Patents by Inventor Tomoyuki Higuchi

Tomoyuki Higuchi 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: 11902481
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus reads a document mounted on a document positioning section by using an image reading section, and forms an image of the document on a sheet by using an image forming section. The sheet subjected to the image formation processing is mounted on a discharge tray via a discharge section. The image forming apparatus includes an operation unit that has a touch panel and that protrudes from a front portion of the image reading section, and a power button that is a hardware button provided on a back side of the operation unit and on a front portion of the image reading section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20230396724
    Abstract: An internal discharge space is defined between an image reading section and an image forming section and the internal discharge space has an opening in a front of the image forming apparatus. Since the internal discharge space has the opening in the front of the image forming apparatus, a border between the internal discharge space and the housing is located in the front of the image forming apparatus. A light emitting section having a predetermined length along the border is provided and emits light along the predetermined length of the border, enabling users to check a light emission state from a distance. Accordingly, a state of the image forming apparatus can be indicated by the light emitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Kenji YANAGISAWA
  • Patent number: 11811988
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes, in a body having a predetermined house, an image-reading unit and an image-forming unit that is configured to form an image read by the image-reading unit. A discharge portion is configured to discharge a sheet on which the image was formed onto a discharge tray. An intra-apparatus-discharge space is formed in the body between the image-reading unit and the image-forming unit. The housing includes therein a consumption article mounting portion in which a consumption article used by the image-forming unit is mounted. At least a portion of a surface of the housing at a region of the consumption article mounting portion has a light-transmissive property. When the consumption article is consumed and needs to be replenished, the operator can visually check the region of the consumption article mounting portion in the housing from the outside of the body through the transparent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Tomoyuki Higuchi, Kenji Yanagisawa
  • Publication number: 20230351135
    Abstract: A laying sheet is laid between a printing device configured to perform printing on a medium and an installation surface on which the printing device is installed. The laying sheet includes a first surface coming into contact with the installation surface and a second surface being a surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface is provided with at least one mark indicating information relating to the printing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Kenji YANAGISAWA, Tsuneyuki SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20230304694
    Abstract: A ventilation system according to a certain aspect includes: a ventilator that ventilates a first space; an air conveyor that is installed on a ceiling surface of the first space and conveys air from the first space to a second space different from the first space; a controller that controls an operation of the ventilator and an operation of the air conveyor; a first temperature measurer that measures an air temperature of the first space; and a second temperature measurer that measures an air temperature of the second space. The controller includes a determiner that determines whether the air conveyance by the air conveyor is possible or impossible on the basis of an air temperature of the first space and an air temperature of the second space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Shinya HATTORI, Kunio KIYOMOTO, Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Takumi TOJO, Naoto MASAMURA, Toru SASAI, Susumu URUSHIHARA, Kaori TASATO
  • Patent number: 11765303
    Abstract: An internal discharge space is defined between an image reading section and an image forming section and the internal discharge space has an opening in a front of the image forming apparatus. Since the internal discharge space has the opening in the front of the image forming apparatus, a border between the internal discharge space and the housing is located in the front of the image forming apparatus. A light emitting section having a predetermined length along the border is provided and emits light along the predetermined length of the border, enabling users to check a light emission state from a distance. Accordingly, a state of the image forming apparatus can be indicated by the light emitting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Tomoyuki Higuchi, Kenji Yanagisawa
  • Publication number: 20230216969
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus reads a document mounted on a document positioning section by using an image reading section, and forms an image of the document on a sheet by using an image forming section. The sheet subjected to the image formation processing is mounted on a discharge tray via a discharge section. The image forming apparatus includes an operation unit that has a touch panel and that protrudes from a front portion of the image reading section, and a power button that is a hardware button provided on a back side of the operation unit and on a front portion of the image reading section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventor: Tomoyuki HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11647134
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording section that records information on a medium; a main body provided with the recording section; and a tilt panel that allows a setting operation of the main body. The tilt panel is configured to pivot in a touch direction. The tilt panel includes: a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the tilt panel; and a power button disposed on a part of a periphery of the tilt panel, a press direction of the power button intersecting the touch direction of the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Higuchi, Wataru Suzuki, Mugio Kawasaki, Yoshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11622050
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus reads a document mounted on a document positioning section by using an image reading section, and forms an image of the document on a sheet by using an image forming section. The sheet subjected to the image formation processing is mounted on a discharge tray via a discharge section. The image forming apparatus includes an operation unit that has a touch panel and that protrudes from a front portion of the image reading section, and a power button that is a hardware button provided on a back side of the operation unit and on a front portion of the image reading section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20220239802
