Patents by Inventor Akinobu Nakahata

Akinobu Nakahata 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: 20170120632
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit that prints an image on a sheet by using ink, a feed path along which the sheet is transported toward the printing unit, a switchback mechanism that, when two sides of the sheet are to be printed, switches back the sheet of which one of the two sides has been printed and sends the sheet to the feed path, and a correction roller pair capable of correcting skew of the sheet by having firm contact with the sheet transported along the feed path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Akinobu NAKAHATA, Takamasa IKAGAWA, Hiroki CHINO, Yosaku TAMURA
  • Patent number: 9427982
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head that performs recording on a medium; a first roller that inverts the medium which is fed from a side of the recording head; and a second roller of which an outer circumferential surface is in contact with medium transportation paths before and after the medium is inverted by the first roller and which exerts a transportation force on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Ohashi, Akinobu Nakahata
  • Publication number: 20150183607
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a apparatus main body, and a unit body that forms a medium transportation path, and is configured to be attachable and detachable with respect to the apparatus main body. The unit body includes a feeding roller that transports a medium, and a driven transportation unit that transmits the drive force of the drive transportation unit to the feeding roller. The unit body is displaceable between a first position at which the driven transmission unit is connected to the drive transmission unit and a second position at which the driven transmission unit is separated from the drive transmission unit. When a user pulls out the medium, the unit body retained at the first position moves from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Akinobu NAKAHATA, Kazuyoshi OHASHI, Takeshi AOKI
  • Patent number: 8998205
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a apparatus main body, and a unit body that forms a medium transportation path, and is configured to be attachable and detachable with respect to the apparatus main body. The unit body includes a feeding roller that transports a medium, and a driven transportation unit that transmits the drive force of the drive transportation unit to the feeding roller. The unit body is displaceable between a first position at which the driven transmission unit is connected to the drive transmission unit and a second position at which the driven transmission unit is separated from the drive transmission unit. When a user pulls out the medium, the unit body retained at the first position moves from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Kazuyoshi Ohashi, Takeshi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20140291927
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a apparatus main body, and a unit body that forms a medium transportation path, and is configured to be attachable and detachable with respect to the apparatus main body. The unit body includes a feeding roller that transports a medium, and a driven transportation unit that transmits the drive force of the drive transportation unit to the feeding roller. The unit body is displaceable between a first position at which the driven transmission unit is connected to the drive transmission unit and a second position at which the driven transmission unit is separated from the drive transmission unit. When a user pulls out the medium, the unit body retained at the first position moves from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinobu NAKAHATA, Kazuyoshi OHASHI, Takeshi AOKI
  • Publication number: 20140292976
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head that performs recording on a medium; a first roller that inverts the medium which is fed from a side of the recording head; and a second roller of which an outer circumferential surface is in contact with medium transportation paths before and after the medium is inverted by the first roller and which exerts a transportation force on the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi OHASHI, Akinobu NAKAHATA
  • Patent number: 8608155
    Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing method with the object of preventing the feed of a sheet that is not the feeding target when performing sheet re-feeding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuji Yatsunami, Yoshikane Tsuchihashi, Akinobu Nakahata
  • Publication number: 20120242038
    Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing method with the object of preventing the feed of a sheet that is not the feeding target when performing sheet re-feeding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuji Yatsunami, Yoshikane Tsuchihashi, Akinobu Nakahata
  • Publication number: 20110222949
    Abstract: A medium transporting apparatus includes a placement section, a transport unit, and a separation unit having an inclined surface, wherein the transport unit includes a transport roller that can be moved in a transport direction, a force to move the transport roller to the upstream side in the transport direction is applied from a medium to the transport roller as a counteracting force against a force for the transport roller to transport the medium to the downstream side in the transport direction, and when the counteracting force becomes larger than a predetermined force, the transport roller is moved to the upstream side in the transport direction by the counteracting force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinobu NAKAHATA, Yoshiyuki TAKEDA, Hiroyuki SUGIMOTO
  • Patent number: 7597316
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus has a limitation pad 31c and a retard roller 34, which separately feed recording paper P on an elevation tray 31 in an MPT cover 30 by bringing the recording paper P against an outer peripheral surface 33a of the feeding roller 33. In this image-forming apparatus (paper feeder), when the feeding roller is stopped by passing recording paper to be separately fed to a pair of relay transport rollers, the elevation tray is lowered before stoppage of the feeding roller, thereby separating an extremity of the recording paper from the outer peripheral surface of the feeding roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Keiichi Taguchi, Tomoyuki Shiiya
  • Patent number: 7460826
    Abstract: A housing body includes a first part forming a part of a first transporting path in which a medium is transported. An image forming unit is accommodated in the housing body and is adapted to form an image onto at least one face of the medium. A door cover is attached to the housing body, and the door cover includes a second part adapted to face the first part when the door cover is closed, thereby forming the part of the first transporting path together with the first part. A double-sided printing unit is detachably mounted to the second part and includes a second transporting path. The second transporting path is connected to the first transporting path and is adapted to transport the medium while turning inside out, so that the image forming unit forms images on both sides of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Tanjo, Akinobu Nakahata, Hiroaki Fukumoto, Naruya Yotsuyanagi
