Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yohei Osanai

Takayuki Andoh

Satoshi Narai

Yasunobu Youda

Tatsuaki Nagano

Toshiyuki Horikawa

Takuji Kawai

Koji Hatayama

Munekazu Hirata

Masatoshi Ishida

Daisuke Imaki

Kaoru Tada

Taku Kudoh

Kunihiko Nishioka

Tomoya Fujii

Masashi Ota

Koichi A Ono

Hideo Tanaka

Takeshi Shikama

Kazushige Kawamura

Susumu Miyazaki

Tetsuo Inui

Shingo Shiramura

Yuki Fujii

Kohji Hatayama

Hiroaki Ikeda

Takashi Fujii

Yoshiaki Nagao

Genta Hagiwara

Hiroshi Kusumoto

Shozo Sakura

Masafumi Kishi

Kohichiroh Tanaka

Yunsheng Sun

There is provided a method of fabricating a three-dimensional object. The method includes supplying, flattening, and collecting. The supplying supplies, with a powder supplier, powder to a fabrication chamber. The fabrication chamber includes a fabrication stage to store powder and an outer edge portion outside the fabrication stage, the outer edge portion having one bottom surface. The flattening flattens, with a flattener, the powder supplied by the supplying. The collecting collects, with a powder collector, the powder having overflowed from the fabrication stage to the outer edge portion by the flattening into the fabrication stage.

Method of fabricating three-dimensional object and apparatus for fabricating three-dimensional object

An image forming apparatus includes a recording device and an apparatus body to internally house the recording device. The apparatus body includes an attachment unit to be removably mounted in the apparatus body and an apparatus body-side connector. The attachment unit includes an attachment-side connector to be electrically connected to the apparatus body-side connector. The apparatus body also includes a pressing portion to press the attachment unit in a direction in which the attachment-side connector faces the apparatus body-side connector in a state where the attachment unit is attached to the apparatus body. The direction is orthogonal to a mounting direction of the attachment unit. The apparatus body further includes a movable member holding the pressing portion movable between a first position where the pressing portion is closest to the apparatus body-side connector and a second position where the pressing portion is farthest from the apparatus body-side connector.

Image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus body

An article includes a body member and a detachable member detachably attached to the body member. One of the body member and the detachable member includes a cover portion having an engaging portion on an inner wall face of the cover portion. The other includes a covered portion that is covered with the cover portion and has an engaged portion on an outer wall face of the covered portion. The engaging portion and the engaged portion are configured to be disengaged by warping the cover portion so that the cover portion displaces to an outer wall face side of the cover portion. The one of the body member and the detachable member includes a finger-applying-position indicator at a position deviated from a portion corresponding to the cover portion, on an outer wall face of the one. The finger-applying-position indicator indicates a position to be applied with fingers of a user.

Handheld mobile printing device

An image forming apparatuses includes an apparatus body configured to house a replacement part. The apparatus body includes a guiding face configured to guide a guided face of the replacement part. The guided face is on a side along a movement direction in which the replacement part moves between a set position in the apparatus body and an attaching and detaching position at which the replacement part is attached to and detached from the apparatus body. The apparatus further include a moving device configured to move the replacement part between the set position and the attaching and detaching position, and a pressing device configured to press the guided face of the replacement part against the guiding face of the apparatus body while the replacement part moves between the set position and the attaching and detaching position.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a recording device configured to record an image on a recording medium, a main body configured to house the recording device, and a cover rotatably attached to the main body. The main body includes a recording face to be disposed opposite the recording medium, a first face positioned opposite the recording face, and a second face positioned between the recording face and the first face. The cover includes a first cover portion configured to cover the first face of the main body, and a second cover portion configured to cover at least a portion of the second face, and the second cover portion is configured to house a battery.

An image forming apparatus includes a body, an image forming device configured to form an image on a recording medium and supported by the body, an attachment configured to be removably attached to the body, and a cover configured to be removably attached to the body. The cover is configured to cover the attachment attached to the body. The attachment is configured to switch a state in use of the image forming apparatus by attaching and removing of the attachment to and from the body.

An image reading device includes an image reader movable along an image reading face, a casing to house the image reader, including a restraint holder, and a restraint to be held by the restraint holder of the casing and configured to restrict movement of the image reader. The restraint includes an operation portion to be disposed outside the casing. The operation portion is operated to move the restraint, in the restraint holder, to: a restricting position to restrict movement of the image reader; a first unlock position to cancel restriction of movement of the image reader; and a second unlock position at which movement of the image reader is not restricted. At the first unlock position, movement of the restraint to the restricting position is allowed. From the second unlock position, movement to the restricting position is less smooth than movement from the first unlock position to the restricting position.

