pressure rotator is configured to press against the fixing rotator to form a nip through which the recording medium is conveyed. The planar heater includes a plurality of heat generators arranged side by side and at least one separation region between the plurality of heat generators. The holder holds the planar heater and contacts the planar heater in a pressure direction in which the pressure rotator presses the heating rotator. The holder includes at least one clearance structure configured to cause a contact area between the planar heater and a portion of the holder corresponding to the at least one separation region to be smaller than a contact area between the planar heater and a portion of the holder not corresponding to the at least one separation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Imada, Yasunori Ishigaya, Shigeo Nanno, Takumi Waida, Daisuke Hirano
  • Publication number: 20230008258
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Hiromasa TAKAGI, Seiji SAITOH, Jun OKAMOTO, Tamotsu IKEDA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Takahiro IMADA
  • Publication number: 20230004107
    Abstract: A contact-separation device brings a contact-separation member into contact with a contacted member separably and includes a biasing member that generates a biasing force. A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member. A cam presses the presser in an opposite direction being opposite to the pressing direction. The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji SAITOH, Takahiro IMADA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Tamotsu IKEDA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Jun OKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11500314
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms a toner image on a recording medium, a first rotator, and a second rotator that presses against the first rotator to form a nip therebetween. The first rotator conveys the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip with a first orientation of the recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium to create a cleaning sheet bearing a cleaning image in a cleaning sheet creation mode. The first rotator conveys the cleaning sheet bearing the cleaning image through the nip with a second orientation of the cleaning sheet, that is different from the first orientation of the recording medium, such that the cleaning image is disposed opposite the first rotator to cause the cleaning image to remove a foreign substance from a surface of the first rotator in a cleaning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Keitaro Shoji, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
  • Publication number: 20220291615
    Abstract: A heating device includes a rotator, a heater, a heater holder, and a first high thermal conduction member. The heater includes a base and a plurality of heat generators being arranged on the base and including neighboring heat generators. The heater has a gap area between the neighboring heat generators. The first high thermal conduction member has a higher thermal conductivity than the base and faces the gap area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Shigeo NANNO, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Takahiro IMADA, Takumi WAIDA, Daisuke HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20220155712
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating rotator, a pressure rotator, a planar heater, and a holder. The pressure rotator is configured to press against the fixing rotator to form a nip through which the recording medium is conveyed. The planar heater includes a plurality of heat generators arranged side by side and at least one separation region between the plurality of heat generators. The holder holds the planar heater and contacts the planar heater in a pressure direction in which the pressure rotator presses the heating rotator. The holder includes at least one clearance structure configured to cause a contact area between the planar heater and a portion of the holder corresponding to the at least one separation region to be smaller than a contact area between the planar heater and a portion of the holder not corresponding to the at least one separation region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Shigeo NANNO, Takumi WAIDA, Daisuke HIRANO
  • Patent number: 11256200
    Abstract: A fixing device is configured to be detachably attached to an image forming device main body. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a heating source, a pressing member, a conveyance guide member, an exterior member, a relay substrate, and a substrate covering member. The fixing member is configured to heat a toner image so as to fix the toner image on a recording medium. The heating source is configured to heat the fixing member. The pressing member is configured to press against the fixing member to form a nip part. The conveyance guide member is configured to guide the recording medium to the nip part. The exterior member houses at least the fixing member and the pressing member. The substrate covering member covers the relay substrate. The substrate covering member extends from and is integrated with the conveyance guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Imada, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hiromasa Takagi, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
  • Publication number: 20220043376
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms a toner image on a recording medium, a first rotator, and a second rotator that presses against the first rotator to form a nip therebetween. The first rotator conveys the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip with a first orientation of the recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium to create a cleaning sheet bearing a cleaning image in a cleaning sheet creation mode. The first rotator conveys the cleaning sheet bearing the cleaning image through the nip with a second orientation of the cleaning sheet, that is different from the first orientation of the recording medium, such that the cleaning image is disposed opposite the first rotator to cause the cleaning image to remove a foreign substance from a surface of the first rotator in a cleaning mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Keitaro SHOJI, Yoshio HATTORI, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Takahiro IMADA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Takumi WAIDA
  • Publication number: 20210223724
