Patents by Inventor Kenji Eoka

Kenji Eoka 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: 20240140120
    Abstract: A printer includes upper and lower modules that are pivotably attached to each other. A first lock portion includes a first fastener on the lower module and a first holding portion on the upper module with a first fastener holding position and a first fastener release position. A second lock portion includes a second fastener on the upper module and a second holding portion on the lower module with a second fastener holding position and a second fastener release position. A link lever is on the upper module and reciprocates back-and-forth. When moved backwards, the link lever moves the first and second holding portions to the respective release positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventor: Kenji EOKA
  • Publication number: 20230339245
    Abstract: A printer includes a housing in which a sheet is stored in a rolled shape, a head by which an image is printed on the sheet, a flapper configured to pivot around an axis at a first end thereof including a surface extending from the first end to a second end of the flapper and biased to press the stored sheet against the housing, and a protrusion at the first end of the flapper that rotates around the axis as the flapper pivots, a sensor, and a controller configured to issue a signal when the protrusion is rotated around the axis to move into a detection range of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Kiyotaka NIHASHI, Kenji EOKA
  • Patent number: 11701903
    Abstract: A printer has a lower module and upper module. The lower module has a paper feed unit and a printing unit. A back of the upper module is hinged to lower module. A paper handling part holds paper after printing by the printing unit. A discharge unit in the upper module moves the paper out of the upper module while maintaining a hold on a rear portion of the paper and to draw the paper back into the upper module after an elapse of time. A container includes a support member that rotates into contact with and moves away from a lower part of the upper module. The container configured to receive and store the paper that has been drawn back by the discharge unit. The paper is stored in a region between the support member and the lower part of the upper module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kok Wei Lee, Kenji Eoka, Ting Yee Chin, Jia Juin Chan
  • Patent number: 11691842
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section configured to form an image on a sheet; a sheet discharge port through which the sheet is discharged; a sheet conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet to the sheet discharge port; a movable sheet guide, arranged in such a manner that an imaginary line connecting a portion contacting the sheet of the sheet conveyance roller with the sheet discharge port passes through a cross-sectional area, configured to be capable of moving in a direction away from a surface of the sheet; and a guide sensor configured to detect movement of the movable sheet guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Eoka, Akira Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20230001716
    Abstract: A printer has a lower module and upper module. The lower module has a paper feed unit and a printing unit. A back of the upper module is hinged to lower module. A paper handling part holds paper after printing by the printing unit. A discharge unit in the upper module moves the paper out of the upper module while maintaining a hold on a rear portion of the paper and to draw the paper back into the upper module after an elapse of time. A container includes a support member that rotates into contact with and moves away from a lower part of the upper module. The container configured to receive and store the paper that has been drawn back by the discharge unit. The paper is stored in a region between the support member and the lower part of the upper module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Kok WEI LEE, Kenji EOKA, Ting YEE CHIN, Jia JUIN CHAN
  • Publication number: 20220380161
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device of an embodiment includes a carrying-in unit feeds a sheet to a stacking unit; a lower conveyance unit applies a force to a lower side of a sheet stacked on the stacking unit to move the sheet; a lifting and lowering unit lifts and lowers at least an end of the lower conveyance unit on a side close to the carrying-in unit in at least three stages (lower, middle, and upper); an upper conveyance unit faces the lower conveyance unit and applies a force to the upper side of a sheet pinched between the upper conveyance unit and the lower conveyance unit that is moved to the upper stage to move the sheet; and a stopper protrudes above the lower conveyance unit placed at the lower stage by the lifting and lowering unit, and the downstream end in the feeding direction of a sheet abuts on the stopper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Tsutomu FUJIWARA, Tingyee CHIN, Kenji EOKA
  • Publication number: 20220281248
    Abstract: A printer includes upper and lower modules that are pivotably attached to each other. A first lock portion includes a first fastener on the lower module and a first holding portion on the upper module with a first fastener holding position and a first fastener release position. A second lock portion includes a second fastener on the upper module and a second holding portion on the lower module with a second fastener holding position and a second fastener release position. A link lever is on the upper module and reciprocates back-and-forth. When moved backwards, the link lever moves the first and second holding portions to the respective release positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventor: Kenji EOKA
  • Publication number: 20220055854
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section configured to form an image on a sheet; a sheet discharge port through which the sheet is discharged; a sheet conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet to the sheet discharge port; a movable sheet guide, arranged in such a manner that an imaginary line connecting a portion contacting the sheet of the sheet conveyance roller with the sheet discharge port passes through a cross-sectional area, configured to be capable of moving in a direction away from a surface of the sheet; and a guide sensor configured to detect movement of the movable sheet guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji Eoka, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11046095
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a printer comprises a housing section configured to accommodate a roll body obtained by winding an elongated image receiving medium in a roll shape; a conveyance section configured to pull out the image receiving medium from the roll body to convey it; a printing section configured to perform printing on the image receiving medium pulled out of the roll body by the conveyance section; and a buffer device arranged at the bottom of the housing section on an upstream side of the conveyance section along a direction in which the image receiving medium is pulled out by the conveyance direction so as to apply a pressing force in a direction towards the roll body to the image receiving medium pulled out of the roll body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: John Huang Ung Wong, Kenji Eoka, Yun Reng Loh
  • Patent number: 10946677
    Abstract: A printer comprises a printer casing accommodating a rolled paper and including an opening through which the roll paper is loaded; a roll-paper holder, arranged on one of the ends side of the printer casing and including a holding member formed in an arc shape; a cover including a lid opened or closed by a hinge mechanism pivotally supported on the one of the ends side of the opening to open or close the opening, and a roll-cover, integrally formed with the lid, which has an arc shape in cross section to move along an outer surface of the roll-paper holder; a paper conveyance mechanism, arranged in the printer casing, configured to pull out and convey a leading end paper from the rolled paper; and a printing mechanism, arranged in the printer casing, configured to perform printing on the paper conveyed by the paper conveyance mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: YunReng Loh, InSeng Ooi, Kenji Eoka, Kiyotaka Nihashi
  • Publication number: 20200198375
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a printer comprises a housing section configured to accommodate a roll body obtained by winding an elongated image receiving medium in a roll shape; a conveyance section configured to pull out the image receiving medium from the roll body to convey it; a printing section configured to perform printing on the image receiving medium pulled out of the roll body by the conveyance section; and a buffer device arranged at the bottom of the housing section on an upstream side of the conveyance section along a direction in which the image receiving medium is pulled out by the conveyance direction so as to apply a pressing force in a direction towards the roll body to the image receiving medium pulled out of the roll body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: John Huang Ung Wong, Kenji Eoka, Yun Reng Loh
  • Publication number: 20190389233
    Abstract: A printer comprises a printer casing accommodating a rolled paper and including an opening through which the roll paper is loaded; a roll-paper holder, arranged on one of the ends side of the printer casing and including a holding member formed in an arc shape; a cover including a lid opened or closed by a hinge mechanism pivotally supported on the one of the ends side of the opening to open or close the opening, and a roll-cover, integrally formed with the lid, which has an arc shape in cross section to move along an outer surface of the roll-paper holder; a paper conveyance mechanism, arranged in the printer casing, configured to pull out and convey a leading end paper from the rolled paper; and a printing mechanism, arranged in the printer casing, configured to perform printing on the paper conveyed by the paper conveyance mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: YunReng Loh, InSeng Ooi, Kenji Eoka, Kiyotaka Nihashi
  • Publication number: 20190359444
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section configured to form an image on a sheet; a sheet discharge port through which the sheet is discharged; a sheet conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet to the sheet discharge port; a movable sheet guide, arranged in such a manner that an imaginary line connecting a portion contacting the sheet of the sheet conveyance roller with the sheet discharge port passes through a cross-sectional area, configured to be capable of moving in a direction away from a surface of the sheet; and a guide sensor configured to detect movement of the movable sheet guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kenji Eoka, Akira Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20190180265
    Abstract: A printer according to an embodiment includes a printing unit that prints on a sheet. The sheet is discharged through an outlet. The sheet is conveyed on a sheet conveyance path through the printing unit and to the outlet. A movable device is located on the sheet conveyance path upstream of the outlet in a sheet conveying direction. The movable device can move between a separation position, a proximity position, and a protruding position. A detection device detects a position of the movable device. A controller determines a conveyance abnormality of the sheet based on the state of the movable device detected by the detection device, and outputs a signal indicating the conveyance abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Kenji EOKA, In Seng OOI, Ting Yee CHIN, Wui Khen Kevin LIAW, Tsuyoshi SANADA
  • Patent number: 9944485
    Abstract: A paper discharging apparatus comprises: a first conveying unit; a second conveying unit which includes a pinch roller and a feeding roller that are arranged closer to the downstream side; a movable mechanism which moves a surface part between a first position that the surface part is not contacted with the pinch roller and a second position that the surface part is contacted with the pinch roller through the paper so as to push the pinch roller; a control unit which moves the surface part to the second position, clamps the paper by the pinch roller and the surface part, and conveys the paper, thereby bending the paper, and which moves the surface part to the first position and clamps the paper by the pinch roller and the feeding roller, and rotates the feeding roller, thereby discharging the paper from the conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Eoka, Tsuyoshi Sanada
  • Publication number: 20180060852
    Abstract: A printer according to an embodiment includes a printing unit that prints on a sheet. The sheet is discharged through an outlet. The sheet is conveyed on a sheet conveyance path through the printing unit and to the outlet. A movable device is located on the sheet conveyance path upstream of the outlet in a sheet conveying direction. The movable device can move between a separation position, a proximity position, and a protruding position. A detection device detects a position of the movable device. A controller determines a conveyance abnormality of the sheet based on the state of the movable device detected by the detection device, and outputs a signal indicating the conveyance abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Kenji EOKA, In Seng Ooi, Ting Yee Chin, Wui Khen Kevin Liaw, Tsuyoshi Sanada
  • Patent number: 9751338
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a dual purpose printer has a housing, a printing medium supporting section, a first printing section, and a second printing section. The housing has a discharge port and an entrance port. The printing medium supporting section is arranged inside the housing, and rotatably supports a rolled printing medium. The first printing section is configured to print on a top surface of a first continuous sheet printing medium drawn from the rolled printing medium supported on the printing medium supporting section, and to print on a second printing medium carried in through the entrance port. The second printing section is arranged inside the housing, and is configured to print on the bottom surface of the first continuous sheet printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiharu Sekino, Kenji Eoka
  • Patent number: 9527691
    Abstract: A paper discharging apparatus comprises: a first conveying unit; a second conveying unit which includes a pinch roller and a feeding roller that are arranged closer to the downstream side; a movable mechanism which moves a surface part between a first position that the surface part is not contacted with the pinch roller and a second position that the surface part is contacted with the pinch roller through the paper so as to push the pinch roller; a control unit which moves the surface part to the second position, clamps the paper by the pinch roller and the surface part, and conveys the paper, thereby bending the paper, and which moves the surface part to the first position and clamps the paper by the pinch roller and the feeding roller, and rotates the feeding roller, thereby discharging the paper from the conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Eoka, Tsuyoshi Sanada
  • Publication number: 20160347089
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a dual purpose printer has a housing, a printing medium supporting section, a first printing section, and a second printing section. The housing has a discharge port and an entrance port. The printing medium supporting section is arranged inside the housing, and rotatably supports a rolled printing medium. The first printing section is configured to print on a top surface of a first continuous sheet printing medium drawn from the rolled printing medium supported on the printing medium supporting section, and to print on a second printing medium carried in through the entrance port. The second printing section is arranged inside the housing, and is configured to print on the bottom surface of the first continuous sheet printing medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiharu SEKINO, Kenji EOKA
  • Publication number: 20160318316
    Abstract: A paper discharging apparatus comprises: a first conveying unit; a second conveying unit which includes a pinch roller and a feeding roller that are arranged closer to the downstream side; a movable mechanism which moves a surface part between a first position that the surface part is not contacted with the pinch roller and a second position that the surface part is contacted with the pinch roller through the paper so as to push the pinch roller; a control unit which moves the surface part to the second position, clamps the paper by the pinch roller and the surface part, and conveys the paper, thereby bending the paper, and which moves the surface part to the first position and clamps the paper by the pinch roller and the feeding roller, and rotates the feeding roller, thereby discharging the paper from the conveyance path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji Eoka, Tsuyoshi Sanada