Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Ominato

Hiroyuki Ominato 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).

  • Publication number: 20230176364
    Abstract: A scanning optical device includes a light source, a polygon mirror, a motor, a scanning optical system, a frame, and a seating surface. The scanning optical system comprises a first scan lens, a second scan lens, and a reflecting mirror. The reflecting mirror is arranged to reflect a light beam toward the second scan lens. The reflecting mirror is supported on the seating surface. The seating surface allows adjustment of an angle of the reflecting mirror. The reflecting mirror reflects the light beam in a direction from the base wall toward the open side. A part of the reflecting mirror that overlaps the seating surface as viewed in a direction of thickness of the reflecting mirror is exposed to an outside of the frame and accessible from a side of the frame opposite to an open side of the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junichi Yokoi, Yohei Takahashi, Hiroyuki Ominato
  • Patent number: 10871604
    Abstract: A display device includes a light guide member, a light source substrate and a liquid crystal panel. The light guide member has a first incidence surface, and an emission surface orthogonal to the first incidence surface. The light source substrate has a light source emitting light toward the first incidence surface, and a substrate on which the light source is arranged. The liquid crystal panel has a second incidence surface arranged to be inclined relative to a surface of the substrate in a position where the liquid crystal panel faces the emission surface of the light guide member. A second angle between the emission surface and the surface of the substrate is greater than 0°, and is equal to or smaller than a first angle between the second incidence surface and the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ominato, Toshio Sakai, Yohei Hashimoto, Masao Ichiyanagi
  • Publication number: 20200310021
    Abstract: A display device includes a light guide member, a light source substrate and a liquid crystal panel. The light guide member has a first incidence surface, and an emission surface orthogonal to the first incidence surface. The light source substrate has a light source emitting light toward the first incidence surface, and a substrate on which the light source is arranged. The liquid crystal panel has a second incidence surface arranged to be inclined relative to a surface of the substrate in a position where the liquid crystal panel faces the emission surface of the light guide member. A second angle between the emission surface and the surface of the substrate is greater than 0°, and is equal to or smaller than a first angle between the second incidence surface and the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroyuki OMINATO, Toshio SAKAI, Yohei HASHIMOTO, Masao ICHIYANAGI
  • Patent number: 10345578
    Abstract: Scanning optical unit includes: light source; incident optical system including one coupling lens for converting light from the light source into a light beam; optical deflector having a reflecting surface and configured to reflect and deflect the light beam in main scanning direction; and scanning optical system for focusing the deflected light beam on an image surface. The incident optical system converges the light beam on the reflecting surface in sub-scanning direction. Further, 0.01?(?s/?m)2?0.27 and ?s2<1 are satisfied, where ?m is a lateral magnification of the entire optical system from the light source to the image surface in the main scanning direction, ?s is a lateral magnification of the entire optical system in the sub-scanning direction, and ?s2 is a lateral magnification of the scanning optical system from the reflecting surface of the optical deflector to the image surface in the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ominato, Hitoshi Fujino
  • Publication number: 20180239128
    Abstract: Scanning optical unit includes: light source; incident optical system including one coupling lens for converting light from the light source into a light beam; optical deflector having a reflecting surface and configured to reflect and deflect the light beam in main scanning direction; and scanning optical system for focusing the deflected light beam on an image surface. The incident optical system converges the light beam on the reflecting surface in sub-scanning direction. Further, 0.01?(?s/?m)2?0.27 and ?s2<1 are satisfied, where ?m is a lateral magnification of the entire optical system from the light source to the image surface in the main scanning direction, ?s is a lateral magnification of the entire optical system in the sub-scanning direction, and ?s2 is a lateral magnification of the scanning optical system from the reflecting surface of the optical deflector to the image surface in the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ominato, Hitoshi Fujino
  • Patent number: 9372431
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus including a light source, a light deflector having a reflecting surface, and a single scanning lens, a light flux deflected in a main scanning direction is focused on an image surface. The reflecting and image surfaces are conjugate to each other with respect to a sub scanning direction, Bmax×Bmin>0, and Dmax×Dmin<0 where Bmax and Bmin are a maximum value and a minimum value, respectively, of paraxial focal points, Dmax and Dmin are a maximum value and a minimum value, respectively, of midpoints of focal depth in the sub scanning plane, the values being determined with reference to the image surface, wherein the value of the image surface is 0 and the values on a farther-from-the-scanning-lens side behind the image surface have positive values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujino, Yoshifumi Nakamura, Hiroyuki Ominato, Hidetaka Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20150248076
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus including a light source, a light deflector having a reflecting surface, and a single scanning lens, a light flux deflected in a main scanning direction is focused on an image surface. The reflecting and image surfaces are conjugate to each other with respect to a sub scanning direction, Bmax×Bmin>0, and Dmax×Dmin<0 where Bmax and Bmin are a maximum value and a minimum value, respectively, of paraxial focal points, Dmax and Dmin are a maximum value and a minimum value, respectively, of midpoints of focal depth in the sub scanning plane, the values being determined with reference to the image surface, wherein the value of the image surface is 0 and the values on a farther-from-the-scanning-lens side behind the image surface have positive values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi FUJINO, Yoshifumi NAKAMURA, Hiroyuki OMINATO, Hidetaka HOSHINO
