Patents by Inventor Tetuso Tokuda

Tetuso Tokuda 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).

  • Fixing device including a radiation member to cool a fixing member and a heat conductive member
    Patent number: 8406647
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless, flexible fixing member, a heat conductive member, a heater, a pressing member, a nip formation member, and a radiation member. The endless, flexible fixing member is formed into a loop. The heat conductive member is disposed within the loop formed by the fixing member to conduct heat to the fixing member. The heater is disposed near the heat conductive member to heat the heat conductive member. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against the fixing member to form a fixing nip between the fixing member and the pressing member. A recording medium is conveyed through the fixing nip. The radiation member is detachably pressable against an outer circumference of the fixing member to contact the fixing member with the heat conductive member to cool the fixing member and the heat conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akira Shinshi, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kenichi Hasegawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Tetuso Tokuda, Ippei Fujimoto, Naoki Iwaya, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa
  • Fixing device and image forming apparatus employing the fixing device
    Patent number: 8385804
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless, flexible fixing member, a metal member, a heater, a pressing member, a temperature detector, and a supporting member. The fixing member is rotatably provided in the fixing device to heat a toner image thereon. The metal member is fixedly mounted in the fixing device so as to be opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member, to maintain the fixing member in a substantially circularly loop shape. The heater is disposed near the metal member to heat the metal member. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member. The temperature detector is disposed in contact with the metal member, to detect a temperature of the metal member. The supporting member is disposed between the heater and the temperature detector to support the temperature detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kenichi Hasegawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Akira Shinshi, Naoki Iwaya, Tetuso Tokuda, Ippei Fujimoto, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa
  • FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE FIXING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20110058863
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless, flexible fixing member, a heat conductive member, a heater, a pressing member, a nip formation member, and a radiation member. The endless, flexible fixing member is formed into a loop. The heat conductive member is disposed within the loop formed by the fixing member to conduct heat to the fixing member. The heater is disposed near the heat conductive member to heat the heat conductive member. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against the fixing member to form a fixing nip between the fixing member and the pressing member. The recording medium is conveyed through the fixing nip. The radiation member is detachably pressable against an outer circumference of the fixing member to contact the fixing member with the heat conductive member to cool the fixing member and the heat conductive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Akira SHINSHI, Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kenichi Hasegawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Tetuso Tokuda, Ippei Fujimoto, Naoki Iwaya, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa
  • FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE FIXING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20110058862
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless, flexible fixing member, a metal member, a heater, a pressing member, a temperature detector, and a supporting member. The fixing member is rotatably provided in the fixing device to heat a toner image thereon. The metal member is fixedly mounted in the fixing device so as to be opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member, to maintain the fixing member in a substantially circularly loop shape. The heater is disposed near the metal member to heat the metal member. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member. The temperature detector is disposed in contact with the metal member, to detect a temperature of the metal member. The supporting member is disposed between the heater and the temperature detector to support the temperature detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Kenichi Hasegawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Akira Shinshi, Naoki Iwaya, Tetuso Tokuda, Ippei Fujimoto, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Shuntaroh Tamaki, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa