Patents by Inventor Kenichi Hirota

Kenichi Hirota 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: 20240068519
    Abstract: A hub seal seals a gap between an outer race member and an inner race member of a hub bearing. The hub seal includes: an annular base; and a seal member attached to the base and including an annular elastic material. The seal member includes a side lip extending toward an outer side and an intermediate lip extending toward the outer side on an inner periphery side relative to the side lip. A sliding surface of the side lip that comes into contact to seal the gap between the outer race member and the inner race member is rougher than a sliding surface of the intermediate lip that comes into contact to seal the gap between the outer race member and the inner race member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Kenichi TAMURA, Kazuki HIROTA
  • Patent number: 11841661
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a discharge conveyance path configured to discharge the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit to outside, a reverse conveyance path configured to reverse a conveyance direction of the conveyed sheet and convey the sheet, a first conveyance path configured to guide the sheet conveyed from the image forming unit to the reverse conveyance path, a second conveyance path configured to guide the sheet reversed in the reverse conveyance path from the reverse conveyance path to the discharge conveyance path, and a reading unit configured to read the image of the sheet in the second conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20230341804
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, an oblique movement correcting portion including a first registration roller pair and a first moving portion, a reversing portion, and a re-feeding portion. The reversing portion includes a reversing roller pair and a second moving portion. The re-feeding portion includes a second registration roller pair. When an image is formed on a second surface of a sheet opposite from a first surface of the sheet, a side end position of the sheet is corrected by the second moving portion and oblique movement of the sheet is corrected, and then the side end position of the sheet is corrected again by the first moving means and the sheet is fed to the image forming portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshida, Kenichi Hirota
  • Patent number: 11787197
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a conveyance guide having an opening portion, a measurement unit including a light entrance portion, and a moving member including a reference portion. The measuring unit is configured to measure an image on a sheet through the opening portion in a first state where the measurement unit is positioned in a first position and the moving member is positioned in a third position. The measurement unit is configured to measure the reference portion in a second state where the measurement unit is positioned in a second position and the moving member is positioned in a fourth position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Shigihara, Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20220326649
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a discharge conveyance path configured to discharge the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit to outside, a reverse conveyance path configured to reverse a conveyance direction of the conveyed sheet and convey the sheet, a first conveyance path configured to guide the sheet conveyed from the image forming unit to the reverse conveyance path, a second conveyance path configured to guide the sheet reversed in the reverse conveyance path from the reverse conveyance path to the discharge conveyance path, and a reading unit configured to read the image of the sheet in the second conveyance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20220281227
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a conveyance guide having an opening portion, a measurement unit including a light entrance portion, and a moving member including a reference portion. The measuring unit is configured to measure an image on a sheet through the opening portion in a first state where the measurement unit is positioned in a first position and the moving member is positioned in a third position. The measurement unit is configured to measure the reference portion in a second state where the measurement unit is positioned in a second position and the moving member is positioned in a fourth position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Keita Shigihara, Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20210373477
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, an oblique movement correcting portion including a first registration roller pair and a first moving portion, a reversing portion, and a re-feeding portion. The reversing portion includes a reversing roller pair and a second moving portion. The re-feeding portion includes a second registration roller pair. When an image is formed on a second surface of a sheet opposite from a first surface of the sheet, a side end position of the sheet is corrected by the second moving portion and oblique movement of the sheet is corrected, and then the side end position of the sheet is corrected again by the first moving means and the sheet is fed to the image forming portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshida, Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20200387099
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a second conveyance path, a measuring portion, a third conveyance path and a sheet stacking portion. A sheet discharged out of an image forming apparatus is conveyed toward a downstream apparatus through the first conveyance path. The second conveyance path is branched from the first conveyance path, extended below the first conveyance path, and merged with the first conveyance path. The measuring portion is disposed on the second conveyance path. The third conveyance path is provided above the first conveyance path and is configured to convey the sheet from which a test image has been measured by the measuring portion in the second conveyance path. The sheet stacking portion is provided above the first conveyance path, and the sheet discharged out of the third conveyance path is stacked on the sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Naoto Tokuma, Kenichi Hirota
  • Patent number: 10782639
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion provided above a first conveyance path and on which a second sheet discharged out of a second conveyance path is stacked. The sheet stacking portion includes an extension tray configured to support the sheet discharged out of the second conveyance path and to be movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the extension tray is located inside a width of the measurement apparatus in the horizontal direction, and the second position being a position where the extension tray is located above an upstream apparatus and is overlapped with the upstream apparatus when viewed in a gravity direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoto Tokuma, Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20200089150
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a second conveyance path, a measuring portion, a third conveyance path and a sheet stacking portion. A sheet discharged out of an image forming apparatus is conveyed toward a downstream apparatus through the first conveyance path. The second conveyance path is branched from the first conveyance path, extended below the first conveyance path, and merged with the first conveyance path. The measuring portion is disposed on the second conveyance path. The third conveyance path is provided above the first conveyance path and is configured to convey the sheet from which a test image has been measured by the measuring portion in the second conveyance path. The sheet stacking portion is provided above the first conveyance path, and the sheet discharged out of the third conveyance path is stacked on the sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Naoto Tokuma, Kenichi Hirota
  • Patent number: 10486434
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to reduce the number of constituent components, and to provide a bobbin body having a smooth surface. A bobbin for a thermal transfer sheet or an image-receiving sheet includes a cylindrical bobbin body 11, wherein a gear 12 including a plurality of teeth 13 is formed on one side end of the bobbin body 11. Each tooth 13 of the gear 12 has a parallelogram shape as a whole, when viewed from a lateral side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeta Mori, Kenichi Hirota
  • Patent number: 10142513
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a measurement image on a sheet, moves a carriage to read the measurement image, reads from a storage unit an adjustment condition, generates a correction condition based on the adjustment condition and a result of reading the measurement image, moves the carriage to read an original, generates image data of the original, corrects a position at which an image is formed on a sheet based on the correction condition and forms an image of the original on a sheet based on the corrected image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirota, Hiroshi Kokubo
  • Publication number: 20180326742
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to reduce the number of constituent components, and to provide a bobbin body having a smooth surface. A bobbin for a thermal transfer sheet or an image-receiving sheet includes a cylindrical bobbin body 11, wherein a a gear 12 including a plurality of teeth 13 is formed on one side end of the bobbin body 11. Each tooth 13 of the gear 12 has a parallelogram shape as a whole, when viewed from a lateral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeta MORI, Kenichi HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20180311982
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to reduce the number of constituent components, and to provide a bobbin body having a smooth surface. A bobbin for a thermal transfer sheet or an image-receiving sheet includes a cylindrical bobbin body 11, wherein a gear 12 including a plurality of teeth 13 is formed on one side end of the bobbin body 11. Each tooth 13 of the gear 12 has a polygonal shape with not less than five corners as a whole, when viewed from a lateral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeta MORI, Kenichi HIROTA
  • Patent number: 9971270
    Abstract: Temperature of a printing medium 110 is sufficiently decreased by stopping the printing medium 110 in a discharge path, conveying the printing medium at a low speed, switching a conveyance path, or the like. If the temperature of the printing medium 110 can be sufficiently decreased, the thermochromism phenomenon is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of achieving highly accurate color matching and color stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirota, Taichi Takemura, Tomohisa Itagaki
  • Patent number: 9927742
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a toner image forming unit forming a toner image on an intermediate transfer member; a transfer member transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording material in a transfer portion; a driving source applying driving force to the transfer member independently of an intermediate transfer member driving source; an execution unit correcting image misalignment on the basis of a detection result of a test toner image on the intermediate transfer member when no toner image exists in the transfer portion; a container storing the recording material; and an input unit associating the container with a group related to basic weight and surface properties of the recording material. The apparatus includes a driving unit driving the driving source at a speed corresponding to the group if the recording material stored in the container associated with the group is used for image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20170142286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a measurement image on a sheet, moves a carriage to read the measurement image, reads from a storage unit an adjustment condition, generates a correction condition based on the adjustment condition and a result of reading the measurement image, moves the carriage to read an original, generates image data of the original, corrects a position at which an image is formed on a sheet based on the correction condition and forms an image of the original on a sheet based on the corrected image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirota, Hiroshi Kokubo
  • Publication number: 20170102631
    Abstract: Temperature of a printing medium 110 is sufficiently decreased by stopping the printing medium 110 in a discharge path, conveying the printing medium at a low speed, switching a conveyance path, or the like. If the temperature of the printing medium 110 can be sufficiently decreased, the thermochromism phenomenon is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of achieving highly accurate color matching and color stability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Kenichi HIROTA, Taichi TAKEMURA, Tomohisa ITAGAKI
  • Publication number: 20170052491
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming unit, a transfer member, and a driving source. An execution unit corrects image misalignment on the basis of a detection result of a test one image when no toner image exists in a transfer portion. An input unit associates first and second containers of recording material with either first and second groups regarding characteristics of the recording material. A setting is possible in which, if the recording material stored in the container associated with the first and second groups is used for the image formation, the driving source is driven at first and second speeds. Whether to conduct the correction before the current image formation is determined depending on the group associated with the container in which the recording material on which the previous image formation is conducted is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20170052487
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a toner image forming unit forming a toner image on an intermediate transfer member; a transfer member transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording material in a transfer portion; a driving source applying driving force to the transfer member independently of an intermediate transfer member driving source; an execution unit correcting image misalignment on the basis of a detection result of a test toner image on the intermediate transfer member when no toner image exists in the transfer portion; a container storing the recording material; and an input unit associating the container with a group related to basic weight and surface properties of the recording material. The apparatus includes a driving unit driving the driving source at a speed corresponding to the group if the recording material stored in the container associated with the group is used for image formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirota