Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Nishitani
Hitoshi Nishitani 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).
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Patent number: 7315707Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a first placement member, a second placement member, a third placement member and a fourth placement member, which contact with a placement surface on which the image forming apparatus is placed, and which support the image forming apparatus, a side plate of the image forming apparatus, and a supporting section for supporting the image forming apparatus. The supporting section is supported by the third placement member and the fourth placement member, which are movable in a vertical direction of the image forming apparatus. This can prevent the deformation of the image forming apparatus without increasing the load on a bottom plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2004Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Atsushi Munakata
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Publication number: 20070235920Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a regulating member, provided along a feeding path in a feeding direction of the sheet, for regulating a widthwise position of a sheet by being abutted by an edge of the sheet; a sheet turning mechanism including a first pair of first driving roller and first follower roller for nipping and feeding the sheet disposed at a position upstream of the regulating member and a second pair of second driving roller and second follower roller, wherein the first pair and the second pair are disposed in a line extending in a widthwise direction of the feeding path, and wherein the first driving roller and the second driving roller are notable in opposite directions to turn the sheet to abut the edge of the sheet to the regulating member; and a sheet correcting mechanism disposed downstream of the sheet turning mechanism, and including a feeding roller and a third follower roller for correcting an attitude of the sheet by feeding the sheet so as to abut the edge of the sheet turned by thType: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2007Publication date: October 11, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideki Kawashima, Hitoshi Nishitani
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Publication number: 20070195154Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a lever member which displaces at least one of a thermal head and a platen roller so that the head and the roller come close to each other or come away from each other; and a driving unit which operates the lever member. The driving unit includes a rotary member having a rotary center shaft in a direction crossing a conveying direction of a recording medium and a roller shaft direction of the platen roller, and the rotary member is disposed in a conveying width region of the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2007Publication date: August 23, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hitoshi Nishitani
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Publication number: 20070182089Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus to which a cassette accommodating a sheet is detachably mountable includes supplying means for supplying the sheet from the cassette; a reference member having a reference surface for regulating a position of a lateral edge of the sheet being fed in a predetermined feeding direction by the supplying means; feeding means for feeding the sheet in a direction inclined relative to the feeding direction toward the reference surface to abut the lateral edge of the sheet to the reference surface; and moving means for selectively moving the reference member in response to mounting of the cassette such that reference member is placed at a position corresponding to a width of the sheet accommodated in the cassette.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2007Publication date: August 9, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideki Kawashima, Hitoshi Nishitani
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Patent number: 7248825Abstract: A developer replenishing apparatus including a first developer container for containing a developer to be replenished to a developing apparatus, a second developer container for containing the developer to be replenished to the first developer container, a first replenishing mechanism for replenishing the developer in the first developer container to the developing apparatus, a second replenishing mechanism for replenishing the developer in the second developer container to the first developer container, a driving source capable of simultaneously driving the first replenishing mechanism and the second replenishing mechanism wherein, at an operated state of the driving source, a replenishing amount of the developer per unit time from the second developer container to the first developer container is larger than a replenishing amount of the developer per unit time from the first developer container to the developing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2005Date of Patent: July 24, 2007Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Teruaki Tsurusaki
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Patent number: 7242417Abstract: A printer includes a supply member that separates and supplies a recording sheet from a sheet storage means, and a recording-sheet turning member that can turn the recording sheet. A recording sheet supplied from the sheet storage means by the supply member is turned approximately 90 degrees by the recording-sheet turning member, and is then subjected to image formation in an image forming means.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2005Date of Patent: July 10, 2007Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Gen Kitamura, Hideki Kawashima
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Publication number: 20070122221Abstract: The present invention easily provides a compact recording apparatus including a paper chamber capable of containing paper and a ribbon chamber containing an ink ribbon in a manner such that the ink ribbon on a supply shaft can be taken up onto a take-up shaft, by utilizing the dead spaces in the paper chamber and the ribbon chamber. The distance between the paper chamber and the rotation center of the take-up shaft is larger than the radius of a ribbon take-up portion of the take-up shaft and is smaller than the radius of a fully taken up roll of the ink ribbon.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2006Publication date: May 31, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Gen Kitamura, Hitoshi Nishitani, Kenji Ito, Hideki Kawashima
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Publication number: 20070057437Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes sheet accommodating means for accommodating a sheet, the sheet accommodating means being detachably mountable to the apparatus; feeding means for feeding the sheet from the sheet accommodating means; press-contact means for press-contacting the sheet in the sheet accommodating means to the feeding means; a guiding member for guiding the sheet accommodating means such that sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating means is not contacted to the feeding means when the sheet accommodating means is mounted to the apparatus; moving means for moving the guiding member to bring the sheet into contact to the feeding means after the sheet accommodating means is mounted to the apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2006Publication date: March 15, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: HITOSHI NISHITANI, GEN KITAMURA
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Publication number: 20070031173Abstract: A sheet feeder includes first and second rollers, a power source, and first and second drive units. The first and second rollers can be independently rotated to apply a feeding force to a sheet. The sheet feeder can switch the first drive unit to a meshing state and the second drive unit to an escape state so as to input a rotational driving force from the power source to the first drive unit and can also switch the first drive unit to the escape state and the second drive unit to the meshing state so as to input the rotational driving force from the power source to the second drive unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2006Publication date: February 8, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Hideki Kawashima
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Publication number: 20070031172Abstract: A cartridge, detachably attached to a recording apparatus, includes a recording sheet container. The recording apparatus includes a sheet turning device. When a recording sheet is conveyed from the cartridge to an image forming section, the sheet turning device turns the recording sheet around an axis parallel to a normal line to the recording surface of the recording sheet. The longitudinal direction of the recording sheets contained in the recording sheet container is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recording sheet being subjected to recording in the image forming section.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2006Publication date: February 8, 2007Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideki Kawashima, Kenji Ito, Hitoshi Nishitani, Gen Kitamura
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Patent number: 7126599Abstract: A graphics processing apparatus for computing the distance between two three-dimensional graphic elements without reducing the user's operating efficiency is provided. The graphics processing apparatus selects, from among three-dimensional objects displayed on a display, graphic elements between which the distance is to be computed, determines a projection reference in accordance with a viewing direction and geometric information on the graphic elements, and determines a projection plane in accordance with the projection reference. The graphic elements are projected onto the determined projection plane, and the minimum distance between the selected graphic elements is computed from the projected graphic elements.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2005Date of Patent: October 24, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Naoki Nakanishi
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Publication number: 20060214363Abstract: A sheet-conveying device includes a sheet conveying path along which a sheet is conveyed, a conveying roller, an inclined roller, an inclined-roller-supporting member that supports the inclined roller such that the inclined roller can rotate around a rotational axis that is inclined with respect to a rotational axis of the conveying roller, and a sheet contact member having a contact surface with which an edge portion of the sheet comes into contact. The inclined-roller-supporting member moves between a position where the inclined roller comes into pressure contact with the conveying roller and a position where the inclined roller is separated from the conveying roller. The sheet contact member moves between a position where the edge portion of the sheet can come into contact with the contact surface and a position where the contact surface cannot restrict the position of the edge portion of the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2006Publication date: September 28, 2006Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideki Kawashima, Hitoshi Nishitani
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Patent number: 7110707Abstract: A toner supply apparatus includes a first toner container; a first feeding member for feeding toner in the first toner container; a second toner container for receiving the toner from the first toner container; a second feeding member for feeding toner in the second toner container; a third toner container, detachably mountable relative to a main assembly of the toner supply apparatus, for receiving in the toner from the second toner container; wherein when the toner is supplied into the third toner container, the first feeding member is driven in accordance with a toner supply amount, and the second feeding member is substantially continuously driven irrespective of the toner supply amount.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2004Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hitoshi Nishitani
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Publication number: 20060165423Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes first and second developing apparatuses for developing electrostatic images on first and second image bearing members, a first developer container containing a developer, first supplying means for supplying the developer in the first developer container to the first developing apparatus, a second developer container containing a developer to be supplied to the second developing apparatus, second supplying means for supplying the developer in the second developer container to the second developing apparatus, driving means for driving the first and second supplying means, changeover means which changes over the driving force of the driving means during one image forming operation to first and second states in which the driving force is respectively transmitted to each of the first and second supplying means, and control means for changing the times of the first and second states according to a condition of an image to be formed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2006Publication date: July 27, 2006Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Takao Ogata
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Publication number: 20060104670Abstract: A developer replenishing apparatus including a first developer container for containing a developer to be replenished to a developing apparatus, a second developer container for containing the developer to be replenished to the first developer container, a first replenishing mechanism for replenishing the developer in the first developer container to the developing apparatus, a second replenishing mechanism for replenishing the developer in the second developer container to the first developer container, a driving source capable of simultaneously driving the first replenishing mechanism and the second replenishing mechanism wherein, at an operated state of the driving source, a replenishing amount of the developer per unit time from the second developer container to the first developer container is larger than a replenishing amount of the developer per unit time from the first developer container to the developing apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2005Publication date: May 18, 2006Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Teruaki Tsurusaki
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Patent number: 7046945Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developing container including a first chamber having a developer carrying member for carrying developer and a second chamber disposed in an inclined manner to which toner is supplied. First and second communicating portions supply developer between longitudinal end sides of the first and second chambers. A ceiling portion of one end side of the second chamber is disposed lower than a ceiling portion of one end side of the first chamber. A developer supplying screw supplies the toner to the second chamber through a supply port provided in a bottom of a developer supplying path. The supply port is disposed in a position lower than the ceiling portion and is located at an upper portion on a downstream side of the first communicating portion in a developer conveying direction on one end side of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2003Date of Patent: May 16, 2006Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Keiko Fujita
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Publication number: 20060092255Abstract: A U-shaped transport path has a pair of transport rollers and a pair of rotating rollers which convey the sheet material at the maximum curvature along the U-shaped transport path so that an image recording apparatus can be miniaturized.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2005Publication date: May 4, 2006Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Gen Kitamura
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Publication number: 20050212896Abstract: A printer includes a supply member that separates and supplies a recording sheet from a sheet storage means, and a recording-sheet turning member that can turn the recording sheet. A recording sheet supplied from the sheet storage means by the supply member is turned approximately 90 degrees by the recording-sheet turning member, and is then subjected to image formation in an image forming means.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2005Publication date: September 29, 2005Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Gen Kitamura, Hideki Kawashima
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Publication number: 20050212895Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a printer apparatus which can perform printing to the whole surface of a recording sheet with no margin while print quality is not lost. A configuration of the invention is a printer apparatus which has a printing unit comprising a pressing member which is provided in parallel with a heat generating unit of the thermal head while being opposite the heat generating unit of the thermal head; a first roller which is provided in parallel with the pressing member; and an endless belt which is extended with a tension so as to involve the pressing member and the first roller. In the printer apparatus, the thermal head is pressed against the pressing member through an ink sheet and the endless belt, the recording sheet is conveyed between the ink sheet and the endless belt, and the printing is performed by transferring ink in the ink sheet to the recording sheet with the thermal head.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2005Publication date: September 29, 2005Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hitoshi Nishitani
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Publication number: 20050184986Abstract: A graphics processing apparatus for computing the distance between two three-dimensional graphic elements without reducing the user's operating efficiency is provided. The graphics processing apparatus selects, from among three-dimensional objects displayed on a display, graphic elements between which the distance is to be computed, determines a projection reference in accordance with a viewing direction and geometric information on the graphic elements, and determines a projection plane in accordance with the projection reference. The graphic elements are projected onto the determined projection plane, and the minimum distance between the selected graphic elements is computed from the projected graphic elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2005Publication date: August 25, 2005Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Naoki Nakanishi