Patents by Inventor Toshio Koike

Toshio Koike 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).

  • CHARGING DEVICE INCLUDING CHARGING ROLLER AND CLEANING ROLLER
    Publication number: 20090087213
    Abstract: A charging device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The charging device includes a charging roller configured to charge an image carrier and a cleaning roller configured to clean the charging roller while making contact with a surface of the charging roller. The charging device further includes a bearing member including a first portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the charging roller and a second portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the cleaning roller. The charging device also includes an elastic member provided outside of the second portion of the bearing member with respect to an axial direction of the rotational shaft of the cleaning roller such that the charging roller makes contact with the image carrier when the first portion of the bearing member is pressed by the elastic member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Muraishi Takaya, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Atsushi Sampe, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Ken Amemiya, Toshio Koike, Tokuya Ojimi, Takaaki Tawada, Takeshi Shintani, Yuji Arai, Takuji Yoneda, Masanori Kawasumi, Masami Tomita
  • Cleaning device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7493075
    Abstract: A cleaning device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus including an antifriction agent coating part and a toner removing part. The antifriction agent coating part coats a solid antifriction agent on the surface of an image support body, and is disposed in an upstream side from a cleaning blade with respect to a rotational direction of the image support body. The toner removing part removes toner particles, and is disposed in an upstream side from the antifriction agent coating part with respect to the rotational direction of the image support body and a portion of the toner removing part is positioned below a portion of the antifriction agent coating part in a vertical direction perpendicular to the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shintani, Takuji Yoneda, Toshio Koike, Masato Yanagida, Naohiro Kumagai, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Atsuhsi Sampe, Eisaku Murakami, Masanori Kawasumi, Takeshi Uchitani, Masami Tomita
  • Method and apparatus for image forming capable of effectively preventing resonance of frequencies
    Patent number: 7477856
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, and a measuring member. The image forming member is configured to bear an image. The charging member is configured to charge a surface of the image bearing member when a direct current bias voltage is added to at least an alternating bias voltage which is applied to the charging member, and has a frequency fc of the alternating bias voltage. The measuring member is configured to measure a potential of the surface of the image bearing member, and has a drive frequency fvsen. The relationship of the frequency fc and the drive frequency fvsen is expressed as fc?fvsen×n and fc×n?fvsen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuzi Yoneda, Hiroshi Ono, Masanori Kawasumi, Yuji Arai, Toshio Koike, Ken Amemiya, Tokuya Ohjimi, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Masami Tomita, Haruji Mizuishi, Hitoshi Ishibashi
  • Charged device, cleaning device, process cartridge, toner, and image-forming device that uses these
    Patent number: 7477862
    Abstract: There is provided a cleaning device for an image-forming device configured so as to be capable of preventing the image quality from deteriorating by being able to prevent the deterioration of the charging state caused by deposits of foreign matter without increasing costs. There is also provided a cleaning member that can make contact with the cleaning target-members. The cleaning member has a portion composed of melamine resin foam for making contact with at least the cleaning target members, and the melamine resin foam has an Asker F hardness of 5 to 25 points and a hardness variation of 5 points or less, and is used on the cleaning target members in a state obtained by heat compression from the original shape. The pressing member is furthermore disposed in contact with the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Muraishi Takaya, Hiromichi Ninomiya, Atsushi Sampe, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Ken Amemiya, Toshio Koike, Tokuya Ojimi, Takaaki Tawada, Takeshi Shintani, Yuji Arai, Takuji Yoneda, Masanori Kawasumi, Masami Tomita
  • Image forming apparatus and process cartridge having a detachable unit body having a lubricant applying unit and image carrier mounted thereon
    Patent number: 7430377
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit that charges the image carrier, a latent image forming unit that forms a latent image on the image carrier, a developing unit that develops the latent image to form a toner image, a transferring unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium, a cleaning unit that cleans toner remaining on the image carrier, a lubricant applying unit that applies a solid lubricant to a surface of the image carrier, and a detecting unit that detects whether the image carrier is brand new. The toner has an average roundness of 0.94 or more. The lubricant applying unit is operated when the detecting unit detects that the image carrier is brand new.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Toshio Koike, Ken Amemiya, Naohiro Kumagai, Masato Yanagida, Masanori Kawasumi, Takeshi Uchitani, Yutaka Takahashi, Yuji Arai, Takaaki Tawada, Masami Tomita, Takeshi Tabuchi, Eisaku Murakami, Takeshi Shintani, Takuji Yoneda
  • USED TONER COLLECTION DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20080226333
    Abstract: A used toner conveyance device includes a lateral conveyance member for conveying used toner substantially in the horizontal direction, and a vertical conveyance member for upwardly conveying the used toner transferred from the lateral conveyance member. The vertical conveyance member transfers the used toner to either a collection space or a next conveyance path. The vertical conveyance member stops its operation when a prescribed delay time has elapsed after the lateral conveyance member stops conveyance operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroshi ONO, Tokuya Ojimi, Shuji Tanaka, Ken Amemiya, Toshio Koike, Yuji Arai, Michiya Okamoto, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Nobuo Kuwabara, Masahiko Shakuto
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGE FORMING AND EFFECTIVELY APPLYING LUBRICANT TO AN IMAGE BEARING MEMBER
    Publication number: 20080175635
    Abstract: A lubricant supplying device including a molded lubricant having a Martens hardness of about 40 N/mm2 to about 70 N/mm2 measured with a test force of 50 mN and a load-applying period of 30 seconds, a rotative member including a fibrous brush of a thickness of about 5 deniers to about 15 deniers in a circumference of a rotative supporting axis of the rotative member with a density of about 20,000 fibers to about 100,000 fibers per square inch, and configured to apply lubricant shavings of the molded lubricant to an image bearing member held in contact with a cleaning member and to remove the lubricant shavings remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, and a pressing member configured to press the molded lubricant against the rotative member at a pressure force ranging from about 2 N/m to about 12 N/m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiki Hozumi, Toshio Koike, Ken Amemiya, Masanori Kawasumi, Yuji Arai, Tokuya Ojimi, Takuzi Yoneda, Masami Tomita, Hiroshi Ono, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Haruji Mizuishi
  • Image forming apparatus and process cartridge with a cleaner for removing toner from an image bearing member
    Patent number: 7400844
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, a latent image forming device, a developing device, a surface moving member, a transfer device, a cleaner having a cleaning blade and an irradiating device configured to discharge the latent image bearing member. This developing device is configured to develop images with a toner having a circularity not less than 0.94. The irradiating device is disposed on the upstream from the cleaner relative to the rotation direction of the latent image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Eisaku Murakami, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Masato Yanagida, Naohiro Kumagai, Takeshi Shintani, Toshio Koike, Atsushi Sampe, Masanori Kawasumi, Masami Tomita, Takeshi Uchitani
  • Imaging apparatus, and toner and process cartridge used in the imaging apparatus
    Patent number: 7386257
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus that is capable of realizing good cleaning characteristics and transfer characteristics, and obtaining a high quality image using toner having a high average roundness is provided. The imaging apparatus includes an image carrier, a charge unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a cleaning unit. The transfer unit may directly transfer a toner image onto a recording medium that is carried by a transfer belt, or transfer the toner image onto the transfer belt first to then transfer the toner image onto the recording medium from the transfer belt. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade and a brush roller. The toner used in the imaging apparatus has an average roundness ? within a range of 0.93˜0.99, and a friction coefficient ?s of the image carrier satisfies a condition, friction coefficient ?s?3.6?3.3×average roundness ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Koike, Eisaku Murakami, Masato Yanagida, Takeshi Shintani, Naohiro Kumagai, Atsushi Sampe, Masami Tomita, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Masanori Kawasumi, Takeshi Uchitani
  • Image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and toner
    Patent number: 7376380
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes units for electrostatically charging a surface of an image carrier, exposing the surface according to image data to write a latent image, supplying a toner to the latent image to form a visible image, and transferring the visible image from the surface to another surface. A rotatable brush roller and a cleaning blade in contact with the surface removes remaining toner. Another brush roller rotates and scrapes lubricant to apply the lubricant to the surface. The image forming apparatus has a lubricant consumption of 0.1 gram to 1.2 grams per 1,500 meters of a traveling distance of the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limted
    Inventors: Toshio Koike, Ken Amemiya, Yoshiki Hozumi, Hiromichi Ninomiya
  • Method and apparatus for image forming and effectively applying lubricant to an image bearing member
