Patents by Inventor Atsuhisa Nakashima

Atsuhisa Nakashima 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: 20060187290
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a nip roller group for pressing a face of a conveyance belt on which a recording medium is held includes a pair of first end pressing parts which are arranged in the width direction of the conveyance belt at a distance corresponding to the recording medium having a predetermined size, and a first center pressing part which is arranged between the pair of first end pressing parts. Herein, a pressing force of the first center pressing part is set to be smaller than pressing forces of the first end pressing parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20060187289
    Abstract: A tension roller is urged by a compression spring, and a position at which the tension roller contacts with a conveyance belt is set to a position coming close to a driven roller rather than a drive roller in such a manner as to prevent a portion of the conveyance belt, the portion pushed out by the drive roller, from being vibrated, and prevent the vibration from being transmitted to a portion of the conveyance belt, the portion on a passing region side of a recording medium (an encoder roller side), so as to run around the driven roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20060139395
    Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided, which intermittently dispenses cleaning liquid onto ink that is adhered to an endless belt that carries printing sheets. A cleaning liquid dispenser is driven by a rotator that rotates in association with the rotation of the endless belt. The rotation position of the rotator is set as a reference, in order to control the feed timing. In this way, a gap can be maintained between two printing sheets that are carried by the endless belt, ink can be jetted toward the gap, and cleaning liquid can be dispensed on the gap. A print process and a flushing process can be sequentially repeated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Nakashima, Susumu Kuzuya
  • Publication number: 20060139431
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a pair of rollers whose axes of rotation are parallel to each other. An endless conveyor belt is stretched between the pair of rollers. The conveyor belt conveys a print medium in the conveyance direction attendant upon rotations of the pair of rollers. The conveyor belt has, on its outer circumferential surface, an ink receiving groove extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction. The depth of the ink receiving groove gradually increases toward the center of the ink receiving groove in the conveyance direction in at least one of regions continuous from front and rear ends of the ink receiving groove in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20060098074
    Abstract: A paper conveyance apparatus includes an endless type conveyance belt, a driving unit, first and second rollers, a first biasing mechanism and an encoder. The endless type conveyance belt has first and second surfaces. The driving unit drives the conveyance belt. The first roller is in contact with the first surface. The second roller is in contact with the second surface. The first and second rollers nip the conveyance belt therebetween. The first biasing mechanism biases at least one of the first and second rollers so that the first and second rollers come close to each other. The encoder detects a rotation position of the first roller. At least one of the first and second rollers is in contact with at least one of the first and second surfaces in a region outside a paper passing region where a conveyed sheet of paper passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Patent number: 7040734
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer comprises a belt conveying mechanism including two rollers, a conveyor belt stretched between the rollers to convey a paper, and the like. A recessed portion is formed on a surface of the conveyor belt, and a plurality of protrusions serving as an ink holding portion is formed within the recessed portion. Ink is ejected into the recessed portion during a flushing, and the conveyor belt runs with the ink being held between the protrusions within the recessed portion. An ink removing member contacts with the protrusions to absorb and remove the ink held between the plurality of protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Nakashima, Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 7036922
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a pair of rollers whose axes of rotation are parallel to each other. An endless conveyor belt is stretched between the pair of rollers. The conveyor belt conveys a print medium in the conveyance direction attendant upon rotations of the pair of rollers. The conveyor belt has, on its outer circumferential surface, an ink receiving groove extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction. The depth of the ink receiving groove gradually increases toward the center of the ink receiving groove in the conveyance direction in at least one of regions continuous from front and rear ends of the ink receiving groove in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Patent number: 7021756
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a plurality of rollers, an endless transportation belt, a belt rotating mechanism, a recording unit, a printing medium supply mechanism, and a control unit. The transportation belt is laid on the rollers and defines a first recess portion, which extends in a direction perpendicular to a printing medium transporting direction, in an outer circumferential surface thereof. The belt rotating mechanism applies a rotating force to the transportation belt. The recording unit is disposed to face the transportation belt and forms an image. The printing medium supply mechanism supplies a printing medium onto the transportation belt. The control unit controls at least one of the belt rotating mechanism and the printing medium supply mechanism so that when the printing medium is on the transportation belt, one of front and rear end portions of the printing medium is located in the first recess portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kaushsiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Nakashima, Tsugio Okamoto, Osamu Takagi, Susumu Kuzuya
  • Publication number: 20060066706
    Abstract: Rollers between which an endless belt is wound have a pair of first grooves looping around a rotational axis of each roller. A pair of second grooves is formed in an upper face of a support plate that supports an inner face of the endless belt, these second grooves extending along an entire length of the support plate in a feeding direction of the printing sheet. Each of the first grooves and the second grooves are disposed so as to be in the same straight line. First ink absorbers are provided that absorb ink within the first grooves. Second ink absorbers are provided that absorb ink within the second grooves. Protruding rails are formed on the inner face of the endless belt and fit into the first grooves and the second grooves. These first and second grooves prevent feeding accuracy of printing sheets from deteriorating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Patent number: 7011208
