Patents by Inventor Tomonori Yabuta

Tomonori Yabuta 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: 6282396
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of forming a color image on a recording sheet by transferring respective images onto a single recording sheet conveyed by a conveying belt, where the combination of the respective images form the color image. The respective color images are formed with a plurality of electrophotographic processing sections disposed along the conveying belt such that the respective color images are superimposed on one another to make the color image. The electrophotographic processing sections also form more than two colors, of a same pattern, of image positional deviation detecting marks. The image positional deviation detecting marks include a line in a main scanning direction and another line positioned at an incline with respect to the former line in order on the conveying belt. A detector is included that detects the image positional deviation detecting mark with a single detecting device composed of a light source, a slit, and a light accepting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iwata, Mitsugu Sugiyama, Toshiya Satoh, Tadashi Shinohara, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 6184910
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus capable of superposing toner images of respective colors in accurate register by preventing an exposing position from being displaced in the subscanning direction. The rotation phase of a polygonal mirror is controlled on the basis of the mark detection timing of a mark sensor. Hence, the exposing position in the subscanning direction is prevented from being displaced without regard to irregularities in the circumferential length and feed speed of an intermediate image transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Sasaki, Tsuyoshi Deki, Nobuo Iwata, Takeshi Motohashi, Takahiro Tamiya, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 6128459
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of forming a color image on a recording sheet by transferring respective images onto a single recording sheet conveyed by a conveying belt, where the combination of the respective images form the color image. The respective color images are formed with a plurality of electrophotographic processing sections disposed along the conveying belt such that the respective color images are superimposed on one another to make the color image. The electrophotographic processing sections also form more than two colors, of a same pattern, of image positional deviation detecting marks. The image positional deviation detecting marks include a line in a main scanning direction and another line positioned at an incline with respect to the former line in order on the conveying belt. A detector is included that detects the image positional deviation detecting mark with a single detecting device composed of a light source, a slit, and a light accepting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iwata, Mitsugu Sugiyama, Toshiya Satoh, Tadashi Shinohara, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 5963240
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the position of a deflecting mirror included in an image forming apparatus, particularly one including a plurality of photoconductive elements, is disclosed. The device includes eccentric cams rotatable to adjust the position of the deflecting mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Shinohara, Nobuo Iwata, Mitsugu Sugiyama, Toshiya Sato, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 5962783
    Abstract: An apparatus for a rotational speed detecting includes a rotating disc having plural slits in a circumferential direction. A radiant element radiates light rays through the slits. A photodetector receives the rays radiated by the radiant element. Peak detectors detects peak points of the detected signal and a calculator calculates a rotational speed. The photodetector include two photodetectors separated by a distance .DELTA.L.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iwata, Mitsugu Sugiyama, Toshiya Sato, Tadashi Shinohara, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 5828926
    Abstract: A full-color image forming apparatus having a photo-conductive belt on which mono-color toner images are respectively formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the mono-color toner images are respectively transferred to form a full-color toner image, and a transfer member for transferring the full-color toner image onto a copy sheet. The intermediate transfer belt includes timing marks printed thereon which are detected by a sensor to generate an image forming start signal for each of the first mono-color toner image forming processes. The start signal is generated by a controller only when cleaning of the intermediate transfer belt has completed and the cleaning blade has left therefrom. A timer may be used to delay the starting of the first mono-color image forming process until the transfer belt returns to a normal operating speed after the cleaning blade is removed from the transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iwata, Shingo Katou, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 5799228
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a revolver type developer, and prevents toner stored within the revolver type developer from being adversely influenced by heat from a fixing unit. As one feature, the revolver developing unit is intermittently rotated when the image forming apparatus is in a stand-by state. As a further feature, the revolver developing unit is rotated at a very slow continuous speed when the image forming apparatus is in a stand-by state. As a further feature, the intermittent rotation and the slow continuous rotation of the revolver developing unit can be stopped if the temperature of the fixing unit falls below a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iwata, Shingo Katoh, Yutaka Shio, Tomonori Yabuta
  • Patent number: 5678161
    Abstract: In a paper conveyer of an image forming apparatus, a transfer operation is performed by a transfer roller and an unfixed image in the transfer operation is carried onto the lower side of a transfer paper sheet. The transfer paper sheet is conveyed to a fixing device constructed by a fixing roller and a pressurizing roller. A hardness of the fixing roller is smaller than that of the pressurizing roller, while a nipping portion of the fixing and pressurizing rollers is formed in a concave shape. The fixing and pressurizing rollers are arranged such that a nipping inlet port point of the fixing and pressurizing rollers is located in the vicinity of a line of a conveying locus of a thin transfer paper sheet. A paper guide plate guides the transfer paper sheet to the nipping inlet port. In this construction, a transferred paper sheet is conveyed such that this transferred paper sheet is reliably fed into the nipping portion of the fixing device, and it is possible to prevent an image rub, wrinkles, a jam, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kurotaka, Nobuo Iwata, Shingo Katou, Takeshi Motohashi, Tsuyoshi Deki, Takahiro Tamiya, Tomonori Yabuta