    Patent number: 7373101
    Abstract: A lubricant supplying device including a molded lubricant having a Martens hardness of approximately 40 N/mm2 to approximately 70 N/mm2 measured with a test force of 50 mN and a load-applying period of 30 seconds, a rotative member including a fibrous brush of a thickness of approximately 5 deniers to approximately 15 deniers in a circumference of a rotative supporting axis of the rotative member with a density of approximately 20,000 fibers to approximately 100,000 fibers per square inch, and configured to apply lubricant shavings of the molded lubricant to an image bearing member held in contact with a cleaning member and remove the lubricant shavings remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, and a pressing member configured to press contact the molded lubricant with the rotative member at a pressure force ranging from approximately 2 N/m to approximately 12 N/m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Hozumi, Toshio Koike, Ken Amemiya, Masanori Kawasumi, Yuji Arai, Tokuya Ojimi, Takuzi Yoneda, Masami Tomita, Hiroshi Ono, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Haruji Mizuishi
  • Image forming apparatus that charges a photosensitive member by superimposing an alternate current bias voltage on a direct current bias voltage as the charge bias voltage
    Patent number: 7333744
    Abstract: A charge apparatus charges by uniformly superimposing an alternate current bias voltage with a fixed frequency over a direct current bias voltage as the charge bias voltage on a photosensitive member. An exposure apparatus exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive member based on image data, and writes a latent image, and a developing apparatus supplies toner to and makes visible the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member. A transfer apparatus transfers the visible image on the photosensitive member to a transfer medium, and a cleaning apparatus cleans the surface of the photosensitive member after transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Shimojo, Haruji Mizuishi, Tokuya Ojimi, Masanori Kawasumi, Takuzi Yoneda, Ken Amemiya, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Hiroshi Ono, Toshio Koike, Masami Tomita, Yuji Arai, Takeshi Uchitani
  • Cleaning device, process cartridge, image forming apparatus and toner
    Patent number: 7313347
    Abstract: A cleaning device, a process cartridge, an image forming apparatus, and toner to maintain improved cleaning performance for a long time. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade, a lubricant applying part, and a toner removing part. The cleaning blade is disposed in contact with a surface of an image bearing member. The lubricant applying part coats a solid lubricant on the surface of the image bearing member, and is disposed in an upstream side from the cleaning blade with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The toner removing part removes toner particles, and is disposed in an upstream side from the lubricant applying part with respect to the rotational direction of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shintani, Takuzi Yoneda, Ken Amemiya, Takaaki Tawada, Tokuya Ojimi, Toshio Koike, Yuji Arai, Masanori Kawasumi, Masami Tomita, Hideyo Watanabe, Satoshi Takano, Haruji Mizuishi, Hiroshi Ono, Hiroshi Mizusawa, Satoshi Hatori, Takeshi Tabuchi, Akira Fujimori, Kaoru Yoshino
  • Image forming apparatus having a temporary toner holding device and a toner collecting device
    Patent number: 7295796
    Abstract: A cleaningless image forming apparatus of the present invention uses spherical toner grains on surfaces of which a charge control agent and/or organic fine grains are present, thereby enhancing efficient image transfer. A brush roller collects, among toner grains left on a photoconductive drum after image transfer, toner grains of polarity opposite to preselected polarity and then releases them to the drum at preselected timing. The toner grains of opposite polarity are then transferred to an intermediate image transfer belt. When the toner grains of opposite polarity pass a charging zone assigned to a charge roller, a bias to the charge roller is interrupted or the charge roller is released from the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisaku Murakami, Hideo Yoshizawa, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Hideki Zemba, Eiji Kurimoto, Takeshi Uchitani, Toshio Koike, Masato Yanagida, Masami Tomita, Atsushi Sampe, Naohiro Kumagai, Takeshi Shintani, Masanori Kawasumi
  • Method and apparatus for electrophotographic image forming capable of effectively removing residual toner, a cleaning mechanism used therein, a process cartridge including the cleaning mechanism used in the apparatus, and toner used in the apparatus
    Patent number: 7292816
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof, a developing mechanism configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member into a toner image with toner, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to an image receiver, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade configured to scrape a residual toner on the surface of the image bearing member after the toner image is transferred to the image receiver, the cleaning blade disposed in contact with the image bearing member and having a JIS-A hardness equal to or more than 70 and a repulsion elasticity equal to or less than 30%, and a friction reducing member configured to reduce a coefficient of friction on the surface of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tokuya Ojimi, Toshio Koike, Takaaki Tawada, Takeshi Shintani, Yuji Arai, Takuzi Yoneda, Masanori Kawasumi, Masami Tomita, Ken Amemiya, Shinichi Kawahara
