Patents by Inventor Takashi Ohama

Takashi Ohama 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: 20130063531
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: a recording portion movable to eject ink to perform image recording; flexible ink supply tube connected to the recording portion; and an ink-supply portion for supplying the ink to the ink supply tube. The ink supply tube includes first and second end portions respectively connected to the recording portion and the ink-supply portion. The ink supply tube extends at the first end portion in a first direction and is curved to extend to the ink-supply portion in a second direction, and a shape of the ink supply tube is changed following the movement of the recording portion. The ink-jet recording apparatus comprises a first board at least a portion of which overlaps, in plain view, an occupied area the ink supply tube can occupy while changing in shape, the first board including a controller for controlling the ink-jet recording apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motohito MURAKI, Takashi OHAMA
  • Publication number: 20130063751
    Abstract: A multifunction device including an image recording unit and a scanner unit is provided. The scanner unit includes an image readable plane. The image recording unit includes a first tray, a conveyer path to convey the recording sheet in a first orientation, and a second tray, which is formed along an edge of an opening formed on the front face, and in which the recording sheet having been conveyed in the conveyer path is disposed. The recording sheet in a maximum conveyable size for the conveyer path is disposed to occupy a discharge area in the second tray. A downstream end of the discharge area along a second orientation is in a displaced and downstream position with respect to a downstream end of an image readable area of the image readable plane along the second orientation for a first distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuro Miura, Yuji Koga, Isao Kubo, Yasunari Yoshida, Jiro Yamamoto, Masayuki Takata, Takashi Ohama, Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 8358962
    Abstract: In an image recording apparatus according to an aspect of the invention, a recording medium is allowed to be conveyed on a conveying path. An inversion guide portion connects a first portion of the conveying path positioned downstream of a recording unit to a second portion of the conveying path positioned upstream of the recording unit. A path changeover unit is disposed at the first portion of the conveying path and swingable between a recording medium discharge position and a recording medium inversion position. When the path changeover unit is positioned at the recording medium discharge position, the forward rotation of the roller pair allows the recording medium to be sent to a discharge portion. When the path changeover unit is positioned at the recording medium inversion position, the rearward rotation of the roller pair allows the recording medium to be sent to the inversion guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Sugiyama, Takashi Ohama, Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuta Uchino
  • Publication number: 20130003145
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a conveyor unit that conveys a document along a conveying path for ADF-type image scanning including a curved path. The conveyor unit includes a conveyor roller that reverses a conveying direction of the document in the curved path. The device further includes a first contact surface that comes into contact with a first side of the document when the document is conveyed, a second contact surface that comes into contact with a second side of the document when the document is conveyed, a first reading unit that reads an image on the first side of the document, and a second reading unit disposed above the second contact surface and reading an image on the second side of the document. A part of the conveyor roller is disposed lower than the first and second contact surfaces in an up down direction of the image reading device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Katsuro Miura, Takashi Ohama
  • Publication number: 20120281259
    Abstract: An image reader includes a casing, a contact glass plate, a contact image sensor, and a sliding mechanism; wherein the contact image sensor has a housing, a light source attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate, a plurality of light receiving elements attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate and aligned in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and a bearing formed integral to the housing at a position below a lower surface of the housing; and the sliding mechanism includes a guide shaft provided on the casing and extending in a short direction of the housing and inserted through the bearing, and an urging member elastically which urges the guide shaft toward the contact glass plate so that the housing is pressed against the contact glass plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori OSAKABE, Tatsuya SATO, Akihiro SAKAKIBARA, Takashi OHAMA
  • Patent number: 8282094
    Abstract: A tray which holds documents to be fed has a document holding portion which holds document in a stacked state thereon and guide members which are arranged on the document holding portion in the cross direction (document width direction) and at least one of which is movable in the document width direction. The document feeding tray further has an extending portion which extends from the document holding portion in the feeding direction (document length direction) to freely increase or decrease the extending amount and a adjusting mechanism which decreases the extending amount of the extending portion as a distance between the guide members becomes narrower and increases the extending portion as the distance between the guide members becomes wider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Sakakibara, Takashi Ohama
  • Patent number: 8254826
    Abstract: An image recording device includes: a tray having a placing surface; a feed unit comprising a rotating member configured to move in a first direction away from the placing surface of the tray and move in a second direction toward the placing surface of the tray; a frictional member disposed on the placing surface; a recording unit; a conveying unit configured to return the sheet, on one side of which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, to the placing surface; and a moving mechanism configured to move the rotating member in the first direction and in the second direction. The moving mechanism is configured to move the rotating member in the first direction before a leading end of the sheet returned by the conveying unit reaches the frictional member in a state where no sheet is placed on the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Uchino, Takashi Ohama, Naokazu Tanahashi, Wataru Sugiyama, Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Patent number: 8223405