  • Patent number: 8797624
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus including a single lens configured to convert a beam deflected by a polygon mirror into a spot-like image on a to-be-scanned surface, the lens satisfies the conditions: ?0.59<?1?0, ?0.46<?2?0.2, ?0.6?D1<0.43, and ?0.17?D2?0.16 where ?1 indicates an angle [deg] formed in a main scanning plane between a first optical axis and a reference line perpendicular to the to-be-scanned surface, ?2 indicates an angle [deg] formed in the main scanning plane between the first optical axis and a second optical axis, D1 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the first optical axis and an incident-side lens surface, from the reference line, and D2 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the second optical axis and an exit-side lens surface, from the first optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujino, Hiroyuki Ominato, Yoshifumi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20140071509
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus including a single lens configured to convert a beam deflected by a polygon mirror into a spot-like image on a to-be-scanned surface, the lens satisfies the conditions: ?0.59<?1?0, ?0.46<?2?0.2, ?0.6?D1<0.43, and ?0.17?D2?0.16 where ?1 indicates an angle [deg] formed in a main scanning plane between a first optical axis and a reference line perpendicular to the to-be-scanned surface, ?2 indicates an angle [deg] formed in the main scanning plane between the first optical axis and a second optical axis, D1 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the first optical axis and an incident-side lens surface, from the reference line, and D2 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the second optical axis and an exit-side lens surface, from the first optical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujino, Hiroyuki Ominato, Yoshifumi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8520281
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus, a third optical element is configured such that a first optical axis defined as an optical axis of an incident-side lens surface of the third optical element is inclined in a main scanning plane with respect to a normal line extending from a scanning center on a target surface to be scanned and an intersection point between the first optical axis and the incident-side lens surface is shifted with respect to the normal line, and that a second optical axis defined as an optical axis of an emission-side lens surface is inclined in the main scanning plane with respect to the first optical axis and an intersection point between the second optical axis and the emission-side lens surface is shifted with respect to the first optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujino, Yoshifumi Nakamura, Hiroyuki Ominato, Hiroki Yukawa
  • Patent number: 8472099
    Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus includes: a light source; a first optical element configured to convert light emitted from the light source into a beam of light; a second optical element configured to convert the beam of light having passed through the first optical element into a linear image extending in a main scanning direction; a deflecting mirror configured to deflect the beam of light having passed through the second optical element in the main scanning direction; and a third optical element configured to convert the beam of light having been deflected by the deflecting mirror into a spot-like image and focus it on a target surface to be scanned. The third optical element is a single lens having a pair of opposite lens surfaces, and each of the pair of lens surfaces is aspheric in a main scanning plane to satisfy the formula: ? ( 1 - S k ? ( y 1 , y 2 ) f t ? ( y 1 , y 2 ) ) · h ? ( y 1 , y 2 ) ? < r e ? min 2 .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujino, Yoshifumi Nakamura, Hiroyuki Ominato, Hiroki Yukawa
  • Patent number: 8247722
    Abstract: A push button switch device includes a push button disposed on a cover constituting an outer surface of an equipment body and light-transmissible, a switching element behind the push button so that its operation axis substantially corresponds with a central axis of the push button, light sources around the switching element to illuminate the push button and operated by the push button, and an incidence surface on a rear surface of the push button so that light from the light sources is incident on it and including a concave curved surface located so as to face the light sources and a convex curved surface located outside and continuous to the concave curved surface. The push button has a recess in a central rear surface so as to be located inside the incidence surface and a light scattering surface on an inner surface of the recess so as to scatter light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ominato
  • Patent number: 8223416
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus, light emitted from each of a plurality of light sources is converted by a first optical element into a beam of light, which in turn is converted by a second optical element into a linear image extending in a main scanning direction incident on a deflecting mirror at which the beams of light are deflected in the main scanning direction. A third optical element configured to convert the beams from the deflecting mirror into spot-like images is a single lens, and each of opposite lens surfaces thereof has a curvature in a sub-scanning direction varying continuously from a position corresponding to an optical axis thereof outward in the main scanning direction in such a manner that MTF values in a sub-scanning direction of an image formed on the scanned surface vary less with image height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Yukawa, Hiroyuki Ominato, Hitoshi Fujino
  • Patent number: 8134780
