Patents by Inventor Yoshimi Asayama

Yoshimi Asayama 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: 8311457
    Abstract: A constant velocity joint includes a first rotation body and a second rotation body. The first rotation body includes a cup unit, a shaft, and ribs that project from the cup unit and connect the cup unit to the shaft. One of the first rotation body and the second rotation body transmits a rotational driving force to other one of the first rotation body and the second rotation body through balls. The first rotation body is so formed that the cup unit and the shaft are formed into one piece using resin material. Moreover, the rib is so formed into one piece with the cup unit and the shaft using resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Limited, NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Patent number: 8229324
    Abstract: A coupling unit includes two constant velocity joints arranged in series in the shaft direction. The coupling unit couples a driven shaft and a drive shaft. Each constant velocity joint includes a ball non-retaining member and a ball retaining member. The ball non-retaining member has an annular space with one opened end and a plurality of track grooves extending in the shaft direction on an external wall surface of the annular space at a constant interval in a circumferential direction. The ball retaining member has a portion that engages with the annular space of the ball non-retaining member, and that retains a ball that slides along each of the track grooves formed in the ball non-retaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Limited, NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Takuro Kamiya, Hideaki Sugata, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Patent number: 8103192
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a constant velocity joint having an outer ring including an annular space with an open end, plural outer grooves axially extending in an outer wall of the annular space and being equally spaced from each other in a circumferential direction, and plural inner grooves axially extending in an inner wall of the annular space and facing the respective outer grooves, and a cage configured to hold balls that slide along the inner walls and the outer walls. The outer ring and/or the cage may be made of a synthetic resin. A drive force of one of the cage and the outer ring may be transmitted to the other one of the cage and the outer ring when part of the cage may be inserted in the annular space and the balls held by the cage may be engaged in the inner grooves and the outer grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd., NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20110091244
    Abstract: A constant velocity joint includes a first rotation body and a second rotation body. The first rotation body includes a cup unit, a shaft, and ribs that project from the cup unit and connect the cup unit to the shaft. One of the first rotation body and the second rotation body transmits a rotational driving force to other one of the first rotation body and the second rotation body through balls. The first rotation body is so formed that the cup unit and the shaft are formed into one piece using resin material. Moreover, the rib is so formed into one piece with the cup unit and the shaft using resin material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Patent number: 7844202
    Abstract: A constant velocity joint includes a first rotation body and a second rotation body. The first rotation body includes a cup unit, a shaft, and ribs that project from the cup unit and connect the cup unit to the shaft. One of the first rotation body and the second rotation body transmits a rotational driving force to other one of the first rotation body and the second rotation body through balls. The first rotation body is so formed that the cup unit and the shaft are formed into one piece using resin material. Moreover, the rib is so formed into one piece with the cup unit and the shaft using resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Limited, NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Patent number: 7822364
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main-body and a process cartridge. A female connector is arranged on a developing roller shaft in the process cartridge. The female connector has an open-ended ring-like space formed between an outer ring and an inner ring. A plurality of track grooves are arranged on the circumference of at least one of the outer ring and the inner ring. One end of a cartridge driving shaft is supported in the apparatus main-body, while the other end thereof facing the process cartridge is movable in a radial direction. A male connector is arranged on the movable end of the cartridge driving shaft. A front portion of the male connector is a cylindrical spherical-body holding portion that rotatably holds a plurality of spherical bodies. When the spherical-body holding portion enters into the ring-like space, the spherical bodies slide along the track grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20090196655
    Abstract: A coupling unit includes two constant velocity joints arranged in series in the shaft direction. The coupling unit couples a driven shaft and a drive shaft. Each constant velocity joint includes a ball non-retaining member and a ball retaining member. The ball non-retaining member has an annular space with one opened end and a plurality of track grooves extending in the shaft direction on an external wall surface of the annular space at a constant interval in a circumferential direction. The ball retaining member has a portion that engages with the annular space of the ball non-retaining member, and that retains a ball that slides along each of the track grooves formed in the ball non-retaining member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Takuro Kamiya, Hideaki Sugata, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Patent number: 7548713
    Abstract: In a driving motor that rotates and drives a rotor by a magnetic force generated between a rotor and a stator, a constant velocity joint that transmits a rotation driving force between a driving-side rotating member and a driven-side rotating member. The driving-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member align in an axial direction and engage with each other. The driving-side rotating member is directly connected to the rotor to function as a driving shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Limited, NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20090054164
    Abstract: A disclosed constant velocity joint includes an outer ring including an annular space with an open end, plural outer grooves axially extending in an outer wall of the annular space and being equally spaced from each other in a circumferential direction, and plural inner grooves axially extending in an inner wall of the annular space and facing the respective outer grooves; and a cage configured to hold balls that slide along the inner walls and the outer walls. The outer ring and/or the cage is made of a synthetic resin. A drive force of one of the cage and the outer ring is transmitted to the other one of the cage and the outer ring when part of the cage is inserted in the annular space and the balls held by the cage are engaged in the inner grooves and the outer grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20090042656
    Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus comprises a unit, which includes a rotating body and is detachable from an apparatus body, and a connection unit configured to connect a driven shaft provided in the unit to a drive shaft provided in the apparatus body. The driven shaft is configured to transmit a drive force to the rotating body. The drive shaft is configured to be rotated by a drive force of a drive source. The unit is positioned relative to the apparatus body by connecting the drive shaft and the driven shaft with the connection unit. The rotating body includes at least one of a developing roller, a drive roller of an intermediate transfer belt, a drive roller of a sheet transport belt, a roller configured to transport a sheet, and a secondary transfer roller. The connection unit is a constant velocity joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20090028597
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main-body and a process cartridge. A female connector is arranged on a developing roller shaft in the process cartridge. The female connector has an open-ended ring-like space formed between an outer ring and an inner ring. A plurality of track grooves are arranged on the circumference of at least one of the outer ring and the inner ring. One end of a cartridge driving shaft is supported in the apparatus main-body, while the other end thereof facing the process cartridge is movable in a radial direction. A male connector is arranged on the movable end of the cartridge driving shaft. A front portion of the male connector is a cylindrical spherical-body holding portion that rotatably holds a plurality of spherical bodies. When the spherical-body holding portion enters into the ring-like space, the spherical bodies slide along the track grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20070201901
    Abstract: In a driving motor that rotates and drives a rotor by a magnetic force generated between a rotor and a stator, a constant velocity joint that transmits a rotation driving force between a driving-side rotating member and a driven-side rotating member. The driving-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member align in an axial direction and engage with each other. The driving-side rotating member is directly connected to the rotor to function as a driving shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama
  • Publication number: 20070196129
    Abstract: A constant velocity joint includes a first rotation body and a second rotation body. The first rotation body includes a cup unit, a shaft, and ribs that project from the cup unit and connect the cup unit to the shaft. One of the first rotation body and the second rotation body transmits a rotational driving force to other one of the first rotation body and the second rotation body through balls. The first rotation body is so formed that the cup unit and the shaft are formed into one piece using resin material. Moreover, the rib is so formed into one piece with the cup unit and the shaft using resin material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Junya Takigawa, Yoshimi Asayama