Patents by Inventor Atsuo Hirose

Atsuo Hirose 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: 11502526
    Abstract: There is provided a battery charger configured to charge a battery including a battery terminal. The battery charger includes a receiving portion in a form of a recess, and a charging terminal provided in the receiving portion. The battery is attachable to and detachable from the receiving portion. The receiving portion includes a holding portion configured to selectively hold the battery in the receiving portion at one of a first posture and a second posture different from the first posture. When the battery is in the first posture, the battery terminal is in contact with the charging terminal to allow the battery to be charged. When the battery is in the second posture, the battery terminal is separated from the charging terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sho Asai, Atsuo Hirose, Yuki Nagashima, Ryuichi Kanda, Hitoshi Sanada, Yusuke Ikemoto, Shotaro Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20220212485
    Abstract: A printer includes a print head, a platen roller facing the print head, a driving source, a drive shaft connected to be driven to the driving source and rotatable about a rotation axis thereof, a platen gear connected to be driven to the platen roller, and a cassette mounting portion at which the print head and the drive shaft are disposed. A printing cassette including a to-be-printed tape, an input unit, and an output unit connected to be driven to the input unit is mountable on the cassette mounting portion in an axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive shaft. In a state where the printing cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the drive shaft is engaged with the input unit and the platen gear is engaged with the output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Shinji Ukai, Yuya Tagami, Atsuo Hirose
  • Publication number: 20220009253
    Abstract: There is provided a print device including: a casing having an inner space; a support which extends along a first direction and which is configured to rotatably support a roll body; a conveyer configured to convey a sheet pulled out of the roll body in a conveyance orientation along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a print unit configured to perform a print by causing a print matter to adhere to the sheet conveyed in the conveyance orientation; and a cover. An opening is provided on the casing such that the inner space is exposed to an outside of the casing via the opening. The cover is configured to slide relative to the casing along the second direction between an open position in which the opening is uncovered and a close position in which the opening is covered by the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Takaaki OGUCHI, Kenta HAYASHIDA, Atsuo HIROSE, Robin RIAZI, Keita SUGIURA, Akito UEKIHARA
  • Patent number: 10850542
    Abstract: A printing apparatus having a body, a cover, a pair of supporting parts, a locking member, and an engaging portion, is provided. At least one of the pair of supporting parts is a movable supporting part. The locking member arranged on the movable supporting part is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The engaging portion arranged in a container compartment engageable with the locking member being at the locked position. The locking member at the unlocked position when the cover is open is separated from the engaging portion. In a process where the cover is moved to be closed, a protrusive portion in the cover contacts to be pressed against a contact portion in the locking member, causing the locking member to shift from the unlocked position to the locked position to be engaged with the engaging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kanda, Takehiko Inaba, Yuki Nagashima, Atsuo Hirose, Hitoshi Sanada, Yusuke Ikemoto, Sho Asai, Shotaro Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20190334359
    Abstract: There is provided a battery charger configured to charge a battery including a battery terminal. The battery charger includes a receiving portion in a form of a recess, and a charging terminal provided in the receiving portion. The battery is attachable to and detachable from the receiving portion. The receiving portion includes a holding portion configured to selectively hold the battery in the receiving portion at one of a first posture and a second posture different from the first posture. When the battery is in the first posture, the battery terminal is in contact with the charging terminal to allow the battery to be charged. When the battery is in the second posture, the battery terminal is separated from the charging terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Sho Asai, Atsuo Hirose, Yuki Nagashima, Ryuichi Kanda, Hitoshi Sanada, Yusuke Ikemoto, Shotaro Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20190308428
    Abstract: A printing apparatus having a body, a cover, a pair of supporting parts, a locking member, and an engaging portion, is provided. At least one of the pair of supporting parts is a movable supporting part. The locking member arranged on the movable supporting part is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The engaging portion arranged in a container compartment engageable with the locking member being at the locked position. The locking member at the unlocked position when the cover is open is separated from the engaging portion. In a process where the cover is moved to be closed, a protrusive portion in the cover contacts to be pressed against a contact portion in the locking member, causing the locking member to shift from the unlocked position to the locked position to be engaged with the engaging portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kanda, Takehiko Inaba, Yuki Nagashima, Atsuo Hirose, Hitoshi Sanada, Yusuke Ikemoto, Sho Asai, Shotaro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9718284
