Patents by Inventor Mamoru Tomotsune

Mamoru Tomotsune 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: 6427997
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus is provided with a sheet passage; a conveyor to covey a sheet along the sheet passage; an intermediate stacker on which the sheet conveyed along the sheet passage is placed so that a bundle of sheets is formed on the intermediate stacker; a finisher to conduct a finishing process for the bundle of sheets formed on the intermediate stacker; a sheet delivering section to which the bundle of sheets is delivered; and a sheet delivering device to true up edges of the bundle of sheets on the intermediate stacker before the finisher conducts the finishing process and to deliver the bundle of sheets from the intermediate stacker to the sheet delivering section after the finisher has conducted the finishing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Masanobu Kawano, Yuji Kanazawa, Mamoru Tomotsune, Takanori Yoshida, Hideyo Ohashi, Yukihiko Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 6283354
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has a function of stapling sheets together, wherein the sheets are fed from an image forming apparatus one by one after images are formed on the sheets. The sheet processing apparatus includes a stapler to staple the sheets together, a sheet guide which guides the sheets along a sheet transporting path from the image forming apparatus to a position at which the sheets are stapled by the stapler, and a reference surface against which edges of the sheets are butted to stop movement of the sheets. The sheets are guided along the sheet transporting path by the sheet guide and the edges of the sheets are butted against the reference surface at a same position relative to a sheet conveying direction, irrespective of whether the sheet processing apparatus is in a stapling mode in which the stapler staples the sheets or a non-stapling mode in which the stapler does not staple the sheets, and irrespective of sizes of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Endo, Kazuyoshi Omi, Yuji Kanazawa, Takanori Yoshida, Mamoru Tomotsune, Yukihiko Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 6233427
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a sheet ejection section, provided in an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, for ejecting a recording sheet onto an upper surface portion of the image forming apparatus; a sheet post-processing apparatus for receiving the recording sheet, ejected from the sheet ejection section, so as to perform a post-processing operation upon the recording sheet; and a coupler for coupling the sheet post-processing apparatus with the image forming apparatus so that at least a part of the post-processing apparatus is located on the upper surface portion of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Masanobu Kawano, Shogo Kato, Naoki Otomo, Yuji Kanazawa, Takanori Yoshida, Yukihiko Nishimoto, Mamoru Tomotsune
  • Patent number: 6152445
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a guide for the recording sheet formed by a discharging layer. The layer includes an electrically grounded conductive substrate and an organic conductive fiber thereon. The surface of the guide is in close proximity to the surface of the recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Endo, Mamoru Tomotsune, Yuji Kanazawa, Kazuyoshi Omi
  • Patent number: 6109605
    Abstract: In an sheet finishing apparatus for receiving a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, and for ejecting the sheet after a front side thereof is reversed, the sheet finishing apparatus includes: a sheet conveyor for conveying the sheet fed from the image forming apparatus downstream; a sheet reversing device for receiving the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyor, and for reversing the front side of the sheet by rotation; a sheet holder provided on a peripheral portion of the sheet reversing device for holding a leading edge portion of the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyor, the sheet holder capable of being opened or closed; a sheet stopper for blocking the leading edge portion of the sheet to be stopped at a position where the front side of the sheet is reversed by a rotation of the sheet reversing device; and a sheet stacking member for stacking the sheet separated from the sheet reversing device by a further rotation of the reversing device after the leading edge of the she
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Endo, Yuji Kanazawa, Takanori Yoshida, Kazuyoshi Omi, Mamoru Tomotsune, Masanobu Kawano, Yukihiko Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 5984299
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus for finishing a sheet, on which an image has been formed, conveyed from an image forming apparatus, the sheet finishing apparatus includes: a sheet ejecting member for ejecting the sheet after finishing; and an exit tray for receiving the sheet ejected by the sheet ejecting member after finishing is conducted. The exit tray includes a movable exit tray member on which the sheet is stacked, and a stationary exit tray member for supporting the movable exit tray member. The movable exit tray member has a sheet stacking surface on which the sheet is stacked, and a stopper portion provided adjacent to the sheet ejecting member to bring an edge of the sheet into contact with the stopper portion. The movable exit tray member is pivotally supported around a supporting shaft provided on a leading edge portion of the stationary exit tray member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Endo, Yuji Kanazawa, Takanori Yoshida, Kazuyoshi Omi, Mamoru Tomotsune
  • Patent number: RE39168
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a sheet ejection section, provided in an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, for ejecting a recording sheet onto an upper surface portion of the image forming apparatus; a sheet post-processing apparatus for receiving the recording sheet, ejected from the sheet ejection section, so as to perform a post-processing operation upon the recording sheet; and a coupler for coupling the sheet post-processing apparatus with the image forming apparatus so that at least a part of the post-processing apparatus is located on the upper surface portion of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hirota, Hisao Hosoya, Masanobu Kawano, Shogo Kato, Naoki Otomo, Yuji Kanazawa, Takanori Yoshida, Yukihiko Nishimoto, Mamoru Tomotsune