Patents by Inventor Yuu Sakakibara

Yuu Sakakibara 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: 10042315
    Abstract: An elastic blade includes a contact edge to contact a contact object, an edge region including the contact edge and having a thickness smaller than or equal to 0.50 mm, and a backup region different in material or property from the edge region. The backup region is adjacent to the edge region on a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the contact edge extends. The elastic blade has a converted Martens hardness X (N/mm2) in a range of from 0.9 to 2.9. The converted Martens hardness is defined as: X = S A S A + S B × h A + S B S A + S B × h B where SA represents a cross-sectional area (mm2) of the edge region, SB represents a cross-sectional area (mm2) of the backup region, hA represents a Martens hardness (N/mm2) of the edge region, hB represents a Martens hardness (N/mm2) of the backup region, and t represents the thickness (mm) of the edge region including the contact edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisuke Shimizu, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Takaaki Tawada, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 10031466
    Abstract: A cleaning blade includes: a blade having plural layers formed with elastic materials having different degrees of hardness from each other, an edge line portion of the blade being brought into contact with a surface of a cleaning target performing surface movement to remove adhering matter from the surface of the cleaning target. A cleaning layer of the plural layers including the edge line portion is impregnated with a resin or is made of an elastic material having a high degree of hardness. A permanent elongation rate of the entire blade is set at 3.0% or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Watanabe, Takaaki Tawada, Hisashi Kikuchi, Eisuke Shimizu, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 9904233
    Abstract: An elastic blade includes a contact edge to contact a contact object, an edge region including the contact edge, and a backup region different in at least one of material and physical property from the edge region and adjacent to the edge region on a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the contact edge extends. The backup region is free of direct contact with the contact object. In the elastic blade, a converted elastic power X is from 57% to 90% and defined as X = S A S A + S B × e A + S B S A + S B × e B where SA and SB represent cross-sectional areas of the edge region and the backup region on the cross section, and eA and eB represent elastic powers of the edge region and the backup region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisuke Shimizu, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Takaaki Tawada, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 9798284
    Abstract: A multilayered blade made of an elastic material includes an edge layer, having a contact edge to contact an object, and at least one backup layer laminated on the edge layer. The blade has a converted loss tangent tan ? of 0.23 or greater and 0.51 or smaller in a temperature range of from 0° C. to 50° C. The converted loss tangent tan ? is defined as: X = A A + B × L 1 + B A + B × L 2 , where X represents the converted loss tangent tan ?, A represents a thickness in millimeters of the edge layer, B represents a thickness in millimeters of the at least one backup layer, L1 represents a variation of a loss tangent tan ? of the edge layer in the temperature range of from 0° C. to 50° C., and L2 represents a variation of a loss tangent tan ? of the at least one backup layer in the temperature range of from 0° C. to 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Eisuke Shimizu, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Takaaki Tawada, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20170199493
    Abstract: A cleaning blade includes: a blade having plural layers formed with elastic materials having different degrees of hardness from each other, an edge line portion of the blade being brought into contact with a surface of a cleaning target performing surface movement to remove adhering matter from the surface of the cleaning target. A cleaning layer of the plural layers including the edge line portion is impregnated with a resin or is made of an elastic material having a high degree of hardness. A permanent elongation rate of the entire blade is set at 3.0% or lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhiko WATANABE, Takaaki TAWADA, Hisashi KIKUCHI, Eisuke SHIMIZU, Yuu SAKAKIBARA
  • Publication number: 20170146944
    Abstract: An elastic blade includes a contact edge to contact a contact object, an edge region including the contact edge, and a backup region different in at least one of material and physical property from the edge region and adjacent to the edge region on a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the contact edge extends. The backup region is free of direct contact with the contact object. In the elastic blade, a converted elastic power X is from 57% to 90% and defined as X = S A S A + S B × e A + S B S A + S B × e B , where SA and SB represent cross-sectional areas of the edge region and the backup region on the cross section, eA and eB represent elastic powers of the edge region and the backup region, and t represents a thickness of the edge region in a direction perpendicular to the longer of two sides of the edge region on the cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Eisuke SHIMIZU, Kazuhiko WATANABE, Takaaki TAWADA, Yuu SAKAKIBARA
