Patents by Inventor Yozo Matsuura

Yozo Matsuura 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: 5873021
    Abstract: In a cleaning device and a eveloping device installed in an electrophotographic device, a cleaner and toner magazine (CTM) has a cleaning unit including a cleaning blade for removing a toner left on a photoconductive element after image transfer and a waste toner tank for collecting it, and a developing unit accommodating a fresh toner tank storing a fresh toner. The waste toner tank and fresh toner tank are connected together such that the fresh toner tank is movable relative to the developing device independently of the waste toner tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Hatta, Hiroshi Saitoh, Shigemi Kanda, Yozo Matsuura, Masahiko Kamijo
  • Patent number: 5697038
    Abstract: In a cleaning device and a developing device installed in an electrophotographic device, a cleaner and toner magazine (CTM) has a cleaning unit including a cleaning blade for removing a toner left on a photoconductive element after image transfer and a waste toner tank for collecting it, and a developing unit accommodating a fresh toner tank storing a fresh toner. The waste toner tank and fresh toner tank are constructed integrally with each other and connected together such that the fresh toner tank is movable to the developing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Hatta, Hiroshi Saitoh, Shigemi Kanda, Yozo Matsuura, Masahiko Kamijo
  • Patent number: 5623717
    Abstract: In a developing device for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a toner conveyor roller intervenes between a conveyor roller and a developing region where a photoconductive element is located. A toner is electrically transferred from the conveyor roller to the toner conveyor roller and conveyed by the toner conveyor roller to the developing region. This prevents inversely charged toner particles from being brought to the developing region, thereby insuring high quality development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Takenaka, Yozo Matsuura
  • Patent number: 5555081
    Abstract: In a cleaning device and a developing device installed in an electrophotographic device, a cleaner and toner magazine (CTM) has a cleaning unit including a cleaning blade for removing a toner left on a photoconductive element after image transfer and a waste toner tank for collecting it, and a developing unit accommodating a fresh toner tank storing a fresh toner. The waste toner tank and fresh toner tank are constructed integrally with each other and connected together such that the fresh toner tank is movable to the developing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Hatta, Hiroshi Saitoh, Shigemi Kanda, Yozo Matsuura, Masahiko Kamijo
  • Patent number: 5349425
    Abstract: A combined cleaner and toner magazine (CTM) applicable to an image forming apparatus and implemented as a single unit made up of a device for supplying a toner to a developing unit and a cleaning device for removing and storing part of the toner which remains on a photoconductive element after image transfer. The CTM has an electromagnetic shutter or a permanent magnet for preventing the toner left on the photoconductive element without being collected by the cleaning device from being scattered around in the apparatus. When a toner reservoir included in the toner supply device is emptied and, at the same time, a waste toner tank in the cleaning device is filled up, a supplementary toner is filled in the toner reservoir via a predetermined opening and the waste toner is discharged from the waste toner tank via another predetermined opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Kamijo, Hiroshi Saitoh, Yozo Matsuura, Shiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 5331377
    Abstract: A toner supplement control device incorporated in an image forming apparatus for executing the supplement of a fresh toner to a developing unit only when a particular document image process mode is under way. The particular process mode is any one of a document image receive mode, a document image record mode, a document image copy mode, a supervisory report record mode, etc. In the event of initialization of the apparatus, during ordinary recording operation, and when a cleaner and toner magazine (CTM) is to be replaced, whether or not a fresh toner is present in the CTM is determined on the basis of the condition of a fresh toner existing in a developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Toshiyuki Nakama
  • Patent number: 5327197
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus capable of forming a high quality image by a contact type developing system using a photoconductive belt and a developing roller. The belt has a tubular configuration. A single friction roller is made of rubber and received in the tubular belt to drive it in a rotary motion. The friction roller has an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the belt to provide the belt with a slack. The developing roller contacts the slack of the belt and, therefore, contacts the belt over a sufficient nip width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Hiromichi Ema, Shiroh Kondoh, Eiji Takenaka, Hiroshi Saitoh
  • Patent number: 5315357
    Abstract: A cleaning unit provided in a xerographic image forming apparatus removes residual toner from a photosensitive belt after a transfer process for transferring a developed image from the photosensitive belt to a recording sheet. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade for scraping the residual toner from the photosensitive belt, and a housing for storing the residual toner scraped by the cleaning blade. The cleaning blade has a slanting surface formed between a top surface of the cleaning blade and an end of the cleaning blade, the slanting blade slanting from the top surface toward the end of the cleaning blade so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the top surface. The developer scraped by the cleaning blade is entered in the housing via the slanting surface and the top surface of the cleaning blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Kamijo, Yozo Matsuura, Hiroshi Saitoh
  • Patent number: 5273272
    Abstract: A paper cassette unit includes a base part installed in an image forming system, a paper cassette having a compartment in which sheets of paper are accommodated, the paper cassette being detachably mounted in the base part, a cassette cover for covering an opening of the compartment when the paper cassette is mounted in the base part, and a connecting part connecting the cassette cover to the base part in such a way that only the cover stays in the base part when the paper cassette is demounted from the base part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nakamura, Yozo Matsuura, Yoshiya Ito