    Abstract: An image reader includes a casing, a contact glass plate, a contact image sensor, and a sliding mechanism; wherein the contact image sensor has a housing, a light source attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate, a plurality of light receiving elements attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate and aligned in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and a bearing formed integral to the housing at a position below a lower surface of the housing; and the sliding mechanism includes a guide shaft provided on the casing and extending in a short direction of the housing and inserted through the bearing, and an urging member elastically which urges the guide shaft toward the contact glass plate so that the housing is pressed against the contact glass plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tatsuya Sato, Akihiro Sakakibara, Takashi Ohama
  • Patent number: 8205956
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus configured to record images on front and back surfaces of a sheet, including: a head which ejects ink onto the sheet for recording; a sheet-supply roller which contacts the sheet so as to transfer the sheet for supplying to the head; a sheet-supply path which is provided between the sheet-supply roller and the head, which has a U-shape, and through which the sheet is transferred such that one of surfaces thereof opposite to the other of the surfaces contacted by the sheet-supply roller faces the head; and a sheet-stopping control section configured to control the sheet-supply roller such that the sheet transferred by the sheet-supply roller is stopped for a first time in the sheet-supply path in a state in which the sheet is deformed so as to have a U-shape, after an image has been recorded on the front surface of the sheet and before an image is recorded on the back surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Ohama, Naokazu Tanahashi, Wataru Sugiyama, Yuta Uchino
  • Publication number: 20120140294
    Abstract: An image reader includes a casing, a contact glass plate, a contact image sensor, and a sliding mechanism; wherein the contact image sensor has a housing, a light source attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate, a plurality of light receiving elements attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate and aligned in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and a bearing formed integral to the housing at a position below a lower surface of the housing; and the sliding mechanism includes a guide shaft provided on the casing and extending in a short direction of the housing and inserted through the bearing, and an urging member elastically which urges the guide shaft toward the contact glass plate so that the housing is pressed against the contact glass plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori OSAKABE, Tatsuya SATO, Akihiro SAKAKIBARA, Takashi OHAMA
  • Patent number: 8177317
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a recording head, a feeding mechanism feeding a recording medium such that a second surface is opposed to the head, a first-area determining portion determining a first area, a second-area determining portion determining a second area, a contact-position determining portion determining a contact position on a first surface at which position a roller contacts the first surface, a feed controller capable of controlling feeding of the medium such that where the second surface is opposed to the head, the recording on the second surface is implemented with the second area skipped, and a judging portion determining whether the contact position is included in the first area at the moment of initiation of a skip operation. The feed controller controls an acceleration or a speed at which the medium is fed in the skip operation, on the basis of the determination made by the judging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Takashi Ohama, Naokazu Tanahashi, Wataru Sugiyama, Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuta Uchino
  • Patent number: 8162309
    Abstract: A first convey roller conveys a sheet in a sheet conveying direction such that a leading edge of the sheet passes through a nip of a second convey roller disposed downstream from the first convey roller. The second convey roller rotates in a reverse direction by a first rotation amount corresponding to a first linear distance to convey the sheet in a direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction, such that the leading edge of the sheet is released from the nip of the second convey roller. In response to the rotation of the second convey roller in the reverse direction, the first convey roller rotates by a second rotation amount corresponding to a second linear distance in the reverse direction to convey the sheet in the direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction, such that the leading edge of the sheet contacts the nip of the second convey roller when the first convey roller has rotated by the second rotation amount and the second convey roller has rotated by the first rotation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Ohama, Wataru Sugiyama, Yuta Uchino, Tsuyoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 8115971
    Abstract: An image reader includes a casing, a contact glass plate, a contact image sensor, and a sliding mechanism; wherein the contact image sensor has a housing, a light source attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate, a plurality of light receiving elements attached to the housing so as to face the contact glass plate and aligned in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and a bearing formed integral to the housing at a position below a lower surface of the housing; and the sliding mechanism includes a guide shaft provided on the casing and extending in a short direction of the housing and inserted through the bearing, and an urging member elastically which urges the guide shaft toward the contact glass plate so that the housing is pressed against the contact glass plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tatsuya Sato, Akihiro Sakakibara, Takashi Ohama
  • Patent number: 8098411
