Patents by Inventor Takamasa Hase

Takamasa Hase 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).

  • Publication number: 20170293245
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless fixing rotary member which is formed into a loop and comes into contact with the image on the recording medium, an opposed rotary member which is in contact with the fixing rotary member, a nip forming member provided inside the loop of the fixing rotary member to be in contact with the opposed rotary member via the fixing rotary member to form a nip portion to which the recording medium is fed in a feeding direction, a support member which supports the nip forming member, and a heating source which heats the fixing rotary member. The nip forming member includes a downstream portion extending downstream in the feeding direction from a center of the nip portion and an upstream portion extending upstream in the feeding direction from the center and longer than the downstream portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Takamasa Hase, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20170285542
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary endless fixing belt; a nip forming member disposed in an interior of the fixing belt; a rotary opposed member to contact the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip together with the fixing belt; a heat source to directly heat the fixing belt at a portion other than the nip, including at lease one heat-generation part disposed outside lateral ends of a maximum area of the fixing belt where a recording medium passes through, wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed image is conveyed to the nip and the fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording medium; and a shielding member disposed between the fixing belt and the heat generation part of the heat source and configured to shield heat from the heat source at least at an area outside the maximum passing area of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Takamasa HASE, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Takeshi UCHITANI, Yutaka IKEBUCHI, Takuya SESHITA, Shuutaroh YUASA
  • Publication number: 20170277091
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Takeshi UCHITANI, Masahiko SATOH, Kenji ISHII, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Takamasa HASE, Shuutaroh YUASA, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI, Takuya SESHITA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Kazuya SAITO, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Takayuki SEKI, Yuji ARAI, Ryuuichi MIMBU, Yoshiki YAMAGUCHI, Shuntaroh TAMAKI, Yutaka IKEBUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170255150
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Takamasa HASE, Masahiko SATOH, Shinichi NAMEKATA, Kenji ISHll, Takeshi UCHITANI, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Kazuya SAITO, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Shuutaroh YUASA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Naoki IWAYA, Takuya SESHITA, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 9727008
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless fixing rotary member which is formed into a loop and comes into contact with the image on the recording medium, an opposed rotary member which is in contact with the fixing rotary member, a nip forming member provided inside the loop of the fixing rotary member to be in contact with the opposed rotary member via the fixing rotary member to form a nip portion to which the recording medium is fed in a feeding direction, a support member which supports the nip forming member, and a heating source which heats the fixing rotary member. The nip forming member includes a downstream portion extending downstream in the feeding direction from a center of the nip portion and an upstream portion extending upstream in the feeding direction from the center and longer than the downstream portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Takamasa Hase, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9715198
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary endless fixing belt; a nip forming member disposed in an interior of the fixing belt; a rotary opposed member to contact the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip together with the fixing belt; a heat source to directly heat the fixing belt at a portion other than the nip, including at lease one heat-generation part disposed outside lateral ends of a maximum area of the fixing belt where a recording medium passes through, wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed image is conveyed to the nip and the fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording medium; and a shielding member disposed between the fixing belt and the heat generation part of the heat source and configured to shield heat from the heat source at least at an area outside the maximum passing area of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takeshi Uchitani, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Takuya Seshita, Shuutaroh Yuasa
  • Patent number: 9715201
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A rotation load applicator is coupled to one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator to apply a rotation load to the one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The rotation load is in a range of from 0.1 Nm to 0.6 Nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Takashi Fujita, Seiji Saitoh, Kenji Ishii, Akiyasu Amita, Kenichi Hasegawa, Takashi Seto, Tetsuo Tokuda, Hiroshi Seo, Hironori Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 9715203
