Patents by Inventor Yoshikuni Sasaki
Yoshikuni Sasaki 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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Patent number: 11841652Abstract: A contact-separation device brings a contact-separation member into contact with a contacted member separably and includes a biasing member that generates a biasing force. A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member. A cam presses the presser in an opposite direction being opposite to the pressing direction. The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Seiji Saitoh, Takahiro Imada, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Tamotsu Ikeda, Hiromasa Takagi, Jun Okamoto
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Publication number: 20230359142Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a pair of conveyors each including a conveyance face to convey a recording medium inside an image forming apparatus. One of the pair of conveyors further includes an exposed face, a handle, and a swing fulcrum. The exposed face is exposed to an outside of the apparatus while an inside of the apparatus is open. The handle is exposed to the outside of the apparatus and operatable to expose the conveyance face to the outside of the apparatus while the inside of the apparatus is open. The swing fulcrum swings the one of the pair of conveyors to expose the conveyance face to the outside of the apparatus when the handle is operated while the inside of the apparatus is open. The handle includes a partial annular portion. The partial annular portion is included in a plane including a swing direction around the swing fulcrum.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Takuya SESHITA, Hiroshi YOSHINAGA, Arinobu YOSHIURA
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Patent number: 11693362Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2022Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hiromasa Takagi, Seiji Saitoh, Jun Okamoto, Tamotsu Ikeda, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Takahiro Imada
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Publication number: 20230008258Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes two rotators, a driver driving the rotators, a heating device to heat the rotator, a blower blowing air to the heating device, a temperature detector, a recording medium detector, a cover, an open-close detector, and circuitry. The circuitry detects an abnormal state and stops heat generation, determines whether the cover is closed using the open-close detector, controls the blower to blow air when the cover is closed, determines whether the recording medium is in the nip using the recording medium detector, controls the driver to rotate the two rotators when the cover is closed and no recording medium is in the nip, determines whether a temperature detected is equal to or lower than a threshold value before the cover is opened, and controls the blower to decrease an air volume when the temperature detected is equal to or lower than the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2022Publication date: January 12, 2023Inventors: Hiromasa TAKAGI, Seiji SAITOH, Jun OKAMOTO, Tamotsu IKEDA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Takahiro IMADA
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Publication number: 20230004107Abstract: A contact-separation device brings a contact-separation member into contact with a contacted member separably and includes a biasing member that generates a biasing force. A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member. A cam presses the presser in an opposite direction being opposite to the pressing direction. The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2022Publication date: January 5, 2023Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Seiji SAITOH, Takahiro IMADA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Tamotsu IKEDA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Jun OKAMOTO
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Patent number: 11513457Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating and fixing rotator, a pressing rotator, a blower, a guide, an opening and closing device, and a driving device. The heating and fixing rotator is rotatable and heats an unfixed image on a recording medium to fix the unfixed image on the recording medium. The pressing rotator is rotatable, faces the heating and fixing rotator, and is pressed against the recording medium. The guide has an air blowing port and guides air sent from the blower to at least one of the heating and fixing rotator and the pressing rotator. The opening and closing device moves to open and close the air blowing port. The driving device includes a driver to move the opening and closing device and at least one member other than the opening and closing device and separately drives the opening and closing device and the at least one member.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Yoshikuni Sasaki
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Patent number: 11500314Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms a toner image on a recording medium, a first rotator, and a second rotator that presses against the first rotator to form a nip therebetween. The first rotator conveys the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip with a first orientation of the recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium to create a cleaning sheet bearing a cleaning image in a cleaning sheet creation mode. The first rotator conveys the cleaning sheet bearing the cleaning image through the nip with a second orientation of the cleaning sheet, that is different from the first orientation of the recording medium, such that the cleaning image is disposed opposite the first rotator to cause the cleaning image to remove a foreign substance from a surface of the first rotator in a cleaning mode.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2021Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Keitaro Shoji, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
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Patent number: 11256200Abstract: A fixing device is configured to be detachably attached to an image forming device main body. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a heating source, a pressing member, a conveyance guide member, an exterior member, a relay substrate, and a substrate covering member. The fixing member is configured to heat a toner image so as to fix the toner image on a recording medium. The heating source is configured to heat the fixing member. The pressing member is configured to press against the fixing member to form a nip part. The conveyance guide member is configured to guide the recording medium to the nip part. The exterior member houses at least the fixing member and the pressing member. The substrate covering member covers the relay substrate. The substrate covering member extends from and is integrated with the conveyance guide member.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2021Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Takahiro Imada, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hiromasa Takagi, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