  • Cleaning unit and image forming apparatus having multiple cleaning blades
    Patent number: 7272354
    Abstract: A cleaning unit includes a first blade and a second blade. The first blade is in contact with an image carrier or a paper carrier and removes adhered substances remained on surface of these. The second blade has an abrasive layer that is formed by including abrasive particles in an elastic material and is disposed in the downstream side of the first blade. The second blade is allowed to be in contact with the image carrier 1 or the paper carrier. Volume occupancy of abrasive particles in an area of contact of the second blade with either the image carrier or the paper carrier is not less than 50 percent and not more than 90 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisaku Murakami, Masami Tomita, Masanori Kawasumi, Toshio Koike, Naohiro Kumagai, Atsushi Sampe, Takeshi Shintani, Masato Yanagida, Yutaka Takahashi, Hiroya Hirose, Shin Hasegawa, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Takeshi Uchitani, Kazunori Karasawa, Kentaroh Matsumoto, Tokuya Ohjimi, Mugijiroh Uno
  • Charging device, and process cartridge and image forming apparatus using the charging device
    Patent number: 7266324
    Abstract: A charging device including: a charging roller having a metal cylinder and an elastic layer located on the metal cylinder; a cleaner configured to clean the charging roller, which includes an electroconductive brush roller including a roller having a shaft; and hair located overlying the roller, wherein the hair includes a fiber which has a width of from 0.1 to 20 denier, and a length of from 0.3 to 2.5 mm and which is planted at a density of from 7,000 to 46,000 lines/cm2, and a member configured to impart substantially the same potential as that of the charging roller to the electroconductive brush roller when a bias voltage is applied to the charging roller. A process cartridge and an image forming apparatus including the charging device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Masato Yanagida, Hiroyuki Nagashima, Naohiro Kumagai, Toshio Koike, Atsushi Sampe, Masanori Kawasumi, Eisaku Murakami, Takeshi Uchitani, Tokuya Ohjimi, Masami Tomita, Takeshi Shintani
  • Charging Device, Process Cartridge, Image Forming Apparatus, And Toner
    Publication number: 20070196123
    Abstract: The present invention provides a charging device which comprises a charging roller (14a) and a cleaning component (14b). The charging roller charges a surface of an image-recording medium (11) with a voltage which is applied from an external source. The cleaning component cleans a surface of the charging roller. The charging roller includes a resistance adjustment layer which is made of a resin composite and formed on an outer periphery of a core metal. The hardness of the charging roller is 45 degrees or more in JIS D hardness. The cleaning component has a portion which is in contact with the charging roller This portion is made of resin foam which has a continuous foam structure. The density of the resin foam is 5 to 15 kg/m3 and its tensile strength is 1.7±0.5 kg/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Haruji Mizuishi, Tokuya Ojimi, Toshio Koike, Takeshi Shintani, Yuji Arai, Takuzi Yoneda, Ken Amemiya, Takaaki Tawada, Masami Tomita, Masanori Kawasumi, Takaya Muraishi, Hiroomi Harada, Hiromichi Ninomiya
  • Image forming apparatus, lubricant applying device, transfer device, process cartridge, and toner
    Publication number: 20070183824
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an area applied with a lubricant, i.e., an area of a lubricant layer having a uniform thickness, is obtained by spreading the lubricant by a lubricant smoothing blade. The area applied with a lubricant covers an area cleaned by a cleaning blade, i.e., a contact portion of the cleaning blade with a photoconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Takeo Suda, Shinichi Kawahara, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Tokuya Ojimi, Takeshi Tabuchi, Masato Yanagida, Haruji Mizuishi, Teruyuki Kasuga, Hiroomi Harada, Shuji Tanaka, Takaaki Tawada, Hiroshi Ono, Ken Amemiya, Toshio Koike, Yuji Arai, Masanori Kawasumi, Takuzi Yoneda, Masami Tomita, Yutaka Takahashi, Yoshio Hattori, Keiichi Yoshida
  • Transport robot and transport apparatus
    Publication number: 20070166135
    Abstract: A transport robot including a release-side high radiation ratio portion and a receive-side high radiation ratio portion that face each other. Heat in a substrate conducted to a base portion due to thermal conduction is released as radiant heat from the release-side high radiation ratio portion, and the radiant heat is absorbed by the receive-side high radiation ratio portion. The receive-side high radiation ratio portion is formed on a heat-receiving plate that is thermally connected to a vacuum chamber so that radiant heat absorbed by the receive-side high radiation ratio portion is transferred to the vacuum chamber. As a result, even in the case where the high-temperature substrate is transported in a vacuum atmosphere, heat from the substrate is not accumulated in a transport system, and the transport system hardly reaches a high temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventor: Toshio Koike