Patents by Inventor Yasuo Niikura
Yasuo Niikura 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).
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Publication number: 20170081140Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes: a sheet loading unit for loading a bundle of sheets; a separation unit that separates a topmost sheet of the bundle of sheets loaded on the sheet loading unit, from the bundle of sheets; a conveyance unit that conveys the separated topmost sheet; an end fence that is movable in a sheet conveyance direction, abuts trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction, and positions the bundle of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction; and a pressing unit that is provided in such a manner as to protrude from the end fence, and is able to press the trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction of at least an upper part of the bundle of sheets, wherein the pressing unit has different pressing forces at an upper and a lower portion thereof, and has the lower pressing force stronger than the upper pressing force.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2016Publication date: March 23, 2017Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takashi FUKUMOTO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Munehisa FUDA, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Kazunori KONNO, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Toshihiro OKUTSU, Kohjiroh HAGA
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Patent number: 9561927Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Tomomichi Hoshino, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
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Patent number: 9540193Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes: a sheet loading unit for loading a bundle of sheets; a separation unit that separates a topmost sheet of the bundle of sheets loaded on the sheet loading unit, from the bundle of sheets; a conveyance unit that conveys the separated topmost sheet; an end fence that is movable in a sheet conveyance direction, abuts trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction, and positions the bundle of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction; and a pressing unit that is provided in such a manner as to protrude from the end fence, and is able to press the trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction of at least an upper part of the bundle of sheets, wherein the pressing unit has different pressing forces at an upper and a lower portion thereof, and has the lower pressing force stronger than the upper pressing force.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2015Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Hidetoshi Kojima, Hideaki Takahashi, Munehisa Fuda, Hisayoshi Sugawara, Kiyotake Nakamura, Kazunori Konno, Tatsuya Sugawara, Toshihiro Okutsu, Kohjiroh Haga
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Publication number: 20160264370Abstract: A paper sheet conveyance device includes a plurality of conveyance members and conveys a paper sheet while performing temporary stop of conveying and then restart of conveying. Two paper sheets sequential in a conveyance direction stop together in a state of the temporary stop, driving a first transfer member to which a preceding first paper sheet that is one of the two paper sheets is opposed and a second conveyance member to which a following second paper sheet that is the other paper sheet is opposed is stopped and restarted synchronously for the temporary stop and the restart. A stop position information acquisition unit acquires information on a position on the conveyance path at which the second paper sheet stops in the state of the temporary stop, and a timing for stopping the conveying after the conveying is restarted is controlled according to the acquired information.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2016Publication date: September 15, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Toshihiro OKUTSU, Masaki ISHIZAKI, Yasuo NIIKURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Masato HASHIMOTO, Munehisa FUDA, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Kohjiroh HAGA, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Takashi FUKUMOTO
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Patent number: 9428352Abstract: There are provided a plurality of slide rails that are attached to a sheet feeding device; a box-shaped pullout unit that is movable toward an image forming unit on the slide rails; a slide unit and an extended tray that are arranged in the front and back positions in a direction in which the pullout unit moves; a slide bottom plate that is movable up and down by a loading unit and that is slidable on the pullout unit in a horizontal direction; a front-edge sheet positioning unit that raises up when the slide bottom plate is pulled out in a horizontal direction and that falls down when the slide bottom plate is pushed in a horizontal direction; and a connection unit that connects to a handle for pulling out the pullout unit in a horizontal direction when the slide bottom plate is located at a lowest point.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2015Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Yasuo Niikura, Takashi Fukumoto, Hideaki Takahashi
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Publication number: 20160185552Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, LIMITEDInventors: Tomomichi HOSHINO, Masahiro TAMURA, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Kyosuke NAKADA, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Akira KUNIEDA, Takahiro WATANABE, Junya SUZUKI, Kazunori KONNO, Youhei NIITSUMA, Takamasa MATSUMOTO, Kiichiro GOTO, Kazuhiko KITANO, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Satoru TAKANO, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Kei SASAKI, Yasushi TSURUOKA, Shintaro MATSUMOTO, Ryo TAKAHASHI, Yuuta MORI, Kohjiroh HAGA
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Patent number: 9359157Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a sheet feeding tray attached to a casing in a manner slidable into and out from the casing and including a stacking plate on which sheets are stacked; a conveying unit configured to convey the sheets in a direction orthogonal to both a sliding direction of the sheet feeding tray and a stacking direction of the sheets; an optional extension unit configured to be removably attached to an upstream side of the stacking plate in a conveying direction, and including an extension plate configured to extend the stacking plate; and a first locking unit configured to be capable of being held in a first lock position where the sheet feeding tray cannot be slide when the optional extension unit is attached while, when the optional extension unit is removed, held in a first unlock position where the sheet feeding tray can be slid.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuo Niikura, Hidetoshi Kojima, Yuuta Mori, Takashi Fukumoto, Kiyotake Nakamura, Munehisa Fuda, Hideaki Takahashi, Hisayoshi Sugawara, Kazunori Konno, Tatsuya Sugawara, Kohjiroh Haga, Toshihiro Okutsu
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Patent number: 9359158Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a sheet stacking member; an air blowing unit configured to blow air onto the sheet bundle placed on the sheet stacking member to suspend multiple sheets of the sheet bundle; a lifting/lowering unit configured to lift/lower the sheet stacking member; an optical reflection sensor configured to detect a suspended sheet suspended by the air blowing unit; and a control unit configured to control the lifting/lowering unit based on an output value of the optical reflection sensor. The optical reflection sensor is configured to be capable of detecting an area corresponding to multiple sheets in a sheet suspension zone extending between a non-suspended sheet bundle and a conveying member configured to convey an uppermost sheet of the multiple suspended sheets. The non-suspended sheet bundle is made up of sheets not suspended during a period when air is blown by the air blowing unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2014Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Yasunori Hino, Chikara Akata, Tomoki Tamate, Hideaki Takahashi, Munehisa Fuda, Toshihiro Okutsu, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Masaki Ishizaki, Kiyotake Nakamura, Hidetoshi Kojima, Hisayoshi Sugawara, Kazunori Konno, Tatsuya Sugawara, Kohjiroh Haga, Masato Hashimoto
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Publication number: 20160122144Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes: a sheet loading unit for loading a bundle of sheets; a separation unit that separates a topmost sheet of the bundle of sheets loaded on the sheet loading unit, from the bundle of sheets; a conveyance unit that conveys the separated topmost sheet; an end fence that is movable in a sheet conveyance direction, abuts trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction, and positions the bundle of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction; and a pressing unit that is provided in such a manner as to protrude from the end fence, and is able to press the trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction of at least an upper part of the bundle of sheets, wherein the pressing unit has different pressing forces at an upper and a lower portion thereof, and has the lower pressing force stronger than the upper pressing force.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2015Publication date: May 5, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Takashi FUKUMOTO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Munehisa FUDA, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Kazunori KONNO, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Toshihiro OKUTSU, Kohjiroh HAGA
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Publication number: 20160107853Abstract: Provided are a floating restricting member restricting the floating position of a bundle of sheets; and a holding mechanism holding the floating restricting member relative to a side fence. The floating restricting member includes a sheet contact section being brought into contact with the sheets from above; and a sheet-floating restricting section restricting the floating position of the floating sheet that is floated while air is blown thereto. The holding mechanism sets the floating restricting member in the initial state where the sheet-floating restricting section restricts the floating position of the sheet, in the sheet-placing time retracted state where the sheets are pushed against the sheet contact section so that the floating restricting member is retracted, and in the sheet-ejecting time retracted state where, when the sheets are to be removed, the sheet is pushed against the sheet contact section from below so that the floating restricting member is retracted.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Masato HASHIMOTO, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA, Munehisa FUDA, Yasuo NIIKURA, Masaki ISHIZAKI, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Toshihiro OKUTSU, Kazunori KONNO, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Kohjiroh HAGA
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Publication number: 20160107854Abstract: A sheet separating device includes: a lifting nozzle configured to blow air against an end portion of a sheet bundle placed on a sheet loading portion to lift sheets; a separating nozzle configured to separate the sheets; a lifting-nozzle shutter member configured to open and close the lifting nozzle; a separating-nozzle shutter member configured to open and close the separating nozzle; a lifting-shutter driving mechanism configured to drive the lifting-nozzle shutter member; a separating-shutter driving mechanism configured to drive the separating-nozzle shutter member; and an open/close control unit configured to control the lifting-shutter driving mechanism and the separating-shutter driving mechanism such that the lifting-nozzle shutter member and the separating-nozzle shutter member are opened or closed simultaneously.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Masato HASHIMOTO, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA, Munehisa FUDA, Yasuo NIIKURA, Masaki ISHIZAKI, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Toshihiro OKUTSU, Kazunori KONNO, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Kohjiroh HAGA
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Patent number: 9316986Abstract: A recording medium discharging device includes a discharging unit configured to discharge a recording medium from a discharge port; a tray unit on which the recording medium discharged from the discharging unit is stacked; and an air blower configured to blow air in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the recording medium is discharged.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2015Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Shuuya Nagasako, Masahiro Tamura, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Yasuo Niikura, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
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Patent number: 9260264Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Tomomichi Hoshino, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
