Patents by Inventor Teruo Imamaki

Teruo Imamaki 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: 20140224619
    Abstract: A packaging device includes a conveyance mechanism configured to convey a base and an object, a guide portion configured to guide a film, and a processor. The conveyance mechanism includes pulleys, an endless belt routed around the pulleys, a drive portion configured to rotationally drive the belt and a conveyance portion. The conveyance portion includes a first conveyance portion and a second conveyance portion provided in a position separated from the first conveyance portion in a direction in which the belt extends. The first conveyance portion includes a first protruding portion protruding outward from an outer side surface of the belt and a first extending portion extending toward the second conveyance portion. The second conveyance portion includes a second protruding portion protruding outward from the outer side surface of the belt and a second extending portion extending toward the first conveyance portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takahashi, Teruo Imamaki
  • Publication number: 20140205344
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a tape feed path, a front wall having a front surface, and a tape feed exit adjacent to the front wall. The tape cassette also includes a tape at least partially included within the housing, an ink ribbon at least partially included within the housing, and a take-up spool included within the housing and configured to take-up the ink ribbon. A first aperture is formed on the front surface of the front wall, wherein a first virtual line orthogonal to the front wall and passing through a most upstream end of the first aperture also passes through the take-up spool, and wherein a second virtual line orthogonal to the front wall and passing through a most downstream end of the first aperture also passes through the take-up spool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140205351
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape included at least partially within the housing, and a pressing portion and a first non-pressing portion on the front wall. The pressing portion and the first non-pressing portion are positioned to oppose tape type detecting switches of the label printer when the cassette is in the label printer. The pressing portion is configured to change a state of an opposing one of the tape type detecting switches, and the first non-pressing portion is configured to avoid changing a state of an opposing one of the tape type detecting switches. The first non-pressing portion is a planar area of the front wall extending in a tape width direction from a top surface of the housing to a bottom surface of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki
  • Publication number: 20140205353
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front wall, a tape feed exit located on the front wall, and an arm portion formed by the front wall and an arm rear surface behind the front wall. The arm portion partially surrounds an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface behind the front wall, and a tape feed path passes through the arm portion from an upstream portion of the arm portion to a downstream end of the arm portion. The tape cassette also has a tape included at least partially in the housing and configured to be fed along the tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and a first aperture formed on a bottom edge of the front wall and positioned downstream of an upstream end of the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140205350
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear wall, a front wall, and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape included at least partially within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and a first indicator aperture positioned on the front wall and a second indicator aperture position on a rear portion of the bottom surface. A position of the first indicator aperture on the front wall indicates a type of the tape included within the housing. A position of the second indicator aperture indicates a color of characters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Masato Kato, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140205349
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and tape type indicator apertures formed on the front wall of the housing. A combination of the tape type indicator apertures forms a pattern corresponding to a type of the tape at least partially included within the housing. The tape type indicator apertures include a first tape type indicator aperture and a second tape type indicator aperture, and the tape type indicator apertures are positioned such that the first tape type indicator aperture is not aligned with the second tape type indicator aperture in a direction orthogonal to the tape feed path and parallel to the front wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Masato Kato, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140205341
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a tape feed path, a front wall, a tape feed exit adjacent to the front wall configured to expose a tape guided in the housing along the tape feed path in a tape feed path direction towards the tape feed exit, and a tape guide downstream, in the tape feed path direction, from the tape feed exit. The tape cassette also includes a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along the tape feed path to the tape feed exit, and a first aperture formed in an area of the front wall. The area is positioned upstream, in the tape feed path direction, of the tape feed exit, and a length of the area in the tape feed path direction at the front wall is equal to or less than a distance between the tape feed exit and the tape guide in the tape feed path direction at the front wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140204170