    Abstract: A fixing device is configured to be detachably attached to an image forming device main body. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a heating source, a pressing member, a conveyance guide member, an exterior member, a relay substrate, and a substrate covering member. The fixing member is configured to heat a toner image so as to fix the toner image on a recording medium. The heating source is configured to heat the fixing member. The pressing member is configured to press against the fixing member to form a nip part. The conveyance guide member is configured to guide the recording medium to the nip part. The exterior member houses at least the fixing member and the pressing member. The substrate covering member covers the relay substrate. The substrate covering member extends from and is integrated with the conveyance guide member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yoshio HATTORI, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Takumi WAIDA
  • Patent number: 10935911
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10852671
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, and a moving assembly. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position at which the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position at which the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The moving assembly includes a biasing member that presses the cleaner to move to the contact position. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the contact position to the separate position against a biasing force of the biasing member. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the separate position to the contact position while increasing and then decreasing the biasing force of the biasing member greater than the biasing force applied when the cleaner is located at the contact position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Imada, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hironori Yamaoka, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
  • Publication number: 20200249603
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotator and a second rotator disposed opposite the first rotator. A heater heats one of the first rotator and the second rotator. A cleaner is disposed opposite the second rotator. A temperature detector is disposed opposite the second rotator at an opposed position being within an increased conveyance span where a first sheet is conveyed and being outboard from a decreased conveyance span in an axial direction of the second rotator where a second sheet smaller than the first sheet is conveyed. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the second rotator. A mover moves the cleaner between a contact position where the cleaner contacts the surface of the second rotator and a separation position where the cleaner separates from the surface of the second rotator based on the temperature of the second rotator, that is detected by the temperature detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Yoshio HATTORI, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hironori YAMAOKA, Takahiro IMADA, Takumi WAIDA
  • Publication number: 20200159148
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, and a moving assembly. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position at which the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position at which the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The moving assembly includes a biasing member that presses the cleaner to move to the contact position. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the contact position to the separate position against a biasing force of the biasing member. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the separate position to the contact position while increasing and then decreasing the biasing force of the biasing member greater than the biasing force applied when the cleaner is located at the contact position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hironori Yamaoka, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
  • Publication number: 20200159149
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, a moving assembly, and a temperature detector. The fixing rotator heats and fixes a toner image onto a recording medium. The pressure rotator presses against the fixing rotator. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position where the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position where the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The temperature detector detects a temperature of one of the cleaner and the cleaning target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi WAIDA, Yoshio HATTORI, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Takahiro IMADA, Hironori YAMAOKA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Keitaro SHOJI
  • Patent number: 10558154
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pressing device, an apparatus body, an opening body, and a vibration insulator. The pressing device housed in the apparatus body is configured to press a pressing body to a pressing target body. The opening body is configured to open and close to the apparatus body. The opening body presses a pressing target portion of the apparatus body, at a first pressing portion to cancel a pressing state of the pressing device by opening of the opening body and at a second pressing portion to enter the pressing state of the pressing device by closing of the opening body. The vibration insulator is provided on at least one of the pressing target portion and the second pressing portion, at a contact portion at which the pressing target portion contacts the second pressing portion when the first pressing portion cancels the pressing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kajiyama, Naoki Iwaya, Hitoshi Fujiwara, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Yoshiharu Takahashi, Natsuki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20200033764
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pressing device, an apparatus body, an opening body, and a vibration insulator. The pressing device housed in the apparatus body is configured to press a pressing body to a pressing target body. The opening body is configured to open and close to the apparatus body. The opening body presses a pressing target portion of the apparatus body, at a first pressing portion to cancel a pressing state of the pressing device by opening of the opening body and at a second pressing portion to enter the pressing state of the pressing device by closing of the opening body. The vibration insulator is provided on at least one of the pressing target portion and the second pressing portion, at a contact portion at which the pressing target portion contacts the second pressing portion when the first pressing portion cancels the pressing state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kajiyama, Naoki Iwaya, Hitoshi Fujiwara, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Yoshiharu Takahashi, Natsuki Watanabe