Patents by Inventor Yusuke HIRONO

Yusuke HIRONO 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: 12312192
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a housing, a sheet stacker, a stacker elevator, an extension sheet stacker, and a support. The sheet stacker is included in the housing and is configured to stack a sheet. The stacker elevator is configured to elevate the sheet stacker. The extension sheet stacker is attached to the sheet stacker and is configured to extend outward from the housing. The support is configured to support the extension sheet stacker and has an inclined portion configured to diagonally extend in a sheet conveyance direction, to the housing from a position upstream from a center of the extension sheet stacker in the sheet conveyance direction, when viewed from a width direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Konno, Masanobu Yoshida, Hidetoshi Kojima, Tomoyuki Okada, Tatsuya Sugawara, Yusuke Hirono
  • Publication number: 20250128905
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a first folding roller, a second folding roller, a return conveyance passage, and a third folding roller. The conveyor conveys a sheet along a main conveyance passage in a conveyance direction. The second folding roller facing the first folding roller across the main conveyance passage conveys the sheet by a first conveyance amount. The return conveyance passage having a curvature is branched from the main conveyance passage at a branching position and is merged to the main conveyance passage at a merging position. The third folding roller facing the second folding roller across the return conveyance passage conveys the sheet by a second conveyance amount smaller than the first conveyance amount of the second folding roller. The second folding roller is on an outer peripheral side and the third folding roller is on an inner peripheral side of the return conveyance passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2024
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Sho ASANO, Wataru TAKAHASHI, Tomomichi HOSHINO, Kotomi KAMEYAMA, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Hirotaka YASUKAWA, Yoshito SUZUKI, Shinya MONMA, Yuji SUZUKI, Wataru NOZAKI, Jun YAMADA, Naohiro YOSHIDA, Yusuke HIRONO, Takahiro WATANABE, Yohsuke HARAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20250113788
    Abstract: A watering system includes a pF sensor, a VWC sensor, and a control device that controls an irrigation operation. The control device controls the irrigation using the pF value detected by the pF sensor and the volume water content detected by the VWC sensor. The control device controls a start timing of the irrigation operation based on the pF value that is detected and a start threshold value. The control device controls a stop timing of the irrigation operation, which is in operation, based on the volume water content that is detected and a stop threshold value. The control device updates the stop threshold value based on fluctuation of the pF value that is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2024
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: Naoya USHIGOME, Yusuke HIRONO, Naohisa NIIMI, Norihiro KURUMADO
  • Publication number: 20250033919
    Abstract: A media processing apparatus includes a slit insertable a sheet bundle of multiple sheets, a sheet-bundle holder, a liquid applier, a press binder, and a controller. The sheet-bundle holder holds the sheet bundle and detects the thickness of the sheet bundle. The liquid applier applies liquid to the sheet bundle. The press binder presses and binds the sheet bundle to perform press-binding process. The controller causes the sheet-bundle holder to hold the sheet bundle and detect the thickness of the sheet bundle, determines whether to cause the liquid applier to apply liquid to the sheet bundle based on the thickness of the sheet bundle, causes the liquid applier to apply the liquid to the sheet bundle when it is determined that the thickness of the sheet bundle is equal or larger than a prescribed thickness, and causes the press binder to press and bind the sheet bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirata, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Yusuke Hirono, Atsushi Shinoda, Shuuto Tohkaishi, Shingo Yoshizawa, Suzuka Fujita, Naofumi Yoshida, Ryota Takayama, Takahiro Watanabe, Takuya Morinaga, Yuji Suzuki, Kanako Fujisaki, Jun Yamada, Wataru Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20240415081
    Abstract: A first water supply valve controls a pressure of water supplied from one end portion side of a distribution tube to control an amount of irrigation water. A second water supply valve controls a pressure of water supplied from another end portion side of the distribution tube to control an amount of irrigation water. A first abnormality sensor detects an abnormal state of water supply from the one end portion side of the distribution tube. A second abnormality sensor detects an abnormal state of water supply from the other end portion side of the distribution tube. A control device controls a valve opening degree of the first water supply valve and the second water supply valve when an abnormal state is detected by the first abnormality sensor or the second abnormality sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2024
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Yusuke HIRONO, Naohisa NIIMI, Norihiro KURUMADO
  • Publication number: 20240422273
    Abstract: A medium processing device includes a conveyor to convey multiple sheets in a conveyance direction; a tray to stack the multiple sheets; a first binder to perform a first binding process; a second binder to perform a second binding process; a common guide extending in a main scanning direction; a first branch guide branched from one end of the common guide in the main scanning direction to a first standby position; and a second branch guide branched from the one end of the common guide in the main scanning direction to a second standby position. The first binder is movable between the first standby position and the manual binding position along the first branch guide and the common guide. The second binder is movable between the second standby position and the manual binding position along the second branch guide and the common guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2024
