The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 21, 2025
Filed:
Nov. 28, 2023
Suguru Masunaga, Kanagawa, JP;
Suguru Masunaga, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A distance detector includes a distance-measuring sensor, a first detection surface, a second detection surface, and processing circuitry. The first detection surface is perpendicular to an optical axis of the distance-measuring sensor. The second detection surface is behind or in front of the first detection surface with respect to the distance-measuring sensor. The second detection surface has two faces inclined with respect to the optical axis of the distance-measuring sensor. The first detection surface or the second detection surface is retractable from the distance-measuring sensor. The processing circuitry determines whether the first detection surface or the second detection surface is detected by the distance-measuring sensor and causes the distance detector to detect a distance from the distance-measuring sensor to the first detection surface based on detection of the first detection surface by the distance-measuring sensor.