  • Publication number: 20170038724
    Abstract: An elastic blade includes a contact edge to contact a contact object, an edge region including the contact edge and having a thickness smaller than or equal to 0.50 mm, and a backup region different in material or property from the edge region. The backup region is adjacent to the edge region on a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the contact edge extends. The elastic blade has a converted Martens hardness X (N/mm2) in a range of from 0.9 to 2.9. The converted Martens hardness is defined as: X = S A S A + S B × h A + S B S A + S B × h B where SA represents a cross-sectional area (mm2) of the edge region, SB represents a cross-sectional area (mm2) of the backup region, hA represents a Martens hardness (N/mm2) of the edge region, hB represents a Martens hardness (N/mm2) of the backup region, and t represents the thickness (mm) of the edge region including the contact edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Eisuke SHIMIZU, Kazuhiko WATANABE, Takaaki TAWADA, Yuu SAKAKIBARA
  • Publication number: 20160320738
    Abstract: A photoconductor cleaning device includes a photoconductor, a cleaner, and a roller. The cleaner is disposed in contact with the photoconductor to remove adhered substances on a surface of the photoconductor. The charger charges the photoconductor. The roller is disposed between the cleaner and the charger to remove adhered substances on the surface of the photoconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki TAWADA, Kazuhiko WATANABE, Yuu SAKAKIBARA, Eisuke SHIMIZU, Takuya SEKINE, Ryuji YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20160259293
    Abstract: A multilayered blade made of an elastic material includes an edge layer, having a contact edge to contact an object, and at least one backup layer laminated on the edge layer. The blade has a converted loss tangent tan ? of 0.23 or greater and 0.51 or smaller in a temperature range of from 0° C. to 50° C. The converted loss tangent tan ? is defined as: X = A A + B × L 1 + B A + B × L 2 , where X represents the converted loss tangent tan ?, A represents a thickness in millimeters of the edge layer, B represents a thickness in millimeters of the at least one backup layer, L1 represents a variation of a loss tangent tan ? of the edge layer in the temperature range of from 0° C. to 50° C., and L2 represents a variation of a loss tangent tan ? of the at least one backup layer in the temperature range of from 0° C. to 50° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisuke SHIMIZU, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Takaaki Tawada, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 9310750
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearer, a charging member to contact a surface of the image bearer and charge the image bearer, an exposure device to expose the image bearer and form a latent image, a developing device to develop the latent image on the image bearer into a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium, and a cleaning blade to contact the surface of the image bearer and remove toner from the image bearer after image transfer. The charging member has surface unevenness created by projections and recesses extending in a direction of rotation of the image bearer. The cleaning blade is configured to abrade projections formed on the surface of the image bearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Takaaki Tawada, Naomi Sugimoto, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 9081353
    Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Tawada, Takatsugu Fujishiro, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Hisashi Kikuchi, Naomi Sugimoto, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20140193172
    Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki TAWADA, Takatsugu FUJISHIRO, Kazuhiko WATANABE, Hisashi KIKUCHI, Naomi SUGIMOTO, Yuu SAKAKIBARA
  • Publication number: 20140119769
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearer, a charging member to contact a surface of the image bearer and charge the image bearer, an exposure device to expose the image bearer and form a latent image, a developing device to develop the latent image on the image bearer into a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium, and a cleaning blade to contact the surface of the image bearer and remove toner from the image bearer after image transfer. The charging member has surface unevenness created by projections and recesses extending in a direction of rotation of the image bearer. The cleaning blade is configured to abrade projections formed on the surface of the image bearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Hisashi KIKUCHI, Takatsugu FUJISHIRO, Kazuhiko WATANABE, Takaaki TAWADA, Naomi SUGIMOTO, Yuu SAKAKIBARA
  • Patent number: 8699898
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a setting memory storing multiple voltage settings; two or more voltage applying members each contacting a voltage applied member at respective contact positions close to each other, which are simultaneously being applied with respective voltages selected from the voltage settings; two or more current detectors each detecting a current flowing in the respective contact positions; and a setting changer performing a setting changing processing in which the voltage applied to one of the voltage applying members is changed based on the current detected by the corresponding current detector while a predetermined voltage is applied to the other voltage applying members, so that an optimum current flows in the corresponding contact position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Takaya Muraishi, Kenji Sugiura, Akira Asaoka, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8699908