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape included at least partially within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path to the tape feed exit, a recess formed on the front wall extending from a bottom surface of the housing towards a top surface of the housing, and a first tape type indicator aperture on a bottom edge of the front wall. The first tape type indicator aperture is positioned downstream, in a tape feed direction, of the recess. The tape feed direction is a direction in which the tape is configured to be fed along a portion of the tape feed path proximate to the front wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140205348
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall; a tape included at least partially within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit; and tape type indicator apertures formed on the front wall, wherein a combination of the tape type indicator apertures forms a pattern corresponding to a type of the tape included at least partially within the housing. The tape type indicator apertures may be positioned proximate to the tape feed exit, and may comprise a first hole and a second hole, the first hole is formed at a bottom edge of the front wall, and the second hole is disposed on a downstream side of the first hole in a feed direction of the tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Masato Kato, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140199108
    Abstract: A tape cassette for use with a label printer having a plurality of tape type detecting switches that includes a housing having a front wall, a tape feed exit on the front wall, a top surface, and a bottom surface, a tape included at least partially in the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, a recess on the front wall extending from the bottom surface towards the top surface, and an aperture on the front wall. The aperture is positioned downstream, in a tape feed path direction, of the recess, and is configured to receive one of the tape type detecting switches. The tape feed path direction is a direction in which the tape is configured to be fed along a portion of the tape feed path proximate to the front wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Masato Kato, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 8770877
    Abstract: A tape printer includes a tape cassette, a cassette housing portion, a feeding device, a printing device, a table storage device, detecting switches, and a tape type identifying device. The tape cassette includes a housing, a tape mounted within the housing, a tape guide, and an indicator of the tape type formed in the front wall of the housing and includes at least one aperture. The detecting switches protrude toward the front wall of the housing, and a part of the detecting switches that opposes a surface portion other than the at least one aperture in the indicator is pressed to thereby detect information indicating a pressing or non-pressing state of each of the detecting switches as identification information. The tape type identifying device identifies, with reference to a tape type table, the tape type associated with the detected identification as the tape type of the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Masato Kato, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 8764326
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing, at least one tape, and a color indicator portion disposed between the tape housing area and the periphery, and in a specified area adjacent to the tape housing area on a rear edge side of the bottom wall, the color indicator portion indicating color information relating to the at least one tape and including a plurality of lateral information sections that are a plurality of strip-shaped sections extending along the left-and-right direction of the housing and aligned in a front-rear direction of the housing, wherein, of the plurality of lateral information sections, whether a protrusion is formed in a first lateral information section indicates a base material color of the at least one tape, and whether a protrusion is formed in a second lateral information section indicates a print color of the at least one tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Masato Kato, Teruo Imamaki
  • Patent number: 8740482
    Abstract: A tape printer that includes a tape cassette having a housing, a tape, a head holder insertion portion, and a first support receiving portion that is a first indentation extending from the bottom surface in a direction toward the top surface, a cassette housing portion in which the tape cassette is inserted or removed, a head holder extending from the cassette housing portion in a direction of insertion and removal of the tape cassette with respect to the cassette housing portion and supporting a printhead, the head holder being adapted to be inserted in the head holder insertion portion, and a first supporting portion provided on the head holder to support a ceiling wall portion of the first indentation as the first support receiving portion, the first supporting portion being provided on an upstream side of the printhead in a feed direction of the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Akira Sago, Takashi Horiuchi, Tsutomu Kato, Teruo Imamaki, Yasuhiro Shibata, Susumu Murata, Kengo Noda
  • Publication number: 20140135190
    Abstract: A base includes a substantially rectangular plate-shaped portion including a first set and a second set, a first folding portion on a first virtual line, a second folding portion on a second virtual line, a plurality of first bottom surface portions each provided in the vicinity of each of two intersection points at which the first virtual line and each of two sides of the first set intersect, a plurality of second bottom surface portions each provided in the vicinity of each of two intersection points at which the second virtual line and each of the two sides of the first set intersect, a first side surface portion provided substantially in the center, in a reference direction, of the first virtual line on the plate-shaped portion, and a second side surface portion provided substantially in the center, in the reference direction, of the second virtual line on the plate-shaped portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takahashi, Teruo Imamaki, Naoki Tanjima
