Patents by Inventor Taku Kudoh
Taku Kudoh 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: 9686422Abstract: An image scanner includes a stationary original plate on which a stationary original is placed and a moving original plate, over which a moving original is conveyed, aligned with the stationary original plate in a sub-scanning direction and tilted relative to the stationary original plate by a given angle. A reader is movable in the sub-scanning direction between a stationary original reading span disposed opposite the stationary original via the stationary original plate to read an image on the stationary original and a moving original reading position disposed opposite the moving original via the moving original plate to read an image on the moving original. The reader pressingly contacts the stationary original plate and the moving original plate as the reader moves in the sub-scanning direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2014Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Satoshi Narai, Yasunobu Youda, Taku Kudoh, Takayuki Andoh, Koji Hatayama, Yohei Osanai
-
Patent number: 8994963Abstract: A sheet conveyance unit including a sheet tray on which a stack of sheets is placed, a sheet feed member to feed sheets from the stack of sheets, a separation/feed unit to separate a topmost sheet from the rest of sheets fed by the sheet feed member and feed the topmost sheet to a predetermined position, and a pre-separation unit disposed between the sheet tray and the separation/feed unit. The pre-separation unit includes a downward sloped portion to guide a leading edge of each sheet diagonally downward, and an upward sloped portion provided downstream from the downward sloped portion in a conveyance direction of the sheets to guide the leading edge of each sheet diagonally upward. Both ends of the upward sloped portion in a lateral direction are sloped upward more gently than the center of the upward sloped portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2013Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yohei Osanai, Yasunobu Youda, Taku Kudoh, Takayuki Andoh, Koji Hatayama
-
Publication number: 20140347711Abstract: An image scanner includes a stationary original plate on which a stationary original is placed and a moving original plate, over which a moving original is conveyed, aligned with the stationary original plate in a sub-scanning direction and tilted relative to the stationary original plate by a given angle. A reader is movable in the sub-scanning direction between a stationary original reading span disposed opposite the stationary original via the stationary original plate to read an image on the stationary original and a moving original reading position disposed opposite the moving original via the moving original plate to read an image on the moving original. The reader pressingly contacts the stationary original plate and the moving original plate as the reader moves in the sub-scanning direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Satoshi NARAI, Yasunobu YOUDA, Taku KUDOH, Takayuki ANDOH, Koji HATAYAMA, Yohei OSANAI
-
Patent number: 8861048Abstract: An image scanner includes a stationary original plate on which a stationary original is placed and a moving original plate, over which a moving original is conveyed, aligned with the stationary original plate in a sub-scanning direction and tilted relative to the stationary original plate by a given angle. A reader is movable in the sub-scanning direction between a stationary original reading span disposed opposite the stationary original via the stationary original plate to read an image on the stationary original and a moving original reading position disposed opposite the moving original via the moving original plate to read an image on the moving original. The reader pressingly contacts the stationary original plate and the moving original plate as the reader moves in the sub-scanning direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2013Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Satoshi Narai, Yasunobu Youda, Taku Kudoh, Takayuki Andoh, Koji Hatayama, Yohei Osanai
-
Patent number: 8800990Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes an upstream conveyance roller pair disposed upstream of an image reader including an upstream driving roller and an upstream driven roller; a downstream conveyance roller pair including a downstream driving roller and a downstream driven roller; an upstream auxiliary roller pair including upstream auxiliary rollers disposed coaxially on a shaft of the upstream driving roller and of the upstream driven roller, respectively, each formed of an elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent upstream driving roller and of the adjacent upstream driven roller, respectively; and a downstream auxiliary roller pair including downstream auxiliary rollers each disposed coaxially on a shaft of the downstream driving roller and of the downstream driven roller, formed of a low-hardness elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent downstream driving roller and of the adjacent downstream driven roller.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2011Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Koji Hatayama, Yasunobu Youda, Taku Kudoh, Takayuki Andoh, Yohei Osanai, Satoshi Narai, Takashi Fujii
-
Publication number: 20130335790Abstract: An image scanner includes a stationary original plate on which a stationary original is placed and a moving original plate, over which a moving original is conveyed, aligned with the stationary original plate in a sub-scanning direction and tilted relative to the stationary original plate by a given angle. A reader is movable in the sub-scanning direction between a stationary original reading span disposed opposite the stationary original via the stationary original plate to read an image on the stationary original and a moving original reading position disposed opposite the moving original via the moving original plate to read an image on the moving original. The reader pressingly contacts the stationary original plate and the moving original plate as the reader moves in the sub-scanning direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2013Publication date: December 19, 2013Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Satoshi NARAI, Yasunobu YOUDA, Taku KUDOH, Takayuki ANDOH, Koji HATAYAMA, Yohei OSANAI