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Publication number: 20160016740Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a sheet feeding tray attached to a casing in a manner slidable into and out from the casing and including a stacking plate on which sheets are stacked; a conveying unit configured to convey the sheets in a direction orthogonal to both a sliding direction of the sheet feeding tray and a stacking direction of the sheets; an optional extension unit configured to be removably attached to an upstream side of the stacking plate in a conveying direction, and including an extension plate configured to extend the stacking plate; and a first locking unit configured to be capable of being held in a first lock position where the sheet feeding tray cannot be slide when the optional extension unit is attached while, when the optional extension unit is removed, held in a first unlock position where the sheet feeding tray can be slid.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2015Publication date: January 21, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Yasuo NIIKURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Yuuta MORI, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Munehisa FUDA, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA, Kazunori KONNO, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Kohjiroh HAGA, Toshihiro OKUTSU
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Patent number: 9139395Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises an ejecting unit configured to eject a sheet or a bundle of sheets, and a sheet stacking unit configured to stack the sheet or the bundle of sheets ejected by the ejecting unit. In the apparatus, the leading end portion of the sheet stacking unit on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction is rotatable downward and capable of dropping down the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit from the leading end portion of the sheet stacking unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2013Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yasuo Niikura, Keisuke Sugiyama
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Publication number: 20150253716Abstract: A recording medium discharging device includes a discharging unit configured to discharge a recording medium from a discharge port; a tray unit on which the recording medium discharged from the discharging unit is stacked; and an air blower configured to blow air in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the recording medium is discharged.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Shuuya NAGASAKO, Masahiro TAMURA, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Kyosuke NAKADA, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Junya SUZUKI, Kazunori KONNO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Tomomichi HOSHINO, Akira KUNIEDA, Takahiro WATANABE, Tomohiro YOSHIZAKI, Kiichiro GOTO
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Publication number: 20150225191Abstract: There are provided a plurality of slide rails that are attached to a sheet feeding device; a box-shaped pullout unit that is movable toward an image forming unit on the slide rails; a slide unit and an extended tray that are arranged in the front and back positions in a direction in which the pullout unit moves; a slide bottom plate that is movable up and down by a loading unit and that is slidable on the pullout unit in a horizontal direction; a front-edge sheet positioning unit that raises up when the slide bottom plate is pulled out in a horizontal direction and that falls down when the slide bottom plate is pushed in a horizontal direction; and a connection unit that connects to a handle for pulling out the pullout unit in a horizontal direction when the slide bottom plate is located at a lowest point.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2015Publication date: August 13, 2015Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yasuo NIIKURA, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Hideaki TAKAHASHI
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Patent number: 9096403Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus including: a discharge unit configured to discharge a sheet through a discharge port; a stack unit configured to stack the discharged sheet thereon; and a plurality of blowing units configured to supply air to a discharge side of the discharge unit while the sheet is discharged, wherein the blowing units are disposed, below the discharge port, aligned with a direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2013Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Satoru Takano, Kiichiro Goto, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Shintaro Matsumoto, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Takamasa Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Youhei Niitsuma
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Patent number: 9075377Abstract: A recording medium discharging device includes a discharging unit configured to discharge a recording medium from a discharge port; a tray unit on which the recording medium discharged from the discharging unit is stacked; and an air blower configured to blow air in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the recording medium is discharged.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Shuuya Nagasako, Masahiro Tamura, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Yasuo Niikura, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
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Publication number: 20150166280Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a sheet stacking member; an air blowing unit configured to blow air onto the sheet bundle placed on the sheet stacking member to suspend multiple sheets of the sheet bundle; a lifting/lowering unit configured to lift/lower the sheet stacking member; an optical reflection sensor configured to detect a suspended sheet suspended by the air blowing unit; and a control unit configured to control the lifting/lowering unit based on an output value of the optical reflection sensor. The optical reflection sensor is configured to be capable of detecting an area corresponding to multiple sheets in a sheet suspension zone extending between a non-suspended sheet bundle and a conveying member configured to convey an uppermost sheet of the multiple suspended sheets. The non-suspended sheet bundle is made up of sheets not suspended during a period when air is blown by the air blowing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2014Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Yasunori HINO, Chikara AKATA, Tomoki TAMATE, Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Munehisa FUDA, Toshihiro OKUTSU, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Masaki ISHIZAKI, Kiyotake NAKAMURA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Hisayoshi SUGAWARA, Kazunori KONNO, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Kohjiroh HAGA, Masato HASHIMOTO