Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Nakajima

Tomohiro Nakajima 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: 7471306
    Abstract: An optical scanning unit, includes a light source having a plurality of light emitting sources, a vibration mirror part configured to reciprocatingly scan a light beam emitted from the light source where a torsion bar is a rotational axis, and a recording control part configured to output image information for modulating the light emitting source as corresponding to a scan operation of the vibrating mirror part. Image information corresponding to one line to be recorded is shared by the light sources so that image recording is implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7468824
    Abstract: A module configured to deflect light in an image forming apparatus. A torsion bar supports a mirror and defines a rotational axis of the mirror. A controller is configured to apply electronic pulses to at least one driving device to oscillate the mirror in the module around the rotational axis at a scanning frequency different than a resonance frequency of the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7457562
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges arranged one above another each configured to form an image on a medium. An optical writing support unit, including an optical writing unit, hingedly attached to the image forming apparatus at a lower end position of the optical writing support unit and movable between a first position covering the plurality of image forming cartridges and a second position uncovering a side of the plurality of image forming cartridges opposite to a photoconductive element. Each of the image forming cartridges is configured to be mounted to or dismounted from a housing in the image forming apparatus when the optical writing support unit is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakazato, Kazuyuki Shimada, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7453615
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a housing that positions and holds a plurality of light sources emitting light beams, a deflection mirror that deflects the light beams to perform main scanning, and at least one of optical image forming elements closest to the deflection mirror to form images on respective image carriers. A plurality of reflectors guide the light beams exiting the housing to the respective image carriers. A pair of support members face each other to support the housing in a main scanning direction. A support mechanism supports the reflectors by bridging the reflectors between the support members and also couples the support members to each other. Relative positions of the reflectors are arranged in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to a main scanning direction between the support members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20080239433
    Abstract: An optical splitting member splits a light beam emitted by a light source into first light beam and second light beam. A coupling member couples the first light beam. An optical system converges the second light beam on a light receiving unit. A holding member holds the light source, the optical splitting member, the coupling member, and the optical system. A supporting member supports the holding member so that the holding member is rotatable about an optical axis of the light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Taku AMADA, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7423787
    Abstract: An optical scanning module includes a light-emission source emitting a light beam, a movable mirror reflecting the light beam, and a movable mirror driving part that causes the movable mirror to oscillate in first and second opposite directions. A frequency of pixel information supplied to the light-emission source varies in accordance with a primary scanning position of each of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20080212999
    Abstract: A light-amount detecting device includes: a light source which emits a light beam; a branching optical element which divides the light beam emitted from the light source into a first light beam traveling in a predetermined direction and a second light beam traveling in a direction different to the predetermined direction; a light-condensing element which condenses the second light beam; a light-receiving element having a light-receiving surface which receives the second light beam condensed by the light-condensing element; and a detector which detects a light-amount of the second light beam received by the light-receiving element, and at least one of a direction of reflected light of the second light beam reflected from the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element and spread of the reflected light of the second light beam reflected from the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element is adjusted to control a light-amount of the reflected light of the second light beam returning to the
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Kensuke Masuda, Tomohiro Nakajima, Satoru Itoh, Daisuke Ichii, Masahiro Soeda, Yoshinori Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20080212156
    Abstract: An optical scanning device is configured to identify a light-emitting unit at the start of writing on the basis of a sub-scanning resist displacement and selects a combination of four light-emitting units according to the light-emitting unit at the start of writing. The optical scanning device predicts the amount of deformation of pixel according to the combination and adjusts a light volume of light emission from a light-emitting unit to be corrected using the amount of deformation. Thereby, a pixel with an excellent shape quality can be constantly formed regardless of the combination of the light-emitting units and a pixel formed of multiple dote can be accurately and stably formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20080204852
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, an image formation apparatus, and a phase modulation method are disclosed. The optical scanning apparatus includes a liquid crystal device for deflecting an optical beam irradiated by a semiconductor laser. The driving voltages for the liquid crystal device are controlled based on, e.g., the temperature of the liquid crystal device so that degradation of the diameter of a spot of the optical beam due to wavefront aberration is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Taku Amada, Tomohiro Nakajima, Akihisa Itabashi, Seizo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7417780
    Abstract: A vibration mirror is reciprocatively vibrated by an electrostatic force to reflect an incident light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsumi Fujii, Yukito Satoh, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20080192323
