Patents by Inventor Kenta Tosuji
Kenta Tosuji 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).
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Patent number: 12135522Abstract: A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium having an electrical contact surface; and a holder movable relative to the housing. The holder includes a first holder member. and a second holder member movable relative to the first holder member. The first holder member includes at least one pawl and holds the electrical contact surface at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes at least one corner part engageable with the at least one pawl to provide an engaging portion therebetween. The second holder member has a through-hole that is open at another end face of the second holder member in the first direction. The engaging portion is accessible from an outside of the holder through the through-hole.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2023Date of Patent: November 5, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Tosuji, Nao Itabashi, Kazuya Kamikawa
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Publication number: 20240345534Abstract: Provided is a method for removing a first holder member from a second holder member in a cartridge. The cartridge includes: a housing; the first holder member holding an electrical contact surface; and the second holder member supported by the housing. The first holder member includes a pawl, and the second holder member includes a corner part engageable with the pawl of the first holder member. The electrical contact surface is held at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The method includes: disengaging the pawl from the corner part; and separating the housing and the second holder member from the first holder member in the first direction away from the one end surface of the first holder member.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2024Publication date: October 17, 2024Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta TOSUJI, Nao ITABASHI, Kazuya KAMIKAWA
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Patent number: 12066784Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a drawer, and a cartridge. The drawer is movable between an inside position inside the main housing and an outside position outside the main housing. The cartridge is installable into and removable from the drawer. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum configured to rotate about a drum axis. The drawer comprises a lock member movable between a lock position in which the drawer is locked to the main housing, and an unlock position in which the drawer is unlocked from the main housing. The cartridge installed in the drawer is rotatable about the drum axis between a first position and a second position. The lock member is positioned in the lock position when the cartridge is positioned in the first position, and positioned in the unlock position when the cartridge is positioned in the second position.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2023Date of Patent: August 20, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nao Itabashi, Misato Osuka, Keita Shimizu, Go Iwasa, Kazutoshi Nakamura, Ryosuke Hayashi, Tsubasa Kiriyama, Naoya Kamimura, Yuwen Wang, Masaaki Furukawa, Kazuma Hinoue, Kenta Tosuji
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Publication number: 20240272575Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a drawer, and a cartridge. The drawer is movable between an inside position inside the main housing and an outside position outside the main housing. The cartridge is installable into and removable from the drawer. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum configured to rotate about a drum axis. The drawer comprises a lock member movable between a lock position in which the drawer is locked to the main housing, and an unlock position in which the drawer is unlocked from the main housing. The cartridge installed in the drawer is rotatable about the drum axis between a first position and a second position. The lock member is positioned in the lock position when the cartridge is positioned in the first position, and positioned in the unlock position when the cartridge is positioned in the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2024Publication date: August 15, 2024Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nao Itabashi, Misato Osuka, Keita Shimizu, Go Iwasa, Kazutoshi Nakamura, Ryosuke Hayashi, Tsubasa Kiriyama, Naoya Kamimura, Yuwen Wang, Masaaki Furukawa, Kazuma Hinoue, Kenta Tosuji
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Patent number: 12045003Abstract: Provided is a method for removing a first holder member from a second holder member in a cartridge. The cartridge includes: a housing; the first holder member holding an electrical contact surface; and the second holder member supported by the housing. The first holder member includes a pawl, and the second holder member includes a corner part engageable with the pawl of the first holder member. The electrical contact surface is held at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The method includes: disengaging the pawl from the corner part; and separating the housing and the second holder member from the first holder member in the first direction away from the one end surface of the first holder member.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2023Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Tosuji, Nao Itabashi, Kazuya Kamikawa
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Publication number: 20230324845Abstract: A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium having an electrical contact surface; and a holder movable relative to the housing. The holder includes a first holder member. and a second holder member movable relative to the first holder member. The first holder member includes at least one pawl and holds the electrical contact surface at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes at least one corner part engageable with the at least one pawl to provide an engaging portion therebetween. The second holder member has a through-hole that is open at another end face of the second holder member in the first direction. The engaging portion is accessible from an outside of the holder through the through-hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2023Publication date: October 12, 2023Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta TOSUJI, Nao ITABASHI, Kazuya KAMIKAWA
