Patents by Inventor Tamotsu Ikeda

Tamotsu Ikeda 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: 12353159
    Abstract: A fixing device detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus includes a housing frame having an open front side in an insertion direction in which the fixing device is inserted into the image forming apparatus. The housing frame includes a support plate, as a back side of the housing frame in the insertion direction, and a pair of side plates extending in the insertion direction. The support plate includes an extension extending beyond one of the pair of side plates. The extension includes an engaged portion to be engaged with an engaging portion of the image forming apparatus when the fixing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Okamoto, Yuusuke Furuichi, Seiji Saitoh, Tamotsu Ikeda, Shigeo Nanno
  • Publication number: 20240319636
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a planar heater, a holder, a conductor, and a support. The pressure rotator presses the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing rotator. The planar heater contacts an inner surface of the fixing rotator. The holder holds the heater and guides the fixing rotator. The conductor is grounded and contacts the inner surface of the fixing rotator. The support supports the holder and has a shape of regulating rotation of the conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Tamotsu IKEDA, Yutaka IKEBUCHI, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Seiji SAITOH, Jun OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240310776
    Abstract: A fixing device detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus includes a housing frame having an open front side in an insertion direction in which the fixing device is inserted into the image forming apparatus. The housing frame includes a support plate, as a back side of the housing frame in the insertion direction, and a pair of side plates extending in the insertion direction. The support plate includes an extension extending beyond one of the pair of side plates. The extension includes an engaged portion to be engaged with an engaging portion of the image forming apparatus when the fixing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Jun OKAMOTO, Yuusuke FURUICHI, Seiji SAITOH, Tamotsu IKEDA, Shigeo NANNO
  • Patent number: 12025930
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a pressure plate, a pressing force adjuster, an entrance guide, an exit guide, and a guide. The pressure rotator presses the fixing rotator to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The pressure plate rotates about a fulcrum to press the pressure rotator. The pressing force adjuster adjusts a pressing force of the pressure rotator. The entrance guide guides a recording medium entering the nip. The exit guide guides the recording medium ejected from the nip. The guide guides the pressure rotator in a direction inclined from a line connecting a rotation center of the fixing rotator and a rotation center of the pressure rotator toward downstream in a conveyance direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Ikeda, Toshio Ogiso
  • Patent number: 11927900
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a pressure plate, a pressing force, an entrance guide, an exit guide, and a transmission. The pressure rotator presses the fixing rotator to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The pressure plate rotates about a fulcrum to press the pressure rotator. The pressing force adjuster adjusts a pressing force of the pressure rotator. The entrance guide guides a recording medium entering the nip. The exit guide guides the recording medium ejected from the nip. The transmission transmits a displacement of the pressure plate to the entrance guide and the exit guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Ogiso, Tamotsu Ikeda
  • 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: 20230251592
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a pressure plate, a pressing force, an entrance guide, an exit guide, and a transmission. The pressure rotator presses the fixing rotator to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The pressure plate rotates about a fulcrum to press the pressure rotator. The pressing force adjuster adjusts a pressing force of the pressure rotator. The entrance guide guides a recording medium entering the nip. The exit guide guides the recording medium ejected from the nip. The transmission transmits a displacement of the pressure plate to the entrance guide and the exit guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio OGISO, Tamotsu IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20230236533
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a pressure plate, a pressing force adjuster, an entrance guide, an exit guide, and a guide. The pressure rotator presses the fixing rotator to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The pressure plate rotates about a fulcrum to press the pressure rotator. The pressing force adjuster adjusts a pressing force of the pressure rotator. The entrance guide guides a recording medium entering the nip. The exit guide guides the recording medium ejected from the nip. The guide guides the pressure rotator in a direction inclined from a line connecting a rotation center of the fixing rotator and a rotation center of the pressure rotator toward downstream in a conveyance direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotsu IKEDA, Toshio Ogiso
  • Patent number: 11703787
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a heating rotator, a nip formation rotator, and an entry guide. The entry guide guides each of a first recording medium having a predetermined length or more and a second recording medium having a length less than the predetermined length to the fixing nip. The entry guide includes a first and second entry guide portion. The first entry guide portion guides the first recording medium toward a harder one of the heating rotator and the nip formation rotator and has an opening. The second entry guide portion guides the second recording passing through the opening to the fixing nip along a reference line connecting an entry and exit of the fixing nip or guides the second recording medium from an area including a softer one of the heating rotator and the nip formation rotator with respect to the reference line to the fixing nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Ogiso, Tamotsu Ikeda
  • 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: 11573513
