Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Handa

Hiroshi Handa 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: 11977345
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a holder holding the nip forming member, a first stay supporting the holder, an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator, a second stay, and a connector. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay extends in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis. The second stay is positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip. The moving direction is perpendicular to the width direction. The connector extends through at least one of the first stay and the second stay to connect the first stay to the second stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Hiroshi Handa, Shuhei Fukue, Tomonori Watanabe, Kenji Takeuchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 11693343
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt and configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip, an urging member configured to urge one of the rotator and the nip forming member towards the other in a particular direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, an upstream guide and a downstream guide. The upstream guide includes an upstream guide surface configured to guide an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a facing surface which faces the rotator. An upstream edge of the facing surface in the moving direction is located at a position farther from the rotation axis, in the particular direction, than a downstream edge of the upstream guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Tokifumi Tanaka, Kenji Takeuchi, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Patent number: 11635716
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tomonori Watanabe, Shuhei Fukue, Kenji Takeuchi, Kazuna Taguchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Publication number: 20220269200
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi HANDA, Tomonori WATANABE, Shuhei FUKUE, Kenji TAKEUCHI, Kazuna TAGUCHI, Tatsuo OGASAWARA
  • Patent number: 11392067
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator, a belt facing the rotator and having an outer peripheral surface which contacts the rotator to form a nip therebetween, a first pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator to form one part of the nip, a second pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator, to form another part of the nip, a holder holding the first pad and the second pad, a stay supporting the holder, and an urging member urging the stay toward the rotator in an urging direction. The second pad is located upstream of the first pad in a conveyance direction in the nip orthogonal to the urging direction. At least a portion of a contact area between the stay and the holder is located downstream of a center of the nip and upstream of a front edge of the first pad in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Tomonori Watanabe, Kenji Takeuchi, Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Patent number: 11327424
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotary body; a pressure body; a frame supporting the rotary body; and a pressure varying mechanism for providing a nip pressure to a nip region formed between the rotary body and the pressure body. The pressure varying mechanism includes a first spring and a second spring for urging one of the rotary body and the pressure body. The first spring applies a first urging force, and the second spring applies a second urging force acting in an opposite direction from the first urging force. The pressure varying mechanism can vary the nip pressure between a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. The nip pressure becomes the first nip pressure while only the first urging force is applied, and becomes the second nip pressure while both of the first urging force and the second urging force are applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tokifumi Tanaka, Shuhei Fukue, Tomonori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11300907
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tomonori Watanabe, Shuhei Fukue, Kenji Takeuchi, Kazuna Taguchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Publication number: 20210240118
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi HANDA, Tomonori WATANABE, Shuhei FUKUE, Kenji TAKEUCHI, Kazuna TAGUCHI, Tatsuo OGASAWARA
  • Publication number: 20210208529
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotary body; a pressure body; a frame supporting the rotary body; and a pressure varying mechanism for providing a nip pressure to a nip region formed between the rotary body and the pressure body. The pressure varying mechanism includes a first spring and a second spring for urging one of the rotary body and the pressure body. The first spring applies a first urging force, and the second spring applies a second urging force acting in an opposite direction from the first urging force. The pressure varying mechanism can vary the nip pressure between a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. The nip pressure becomes the first nip pressure while only the first urging force is applied, and becomes the second nip pressure while both of the first urging force and the second urging force are applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi HANDA, Tokifumi TANAKA, Shuhei FUKUE, Tomonori WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20210181663
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt and configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip, an urging member configured to urge one of the rotator and the nip forming member towards the other in a particular direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, an upstream guide and a downstream guide. The upstream guide includes an upstream guide surface configured to guide an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a facing surface which faces the rotator. An upstream edge of the facing surface in the moving direction is located at a position farther from the rotation axis, in the particular direction, than a downstream edge of the upstream guide surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Tokifumi Tanaka, Kenji Takeuchi, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Publication number: 20210181662
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a holder holding the nip forming member, a first stay supporting the holder, an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator, a second stay, and a connector. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay extends in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis. The second stay is positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip. The moving direction is perpendicular to the width direction. The connector extends through at least one of the first stay and the second stay to connect the first stay to the second stay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna TAGUCHI, Hiroshi HANDA, Shuhei FUKUE, Tomonori WATANABE, Kenji TAKEUCHI, Tatsuo OGASAWARA
  • Publication number: 20210157260