    Abstract: A sheet ejecting device having a first ejection tray, a first ejection roller to eject the sheet to the first ejection tray, a second ejection tray in a position above the first ejection tray, a second ejection roller to eject the sheet to the second ejection tray, and a first guide and a second guide disposed in widthwise end portions on a lower surface of the second ejection tray, is provided. The first guide and the second guide are configured to contact widthwise end portions of the sheet ejected by the first ejection roller and guide the widthwise end portions of the sheet downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Publication number: 20160288537
    Abstract: A sheet ejecting device, having a first ejection tray, a first ejection roller to eject the sheet to the first ejection tray, a second ejection tray in a position above the first ejection tray, a second ejection roller to eject the sheet to the second ejection tray, and a first guide and a second disposed in widthwise end portions on a lower surface of the second ejection tray, is provided. The first guide and the second guide are configured to contact widthwise end portions of the sheet ejected by the first ejection roller and guide the widthwise end portions of the sheet downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 9302860
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet supply tray having a plate for supporting a sheet to be supplied to an image forming unit, a first sheet positioning member configured to move relative to the plate and position the sheet, a moving member including a first detection portion and configured to move in a sheet supply direction in response to movement of the first sheet positioning member, a coupling member coupling the first sheet positioning member and the moving member and configured to move the moving member in response to the movement of the first sheet positioning member in the sheet supply direction, and a restriction mechanism configured to restrict movement of the coupling member according to an amount of the movement of the first sheet positioning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 9272858
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a roller, a driving shaft, a support shaft, a bearing portion, a contact member and a pivot shaft. The driving shaft is removably connected to one end of the roller and the support shaft is disposed at the other end of the roller in an axial direction. The pivot shaft is configured to pivotably support the contact member, and includes a rotating shaft disposed coaxially with an axis line of the roller and an eccentric portion extending toward the roller at a position on the other end side of the roller and eccentric from an axis line of the rotating shaft. The contact member is disposed in the eccentric portion. Distance from the axis line of the rotating shaft to the eccentric portion in a radial direction is larger than dimension of the support shaft in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 9164478
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a transfer-receiving member conveyed from a first side to a second side, and a fixing device disposed on a side of the image forming unit closer to the second side, and configured to fix the image formed on the transfer-receiving member. A conveying path formation member is configured to form a conveying path along which the transfer-receiving member is conveyed from the image forming unit to the fixing device. The conveying path formation member includes a first member having first through holes in the up-down direction, and a second member having second through holes in the up-down direction, wherein the second member faces the first member such that the second through holes do not overlap the first through holes when projected in the up-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 9067746
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus including an wall disposed on a first side of the image reading apparatus in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a sheet is provided. The wall extends in a direction orthogonal to the width direction. The image reading apparatus further includes a first driven roller disposed on a second side in the width direction relative to the wall; a first driving roller opposed to the first driven roller; a first driven shaft inserted into the first driven roller and urged against the first driving roller; a second driven roller disposed on the second side relative to the first driven roller; a second driving roller opposed to the second driven roller; a second driven shaft inserted into the second driven roller and urged against the second driving roller; and a reader unit configured to read the image on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Publication number: 20150054217
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet supply tray having a plate for supporting a sheet to be supplied to an image forming unit, a first sheet positioning member configured to move relative to the plate and position the sheet, a moving member including a first detection portion and configured to move in a sheet supply direction in response to movement of the first sheet positioning member, a coupling member coupling the first sheet positioning member and the moving member and configured to move the moving member in response to the movement of the first sheet positioning member in the sheet supply direction, and a restriction mechanism configured to restrict movement of the coupling member according to an amount of the movement of the first sheet positioning member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Publication number: 20140291928
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus including an wall disposed on a first side of the image reading apparatus in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a sheet is provided. The wall extends in a direction orthogonal to the width direction. The image reading apparatus further includes a first driven roller disposed on a second side in the width direction relative to the wall; a first driving roller opposed to the first driven roller; a first driven shaft inserted into the first driven roller and urged against the first driving roller; a second driven roller disposed on the second side relative to the first driven roller; a second driving roller opposed to the second driven roller; a second driven shaft inserted into the second driven roller and urged against the second driving roller; and a reader unit configured to read the image on the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Publication number: 20130136517
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a roller, a driving shaft, a support shaft, a bearing portion, a contact member and a pivot shaft. The driving shaft is removably connected to one end of the roller and the support shaft is disposed at the other end of the roller in an axial direction. The pivot shaft is configured to pivotably support the contact member, and includes a rotating shaft disposed coaxially with an axis line of the roller and an eccentric portion extending toward the roller at a position on the other end side of the roller and eccentric from an axis line of the rotating shaft. The contact member is disposed in the eccentric portion. Distance from the axis line of the rotating shaft to the eccentric portion in a radial direction is larger than dimension of the support shaft in a radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Publication number: 20120251156
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a transfer-receiving member conveyed from a first side to a second side, and a fixing device disposed on a side of the image forming unit closer to the second side, and configured to fix the image formed on the transfer-receiving member. A conveying path formation member is configured to form a conveying path along which the transfer-receiving member is conveyed from the image forming unit to the fixing device. The conveying path formation member includes a first member having first through holes in the up-down direction, and a second member having second through holes in the up-down direction, wherein the second member faces the first member such that the second through holes do not overlap the first through holes when projected in the up-down direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 8045880
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device to feed a sheet in a sheet feeding path is provided. The sheet feeding device includes a plurality of feeding rollers to feed a sheet in the sheet feeding path, and a dust remover unit to remove dust adhered onto a surface of the sheet. The dust remover unit includes a dust absorber roller to absorb dust from a surface of the sheet, a dust remover member arranged to be in contact with a surface of the dust absorber roller to remove the dust from the surface of the dust absorber roller, a conveyer member, arranged to be opposed to the dust remover member, to convey the dust removed by the dust remover member, and a cutter member, arranged in an intervening position between the dust remover roller and the conveyer member, to cut the dust removed by the dust remover member into smaller pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 7708266
    Abstract: A sheet feeder comprising: a feed roller which feeds sheet by rotating in contact with the sheet; a separation roller which is disposed at a downstream side of a sheet feeding direction; a supporting member which supports the feed roller and the separation roller, the supporting member is supported so as to be swingable around the rotation axis of the separation roller; a drive source which drives the supporting member so as to swing; an arm pivot which is disposed between the drive source and the supporting member; a first arm which is disposed at a side of the drive source; and a second arm which is disposed at a side of the supporting member, the second arm is able to be separated from the first arm; wherein the first arm and the second arm are integrally swung around the arm pivot by the drive source, thereby the supporting member swinging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 7684731
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is described as including a door member for opening and closing an opening provided in a main body member; a hinge mechanism; and a lock mechanism. The hinge mechanism may include a first hinge hole and a second hinge hole which are provided in at least one of the door member and the main body member, and are arranged substantially coaxially while being spaced from each other, a hinge shaft inserted across the first hinge hole and the second hinge hole, and a spring unit which presses the hinge shaft against inner peripheral surfaces of the first and second hinge holes. The first hinge hole may be smaller in size than the second hinge hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuo Hirose, Wei Ming Wang
  • Patent number: 7606512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, such as a printer, may have a horizontally-loaded drawer containing, for example, a toner cartridge or an image forming unit having toner. The apparatus may have an opening through which the drawer is inserted, and a cover over the opening. The cover may include two or more protrusions to assist in forcing the drawer into place as the cover is closed. The cover may include a first protrusion that is closer to the cover's hinge, and a second that is farther from the hinge than the first. The first protrusion may also be longer, extending further from the cover, than the second, so that during the closing operation, the first protrusion makes contact with the drawer before the second. The points of contact on the drawer may be angled and/or curved such that the force exerted by the protrusions directs the drawer horizontally and, if desired, downwardly towards an operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masamitsu Ukai, Atsuo Hirose