Patents by Inventor Tetsuro Suzuki

Tetsuro Suzuki 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: 7449272
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor, including an electroconductive substrate; and a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, which includes a crosslinked layer at the surface thereof, wherein the crosslinked layer is formed by a method including: coating a coating liquid, which includes a solvent; a radical polymerizing monomer having three or more functional groups and no charge transportable structure; and a radical polymerizing compound having a charge transportable structure on the photosensitive layer; and irradiating the coating liquid to be hardened while the surface of the photosensitive layer is controlled to have a temperature not higher than a boiling point of the solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kawasaki, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Ikuno, Tetsuya Toshine
  • Publication number: 20080227008
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoconductor having an extremely low increase in friction coefficient and wear, while also having superior cleanability even after long-term or large-volume printing, and to provide an electrophotographic apparatus for forming an image using a polymerization toner without providing a unit for externally supplying a lubricant to a photoconductor. Namely, the present invention provides an electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive layer and a crosslinked resin surface layer over a conductive substrate, wherein the crosslinked resin surface layer at least contains trimethylolpropane triacrylate, a dimethylpolysiloxane having a radically polymerizable functional group, and lubricating fine particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kami, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Yukio Fujiwara, Takafumi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 7416823
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor having at least a photoconductive layer on an electrically conductive support, in which a surface layer of the photoconductive layer can be obtained by curing at least a free-radical-polymerizable monomer having no charge transporting structure, represented by general formula (A) and a one-functional free-radical-polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure, wherein R71, R72, R73, R74, R75, and R76 are described in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Yanagawa, Hiroshi Ikuno, Hongguo Li, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hiroshi Tamura, Tetsuro Suzuki, Naohiro Toda, Yoshiaki Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20080199217
    Abstract: An object is to provide an electrophotographic photoconductor which prevents an increase in the friction coefficient of the photoconductor surface caused when printing takes place for a long period of time or in large amounts, which has sustainability of the low photoconductor surface friction coefficient, low wear properties and high durability, and which is particularly superior in polymerized toner (or spherical toner) cleaning capability; a process cartridge incorporating the electrophotographic photoconductor; and an image forming apparatus incorporating the electrophotographic photoconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Takafumi IWAMOTO, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Hidetoshi Kami, Yukio Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7399563
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on an electroconductive substrate, which comprises at least a cross-linked surface layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure wherein the cross-linked surface layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Ll
  • Publication number: 20080153021
    Abstract: An image bearing member including an electrostatic substrate, a photosensitive layer located overlying the electrostatic substrate, a surface layer located overlying the photosensitive layer, and the surface layer is a cross-linking resin layer in which particulates having a needle form are dispersed and which is formed by curing a monomer having at least three radical polymerizable functional groups without a charge transport structure and a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroshi IKUNO, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hidetoshi Kami, Yukio Fujiwara, Hiroshi Tamura
  • Patent number: 7390600
    Abstract: An object is to provide a latent electrostatic image bearing member that can provide high-quality images for prolonged periods, owing to photosensitive layers and crosslinked surface layers having excellent flaw and wear resistance and appropriate electric properties, image forming method, image forming apparatus and process cartridge that employ latent electrostatic image bearing member respectively. Accordingly, provided is a latent electrostatic image bearing member that comprises a support and at least a photosensitive layer and a crosslinked surface layer disposed on the support, wherein the crosslinked surface layer comprises a reactant from radical polymerizable compounds having three or more functionalities with no charge transport structure and radical polymerizable compounds having one functionality with charge transport structure, and at least two different antioxidants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiro Toda, Hiroshi Tamura, Yoshiki Yanagawa, Tetsuro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20080138725
    Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer which is located overlying the electroconductive substrate and which is not radically crosslinked; and an outermost layer which is located overlying the photosensitive layer and which includes a radically crosslinked material, wherein the radically crosslinked material includes a unit having a specific formula. An image forming method, an image forming apparatus, and a process cartridge, which use the photoreceptor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Yukio Fujiwara, Tetsuro Suzuki, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Hidetoshi Kami
  • Patent number: 7371490
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a photoconductor that is highly sensitive, stable in image quality under repeated usages, and affords prolonged life. In order attain the object, a photoconductor is provided that comprises a charge generating layer, a charge transporting layer, and a crosslinked charge transporting layer, on an substrate in order, the charge generating layer contains titanyl phthalocyanine crystal particles that exhibit a highest peak at 27.2°, main peaks at 9.4°, 9.6° and 24.0°, a peak at 7.3° as the lowest angle, and with no peaks in a range between 7.3° and 9.4°, and with no peak at 26.3° as Bragg 2?angles (±0.2°) in terms of CuK-? characteristic X-ray wavelength at 1.542 ?, and the averaged primary particle size of the titanyl phthalocyanine crystal particles is 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nozomu Tamoto, Tatsuya Niimi, Tetsuro Suzuki, Katsuichi Ohta
  • Patent number: 7361438
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on a conductive substrate, wherein the surface layer of the photoconductive layer contains at least a surface crosslinked layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure and the surface crosslinked layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li