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator, a belt facing the rotator and having an outer peripheral surface which contacts the rotator to form a nip therebetween, a first pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator to form one part of the nip, a second pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator, to form another part of the nip, a holder holding the first pad and the second pad, a stay supporting the holder, and an urging member urging the stay toward the rotator in an urging direction. The second pad is located upstream of the first pad in a conveyance direction in the nip orthogonal to the urging direction. At least a portion of a contact area between the stay and the holder is located downstream of a center of the nip and upstream of a front edge of the first pad in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna TAGUCHI, Tomonori WATANABE, Kenji TAKEUCHI, Hiroshi HANDA, Mingguang ZHANG, Shuhei FUKUE, Hirotaka IMAEDA
  • Patent number: 10996600
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tomonori Watanabe, Shuhei Fukue, Kenji Takeuchi, Kazuna Taguchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 10994007
    Abstract: Disclosed is an immunity inducer. The immunity inducer comprises virus like particles; the virus like particles comprise a virus-derived outer coat protein and an antigen-bound protein comprising an exogenous antigen; the outer coat protein constitutes an outer coat of the virus like particles, and the antigen-bound protein is comprised in the outer coat; and the virus like particles induce an immune effect of a living body on the antigen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: Saitama Medical University, SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Masaaki Kawano, Masahiko Kato
  • Patent number: 10969719
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotary body; a pressure body; a frame supporting the rotary body; and a pressure varying mechanism for providing a nip pressure to a nip region formed between the rotary body and the pressure body. The pressure varying mechanism includes a first spring and a second spring for urging one of the rotary body and the pressure body. The first spring applies a first urging force, and the second spring applies a second urging force acting in an opposite direction from the first urging force. The pressure varying mechanism can vary the nip pressure between a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. The nip pressure becomes the first nip pressure while only the first urging force is applied, and becomes the second nip pressure while both of the first urging force and the second urging force are applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tokifumi Tanaka, Shuhei Fukue, Tomonori Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20210080878
    Abstract: A fixing device according to the present disclosure includes a heater, a rotating member heated by the heater, an endless belt, a nip forming member, and a sliding sheet. The nip forming member forms a nip portion by nipping the endless belt between the nip forming member and the rotating member. The sliding sheet has a first portion nipped between the endless belt and the nip forming member and a second portion extending from the first portion. The sliding sheet has higher flexural rigidity than the endless belt. The second portion has a bent portion bent so as to contact an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The bent portion configured to urge, in a direction directed from an inner side toward an outer side of the endless belt, a portion of the endless belt positioned downstream of the nip portion in the moving direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi HANDA, Kenji TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 10948858
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt and configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip, an urging member configured to urge one of the rotator and the nip forming member towards the other in a particular direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, an upstream guide and a downstream guide. The upstream guide includes an upstream guide surface configured to guide an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a facing surface which faces the rotator. An upstream edge of the facing surface in the moving direction is located at a position farther from the rotation axis, in the particular direction, than a downstream edge of the upstream guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Tokifumi Tanaka, Kenji Takeuchi, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Patent number: 10942478
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a holder holding the nip forming member, a first stay supporting the holder, an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator, a second stay, and a connector. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay extends in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis. The second stay is positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip. The moving direction is perpendicular to the width direction. The connector extends through at least one of the first stay and the second stay to connect the first stay to the second stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Hiroshi Handa, Shuhei Fukue, Tomonori Watanabe, Kenji Takeuchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 10928762
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator, a belt facing the rotator and having an outer peripheral surface which contacts the rotator to form a nip therebetween, a first pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator to form one part of the nip, a second pad configured to press the belt toward the rotator, to form another part of the nip, a holder holding the first pad and the second pad, a stay supporting the holder, and an urging member urging the stay toward the rotator in an urging direction. The second pad is located upstream of the first pad in a conveyance direction in the nip orthogonal to the urging direction. At least a portion of a contact area between the stay and the holder is located downstream of a center of the nip and upstream of a front edge of the first pad in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Tomonori Watanabe, Kenji Takeuchi, Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Publication number: 20210011406
    Abstract: A fixing device comprises a heater, a rotating member, an endless belt, an elastic body and a holder holding the elastic body. The holder includes a base surface supporting the elastic body, a facing portion protruding from the base surface and facing the elastic body in a moving direction in which, in the nip portion, the endless belt moves in a circumferential direction, and a plurality of projecting portions projecting from the facing portion and contacting the elastic body so as to bite into the elastic body in a state in which the elastic body is elastically deformed. The plurality of projecting portions are arranged in a row in a width direction of the endless belt and disposed at positions different from a position of the nip portion in the moving direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mingguang Zhang, Tokifumi Tanaka, Hiroshi Handa, Masahito Kajita