Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Egawa

Tomohiro Egawa 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).

  • Patent number: 11966154
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable body including an optical element, a support body swingably supporting the movable body, and a suction mechanism. The optical element reflects light traveling in a first direction to an intersecting second direction. The suction mechanism generates suction force in the movable body between the movable body and the support body, and includes a magnet and a magnetic member. One of the magnet and the magnetic member is in the movable body, while the other is in the support body. The magnet and the magnetic member overlap each other when viewed from a predetermined direction, which is one of the first direction, the second direction, and a third direction. The third direction intersects the first and second directions. When viewed from the predetermined direction, a center of the magnet and a center of the magnetic member are separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwase, Tomohiro Egawa, Genki Tanaka, Soichiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 11924387
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a corrector configured to correct a position of a sheet, and at least three detectors disposed in a sheet conveyance direction. Each of the at least three detectors is configured to detect a lateral end of the sheet according to a length of the sheet to be conveyed in the sheet conveyance direction. The corrector is configured to correct the position of the sheet based on detection results of each of the at least three detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Egawa
  • Patent number: 11899355
    Abstract: An optical unit includes an optical element, a holder, a first support portion, a second support portion, a first swing mechanism, and a second swing mechanism. The holder holds the optical element. The first support portion supports the holder so as to be swingable about a first swing axis. The second support portion supports the first support portion so as to be swingable about the second swing axis. The second swing mechanism includes a second magnet and a second coil. The second magnet is arranged on the first support portion. The second coil is arranged on the second support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwase, Tomohiro Egawa, Keishi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 11892705
    Abstract: An optical unit includes an optical element, a holder, a support portion, a swing mechanism, and an elastic portion. The optical element changes the traveling direction of light. The holder holds the optical element. The support portion supports the holder swingably about a swing axis. The swing mechanism swings the holder with respect to the support portion about the swing axis. The elastic portion connects the holder and the support portion. The support portion has a pair of side surface portions on both sides of the holder along the swing axis, and a connection portion connecting the side surface portions with the elastic portion between the holder and the side surface portions. The elastic portion has a convex or concave portion that comes into contact with a concave or convex portion of at least one of the holder and the support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwase, Tomohiro Egawa
  • Patent number: 11867926
    Abstract: An optical unit that corrects a shake of an optical module includes: a movable portion having a holder that holds the optical module; and a fixed portion that rotatably supports the movable portion. The movable portion is rotatable relative to the fixed portion in first-third rotation directions correspondingly centered on first-third axes which correspondingly extend in first-third directions. The first direction is parallel to an optical axis direction of the optical module in a state in which the movable portion is stationary. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other. The movable portion further includes a protrusion protruding toward the fixed portion from an end of the holder closer to the fixed portion in the optical axis direction. The fixed portion includes a support portion that rotatably supports the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichiro Kimura, Kazuhiro Sazai, Keishi Otsubo, Tomohiro Egawa, Genki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20230359103
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a fixed body and a movable body supported swingably with respect to the fixed body, and the movable body includes an optical element including an optical axis, a holder into which the optical element is insertable, a contact portion in the holder and in contact with the fixed body, and an elastic body to press the contact portion toward the fixed body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Shogo TANAKA, Keishi OTSUBO, Tomohiro EGAWA
  • Patent number: 11789286
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable body, a support body, a swing mechanism, and a magnetic member. The movable body includes an optical element. The optical element reflects light, which travels to one side in a first direction, to one side in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The support body supports the movable body so as to be swingable about a swing axis. The swing mechanism swings the movable body about the swing axis. The magnetic member is arranged on the support body. The swing mechanism includes a magnet and a coil. The magnet is arranged at an end of the movable body in a direction intersecting the first direction. The coil opposes the magnet. The magnetic member is arranged on one side in the first direction with respect to the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwase, Tomohiro Egawa
  • Patent number: 11747642
