Patents by Inventor Kenji Samoto

Kenji Samoto 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: 10357982
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10351371
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes: a loading unit configured to load a plurality of sheet-like media in a stacked state; a feeding roller configured to feed the media by rotating while abutting against the media loaded on the loading unit; an arm configured to rotatably support the feeding roller and configured to be swingable about a support shaft; at least one actuator supported by the arm to be swingable about a fulcrum provided between the support shaft and a leading end of the arm, the arm being on the same side as the feeding roller with respect to the support shaft and being farthest away from the support shaft; and at least one sensor configured to output a signal which differentiates a first posture of the at least one actuator with respect to the arm, from a second posture different from the first posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Aoki, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10328723
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yusuke Arai
  • Publication number: 20190152239
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA, Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
  • Patent number: 10273099
    Abstract: An image recording device having a recording unit to record an image on a sheet is provided. The image recording unit includes a feed guide defining a first conveying path; an arm disposed between the recording unit and the tray, the arm having a feed roller rotatably disposed at a free end and configured to feed the sheet in the tray to the first conveying path. The arm pivots between a first arm position, and a second arm position. The return guide pivots between a first return guide position, and a second return guide position. A space occupied by the return guide in the first return guide position overlaps a space occupied by the arm in the second arm position. The return guide is in the second return guide position when the arm is in the second arm position which is retracted from an insertion space occupied by the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Publication number: 20190118559
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10259238
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10233043
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10207524
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a first motor, a feeding roller, a second motor, a first driven mechanism, a recorder, and a controller. The feeding roller is configured to rotate by receiving driving force from the first motor. The first driven mechanism is configured to be driven by receiving driving force from the second motor. The controller is configured to: perform a preparing operation in response to receiving first information that instructs starting image recording by the recorder; perform a driving operation of driving the second motor to drive the first driven mechanism, in response to completing the preparing operation and not receiving second information including a recording condition and printing data; and in response to receiving the second information, stop the second motor and drive the first motor to perform a feeding operation by the feeding roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Aoki, Kenji Samoto, Takahiro Kuroki
  • Publication number: 20190047300
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20190031459
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a casing provided with a first conveying path and a second conveying path; a first feeding tray provided in the casing and having a first supporting surface that supports a sheet; a supporting member that supports the first feeding tray from below in the casing; a first feeding section provided above the first supporting surface; a first guide member having a first guide surface to guide the sheet fed from the first feeding tray; a second feeding tray provided below the supporting member in the casing and having a second supporting surface that supports a different sheet; a second feeding section provided above the second supporting surface; a second guide member having a second guide surface to guide the different sheet fed from the second feeding tray; and a frame made of metal and being installed on a lower surface of the supporting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji SAMOTO, Masatomo YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10173445
    Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Kenta Horade, Mitsuhiro Nozaki, Hirotaka Aoki
  • Patent number: 10118424
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a controller configured to perform an intermittent conveyance process including controlling a conveyor to intermittently convey a preceding sheet, an image recording process including controlling a recording head to perform image recording for each single pass on the preceding sheet while controlling a carriage moving mechanism to move a carriage with the recording head mounted thereon over each single pass in a direction along a scanning direction, a remaining-pass calculating process including calculating a count of remaining passes to be recorded on the preceding sheet, and a feeding process including, in response to the calculated count of the remaining passes being a particular number, controlling a feeder to start feeding a subsequent sheet at a point of time when a first particular period of time elapses from a next timing to start conveyance of the preceding sheet in the intermittent conveyance process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20180304648
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yusuke Arai
  • Patent number: 10105974
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet includes a recording section which records the image on the sheet in a transport passage for transporting the sheet in a transport direction and multiple plates which are spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction. These multiple plates include a first type of plate and a second type of plate. Plates of a first type of plate are configured to overlap a sheet when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the widthwise direction, while plates of the second type of plate do not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10099472
    Abstract: A plurality of first contact portions is arranged to face a second supporting member between a nipping position and nozzles in a conveying direction. The first contact portions are spaced away from each other in a width direction, and contact a sheet from a first side. A second contact portion is provided at least between two of the first contact portions in the width direction, and contacts the sheet from a second side. A regulating member is provided at a first supporting member. The regulating member extends to provide an extending end portion that is located at a position closer to a second supporting member than the nozzle surface is in a perpendicular direction. The extending end portion locates the first contact portions at a regulating position that is closer to the second supporting member than the nozzle surface is in the perpendicular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10099487
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction; a first wavy shape applying mechanism provided downstream in the conveyance direction from the recording unit and configured to allow the sheet to be in a wavy state in a width direction; and a guide member configured to guide the sheet to the first wavy shape applying mechanism. The first wavy shape applying mechanism includes first spur rollers configured to abut against a first surface of the sheet respectively; abutment members provided between the mutually adjoining first spur rollers respectively and configured to abut against a second surface of the sheet; and second spur rollers configured to abut against the first surface of the sheet downstream of the first spur rollers in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Gakuro Kanazawa, Kenji Samoto, Wataru Sugiyama, Yasuhira Ota
  • Patent number: 10086629
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 10040653
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a casing provided with a first conveying path and a second conveying path; a first feeding tray provided in the casing and having a first supporting surface that supports a sheet; a supporting member that supports the first feeding tray from below in the casing; a first feeding section provided above the first supporting surface; a first guide member having a first guide surface to guide the sheet fed from the first feeding tray; a second feeding tray provided below the supporting member in the casing and having a second supporting surface that supports a different sheet; a second feeding section provided above the second supporting surface; a second guide member having a second guide surface to guide the different sheet fed from the second feeding tray; and a frame made of metal and being installed on a lower surface of the supporting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Masatomo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10000354
    Abstract: There is provided a conveyance apparatus including a main body, a feed tray, and a discharge tray. The discharge tray includes a first projecting portion, and the main body includes a supporting portion, first and second contacting portions. With the installed discharge tray rotating by a first amount or more about a fulcrum in a direction for such a part of the discharge tray as positioned on one side in a second direction from the fulcrum to move away from the first contacting portion, the first projecting portion is positioned below the second contacting portion. The part of the installed discharge tray as positioned on the one side in the second direction from the fulcrum is lighter in weight than the part of the installed discharge tray as positioned on the other side in the second direction. The conveyance apparatus includes a regulating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Peng Zou, Kenji Samoto, Yoshiyuki Washino