Patents by Inventor Etsuko Shibata

Etsuko Shibata 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: 6504657
    Abstract: An optical member having a toric functional surface has a marking which is made by a configuration of a mold used to form the optical member. The marking is formed in the optical member outside an effective area of the functional surface of the optical member. In one embodiment, the optical member is an optical member for a scanning optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Ono, Etsuko Shibata
  • Patent number: 6449107
    Abstract: The light beam scanning device has a casing injection molded from magnesium or magnesium alloy as the material. A polygon mirror and a motor are sealed in the inside of the casing and a cover covering the latter. Since the thickness of the magnesium or magnesium alloy material can be reduced, heat generated from a motor is dissipated satisfactorily. Heat dissipating fins are formed to the casing to promote heat dissipation and enhance the strength of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenari Tachibe, Hiromu Nakamura, Etsuko Shibata
  • Publication number: 20010001251
    Abstract: The light beam scanning device has a casing injection molded from magnesium or magnesium alloy as the material. A polygon mirror and a motor are sealed in the inside of the casing and a cover covering the latter. Since the thickness of the magnesium or magnesium alloy material can be reduced, heat generated from a motor is dissipated satisfactorily. Heat dissipating fins are formed to the casing to promote heat dissipation and enhance the strength of the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Publication date: May 17, 2001
    Inventors: Hidenari Tachibe, Hiromu Nakamura, Etsuko Shibata
  • Patent number: 6208448
    Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus constitutes a light source which emits a ray in a wavelength range of 460 to 650 nm, a first lens unit for forming a luminous flux using the ray and having at least one or more positive lens element, a scanner for scanning the luminous flux, a second lens unit for forming an image on a scanned medium using the luminous flux and a holding structure connected the light source to the first lens unit via at least two support members having mutually different linear expansion coefficients. In scanning optical apparatus, the movement of the image forming point on the scanned medium caused by change in the oscillation wavelength of the light source is compensated by the thermal expansion of the support members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Etsuko Shibata
  • Patent number: 6195190
    Abstract: The light beam scanning device has a casing injection molded from magnesium or magnesium alloy as the material. A polygon mirror and a motor are sealed in the inside of the casing and a cover covering the latter. Since the thickness of the magnesium or magnesium alloy material can be reduced, heat generated from a motor is dissipated satisfactorily. Heat dissipating fins are formed to the casing to promote heat dissipation and enhance the strength of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenari Tachibe, Hiromu Nakamura, Etsuko Shibata
  • Patent number: 5926306
    Abstract: A scanning apparatus has a luminous flux deflector and a single f.theta. lens. The deflector deflects a convergent luminous flux on a scanned surface at a uniform angular velocity. The f.theta. lens is arranged between the deflector and the scanned surface. The f.theta. lens is bi-convex in a main scanning direction and is made of a material having a refractive index of at most 1.6. One surface of the f.theta. lens in a main scanning direction is so curved that a radius of curvature in the main scanning direction A decreases as an angle of view in the main scanning direction increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromu Nakamura, Toshio Naiki, Etsuko Shibata, Satoru Ono
  • Patent number: 5721631
    Abstract: A scanning apparatus has a luminous flux deflector and a single f.theta. lens. The deflector deflects a convergent luminous flux on a scanned surface at a uniform angular velocity. The f.theta. lens is arranged between the deflector and the scanned surface. The f.theta. lens is bi-convex in a main scanning direction and is made of a material having a refractive index of at most 1.6. One surface of the f.theta. lens in a main scanning direction is so curved that a radius of curvature in the main scanning direction decreases as an angle of view in the main scanning direction increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromu Nakamura, Toshio Naiki, Etsuko Shibata, Satoru Ono
  • Patent number: 5563729
    Abstract: A scanning apparatus has a luminous flux deflector and a single f.theta. lens. The deflector deflects a convergent luminous flux on a scanned surface at a uniform angular velocity. The f.theta. lens is arranged between the deflector and the scanned surface. The f.theta. lens is bi-convex in a main scanning direction and is made of a material having a refractive index of at most 1.6. One surface of the f.theta. lens in a main scanning direction is so curved that a radius of curvature in the main scanning direction decreases as an angle of view in the main scanning direction increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromu Nakamura, Toshio Naiki, Etsuko Shibata, Satoru Ono
  • Patent number: 5532866
    Abstract: A light beam scanning optical apparatus which deflects a light beam emitted from a light source with a polygonal mirror and scans the light beam on a photosensitive member through an f.theta. optical system. Suppose the distance between a rotation axis of the polygonal mirror and each reflecting facet in a case wherein the reflecting facets are flat to be A. If a convergent light beam is incident to the polygonal mirror, and if the reflecting facets are concave, the distance between the rotation axis and the facets is adjusted to be larger than A. If the reflecting facets are convex, the distance is adjusted to be smaller than A. Also, if a divergent light beam is incident, and if the reflecting facets are concave, the distance between is adjusted to be smaller than A. If the reflecting facets are convex, the distance is adjusted to be larger than A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Etsuko Shibata, Hiromu Nakamura