  • Publication number: 20140130464
    Abstract: A packaging device includes a conveyance mechanism, a guide portion, a heating portion, and a processor. The conveyance mechanism is configured to convey, in a conveyance direction along a conveyance path, a base on which an object is placed. The guide portion is configured to guide a film for packaging and to move along a movement path. The heating portion is provided below the conveyance path, is configured to heat the film, and includes a plurality of heating units that are arranged parallel to the conveyance path and that are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction. Each of the plurality of heating units includes a heater and an urging portion. The urging portion is configured to urge the heater upward toward the conveyance path. The processor is configured to cause the heating portion to heat the film guided to a lower side of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takahashi, Teruo Imamaki
  • Publication number: 20140130463
    Abstract: A packaging device includes a conveyance mechanism, a first guide portion, and a processor. The conveyance mechanism is configured to convey, along a conveyance path, a base on which an object is placed. The first guide portion is configured to guide a film and to move along a movement path. The processor is configured to cause the conveyance mechanism to convey the base toward a downstream side in a conveyance direction. The processor is further configured to cause the first guide portion to move along the movement path from above to below the conveyance path after the base is conveyed toward the downstream side to a first position. The processor is further configured to cause the conveyance mechanism to convey the base toward the upstream side to a second position after the first guide portion is moved to below the conveyance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo Imamaki, Toshihiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20140112694
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing, at least one tape, and a color indicator portion disposed between the tape housing area and the periphery, and in a specified area adjacent to the tape housing area on a rear edge side of the bottom wall, the color indicator portion indicating color information relating to the at least one tape and including a plurality of lateral information sections that are a plurality of strip-shaped sections extending along the left-and-right direction of the housing and aligned in a front-rear direction of the housing, wherein, of the plurality of lateral information sections, whether a protrusion is formed in a first lateral information section indicates a base material color of the at least one tape, and whether a protrusion is formed in a second lateral information section indicates a print color of the at least one tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koshiro YAMAGUCHI, Takashi HORIUCHI, Akira SAGO, Yasuhiro IRIYAMA, Yasuhiro SHIBATA, Tsuyoshi NAGAE, Masato KATO, Teruo IMAMAKI
  • Patent number: 8651756
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces, a tape that is a print medium housed in the housing, a tape exit that discharges, from the housing, the tape guided in the housing along a predetermined feed path, at least a part of the feed path extending parallel to the front surface, and a type indicator portion provided adjacent to the tape exit and in a specified area of the front surface on an upstream side of the tape exit in a feed direction of the tape, the type indicator portion indicating a type of the tape and including vertical information sections and an aperture formed in at least one of the vertical information sections, the vertical information sections being strip-shaped sections extending along a direction orthogonal to the feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Masato Kato, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki, Takashi Horiuchi, Akira Sago, Yasuhiro Iriyama, Yasuhiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20140033935
    Abstract: A binding device includes a thermal head, a transport portion, a heater, a bonding portion, and a control portion. The thermal head heats an ink of an ink ribbon and transfers the ink to a tape. The transport portion transports the tape to which the ink has been transferred. The heater heats an adhesive that coats the tape. The bonding portion bonds the tape to an edge portion of a sheet stack including a plurality of sheets by bringing the adhesive with which the tape is coated, and which has been heated by the heater, into contact with the edge portion of the sheet stack. The control portion controls the heating temperatures of the thermal head and the heater such that the heating temperature that is applied to the ink by the thermal head is higher than the heating temperature that is applied to the adhesive by the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Toshihiro TAKAHASHI, Teruo IMAMAKI
  • Patent number: 8641304
    Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces, a tape that is a print medium housed in the housing, a tape exit that discharges, from the housing, the tape guided in the housing along a predetermined feed path, at least a part of the feed path extending parallel to the front surface, and a type indicator portion provided adjacent to the tape exit and in a specified area of the front surface on an upstream side of the tape exit in a feed direction of the tape, the type indicator portion indicating a type of the tape and including vertical information sections and a protrusion formed in at least one of the vertical information sections, the vertical information sections being strip-shaped sections extending along a direction orthogonal to the feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Nagae, Teruo Imamaki