    Abstract: In an optical unit, a first swing mechanism swings a holder with reference to the y-axis direction, and a second swing mechanism swings the holder with reference to the z-axis direction. A case has a first recess that accommodates at least a part of a first protrusion of the holder and a second recess that accommodates at least a part of a second protrusion of the holder. The first recess has a first side surface located on one side in the y-axis direction of the first protrusion, a second side surface located on the other side in the y-axis direction of the first protrusion, and a bottom surface. The second recess has a first side surface located on one side in the y-axis direction of the second protrusion, a second side surface located on the other side in the y-axis direction of the second protrusion, and a bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Egawa, Keishi Otsubo, Kazuhiro Sazai, Genki Tanaka, Takayuki Iwase
  • Patent number: 11630320
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a movable body that includes an optical module, a frame body radially outward of the movable body, and support portions that swingably support the movable body with respect to the frame body. Each of the support portions includes a guide portion between the movable body and the frame body to support the movable body, and a preload portion that pushes the guide portion toward the movable body. A radially inner end portion of the preload portion is connected to a radially outer end portion of the guide portion. A radially outer end portion of the preload portion is supported by the frame body. One of the movable body and the guide portion includes a first convex surface, and the other includes a first concave surface in contact with the first convex surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sazai, Tomohiro Egawa, Takayuki Iwase, Genki Tanaka, Tsutomu Arai, Shinji Minamisawa, Takeshi Sue
  • Patent number: 11627663
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable body including an optical module, a fixed body, a support mechanism, a flexible printed circuit board, and a fixing part. The fixing part is superposed on a bent part formed by bending the flexible printed circuit board. At least a part of the fixing part is fixed to the bent part of the flexible printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichiro Kimura, Tomohiro Egawa, Genki Tanaka, Shinri Ono, Tsungting Hsieh, Kwun-Yao Ho, Tsutomu Arai, Shogo Kasahara, Shinji Hatano
  • Publication number: 20230103186
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a holder on which an optical element that reflects light traveling to one side in a first direction to one side in a second direction intersecting with the first direction is mounted, a support that supports the holder, a fixed body that supports the support, a first swing mechanism that swings the support about a first swing axis with respect to the fixed body, a first magnet on any one of the holder, the support, and the fixed body, and a first magnetic body on another one of the holder, the support, and the fixed body. At least portions of the first magnet and the first magnetic body overlap each other when viewed from any one of the first direction, the second direction, and a third direction intersecting with each of the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Takayuki IWASE, Tomohiro EGAWA, Genki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20230099047
    Abstract: A circuit board includes a first wiring board, a second wiring board connected to the first wiring board, a third wiring board connected to the first wiring board, a connector, and an external terminal connector. A different-direction reference portion of the third wiring board extends in a direction different from an extending direction of a reference portion of the second wiring board between a first end of the third wiring board and a second end of the third wiring board. The connector electrically connects any portion between the reference portion and the second end of the second wiring board and any portion between the different-direction reference portion and the second end of the third wiring board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Naofumi HORIO, Shinri ONO, Tomohiro EGAWA
  • Publication number: 20230063517
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable body including an optical element, a support body swingably supporting the movable body, and a suction mechanism. The optical element reflects light traveling in a first direction to an intersecting second direction. The suction mechanism generates suction force in the movable body between the movable body and the support body, and includes a magnet and a magnetic member. One of the magnet and the magnetic member is in the movable body, while the other is in the support body. The magnet and the magnetic member overlap each other when viewed from a predetermined direction, which is one of the first direction, the second direction, and a third direction. The third direction intersects the first and second directions. When viewed from the predetermined direction, a center of the magnet and a center of the magnetic member are separated from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Takayuki IWASE, Tomohiro EGAWA, Genki TANAKA, Soichiro KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20230064134
    Abstract: An optical unit has an optical element, and a holder holding the optical element. The optical element reflects light traveling in a first direction to an intersection second direction. The holder includes a holder body extending in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions, and a side unit extending from the holder body transversely to the third direction. The holder body includes a mounting surface on which the optical element is mounted. The side unit includes an inner surface facing the optical element. The inner surface is connected to an end in the third direction of the mounting surface. The holder body includes a groove at an end of the mounting surface, or the optical element includes a mounted surface mounted on the mounting surface, a side surface facing the inner surface, and a chamfer disposed at a connection between the mounted surface and the side surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Takayuki IWASE, Tomohiro EGAWA, Genki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20230062338
