Patents by Inventor Masaharu Kimura
Masaharu Kimura 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: 8559043Abstract: An image forming apparatus (50) at least includes a paper output tray (80), an actuator (16) and a photo sensor (15). The actuator (16) is supported in such a manner as to be swingable above a paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80). The actuator (16) includes a fullness detection section (164) and a rear edge curling detection section (162). The fullness detection section (164) is disposed at a tip portion of the actuator (16), being configured so as to contact the uppermost paper on the paper output tray (80). The rear edge curling detection section (162) is formed so as to extend from the fullness detection section (164) toward a direction that gets further away from the paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80) toward a direction generally parallel to the paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80) and opposite to a paper conveying direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Masaharu Kimura, Yasuaki Fukada, Masahiko Fujita
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Patent number: 8550454Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sheet detection apparatus that detects a sheet includes an actuator unit that is rotatable around a rotational axis so as to adopt any of a protruding position in which the actuator unit protrudes into a detection area for detecting the sheet and a retracted position in which the actuator unit is retracted from the detection area, and an operation unit that is capable of switching between a retracted state in which the actuator unit is set to the retracted position and a protruding state in which the actuator unit is set to the protruding position. An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the sheet detection apparatus, and the sheet detection apparatus is provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2010Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiko Fujita, Masaharu Kimura, Norichika Katsura, Shinichiroh Hiraoka
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Patent number: 8523171Abstract: In a paper feeder, an air hole that allows air to pass through is formed on a paper transport belt, a fan for breathing and exhausting air and an exhaust duct having an opening for exhausting air. Air is exhausted from the fan through the exhaust duct, the fan and an air intake duct for breathing air are connected to each other, and air is breathed from the air hole through the air intake duct towards the fan. This paper feeder includes: an air state detection unit for detecting at least one of an air pressure and an air flow rate in the air intake duct; an opening and closing unit provided to the air intake duct for opening and closing the opening; and a control unit for opening and closing the opening based on a result of detection by the air state detection unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiko Fujita, Masaharu Kimura, Yasuaki Fukada, Susumu Hashimoto
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Patent number: 8523175Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus includes a sheet transport portion that transports a sheet in a first transport direction and a second transport direction, a bending member that bends without breaking the sheet by corrugating the sheet in an orthogonal direction, and a restriction member that restricts, in a perpendicular direction, a corrugation in the sheet bent by the bending member. The restriction member is provided on an upstream side in the first transport direction of the bending member.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Masaharu Kimura, Kohji Aoki
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Publication number: 20130187334Abstract: A sheet conveying device (30) includes a plurality of first conveyance rollers (31) and a plurality of second conveyance rollers (32). The sheet conveying device (30) includes stiffening rollers (34). The stiffening rollers (34) are disposed coaxially with at least one conveyance rollers (32) among the first and second conveyance rollers (31) and (32), and have diameters larger than diameters of the conveyance rollers (32). The stiffening rollers (34) includes first stiffening rollers (34a), which apply conveying forces to a sheet (P), and second stiffening rollers (34b), which apply smaller conveying forces to the sheet (P) than the conveying forces to the sheet (P) in the first stiffening rollers (34a).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2011Publication date: July 25, 2013Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaharu Kimura, Kohji Aoki, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Norichika Katsura
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Patent number: 8485523Abstract: A sheet sorter includes a sheet discharge tray, a sheet conveyance unit, and a sheet pressing guide. The sheet conveyance unit is configured to convey sheets in a conveyance direction and configured to be shifted in a shift direction along a sheet plane and in a shift direction that intersects the conveyance direction, so as to sort the sheets loaded onto the sheet discharge tray from the sheet conveyance unit. The sheet pressing guide is configured to contact and press the sheets, configured to move together with the sheet conveyance unit in conjunction with the sheet conveyance unit moving in the shift direction, and configured to contact a topmost sheet among the sheets loaded on the sheet discharge tray only at a downstream edge of the topmost sheet in the conveyance direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaharu Kimura, Norichika Katsura, Yasuaki Fukada, Haruhisa Furumoto
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Publication number: 20120299236Abstract: In a paper feeder, an air hole that allows air to pass through is formed on a paper transport belt, a fan for breathing and exhausting air and an exhaust duct having an opening for exhausting air. Air is exhausted from the fan through the exhaust duct, the fan and an air intake duct for breathing air are connected to each other, and air is breathed from the air hole through the air intake duct towards the fan. This paper feeder includes: an air state detection unit for detecting at least one of an air pressure and an air flow rate in the air intake duct; an opening and closing unit provided to the air intake duct for opening and closing the opening; and a control unit for opening and closing the opening based on a result of detection by the air state detection unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masahiko FUJITA, Masaharu KIMURA, Yasuaki FUKADA, Susumu HASHIMOTO
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Patent number: 8293355Abstract: In the present glossy paper, an opposite surface of a glossed and smooth image formation surface is rough-surfaced. Therefore, the glossy paper do not adhere together even under the high-temperature and high-humidity environment. In fact, the present invention provides glossy paper which can advantageously achieve a continuous paper feeding in the image forming apparatus regardless of the use environment conditions.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaharu Kimura, Masatsugu Ohishi, Yasuaki Fukada, Masaya Asakawa
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Publication number: 20120204184Abstract: A simulation apparatus is disclosed, including a group switching part. The group switching part refers to a priority management table, which manages priority information of priorities to assign a CPU for multiple groups of tasks stored in a storage area, and changes the priorities of the multiple groups of tasks, when an event occurs to activate a task to be executed in verifying of software by using a simulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2011Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITEDInventors: Hiroshi Terashima, Yasuki Nakamura, Ryo Kuya, Tatsuya Yoshino, Masaharu Kimura
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Patent number: 8205883Abstract: A transport path switching unit is provided between transport rollers and pre-registration rollers, and control is performed to switch between a main transport path and an extended transport path of the transport path switching unit such that either the main transport path or the extended transport path is interposed as the part of the paper transport path between the transport rollers and the pre-registration rollers to vary a total length of the paper transport path.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiko Fujita, Tadasu Taniguchi, Masaharu Kimura, Yasuaki Fukada, Masaya Asakawa, Yasuhiro Takai, Norichika Katsura, Masatsugu Ohishi
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Publication number: 20120119431Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus includes a sheet transport portion that transports a sheet in a first transport direction and a second transport direction, a bending member that bends without breaking the sheet by corrugating the sheet in an orthogonal direction, and a restriction member that restricts, in a perpendicular direction, a corrugation in the sheet bent by the bending member. The restriction member is provided on an upstream side in the first transport direction of the bending member.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2011Publication date: May 17, 2012Inventors: Yoshiyuki KOBAYASHI, Masaharu Kimura, Kohji Aoki
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Publication number: 20120089386Abstract: A simulation apparatus is disclosed, including a hardware simulator and a CPU model. The hardware simulator activates one or more logical hardware models for verifying embedded software. The CPU model is one of the one or more logical hardware models which imitates a CPU which executes the embedded software, and to trigger the embedded software to operate without synchronization for each of instructions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2011Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITEDInventors: Ryo KUYA, Yasuki Nakamura, Hiroshi Terashima, Tatsuya Yoshino, Masaharu Kimura
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Patent number: 8136808Abstract: A paper feeding device 200 provided in an image forming apparatus 1A according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a loading member 201 in which sheets P can be stacked and a central bending section 210 configured to upwardly raise a sheet transport direction X central area P2 of the sheet P for sheets P stacked in the loading member 201.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2009Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaharu Kimura, Masatsugu Ohishi, Masahiko Fujita, Tadasu Taniguchi, Yasuaki Fukada
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Publication number: 20120050809Abstract: An image forming apparatus (50) at least includes a paper output tray (80), an actuator (16) and a photo sensor (15). The actuator (16) is supported in such a manner as to be swingable above a paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80). The actuator (16) includes a fullness detection section (164) and a rear edge curling detection section (162). The fullness detection section (164) is disposed at a tip portion of the actuator (16), being configured so as to contact the uppermost paper on the paper output tray (80). The rear edge curling detection section (162) is formed so as to extend from the fullness detection section (164) toward a direction that gets further away from the paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80) toward a direction generally parallel to the paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80) and opposite to a paper conveying direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2010Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Masaharu Kimura, Yasuaki Fukada, Masahiko Fujita
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Publication number: 20120049441Abstract: A sheet sorter includes a sheet discharge tray, a sheet conveyance unit, and a sheet pressing guide. The sheet conveyance unit is configured to convey sheets in a conveyance direction and configured to be shifted in a shift direction along a sheet plane and in a shift direction that intersects the conveyance direction, so as to sort the sheets loaded onto the sheet discharge tray from the sheet conveyance unit. The sheet pressing guide is configured to contact and press the sheets, configured to move together with the sheet conveyance unit in conjunction with the sheet conveyance unit moving in the shift direction, and configured to contact a topmost sheet among the sheets loaded on the sheet discharge tray only at a downstream edge of the topmost sheet in the conveyance direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2011Publication date: March 1, 2012Inventors: Masaharu KIMURA, Norichika Katsura, Yasuaki Fukada, Haruhisa Furumoto
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Publication number: 20120018947Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) includes a rotation driving portion (40) configured to drive rotation of a discharge roller (31), a shift driving portion (50) configured to drive shift of the discharge roller (31), thereby causing shift, and a control portion (200) configured to control driving of rotation of the rotation driving portion (40) and driving of shift of the shift driving portion (50). The control portion (200) controls a discharge timing for sheet (P) that is being discharged such that a trailing edge (P2) of the sheet (P) moves past the discharge roller (31) during the shift of the discharge roller (31).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2011Publication date: January 26, 2012Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaharu KIMURA, Masahiko FUJITA, Kohji AOKI, Yoshiyuki KOBAYASHI
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Patent number: 8050609Abstract: In a fixing device, a heat roller and a fixing gear for rotating the heat roller are arranged concentrically, and coupled to each other by inserting a key formed in the fixing gear into a keyway formed in the heat roller. The keyway is designed such that the key is allowed to move along a direction in which the heat roller is rotated. For example, the keyway is formed by notching a free end of a one-side rotary shaft of the heat roller so as to extend along the direction in which the heat roller is rotated.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2009Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Masaharu Kimura, Yasuaki Fukada, Masahiko Fujita
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Patent number: 8011655Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes first and second sheet sensors provided in order from upstream to downstream sides in feeding direction on a paper feed path, sheet conveyor roller sets arranged along the path, and a roller controller individually controlling groups of rollers on the upstream and downstream sides of the first sheet sensor, in response to a change in values of output signals from first and second sheet sensors. The roller controller includes an overlapped feeding determining device outputting a determination signal assuming a first value when overlapped feeding occurs and a second value otherwise, in response to the change in values of the output signals from the sensors, an overlapped feeding eliminating device eliminating overlapped feeding by controlling the roller controller upon receiving the determination signal of the first value, and a conveyor roller stopping device stopping the sheet conveyor rollers if the overlapped feeding eliminating process should fail.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2009Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masatsugu Ohishi, Masaharu Kimura, Norichika Katsura, Masaya Asakawa, Yasuaki Fukada
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Publication number: 20110140346Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sheet detection apparatus that detects a sheet includes an actuator unit that is rotatable around a rotational axis so as to adopt any of a protruding position in which the actuator unit protrudes into a detection area for detecting the sheet and a retracted position in which the actuator unit is retracted from the detection area, and an operation unit that is capable of switching between a retracted state in which the actuator unit is set to the retracted position and a protruding state in which the actuator unit is set to the protruding position. An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the sheet detection apparatus, and the sheet detection apparatus is provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2010Publication date: June 16, 2011Inventors: Masahiko FUJITA, Masaharu KIMURA, Norichika KATSURA, Shinichiroh HIRAOKA
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Patent number: 7950648Abstract: A feeding device according to the present invention includes a box, paper holders, and a shifting mechanism. The box is open at its top. The paper holders are open at their tops and positioned in the box. Each of the paper holders holds a pile of sheets of paper in it. The shifting mechanism so shifts at least one of the paper holders that the top sheet in one of the paper holders is positioned in a single feed position in the box according to selection data output from the apparatus with which the feeding device is used.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2008Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaya Asakawa, Masahiko Fujita, Tadasu Taniguchi, Masatsugu Ohishi, Masaharu Kimura, Yasuaki Fukada, Norichika Katsura, Yasuhiro Takai