Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Keiichi Serizawa

Kazunori Watanabe

Hiroshi Johno

Takeshi Yamakawa

Kazuhiro Fujita

Yasumasa Tomita

Daisuke Yoshida

Daisuke Maeda

Kazuhiro Takabayashi

Rie Hirayama

Kazunori Bannai

Susumu Narita

Yasuhisa Ehara

Masato Yokoyama

Tetsuya Kimura

Hiroshi Yoshizawa

Kazuhiro Akatsu

Keiji Okamoto

Seiichi Handa

Katsunori Shoji

Tomoya Fujii

Makoto Hino

Masako Yoshii

Yusuke Funayama

Hiroyuki Tanabe

Shuji Takamatsu

Teruhiro Tadokoro

A laser irradiation apparatus includes a laser source configured to emit a laser beam to an object that is being conveyed to allow the object to be irradiated with the laser beam; a rotation detector configured to detect rotation of the object to obtain information on the rotation of the object; and circuitry configured to control laser irradiation onto the object based on the information on the rotation of the object.

Laser irradiation apparatus and laser irradiation method

A method for manufacturing a container product is disclosed. The method includes filling a container with contents; forming information on the container, the information including a number, a letter, and an image, the information being formed by a first pattern, the first pattern being made up of a collection of second patterns; and heating or cooling the container before or after the forming of the information on the container.

Method and system for manufacturing container product

Provided is a container including a container body, and an image on the container body. The image includes a plurality of dented portions and non-dented portions. Each of the dented portions is formed of a plurality of processed portions. The plurality of processed portions are disposed linearly, contacting or overlapping each other along a first scanning direction. A width of each of the dented portions in a second scanning direction orthogonal to the first scanning direction changes cyclically along the first scanning direction. Each of the dented portions has bossed portions along the first scanning direction between adjoining ones of the processed portions.

Container and content containing body, and method for producing container and container producing apparatus

A marking device, a medium, a container, and a marking method. The marking device includes a first marker including a first optical system having a first focal point, the first marker being configured to concentrate a first light onto a first area of a non-planar portion of a medium to perform marking on the first area, the non-planar portion including a plurality of areas including the first area and a second area, and a second marker including a second optical system having a second focal point. The second marker is configured to concentrate a second light onto the second area to perform the marking on the second area, and the second focal point of the second optical system is different from the first focal point of the first optical system in a direction parallel to a central axis of the first optical system.

Marking device, medium, container, and marking method

An autonomous traveling device includes a vehicle body, a traveling body to move the vehicle body, a ranging device to consecutively change a direction of emission of light beams while optically scanning a scanning range, and a reflection body to change a direction of an optical path of at least part of light beams emitted from the ranging device and reflected to an area other than a center area of the scanning range. Further, an autonomous traveling device includes an optical path changing device. The optical path changing device changes an angle of inclination downwardly relative to a scanning plane of the ranging device and changes a direction of an incident light from a lateral direction to a forward direction of the vehicle body. Further, the optical path changing device changes a direction of an incident light toward a foot area of the vehicle body.

Autonomous traveling device

A printed matter delivery system, in which a printed matter delivery apparatus delivers printed matter having an image formed by an image forming apparatus is provided. The system includes a print management unit managing a print job performed by the image forming apparatus; a delivery management unit managing a delivery job performed by the printed matter delivery apparatus; a delivery authentication processing unit performing a matching confirmation process to determine whether authentication information of the delivery job matches authentication information of the print job; a print controlling unit causing the image forming apparatus to generate the printed matter based on the print job authenticated by the delivery authentication processing unit and to output the printed matter to the printed matter delivery apparatus; and a receipt confirmation unit obtaining receipt information input into the printed matter delivery apparatus at a delivery destination.

Printed matter delivery system, image forming apparatus, and printed matter delivery apparatus

An optical scanning device includes an optical housing; an elongated optical element arranged in the optical housing and having a shape extending in a main-scanning direction; a retaining member provided at a side opposite to a surface of the optical housing on which the optical element is arranged to maintain an attachment attitude of the optical element in the optical housing; a curvature adjusting unit configured to adjust a curvature of the elongated optical element in a scanning line via the retaining member; a tilt adjusting unit configured to adjust a tilt of the optical element in the scanning line by making the optical element rotate on an optical axis via the retaining member; and a positioning unit configured to position the optical element in the optical axis direction, and provided in the optical housing and having such a shape that the optical element fits the positioning unit.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus

An optical scanner, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a light source including a recessed portion provided on an outer circumference thereof, and a housing configured to support the light source. The housing includes a positioning unit configured to position the light source in a vertical optical axis of the light source, and a cutout provided on an inner circumference of the positioning unit. The light source is positioned to the positioning unit with the recessed portion being disposed at the cutout and then is fixed to the housing. The image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to form an image on a surface thereof, and the above-described optical scanner.

