Patents by Inventor Koji Murata

Koji Murata 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: 9104137
    Abstract: A toner conveying device includes a toner containing part, a conveying member, and a vibration mechanism. The toner containing part contains a toner. The conveying member rotates around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part. The vibration mechanism vibrates the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Takehiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20150194270
    Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor that includes a capacitor element; an exterior resin; an anode lead terminal; and a cathode lead terminal. The anode lead terminal has a Cu base material, and an Au-plating layer formed thereon, and includes an Au region where the Au-plating layer as a surface layer is formed, and a Cu region where the Au-plating layer is not formed. The cathode lead terminal includes a base material, and an Au-plating layer as a surface layer of the cathode lead terminal, which is formed on the base material, and an anode section of the capacitor element is connected to the Cu region of the anode lead terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Akio Katsube, Hiroki Kitayama, Shinji Otani, Koji Murata
  • Patent number: 9037040
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, a first attached part and a second attached part. The toner case is attachable and detachable to the first attached part and the second attached part. The toner case includes a moving member and driving member. The moving member is capable of moving between a replenishing position and a collecting position. The driving member moves the moving member from the replenishing position to the collecting position with at least one of the attachment of the toner case to the first attached part and detachment of the toner case from the first attached part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Murata
  • Publication number: 20150125196
    Abstract: A toner conveying device includes a common conveyance path, toner input paths and blades. A screw for conveying a toner is installed in the common conveyance path. The toner input paths extend in an up-down direction and have lower ends connected to the common conveyance path. The blades are installed so as to make contact with a shaft of the screw and are configured to scrape off a toner adhering to the shaft of the screw. The blades are arranged immediately below the toner input paths so as to make contact with the shaft of the screw. The blades are disposed at a pitch of an integer multiple of a pitch of the fin of the screw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Naoki MIZUTANI, Koji MURATA
  • Publication number: 20150093154
    Abstract: A toner container according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a container body, a rotating member, a conveying member, a film member, and a stepped portion. Container body can store toner thereinside. Container body includes toner conveying path having supply opening through which toner is supplied to the outside. Rotating member is rotatably provided in container body. Rotating member rotates to scoop, into toner conveying path, toner stored in container body. Conveying member is rotatably provided in toner conveying path. Conveying member rotates to convey, toward the supply opening, toner in toner conveying path. Film member is mounted to an inner wall which extends from toner conveying path to an inner side of container body, and projects toward a region in which rotating member rotates. Stepped portion is provided in the inner wall. Stepped portion forms, between stepped portion and film member, a space having a predetermined height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Yoshii, Koji Murata
  • Patent number: 8938189
    Abstract: A toner conveying device of the present disclosure includes a conveying screw, a toner conveying pipe, and a plurality of convex portions that are formed on an inner wall surface of the toner conveying pipe. The conveying screw has a rotary shaft and a conveying vane that is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft. The toner conveying pipe has a circular section, and the conveying screw is rotatably disposed inside the toner conveying pipe. Each of the convex portions is formed within an area defined by half the circumference along the inner wall surface of the toner conveying pipe and supports the conveying screw so that an axial center of the rotary shaft substantially coincides with a center axis of the toner conveying pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Naoki Yamane, Tatsuhiko Yoshii
  • Publication number: 20150003870
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, a first attached part and a second attached part. The toner case is attachable and detachable to the first attached part and the second attached part. The toner case includes a moving member and driving member. The moving member is capable of moving between a replenishing position and a collecting position. The driving member moves the moving member from the replenishing position to the collecting position with at least one of the attachment of the toner case to the first attached part and detachment of the toner case from the first attached part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Koji MURATA
  • Patent number: 8867969
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rotation restricting member that includes, a shaft that is inserted into a shaft insertion hole with a predetermined angle relationship, and a plurality of rotation restriction portions, each of which is formed at a different position around the shaft insertion hole and performs a rotation restriction function of the shaft by engaging with an external portion, where the shaft insertion hole is set to have a shape of the shaft and is formed around the shaft with a different angle corresponding to the shape of the shaft to allow any of the plurality of rotation restriction portions to engage with the external portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Murata
  • Publication number: 20140242450
    Abstract: A packaging material for a power storage device includes: a base material layer that is configured to include a resin film; a base material protective layer that becomes an outermost layer, protects the base material layer, and is configured to include a urethane resin and a filler; a sealant layer that becomes an innermost layer; a metal foil layer that is disposed between the base material layer and the sealant layer; and an adhesive that contains a pigment, wherein the base material layer adheres to the metal foil layer via the adhesive by dry lamination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto OONO, Kazuki NISHIJIMA, Koji MURATA, Yu OGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20140242333
    Abstract: A packaging material for a power storage device includes a base material layer which has at least a first adhesive layer, a metal foil layer, a corrosion prevention-treated layer, a second adhesive layer, and a sealant layer, sequentially laminated on the side of the first surface thereof; and a base material protective layer formed from at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyester polyol and an acrylic polyol, each containing a group having a hydroxyl group in a side chain thereof, and an aliphatic isocyanate curing agent, laminated on the side of the second surface of in the base material layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto OONO, Kazuki NISHIJIMA, Koji MURATA
  • Publication number: 20140219687
    Abstract: A toner supply device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a toner case configured to contain toner; and a mounting member on which the toner case is detachably mounted. The mounting member includes: a toner receiving portion configured to receive the toner discharged from the toner case; and a toner holding portion configured to hold the toner received by the toner receiving portion. The toner holding portion includes a movable portion disposed below the toner receiving portion. The movable portion is provided so as to be able to lift and lower relative to the toner receiving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Murata