    Abstract: An internal discharge space is defined between an image reading section and an image forming section and the internal discharge space has an opening in a front of the image forming apparatus. Since the internal discharge space has the opening in the front of the image forming apparatus, a border between the internal discharge space and the housing is located in the front of the image forming apparatus. A light emitting section having a predetermined length along the border is provided and emits light along the predetermined length of the border, enabling users to check a light emission state from a distance. Accordingly, a state of the image forming apparatus can be indicated by the light emitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Kenji YANAGISAWA
  • Publication number: 20220236682
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes, in a body having a predetermined house, an image-reading unit and an image-forming unit that is configured to form an image read by the image-reading unit. A discharge portion is configured to discharge a sheet on which the image was formed onto a discharge tray. An intra-apparatus-discharge space is formed in the body between the image-reading unit and the image-forming unit. The housing includes therein a consumption article mounting portion in which a consumption article used by the image-forming unit is mounted. At least a portion of a surface of the housing at a region of the consumption article mounting portion has a light-transmissive property. When the consumption article is consumed and needs to be replenished, the operator can visually check the region of the consumption article mounting portion in the housing from the outside of the body through the transparent portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Kenji YANAGISAWA
  • Patent number: 11330880
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a self-standing housing body solving a typical program and stably standing as a penholder. Specifically, the self-standing housing body according to the present invention is a self-standing housing body including a housing portion having a main housing space surrounded by a bottom surface and side surfaces standing from the bottom surface, and a lid portion having a sub-housing space surrounded by an upper surface and side surfaces standing from the upper surface. An upper side of one side surface of the housing portion and a lower side of one side surface of the lid portion form a joint portion, and about the joint portion as a rotation axis, the lid portion is rotatably joined to the housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: OSAKA CLIP co., LTD
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Higuchi, Kazuo Itoi
  • Publication number: 20220030123
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus reads a document mounted on a document positioning section by using an image reading section, and forms an image of the document on a sheet by using an image forming section. The sheet subjected to the image formation processing is mounted on a discharge tray via a discharge section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventor: Tomoyuki HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220030125
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording section that records information on a medium; a main body provided with the recording section; and a tilt panel that allows a setting operation of the main body. The tilt panel is configured to pivot in a touch direction. The tilt panel includes: a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the tilt panel; and a power button disposed on a part of a periphery of the tilt panel, a press direction of the power button intersecting the touch direction of the touch panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Wataru SUZUKI, Mugio KAWASAKI, Yoshiyuki TANAKA
  • Patent number: 10967645
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a main unit that accommodates a recording head and a carriage that is movable in a transport direction of the medium. At least one liquid container mounted above the recording head in the carriage contains the liquid to be supplied to the recording head and has an inlet through which the liquid is to be refilled from an ink refill bottle. The plug member plugs up the inlet. An illumination member irradiates the liquid container from the liquid container. A detector detects detaching of the plug member from the inlet. A controller controls the illumination member, based on a detection result of the detector. The illumination member irradiates the liquid container in response to detection of the detaching of the plug member from the inlet with the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Higuchi, Nobuhisa Nomoto
  • Publication number: 20200247135
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a main unit that accommodates a recording head and a carriage that is movable in a transport direction of the medium. At least one liquid container mounted above the recording head in the carriage contains the liquid to be supplied to the recording head and has an inlet through which the liquid is to be refilled from an ink refill bottle. The plug member plugs up the inlet. An illumination member irradiates the liquid container from the liquid container. A detector detects detaching of the plug member from the inlet. A controller controls the illumination member, based on a detection result of the detector. The illumination member irradiates the liquid container in response to detection of the detaching of the plug member from the inlet with the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Nobuhisa NOMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200196724
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a self-standing housing body solving a typical program and stably standing as a penholder. Specifically, the self-standing housing body according to the present invention is a self-standing housing body including a housing portion having a main housing space surrounded by a bottom surface and side surfaces standing from the bottom surface, and a lid portion having a sub-housing space surrounded by an upper surface and side surfaces standing from the upper surface. An upper side of one side surface of the housing portion and a lower side of one side surface of the lid portion form a joint portion, and about the joint portion as a rotation axis, the lid portion is rotatably joined to the housing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Tomoyuki HIGUCHI, Kazuo ITOI
  • Patent number: D874816
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: OSAKA CLIP co., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Higuchi
  • Patent number: D951347
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Higuchi
  • Patent number: D979418
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Higuchi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Yoshiaki Shimizu