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Nozaki, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Atsushi Shinoda, Yusuke Hirono, Shuuto Tohkaishi, Satoshi Hirata, Shingo Yoshizawa, Naofumi Yoshida, Suzuka Fujita, Ryota Takayama, Takahiro Watanabe, Jun Yamada, Takuya Morinaga, Yuji Suzuki, Kanako Fujisaki
  • Publication number: 20240417205
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes: a binder to bind multiple sheets at a binding position to form a sheet bundle; a sheet inserter having an opening into which the sheet bundle is insertable from an outside of the sheet inserter to a bindable region having the binding position; and a binding position verifier allowing the multiple sheets, inserted from the opening to the bindable region, to be verifiable from an outside of the sheet inserter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2024
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Suzuka Fujita, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Yusuke Hirono, Atsushi Shinoda, Shuuto Tohkaishi, Satoshi Hirata, Shingo Yoshizawa, Naofumi Yoshida, Ryota Takayama, Takahiro Watanabe, Takuya Morinaga, Yuji Suzuki, Wataru Nozaki, Kanako Fujisaki, Jun Yamada
  • Publication number: 20240400331
    Abstract: A media conveying apparatus includes: a pair of first defining members defining an upstream part of a conveyance path in a conveyance direction; a pair of second defining members defining a downstream part of the conveyance path in the conveyance direction; a first conveyor to convey a medium in the upstream part in the conveyance direction; a second conveyor to convey the medium in the downstream part in the conveyance direction; and a tray disposed downstream from the pair of second defining members in the conveyance direction. The tray stacks the medium ejected from the conveyance path. The pair of first defining members and the pair of second defining members are movable relative to each other in the conveyance direction to lengthen and shorten the conveyance path including the upstream part and the downstream part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shingo Yoshizawa, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Yusuke Hirono, Atsushi Shinoda, Shuuto Tohkaishi, Satoshi Hirata, Suzuka Fujita, Naofumi Yoshida, Ryota Takayama, Takahiro Watanabe, Takuya Morinaga, Yuji Suzuki, Wataru Nozaki, Kanako Fujisaki, Jun Yamada
  • Publication number: 20240400337
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: an ejection tray; an internal tray; a first conveyor to convey a sheet medium in a first direction in which the sheet medium is ejected to the ejection tray; a second conveyor to come into contact with and separate from sheet media stacked on the internal tray to convey the sheet media in a second direction different from the first direction; a crimp binder downstream from the internal tray in the second direction to execute crimp binding on the sheet media stacked on the internal tray; and control circuitry. When a subsequent sheet medium, which is subsequent to a preceding sheet medium of the sheet media stacked on the internal tray, is conveyed in the first direction while contacting the preceding sheet medium, the control circuitry causes the crimp binder to press a downstream end of the preceding sheet medium in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Jun YAMADA, Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Takahiro WATANABE, Takuya MORINAGA, Yuji SUZUKI, Wataru NOZAKI, Kanako FUJISAKI, Yusuke HIRONO
  • Publication number: 20240400335
    Abstract: A media processing apparatus includes: an internal tray; an ejection tray; a first conveyor to convey a sheet medium in a first conveyance direction leading to the ejection tray via the internal tray; a second conveyor to convey the medium in a second conveyance direction; a binder including a pair of clampers to clamp sheet media stacked on the internal tray and being switchable among an out-of-contact state in which the clampers are out of contact, a clamping state in which the media are clamped by the clampers, and a binding state in which the media are pressed and bound by the clampers. The circuitry switches the binder into the clamping state when an (N+1)-th sheet medium is conveyed in the first direction while contacting an N-th sheet medium in a state in which N sheets of sheet media are stacked on the internal tray, N being a natural number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Yuji SUZUKI, Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Yusuke HIRONO, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Takahiro WATANABE, Jun YAMADA, Takuya MORINAGA, Wataru NOZAKI, Kanako FUJISAKI
  • Patent number: 12098049
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a tray, a binder, a mover, and a switcher. The switcher includes a first passage, a second passage, and a movable wall. The movable wall guides a guided portion of the binder to the second passage when the guided portion moving along the first passage from an end side to a center side contacts the movable wall; causes the guided portion to pass when the guided portion moving along the second passage from the end side to the center side contacts the movable wall; guides the guided portion to the first passage when the guided portion moving along the second passage from the center side to the end side contacts the movable wall; and causes the guided portion to pass when the guided portion moving along the first passage from the center side to the end side contacts the movable wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Ota, Yohei Yamazaki, Yuji Miyachi, Yusuke Hirono, Yuta Yanai, Yuji Susaki, Masanobu Kimata
  • Publication number: 20240300771
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus for processing a medium ejected from an image forming apparatus includes a conveyor, a slit, a medium processing device, a stopper, and detectors. The conveyor conveys the medium ejected from the image forming apparatus. The slit communicates with an opening of a housing into which a medium is manually inserted from outside and includes a placement face on which the inserted medium is placed. The placement face has a first side and a second side orthogonal to the first side. The first and second sides are not parallel to a direction in which a side face of the housing extends. The medium processing device processes the medium conveyed by the conveyor or the medium placed on the slit. The stopper regulates edges of the medium along the first and second sides of the placement face. The detectors are disposed on the stopper to detect the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuuto Tohkaishi, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Yusuke Hirono, Atsushi Shinoda, Satoshi Hirata, Shingo Yoshizawa, Suzuka Fujita, Naofumi Yoshida, Ryota Takayama, Takahiro Watanabe, Takuya Morinaga, Yuji Suzuki, Wataru Nozaki, Kanako Fujisaki, Jun Yamada
