Patents by Inventor Yuusuke Tomura

Yuusuke Tomura 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: 11774878
    Abstract: An amount-of-remaining-toner detecting device includes: a toner housing portion in which a toner bottle is housed, the toner bottle having a bottle body that is cylindrical and in which toner is housed, and a cap that is attached to one end of the bottle body in an axial direction of the bottle body and from which the toner housed in the bottle body is discharged; and circuitry configured to detect an amount of remaining toner in the toner bottle housed in the toner housing portion. The toner housing portion includes a first pair of electrodes facing each other with the bottle body interposed between the first pair of electrodes, and a second pair of electrodes facing each other with the bottle body interposed between the second pair of electrodes, at respective positions closer to the cap than the first pair of electrodes are.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryotaro Konno, Junichi Matsumoto, Tatsuya Kubo, Yuki Osato, Yuusuke Tomura, Masashi Hommi
  • Patent number: 11611674
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading table, an image reading device, an image forming device with an exposure device, and circuitry. The reading device reads a pattern on a recording medium on the table, and generates image data of the pattern. The exposure device includes a light emitting element to form an electrostatic latent image, based on which the image forming device forms the pattern. Based on first and second correction values, the circuitry calculates a third correction value to correct a light amount of the light emitting element. The exposure device includes a driving device that drives the light emitting element based on the third correction value. The circuitry sets at least two or more determination areas in each of a white area and a pattern area of the medium, and determines whether the medium has a rise based on density data in the determination areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidemasa Morimoto, Koichi Murota, Masashi Hommi, Yuki Osato, Yuusuke Tomura
  • Patent number: 11604423
    Abstract: A remaining toner amount detection device includes four electrodes and a controller. Each electrode has an arc shape along an outer circumferential surface of a toner bottle, and the four electrodes are spaced a certain distance apart in a circumferential direction so as to surround the toner bottle. The controller detects a remaining toner amount inside the toner bottle by using the four electrodes. The controller determines whether at least one of a first electrostatic capacity value between one pair of adjacent electrodes and a second electrostatic capacity value between the other pair of adjacent electrodes falls within a threshold range. In response to determination that at least one of the electrostatic capacity values falls within the threshold range, the controller detects a remaining toner amount inside the toner bottle based on an electrostatic capacity value, and outputs the detected remaining toner amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Osato, Masashi Hommi, Yuusuke Tomura, Ryotaro Konno, Junichi Matsumoto, Tatsuya Kubo
  • Publication number: 20220397853
    Abstract: An amount-of-remaining-toner detecting device includes: a toner housing portion in which a toner bottle is housed, the toner bottle having a bottle body that is cylindrical and in which toner is housed, and a cap that is attached to one end of the bottle body in an axial direction of the bottle body and from which the toner housed in the bottle body is discharged; and circuitry configured to detect an amount of remaining toner in the toner bottle housed in the toner housing portion. The toner housing portion includes a first pair of electrodes facing each other with the bottle body interposed between the first pair of electrodes, and a second pair of electrodes facing each other with the bottle body interposed between the second pair of electrodes, at respective positions closer to the cap than the first pair of electrodes are.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryotaro Konno, Junichi Matsumoto, Tatsuya Kubo, Yuki Osato, Yuusuke Tomura, Masashi Hommi
  • Publication number: 20220283533
    Abstract: A remaining toner amount detection device includes four electrodes and a controller. Each electrode has an arc shape along an outer circumferential surface of a toner bottle, and the four electrodes are spaced a certain distance apart in a circumferential direction so as to surround the toner bottle. The controller detects a remaining toner amount inside the toner bottle by using the four electrodes. The controller determines whether at least one of a first electrostatic capacity value between one pair of adjacent electrodes and a second electrostatic capacity value between the other pair of adjacent electrodes falls within a threshold range. In response to determination that at least one of the electrostatic capacity values falls within the threshold range, the controller detects a remaining toner amount inside the toner bottle based on an electrostatic capacity value, and outputs the detected remaining toner amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Osato, Masashi Hommi, Yuusuke Tomura, Ryotaro Konno, Junichi Matsumoto, Tatsuya Kubo
  • Publication number: 20210405562
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a reading table, an image reading device, an image forming device with an exposure device, and circuitry. The reading device reads a pattern on a recording medium on the table, and generates image data of the pattern. The exposure device includes a light emitting element to form an electrostatic latent image, based on which the image forming device forms the pattern. Based on first and second correction values, the circuitry calculates a third correction value to correct a light amount of the light emitting element. The exposure device includes a driving device that drives the light emitting element based on the third correction value. The circuitry sets at least two or more determination areas in each of a white area and a pattern area of the medium, and determines whether the medium has a rise based on density data in the determination areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidemasa MORIMOTO, Koichi MUROTA, Masashi HOMMI, Yuki OSATO, Yuusuke TOMURA
  • Patent number: 11126111
    Abstract: A toner amount detector detects an amount of toner in a toner bottle. The toner amount detector includes at least one pair of electrodes disposed opposite each other via the toner bottle, grounding members disposed outboard of the at least one pair of electrodes and electrically grounded, circuitry to switch a first detection processing and a second detection processing, and an indicator to indicate that a positional deviation of the at least one pair of electrodes has occurred. The grounding members face the at least one pair of electrodes. The first detection processing detects the amount of toner based on a first capacitance between the at least one pair of electrodes, and the second detection processing detects a positional deviation based on a second capacitance between each of the grounding members and a corresponding one of the at least one pair of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Tomura, Masashi Hommi, Tetsuya Hara, Yuki Osato, Yuji Ieiri, Takumi Miyagawa
  • Publication number: 20200333725
    Abstract: A toner amount detector detects an amount of toner in a toner bottle. The toner amount detector includes at least one pair of electrodes disposed opposite each other via the toner bottle, grounding members disposed outboard of the at least one pair of electrodes and electrically grounded, circuitry to switch a first detection processing and a second detection processing, and an indicator to indicate that a positional deviation of the at least one pair of electrodes has occurred. The grounding members face the at least one pair of electrodes. The first detection processing detects the amount of toner based on a first capacitance between the at least one pair of electrodes, and the second detection processing detects a positional deviation based on a second capacitance between each of the grounding members and a corresponding one of the at least one pair of electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Yuusuke TOMURA, Masashi HOMMI, Tetsuya HARA, Yuki OSATO, Yuji IEIRI, Takumi MIYAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20200280651
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a first communication device, a second communication device, and circuitry. The first communication device transmits and receives the information to and from another information processing apparatus via a first communication channel. The second communication device transmits and receives the information to and from the another information processing apparatus via a second communication channel. The circuitry resets the first communication device while maintaining communication between the information processing apparatus and the another information processing apparatus via the second communication channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Tomura, Masaaki Kawamura, Kenichi Yamada