Patents by Inventor Masaaki Uchiyama

Masaaki Uchiyama 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: 20110233858
    Abstract: A sheet ejection device including: a sheet stacking section; a sheet trailing edge hitting section; a pair of sheet holding members for holding a sheet or plural sheets placed one on top of another at a sheet holding position, and moving the same to the sheet stacking position; and a friction member that is provided on one of the sheet holding members and that comes in contact with the topmost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking section; wherein, when the sheet holding members reach the sheet stacking position, one of the sheet holding members is moved upstream in the sheet ejecting direction, whereby the trailing edge of the held sheet is made to hit against the sheet trailing edge hitting section, and the friction member comes in contact with the topmost sheet, and then the topmost sheet is biased toward the sheet trailing edge hitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masaaki UCHIYAMA, Hiroyuki WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 7987751
    Abstract: A sheet trimming apparatus including: a trimming section provided with a trimming cutter blade for trimming a sheet bundle; a paper scrap container for storing paper scraps separated from the sheet bundle by the trimming cutter blade; and a paper scrap guide member, which is provided to create a falling space where the paper scraps are made to fall from the trimming section to the paper scrap container, wherein the paper scrap guide member assumes a first state for expanding a gap in the falling space, and a second state for creating an inclined surface for guiding the paper scraps to fall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Shiokawa, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7955040
    Abstract: A cutting device that cuts an edge portion of a sheet bundle to an even length, in which a plurality of sheet have been stacked, using a cutting blade, the cutting device includes: a paddle shaft capable of being rotated, which is connected to a drive source provided in the vicinity of the cutting blade; and a plurality of paddles provided on the paddle shaft in a rotary axis direction thereof; wherein the plurality of paddles are arranged in a single line with the same phase as each other on the paddle shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama, Tsuyoshi Shiokawa
  • Publication number: 20110115153
    Abstract: A paper discharge apparatus including, a paper loading portion for loading a paper which is discharged; a paper rear-end abutting portion which a rear end of paper in a paper conveying direction abuts; a pair of paper holding members for holding the paper at the paper holding position when the paper is discharged; a paper holding member moving device which is connected to at least one of the pair of the paper holding members and moves the pair of the paper holding members from a paper holding position to a paper loading position; when the pair of the paper holding members reach the paper loading position, the paper holding member moving device moves at least one of the pair of the paper holding members in the opposite direction of the paper conveying direction and makes the rear end of the holding paper abut the paper rear-end abutting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masaaki Uchiyama, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Tsutomu Anezaki
  • Publication number: 20110035089
    Abstract: The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus enabling a driver to obtain an excellent driving feeling. A suspension control apparatus according to the present invention controls an actuator disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle. The suspension control apparatus comprises a lateral acceleration detector operable to detect a lateral acceleration, a lateral jerk detector operable to detect a lateral jerk, and a suspension controller operable to control the actuator to change a pitch of the vehicle based the detected lateral acceleration and lateral jerk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Masaaki Uchiyama, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Takahide Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7832716
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including: a sheet supporting table that supports a sheet stack made of a plurality of sheets which have been folded; a stopper against which a first edge of the sheet stack which is a side to be cut of the sheet stack is pressed on the sheet supporting table; and a pushing member which pushes a second edge of the sheet stack so that the first edge is pressed against the stopper, wherein the pushing member comprises a first surface that is inclined with respect to a sheet supporting surface of the sheet supporting table so that the first surface restricts a height of the folded part of the sheet stack with respect to the sheet supporting surface when the pushing member presses the sheet stack towards the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100225042
    Abstract: A sheet finisher includes: a stacking section having a stacking surface arranged to be tilted, and a stopper located below the stacking surface; a sheet finishing section which post-processes for a sheet bundle that hits the stopper and is stacked on the stacking section; a conveying section which sends two sheets to the stacking section under the condition that the two sheets are shifted each other in a conveyance direction and are superimposed; an input section in which sheet type information is inputted; and a controller which adjusts a shift amount between the two sheets so that the sheet on a lower side precedes toward the stopper by a prescribed amount, when a conveyance condition of the conveyance section is changed based on the inputted sheet type information inputted, and the two sheets are conveyed to the stacking section with the two sheets superimposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu TANAKA, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100209164
    Abstract: In a post-processing apparatus in which sheets are stacked in a stacker section and arranged to be subject to post-processing, the stacker section is provided with a sheet ejection section which subsequently ejects the sheets one by one or two or more sheets overlapped with each other, wherein the sheet ejection section is provided with a corrugation application member to apply corrugation onto the sheet to be ejected and to change extent of the corrugation to be applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu TANAKA, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7766324
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus having: a sheet discharge tray to move upward and downward; an alignment section including first and second regulating members to align a side edge of a sheet on the tray; a first drive section for moving the tray upward or downward; a second drive section for moving the regulating members in a conveyance width direction; and a control section for controlling the first and the second drive sections so as to: align the side edge of the sheet discharged on the tray on the basis of the position of the first regulating member; when a predetermined amount of the sheets are discharged on the tray, separate the sheets from the first regulating member and the second regulating member by moving the tray or the alignment section and, after that, move the regulating members in the conveyance width direction; and align the side edge of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tamura, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7758035
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus including: a sheet conveying section for conveying sheets to an intermediate stacker by a plurality of conveying rollers containing a conveying roller capable of changing the pressing force against an opposing roller; and a control section wherein, when the first sheet to be assigned to a succeeding bundle of sheets has passed through the conveying roller capable of changing the aforementioned pressing force, and has arrived upstream from the aforementioned intermediate stacker during post-processing a preceding bundle of sheets, the pressing force of the conveying roller capable of changing the aforementioned pressing force is made smaller than the value at the time of conveyance; and after a second sheet has passed through the conveying roller capable of changing the aforementioned pressing force, the pressure is changed to the value at the time of the conveyance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tamura, Masaaki Uchiyama, Tsuyoshi Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 7703768
    Abstract: There is described an image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus provided with a first paper sheet outlet to eject the paper sheet outside therefrom; a post processing apparatus that is provided with a second paper sheet inlet; and a relay conveyance apparatus that is installed between the image forming apparatus and the post processing apparatus. The relay conveyance apparatus includes a relay conveyance unit, disposed at an upper space of the relay conveyance apparatus and provided with a first paper sheet inlet and a second paper sheet outlet and a coupling unit, which fixes the image forming apparatus and the post processing apparatus to the relay conveyance apparatus, in such a manner that the first paper sheet outlet and the second paper sheet outlet substantially coincide with the first paper sheet inlet and the second paper sheet inlet, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tamura, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7676928
    Abstract: Oil which will serve as a lubricating fluid of a fluid dynamic pressure bearing is degassed in a first environment under a first pressure which is lower than atmospheric pressure. First and second members of the bearing are place in a second environment under a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and higher than the pressure in the first environment. The degassed oil is supplied to the gap between bearing surfaces of the first and second members while the first and second members are in the second environment under pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and higher than the pressure in the first environment. Subsequently the pressure in the second environment is increased to force the oil into the gap between the bearing surfaces of the first and second members of the hydrodynamic fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Misu, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20090295074
    Abstract: A sheet ejection device capable of applying shift processing to the sheets on an ejection tray, using the alignment member contacting the sheets at a plurality of points in the direction in which the sheets are ejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki UCHIYAMA, Hiroyuki WAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20090289412
    Abstract: A sheet ejection device includes: a sheet ejection tray adapted to stack a sheet ejected thereon; an alignment member which aligns a position in a width direction and a direction perpendicular to a sheet ejection direction of the sheet on the sheet ejection tray; and a supporting unit which supports the alignment member so that the alignment member is displaced in a direction intersecting the sheet ejection direction when outer force is applied to the alignment member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yu TANAKA, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7616924
    Abstract: A sheet-trimming apparatus having a blade-driving mechanism which presses a trimming blade against the sheet in a oblique direction to the sheet surface for trimming the sheet and a receiving-member driving mechanism which shifts a blade-receiving member receiving the trimming blade in the direction cross to the direction of the trimming blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Uchiyama, Toshio Shida, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masato Hattori, Kenji Kawatsu
  • Patent number: 7616921
    Abstract: A sheet conveying mechanism, which conveys a sheet on which a toner image has been fixed at a heat-fixing process, includes conveying rollers each of which is a single roller having the same diameter throughout a width for passing the sheet and is disposed in a predetermined section for a cooling process after the heat-fixing process, and includes a sheet conveying guide provided on the predetermined section and having a sheet-passing surface made in the same shape throughout the width for passing the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshio Shida, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7613422
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having therein an image forming apparatus body and at least one post-processing apparatus, wherein there is provided an intermediate conveyance unit which is connected with and located between the image forming apparatus body and the post-processing apparatus and which has a sheet feed-in section that feeds in sheets ejected from the image forming apparatus body one by one at the same speed as the sheet ejection linear speed of the image forming apparatus body, a sheet storing section that stores two or more sheets which are fed in by the sheet feed-in section and a sheet feed-out section that feeds out the two or more sheets stored in the sheet-storing section with the two or more sheets superposed on each other, at the same speed as the receiving linear speed of the post-processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshio Shida, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20090127773
    Abstract: In a sheet aligning apparatus, a pair of sheet aligning members stops at three positions such that when a sheet aligning operation is not conducted, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the first position of an upper level so as not to come in contact with sheets discharged from a discharging section, when the sorting section shifts for sorting, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the second position of a middle level lower than the first position so as not to come in contact with sheets stacked on the tray, and when a sheet aligning operation is conducted, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the third position of a lower level so as to come in contact with the top surface of the tray or the upper surface of the sheets stacked on the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Masaaki UCHIYAMA, Hitoshi Tamura, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20090116857
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including: an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet; a tray on which an image-formed sheet is discharged as a discharged-sheet; and a controller for setting an amount of sheet to be discharged, the amount being smaller than a load limit of discharged-sheet on the tray, obtaining an amount of the sheet on the tray, comparing the obtained amount of the sheet with the set amount of the sheet, and executing at least one of warning about the amount of the discharged-sheet and stopping an image forming job for driving the image forming section on the basis of the comparison result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yu Tanaka, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7506864
    Abstract: A cutting device that cuts an edge portion of a sheet bundle having plural sheets stacked, includes: a cutting blade; a paddle provided on a side of the cutting blade, which removes chips attached to the cutting blade by rubbing a side surface of the cutting blade; a controller which controls drive of the paddle. The controller includes a judging section which compares a length of the chips in a direction perpendicular to an edge side of the sheet bundle to be cut by the cutting blade with a predetermined length that has been preset. When the length of the chips is shorter than the predetermined length, the controller makes the paddle to rotate in a predetermined direction, and when the length of the chips is longer than the predetermined length, the controller makes the paddle to rotate in a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama, Tsuyoshi Shiokawa