  • Patent number: 5268720
    Abstract: A recording apparatus which includes a photosensitive member and an image forming unit for forming a latent image on the photosensitive member. A developing unit develops this latent image by supplying toner to the photosensitive member so that a visible image corresponding to the latent image is formed on the photosensitive member. A transfer unit transfers the visible image from the photosensitive member to a recording sheet. A magazine unit having a first chamber for storing toner and a second chamber for storing scrap toner obtained by scraping residual toner from the photosensitive member is also provided. The magazine unit is detachably mounted to a housing of the recording apparatus. A supply mechanism supplies toner from the first chamber of the magazine unit to the developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Saitoh, Shiroh Kondoh, Masanori Yoshimura, Yozo Matsuura
  • Patent number: 5255061
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which forms a predetermined image on each recording paper of a plurality of recording papers and ejects each recording paper therefrom through a feed path, includes a body and a first lid. The first lid is pivotably provided on the body so as to pivot from a closing position to an opening position, and the feed path is mostly exposed when the first lid is located at the opening position. The body includes photosensitive member, a latent image forming device, and a developing device, whereas the first lid includes merely a transfer device so that the first lid is light enough to be opened easily. In addition, a jammed paper can be removed easily from the feed path because the feed path is mostly exposed when the first lid is located at the opening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Shiroh Kondoh, Kazuhiro Yuasa
  • Patent number: 5126799
    Abstract: A xerographic image recording apparatus includes a photosensitive body moved along a circuitous path, an electric discharging unit for eliminating electric charges from the photosensitive body, a precharging unit for charging the photosensitive body electrically, an image writing unit for writing an image on the photosensitive body, an image developing unit for coating the photosensitive body by the toner to form a toner image on the photosensitive body, a recording sheet feeding unit for feeding a recording sheet along a sheet path, an image transfer unit for transferring the toner image onto a recording sheet, a cleaning unit for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive body after the transfer of image on the recording sheet is completed, a toner supply tank for supplying the toner to the image developing unit, and a toner recovery tank for collecting the toner removed by the cleaning unit from the photosensitive body, wherein the toner supply tank and the toner recovery tank are assembled into a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Shiroh Kondoh, Kazuhiro Yuasa, Hiroshi Saitoh, Hiroyuki Kiyoi, Masanori Yoshimura, Masahiro Kawabe, Yoshiya Itoh
  • Patent number: 4933771
    Abstract: A facsimile machine provided with a page printer for printing image data on one or more cut sheets of recording medium. In the case where at least two differently sized cut sheets of recording medium are selectively used for recording of received image data, the facsimile machine includes a control system to keep the first selected size until recording of all of the image data of the same original document has been completed. In another embodiment, the amount of a single page of data and the size of cut sheet of recording medium in use are constantly monitored, and if the amount of a single page of data is equal to or less than half of the size of cut sheet of recording medium in use, then two pages of data are recorded on a single cut sheet of recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Yuji Koseki
  • Patent number: 4586059
    Abstract: A collected toner conveying device of an electrostatic recording apparatus for receiving a toner remaining on a latent image carrier after a toner image is printed on a transfer-printing sheet and discharging the toner to outside. The collected toner conveying device includes a toner receiver of a semicircular cross section in its lower portion which extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the latent image carrier for receiving the toner removed from the latent image carrier by a cleaning member, and a screw conveyor provided with spiral fins mounted on a shaft of the screw conveyor with no gap therebetween and located along the entire length of the screw conveyor to discharge the toner introduced into the toner receiver to outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1986
    Assignee: Richo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yozo Matsuura
  • Patent number: 4483611
    Abstract: A magnetic cleaning device for cleaning a surface to be cleaned by removing magnetic particles therefrom includes a rotatable sleeve of a nonmagnetic material on the outer peripheral surface of which is planted a plurality of fibers to form a fur brush, a plurality of magnets disposed inside of and along the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve, a rotatable magnetic roll disposed adjacent to the sleeve for having the magnetic particles transferred from the sleeve to the roll, and a collection unit including a scraper to scrape the transferred particles off the roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Kazuhiro Yuasa
  • Patent number: RE35528
    Abstract: A xerographic image recording apparatus includes a photosensitive body moved along a circuitous path, an electric discharging unit for eliminating electric charges from the photosensitive body, a precharging unit for charging the photosensitive body electrically, an image writing unit for writing an image on the photosensitive body, an image developing unit for coating the photosensitive body by the toner to form a toner image on the photosensitive body; a recording sheet feeding unit for feeding a recording sheet along a sheet path, an image transfer unit for transferring the toner image onto a recording sheet, a cleaning unit for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive body after the transfer of image on the recording sheet is completed, a toner supply tank for supplying the toner to the image developing unit, and a toner recovery tank for collecting the toner removed by the cleaning unit from the photosensitive body, wherein the toner supply tank and the toner recovery tank are assembled into a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yozo Matsuura, Shiroh Kondoh, Kazuhiro Yuasa, Hiroshi Saitoh, Hiroyuki Kiyoi, Masanori Yoshimura, Masahiro Kawabe, Yoshiya Itoh