Patents by Inventor Takuya Seshita
Takuya Seshita 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).
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Patent number: 8831498Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable, endless flexible belt, an elongated stationary pad, a rotatable pressure member, a rotary driver, a releasable biasing mechanism, a first guide member, and a second guide member. The endless flexible belt is looped into a generally cylindrical configuration. The elongated stationary pad is stationarily disposed inside the loop of the belt. The rotatable pressure member is disposed parallel to the stationary pad with the belt interposed between the pressure member and the stationary pad. The rotary driver is operatively connected with the pressure member to impart torque to the pressure member. The releasable biasing mechanism is operatively connected with the pressure member to apply a releasable pressure to the pressure member against the belt in a load direction. The first guide member defines a first elongated opening. The second guide member defines a second elongated opening.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2013Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Iwaya, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Takeshi Uchitani, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Teppei Kawata, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Arinobu Yoshiura, Takamasa Hase, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kensuke Yamaji
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Patent number: 8811874Abstract: A belt device includes a flange assembly including a tube inserted into a loop formed by an endless belt at each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof and a slip ring slidably contacting a groove mounted on the tube. An inner diameter ID 51 of the slip ring through a rotation axis of the slip ring is smaller than a minimum outer diameter OD50a of the tube through the rotation axis of the slip ring. The minimum outer diameter OD50a is smaller than a maximum outer diameter OD21 of a track of the endless belt rotating in a predetermined direction of rotation through the rotation axis of the slip ring. The maximum outer diameter OD21 is smaller than an outer diameter OD51 of the slip ring through the rotation axis of the slip ring.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2012Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kenji Ishii, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Naoki Iwaya, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Tetsuo Tokuda, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Ippei Fujimoto, Takuya Seshita
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Patent number: 8792797Abstract: A fixing device includes a fuser member, a heater, a thermometer, and a power supply controller. The fuser member is subjected to heating. The heater is adjacent to the fuser member to heat the fuser member. The thermometer is adjacent to the fuser member to detect an operational temperature of the fuser member. The power supply controller controls power supply to the heater by adjusting a duty cycle. The controller includes a duty cycle calculator, a driver circuit, and a duty cycle modifier. The duty cycle calculator is operatively connected to the thermometer to calculate a primary value of the duty cycle based on the operational temperature. The driver circuit is operatively connected to the duty cycle calculator to supply power to the heater according to the duty cycle. The duty cycle modifier is connected between the duty cycle calculator and the driver circuit to modify the duty cycle.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2012Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Ikebuchi, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Yuji Arai, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Ippei Fujimoto, Takuya Seshita, Arinobu Yoshiura, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Toshihiko Shimokawa
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Patent number: 8761650Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member in a form of an endless belt; a pressing member pressing the fixing member; a contacting member in contact with the pressing member; a holding member holding the contacting member in a pressing direction of the pressing member; a heating unit heating the fixing member; and shape maintaining units maintaining a shape of the fixing member. Further, the heating unit is disposed on an upstream side of a horizontal line passing through the center of the pressing member and the holding member is disposed on a downstream side of a horizontal line passing through the arc axis of the shape maintaining units.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2011Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hiromasa Takagi, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Yuji Arai, Naoki Iwaya, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Takahiro Imada, Ippei Fujimoto, Takuya Seshita, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Hajime Gotoh
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Patent number: 8737859Abstract: An image forming device forms a toner image on a recording medium. The recording medium goes through a fixing nip N between a fixing member and a pressure member in a fixing unit where the toner image is fixed on the recording medium. A fixing temperature detector detects the temperature of the fixing member. A fixing temperature control unit controls a heater that heats the fixing member so that the detected temperature becomes a target temperature. A size control unit of white space sets a white space at a tip of the recording medium in a direction of the recording medium movement. When a paper counter counts more than a predetermined paper count, the size control unit increases the size of the white space. The fixing temperature control unit decreases the target fixing temperature when the white space goes through the fixing nip.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takeshi Uchitani, Takamasa Hase, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takuya Seshita
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Publication number: 20140133879Abstract: In the present invention, upon return from a standby mode or sleep mode, image data is acquired as warming-up time estimate information for estimating the warming-up time to increase the temperature of a fixing belt to a target fixing temperature and, if the acquired image data is the data on a black-and-white image, control is performed to delay the heating start timing of the fixing belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2013Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Takuya SESHITA, Masahiko SATOH, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Naoki IWAYA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takahiro IMADA, Hajime GOTOH, Akira SUZUKI, Kenji ISHII, Tadashi OGAWA, Teppei KAWATA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Toshihiko SHIMOKAWA, Kensuke YAMAJI, Takeshi UCHITANI, Takamasa HASE, Shuutaroh YUASA
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Patent number: 8725038Abstract: A fixing device includes a frame, a tubular belt holder, a rotatable, flexible fuser belt, a heater, a fuser pad, a pressure member, and a mounting attachment. The tubular belt holder extends in an axial direction thereof. The fuser belt is looped into a generally cylindrical configuration around the belt holder to rotate in a circumferential direction of the belt holder. The heater is disposed adjacent to the belt holder to heat the belt holder. The fuser pad is accommodated in the belt holder inside the loop of the fuser belt, and extends in the axial direction. The pressure member is disposed opposite the belt holder with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The mounting attachment is provided to a longitudinal end of the tubular belt holder to allow retention and detachable attachment of the belt holder end to the frame.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2011Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Yuji Arai, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hajime Gotoh, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa
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Patent number: 8682218Abstract: A fixing device includes a tubular belt holder, a rotatable, flexible fuser belt, a heater, a fuser pad, a pressure member, and a reinforcing member. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the belt holder. The heater is disposed adjacent to the belt holder to heat the belt holder. The fuser pad is accommodated in the belt holder inside the loop of the fuser belt, and extends in an axial direction of the belt holder. The pressure member is disposed opposite the belt holder with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The reinforcing member is disposed inside the loop of the fuser belt to reinforce the fuser pad under pressure from the pressure member. The fuser pad includes an elongated base, multiple longitudinally spaced protrusions, a perforated, anti-friction cover, and a fastener.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2011Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Yuji Arai, Hiromasa Takagi, Tetsuo Tokuda, Naoki Iwaya, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Takuya Seshita, Ippei Fujimoto, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Arinobu Yoshiura
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Publication number: 20140079453Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater disposed opposite the fixing rotary body. A heat shield is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater. An overheating suppressor is interposed between the heater and the heat shield to shield the heat shield from the heater. The heat shield includes an intermediate portion spanning in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and movable between a shield position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater directly and a retracted position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater via the overheating suppressor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2013Publication date: March 20, 2014Inventors: Yuji ARAI, Takayuki Seki, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kazuya Saito, Kenji Ishii, Tadashi Ogawa, Teppei Kawata, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kensuke Yamaji, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Ryuuichi Mimbu, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Yamamoto, Shuutaroh Yuasa
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Patent number: 8676103Abstract: A fixing device includes a tubular belt holder, a rotatable, flexible fuser belt, a heater, a fuser pad, and a pressure member. The belt holder extends in an axial direction. The fuser belt is looped around the belt holder to rotate in a circumferential direction of the belt holder. The heater is disposed adjacent to the belt holder to heat the belt holder. The fuser pad is accommodated in the belt holder inside the loop of the fuser belt. The pressure member is disposed opposite the belt holder with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The pressure member presses in a load direction against the fuser pad through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip therebetween. The belt holder includes, along a circumferential dimension thereof, an upstream, first circumferential portion, a downstream, second circumferential portion, and a midstream, third circumferential portion.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masaaki Yoshikawa, Yuji Arai, Hiromasa Takagi, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kenji Ishii, Naoki Iwaya, Takahiro Imada, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takuya Seshita, Hajime Gotoh, Ippei Fujimoto
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Patent number: 8676104Abstract: A fixing device, including a fixing member; a pressure member; a nip forming member; a reinforcing member; a heating member; and a flange member including a cylinder inserted in an inner circumference at an edge of the fixing member in an axial direction thereof and a flange fixed on a frame of the fixing device, wherein the cylinder of the flange member includes a notch storing the nip forming member at a part on the circumference, has an arc-shaped outer circumferential cross-section at an area corresponding to an area where the fixing member is heated by the heating member, having a predetermined radius equivalent to a radius of the fixing member, and the arc has a center located at an upstream side in a recording medium feeding direction relative to a center line of the nip forming member in the recording medium feeding direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masaaki Yoshikawa, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Takuya Seshita, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hajime Gotoh, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kenji Ishii, Takahiro Imada, Naoki Iwaya, Yuji Arai, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hiromasa Takagi, Ippei Fujimoto
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Publication number: 20140050509Abstract: A toner container and an image forming apparatus are disclosed. The toner container includes a guiding member formed at a part surrounding a toner outlet to be protruded from a circumferential surface of the toner container for guiding an opening or closing operation of a shutter member in a circumferential direction of the toner container. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus main body includes a main body side shutter for opening or closing a toner supplying opening to be connected to the toner outlet. When the shutter member is opened, an end surface of the guiding member pushes the main body side shutter together with the opening operation of the shutter member, and the toner supplying opening is opened and is connected to the toner outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2013Publication date: February 20, 2014Inventors: Ichiro KADOTA, KUNIHIRO OHYAMA, MASAYUKI YAMANE, TAKESHI UCHITANI, NOBUYUKI TAGUCHI, SATORU YOSHIDA, TAKUYA SESHITA
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Patent number: 8655246Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member formed into a loop and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation. A heating assembly faces a first region on an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member to heat the fixing member. The heating assembly is thermally deformed to contact and move the fixing member. A first fixing member support and a second fixing member support face a second region on the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member other than the first region. The first fixing member support and the second fixing member support contact and support the rotating fixing member moved by the thermally deformed heating assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2011Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuo Tokuda, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Naoki Iwaya, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Ippei Fujimoto, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa