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Publication number: 20220043376Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms a toner image on a recording medium, a first rotator, and a second rotator that presses against the first rotator to form a nip therebetween. The first rotator conveys the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip with a first orientation of the recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium to create a cleaning sheet bearing a cleaning image in a cleaning sheet creation mode. The first rotator conveys the cleaning sheet bearing the cleaning image through the nip with a second orientation of the cleaning sheet, that is different from the first orientation of the recording medium, such that the cleaning image is disposed opposite the first rotator to cause the cleaning image to remove a foreign substance from a surface of the first rotator in a cleaning mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2021Publication date: February 10, 2022Inventors: Keitaro SHOJI, Yoshio HATTORI, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Takahiro IMADA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Takumi WAIDA
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Publication number: 20210364959Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating and fixing rotator, a pressing rotator, a blower, a guide, an opening and closing device, and a driving device. The heating and fixing rotator is rotatable and heats an unfixed image on a recording medium to fix the unfixed image on the recording medium. The pressing rotator is rotatable, faces the heating and fixing rotator, and is pressed against the recording medium. The guide has an air blowing port and guides air sent from the blower to at least one of the heating and fixing rotator and the pressing rotator. The opening and closing device moves to open and close the air blowing port. The driving device includes a driver to move the opening and closing device and at least one member other than the opening and closing device and separately drives the opening and closing device and the at least one member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2021Publication date: November 25, 2021Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Yoshikuni SASAKI
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Publication number: 20210223724Abstract: A fixing device is configured to be detachably attached to an image forming device main body. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a heating source, a pressing member, a conveyance guide member, an exterior member, a relay substrate, and a substrate covering member. The fixing member is configured to heat a toner image so as to fix the toner image on a recording medium. The heating source is configured to heat the fixing member. The pressing member is configured to press against the fixing member to form a nip part. The conveyance guide member is configured to guide the recording medium to the nip part. The exterior member houses at least the fixing member and the pressing member. The substrate covering member covers the relay substrate. The substrate covering member extends from and is integrated with the conveyance guide member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yoshio HATTORI, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Takumi WAIDA
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Patent number: 10852671Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, and a moving assembly. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position at which the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position at which the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The moving assembly includes a biasing member that presses the cleaner to move to the contact position. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the contact position to the separate position against a biasing force of the biasing member. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the separate position to the contact position while increasing and then decreasing the biasing force of the biasing member greater than the biasing force applied when the cleaner is located at the contact position.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2019Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takahiro Imada, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hironori Yamaoka, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
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Publication number: 20200249603Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotator and a second rotator disposed opposite the first rotator. A heater heats one of the first rotator and the second rotator. A cleaner is disposed opposite the second rotator. A temperature detector is disposed opposite the second rotator at an opposed position being within an increased conveyance span where a first sheet is conveyed and being outboard from a decreased conveyance span in an axial direction of the second rotator where a second sheet smaller than the first sheet is conveyed. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the second rotator. A mover moves the cleaner between a contact position where the cleaner contacts the surface of the second rotator and a separation position where the cleaner separates from the surface of the second rotator based on the temperature of the second rotator, that is detected by the temperature detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2019Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Yoshio HATTORI, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hironori YAMAOKA, Takahiro IMADA, Takumi WAIDA
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Publication number: 20200159149Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, a moving assembly, and a temperature detector. The fixing rotator heats and fixes a toner image onto a recording medium. The pressure rotator presses against the fixing rotator. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position where the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position where the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The temperature detector detects a temperature of one of the cleaner and the cleaning target.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2019Publication date: May 21, 2020Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takumi WAIDA, Yoshio HATTORI, Yasunori ISHIGAYA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Takahiro IMADA, Hironori YAMAOKA, Hiromasa TAKAGI, Keitaro SHOJI