-
Publication number: 20130222826Abstract: A sheet conveyance unit including a sheet tray on which a stack of sheets is placed, a sheet feed member to feed sheets from the stack of sheets, a separation/feed unit to separate a topmost sheet from the rest of sheets fed by the sheet feed member and feed the topmost sheet to a predetermined position, and a pre-separation unit disposed between the sheet tray and the separation/feed unit. The pre-separation unit includes a downward sloped portion to guide a leading edge of each sheet diagonally downward, and an upward sloped portion provided downstream from the downward sloped portion in a conveyance direction of the sheets to guide the leading edge of each sheet diagonally upward. Both ends of the upward sloped portion in a lateral direction are sloped upward more gently than the center of the upward sloped portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2013Publication date: August 29, 2013Inventors: Yohei OSANAI, Yasunobu YOUDA, Taku KUDOH, Takayuki ANDOH, Koji HATAYAMA
-
Patent number: 8322710Abstract: An automatic sheet feeder includes a sheet setting unit to set a sheet to be fed by a sheet feeding member, an openably closable cover rotatably disposed over an upper portion of the sheet setting unit, a sheet detector rotatably supported on the cover to detect whether or not a sheet is set on the sheet setting unit and including a detection member, a rotary shaft about which the detection member rotates, and a sensor to detect the setting of the sheet according to a movement of the detection member, and a rotating member to cause the detection member to rotate in a direction such that an angle between a line extending in a longitudinal direction of the detection member and a surface of the sheet set on the sheet setting unit decreases as the cover rotates from an open position to a closed position.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2011Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takayuki Andoh, Kohji Hatayama, Yohei Osanai, Satoshi Narai, Taku Kudoh
-
Patent number: 8194255Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cover section, an image reading device including a document hold member and a document hold member cover, and a lock mechanism. When the document hold member cover is not in close contact with the document hold member, the lock mechanism prevents opening of the cover section or sliding of the image reading device.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2008Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takayuki Andoh, Takuji Takahashi, Takamasa Shiraki, Yoshihide Ohta, Kohji Hatayama, Kazushige Kawamura, Tetsuya Fujioka, Masato Ogawa, Taku Kudoh
-
Publication number: 20120104676Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes an upstream conveyance roller pair disposed upstream of an image reader including an upstream driving roller and an upstream driven roller; a downstream conveyance roller pair including a downstream driving roller and a downstream driven roller; an upstream auxiliary roller pair including upstream auxiliary rollers disposed coaxially on a shaft of the upstream driving roller and of the upstream driven roller, respectively, each formed of an elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent upstream driving roller and of the adjacent upstream driven roller, respectively; and a downstream auxiliary roller pair including downstream auxiliary rollers each disposed coaxially on a shaft of the downstream driving roller and of the downstream driven roller, formed of a low-hardness elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent downstream driving roller and of the adjacent downstream driven roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Koji Hatayama, Yasunobu Youda, Taku Kudoh, Takayuki Andoh, Yohei Osanai, Satoshi Narai, Takashi Fujii
-
Patent number: 8152259Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a body, an engine part provided in the body and including a recording head that ejects droplets of a recording liquid, the engine part recording an image on a recording medium by the recording head while feeding the recording medium in a main scanning direction, a medium discharging part provided in the body at a side of the engine part, the medium discharging part feeding the recording medium to a medium take-up part after recording of the image with the engine, and a cartridge loading part that holds a cartridge of the recording liquid in a detachable manner, the cartridge loading part being provided in the body of the image forming apparatus and feeding the recording liquid to the recording head of the engine part, wherein the cartridge loading part is provided underneath the medium discharging part.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2009Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Taku Kudoh
-
Patent number: 8075088Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body; a page-width inkjet head unit capable of ejecting fluid droplets without substantially moving the page-width inkjet head unit while forming an image on a medium to be recorded on; a maintaining and recovering unit maintaining and recovering a function of a nozzle of the page-width inkjet head unit; and an engaging unit for engaging the page-width inkjet head unit and the maintaining and recovering unit together as a single unit when the page-width inkjet head unit and the maintaining and recovering unit are removed from the apparatus main body as a single unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2008Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawashima, Taku Kudoh, Masaru Watanabe, Hideki Sueoka, Ikoh Soh
-
