Patents by Inventor Tomoko Takahashi

Tomoko Takahashi 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: 7783235
    Abstract: A development apparatus using a hopping method and an image formation apparatus including the development apparatus are disclosed. The development apparatus includes a toner supporting object for supporting and conveying a toner by a movement of the toner supporting object, while the toner is hopping on a surface of the toner supporting object by an electric field; a regulating member made of a flexible material for constituting a toner thickness regulation position; a latent image supporting object for supporting a latent image; and a development position, which is a position of the toner supporting object, that counters the latent image supporting object; wherein the toner is conveyed through the regulation position to the development position where the toner is adhered to the latent image, and wherein one end of the regulating member is supported, and the other end contacts the toner supporting object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Tsukamoto, Nobuaki Kondoh, Masanori Horike, Tomoko Takahashi, Masaaki Yamada, Hideki Kosugi, Ichiro Kadota, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Yasuyuki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100183342
    Abstract: An image creating apparatus includes a casing that stores therein an agent, an agent carrier rotatably supported by the casing, a hole defining member defining a plurality of holes therein and opposed to the agent carrier, a plurality of spray electrodes provided on the hole defining member respectively corresponding to the holes and forming an electric field for selectively causing the agent to be sprayed from the agent carrier towards the holes, and a positioning member provided on the casing to cover the agent carrier and positioning the hole defining member with respect to the agent carrier so that the agent carrier and the hole defining member are in a predetermined positional relationship. The angle of the positioning member is adjustable relative to the casing about a rotation shaft that is coaxial with the agent carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Masanori SAITOH, Osamu ENDOU, Masanori HORIKE, Nobuaki KONDOH, Tomoko TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 7734233
    Abstract: A disclosed development device includes: a latent image carrier; a conveying member disposed so as to face the latent image carrier, the conveying member having plural electrodes insulated from one another and arranged at predetermined intervals so as to generate an electric field for moving toner on the conveying member; a voltage application unit applying a voltage of n phases (n is a positive integer not less than one) to the electrodes so as to form a cloud of the toner and the toner is adhered to the latent image carrier so as to form a visualized toner image; a toner supply unit supplying the toner to the conveying member; and a height adjusting member adjusting a uniform height for a toner layer of the toner immediately before a development area on the conveying member in which development is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Aoki, Hideki Zemba, Tomoko Takahashi, Nobuaki Kondoh, Masanori Horike, Masaaki Yamada, Takeo Tsukamoto, Hideki Kosugi, Ichiro Kadota, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Yasuyuki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100104319
    Abstract: A direct image-recording device in which a predetermined gap set between an image carrier and a hole forming member can be maintained, and an image forming apparatus provided with the direct image-recording device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Masanori SAITOH, Shin Kayahara, Masanori Horike, Osamu Endo, Tomoko Takahashi, Nobuaki Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20100061751
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus, which is able to prevent the adherence of toner on the surface of toner controlling means and around a toner passage hole, and to stably carry out toner passage ON/OFF control when forming an image using the direct recording method. This image forming apparatus includes: a toner carrier; recording medium means; toner controlling means, disposed between the toner carrier and recording medium means, and having a plurality of toner passage holes; and cloud electrode means disposed between the toner carrier and toner controlling means, a toner cloud being formed by applying an AC bias between the toner carrier and cloud electrode means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: Masanori HORIKE, Fuyuhiko Matsumoto, Masanori Saitoh, Nobuaki Kondoh, Shin Kayahara, Osamu Endou, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7672604
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a developing apparatus using a development system in which toner is moved by means of a traveling wave electric field. The image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of developing apparatuses having toner conveyance members which convey toner by means of a phase-shift electric field created by voltages of n phases applied to a plurality of electrodes, to a region opposing an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; and a voltage application device which applies a voltage having an average potential value between the potential of the image portions of the latent image on the image carrier and the non-image portions of same, to the electrodes of the toner conveyance members of the respective developing apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoko Takahashi, Masanori Horike, Katsuo Sakai, Yohichiroh Miyaguchi, Nobuaki Kondoh
  • Patent number: 7672625
    Abstract: A developing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus that use ETH development, and are capable of forming good multi-color images with a simple construction, and are capable of preventing the dispersal of powder. The developing device is for developing latent images on a latent image carrying member by applying powder to the latent image carrying member, and comprises: a transport member disposed in opposition to the latent image carrying member and having a plurality of transport electrodes that generate a progressive wave electric field to move the powder; a voltage supply device for applying a multi-phase voltage to the transport electrodes; and a transport member surface potential determination device for determining the surface potential of the transport member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoko Takahashi, Katsuhiro Aoki, Hideki Zemba
