Patents by Inventor Koji Sakatani

Koji Sakatani 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: 9086563
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit, a shutter unit located at a front surface at a subject side of the image pickup unit, a first optical member disposed at a subject side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, a second optical member disposed at the image pickup unit side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, and a vibration applying vibration member disposed on at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member, and vibrating the first optical member or the second optical member at a position outside a region where a subject light transmits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventor: Koji Sakatani
  • Patent number: 8684543
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit, a shutter unit located at a front surface at a subject side of the image pickup unit, a first optical member disposed at a subject side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, a second optical member disposed at the image pickup unit side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, and a vibration applying vibration member disposed on at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member, and vibrating the first optical member or the second optical member at a position outside a region where a subject light transmits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Koji Sakatani
  • Publication number: 20140009831
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit, a shutter unit located at a front surface at a subject side of the image pickup unit, a first optical member disposed at a subject side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, a second optical member disposed at the image pickup unit side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, and a vibration applying vibration member disposed on at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member, and vibrating the first optical member or the second optical member at a position outside a region where a subject light transmits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventor: Koji SAKATANI
  • Publication number: 20120050860
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit, a shutter unit located at a front surface at a subject side of the image pickup unit, a first optical member disposed at a subject side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, a second optical member disposed at the image pickup unit side of the shutter unit, and preventing dust particles from entering the shutter unit, and a vibration applying vibration member disposed on at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member, and vibrating the first optical member or the second optical member at a position outside a region where a subject light transmits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventor: Koji SAKATANI
  • Patent number: 7466062
    Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes a housing, a rotor, a bearing member, a vibrator serving as an actuator and having a support shaft and a driving element, and a leaf spring having a pressing protrusion. The vibrator is slidably disposed in an opening of the housing along a rotation axis direction of the rotor, and a support shaft of the vibrator is rotatable. The vibrator is held while being urged by the leaf spring and being in contact with the rotor. The vibrator is excited to generate supersonic vibration so that the rotor is rotated. Since the vibrator is movably supported by the housing in the rotation axis direction and the vibrator is urged by the leaf spring and is in contact with a friction contact surface of the rotor, the vibrator is evenly in contact with the rotor in a direction perpendicular to the friction contact surface so as to provide superior driving conditions of the vibration wave motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventors: Koji Sakatani, Atsushi Nakamae, Hiroyuki Takizawa, Sumio Kawai
  • Publication number: 20060113868
    Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes a housing, a rotor, a bearing member, a vibrator serving as an actuator and having a support shaft and a driving element, and a leaf spring having a pressing protrusion. The vibrator is slidably disposed in an opening of the housing along a rotation axis direction of the rotor, and a support shaft of the vibrator is rotatable. The vibrator is held while being urged by the leaf spring and being in contact with the rotor. The vibrator is excited to generate supersonic vibration so that the rotor is rotated. Since the vibrator is movably supported by the housing in the rotation axis direction and the vibrator is urged by the leaf spring and is in contact with a friction contact surface of the rotor, the vibrator is evenly in contact with the rotor in a direction perpendicular to the friction contact surface so as to provide superior driving conditions of the vibration wave motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventors: Koji Sakatani, Atsushi Nakamae, Hiroyuki Takizawa, Sumio Kawai
  • Publication number: 20060113867
    Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes a housing, a rotor, a bearing member, a bending-vibration driving transducer having a support shaft and two driving elements and serving as an actuator, and a leaf spring having a pressing protrusion. The transducer is slidable in an opening of the housing along a rotation axis direction of the rotor, and a support shaft of the transducer is rotatably supported and inserted. The transducer is held while being urged by the leaf spring and being in contact with the rotor. Since the transducer is urged by the pressing protrusion of the leaf spring, the leaf spring is in complete contact with the transducer without edge contact so that the two driving elements are evenly in contact with the rotor in a direction perpendicular to the frictional contact surface, thus providing driving conditions of superior conversion efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventors: Koji Sakatani, Atsushi Nakamae, Hiroyuki Takizawa, Sumio Kawai