Patents by Inventor Kenji Samoto

Kenji Samoto 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: 9975358
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20180117933
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9956791
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yusuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20180093506
    Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Kenta Horade, Mitsuhiro Nozaki, Hirotaka Aoki
  • Publication number: 20180072520
    Abstract: An image recording device having a recording unit to record an image on a sheet is provided. The image recording unit includes a feed guide defining a first conveying path; an arm disposed between the recording unit and the tray, the arm having a feed roller rotatably disposed at a free end and configured to feed the sheet in the tray to the first conveying path. The arm pivots between a first arm position, and a second arm position. The return guide pivots between a first return guide position, and a second return guide position. A space occupied by the return guide in the first return guide position overlaps a space occupied by the arm in the second arm position. The return guide is in the second return guide position when the arm is in the second arm position which is retracted from an insertion space occupied by the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
  • Patent number: 9862210
    Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Kenta Horade, Mitsuhiro Nozaki, Hirotaka Aoki
  • Publication number: 20180001617
    Abstract: A plurality of first contact portions is arranged to face a second supporting member between a nipping position and nozzles in a conveying direction. The first contact portions are spaced away from each other in a width direction, and contact a sheet from a first side. A second contact portion is provided at least between two of the first contact portions in the width direction, and contacts the sheet from a second side. A regulating member is provided at a first supporting member. The regulating member extends to provide an extending end portion that is located at a position closer to a second supporting member than the nozzle surface is in a perpendicular direction. The extending end portion locates the first contact portions at a regulating position that is closer to the second supporting member than the nozzle surface is in the perpendicular direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji SAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9851676
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes: a casing formed with a first sheet-conveyance passage and a second sheet-conveyance passage positioned inwardly as compared with the first sheet-conveyance passage; a cover member including a first resin member having a first guide surface for defining the first sheet-conveyance passage, a second resin member attached to the first resin member and located on an inner side of the casing than the first guide surface and defining the first sheet-conveyance passage, and a third resin member attached to the second resin member at a position opposite to the first resin member with respect to the second resin member and having a third guide surface for defining the second sheet-conveyance passage; and a metal frame attached to the second resin member at a position between the second resin member and the third resin member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatomo Yamaguchi, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20170341429
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9821967
    Abstract: An image recording device having a recording unit to record an image on a sheet is provided. The image recording unit includes a feed guide defining a first conveying path; an arm disposed between the recording unit and the tray, the arm having a feed roller rotatably disposed at a free end and configured to feed the sheet in the tray to the first conveying path. The arm pivots between a first arm position, and a second arm position. The return guide pivots between a first return guide position, and a second return guide position. A space occupied by the return guide in the first return guide position overlaps a space occupied by the arm in the second arm position. The return guide is in the second return guide position when the arm is in the second arm position which is retracted from an insertion space occupied by the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Publication number: 20170282620
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a controller configured to perform an intermittent conveyance process including controlling a conveyor to intermittently convey a preceding sheet, an image recording process including controlling a recording head to perform image recording for each single pass on the preceding sheet while controlling a carriage moving mechanism to move a carriage with the recording head mounted thereon over each single pass in a direction along a scanning direction, a remaining-pass calculating process including calculating a count of remaining passes to be recorded on the preceding sheet, and a feeding process including, in response to the calculated count of the remaining passes being a particular number, controlling a feeder to start feeding a subsequent sheet at a point of time when a first particular period of time elapses from a next timing to start conveyance of the preceding sheet in the intermittent conveyance process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventor: Kenji SAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9764913
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes: a first casing having a first bottom portion and formed with a conveyance path in which a sheet is conveyed; a first tray provided for the first casing and supported by the first bottom portion; a first feeding section arranged above the first tray in the first casing and configured to feed a sheet supported by the first tray in a feeding direction toward the conveyance path; a second casing being detachably attached to the first casing and located below the first bottom portion in a state that the second casing is attached to the first cashing; a second tray provided for the second casing; and a second feeding section arranged above the second tray in the second casing and configured to feed a sheet supported by the second tray in the feeding direction toward the conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9738098
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20170217701
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a casing provided with a first conveying path and a second conveying path; a first feeding tray provided in the casing and having a first supporting surface that supports a sheet; a supporting member that supports the first feeding tray from below in the casing; a first feeding section provided above the first supporting surface; a first guide member having a first guide surface to guide the sheet fed from the first feeding tray; a second feeding tray provided below the supporting member in the casing and having a second supporting surface that supports a different sheet; a second feeding section provided above the second supporting surface; a second guide member having a second guide surface to guide the different sheet fed from the second feeding tray; and a frame made of metal and being installed on a lower surface of the supporting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji SAMOTO, Masatomo YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170217224
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a first motor, a feeding roller, a second motor, a first driven mechanism, a recorder, and a controller. The feeding roller is configured to rotate by receiving driving force from the first motor. The first driven mechanism is configured to be driven by receiving driving force from the second motor. The controller is configured to: perform a preparing operation in response to receiving first information that instructs starting image recording by the recorder; perform a driving operation of driving the second motor to drive the first driven mechanism, in response to completing the preparing operation and not receiving second information including a recording condition and printing data; and in response to receiving the second information, stop the second motor and drive the first motor to perform a feeding operation by the feeding roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka AOKI, Kenji SAMOTO, Takahiro KUROKI
  • Patent number: 9708145
    Abstract: A first roller is driven, by a conveying motor rotating in a normal direction and in a reverse direction, to rotate in a forward direction and in a backward direction, respectively. The first roller and a second roller convey a sheet in a conveying direction by rotating in the forward direction. The transmission unit transmits a driving force of the conveying motor to the second roller and includes a first rotary member. The transmission unit has such play that when the conveying motor is switched from rotation in a normal direction to rotation in a reverse direction, rotation of the second roller in a backward direction is delayed by a predetermined time period from rotation of the first roller in the backward direction. The predetermined time period is greater than a time period corresponding to one tooth of the first rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Uchino, Kenji Samoto, Wataru Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20170157952
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji SAMOTO, Yusuke ARAI
  • Publication number: 20170123365
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes: a first casing having a first bottom portion and formed with a conveyance path in which a sheet is conveyed; a first tray provided for the first casing and supported by the first bottom portion; a first feeding section arranged above the first tray in the first casing and configured to feed a sheet supported by the first tray in a feeding direction toward the conveyance path; a second casing being detachably attached to the first casing and located below the first bottom portion in a state that the second casing is attached to the first cashing; a second tray provided for the second casing; and a second feeding section arranged above the second tray in the second casing and configured to feed a sheet supported by the second tray in the feeding direction toward the conveyance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji SAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170113894
    Abstract: There is provided a conveyance apparatus including a main body, a feed tray, and a discharge tray. The discharge tray includes a first projecting portion, and the main body includes a supporting portion, first and second contacting portions. With the installed discharge tray rotating by a first amount or more about a fulcrum in a direction for such a part of the discharge tray as positioned on one side in a second direction from the fulcrum to move away from the first contacting portion, the first projecting portion is positioned below the second contacting portion. The part of the installed discharge tray as positioned on the one side in the second direction from the fulcrum is lighter in weight than the part of the installed discharge tray as positioned on the other side in the second direction. The conveyance apparatus includes a regulating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Peng ZOU, Kenji SAMOTO, Yoshiyuki WASHINO
  • Publication number: 20170115617
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes: a casing formed with a first sheet-conveyance passage and a second sheet-conveyance passage positioned inwardly as compared with the first sheet-conveyance passage; a cover member including a first resin member having a first guide surface for defining the first sheet-conveyance passage, a second resin member attached to the first resin member and located on an inner side of the casing than the first guide surface and defining the first sheet-conveyance passage, and a third resin member attached to the second resin member at a position opposite to the first resin member with respect to the second resin member and having a third guide surface for defining the second sheet-conveyance passage; and a metal frame attached to the second resin member at a position between the second resin member and the third resin member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatomo YAMAGUCHI, Kenji SAMOTO