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Patent number: 11720051Abstract: A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium having an electrical contact surface; and a holder movable relative to the housing. The holder includes a first holder member and a second holder member movable relative to the first holder member. The first holder member includes at least one pawl and holds the electrical contact surface at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes at least one corner part engageable with the at least one pawl to provide an engaging portion therebetween. The second holder member has a through-hole that is open at another end face of the second holder member in the first direction. The engaging portion is accessible from an outside of the holder through the through-hole.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2021Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Tosuji, Nao Itabashi, Kazuya Kamikawa
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Publication number: 20230244179Abstract: Provided is a method for removing a first holder member from a second holder member in a cartridge. The cartridge includes: a housing; the first holder member holding an electrical contact surface; and the second holder member supported by the housing. The first holder member includes a pawl, and the second holder member includes a corner part engageable with the pawl of the first holder member. The electrical contact surface is held at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The method includes: disengaging the pawl from the corner part; and separating the housing and the second holder member from the first holder member in the first direction away from the one end surface of the first holder member.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta TOSUJI, Nao ITABASHI, Kazuya KAMIKAWA
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Publication number: 20230176514Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a drawer, and a cartridge. The drawer is movable between an inside position inside the main housing and an outside position outside the main housing. The cartridge is installable into and removable from the drawer. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum configured to rotate about a drum axis. The drawer comprises a lock member movable between a lock position in which the drawer is locked to the main housing, and an unlock position in which the drawer is unlocked from the main housing. The cartridge installed in the drawer is rotatable about the drum axis between a first position and a second position. The lock member is positioned in the lock position when the cartridge is positioned in the first position, and positioned in the unlock position when the cartridge is positioned in the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2023Publication date: June 8, 2023Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nao Itabashi, Misato Osuka, Keita Shimizu, Go Iwasa, Kazutoshi Nakamura, Ryosuke Hayashi, Tsubasa Kiriyama, Naoya Kamimura, Yuwen Wang, Masaaki Furukawa, Kazuma Hinoue, Kenta Tosuji
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Patent number: 11635727Abstract: Provided is a method for removing a first holder member from a second holder member in a cartridge. The cartridge includes: a housing; the first holder member holding an electrical contact surface; and the second holder member supported by the housing. The first holder member includes a pawl, and the second holder member includes a corner part engageable with the pawl of the first holder member. The electrical contact surface is held at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The method includes: disengaging the pawl from the corner part; and separating the housing and the second holder member from the first holder member in the first direction away from the one end surface of the first holder member.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Tosuji, Nao Itabashi, Kazuya Kamikawa
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Patent number: 11537077Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a transport guide for guiding, along its transport surface, a sheet in a transport direction, a first transport roller pair, a second transport roller pair, a skew roller pair, a reference wall, and an actuator. The skew roller pair alone transports, in a skewed manner toward an end of the transport surface in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction, the sheet spaced from the first transport roller and the second transport roller. The reference wall is positioned at the end of the transport surface in the width direction and extends along the transport direction. The actuator is disposed downstream of the skew roller pair and upstream of the second transport roller pair in the transport direction and between the end and a center of the transport surface in the width direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenta Tosuji, Yuichiro Ichinose
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Patent number: 11415917Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image formation engine configured to form an image on a sheet, and a re-conveyer configured to convey the sheet having an image formed on one surface thereof by the image formation engine to the image formation engine again along a re-conveying path. The re-conveyer includes a conveying roller configured to convey the sheet in a re-conveying direction toward the image formation engine, a first guide member configured to be swingable between a first position at which the first guide member defines a portion of the re-conveying path upstream of the conveying roller in the re-conveying direction and guides the sheet to the conveying roller and a second position for exposing the potion of the re-conveying path, and a support member configured to swingably support the first guide member and rotatably support the conveying roller.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2021Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuichiro Ichinose, Kenta Tosuji
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Patent number: 11352234Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, an image forming unit, a sheet tray disposed below the image forming unit, and a retransport assembly configured to transport a sheet along a retransport path including first, second, and third retransport path portions in a transport direction. The retransport assembly includes a portion of the sheet tray defining the first retransport path portion, a connecting unit and a retransport unit, which are disposed below the sheet tray. The connecting unit defines the second retransport path portion connected to an upstream end of the third retransport path portion in the transport direction. The retransport unit is movable between a stored position and a pulled-out position. The retransport unit at the stored position defines the first retransport path portion connected to an upstream end of the second retransport path portion in the transport direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masafumi Inoue, Yuichiro Ichinose, Kenta Tosuji
