Patents by Inventor Kazushi Nishikata

Kazushi Nishikata 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: 20120001386
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a sheet conveyance apparatus, and a control unit. The main body includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet. The sheet conveyance apparatus and the main body are detachable from each other and the sheet conveyance apparatus may convey the sheet to the image forming unit. The sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path through which the sheet passes and a detection unit. The detection unit includes light emitting and receiving units that transmit light across the sheet conveyance path therebetween. The detection unit detects a reference and an edge position of the conveyed sheet in a width direction of the sheet orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction. The control unit determines a position of the sheet based on detections of the reference and the edge position of the conveyed sheet by the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Yoji Misao, Satoshi Koga, Kazunari Nishimoto
  • Publication number: 20110227274
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an opening/closing member which is turnably supported by an apparatus body and through which a user accesses the apparatus, and a conveying guide which is movably supported by a user access door and which includes a sheet conveying surface. When the opening/closing member is opened in a state where a sheet remains on the sheet conveying surface, the conveying guide is separated from the opening/closing member by the remaining sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: KAZUSHI NISHIKATA, SHUJI NISHITANI
  • Patent number: 7979002
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an opening/closing member which is turnably supported by an apparatus body and through which a user accesses the apparatus, and a conveying guide which is movably supported by a user access door and which includes a sheet conveying surface. When the opening/closing member is opened in a state where a sheet remains on the sheet conveying surface, the conveying guide is separated from the opening/closing member by the remaining sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Shuji Nishitani
  • Publication number: 20110140341
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet accommodating unit which is detachably attached to an apparatus main body and configured to accommodate sheets, a sheet stacking unit which is provided in the sheet accommodating unit and can move while supporting the sheet, a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and a lift unit configured to move the sheet stacking unit toward the sheet feeding unit, wherein, before feeding of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit by the sheet feeding unit, the lift unit increases and then reduces press contact force between the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit and the sheet feeding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Shinichi Ueda, Satoshi Tsuda
  • Publication number: 20110140355
    Abstract: The detachment of a feed roller rotatably supported by a holding portion provided in the main body of an apparatus, and held detachably in the axial direction thereof is restricted by a locking device. The locking device is made movable to a lock position and a lock releasing position for permitting the detachment of the feed roller. Further, when the locking device is in the lock releasing position when a sheet stacking portion is mounted, the locking device is moved to the lock position by a position changeover device in operative association with the mounting operation of the sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hisayuki Tomura, Akio Nemoto, Kei Sawanaka, Masato Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7913996
    Abstract: The detachment of a feed roller rotatably supported by a holding portion provided in the main body of an apparatus, and held detachably in the axial direction thereof is restricted by a locking device. The locking device is made movable to a lock position and a lock releasing position for permitting the detachment of the feed roller. Further, when the locking device is in the lock releasing position when a sheet stacking portion is mounted, the locking device is moved to the lock position by a position changeover device in operative association with the mounting operation of the sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hisayuki Tomura, Akio Nemoto, Kei Sawanaka, Masato Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20110031680
    Abstract: A controller sets a pressure-contact time from memory in accordance with rigidity of a sheet and starts a feeding operation of a sheet by causing a feeding roller to be pressure contacted with sheets on a sheet stacking plate. The controller controls the feeding roller to be separated from the sheets on the sheet stacking plate after passage of the pressure-contact time. In this way, it is possible to set the optimum pressure-contact time at the time of feeding sheets in accordance with the kind of sheet being fed and realize a stable feeding operation. Since the controller controls a driving unit based on a detection signal of a sheet-surface detecting flag that detects the height of the uppermost surface of a sheet bundle, it is possible to realize the stabilization and acceleration of a contacting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Henrique Massanori Oka, Kazushi Nishikata, Kei Sawanaka
  • Publication number: 20110024978
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, which includes: a pressing lever and a pressing arm for pushing up a sheet stacking plate so that sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate are brought into pressure contact with a sheet feeding portion; a lifter driving mechanism for driving the pressing lever and the pressing arm; and a setting mechanism disposed between the pressing lever and the pressing arm, and the lifter driving mechanism. The setting mechanism is capable of setting a pressure contact force for bringing the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate into pressure contact with the sheet feeding portion, to be appropriate for a size of the sheets to be stacked and an amount of the sheets to be stacked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Shinichi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20100244365
    Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: HISAYUKI TOMURA, KEI SAWANAKA, AKIO NEMOTO, KAZUSHI NISHIKATA, MASATO SUZUKI, ATSUYA TAKAHASHI, SHOTARO YOSHIMURA, MITSUNARI ITO
  • Patent number: 7758042
    Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito
  • Publication number: 20090166966
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an opening/closing member which is turnably supported by an apparatus body and through which a user accesses the apparatus, and a conveying guide which is movably supported by a user access door and which includes a sheet conveying surface. When the opening/closing member is opened in a state where a sheet remains on the sheet conveying surface, the conveying guide is separated from the opening/closing member by the remaining sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Shuji Nishitani
  • Publication number: 20070182088
    Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito
  • Publication number: 20070145666
    Abstract: The detachment of a feed roller rotatably supported by a holding portion provided in the main body of an apparatus, and held detachably in the axial direction thereof is restricted by a locking device. The locking device is made movable to a lock position and a lock releasing position for permitting the detachment of the feed roller. Further, when the locking device is in the lock releasing position when a sheet stacking portion is mounted, the locking device is moved to the lock position by a position changeover device in operative association with the mounting operation of the sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hisayuki Tomura, Akio Nemoto, Kei Sawanaka, Masato Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20060237895
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including: a separating roller which abuts against a feed roller and is rotated in association with the feed roller; and a torque-limiter for allowing the separating roller to rotate in association with the feed roller when a rotation torque larger than a predetermined torque is acted on the separating roller and for preventing the separating roller from rotating in association with the feed roller when the rotation torque equal to or smaller than the predetermined torque is acted on the separating roller, in which sheets fed from a sheet feed cassette are separated one by one by the feed roller and the separating roller, the separating roller urged against the feed roller is supported by a guide member in a slidable manner, and the separating roller is guided with a predetermined angle in a direction different from a direction in which the feed roller is opposed to the separating roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Fumimitsu Kishimoto, Akio Nemoto, Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7032900
    Abstract: A document feeding apparatus in which the vibration of a document by the shock when the trailing edge of the document has passed an ante-reading roller is prevented to thereby prevent the misregister or distortion of a read image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hiroaki Namiki, Makoto Izumi
  • Publication number: 20050152723
    Abstract: A document feeding apparatus in which the vibration of a document by the shock when the trailing edge of the document has passed an ante-reading roller is prevented to thereby prevent the misregister or distortion of a read image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hiroaki Namiki, Makoto Izumi
  • Patent number: 6877742
    Abstract: A document feeding apparatus in which the vibration of a document by the shock when the trailing edge of the document has passed an ante-reading roller is prevented to thereby prevent the misregister or distortion of a read image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hiroaki Namiki, Makoto Izumi
  • Publication number: 20030141654
    Abstract: A document feeding apparatus in which the vibration of a document by the shock when the trailing edge of the document has passed an ante-reading roller is prevented to thereby prevent the misregister or distortion of a read image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Nishikata, Hiroaki Namiki, Makoto Izumi