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Masahiko Satoh, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Takuya Seshita, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kazuya Saito, Shinichi Namekata, Takayuki Seki, Yuji Arai, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Yutaka Ikebuchi
  • Publication number: 20170185019
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless, rotatable fixing belt, a pressure rotator, a nip formation pad, a support, and a vibration repressor. The pressure rotator presses an outer surface of the fixing belt. The nip formation pad is disposed at an inner side of the fixing belt, to abut on the pressure rotator with the fixing belt interposed between the nip formation pad and the pressure rotator to form a fixing nip. The support is disposed at the inner side of the fixing belt, to support the nip formation pad. The vibration repressor is disposed between the nip formation pad and the support, to repress vibration of the nip formation pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Seo, Yuusuke Furuichi, Takashi Fujita, Daisuke Inoue, Takamasa Hase
  • Patent number: 9690243
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Masahiko Satoh, Shinichi Namekata, Kenji Ishii, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kazuya Saito, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9678460
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a primary heater, a secondary heater, and a tertiary heater to heat a primary heating span, a secondary heating span, and a tertiary heating span of a fixing rotator, respectively. A primary temperature detector and a secondary temperature detector detect a temperature of the fixing rotator. A tertiary temperature detector detects a temperature of a pressure rotator. A controller selectively performs a primary control mode to de-energize the tertiary heater and a secondary control mode to connect the secondary heater and the tertiary heater in series to energize the primary heater, the secondary heater, and the tertiary heater. The controller energizes the secondary heater and the tertiary heater in the secondary control mode based on the temperature of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator detected by the secondary temperature detector and the tertiary temperature detector, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Hase, Susumu Matsusaka, Yasuhiko Ogino, Shohta Kobashigawa, Kenji Ishii, Kazuhito Kishi, Takashi Seto, Hiroshi Seo, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazunari Sawada
  • Patent number: 9651905
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a heater disposed inside the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator with radiant heat. A pressure rotator presses against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. A reflector is disposed opposite the heater to reflect the radiant heat radiated from the heater to the fixing rotator. The reflector includes a first parallel plane, a second parallel plane, and a third tilt plane. The second parallel plane is parallel to the first parallel plane and stepped with respect to the first parallel plane. The second parallel plane is disposed closer to the fixing nip and the heater than the first parallel plane. The third tilt plane bridges the first parallel plane and the second parallel plane and is disposed opposite the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ippei Fujimoto, Kazuhito Kishi, Takashi Seto, Takayuki Seki, Kazunari Sawada, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Takamasa Hase, Yasuhiko Ogino, Shohta Kobashigawa
  • Patent number: 9639042
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a nip formation pad to press against a fixing rotator. A primary heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotator in a primary heating span spanning in an axial direction of the fixing rotator to heat the primary heating span of the fixing rotator from which heat is conducted to the nip formation pad with a primary conduction. A secondary heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotator in a secondary heating span that is outboard from the primary heating span in the axial direction of the fixing rotator. The secondary heater is interposed between a first nip formation portion and a second nip formation portion of the nip formation pad to heat the secondary heating span of the fixing rotator through the nip formation pad from which heat is conducted to the fixing rotator with a secondary conduction greater than the primary conduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Ishii, Susumu Matsusaka, Yasuhiko Ogino, Shohta Kobashigawa, Kazuhito Kishi, Takashi Seto, Ippei Fujimoto, Kazunari Sawada, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Takamasa Hase
  • Patent number: 9612556
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater to generate heat and a fixing rotator to rotate while contacting the heater. A pressure rotator presses against the heater via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The heater includes an insulative substrate and a resistive heat generation layer mounted on the substrate. The resistive heat generation layer is disposed upstream from a center of the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Ogino, Kenji Ishii, Takashi Seto, Ippei Fujimoto, Kazuhito Kishi, Kazunari Sawada, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Takamasa Hase, Hiroshi Seo, Susumu Matsusaka, Shohta Kobashigawa
  • Patent number: 9568868