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image reading apparatus which comprises a document feeder, a reading unit, and a guide device. The document feeder includes a feeder roller and feeds a document sheet with an image thereon, along an outer circumferential surface of the feeder roller. The reading unit has a reading surface opposed to the outer circumferential surface of the feeder roller, and reads, at a reading position, the image on the document sheet being fed. The guide device has a guide surface, and is disposed to be opposed to the reading surface of the reading unit, so as to guide the document sheet along the guide surface to the reading position. The outer circumferential surface of the feeder roller, and at least an opposed portion of the guide surface at which the guide surface is opposed to the reading surface, have a substantially same color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshitaka Iwago, Takashi Ohama, Satoru Nakakita
  • Patent number: 8092004
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus which records images on front and back surfaces of a sheet, including: a head which ejects ink onto the sheet for recording; a sheet-supply roller which contacts the sheet to transfer the sheet for supplying to the head; sheet-transfer rollers which are disposed on a downstream side of the head so as to be rotatable forwardly and reversely, and which transfer the sheet passed through the head while nipping the sheet, toward an outside of the image recording apparatus when forwardly rotated or toward the sheet-supply roller when reversely rotated such that the sheet is permitted to be again supplied to the head by the sheet-supply roller; a sheet-return path which is branched from a connecting path that connects the sheet-transfer rollers and the head so as to extend toward the sheet-supply roller, and through which the sheet is transferred toward the sheet-supply roller by the reverse rotations; and a roller-driving control section which drives the sheet-transfer rollers and the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Uchino, Takashi Ohama, Naokazu Tanahashi, Wataru Sugiyama, Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20110273524
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus configured to record images on front and back surfaces of a sheet, including: a head which ejects ink onto the sheet for recording; a sheet-supply roller which contacts the sheet so as to transfer the sheet for supplying to the head; a sheet-supply path which is provided between the sheet-supply roller and the head, which has a U-shape, and through which the sheet is transferred such that one of surfaces thereof opposite to the other of the surfaces contacted by the sheet-supply roller faces the head; and a sheet-stopping control section configured to control the sheet-supply roller such that the sheet transferred by the sheet-supply roller is stopped for a first time in the sheet-supply path in a state in which the sheet is deformed so as to have a U-shape, after an image has been recorded on the front surface of the sheet and before an image is recorded on the back surface thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki KAWAMATA, Takashi OHAMA, Naokazu TANAHASHI, Wataru SUGIYAMA, Yuta UCHINO
  • Patent number: 8047534
    Abstract: A sheet accommodating device including: a tray configured to accommodate a sheet; and a pressing member configured to press the sheet accommodated in the tray, wherein the pressing member includes a guide portion configured to guide, where the sheet accommodated in the tray is transferred, the transferred sheet toward a downstream side in a sheet transferring direction in which the sheet is transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Sugiyama, Takashi Ohama, Naokazu Tanahashi, Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuta Uchino
  • Patent number: 8038248
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus according to an aspect of the invention comprises a first roller pair disposed downstream of a recording unit; a second roller pair disposed downstream of the first roller pair; an inversion guide portion that connects a downstream portion of a conveying path positioned downstream of the recording unit to an upstream portion of the conveying path positioned upstream of the recording unit; a path changeover unit configured to send the recording medium conveyed from the recording unit with a first end as a leading end to the inversion guide portion with the second end as a leading end. In a stop operation, rotation of the first roller pair and the second roller pair stops in a state where the first roller pair nips a vicinity of the second end of the recording medium and the second roller pair also nips the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Uchino, Takashi Ohama, Wataru Sugiyama, Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Patent number: 8020986
    Abstract: The image recording apparatus includes: a recording head; a re-feeding roller configured to re-feed a one-side recorded medium toward the recording head; and a flap provided on an upstream side of the re-feeding roller in a conveying direction of the one-side recorded medium. The flap extends from an upstream end to a downstream end in the conveying direction. The downstream end of the flap is closer to the re-feeding roller than the upstream end in the conveying direction. The flap is configured to support and introduce the one-side recorded medium to the re-feeding roller. A downstream end portion of the flap has: a first region opposing the re-feeding roller; and a second region except the first region. The downstream end portion has a cutout portion provided in at least a part of the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naokazu Tanahashi, Takashi Ohama, Wataru Sugiyama, Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuta Uchino
  • Patent number: 8016410
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a feeding device feeding a recording medium in a first direction along a first path, a recording portion disposed in the first path and located between an upstream and a downstream connecting portion of the first path to record an image on the medium, a second path connecting the downstream connecting portion to the upstream connecting portion, a path switching portion including a roller pair disposed downstream of the downstream connecting portion in the first direction and being capable of (i) ejecting the medium such that a first edge thereof is the leading edge, by rotating in a forward direction while the medium is nipped therebetween, and (ii) feeding the medium into the second path such that a second edge thereof opposite to the first edge is the leading edge, by rotating in a reverse while the medium is nipped therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Sugiyama, Takashi Ohama, Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuta Uchino