Optical scanner with housing to support light sources and image forming apparatus incorporating same

An optical scanner includes a light source for projecting a light beam against a target, a deflector for deflecting the light beam, a coupling lens, an optical element, a light source support member, and a housing. The coupling lens directs the light beam to the deflector. The optical element focuses the light beam deflected by the deflector into a desired shape. The light source support member supports the light source. The housing houses the light source supported by the light source support member, the deflector, and the optical elements. The housing includes at least two coupling lens mounts on which the coupling lens is fixed on an optical path between the light source and the target, and accommodates multiple light source support members. The coupling lens is fixed to the coupling lens mount using an adhesive agent after an optical axis of the light beam is aligned.

Optical scanner and image forming apparatus including same

An optical scanning apparatus for optically scanning at least one scanning target surface, the optical scanning apparatus including: a light source; a light-flux dividing unit disposed on a main optical path of a main light flux emitted from the light source, and the light-flux dividing unit configured to spatially divide the main light flux; an optical deflector disposed on a divided optical path of the divided light flux, and the optical deflector configured to deflect the divided optical path; an optical path opening/closing switch unit disposed on the divided optical path between the light-flux dividing unit and the optical deflector, and the optical path opening/closing switch unit configured to interrupt or pass at least one of the divided optical path; and a controller configured to control operation of interrupting or passing the at least one of the divided optical path by the optical path opening/closing switch unit.

Optical scanning apparatus, method for performing the same and image forming apparatus

An optical scanner includes a light source, an optical part, an enclosure, and a retainer. The light source projects light against a target. The optical part is disposed on a light path between the light source and the target. The enclosure houses the light source and the optical part. The retainer is fixed to the enclosure and includes a plurality of optical part mounts of identical shape and different sizes. The optical part is adhered to one of the plurality of optical part mounts.

An optical scanner includes a light source, an optical element, a deflector, a casing, and a first cover. The deflector deflects the light beam emitted from the light source to scan a photoreceptor through the optical element. The casing includes an upper opening, walls including a transparent plate defining a deflector compartment to accommodate the deflector, and an optical element mounting portion to accommodate the light source and the optical element. The first cover covers the upper opening of the casing and includes a recessed portion recessed toward the bottom of the casing and including a first opening at the bottom thereof facing the deflector. The recessed portion and the walls are directly or indirectly connected to define a single continuous space isolating the deflector compartment from the optical element mounting portion. The recessed portion and the deflector compartment communicate via the first opening.

An optical scanner includes a housing, a light source, a polygon mirror, an optical device, and a holder. The housing includes a mounting portion. The light source projects light. The polygon mirror is enclosed within the housing and rotates to deflect the light projected from the light source. The optical device is disposed substantially near the polygon mirror. The holder is disposed within the housing and attached to the housing at the mounting portion, and holds the optical device in place. A distance Lbetween a center of rotation of the polygon mirror and the optical device is shorter than a distance Lbetween the center of rotation of the polygon mirror and the mounting portion. An image forming apparatus includes the optical scanner.

An optical writer includes a light source, an optical part, a housing, and an elastically deformable retainer. The light source projects light against a target. The optical part is disposed on a light path between the light source and the target. The housing houses the light source and the optical part. The elastically deformable retainer is detachably fixed to the housing and includes a plurality of contact portions on an inner surface of the retainer to hold the optical part. The retainer elastically deforms to separate at least one of the contact portions from other contact portions to hold the optical part by the plurality of contact portions.

Optical writer and image forming apparatus including same

An optical scanner includes a light source, an optical part, a housing, and a retainer. The light source projects light against a target. The optical part is disposed on a light path between the light source and the target. The housing houses the light source and the optical part. The retainer fixed to the housing holds the optical part and includes a plurality of flanges disposed along an outer circumference of the retainer. One of the plurality of flanges of the retainer is adhered to the housing an adhesive agent. An image forming apparatus includes the optical scanner.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Keiichi Serizawa