Patents by Inventor Tomoki KAI

Tomoki KAI 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: 12109614
    Abstract: A layer forming apparatus includes a loading unit including a stage onto which powder is supplied, a rotator that flattens the powder on the stage to form a powder layer, and circuitry. The circuitry causes the rotator to move in a first direction parallel to a surface of the stage and rotate while contacting the powder on the stage to form the powder layer. Further, the circuitry causes the rotator to move in a second direction opposite to the first direction and rotate while contacting surplus powder not on the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoki Kai, Yasutomo Aman, Yasuyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20230211550
    Abstract: A liquid fabrication applied to a layer of powder containing an inorganic particle, wherein the liquid fabrication has a powder contact angle with the inorganic particle of 50 degrees or greater and satisfies the following relationship 1: ?cos?/??1.5 m/s, where ? represents the powder contact angle, ? represents a surface tension in mN/m of the liquid fabrication at 23 degrees C., and ? represents a viscosity in mPa·s of the liquid fabrication at 25 degrees C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji TAKIMOTO, Shinichiroh Satoh, Keisuke Shiba, Yuki Shingai, Noriaki Okada, Yuji Nagatomo, Tomoki Kai, Hisataka Takagi, Yoichi Ito, Tsuyoshi Arao, Takashi Matsumura, Tomomi Akieda
  • Publication number: 20230024086
    Abstract: A powder supply apparatus includes at least a vibration sieve part configured to vibrate a powder supply port by a vibration source. The powder supply port has a rectangular shape. The vibration source is mounted on a short side of the powder supply port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei OSANAI, Tomoki KAI, Kohichiroh TANAKA, Yamato OGASAWARA, Yuuichi WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20220402040
    Abstract: A fabrication apparatus includes a loading unit including a stage onto which powder is supplied, a rotator that rotates while moving to flatten the powder on the stage to form a powder layer, a solidification device that applies a fabrication liquid to the powder layer on the stage to solidify the powder layer to form a fabrication layer, and circuitry. The powder layer includes a first powder layer and a second powder layer. The circuitry causes the rotator to move and rotate to form the first powder layer having a cyclic uneven surface and form the second powder layer on the first powder layer. The second powder layer has an uneven surface that is in phase with the cyclic uneven surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki YAMASHITA, Yasutomo AMAN, Tomoki KAI
  • Publication number: 20220388069
    Abstract: A layer forming apparatus includes a loading unit including a stage onto which powder is supplied, a rotator that flattens the powder on the stage to form a powder layer, and circuitry. The circuitry causes the rotator to move in a first direction parallel to a surface of the stage and rotate while contacting the powder on the stage to form the powder layer. Further, the circuitry causes the rotator to move in a second direction opposite to the first direction and rotate while contacting surplus powder not on the stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoki KAI, Yasutomo AMAN, Yasuyuki YAMASHITA
  • Publication number: 20220032379
    Abstract: A three-dimensional fabrication apparatus includes a fabrication chamber and a roller. Powder is spread in layers in the fabrication chamber. Fabrication layers are formed of the powder bonded together and laminated in the fabrication chamber. The roller flattens the powder in the fabrication chamber. The roller includes a first helical groove region and a second helical groove region. The first helical groove region includes a first groove that moves the powder in the fabrication chamber in a first direction along a longitudinal axis of the roller as the roller rotates. The second helical groove region includes a second groove moves the powder in the fabrication chamber in a second direction opposite to the first direction as the roller rotates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki YAMASHITA, Tomoki KAI, Yasutomo AMAN