    Abstract: A cleaning device including a rotatable cleaning member contacting a rotatable image carrier bearing a toner image to electrostatically remove toner from the image carrier while rotating, and a control unit to control rotation of the cleaning member to satisfy a relation of (60/R)>(L/V) during removal of a toner pattern formed on the image carrier at a predetermined timing and remaining attached to the image carrier without being transferred from the image carrier onto a transfer member using the cleaning member, where R (rpm) is a number of rotations of the cleaning member, L (mm) is a length of the toner pattern in a direction of rotation of the image carrier, and V (mm/s) is a speed of the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kikuchi, Takaya Muraishi, Kenji Sugiura, Akira Asaoka, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8682208
    Abstract: A cleaning device including: multiple cleaning members arranged consecutively in a direction of movement of a cleaning target to remove adhered substances from the cleaning target; multiple casings to individually hold and at least partially enclose the multiple cleaning members, respectively, the casings and the cleaning members together constituting multiple sub-units; and a sub-unit holder to hold the multiple sub-units, from which the sub-units are individually removable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Asaoka, Takaya Muraishi, Kenji Sugiura, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8600256
    Abstract: A cleaning device disposed downstream from a transfer position in a direction of rotation of the image carrier to remove toner from the image carrier. The cleaning device includes a normally-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, one of a polarity controller to control the toner on the image carrier to have a normal charging polarity and a reversely-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove reversely-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-collection member to electrostatically collect the toner from the pre-cleaning member, and a control unit to reduce a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member immediately after an untransferred toner image is removed from the image carrier by the pre-cleaning member below a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member during removal of the untransferred toner image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuu Sakakibara, Kenji Sugiura, Naomi Sugimoto, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yoshiki Hozumi, Osamu Naruse
  • Publication number: 20130315617
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a belt cleaning device is provided. The belt cleaning device includes an image bearing belt having an elastic layer, a cleaning member, a cleaning facing member, and a side seal. A surface of the image bearing belt is movable. The cleaning member is in contact with the surface of the image bearing belt to remove a substance adhered thereto. The cleaning facing member is disposed on a back-surface side of the image bearing belt while facing the cleaning member with the image bearing belt therebetween. The side seal is disposed to an axial end part of the cleaning member and pressed against the surface of the image bearing belt. The cleaning facing member is out of contact with the back side of the image bearing belt within an area where the cleaning facing member faces the side seal with respect to an axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Takaya Muraishi, Hisashi Kikuchi, Akira Asaoka, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8548350
    Abstract: There is provided a pre-cleaning brush roller being a pre-cleaning member which is disposed on an upstream of a normally-charged-toner cleaning brush roller and an oppositely-charged-toner cleaning brush roller in a surface moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt, is applied with a voltage having a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity of toner, and electrostatically removes the toner having the normal charge polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiki Hozumi, Kenji Sugiura, Osamu Naruse, Naomi Sugimoto, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yuu Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8483605
    Abstract: A cleaning device including a normally charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with a cleaning target at a contact position to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target, a reversely charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from the normally charged toner cleaning member to remove reversely charged toner from the cleaning target, and a pre-cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from both the normally and reversely charged toner cleaning members to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target. The contact position between the pre-cleaning member and the cleaning target has a width wider than a width of the contact position between the normally charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target and a width of the contact position between the reversely charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Asaoka, Takaya Muraishi, Kenji Sugiura, Hisashi Kikuchi, Yoshiki Hozumi, Yuu Sakakibara