    Abstract: A prism includes a light incident portion that has first and second convex portions, the first and second convex portions each are a convex portion that refracts rays of light incident to a prism body and reduces a spread angle after incidence to the prism body via the convex portion to be smaller than that before the incidence, the spread angle is an angle between a given two of the rays, a first reflecting surface, provided on the prism body, that can reflect a first ray of light that has entered the prism body via the first convex portion, a first emitting portion, provided on the prism body, that emits, to the outside, the first ray reflected by the first reflecting surface, and a second emitting portion that emits, to the outside, a second ray of light that has entered the prism body via the second convex portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ominato, Takeshi Kitakata, Shunsuke Ichizawa
  • Publication number: 20120002261
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus, light emitted from each of a plurality of light sources is converted by a first optical element into a beam of light, which in turn is converted by a second optical element into a linear image extending in a main scanning direction incident on a deflecting mirror at which the beams of light are deflected in the main scanning direction. A third optical element configured to convert the beams from the deflecting mirror into spot-like images is a single lens, and each of opposite lens surfaces thereof has a curvature in a sub-scanning direction varying continuously from a position corresponding to an optical axis thereof outward in the main scanning direction in such a manner that MTF values in a sub-scanning direction of an image formed on the scanned surface vary less with image height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki YUKAWA, Hiroyuki OMINATO, Hitoshi FUJINO
  • Publication number: 20110317234
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus including a single lens configured to convert a beam deflected by a polygon mirror into a spot-like image on a scanned surface, an angle ?2 [deg] formed in a main scanning plane between the first optical axis and the second optical axis of the opposite lens surfaces of the lens satisfies the condition of ?0.6<?2??0.1, and at least one of the conditions ?0.5<?1<0 and ?0.1<D2<0.2 are satisfied where ?1 indicates an angle [deg] formed in the main scanning plane between the first optical axis and a reference line perpendicular to the scanned surface, and D2 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the second optical axis and the exit-side lens surface, from the first optical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki OMINATO, Hitoshi FUJINO, Yoshifumi NAKAMURA, Hiroki YUKAWA
  • Patent number: 8077370
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus including a single lens configured to convert a beam deflected by a polygon mirror into a spot-like image on a scanned surface, an angle ?2 [deg] formed in a main scanning plane between the first optical axis and the second optical axis of the opposite lens surfaces of the lens satisfies the condition of ?0.6<?2??0.1, and at least one of the conditions ?0.5<?1<0 and ?0.1<D2<0.2 are satisfied where ?1 indicates an angle [deg] formed in the main scanning plane between the first optical axis and a reference line perpendicular to the scanned surface, and D2 indicates an amount of shift [mm] in the main scanning plane, of a point of intersection between the second optical axis and the exit-side lens surface, from the first optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ominato, Hitoshi Fujino, Yoshifumi Nakamura, Hiroki Yukawa
  • Publication number: 20110242633
    Abstract: In a scanning optical apparatus, a third optical element is configured such that a first optical axis defined as an optical axis of an incident-side lens surface of the third optical element is inclined in a main scanning plane with respect to a normal line extending from a scanning center on a target surface to be scanned and an intersection point between the first optical axis and the incident-side lens surface is shifted with respect to the normal line, and that a second optical axis defined as an optical axis of an emission-side lens surface is inclined in the main scanning plane with respect to the first optical axis and an intersection point between the second optical axis and the emission-side lens surface is shifted with respect to the first optical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi FUJINO, Yoshifumi NAKAMURA, Hiroyuki OMINATO, Hiroki YUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20110242634
    Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus includes: a light source; a first optical element configured to convert light emitted from the light source into a beam of light; a second optical element configured to convert the beam of light having passed through the first optical element into a linear image extending in a main scanning direction; a deflecting mirror configured to deflect the beam of light having passed through the second optical element in the main scanning direction; and a third optical element configured to convert the beam of light having been deflected by the deflecting mirror into a spot-like image and focus it on a target surface to be scanned. The third optical element is a single lens having a pair of opposite lens surfaces, and each of the pair of lens surfaces is aspheric in a main scanning plane to satisfy the formula: ? ( 1 - S k ? ( y 1 , y 2 ) f t ? ( y 1 , y 2 ) ) · h ? ( y 1 , y 2 ) ? < r e ? min 2 .
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi FUJINO, Yoshifumi NAKAMURA, Hiroyuki OMINATO, Hiroki YUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20100314229
    Abstract: A push button switch device mounted on an equipment body includes a push button member disposed on a cover constituting an outer surface of the equipment body, the push button member being configured to be light-transmissible, a switching element located behind the push button member so that its operation axis substantially corresponds with a central axis of the push button member, light sources disposed around the switching element to illuminate the outer surface of the push button member, the light sources being operated by the push button member, and an incidence plane located on a rear surface of the push button member so that light from the light sources is incident thereon, the incidence plane including a concave curved surface that is located so as to substantially face the light sources and a flat or convex curved surface located outside and is continuous to the concave curved surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ominato