  • Publication number: 20240294351
    Abstract: A liquid application device for applying liquid to a plurality of media to be crimped by a crimping device includes a liquid applier and a liquid-applier moving mechanism. The liquid applier applies liquid to the plurality of media. The liquid-applier moving mechanism moves the liquid applier to a first position at which the liquid applier applies liquid to a medium on a conveyance path in the liquid application device and a second position at which the liquid applier applies liquid to the plurality of media inserted through a liquid application slit of the liquid application device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: Kanako FUJISAKI, Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Yusuke HIRONO, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Takahiro WATANABE, Takuya MORINAGA, Yuji SUZUKI, Jun YAMADA, Wataru NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20240253923
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes an upstream device, a downstream device, and a controller as circuitry. The upstream device includes multiple rollers to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction and perform a sheet processing. The downstream device is downstream from the upstream device in the conveyance direction. The downstream device includes a sheet sensor to detect the sheet. The controller controls a timing to rotate the multiple rollers of the upstream device to perform the sheet processing in response to a detection of the sheet by the sheet sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Yusuke HIRONO, Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Takahiro WATANABE, Takuya MORINAGA, Yuji SUZUKI, Wataru NOZAKI, Kanako FUJISAKI, Jun YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20240246787
    Abstract: A sheet folder includes a conveyor conveying a sheet, a first folding roller and a second folding roller that form a first nip, a third folding roller forming a second nip with the second folding roller, a first guide movable between a first guide posture and a first retracted posture, a second guide movable between a second guide posture and a second retracted posture, and a motor. The motor rotates the second folding roller forward to convey the sheet toward the first nip, reverse to convey the sheet toward the second nip, moves the first guide to arrange in the first guide in the first guide posture or the first retracted posture, and moves the second guide to arrange the second guide in the second guide posture or the second retracted posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Takuya MORINAGA, Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Yusuke HIRONO, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Takahiro WATANABE, Yuji SUZUKI, Wataru NOZAKI, Kanako FUJISAKI, Jun YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20240182258
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes a conveyor, a first folding roller, a second folding roller, a third folding roller, a guide, a motor, and a driving force transmission mechanism. The motor causes the second folding roller to perform either forward rotation in which the second folding roller rotates to convey a sheet on a main conveying path in a conveying direction and to convey the sheet on a reflux conveying path from a joining position toward a branching position or backward rotation in a direction opposite to the forward rotation. The driving force transmission mechanism rotates the guide toward a first posture from a second posture in conjunction with the forward rotation of the second folding roller and rotates the guide from the first posture toward the second posture in conjunction with the backward rotation of the second folding roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Yuusuke SHIBASAKI, Yusuke HIRONO, Atsushi SHINODA, Shuuto TOHKAISHI, Satoshi HIRATA, Shingo YOSHIZAWA, Suzuka FUJITA, Naofumi YOSHIDA, Ryota TAKAYAMA, Takahiro WATANABE, Takuya MORINAGA, Yuji SUZUKI, Wataru NOZAKI, Kanako FUJISAKI, Jun YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20230331507
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a tray, a binder, a mover, and a switcher. The switcher includes a first passage, a second passage, and a movable wall. The movable wall guides a guided portion of the binder to the second passage when the guided portion moving along the first passage from an end side to a center side contacts the movable wall; causes the guided portion to pass when the guided portion moving along the second passage from the end side to the center side contacts the movable wall; guides the guided portion to the first passage when the guided portion moving along the second passage from the center side to the end side contacts the movable wall; and causes the guided portion to pass when the guided portion moving along the first passage from the center side to the end side contacts the movable wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Ota, Yohei Yamazaki, Yuji Miyachi, Yusuke Hirono, Yuta Yanai, Yuji Susaki, Masanobu Kimata
  • Publication number: 20230271798
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a housing, a sheet stacker, a stacker elevator, an extension sheet stacker, and a support. The sheet stacker is included in the housing and is configured to stack a sheet. The stacker elevator is configured to elevate the sheet stacker. The extension sheet stacker is attached to the sheet stacker and is configured to extend outward from the housing. The support is configured to support the extension sheet stacker and has an inclined portion configured to diagonally extend in a sheet conveyance direction, to the housing from a position upstream from a center of the extension sheet stacker in the sheet conveyance direction, when viewed from a width direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori KONNO, Masanobu YOSHIDA, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Tomoyuki OKADA, Tatsuya SUGAWARA, Yusuke HIRONO