Patents by Inventor Yohichi Sakai

Yohichi Sakai 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: 8963974
    Abstract: To perform preheating on a recording medium before transfer with an inexpensive configuration to reduce a transfer failure due to a change in temperature of a transfer film and further reduce thermal damage to the transfer film, in a transfer apparatus for nipping a transfer film and recording medium with a transfer roller and transfer platen, preheating treatment of the recording medium is performed by heat of the transfer roller before transfer processing. When the preheating treatment is performed using the transfer roller, the transfer film exists between the transport roller and the recording medium, and by shifting the position of the transfer film during the preheating treatment, it is possible to suppress thermal damage to the transfer film without applying heat of the transfer roller to only a part of the transfer film excessively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Yohichi Sakai, Tetsuya Noda, Akira Takei, Tatsuya Asakawa, Daisuke Kaneoya, Yuichi Aihara
  • Patent number: 8957929
    Abstract: A transfer apparatus for heating a recording medium and a transfer film with a transfer member and a transfer platen transferring an image includes a transfer film transport member, a recording medium transport member, a peeling member peeling off the transfer film, a support member supporting the transfer surface of the recording medium, and a bracket. A recording medium contact point of the peeling member is set in the same position as a first tangent passing through a recording medium contact point of the transfer member and a contact of the recording medium of a transport member and a recording medium contact point of the support member is set in the same position as a second tangent passing through the recording medium contact point of the transfer member and the recording medium contact point of the peeling member or on the transfer platen side relative to the second tangent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Yohichi Sakai, Tetsuya Noda, Akira Takei, Tatsuya Asakawa, Daisuke Kaneoya, Kota Hihara
  • Publication number: 20140139606
    Abstract: To perform preheating on a recording medium before transfer with an inexpensive configuration to reduce a transfer failure due to a change in temperature of a transfer film and further reduce thermal damage to the transfer film, in a transfer apparatus for nipping a transfer film and recording medium with a transfer roller and transfer platen, preheating treatment of the recording medium is performed by heat of the transfer roller before transfer processing. When the preheating treatment is performed using the transfer roller, the transfer film exists between the transport roller and the recording medium, and by shifting the position of the transfer film during the preheating treatment, it is possible to suppress thermal damage to the transfer film without applying heat of the transfer roller to only a part of the transfer film excessively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohichi SAKAI, Tetsuya NODA, Akira TAKEI, Tatsuya ASAKAWA, Daisuke KANEOYA, Yuichi AIHARA
  • Publication number: 20140132697
    Abstract: A transfer apparatus for heating a recording medium and a transfer film with a transfer member and a transfer platen transferring an image includes a transfer film transport member, a recording medium transport member, a peeling member peeling off the transfer film, a support member supporting the transfer surface of the recording medium, and a bracket. A recording medium contact point of the peeling member is set in the same position as a first tangent passing through a recording medium contact point of the transfer member and a contact of the recording medium of a transport member and a recording medium contact point of the support member is set in the same position as a second tangent passing through the recording medium contact point of the transfer member and the recording medium contact point of the peeling member or on the transfer platen side relative to the second tangent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohichi SAKAI, Tetsuya NODA, Akira TAKEI, Tatsuya ASAKAWA, Daisuke KANEOYA, Kota HIHARA
  • Patent number: 8044642
    Abstract: In a power supply device, a synchronous rectifier step-down converter alternately turns on and off a switch and a synchronous rectifier switch. A reference voltage generator generates a predetermined reference voltage. An error amplifier outputs an error voltage such that an output voltage of the step-down converter approaches the predetermined reference voltage. A pulse-width signal generator generates a pulse-width signal controlling turning on and off the switch and the synchronous rectifier switch based on the error voltage. A driver circuit controls turning on and off the switch and the synchronous rectifier switch based on the pulse-width signal. An inductor is connected in series with output of the step-down converter. A bypass switch short-circuits an output terminal of the step-down converter to an input terminal of the step-down converter. A mode controller controls turning on and off the bypass switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohichi Sakai, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 8004263
    Abstract: In a switching regulator, when a control switching signal received from outside is indicating PWM control, a second reference voltage generating circuit outputs, as a second reference voltage, a voltage that is lower than the minimum voltage of an output voltage range of an error amplifying circuit, so that output signals from a comparator are fixed at a high level. When a control switching signal received from outside is indicating VFM control, the second reference voltage generating circuit adjusts the second reference voltage according to the voltage difference between an input voltage and an output voltage, because the optimum second reference voltage varies according to the voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Hirata, Yohichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20090322303
    Abstract: In a switching regulator, when a control switching signal received from outside is indicating PWM control, a second reference voltage generating circuit outputs, as a second reference voltage, a voltage that is lower than the minimum voltage of an output voltage range of an error amplifying circuit, so that output signals from a comparator are fixed at a high level. When a control switching signal received from outside is indicating VFM control, the second reference voltage generating circuit adjusts the second reference voltage according to the voltage difference between an input voltage and an output voltage, because the optimum second reference voltage varies according to the voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi HIRATA, Yohichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20090237055
    Abstract: In a power supply device, a synchronous rectifier step-down converter alternately turns on and off a switch and a synchronous rectifier switch. A reference voltage generator generates a predetermined reference voltage. An error amplifier outputs an error voltage such that an output voltage of the step-down converter approaches the predetermined reference voltage. A pulse-width signal generator generates a pulse-width signal controlling turning on and off the switch and the synchronous rectifier switch based on the error voltage. A driver circuit controls turning on and off the switch and the synchronous rectifier switch based on the pulse-width signal. An inductor is connected in series with output of the step-down converter. A bypass switch short-circuits an output terminal of the step-down converter to an input terminal of the step-down converter. A mode controller controls turning on and off the bypass switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yohichi SAKAI, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7579817
    Abstract: A constant-voltage circuit includes a switching regulator and a series regulator each configured to start operating according to a selection signal input from outside the integrated circuit for exclusively causing one of the switching or the series regulators to operate, convert an input voltage to a rated voltage and to output the voltage to an output terminal. The switching regulator performs a soft-start operation for raising an output voltage to the rated voltage at a constant speed when starting operation. The series regulator regulates a current so that an output current does not exceed a predetermined value, simultaneously starts operating when the switching regulator starts operating, and automatically stops outputting a current to the output terminal when the soft-start operation is completed. A semiconductor apparatus provided with a predetermined function includes the constant-voltage circuit. A control method controls the constant-voltage circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Agari, Yohichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20060238178
    Abstract: A constant-voltage circuit includes a switching regulator and a series regulator each configured to start operating according to a selection signal input from outside the integrated circuit for exclusively causing one of the switching or the series regulators to operate, convert an input voltage to a rated voltage and to output the voltage to an output terminal. The switching regulator performs a soft-start operation for raising an output voltage to the rated voltage at a constant speed when starting operation. The series regulator regulates a current so that an output current does not exceed a predetermined value, simultaneously starts operating when the switching regulator starts operating, and automatically stops outputting a current to the output terminal when the soft-start operation is completed. A semiconductor apparatus provided with a predetermined function includes the constant-voltage circuit. A control method controls the constant-voltage circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Hideki Agari, Yohichi Sakai