  • Publication number: 20080099976
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus has a limitation pad 31c and a retard roller 34, which separately feed recording paper P on an elevation tray 31 in an MPT cover 30 by bringing the recording paper P against an outer peripheral surface 33a of the feeding roller 33. In this image-forming apparatus (paper feeder), when the feeding roller is stopped by passing recording paper to be separately fed to a pair of relay transport rollers, the elevation tray is lowered before stoppage of the feeding roller, thereby separating an extremity of the recording paper from the outer peripheral surface of the feeding roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Keiichi Taguchi, Tomoyuki Shiiya
  • Publication number: 20060180991
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus has a limitation pad 31c and a retard roller 34, which separately feed recording paper P on an elevation tray 31 in an MPT cover 30 by bringing the recording paper P against an outer peripheral surface 33a of the feeding roller 33. In this image-forming apparatus (paper feeder), when the feeding roller is stopped by passing recording paper to be separately fed to a pair of relay transport rollers, the elevation tray is lowered before stoppage of the feeding roller, thereby separating an extremity of the recording paper from the outer peripheral surface of the feeding roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Keiichi Taguchi, Tomoyuki Shiiya
  • Publication number: 20060062620
    Abstract: A housing body includes a first part forming a part of a first transporting path in which a medium is transported. An image forming unit is accommodated in the housing body and is adapted to form an image onto at least one face of the medium. A door cover is attached to the housing body, and the door cover includes a second part adapted to face the first part when the door cover is closed, thereby forming the part of the first transporting path together with the first part. A double-sided printing unit is detachably mounted to the second part and includes a second transporting path. The second transporting path is connected to the first transporting path and is adapted to transport the medium while turning inside out, so that the image forming unit forms images on both sides of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Inventors: Toru Tanjo, Akinobu Nakahata, Hiroaki Fukumoto, Naruya Yotsuyanagi
  • Patent number: 6965740
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit transferring a toner image on a first face of a sheet, a fixing unit fixing the toner image onto the first face of the sheet, and a sheet detecting unit detecting the sheet in a sheet transporting path. The sheet detecting unit includes a rotator which rotates by a slide contact on a second face which is backside of the first face of the sheet, and a supporting member which supports the rotator rotatably. The rotator is comprised of a material which is charged by the slide contact on the sheet with a first polarity, the first polarity being opposed to a second polarity with which a toner of the toner image is charged. The supporting member is comprised of a material charged by the slide contact on the sheet with the second polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinobu Nakahata
  • Publication number: 20050095019
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit transferring a toner image on a first face of a sheet, a fixing unit fixing the toner image onto the first face of the sheet, and a sheet detecting unit detecting the sheet in a sheet transporting path. The sheet detecting unit includes a rotator which rotates by a slide contact on a second face which is backside of the first face of the sheet, and a supporting member which supports the rotator rotatably. The rotator is comprised of a material which is charged by the slide contact on the sheet with a first polarity, the first polarity being opposed to a second polarity with which a toner of the toner image is charged. The supporting member is comprised of a material charged by the slide contact on the sheet with the second polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventor: Akinobu Nakahata
  • Patent number: 6026263
    Abstract: A developing device having a container including a pair of side walls disposed with spacing, an entry port and a delivery port defined between the side walls, and a main wall extending between the entry port and the delivery port. A rotating shaft is rotatably mounted between the pair of side walls of the container, and agitator/conveyor means is mounted on the rotating shaft. A blind hole circular in cross section is formed at an inner surface of one of the side walls, and one end portion of the rotating shaft is rotatably inserted into the blind hole. At least one discharge groove is formed at an outer peripheral surface of the one end portion of the rotating shaft. The agitator/conveyor means is composed of a flexible agitating/conveying member extending from the rotating shaft in a radial direction of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Shinya Kawakami, Takeshi Aoki, Hiroshi Inui
  • Patent number: 6014541
    Abstract: A device for recovering toner in an image-forming machine includes a cleaning mechanism for removing the toner that remains on an image carrier, a toner conveyer mechanism for conveying the toner removed by said cleaning mechanism, and a toner recovery container for containing the toner conveyed by said toner conveyer mechanism. The toner conveyer mechanism includes a toner conveying pipe connected at its one end to said cleaning mechanism and having, at its other end, a toner discharge port that faces a toner reception port formed in said toner recovery container, a toner conveying member in the form of a coil arranged in said toner conveying pipe and is coupled at its one end to a rotary member, and a toner-scraping member mounted on the other end of said toner conveying member and rotates together with said toner conveying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisahiro Kato, Masahiro Hashizume, Akinobu Nakahata, Michio Uchida, Shinya Kawakami, Hiroshi Inui
  • Patent number: 5812918
    Abstract: A device for developing an electrostatic latent image includes a developing roller disposed in a developing housing and a developing agent-limiting device for limiting the amount of the developing agent held on the peripheral surface of the developing roller. The developing agent-limiting device includes a flexible blade brought into pressed contact with the peripheral surface of the developing roller, a flexible support plate that is mounted on the blade and supports the blade in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the developing roller, and a resilient urging device that is constituted by a plurality of spring members arranged on the back surface of the support plate at a distance in the direction of width thereof and pushes the blade in a direction in which it comes into pressed contact with the peripheral surface of the developing roller via the support plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahisa Nakaue, Masanobu Maeshima, Akinobu Nakahata, Takeshi Aoki, Hiroshi Inui
  • Patent number: D398633
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashizume, Hisahiro Kato, Akinobu Nakahata