  • Publication number: 20100021214
    Abstract: A toner carrying member includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a first direction intersecting with a second direction in which its surface moves. A voltage applying unit applies a bias to the electrodes such that an electric field direction is changed temporally in an alternate manner between adjacent electrodes. An adjusting member adjusts an amount of toner carried on the toner carrying member. A toner-cloud facilitating member includes a conductive member arranged between the toner supplying member and the adjusting member in the second direction in opposite to the toner carrying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Ichiro KADOTA, Yasuyuki ISHII, Tomoko TAKAHASHI, Masaaki YAMADA, Hideki KOSUGI, Yoshinori NAKAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20090290901
    Abstract: A development device includes an open-ended housing, a rotatable roller, an array of multiple primary electrodes, a voltage source, a sealing member, and a secondary electrode. The housing accommodates toner for application to the photoconductive surface through an end opening thereof. The roller has an outer circumferential surface to deliver the toner from within the housing to a development zone. The array of multiple primary electrodes are aligned with each other on the roller surface. The voltage source applies a periodic pulse voltage to at least a subset of the primary electrodes to generate an oscillating primary electric field. The sealing member seals clearance between the roller surface and an edge of the end opening downstream from the development zone. The secondary electrode generates a secondary electric field to force the toner from the sealing member toward the roller surface to prevent premature removal of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ishii, Hideki Kosugi, Tomoko Takahashi, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Masaaki Yamada, Ichiro Kadota
  • Publication number: 20090257791
    Abstract: A developing unit includes a brush member that includes a base member and a plurality of raisings that are erected on a surface of the base. The brush member traps toner within the raisings and causes a flicker movement in the raisings of the brush so that the toner trapped within the raisings is shaken and flown due to the flicker movement to the surface of a toner carrying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshinori Nakagawa, Yasuyuki Ishii, Hideki Kosugi, Tomoko Takahashi, Masaaki Yamada, Masanori Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20090257786
    Abstract: A developing device includes a toner carrying member and an electric-field forming unit. The electric-field forming unit forms electric fields having different characteristics at a first area of the surface of the toner carrying member located within a developing area and a second area of the surface of the toner carrying member located out of the developing area such that a hopping height of toner at the first area is higher than that at the second area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshinori NAKAGAWA, Yasuyuki ISHII, Masaaki YAMADA, Hideki KOSUGI, Tomoko TAKAHASHI, Ichiro KADOTA
  • Patent number: 7593657
    Abstract: A powder transferring apparatus provided with a powder electrostatic transferring device includes a plurality of transferring electrodes configured to generate an electric field for transferring the powder by an electrostatic force including a powder transferring amount detecting device to detect an amount of powder on a surface of the powder electrostatic transferring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoko Takahashi, Youichiroh Miyaguchi, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Masaaki Yamada, Nobuaki Kondoh, Masanori Horike
  • Publication number: 20090123193
    Abstract: A development device capable of suppressing the occurrence of development defects caused by partial damage to an electrode of a toner bearing roller. The development device is provided with a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, which are laminated so as to overlap one another in a normal direction with respect to the surface of the roller part of the toner bearing roller. A plurality of openings, which are independently arranged in a matrix in both the roller surface movement direction and an orthogonal-to-movement direction which is the direction orthogonal thereto, are provided in, of these electrode layers, the second electrode layer existing in the upper location that is closer to the roller surface, over the entire latent image bearable area of a photosensitive body in the orthogonal-to-movement direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Hideki KOSUGI, Yasuyuki Ishii, Tomoko Takahashi, Masaaki Yamada, Ichiro Kadota, Yoshinori Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20090072255
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a phosphor that satisfies requirements (1) to (3): (1) the phosphor satisfies Formula [2] and/or Formula [3]: 85?{R455(125)/R455(25)}×100<110??[2] 92?{R405(100)/R405(25)}×100<110??[3] wherein R455(125) represents an emission peak intensity when the phosphor is excited by light having a peak wavelength of 455 nm at 125° C., (2) the emission peak wavelength is in the range of 570 nm to 680 nm, and (3) the full width at half maximum of an emission peak is 90 nm or less. The phosphor of the present invention has a high luminous efficiency and emits light of orange to red with high luminance. The use of the phosphor makes it possible to produce a light-emitting device, an illumination apparatus, and an image display, having a high efficiency and excellent color rendering properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoko Takahashi, Nobuhiro Kodama, Yasuo Shimomura, Naoto Kijima, Tomoyuki Kurushima, Takashi Hase, Eiji Hattori, Kouichi Adachi, Keiichi Seki, Yutaka Mori