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable body, a support body, a swing mechanism, a magnet, and a magnetic member. The movable body includes an optical element that changes a traveling direction of light. The support body supports the movable body swingably about a swing axis. The swing mechanism swings the movable body about the swing axis. The magnet is disposed on one of the movable body and the support body. The magnetic member is disposed on the other of the movable body and the support body. The magnet and the magnetic member overlap each other as viewed from a direction in which the support body supports the movable body. At least one of the movable body and the support body includes a covering unit disposed between the magnet and the magnetic member, and the covering unit covers at least a part of a contour of one of the magnet and the magnetic member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Takayuki IWASE, Tomohiro EGAWA, Genki TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11550202
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable body, a fixed body, and a first swing mechanism. The fixed body supports the movable body so as to be swingable in a first swing direction about a first swing axis. One of the movable body and the fixed body has a first magnet. The other of the movable body and the fixed body has a first magnetic body. The first magnetic body has a first magnetic body portion, a second magnetic body portion, and a third magnetic body portion. The first magnetic body portion passes through an axis perpendicular to each of the first swing axis and the optical axis of an optical element. The second magnetic body portion is disposed on one side in the first swing direction of the first magnetic body portion. The third magnetic body portion is disposed on the other side in the first swing direction of the first magnetic body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sazai, Tomohiro Egawa, Keishi Otsubo, Genki Tanaka, Takayuki Iwase
  • Patent number: 11543674
    Abstract: An optical unit with an image stabilization function includes a movable body having an annular holder for holding a camera module, a swing support mechanism for swingably supporting the movable body, and a fixing body for supporting the movable body with the swing support mechanism interposed between them. The holder includes three or more of a plurality of protrusions that project radially. The fixing body includes a plurality of arc surfaces that come into contact with each of the plurality of protrusions from the outer peripheral side. The swing support mechanism includes the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of arc surfaces. The arc surface is a concave curved surface obtained by transferring part of a virtual spherical surface centered on a preset swing center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sazai, Tsutomu Arai, Tomohiro Egawa, Shinji Minamisawa, Takayuki Iwase, Takeshi Sue, Genki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11523040
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes an optical element including a reflection surface to reflect light in a first axis direction, a holder to hold the optical element, a case to support the holder, a first swing mechanism to swing the holder around a first swing axis, and a second swing mechanism to swing the holder around a second swing axis perpendicular to the first swing axis. The holder includes first and second protrusions. The case includes first and second recesses. Each of the recesses includes a first side surface located on one side in the axial direction of the second swing axis and a second side surface located on the other side with respect to the corresponding protrusion. At least one of the first and second side surfaces includes an inclined surface inclined with respect to the second swing axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwase, Tomohiro Egawa, Keishi Otsubo, Kazuhiro Sazai, Genki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20220385815
    Abstract: A wiring assembly includes a first circuit board, a second circuit board separate from the first circuit board, the second circuit board including a peripheral portion that annularly partially surrounds a periphery of the first circuit board, a first connection portion that connects the first circuit board and the peripheral portion, and a second connection portion that connects the first circuit board and the peripheral portion. The peripheral portion and a portion of the first circuit board between a portion connected to the first connection portion and a portion connected to the second connection portion are annular.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SAZAI, Tomohiro EGAWA, Shinri ONO
  • Publication number: 20220385820
    Abstract: A wiring assembly includes a circuit board including a flat portion, at least one connection portion connected to the flat portion, a first wiring portion extending from an end portion on a first side of the at least one connection portion, a second wiring portion extending from an end portion on a second side of the at least one connection portion, and an external terminal connector electrically connected to the flat portion. The external terminal connector is electrically connected to the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion, and the first wiring portion, the second wiring portion, the external terminal connector, the at least one connection portion, and a portion between an end portion on the first side of the at least one connection portion and an end portion on the second side of the at least one connection portion in the flat portion are annular.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SAZAI, Tomohiro EGAWA, Shinri ONO