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Patent number: 11340549Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a retransport assembly, and a controller. The retransport assembly includes a first transport roller pair, a second transport roller pair, and a skew roller pair configured to alone transport, in a skewed manner, a sheet spaced from the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair, and a reference wall. The controller controls the retransport assembly and executes a waiting operation to cause the sheet to wait at the retransport assembly. The controller is configured to execute the waiting operation by stopping the skew roller pair and one of the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair in a state in which the sheet is nipped by the skew roller pair and the one of the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenta Tosuji, Yuichiro Ichinose, Masafumi Inoue
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Publication number: 20220082991Abstract: Provided is a method for removing a first holder member from a second holder member in a cartridge. The cartridge includes: a housing; the first holder member holding an electrical contact surface; and the second holder member supported by the housing. The first holder member includes a pawl, and the second holder member includes a corner part engageable with the pawl of the first holder member. The electrical contact surface is held at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The method includes: disengaging the pawl from the corner part; and separating the housing and the second holder member from the first holder member in the first direction away from the one end surface of the first holder member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta TOSUJI, Nao ITABASHI, Kazuya KAMIKAWA
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Publication number: 20220082992Abstract: A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium having an electrical contact surface; and a holder movable relative to the housing. The holder includes a first holder member and a second holder member movable relative to the first holder member. The first holder member includes at least one pawl and holds the electrical contact surface at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes at least one corner part engageable with the at least one pawl to provide an engaging portion therebetween. The second holder member has a through-hole that is open at another end face of the second holder member in the first direction. The engaging portion is accessible from an outside of the holder through the through-hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta TOSUJI, Nao ITABASHI, Kazuya KAMIKAWA
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Publication number: 20220026838Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image formation engine configured to form an image on a sheet, and a re-conveyer configured to convey the sheet having an image formed on one surface thereof by the image formation engine to the image formation engine again along a re-conveying path. The re-conveyer includes a conveying roller configured to convey the sheet in a re-conveying direction toward the image formation engine, a first guide member configured to be swingable between a first position at which the first guide member defines a portion of the re-conveying path upstream of the conveying roller in the re-conveying direction and guides the sheet to the conveying roller and a second position for exposing the potion of the re-conveying path, and a support member configured to swingably support the first guide member and rotatably support the conveying roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Inventors: Yuichiro ICHINOSE, Kenta TOSUJI
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Publication number: 20200249613Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a transport guide for guiding, along its transport surface, a sheet in a transport direction, a first transport roller pair, a second transport roller pair, a skew roller pair, a reference wall, and an actuator. The skew roller pair alone transports, in a skewed manner toward an end of the transport surface in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction, the sheet spaced from the first transport roller and the second transport roller. The reference wall is positioned at the end of the transport surface in the width direction and extends along the transport direction. The actuator is disposed downstream of the skew roller pair and upstream of the second transport roller pair in the transport direction and between the end and a center of the transport surface in the width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Kenta Tosuji, Yuichiro Ichinose
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Publication number: 20200247641Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, an image forming unit, a sheet tray disposed below the image forming unit, and a retransport assembly configured to transport a sheet along a retransport path including first, second, and third retransport path portions in a transport direction. The retransport assembly includes a portion of the sheet tray defining the first retransport path portion, a connecting unit and a retransport unit, which are disposed below the sheet tray. The connecting unit defines the second retransport path portion connected to an upstream end of the third retransport path portion in the transport direction. The retransport unit is movable between a stored position and a pulled-out position. The retransport unit at the stored position defines the first retransport path portion connected to an upstream end of the second retransport path portion in the transport direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Masafumi Inoue, Yuichiro Ichinose, Kenta Tosuji
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Publication number: 20200249612Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a retransport assembly, and a controller. The retransport assembly includes a first transport roller pair, a second transport roller pair, and a skew roller pair configured to alone transport, in a skewed manner, a sheet spaced from the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair, and a reference wall. The controller controls the retransport assembly and executes a waiting operation to cause the sheet to wait at the retransport assembly. The controller is configured to execute the waiting operation by stopping the skew roller pair and one of the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair in a state in which the sheet is nipped by the skew roller pair and the one of the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Kenta Tosuji, Yuichiro Ichinose, Masafumi Inoue