Publication number: 20110285078Abstract: An automatic sheet feeder includes a sheet setting unit to set a sheet to be fed by a sheet feeding member, an openably closable cover rotatably disposed over an upper portion of the sheet setting unit, a sheet detector rotatably supported on the cover to detect whether or not a sheet is set on the sheet setting unit and including a detection member, a rotary shaft about which the detection member rotates, and a sensor to detect the setting of the sheet according to a movement of the detection member, and a rotating member to cause the detection member to rotate in a direction such that an angle between a line extending in a longitudinal direction of the detection member and a surface of the sheet set on the sheet setting unit decreases as the cover rotates from an open position to a closed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takayuki Andoh, Kohji Hatayama, Yohei Osanai, Satoshi Narai, Taku Kudoh
-
Patent number: 7946578Abstract: In an automatic original conveying device, a motor rotates in a single direction and a driving force transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the motor from a sheet feeding roller to a switchback roller. The sheet feeding roller conveys an original that stands by in a switchback conveying path to a second conveying path. A sorting unit sorts the original conveyed from a paper delivery path to an original delivery table or to the switchback conveying path. The switchback roller is provided between the sorting unit and the switchback conveying path and it is rotatable in a normal direction or a reverse direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2009Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.Inventors: Kohji Hatayama, Taku Kudoh
-
Publication number: 20100149299Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus provides an improved printing speed and improved convenience of use. A recording head discharges droplets of a recording liquid onto a paper so as to form an image on the paper. A belt conveyance mechanism has a belt onto which the paper is electrostatically attached. The paper attached onto the belt is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to a carding direction of the paper.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2010Publication date: June 17, 2010Inventors: Hajime NISHIDA, Manabu Nonaka, Eiki Yoshimizu, Shinichiro Naruse, Yasuhiro Kawashima, Hideki Sueoka, Tetsu Morino, Kazumasa Ishikawa, Yasunobu Youda, Akihiro Fujita, Shoji Asanuma, Masatoshi Sakakitani, Taku Kudoh, Shigeyuki Ito, Yohzoh Dohki, Koji Watanabe
-
Patent number: 7731353Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, and a guide device configured to guide the printing unit to be drawn in a direction perpendicular to a recording medium conveying direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. Thus, because the printing unit can be drawn out from the main body of the apparatus, maintenance work to the printing unit can be easily performed in a state that the printing unit has been drawn out from the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: Ricoh Company, LtdInventors: Taku Kudoh, Manabu Nonaka, Yasuhiro Kawashima
-
Patent number: 7712892Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus provides an improved printing speed and improved convenience of use. A recording head discharges droplets of a recording liquid onto a paper so as to form an image on the paper. A belt conveyance mechanism has a belt onto which the paper is electrostatically attached. The paper attached onto the belt is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to a carding direction of the paper.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2005Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hajime Nishida, Manabu Nonaka, Eiki Yoshimizu, Shinichiro Naruse, Yasuhiro Kawashima, Hideki Sueoka, Tetsu Morino, Kazumasa Ishikawa, Yasunobu Youda, Akihiro Fujita, Shoji Asanuma, Masatoshi Sakakitani, Taku Kudoh, Shigeyuki Ito, Yohzoh Dohki, Koji Watanabe
-
Publication number: 20090273134Abstract: In an automatic original conveying device, a motor rotates in a single direction and a driving force transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the motor from a sheet feeding roller to a switchback roller. The sheet feeding roller conveys an original that stands by in a switchback conveying path to a second conveying path. A sorting unit sorts the original conveyed from a paper delivery path to an original delivery table or to the switchback conveying path. The switchback roller is provided between the sorting unit and the switchback conveying path and it is rotatable in a normal direction or a reverse direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2009Publication date: November 5, 2009Inventors: Kohji Hatayama, Taku Kudoh
-
Publication number: 20090128597Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a body, an engine part provided in the body and including a recording head that ejects droplets of a recording liquid, the engine part recording an image on a recording medium by the recording head while feeding the recording medium in a main scanning direction, a medium discharging part provided in the body at a side of the engine part, the medium discharging part feeding the recording medium to a medium take-up part after recording of the image with the engine, and a cartridge loading part that holds a cartridge of the recording liquid in a detachable manner, the cartridge loading part being provided in the body of the image forming apparatus and feeding the recording liquid to the recording head of the engine part, wherein the cartridge loading part is provided underneath the medium discharging part.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2009Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Taku Kudoh
-
Publication number: 20090122330Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cover section, an image reading device including a document hold member and a document hold member cover, and a lock mechanism. When the document hold member cover is not in close contact with the document hold member, the lock mechanism prevents opening of the cover section or sliding of the image reading device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2008Publication date: May 14, 2009Inventors: Takayuki Andoh, Takuji Takahashi, Takamasa Shiraki, Yoshihide Ohta, Kohji Hatayama, Kazushige Kawamura, Tetsuya Fujioka, Masato Ogawa, Taku Kudoh