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes, in an effective scanning area in the target surface, a mechanism that causes a scanning speed at each scanning position with respect to a scanning speed at an approximately center in the effective scanning area to be within a range under a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Tadashi Nakamura, Tomohiro Nakajima, Shigeaki Imai
  • Patent number: 7411712
    Abstract: An optical scanner has light source units spaced from each other along a first direction and having optical axes parallel to each other. Positions from which the light beams are emitted are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance at least along a predetermined direction. The optical scanner also includes a deflection unit that deflects the light beams together and scans the light beams along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The optical scanner also has imaging units that form an image with each of the light beams on a surface and a housing unit that holds the light source units, the deflection units, and the imaging units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakajima, Tomoya Ohsugi, Naoki Miyatake, Kohji Sakai
  • Publication number: 20080117487
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus scans a surface to be scanned in a main scanning direction by simultaneously using a plurality of optical spots formed of a plurality of optical beams emitted from an illuminant, comprising: a light path deflecting part deflecting a light path of at least one of the optical beams, wherein the light path deflecting part is provided in light paths of the optical beams wherein the light path deflecting part may use a liquid crystal deflecting element formed of a liquid crystal element being controllable by an electronic signal to deflect the light path of the one of the optical beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Inventors: Taku AMADA, Seizo Suzuki, Satoru Itoh, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20080062491
    Abstract: A line-imaging lens condenses a light beam from a light-source unit in one direction to form a line image. An optical deflecting unit deflects the light beam passing through the line-imaging lens. An imaging optical unit images the light beam deflected by the optical deflecting unit in a spot shape on a scanning surface to be scanned. An adjusting unit adjusts a position of irradiation of the light beam from the light-source unit on the optical deflecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Tadashi Nakamura, Yoshinori Hayashi, Naoki Miyatake, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7333254
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus scans a surface to be scanned in a main scanning direction by simultaneously using a plurality of optical spots formed of a plurality of optical beams emitted from an illuminant, comprising: a light path deflecting part deflecting a light path of at least one of the optical beams, wherein the light path deflecting part is provided in light paths of the optical beams wherein the light path deflecting part may use a liquid crystal deflecting element formed of a liquid crystal element being controllable by an electronic signal to deflect the light path of the one of the optical beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taku Amada, Seizo Suzuki, Satoru Itoh, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20080024590
    Abstract: A deflector includes a vibrating mirror supported by a torsion beam provided as a rotational axis and reciprocally scanning a beam from a light emitting source; and a rotational part configured to give a rotational torque to the vibrating mirror for making oscillation. The rotational part generates the rotational torque along one side separated from the rotational axis by length R in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis. The vibration mirror has relationships of R<r, D>d, and D?d·(r/R)?2 where width in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of a mirror part that is a part of the vibrating mirror is 2r; width in a direction parallel with the rotational axis of the mirror part is d; and width of the separated one side causing generation of the rotational torque is D.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventor: Tomohiro NAKAJIMA
  • Patent number: 7286786
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other and a transfer belt support unit hingedly attached to the image forming apparatus that is movable between a first position covering the plurality of image forming cartridges and a second position uncovering the plurality of image forming cartridges. Each image forming cartridge can be mounted to or dismounted from the image forming apparatus when the transfer belt support unit is in the second position. At least one of the image forming cartridges can be mounted to or dismounted from the image forming apparatus in a direction other than along an axis of rotation of a photoconductive member located in an image forming member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakazato, Kazuyuki Shimada, Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20070206259
    Abstract: A disclosed optical scanning device includes: a light source unit having plural luminous sources; a light source driving unit modulating each luminous source in accordance with pixel information; an oscillating mirror supported on a twist beam as a rotation shaft, the oscillating mirror collectively deflecting light beams from the luminous sources and performing reciprocating scanning on a surface to be scanned; an imaging optical system imaging the light beams from the luminous sources on the surface to be scanned; an oscillating mirror driving unit setting a scanning frequency f in accordance with a resonance frequency of the oscillating mirror; and a pitch adjustment unit adjusting beam spot intervals p in a sub-scanning direction in accordance with the scanning frequency f of the oscillating mirror that has been set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20070146851
    Abstract: A disclosed optical scanning device includes an oscillating mirror supported by a torsion beam for deflecting light beams from a light source unit to scan an object surface backward and forward. A window member transmits light beams incident on and reflected from an oscillating mirror. A sealing member holds the window member and seals a space in which the oscillating mirror is mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20070146738
    Abstract: A multi-beam scanning device includes a light source part having a plurality of light emitting sources which light emitting sources are monolithically arranged in a surface perpendicular to an optical axis; a light deflection part configured to deflect a plurality of light beams from the light source part in a lump and scan an image carrier surface; and an image-formation optical system where lateral magnification is set so that beam spots of the plural light beams are arranged at a designated pitch in a sub-scanning direction on the image carrier surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakajima