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).
-
Publication number: 20160250869Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2016Publication date: September 1, 2016Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Kenji SAMOTO
-
Publication number: 20160229202Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2015Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
-
Publication number: 20160214409Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction; a first wavy shape applying mechanism provided downstream in the conveyance direction from the recording unit and configured to allow the sheet to be in a wavy state in a width direction; and a guide member configured to guide the sheet to the first wavy shape applying mechanism. The first wavy shape applying mechanism includes first spur rollers configured to abut against a first surface of the sheet respectively; abutment members provided between the mutually adjoining first spur rollers respectively and configured to abut against a second surface of the sheet; and second spur rollers configured to abut against the first surface of the sheet downstream of the first spur rollers in the conveyance direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2016Publication date: July 28, 2016Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Gakuro Kanazawa, Kenji Samoto, Wataru Sugiyama, Yasuhira Ota
-
Patent number: 9387704Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus which includes a recording portion, and a contact portion configured to come into contact with an upper surface of the sheet. The contact portion has a storage portion provided on a side of the recording portion and configured to store an ink, and a protruding portion is provided between both ends in a width direction intersecting the transporting direction of the storage portion, and which is protruded toward the recording section, and an upper end of the protruding portion is the highest in the contact portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
-
Publication number: 20160185143Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes: a loading unit configured to load a plurality of sheet-like media in a stacked state; a feeding roller configured to feed the media by rotating while abutting against the media loaded on the loading unit; an arm configured to rotatably support the feeding roller and configured to be swingable about a support shaft; at least one actuator supported by the arm to be swingable about a fulcrum provided between the support shaft and a leading end of the arm, the arm being on the same side as the feeding roller with respect to the support shaft and being farthest away from the support shaft; and at least one sensor configured to output a signal which differentiates a first posture of the at least one actuator with respect to the arm, from a second posture different from the first posture.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hirotaka AOKI, Kenji Samoto
-
Publication number: 20160185137Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
-
Patent number: 9370947Abstract: 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 a plurality of holding members which are provided while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction and which press the sheet transported along the transport passage, from at least one of front and back surfaces of the sheet. At lease one holding member, which is provided at a central portion in the widthwise direction of the transport passage, is arranged on a downstream side in the transport direction as compared with the other holding members.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2015Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kenji Samoto
-
Publication number: 20160152054Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2016Publication date: June 2, 2016Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenji SAMOTO, Yusuke ARAI
-
Patent number: 9340043Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 23, 2015Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Kenji Samoto
-
Patent number: 9321283Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus may include a corrugate mechanism configured to form a sheet into a corrugated shape. The inkjet recording apparatus may be configured to receive sheets of various sizes and shapes. Accordingly, in some examples, the inkjet recording apparatus may include differently configured portions to handle sheets of different sizes or shapes. According to one arrangement, the inkjet recording apparatus may be configured to receive passage of sheets of a first size through multiple ones of the differently configured portions while receiving passage of sheets of a second size though limited ones of the differently configured portions.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2015Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Wataru Sugiyama, Yuji Koga, Takashi Omura, Kenji Samoto
-
Publication number: 20160107464Abstract: 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 a plurality of holding members which are provided while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction and which press the sheet transported along the transport passage, from at least one of front and back surfaces of the sheet. At lease one holding member, which is provided at a central portion in the widthwise direction of the transport passage, is arranged on a downstream side in the transport direction as compared with the other holding members.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventor: Kenji Samoto
-
Patent number: 9290021Abstract: An image forming device may include a contact member and a support member configured to support a recording portion. In one or more arrangements, the contact member may be disposed on the support member and include a contact portion configured to contact a sheet being conveyed. In some examples, the support member may include a carriage frame. Additionally or alternatively, the image forming device may include a platen having a plurality of ribs. In one or more examples, the ribs may be configured to form a corrugated shape in a sheet in conjunction with the contact member. Still further, one or more of the ribs and the contact member may be movable.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2012Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Noriyuki Kawamata, Wataru Sugiyama, Tsuyoshi Ito
-
Patent number: 9290344Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
-
Publication number: 20160075152Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2015Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA, Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
-
Publication number: 20160075151Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2015Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA, Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
-
Patent number: 9283778Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
-
Patent number: 9254696Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 30, 2015Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenji Samoto, Yusuke Arai
-
Patent number: 9248669Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
-
Patent number: 9242488Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: a first conveying path for guiding a recording medium in a conveying direction; a recording portion configured to record an image on the recording medium guided by the first conveying path; a tray provided below the recording portion so as to accommodate the recording medium; a supplying roller configured to supply the recording medium accommodated by the tray to the first conveying path; a first arm provided above the tray, wherein the supplying roller is provided on a distal end of the first arm; a first frame configured to support the recording portion; and a second frame provided separately from the first frame and configured to support the first arm.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
-
Patent number: 9227431Abstract: 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 a plurality of holding members which are provided while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction and which press the sheet transported along the transport passage, from at least one of front and back surfaces of the sheet. At lease one holding member, which is provided at a central portion in the widthwise direction of the transport passage, is arranged on a downstream side in the transport direction as compared with the other holding members.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2015Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kenji Samoto