    Abstract: Heat-equalizing rotation of a fixing member and a pressing member for equalizing the distribution of the temperature of a surface of the fixing member in a width direction is performed after a recording medium having a size less than or equal to a predetermined size in the width direction passes a nip portion and before a recording medium having a size greater than the predetermined size in the width direction passes the nip portion. Further, a termination condition of the heat-equalizing rotation is selected from among a plurality of different kinds of termination conditions, based on image formation related information related to next image formation performed after the heat-equalizing rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi Namekata, Takeshi Uchitani, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kazuya Saito, Ryota Yamashina, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Seo, Takumi Waida
  • Publication number: 20170010570
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a heater disposed inside the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator with radiant heat. A pressure rotator presses against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. A reflector is disposed opposite the heater to reflect the radiant heat radiated from the heater to the fixing rotator. The reflector includes a first parallel plane, a second parallel plane, and a third tilt plane. The second parallel plane is parallel to the first parallel plane and stepped with respect to the first parallel plane. The second parallel plane is disposed closer to the fixing nip and the heater than the first parallel plane. The third tilt plane bridges the first parallel plane and the second parallel plane and is disposed opposite the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Ippei FUJIMOTO, Kazuhito KISHI, Takashi SETO, Takayuki SEKI, Kazunari SAWADA, Kenji ISHll, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takamasa HASE, Yasuhiko OGINO, Shohta KOBASHIGAWA
  • Publication number: 20170003633
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A rotation load applicator is coupled to one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator to apply a rotation load to the one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The rotation load is in a range of from 0.1 Nm to 0.6 Nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Takamasa HASE, Takashi Fujita, Seiji Saitoh, Kenji Ishii, Akiyasu Amita, Kenichi Hasegawa, Takashi Seto, Tetsuo Tokuda, Hiroshi Seo, Hironori Yamaoka
  • Publication number: 20160378027
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation pad disposed inside the fixing rotator. A pressure rotator presses against the nip formation pad via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. A heat generator is disposed inside the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator. A reflector is interposed between the heat generator and the nip formation pad. The reflector includes a reflection face to reflect radiant heat radiated from the heat generator. The reflection face includes a reflection portion disposed opposite the heat generator at various angles. A support is provided separately from the nip formation pad and supports the reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Kazunari SAWADA, Kenji ISHll, Kazuhito KISHI, Takayuki SEKI, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Takashi SETO, Hiromasa TAKAGI, lppei FUJIMOTO, Takamasa HASE, Yasuhiko OGINO, Shohta KOBASHIGAWA
  • Patent number: 9507306
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an unfixed image onto a recording medium includes a fixing belt, a nip forming member, an opposing rotary member, a heater, and a temperature detector. The fixing belt is formed into a loop to move endlessly and fix the unfixed image on the recording medium. The nip forming member is disposed inside the loop formed by the fixing belt. The opposing rotary member contacts the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip portion therebetween while rotating. The heater heats the fixing belt at a place other than the nip portion. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the surface of the fixing belt. The temperature detector detects the temperature near a place of the fixing belt that easily deforms as the fixing belt is heated by the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Teppei Kawata, Takamasa Hase, Takuya Seshita, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Hiroshi Yoshinaga
  • Publication number: 20160334742
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a primary heater disposed opposite a fixing rotator to heat a circumferential span of the fixing rotator other than a fixing nip formed between the fixing rotator and a pressure rotator and a secondary heater disposed outboard from the primary heater in an axial direction of the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator at the fixing nip. The primary heater and the secondary heater heat a bi-heating span of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof. The secondary heater heats a mono-heating span of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof and generates a decreased amount of heat to be conducted to the bi-heating span of the fixing rotator. The decreased amount of heat is smaller than an increased amount of heat to be conducted to the mono-heating span of the fixing rotator that is heated by the secondary heater only.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Shohta KOBASHIGAWA, Kenji Ishii, Kazuhito Kishi, Takayuki Seki, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takashi Seto, Hiromasa Takagi, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Seo, Takamasa Hase, Kazunari Sawada, Yasuhiko Ogino