    Abstract: A heating device includes a housing, a heating member, a pressure member, a pair of openings, and a thermal insulator. The heating member and the pressure member extend along a longitudinal direction and press each other to form a nip portion in the housing. The heating member transfers heat to a recording medium passing through the nip portion. The pair of openings is disposed in the housing and opens facing both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the heating member so that air passes through the pair of openings. The thermal insulator is disposed inside the housing between the pair of openings and faces an outer peripheral surface of the heating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tamotsu Ikeda
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20220373950
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a heating rotator, a nip formation rotator, and an entry guide. The entry guide guides each of a first recording medium having a predetermined length or more and a second recording medium having a length less than the predetermined length to the fixing nip. The entry guide includes a first and second entry guide portion. The first entry guide portion guides the first recording medium toward a harder one of the heating rotator and the nip formation rotator and has an opening. The second entry guide portion guides the second recording passing through the opening to the fixing nip along a reference line connecting an entry and exit of the fixing nip or guides the second recording medium from an area including a softer one of the heating rotator and the nip formation rotator with respect to the reference line to the fixing nip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio OGISO, Tamotsu IKEDA
  • Patent number: 11204570
    Abstract: A contact-separation mechanism includes a cam to rotate to move a contact-separation member to and from a counterpart member, a detection target to rotate together with the cam, and a detector to detect presence or absence of the detection target in a detection area of the detector, and circuitry. The cam has a reference range. The circuitry issues a rotation stop instruction of the cam after a target time elapses from passing of the reference range of the detection target through the detection area, and sets the target time based on a duration of an immediately preceding passing of the reference range through the detection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Nanno, Kimihiro Tanaka, Tamotsu Ikeda, Kenji Tomita, Osamu Saito
  • Publication number: 20210364962
    Abstract: A heating device includes a housing, a heating member, a pressure member, a pair of openings, and a thermal insulator. The heating member and the pressure member extend along a longitudinal direction and press each other to form a nip portion in the housing. The heating member transfers heat to a recording medium passing through the nip portion. The pair of openings is disposed in the housing and opens facing both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the heating member so that air passes through the pair of openings. The thermal insulator is disposed inside the housing between the pair of openings and faces an outer peripheral surface of the heating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventor: Tamotsu IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20200172359
    Abstract: A contact-separation mechanism includes a cam to rotate to move a contact-separation member to and from a counterpart member, a detection target to rotate together with the cam, and a detector to detect presence or absence of the detection target in a detection area of the detector, and circuitry. The cam has a reference range. The circuitry issues a rotation stop instruction of the cam after a target time elapses from passing of the reference range of the detection target through the detection area, and sets the target time based on a duration of an immediately preceding passing of the reference range through the detection area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: SHIGEO NANNO, Kimihiro Tanaka, Tamotsu Ikeda, Kenji Tomita, Osamu Saito
  • Patent number: 10374849
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus and method which can suppress increase in power consumption. In an aspect of the present technology, control data, which is for controlling frequency modulation to a carrier signal using digital data to be transmitted, and for suppressing a time average of a fluctuation amount of a frequency modulation amount more than a case of controlling the frequency modulation to the carrier signal using the digital data is generated, the frequency modulation is performed to the carrier signal on the basis of the generated control data, and the carrier signal to which the frequency modulation is performed is transmitted as a transmission signal. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a signal processing apparatus, a transmission apparatus, a reception apparatus, a communication apparatus, or an electronic apparatus having a transmission function, a reception function, or a communication function, or a computer which controls these.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Kobayashi, Toshiyuki Hiroi, Katsuyuki Tanaka, Tamotsu Ikeda, Hitoshi Tomiyama, Makoto Sato, Hiroyuki Mita
  • Patent number: 10078300
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator including a primary portion and a secondary portion disposed outboard from the primary portion in an axial direction of the fixing rotator. A pressure rotator contacts the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A primary heater heats the primary portion of the fixing rotator. A secondary heater heats the secondary portion of the fixing rotator. A primary temperature detector is isolated from the fixing rotator and detects a temperature of the primary portion of the fixing rotator. A secondary temperature detector contacts the fixing rotator and detects a temperature of the secondary portion of the fixing rotator. The primary temperature detector has a thermal time constant that is smaller than a thermal time constant of the secondary temperature detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Samei, Toshio Ogiso, Tamotsu Ikeda, Shigeo Nanno
  • Patent number: 10036987
    Abstract: A fixing device is removably installed inside an apparatus body including an apparatus guide. The fixing device includes a convex guide guided along the apparatus guide and a heater to heat a recording medium to fix a toner image on the recording medium. The heater includes a lateral end in a longitudinal direction of the heater. The lateral end is disposed inside the convex guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Nanno, Toshio Ogiso, Masahiro Samei, Tamotsu Ikeda