    Abstract: A conveying mechanism capable of preferably inhibiting the portion of a transfer belt located in an image forming area from meandering. A plurality of ribs (84) are provided so as to extend approximately parallel to a transfer direction (X) on an upper surface (8a) of a guide member (8). The intervals between the ribs (84) are constituted to be gradually narrowed in the left direction (Y). A transfer belt (3) is gradually moved in the left direction (Y) by the abutment between an inner side face (3d) thereof and the plurality of ribs (84). The movement of the transfer belt (3) in the left direction (Y) is limited and restricted by the abutment between a right side face (81a) of a projection piece (81) of the guide member (8) and a left side face (3b) of the transfer belt (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20060028526
    Abstract: A conveyance belt includes a base member and an elastic member. The base member includes at least one member. The base member has an annular shape. The elastic member is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the base member by an adhesive agent. The base member defines a plurality of holes passing through the base member in a thickness direction of the base member. The elastic member is exposed through the holes. The elastic member is lower in an elastic modulus than the base member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20050219308
    Abstract: A cap for sealing nozzles of ink jet head of ink jet printer has a sheet member, a capping member, a detachment preventing member, and a linking member. The capping member is provided on one face of the sheet member, and the detachment preventing member is provided on the other face of the sheet member. The capping member and the detachment preventing member are linked by the linking member that passes through the sheet member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20050212838
    Abstract: The invention teaches a printer that maintains a gap, between a carrier belt and a printing head that extends for a long distance in a delivery direction of the carrier belt, uniform along the delivery direction, and increases or decreases the uniform gap along the delivery direction. The carrier belt shifts upwards or downwards by a same distance at both ends. The printer comprises a printing head, a pair of rollers, a carrier belt, and a moving mechanism. The printing head prints characters or images on a sheet, and is typically an ink jet head. The carrier belt is wound around the pair of rollers. The carrier belt sends the sheet to a printing position opposing the printing head, and sends the printed sheet from the printing position. The moving mechanism comprises a mechanism for shifting one of the rollers and a mechanism for shifting the other of the rollers. The rollers are shifted by the same amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6916081
    Abstract: A conveyor cleaner according to the present invention comprises an adhesive layer formed by a viscous body, and a cleaning roller whose circumferential surface is covered with the adhesive layer. The cleaning roller is rotatable with the adhesive layer being in contact with a conveyor face of a conveyor belt. When the conveyor belt 8 is moved downward, the conveyor face of the conveyor belt and the adhesive layer gets into contact with each other. As the cleaning roller is pushed down by the conveyor belt, the insertion member comes to be inserted into the adhesive layer. Driving the conveyor belt in this state rotates the cleaning roller, and dust on the conveyor face is transferred to the surface of the adhesive layer to be removed. Also, the cleaning roller is rotated with the insertion member being inserted into the adhesive layer. Thereby, dust having transferred to the surface of the adhesive layer is caught in the interior of the adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20050069369
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus comprises a first roller, a second roller, a looped conveyor belt, a conveyance face formed on the conveyor belt to convey a record medium, an ink-jet head, and a roller supporter. The conveyor belt is wrapped around the first and second rollers to be stretched between the first and second rollers. The ink-jet head has an ink ejection face on which nozzles each of which ejects ink are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Nakashima, Susumu Kuzuya
  • Patent number: 6869163
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus is provided with an inkjet head having nozzles. The ink is ejected from the nozzles to recording medium. A platen is arranged close to the inkjet head so as to face the inkjet head. The platen has a rotatable cylindrical body. A porous layer is provided at least a surface of the cylindrical body to absorb ink ejected from the nozzles to the cylindrical body. Alternatively, the surface of the cylindrical body is configured to repel the ink, and a cleaning structure is provided to remove the ink applied on the surface of the cylindrical body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20050041059
    Abstract: During a restoring operation, a transport belt is bent by moving at least one of rollers around which the transport belt is looped, thereby forming a space which enables a maintenance unit to be inserted to an ink ejection surface of an inkjet head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Nakashima, Susumu Kuzuya
  • Publication number: 20050036022
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head, a sealing member, a conveyance unit, a first moving unit, and a second moving unit. The first moving unit moves the sealing member along an outer circumference of the conveyance belt between a first position and a second position. The first position is located above the conveyance belt and faces the nozzle surface of the inkjet head. The second position is located under the conveyance belt. The second moving unit moves the conveyance belt between a conveyable position and a separate position. When the conveyance belt is located at the conveyable position and the sealing member is located at the first position, the conveyance belt presses the sealing member toward the nozzle surface so that the sealing member covers the nozzle surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsugio Okamoto, Susumu Kuzuya, Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20050018028
    Abstract: For a cleaning the conveyor belt of the image forming apparatus, the adhesive surface of the sheet of the sheet roller abuts on the outer surface of the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is driven in a direction so that the sheet roller rotates to roll the sheet in order to conduct a cleaning. For a renewal of the sheet, the conveyor belt is driven in a direction so that the sheet roller to unroll the sheet, the sheet is unrolled for a predetermined length, adhered to the outer surface of the conveyor belt and cut off in order to renew the adhesive surface of the sheet of the sheet roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6846061
    Abstract: In an ink-jet printer, flushing region is arranged in a part of a conveyor belt. In a flushing operation, the ink-jet head ejects ink onto the flushing region. An ink mover is arranged confronting the conveyor belt. Ejected ink onto the flushing region is moved by the ink mover toward an opening arranged adjacent to the flushing region. An ink retainer is arranged confronting the ink mover under the conveyor belt, and thereby ink moved by the mover and passed through the opening is retained by the ink retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo, Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima