Patents by Inventor Koji Wakamoto

Koji Wakamoto 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: 10474086
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: a paper feed unit; a print unit; a registration roller; a sheet leading end sensor provided downstream, in a transport direction of the recording paper, of the registration roller; a time measuring unit for measuring a time from a start point of transportation of the recording paper by the registration roller to a point of detection of the leading end of the recording paper by the sheet leading end sensor; a memory unit for storing a reference image forming time and a reference time; a print control unit; and an arithmetic unit for obtaining a difference between the reference time and the time detected by the time measuring unit. The print control unit adjusts the length of the image forming period in accordance with the adjusted image forming time determined based on the difference obtained by the arithmetic unit and the reference image forming time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norio Tomita, Yasuaki Fukada, Hidetoshi Atsumi, Koji Wakamoto, Atsushi Ogo, Ryosuke Sakai
  • Patent number: 8353512
    Abstract: A switch back path is connected to a sheet feed path through a branch portion. A plurality of pairs of forward and backward rotating rollers are disposed along the switch back path from the branch portion. A driving portion selectively supplies rotation of a forward rotation direction or of a backward rotation direction to a plurality of pairs of forward and backward rotating rollers. A separation mechanism separates a first pair of forward and backward rotating rollers from each other. A control portion controls operation of the driving portion and the separation mechanism so that a sheet to be fed into the switch back path and a sheet to be fed out of the switch back path pass each other in the switch back path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junya Masuda, Koji Wakamoto
  • Publication number: 20120275802
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: a paper feed unit; a print unit; a registration roller; a sheet leading end sensor provided downstream, in a transport direction of the recording paper, of the registration roller; a time measuring unit for measuring a time from a start point of transportation of the recording paper by the registration roller to a point of detection of the leading end of the recording paper by the sheet leading end sensor; a memory unit for storing a reference image forming time and a reference time; a print control unit; and an arithmetic unit for obtaining a difference between the reference time and the time detected by the time measuring unit. The print control unit adjusts the length of the image forming period in accordance with the adjusted image forming time determined based on the difference obtained by the arithmetic unit and the reference image forming time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Norio Tomita, Yasuaki Fukada, Hidetoshi Atsumi, Koji Wakamoto, Atsushi Ogo, Ryosuke Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120126473
    Abstract: A switch back path is connected to a sheet feed path through a branch portion. A plurality of pairs of forward and backward rotating rollers are disposed along the switch back path from the branch portion. A driving portion selectively supplies rotation of a forward rotation direction or of a backward rotation direction to a plurality of pairs of forward and backward rotating rollers. A separation mechanism separates a first pair of forward and backward rotating rollers from each other. A control portion controls operation of the driving portion and the separation mechanism so that a sheet to be fed into the switch back path and a sheet to be fed out of the switch back path pass each other in the switch back path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Junya MASUDA, Koji Wakamoto
  • Publication number: 20100028049
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a cylindrical photoconductor; a laser scanning section that includes a polygonal mirror and allows a laser beam to reflect off the polygonal mirror and then irradiate a peripheral surface of the photoconductor, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed; an image development section for developing the electrostatic latent image; and a toner storage section for storing the toner to be supplied to the image development section, wherein the image development section is disposed lower than a central axis of the photoconductor, the toner storage section is disposed above the image development section so as to form a space therebetween, and the laser scanning section is disposed so that the rotation axis of the polygonal mirror extends in a vertical direction, and the laser beam reflected from the polygonal mirror reaches to the photoconductor through the space and irradiates a portion of the peripheral surface, which is higher than the central axis of the photoconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Koji Wakamoto, Junya Masuda, Masato Kaneko
  • Patent number: 6697590
    Abstract: There are provided a conveying path provided in an apparatus body and serving to convey a sheet-like object in a longitudinal direction, a moving body capable of being moved to a position in which the conveying path is to be exposed and a position in which the sheet-like object can be conveyed to cover the conveying path, and at least three support members for supporting the moving body to be slid in an almost horizontal direction with respect to the apparatus body and to be separated or joined are provided on a lower end portion at the side that a user accesses for a jam processing in the moving body and both upper and lower end portions at the opposite side thereof. Accordingly, in the case in which the user is to carry out the jam processing by separating the moving body from the apparatus body, a jammed paper in the conveying path can be removed easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Inoue, Shinichi Takeda, Junya Masuda, Masao Matsui, Koji Wakamoto, Shinji Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 6694116
    Abstract: There are provided a conveying path provided in an apparatus body and serving to convey a sheet-like object in a longitudinal direction, a moving body capable of being moved to a position in which the conveying path is to be exposed and a position in which the sheet-like object can be conveyed to cover the conveying path, and at least three support members for supporting the moving body to be slid in an almost horizontal direction with respect to the apparatus body and to be separated or joined are provided on a lower end portion at the side that a user accesses for a jam processing in the moving body and both upper and lower end portions at the opposite side thereof. Accordingly, in the case in which the user is to carry out the jam processing by separating the moving body from the apparatus body, a jammed paper in the conveying path can be removed easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Inoue, Shinichi Takeda, Junya Masuda, Masao Matsui, Koji Wakamoto, Shinji Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20030210924
    Abstract: There are provided a conveying path provided in an apparatus body and serving to convey a sheet-like object in a longitudinal direction, a moving body capable of being moved to a position in which the conveying path is to be exposed and a position in which the sheet-like object can be conveyed to cover the conveying path, and at least three support members for supporting the moving body to be slid in an almost horizontal direction with respect to the apparatus body and to be separated or joined are provided on a lower end portion at the side that a user accesses for a jam processing in the moving body and both upper and lower end portions at the opposite side thereof. Accordingly, in the case in which the user is to carry out the jam processing by separating the moving body from the apparatus body, a jammed paper in the conveying path can be removed easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Inoue, Shinichi Takeda, Junya Masuda, Masao Matsui, Koji Wakamoto, Shinji Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 6636338
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for reproducing an image on an image carrier by means of a laser beam, a frame structure for supporting a laser scanning device has a basic configuration in which lower portions of front and rear frames are coupled to each other by combining square pipes. In the frame structure, a reinforcing member of a flat plate made of a rigid material is fixed to upper square pipes of the front and rear frames which is required to be reinforced. A supporting member which supports optical components constituting the laser scanning device is fixed and supported by the reinforcing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kida, Koji Wakamoto
  • Publication number: 20020098010
    Abstract: There are provided a conveying path provided in an apparatus body and serving to convey a sheet-like object in a longitudinal direction, a moving body capable of being moved to a position in which the conveying path is to be exposed and a position in which the sheet-like object can be conveyed to cover the conveying path, and at least three support members for supporting the moving body to be slid in an almost horizontal direction with respect to the apparatus body and to be separated or joined are provided on a lower end portion at the side that a user accesses for a jam processing in the moving body and both upper and lower end portions at the opposite side thereof. Accordingly, in the case in which the user is to carry out the jam processing by separating the moving body from the apparatus body, a jammed paper in the conveying path can be removed easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2002
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Inventors: Tatsuya Inoue, Shinichi Takeda, Junya Masuda, Masao Matsui, Koji Wakamoto, Shinji Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 6209864
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus having a post-processing tray arranged upright, a post-processing device such as stapler etc., an offset tray to which post-processed sheets are discharged, includes: the third and forth discharge rollers for introducing the sheet into the post-processing tray from its bottom and discharging the sheet after post-processing to the offset tray; a sheet guide arranged opposing the post-processing tray, a pusher mechanism and paddlers, for aligning the sheets to be stacked so as to be substantially upright and pressing the sheet by particular portions when the sheet is introduced into the post-processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadasu Taniguchi, Masaru Tsuji, Junya Masuda, Takahiro Fukunaga, Koji Wakamoto, Masanobu Yamamoto, Hiroshi Kida