  • Publication number: 20090067879
    Abstract: A developing device for a toner powder cloud development system, which can achieve high image quality and can be made compact. The developing device has a two-component development unit, a toner carrier, and an alternating current power source. The toner carrier, which is arranged opposing a latent image carrier, has a plurality of electrodes disposed in a line in a prescribed direction on the surface thereof, and mutually insulated. The alternating current power source supplies a voltage such that an electric field across the plurality of electrodes is temporally switched. The inter-electrode electric field causes the toner being carried on the surface of the toner carrier to carry out hopping, thereby forming a toner powder cloud and carrying out development. The movement speed of the latent image carrier and the linear velocity of the toner carrier are set at approximately equivalent speeds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Tomoko TAKAHASHI, Yasuyuki ISHII, Hideki KOSUGI, Ichiro KADOTA, Masaaki YAMADA, Yoshinori NAKAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20090070671
    Abstract: There is provided a communication method capable of performing connection to the Internet by using another device having the Internet connection function even if a moving picture reproduction device does not have the Internet connection function. In this method, the moving picture reproduction device (101) creates an Internet connection signal (108) including URL information (106) and the like from Internet connection request information (111) and an URL table (107) recorded on a recording medium (105) and transmits it to the Internet connection device (103). The Internet connection device (103) receives the Internet connection signal (108), transmits the Internet connection request information (111) and the URL information (106) to a server (115), acquires and displays the Web site information (116) corresponding to the URL information (106).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ogata, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090067889
    Abstract: A developing device constituted to be capable of reliably making toner flare, and carrying out developing normally in the developing area, by preventing toner from adhering to the toner carrier. A developing device having a toner carrier which is disposed in opposition to a latent image carrier and which carries toner for developing an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier, the developing device including: a plurality of electrodes aligned at a predetermined interval within the toner carrier; voltage application means for applying a voltage to the electrodes so that the electric field between the plurality of electrodes varies with time, wherein the electric field between the electrodes causes the toner on the toner carrier to hop and form a cloud; and a toner adhesion prevention member that is provided upstream of a developing area where the latent image carrier is in opposition to the toner carrier and that prevents adhesion of toner to the toner carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshinori Nakagawa, Yasuyuki Ishii, Hideki Kosugi, Tomoko Takahashi, Masaaki Yamada, Ichiro Kadota
  • Publication number: 20090035025
    Abstract: A disclosed developing apparatus employs a flare roller that is a toner carrier in which electrodes of two different phases are provided at fine intervals. Density irregularities or scumming in a developed image due to a potential difference between the flare roller and a latent image carrier are prevented by maintaining a constant potential on the flare roller surface. A voltage is applied to the electrodes on the flare roller such that an electric field that varies with time is generated between the electrodes, whereby a toner cloud is produced by the movement or hopping of toner over the flare roller. Thereby the toner attaches to a latent image on the latent image carrier, thus developing the latent image. In one embodiment, a bias with an average potential equal to an average potential of the bias applied to the electrodes is applied to a toner layer thickness regulating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Yasuyuki ISHII, Hideki Kosugi, Tomoko Takahashi, Masaaki Yamada, Ichiro Kadota, Yoshinori Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20090022523
    Abstract: A development unit includes a toner carrying device, a regulating member, and a toner leak protection member. The toner carrying device having a first electrode and a second electrode arrayed with an interval. The first and second electrodes are supplied with a given voltage to set an electric field, changing in a time cycle, between the first and second electrodes. The electric field is used to hop toner over the toner carrying device to form a toner cloud for developing a latent image. The regulating member regulates an amount of toner on the toner carrying device. The toner leak protection member, made from a conductive material, prevents leakage of toner, and is supplied with a bias voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Ichiro KADOTA, Yasuyuki Ishii, Tomoko Takahashi, Masaaki Yamada, Hideki Kosugi, Yoshinori Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20090016781
    Abstract: A developing device comprises a latent image carrier that carries a latent image, a toner carrier opposing the latent image carrier while carrying toner to develop the latent image, and plural electrodes arranged in a prescribed direction insulated from each other on the surface of the toner carrier to create an electric field therebetween. An alternating voltage supplying device is provided to supply n number of phases (n?2) of an alternating voltage to the plural electrodes, respectively. The alternating voltage changes the electric field to cause the toner to hop and form toner cloud on the surface of the toner carrier. The toner hopping is halted at a prescribed time period during the toner cloud formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Tomoko TAKAHASHI, Yasuyuki ISHII, Yoshinori NAKAGAWA, Masaaki YAMADA, Ichiroh KADOTA, Hideki KOSUGI