  • Publication number: 20080085459
    Abstract: There is provided an electrophotographic photoconductor which contains at least a conductive substrate, a photoconductive layer comprising a charge generating material and charge transport material, and a surface layer disposed on the photoconductive layer, disposed in this order, wherein the surface layer is a cross-linked resin which contains at least trimethylolpropane triacrylate, a charge transport material having a heat-curable or radical-polymerizable functional group, a silicone compound having a radical-polymerizable functional group, a fluorinated surfactant having a radical-polymerizable functional group, and a silicone compound removing material having a radical-polymerizable functional group having a wettability of 55 mN/m or more to less than 65 mN/m with the silicone compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kami, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Yukio Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20080063959
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor having a layer of a crosslinked resin obtained by reacting an epoxy group-containing amine compound having a charge transferability-imparting group with at least one silicon compound selected from an epoxy ring-free alkoxysilane compound, an epoxy ring-free silanol compound, an epoxy ring-containing alkoxysilane compound and an epoxy ring-containing silanol compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Kazukiyo NAGAI, Chiaki Tanaka, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Ikuno, Hongguo Li
  • Publication number: 20080020305
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on an electroconductive substrate, which comprises at least a cross-linked surface layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure wherein the cross-linked surface layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li
  • Publication number: 20070292780
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor including: an outermost layer, wherein the outermost layer comprises an amino group-containing acryl-modified polyorganosiloxane, wherein the amino group-containing acryl-modified polyorganosiloxane is a copolymer in which a polyorganosiloxane represented by the following structural formula (1) and an acrylic monomer are graft-polymerized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li, Tetsuro Suzuki, Harukazu Okuda
  • Patent number: 7282529
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate, and optionally a protective layer overlying the photosensitive layer, wherein an outermost layer of the photoreceptor includes a filler, a binder resin and an organic compound having an acid value of from 10 to 700 mgKOH/g. The photosensitive layer can be the outermost layer. A coating liquid for an outermost layer of a photoreceptor including a filler, a binder resin, an organic compound having an acid value of from 10 to 700 mgKOH/g and plural organic solvents. A method for preparing a photoreceptor including forming a photosensitive layer, and coating the coating liquid on the photosensitive layer. An image forming method and apparatus and a process cartridge using the photoreceptor are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Nozomu Tamoto, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Tatsuya Niimi, Akihiko Matsuyama, Eiji Kurimoto, Hidetoshi Kami
  • Patent number: 7279260
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor having a layer of a crosslinked resin obtained by reacting an epoxy group-containing amine compound having a charge transferability-imparting group with at least one silicon compound selected from an epoxy ring-free alkoxysilane compound, an epoxy ring-free silanol compound, an epoxy ring-containing alkoxysilane compound and an epoxy ring-containing silanol compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazukiyo Nagai, Chiaki Tanaka, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Ikuno, Hongguo Li
  • Publication number: 20070231720
    Abstract: A preferred aspect of an electrophotographic photoconductor of the present invention contains a layer containing a hardened material which is prepared by polymerizing (A) a chain-polymerizable group-containing tertiary amine compound in which at least one alkyl group is bound to a nitrogen atom constituting an amine structure through chain polymerization. Another preferred aspect of the electrophotographic photoconductor contains a layer containing a hardened material which is prepared by polymerizing the (A) component, and (B) a chain-polymerizable charge transporting compound through chain polymerization. Still another preferred aspect of the electrophotographic photoconductor contains a layer containing a hardened material which is prepared by polymerizing the (A) component, (B) the chain-polymerizable charge transporting compound, and (C) a trifunctional or more chain-polymerizable compound through chain polymerization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Nobuya MORI, Kazukiyo Nagai, Tomoyuki Shimada, Tetsuro Suzuki, Tetsuya Toshine
  • Publication number: 20070212625
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image bearing member that includes: a photoconductor; and a heating unit which heats the photoconductor, wherein the photoconductor includes: a support; a charge generating layer on the support, a charge transport layer, and a crosslinked charge transport layer in this order, wherein the crosslinked charge transport layer includes a reaction product of a radically polymerizable compound with three or more functional groups which does not have a charge transporting structure, and a radically polymerizable compound with one functional group, which compound has a charge transporting structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Yasuo Suzuki, Kohichi Ohshima, Tetsuro Suzuki, Michitaka Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20070212626
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor is provided including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; and an outermost layer located overlying the photosensitive layer, wherein the outermost layer is formed by a reaction between a radical polymerizable compound having no charge transport structure including a compound having a specific formula, and a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure, while applying heat, light, or ionizing radiation to the reaction, and wherein at least one of the photosensitive layer and the outermost layer includes at least an arylmethane compound having an alkylamino group or a compound having a specific formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Tetsuya Toshine, Yasuo Suzuki, Tetsuro Suzuki, Hidetoshi Kami, Yukio Fujiwara, Yoshinori Inaba
  • Publication number: 20070212627
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor formed of an electroconductive substrate and a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate, wherein the photosensitive layer contains units obtained from a tri- or more functional radical polymerizable monomer having no charge transport structure and a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure and the photosensitive layer has a layer film density of from 1.0 to 1.4 g/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshiki Yanagawa, Yoshiaki Kawasaki, Tetsuro Suzuki