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Publication number: 20200159148Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a cleaner, and a moving assembly. The cleaner contacts and cleans a cleaning target, which includes one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The moving assembly moves the cleaner between a contact position at which the cleaner contacts the cleaning target and a separate position at which the cleaner is apart from the cleaning target. The moving assembly includes a biasing member that presses the cleaner to move to the contact position. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the contact position to the separate position against a biasing force of the biasing member. The moving assembly moves the cleaner from the separate position to the contact position while increasing and then decreasing the biasing force of the biasing member greater than the biasing force applied when the cleaner is located at the contact position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2019Publication date: May 21, 2020Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takahiro IMADA, Yoshio Hattori, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hironori Yamaoka, Yasunori Ishigaya, Takumi Waida
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Patent number: 10401766Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation, over which a recording medium is conveyed, and a heater to heat the fixing rotator. A temperature detector detects a temperature of the fixing rotator. A controller performs a primary productivity control to define a primary productivity rate of printing per unit time based on the temperature of the fixing rotator that is detected by the temperature detector. The controller calculates an amount of power suppliable to the heater and performs a secondary productivity control simultaneously with and separately from the primary productivity control. The secondary productivity control defines a secondary productivity rate of printing per unit time based on the amount of power suppliable to the heater. The controller selects one of the primary productivity rate and the secondary productivity rate whichever is lower as a productivity rate of the image forming apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2016Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Ryohhei Sugiyama, Hiroshi Ono, Hironori Yamaoka, Motoyoshi Yamano, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Tetsuo Tokuda
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Patent number: 9817345Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed, a moving device to move the pressure rotator in directions in which the pressure rotator comes into contact with and separates from the fixing rotator, a thermal expansion amount predictor to predict an amount of thermal expansion of the fixing rotator while the recording medium is conveyed, and a nip width adjuster to control a moving distance of the pressure rotator moved by the moving device toward the fixing rotator, depending on the amount of thermal expansion of the fixing rotator predicted by the thermal expansion amount predictor, so as to adjust a width of the fixing nip to maintain a substantially constant width of the fixing nip.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2016Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Motoyoshi Yamano, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hiroshi Ono, Hironori Yamaoka, Ryohhei Sugiyama, Kohichi Utsunomiya, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hideo Nagafuji
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Patent number: 9696672Abstract: A drive transmission unit transmits driving force to a driven unit including a driven rotator coupled to the drive transmission unit via a unit coupler. The drive transmission unit includes a driving source, a drive transmission member to transmit driving force from the driving source to the driven rotator by engaging the driven rotator, and a basal plate with a turning shaft portion at one end thereof. The basal plate supports the driving source and the drive transmission member thereon. The drive transmission unit is turned around the turning shaft portion together with the driven unit in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction of a driving reaction force applied to the drive transmission member when the driven rotator receives the driving force from the drive transmission member.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2016Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hiroshi Ono, Tetsuo Tokuda, Yoshikuni Sasaki, Hironori Yamaoka, Ryohhei Sugiyama, Yamano Motoyoshi
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Publication number: 20170146933Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed, a moving device to move the pressure rotator in directions in which the pressure rotator comes into contact with and separates from the fixing rotator, a thermal expansion amount predictor to predict an amount of thermal expansion of the fixing rotator while the recording medium is conveyed, and a nip width adjuster to control a moving distance of the pressure rotator moved by the moving device toward the fixing rotator, depending on the amount of thermal expansion of the fixing rotator predicted by the thermal expansion amount predictor, so as to adjust a width of the fixing nip to maintain a substantially constant width of the fixing nip.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2016Publication date: May 25, 2017Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Motoyoshi YAMANO, Tetsuo TOKUDA, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Hiroshi ONO, Hironori YAMAOKA, Ryohhei SUGIYAMA, Kohichi UTSUNOMIYA, Arinobu YOSHIURA, Hideo NAGAFUJI
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Publication number: 20170131666Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation, over which a recording medium is conveyed, and a heater to heat the fixing rotator. A temperature detector detects a temperature of the fixing rotator. A controller performs a primary productivity control to define a primary productivity rate of printing per unit time based on the temperature of the fixing rotator that is detected by the temperature detector. The controller calculates an amount of power suppliable to the heater and performs a secondary productivity control simultaneously with and separately from the primary productivity control. The secondary productivity control defines a secondary productivity rate of printing per unit time based on the amount of power suppliable to the heater. The controller selects one of the primary conductivity rate and the secondary productivity rate whichever is lower as a productivity rate of the image forming apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2016Publication date: May 11, 2017Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Ryohhei SUGIYAMA, Hiroshi ONO, Hironori YAMAOKA, Motoyoshi YAMANO, Yoshikuni SASAKI, Tetsuo TOKUDA