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Patent number: 8655211Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt; a pressing rotary body disposed outside a loop formed by the fixing belt; a nip formation pad disposed inside the loop formed by the fixing belt and pressed against the pressing rotary body via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressing rotary body and the fixing belt through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The nip formation pad includes a protrusion disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a conveyance direction of the recording medium and protruding toward the pressing rotary body without contacting the pressing rotary body. The fixing device further includes a pressing rotary body mover to contact and move the pressing rotary body bidirectionally in the conveyance direction of the recording medium to move the fixing nip toward and away from the protrusion.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2011Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Ippei Fujimoto, Yuji Arai, Hiromasa Takagi, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Naoki Iwaya, Arinobu Yoshiura, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Kenji Ishii, Takahiro Imada, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Takuya Seshita, Hajime Gotoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa
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Publication number: 20140016972Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable, endless belt, a stationary heater, a stationary pad, a rotatable pressure member, and a heat conductive member. The rotatable, endless belt is looped into a generally cylindrical configuration. The stationary heater is disposed inside the loop of the belt to radiate heat to the belt. The stationary pad is disposed inside the loop of the belt. The rotatable pressure member is disposed parallel to the stationary pad with the belt interposed between the pressure member and the stationary pad. The pressure member presses against the stationary pad via the belt to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium passes. The heat conductive member is interposed between the belt and the heater to transfer heat radiated from the heater by conduction therethrough to the belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Takuya SESHITA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Takeshi UCHITANI, Yutaka IKEBUCHI, Takamasa HASE, Shuutaroh YUASA
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Patent number: 8600277Abstract: A fixing device includes a tubular belt holder, a rotatable flexible fuser belt, a contact member, a pressure member, and a heater. The belt holder extends in an axial direction thereof. The fuser belt is looped around the belt holder extending in the axial direction. The contact member has a central axis thereof extending in the axial direction, accommodated in the belt holder. The pressure member has a central axis thereof extending in the axial direction, disposed opposite the belt holder with the fuser belt interposed between the contact member and the pressure member. The pressure member presses against the contact member through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip. The heater is disposed adjacent to the belt holder to heat a circumferential portion of the fuser belt. The belt holder includes a generally semi-cylindrical section to face the heated circumferential portion of the fuser belt.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2011Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masaaki Yoshikawa, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kenji Ishii, Naoki Iwaya, Takahiro Imada, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Tetsuo Tokuda, Takamasa Hase, Takuya Seshita, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Ippei Fujimoto
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Patent number: 8600262Abstract: A toner container and an image forming apparatus are disclosed. The toner container includes a guiding member formed at a part surrounding a toner outlet to be protruded from a circumferential surface of the toner container for guiding an opening or closing operation of a shutter member in a circumferential direction of the toner container. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus main body includes a main body side shutter for opening or closing a toner supplying opening to be connected to the toner outlet. When the shutter member is opened, an end surface of the guiding member pushes the main body side shutter together with the opening operation of the shutter member, and the toner supplying opening is opened and is connected to the toner outlet.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2012Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Ichiro Kadota, Kunihiro Ohyama, Masayuki Yamane, Takeshi Uchitani, Nobuyuki Taguchi, Satoru Yoshida, Takuya Seshita
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Patent number: 8588638Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a pressing member provided outside a loop formed by a fixing member to press the fixing member against a nip formation member provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member. A heat generator support is provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member to support a heat generator that generates heat to be transmitted to the fixing member. A temperature detector is provided downstream from the heat generator and upstream from the nip formation member in a direction of rotation of the fixing member to detect a temperature of the fixing member. A controller is connected to the temperature detector and the heat generator to control heat generation of the heat generator based on the temperature of the fixing member detected by the temperature detector.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Iwaya, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Ippei Fujimoto, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa
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Patent number: 8588668Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt-shaped fixing member formed into a loop and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation, a pressing member contacting an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member, a heater support assembly provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member, and a laminated heater supported by the heater support assembly and provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member. The laminated heater includes an elastic sheet contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member with pressure generated by elasticity of bending of the elastic sheet to heat the fixing member.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ishii, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Naoki Iwaya, Takahiro Imada, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Tetsuo Tokuda, Takamasa Hase, Takuya Seshita, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Ippei Fujimoto
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Publication number: 20130266355Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: a fixing belt; a pressurizing roller; a supporting member; a heating unit; a nip forming member; and a deform preventing unit. The fixing apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the fixing apparatus prevent a supporting member from deforming due to sliding of a fixing member, improving energy conservation and durability of parts and obtaining a good image.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2011Publication date: October 10, 2013Inventors: Arinobu Yoshiura, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Yuji Arai, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Hiromasa Takagi, Naoki Iwaya, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Hajime Gotoh, Ippei Fujimoto