Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Tsugaru

Hiroyuki Tsugaru 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).

  • Patent number: 10421302
    Abstract: A cover is coupled to a main body casing in manner enabling rotation of the cover. A pop-up mechanism is provided that when locking by a locking mechanism that fixes the cover at a closed position in a releasable manner is released, rotates the cover from the closed position to an open position by a biasing of first contact members in a direction so that the first contact members push second contact members that are respectively disposed at both ends of the cover, the first contact members being connected to each other and respectively disposed at both ends of the main body casing. Thus, the second contact members are pushed while a positional relationship of the first contact members is maintained to be constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tsugaru
  • Publication number: 20180250966
    Abstract: A cover is coupled to a main body casing in manner enabling rotation of the cover. A pop-up mechanism is provided that when locking by a locking mechanism that fixes the cover at a closed position in a releasable manner is released, rotates the cover from the closed position to an open position by a biasing of first contact members in a direction so that the first contact members push second contact members that are respectively disposed at both ends of the cover, the first contact members being connected to each other and respectively disposed at both ends of the main body casing. Thus, the second contact members are pushed while a positional relationship of the first contact members is maintained to be constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Hiroyuki TSUGARU
  • Patent number: 9505575
    Abstract: To improve precision in identifying the amount that remains of a recording medium, an apparatus includes a paper holder that supports an outer circumferential surface of a recording medium that is biased downward in a vertical direction by the weight of the recording medium, such that a position of a center of the recording medium moves on a straight-line trace, associated with consumption of the recording medium; and a light-reflecting sensor that is provided at a predetermined position at a side face of the paper holder and senses displacement per unit time at a position facing the predetermined position of the recording medium that is rotated by being pulled out of the paper holder, associated with the consumption of the recording medium, where based on the displacement sensed by the light-reflecting sensor, a radius of the recording medium at the time the light reflecting sensor senses the displacement is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., LTD., Citizen Systems Japan Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Gen Matsushima, Katsutoshi Mukaijima, Tetsuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9016966
    Abstract: A printer includes a paper holder which includes a shaft portion for supporting roll paper, and a movable member in a predetermined vertical height position near and above a first end portion of the shaft portion. The movable member is configured to be displaced along an extending direction of the shaft portion between a pressing position, in which the movable member is brought into contact with and pressed against an end surface of the roll paper supported by the shaft portion, and a non-pressing position, in which the movable member is not in contact with the end surface of the roll paper. The movable member is also biased toward the non-pressing position. A movable member detector is configured to detect that the movable member is in the non-pressing position, and a remaining amount notifier is configured to notify that a remaining amount of the roll paper is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Fujita, Hiroyuki Tsugaru
  • Patent number: 8672567
    Abstract: A printing apparatus 100 includes a detecting unit, which detects that a core part at a center portion of a recording medium 202, in a rolled state, has reached a predetermined position accompanying the consumption of the recording medium 202 in a recording medium accommodating unit 301 accommodating the recording medium 202, when the printer apparatus 100 is in an installed state; and further includes a moving mechanism that moves the detecting unit to a position whereby the detecting function of the detecting unit is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Katsutoshi Mukaijima, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Gen Matsushima
  • Publication number: 20140023420
    Abstract: A printer includes a paper holder which includes a shaft portion for supporting roll paper and a movable member in a predetermined vertical height position near and above one end portion of the shaft portion, the movable member being configured to be displaced along an extending direction of the shaft portion between a pressing position in which the movable member is brought into contact with and pressed against an end surface of the roll paper supported by the shaft portion and a non-pressing position in which the movable member is not in contact with the end surface of the roll paper, the movable member being biased toward the non-pressing position; a movable member detector configured to detect that the movable member is in the non-pressing position; and a remaining amount notifier configured to notify that a remaining amount of the roll paper is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Hirotaka FUJITA, Hiroyuki TSUGARU
  • Patent number: 8610752
    Abstract: A thermal printer includes a head cover configured to be movable from a secured position which is secured to cover at least a part of a thermal head in a direction away from the thermal head in a state in which at least a part of the head cover is supported by a printer main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tsugaru
  • Patent number: 8419304
    Abstract: In speed control that is performed within a single operating cycle of a printer, three-level control of ON control, OFF control, and chopper control, is performed in place of the two-level control of ON control and OFF control, to effectively suppress speed variations due to load variations within a single operating cycle, even in small printers provided with DC motors having small output torques. In a printer comprising a DC motor 7, a paper feeding unit 5 that includes a paper feeding roller that uses the DC motor as the driving source, and a printing mechanism unit 2, for printing, in use of the printing mechanism unit 2, onto paper that is advanced by a specific amount by the paper feeding unit 5, an encoder 10 for outputting pulse signals according to the rotation of the DC motor 7 is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Gen Matsushima
  • Patent number: 8297864
    Abstract: A printer includes a fixed blade attached to a cover unit; a movable blade that faces a fixed blade, freely reciprocates relative to the fixed blade when the cover unit is closed and cuts the recording medium together with the fixed blade by overlapping the fixed blade during reciprocation; a movable blade driving motor that causes the movable blade to reciprocate; and a movable blade unit that includes the movable blade, the movable blade driving motor, and an accommodating unit accommodating the movable blade and provided at a printer main body. The printer further includes a mechanism that, when the movable blade protrudes from the accommodating unit and is stopped, widens a space over which the fixed blade and the protruding movable blade face each other before the movable blade driving motor accommodates the protruding movable blade in the accommodating unit, as initiated by operation of a cover opening lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Katsutoshi Mukaijima, Gen Matsushima
  • Publication number: 20120212562
    Abstract: A thermal printer includes a head cover configured to be movable from a secured position which is secured to cover at least a part of a thermal head in a direction away from the thermal head in a state in which at least a part of the head cover is supported by a printer main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventor: Hiroyuki TSUGARU
  • Patent number: 8240928
    Abstract: A recording medium accommodating unit 301 that accommodates a recording medium 202 wound in a roll includes a first detecting unit that detects that a core part in the center of the recording medium 202 has reached a predetermined position in consequence of consumption of the recording medium 202 when a printer 201 is in a first installation state, a second detecting unit that detects that the core part in the center of the recording medium 202 has reached a predetermined position in consequence of the consumption of the recording medium 202 when the printer 201 is in a second installation state that is different from the first installation state, and a moving mechanism that moves the first and the second detecting units to positions activating detection by one among the first and the second detecting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Katsutoshi Mukaijima, Gen Matsushima
  • Patent number: 8197268
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first opening disposed in a casing; a power source connector disposed opposing the first opening and to which a detachable power supply plug that supplies power from a power supply unit is attached; a second opening disposed in the casing; and a support member by which at least one interface connector among various types of interface connectors for communication with an external apparatus can be attached at the second opening, where the support member covers and hides the power source connector if among the various types of interface connectors, an interface connector having a power supply terminal is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Katsutoshi Mukaijima
  • Publication number: 20110173364
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first opening disposed in a casing; a power source connector disposed opposing the first opening and to which a detachable power supply plug that supplies power from a power supply unit is attached; a second opening disposed in the casing; and a support member by which at least one interface connector among various types of interface connectors for communication with an external apparatus can be attached at the second opening, where the support member covers and hides the power source connector if among the various types of interface connectors, an interface connector having a power supply terminal is attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicants: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TSUGARU, Katsutoshi MUKAIJIMA
  • Publication number: 20110164913
    Abstract: A printing apparatus 100 includes a detecting unit, which detects that a core part at a center portion of a recording medium 202, in a rolled state, has reached a predetermined position accompanying the consumption of the recording medium 202 in a recording medium accommodating unit 301 accommodating the recording medium 202, when the printer apparatus 100 is in an installed state; and further includes a moving mechanism that moves the detecting unit to a position whereby the detecting function of the detecting unit is deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicants: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TSUGARU, Katsutoshi MUKAIJIMA, Tetsuya YAMAMOTO, Gen MATSUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20100310294
    Abstract: To improve precision in identifying the amount that remains of a recording medium, an apparatus includes a paper holder that supports an outer circumferential surface of a recording medium that is biased downward in a vertical direction by the weight of the recording medium, such that a position of a center of the recording medium moves on a straight-line trace, associated with consumption of the recording medium; and a light-reflecting sensor that is provided at a predetermined position at a side face of the paper holder and senses displacement per unit time at a position facing the predetermined position of the recording medium that is rotated by being pulled out of the paper holder, associated with the consumption of the recording medium, where based on the displacement sensed by the light-reflecting sensor, a radius of the recording medium at the time the light reflecting sensor senses the displacement is calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicants: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TSUGARU, Gen MATSUSHIMA, Katsutoshi MUKAIJIMA, Tetsuya YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20100247215
    Abstract: A printer includes a recording medium accommodating unit that holds an outer circumferential portion of a recording medium wound in a roll, a printing unit that prints on the recording medium fed from the recording medium accommodating unit, a first detecting lever that is biased to abut a side aspect of the recording medium and that includes on a tip, a first protrusion that enters a space of a roll-core part in the center of the recording medium when the roll-core part is moved to a predetermined position by the weight of the recording medium as the recording medium is consumed, and a detecting switch that converts an action of the first detecting lever into an electric signal, where the first protrusion is provided on the first detecting lever being rotatable in a direction that the roll-core part moves to be detached from the recording medium accommodating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicants: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TSUGARU, Tetsuya YAMAMOTO, Katsutoshi MUKAIJIMA, Gen MATSUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20100247217
    Abstract: A recording medium accommodating unit 301 that accommodates a recording medium 202 wound in a roll includes a first detecting unit that detects that a core part in the center of the recording medium 202 has reached a predetermined position in consequence of consumption of the recording medium 202 when a printer 201 is in a first installation state, a second detecting unit that detects that the core part in the center of the recording medium 202 has reached a predetermined position in consequence of the consumption of the recording medium 202 when the printer 201 is in a second installation state that is different from the first installation state, and a moving mechanism that moves the first and the second detecting units to positions activating detection by one among the first and the second detecting units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicants: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TSUGARU, Tetsuya YAMAMOTO, Katsutoshi MUKAIJIMA, Gen MATSUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20100247221
    Abstract: A printer includes a fixed blade attached to a cover unit; a movable blade that faces a fixed blade, freely reciprocates relative to the fixed blade when the cover unit is closed and cuts the recording medium together with the fixed blade by overlapping the fixed blade during reciprocation; a movable blade driving motor that causes the movable blade to reciprocate; and a movable blade unit that includes the movable blade, the movable blade driving motor, and an accommodating unit accommodating the movable blade and provided at a printer main body. The printer further includes a mechanism that, when the movable blade protrudes from the accommodating unit and is stopped, widens a space over which the fixed blade and the protruding movable blade face each other before the movable blade driving motor accommodates the protruding movable blade in the accommodating unit, as initiated by operation of a cover opening lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicants: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TSUGARU, Tetsuya YAMAMOTO, Katsutoshi MUKAIJIMA, Gen MATSUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20090026992
    Abstract: In speed control that is performed within a single operating cycle of a printer, three-level control of ON control, OFF control, and chopper control, is performed in place of the two-level control of ON control and OFF control, to effectively suppress speed variations due to load variations within a single operating cycle, even in small printers provided with DC motors having small output torques. In a printer comprising a DC motor 7, a paper feeding unit 5 that includes a paper feeding roller that uses the DC motor as the driving source, and a printing mechanism unit 2, for printing, in use of the printing mechanism unit 2, onto paper that is advanced by a specific amount by the paper feeding unit 5, an encoder 10 for outputting pulse signals according to the rotation of the DC motor 7 is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Gen Matsushima
  • Patent number: 7185586
    Abstract: A select lever and a permanent magnet of a type selection mechanism of a type-printer are arranged with a gap between the magnet and the distal end of the lower part of the lever. The select lever is located untouched in a stable position that is settled by the respective magnetic polarities of the permanent magnet and the distal end of the lower part of the lever imparted by a magnetization coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Mukaijima, Hiroyuki Tsugaru, Masao Kunita