  • Publication number: 20140219688
    Abstract: A toner conveying device includes a toner containing part, a conveying member, and a vibration mechanism. The toner containing part contains a toner. The conveying member rotates around a rotation axis so as to convey the toner in the toner containing part. The vibration mechanism vibrates the conveying member in directions of the rotation axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Koji MURATA, Takehiro SATO
  • Patent number: 8768220
    Abstract: A toner case includes a main body that contains toner, a discharge port located in the main body through which toner is discharged, an agitating unit rotatably positioned in the main body for agitating the toner, a transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body for transporting the toner toward the discharge port, and a driving unit that drives the transportation unit and the agitating unit. The driving unit is rotatable forward and backward. When the driving unit rotates in one rotation direction, the agitating unit and the transportation unit rotate. When the driving unit rotates in the other rotation direction, the transportation unit does not rotate and the agitating unit rotates in the same direction as a direction in which the agitating unit rotates when the driving unit rotates in the one rotation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Yoshii, Koji Murata, Naoki Mizutani, Takeshi Fujimura, Naoki Yamane
  • Patent number: 8725011
    Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a first toner case that contains toner; a second toner case including a main body containing toner transported from the first toner case, a second discharge port located in the main body that discharges toner, and a second transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body, and that transports toner to the second discharge port; a second driving unit that drives the second transportation unit; a detecting unit that detects the number of rotations of the second transportation unit and outputs a rotation detection signal; and a control unit that estimates the amount of toner remaining in the first toner case based on an accumulated number of rotations represented by the rotation detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Yoshii, Koji Murata, Naoki Mizutani, Takeshi Fujimura, Naoki Yamane
  • Patent number: 8676073
    Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body containing toner, and an agitating unit rotatably mounted in the main body that agitates the toner. The drive section includes a driving unit driving the agitating unit, a detection unit detecting a driving unit driving state, and a control unit able to transmit a drive instruction signal to the driving unit and receive a detection signal regarding the driving unit driving state from the detection unit. The control unit determines whether the toner case is in an overload state in accordance with a detection signal reception state. The control unit performs a retry control, causing the driving unit to repeatedly rotate the agitating unit forward and backward when the control unit determines that the toner case is in an overload state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Tatsuhiko Yoshii, Naoki Mizutani, Takeshi Fujimura, Naoki Yamane
  • Publication number: 20130272764
    Abstract: A toner transportation device according to the present disclosure includes a transportation screw that has a rotational shaft and a transportation fin formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft and a toner transportation pipe that has a circular shape in cross section. The transportation screw is rotatably positioned in the toner transportation pipe. A support member is attached to the rotational shaft that has a bearing portion having an annular shape and rotatably fitted onto the rotational shaft and that has a plurality of leg portions radially protruding outward from an outer circumferential surface of the bearing portion. A distance between an axis of the rotational shaft and a tip of each leg portion is greater than a radius of the transportation fin and equal to or less than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the toner transportation pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Yoshii, Koji Murata, Naoki Yamane
  • Publication number: 20130266346
    Abstract: A developer container is fitted in a first direction to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet. The developer container includes a main body and a protrusion. An inner space filled with a developer is formed in the man body. The protrusion protrudes outward from an outer wall of the main body. The protrusion includes a plurality of wall surface parts facing in a direction opposite to the first direction. An order in which the plurality of wall surface parts are arranged when viewed in the first direction is different from an order in which the plurality of wall surface parts are arranged when viewed in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. A plurality of wall parts are formed integrally to connect the plurality of wall surface parts through the plurality of wall parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko YOSHII, Koji MURATA, Ryoji NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 8406680
    Abstract: A sheet reversing device has a vertical first conveyance path, a horizontal second conveyance path into which a sheet is carried via the first conveyance path and a horizontally third conveyance path into which the switched-back sheet is carried from the second conveyance path. A curved guide plate is disposed between the first and second conveyance paths and includes a curved guide surface for guiding the sheet to the second conveyance path, and a pivotal guide pivotably supported with a part thereof projecting from the curved guide surface. The pivotal guide pivots to retract into the inner side of the curved guide by being pushed by the sheet moving from the first conveyance path toward the second conveyance path while guiding the sheet switched back and carried out from the second conveyance path toward the third conveyance path with the part thereof projecting from the curved guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Murata
  • Publication number: 20130028639
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rotation restricting member that includes, a shaft that is inserted into a shaft insertion hole with a predetermined angle relationship, and a plurality of rotation restriction portions, each of which is formed at a different position around the shaft insertion hole and performs a rotation restriction function of the shaft by engaging with an external portion, where the shaft insertion hole is set to have a shape of the shaft and is formed around the shaft with a different angle corresponding to the shape of the shaft to allow any of the plurality of rotation restriction portions to engage with the external portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventor: Koji Murata
  • Publication number: 20120243887
    Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body that contains toner, a discharge port located in the main body and allowing toner to pass therethrough, and a transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body for transporting the toner toward the discharge port. The drive section includes a driving unit that drives the transportation unit, a detection unit that detects rotation of the transportation unit and outputs a rotation number detection signal, and a control unit that estimates an amount of toner remaining in the toner case based on an accumulated number of times the rotation number detection signal has been outputted from the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Murata, Tatsuhiko Yoshii, Naoki Mizutani, Takeshi Fujimura, Naoki Yamane