Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Asada
Tetsuo Asada 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: 9840095Abstract: An image reading device includes a tray unit, a recording unit disposed above the tray unit, an outer guide defining a curved path extending from the tray unit to the recording unit, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the tray unit to the curved path, and a return guide disposed between the recording unit and the tray unit. The return guide pivots about a shaft and guides the sheet having an image recorded thereon back to the curved path. The tray unit includes at least one supporting portion. The return guide includes at least one supported portion. The at least one supporting portion of the tray unit engages the at least one supported portion of the return guide such that the return guide takes a guiding position in which the return guide defines a return path extending to the curved path.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2017Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima
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Patent number: 9821971Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2016Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga
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Publication number: 20170297349Abstract: An image reading device includes a tray unit, a recording unit disposed above the tray unit, an outer guide defining a curved path extending from the tray unit to the recording unit, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the tray unit to the curved path, and a return guide disposed between the recording unit and the tray unit. The return guide pivots about a shaft and guides the sheet having an image recorded thereon back to the curved path. The tray unit includes at least one supporting portion. The return guide includes at least one supported portion. The at least one supporting portion of the tray unit engages the at least one supported portion of the return guide such that the return guide takes a guiding position in which the return guide defines a return path extending to the curved path.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA
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Publication number: 20170225915Abstract: A sheet-supply tray device for use with an image recording apparatus, includes a lower sheet-supply tray and an upper sheet-supply tray. The upper sheet-supply tray includes a main body, a leading-end stopper, a trailing-end stopper and a side-end stopper. The main body includes a support surface that supports a recording sheet. The leading-end stopper is fixed on the main body and stops a leading end of the recording sheet. The trailing-end stopper includes a trailing-end contact surface having a trailing-end protrusion extending over an upper surface of a trailing-end portion of the recording sheet toward the leading-end stopper. The trailing-end contact surface contacts a trailing end of the recording sheet. The side-end stopper includes a side-end contact surface that contacts a side end of the recording sheet. The side-end contact surface has at least one side-end protrusion extending over an upper surface of a side-end portion of the recording sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Yukio SHIOHARA
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Publication number: 20170157954Abstract: A first feeder contacts a first surface of a first sheet held in a first tray and feeds the first sheet toward a recording unit. A second feeder contacts a first surface of a second sheet held in a second tray and feeds the second sheet toward the recording unit. An inner member is disposed above a standing plate. An outer member comprises an upstream portion opposing the standing plate, and a downstream portion opposing the inner member. The inner member guides the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet. The standing plate guides the first surface of the second sheet. The upstream portion of the outer member guides a second surface of the second sheet, and the downstream portion guides a second surface of the first sheet and the second surface of the second sheet. The standing plate moves relative to the outer member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Kensuke HIRATE, Yoshiyuki WASHINO
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Publication number: 20170120633Abstract: An image reading device includes a tray unit, a recording unit disposed above the tray unit, an outer guide defining a curved path extending from the tray unit to the recording unit, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the tray unit to the curved path, and a return guide disposed between the recording unit and the tray unit. The return guide pivots about a shaft and guides the sheet having an image recorded thereon back to the curved path. The tray unit includes at least one supporting portion. The return guide includes at least one supported portion. The at least one supporting portion of the tray unit engages the at least one supported portion of the return guide such that the return guide takes a guiding position in which the return guide defines a return path extending to the curved path.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2017Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA
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Patent number: 9624052Abstract: A sheet-supply tray device for use with an image recording apparatus, includes a lower sheet-supply tray and an upper sheet-supply tray. The upper sheet-supply tray includes a main body, a leading-end stopper, a trailing-end stopper and a side-end stopper. The main body includes a support surface that supports a recording sheet. The leading-end stopper is fixed on the main body and stops a leading end of the recording sheet. The trailing-end stopper includes a trailing-end contact surface having a trailing-end protrusion extending over an upper surface of a trailing-end portion of the recording sheet toward the leading-end stopper. The trailing-end contact surface contacts a trailing end of the recording sheet. The side-end stopper includes a side-end contact surface that contacts a side end of the recording sheet. The side-end contact surface has at least one side-end protrusion extending over an upper surface of a side-end portion of the recording sheet.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2015Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yukio Shiohara
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Publication number: 20170101279Abstract: A sheet feed device has a tray with holding surface for holding sheets, a feed unit for feeding sheets from the tray, and a separation plate. The separation plate has an inclined surface and two or more separation portions that separate a sheet from the sheets held in the tray. At least one of the separation portions projects a first distance from the inclined surface. The separation plate also has a projection positioned on the inclined surface that projects a second distance from the inclined surface. The second distance is greater than the first distance. A first of the separation portions is positioned upstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction, and a second of the separation portions positioned downstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2016Publication date: April 13, 2017Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Yukio SHIOHARA
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Patent number: 9604473Abstract: A first feeder contacts a first surface of a first sheet held in a first tray and feeds the first sheet toward a recording unit. A second feeder contacts a first surface of a second sheet held in a second tray and feeds the second sheet toward the recording unit. An inner member is disposed above a standing plate. An outer member comprises an upstream portion opposing the standing plate, and a downstream portion opposing the inner member. The inner member guides the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet. The standing plate guides the first surface of the second sheet. The upstream portion of the outer member guides a second surface of the second sheet, and the downstream portion guides a second surface of the first sheet and the second surface of the second sheet. The standing plate moves relative to the outer member.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2016Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Kensuke Hirate, Yoshiyuki Washino
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Patent number: 9579909Abstract: An image recording device includes a recording unit, a feeding mechanism, a guide member, and a lock portion. The feeding mechanism is configured to feed a first feeding object along a feeding path. The feeding path has a straight path and a curved path. The recording unit faces the straight path. The guide member defines the curved path and is rotatable between an exposed position and a closed position. The lock portion is movable between a locked position at which the guide member is locked in the closed position and an unlocked position at which the lock is released. The guide member has a recess formed therein and the feeding mechanism further feeds a second feeding object to the recess along the straight path. When the second feeding object is disposed in the recess, the lock portion is disposed at the locked position.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Satoru Nakakita
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Patent number: 9545798Abstract: An image reading device includes a tray unit, a recording unit disposed above the tray unit, an outer guide defining a curved path extending from the tray unit to the recording unit, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the tray unit to the curved path, and a return guide disposed between the recording unit and the tray unit. The return guide pivots about a shaft and guides the sheet having an image recorded thereon back to the curved path. The tray unit includes at least one supporting portion. The return guide includes at least one supported portion. The at least one supporting portion of the tray unit engages the at least one supported portion of the return guide such that the return guide takes a guiding position in which the return guide defines a return path extending to the curved path.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima
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Publication number: 20170008314Abstract: 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: September 26, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA, Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
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Patent number: 9533843Abstract: A sheet feed device has a tray with holding surface for holding sheets, a feed unit for feeding sheets from the tray, and a separation plate. The separation plate has an inclined surface and two or more separation portions that separate a sheet from the sheets held in the tray. At least one of the separation portions projects a first distance from the inclined surface. The separation plate also has a projection positioned on the inclined surface that projects a second distance from the inclined surface. The second distance is greater than the first distance. A first of the separation portions is positioned upstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction, and a second of the separation portions positioned downstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yukio Shiohara
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Publication number: 20160325951Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2016Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga
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Patent number: 9452619Abstract: 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: November 23, 2015Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
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Patent number: 9440460Abstract: 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: November 23, 2015Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
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Patent number: 9422125Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2015Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga
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Publication number: 20160185133Abstract: An image reading device includes a tray unit, a recording unit disposed above the tray unit, an outer guide defining a curved path extending from the tray unit to the recording unit, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the tray unit to the curved path, and a return guide disposed between the recording unit and the tray unit. The return guide pivots about a shaft and guides the sheet having an image recorded thereon back to the curved path. The tray unit includes at least one supporting portion. The return guide includes at least one supported portion. The at least one supporting portion of the tray unit engages the at least one supported portion of the return guide such that the return guide takes a guiding position in which the return guide defines a return path extending to the curved path.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA
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Publication number: 20160129700Abstract: A first feeder contacts a first surface of a first sheet held in a first tray and feeds the first sheet toward a recording unit. A second feeder contacts a first surface of a second sheet held in a second tray and feeds the second sheet toward the recording unit. An inner member is disposed above a standing plate. An outer member comprises an upstream portion opposing the standing plate, and a downstream portion opposing the inner member. The inner member guides the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet. The standing plate guides the first surface of the second sheet. The upstream portion of the outer member guides a second surface of the second sheet, and the downstream portion guides a second surface of the first sheet and the second surface of the second sheet. The standing plate moves relative to the outer member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2016Publication date: May 12, 2016Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Kensuke HIRATE, Yoshiyuki WASHINO
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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