Image reading device and image forming apparatus

An image-reading unit includes an original document conveyor that includes a first original document tray to hold an original document to be read, a first original document feeding port to feed the original document placed on the first original document tray, and an original document conveying path to convey the original document from the first original document feeding port to an original document discharging port. The original document conveyor further includes an openable second original document tray attached near an intermediate portion of the original document conveying path to hold an original document when opened, and a second original document feeding port to feed the original document on the second original document tray. The image-reading unit further includes an image reader to read an image of the original document being conveyed along the original document conveying path.

Image reading unit

A rotation drive device includes a driven rotation member, a driving rotation member, a rotation relay member, a shaft, and a holder. The rotation relay member transmits only a unidirectional rotational driving force from the driving rotation member to the driven rotation member. The rotation relay member includes a housing and a cylindrical one-way clutch. A contact portion between the driving rotation member and the shaft is configured to rotate the driving rotation member and the shaft to transmit the driving force to an inner peripheral side of the cylindrical one-way clutch via the shaft. The driving rotation member includes a boss projected toward the holder and rotatably held in the holder. A portion of the shaft to support the driving rotation member and an inner wall surface of a through hole of the driving rotation member are shaped to rotate the shaft and the driving rotation member. together.

Rotation drive device, image reading device, and image forming apparatus

An image reading device includes: a reading unit; a first detecting unit that detects a position of the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction; a second detecting unit that detects a position of the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction; and a calculating unit that calculates a skew quantity and a skew direction of the reading unit, based on a difference, introduced by the skew, between a travel distance by which the reading unit has travelled from a measurement reference position located on an upstream side of the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit in a moving direction to a point where the reading unit is detected by the first detecting unit, and a travel distance by which the reading unit has travelled from the measurement reference position to a point where the reading unit is detected by the second detecting unit.

Image reading device, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium for detecting moving image reader positions to correct skew

A document feeder, which may be incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet conveying guide, at least one recess, a frame, and at least one protrusion. The sheet conveying guide is disposed facing an exposure glass on an apparatus body and guides an original document passing over the exposure glass when the document feeder is closed to the apparatus body. The recess is disposed on the apparatus body at both ends of the exposure glass in a lateral direction orthogonal to a document conveying direction. The frame is openably closable about one end side of the apparatus body in the lateral direction and vertically movably holds the sheet conveying guide. The protrusion is disposed on the frame facing the recess. The sheet conveying guide and the frame are secured to each other while the recess and the protrusion are engaged with each other in the closed state.

Document feeder and image forming apparatus incorporating the document feeder

An automatic document feeder, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes first and second document trays, a document output tray, a document conveying passage, multiple document conveying bodies, a drive source, a detector, and a controller. The multiple document conveying bodies include a document holding and conveying body to convey and hold the original document sheet on the second document tray. On detection of the original document sheet on the second document tray while conveying a different original document sheet from the first document tray, the controller stops feeding the different original document sheet, causes the different original document sheet downstream from the document holding and conveying body in a document conveying direction to be conveyed to the document output tray, and stops the drive source after the different original document has been conveyed to the document output tray.

Automatic document feeder, image reading device incorporating the automatic document feeder, and image forming apparatus incorporating the image reading device with the automatic document feeder

An image reading device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a first transparent body, a second transparent body, a holding body, and a reading body. The second transparent body is disposed separated from and inclined at a predetermined angle to the first transparent body. The holding body holds the first and second transparent bodies. The reading body moves in a sub-scanning direction along the first and second transparent bodies. The holding body includes a flat face and a frame-shaped face. The flat face is contiguous to the first transparent body on a same plane and smoothly connected with the second transparent body. The frame-shaped face projects outwardly beyond the second transparent body facing the reading body. The reading body moves and contacts the first transparent body and the holding body, and moves with a gap relative to the second transparent body.

Image reading device and image forming apparatus incorporating the image reading device

An automatic document feeding device includes a document tray, an ejection tray, and a document takeout port. The document tray is rotatably attached to a rotation fulcrum provided in a body of the automatic document feeder, to load a document. The document tray includes a first positioner and a second positioner. The first positioner is disposed at a front side of the body in a direction perpendicular to a document feed direction. The second positioner is disposed at a depth side of the body in the direction perpendicular to the document feed direction. The first positioner is disposed upstream from the rotation fulcrum in the document feed direction and above the document takeout port in the body. An upper portion and side surfaces of the first positioner in the direction perpendicular to the document feed direction are surrounded by the document tray in a closed state of the document tray.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Yohei Osanai