Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Shogo Nakamoto

Arinobu Yoshiura

Daisuke Inoue

Masahiro Ishida

Takamasa Hase

Takuya Okamoto

Takuya Murata

Kentaro Yamashita

Hiroki Hamashoji

Mototaka Iwama

Kazuhiro Kobayashi

Hiroaki Takagi

Keiichi Yoshida

Takeo Seki

Shogo Sakamoto

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a rotation direction, a heat source to heat the fixing rotator, a pressure rotator contacting the fixing rotator, a nip formation pad to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, a slide sheet, and an adhesive part. The slide sheet between the fixing rotator and the nip formation pad contacts an inner circumferential face of the fixing rotator. The slide sheet has a center part and both end parts in an axial direction orthogonal to the rotation direction. The adhesive part bonds the slide sheet to the nip formation pad. The adhesive part includes a first adhesive part on the center part and a second adhesive part on one of the end parts. The first adhesive part has a first area, and the second adhesive part has a second area smaller than the first area.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating the same including a slide sheet with adhesive to bond the slide sheet

A fixing device includes a fixing rotator to fix an unfixed image on a recording medium, a pressure member disposed opposite the fixing rotator to press an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator; a heating source disposed inside an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator, and a composite member disposed inside the inner circumferential surface. The composite member includes a first member, a second member attached to the first member, and an inspection region for measurement of glossiness. The first member and the second member have a difference in glossiness. The inspection region allows identification of which one of the first member and the second member is present on a surface of the inspection region based on the glossiness of the inspection region, and determination of that the fixing device has a desired fixing configuration based on a result of the identification.

Fixing device, image forming apparatus, and inspection method

A fixing device includes an endless fixing rotator, a slide aid, a pressure rotator, a nip formation plate, a support, a heat source, and a reflector. The endless fixing rotator has flexibility. An inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator slides over the slide aid. The pressure rotator contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. The nip formation plate is disposed inside the fixing rotator to contact the pressure rotator via the fixing rotator and the slide aid to form a nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The nip formation plate has a thermal conductivity equal to or greater than 10 W/mK. The support supports the nip formation plate. The heat source is disposed inside the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator. The reflector reflects radiant heat from the heat source.

Fixing device including nip formation plate having a plurality of protruding portions and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A reading device includes a carriage configured to move in a sub-scanning direction with reference to an object placed on a contact glass, an optical sensor attached to the carriage, the optical sensor being configured to scan the object placed on the contact glass to obtain an image of the object, and a reference scale used as a reference when a dimension of the object is computed based on the image obtained by the optical sensor. In the reading device, the reference scale extends in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction with reference to the object, and is disposed outside a range of image acquisition in which the optical sensor scans the object to obtain the image of the object as the carriage moves and inside a maximum movement range in which the carriage is movable and the optical sensor obtains the image of the object.

Reading device and image forming apparatus

A drive transmitter includes a first member and a second member. The first member includes an opening through which a rotary shaft passes, a wall orthogonal to an axial direction of the first member, and a drive transmitting portion by which a driving force is transmitted. The second member has a rigidity greater than the first member and is configured to be fastened to the first member. A space is between the second member and the first member, with the first member and the second member being overlaid in a fastening direction of the second member, prior to fastening of the first member and the second member. At least a part of the wall of the first member defining the space with the second member is configured to shift toward the second member to reduce a diameter of at least a part of the opening at the fastening.

Drive transmitter, drive device incorporating the drive transmitter, and image forming apparatus incorporating the drive device

A reading device includes a carriage movable in a sub-scanning direction, an optical sensor mounted on the carriage, the optical sensor being configured to scan an object placed on a contact glass, a reference scale used as a reference when a dimension of the object is computed based on an image obtained as the optical sensor scans the object, a flat gauge to be scanned by the optical sensor to calculate a corrective value used to correct the image obtained by the optical sensor, and circuitry to calculate the corrective value based on a scanned image including the reference scale and the flat gauge obtained by the optical sensor, and correct, based on the corrective value, a measurement image including an image of the object and an image of the reference scale obtained by the optical sensor and compute the dimension of the object based on the corrected measurement image.

An abnormality detection device is configured to detect abnormality in a subject to be driven by a motor via a drive transmission member. The abnormality detection device includes an output signal acquisition unit, a rotational frequency acquisition unit, and a determining unit. The output signal acquisition unit is configured to acquire a rotational frequency output signal output from the motor. The rotational frequency acquisition unit is configured to acquire a motor rotational frequency calculated from the rotational frequency output signal acquired by the output signal acquisition unit. The determining unit is configured to distinctively determine abnormality in the subject to be driven and abnormality in the motor based on the rotational frequency output signal acquired by the output signal acquisition unit and the motor rotational frequency acquired by the rotational frequency acquisition unit.

Abnormality detection device and image forming apparatus

A drive transmission device includes a drive source, a first drive transmitter and a second drive transmitter. The drive source generates a drive force. The second drive transmitter is coaxially arranged with the first drive transmitter and includes a material different from a material of the first drive transmitter. The drive force of the drive source is transmitted between the first drive transmitter and the second drive transmitter. The first drive transmitter is fastened to the second drive transmitter.

Drive transmission device and image forming apparatus incorporating the drive transmission device

A contact-and-separation system includes a first roller, a second roller, and a contact-and-separation device. The first roller contacts a belt. The second roller is opposed to the first roller. The contact-and-separation device contacts or separates the belt to or from the second roller via a sheet conveyed. The contact-and-separation device includes an eccentric cam, a motor, and a circuitry. The eccentric cam is mounted on an end of a rotation shaft of the first roller. The motor rotates the eccentric cam. The circuitry controls the motor to rotate the eccentric cam to contact or separate the belt to or from the second roller via the sheet conveyed. The circuitry controls the motor to decelerate a rotation speed of the motor on contact or separation of the belt to or from the second roller between the first roller and the second roller.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Shogo Nakamoto