Patents by Inventor Masafumi Furuyama

Masafumi Furuyama 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: 10308029
    Abstract: A liquid holding unit supplies liquid to a liquid ejector of a liquid ejection device. The liquid holding unit includes a liquid holder, an inlet, a plug, a shaft, and an engagement portion. The liquid holder holds the liquid. The housing accommodates the liquid holder. The inlet is used to fill the liquid holder with the liquid. The plug opens and closes the inlet and includes an elastically deformable plug body that covers the inlet and a holding member that holds the plug body and has higher rigidity than the plug body. The shaft is arranged on one of the housing and the plug. The plug is pivotal about the shaft. The engagement portion arranged on the other one of the housing and the plug and engaged with the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shoma Kudo, Naomi Kimura, Hideki Okumura, Motoyoshi Shirotori, Kazuo Otsuka, Masafumi Furuyama
  • Patent number: 10118423
    Abstract: A recording device includes a carriage that has a recording head that performs recording on a medium and a plurality of liquid cartridges that house a liquid to be ejected from the recording head, the plurality of liquid cartridges being arranged in a line in a direction that intersects the movement direction of the carriage and being provided with target detection units, and a detector that includes a moving part which moves in a direction that intersects the movement direction of the carriage and that, by the movement of the moving part, detects the residual amount of the liquid between the detector and each of the target detection units of the plurality of the liquid cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi, Kazuo Otsuka, Masafumi Furuyama
  • Publication number: 20170355197
    Abstract: A liquid holding unit supplies liquid to a liquid ejector of a liquid ejection device. The liquid holding unit includes a liquid holder, an inlet, a plug, a shaft, and an engagement portion. The liquid holder holds the liquid. The housing accommodates the liquid holder. The inlet is used to fill the liquid holder with the liquid. The plug opens and closes the inlet and includes an elastically deformable plug body that covers the inlet and a holding member that holds the plug body and has higher rigidity than the plug body. The shaft is arranged on one of the housing and the plug. The plug is pivotal about the shaft. The engagement portion arranged on the other one of the housing and the plug and engaged with the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Shoma KUDO, Naomi KIMURA, Hideki OKUMURA, Motoyoshi SHIROTORI, Kazuo OTSUKA, Masafumi FURUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20170313107
    Abstract: A recording device includes a carriage that has a recording head that performs recording on a medium and a plurality of liquid cartridges that house a liquid to be ejected from the recording head, the plurality of liquid cartridges being arranged in a line in a direction that intersects the movement direction of the carriage and being provided with target detection units, and a detector that includes a moving part which moves in a direction that intersects the movement direction of the carriage and that, by the movement of the moving part, detects the residual amount of the liquid between the detector and each of the target detection units of the plurality of the liquid cartridges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Satoshi NAKATA, Hitoshi IGARASHI, Kazuo OTSUKA, Masafumi FURUYAMA
  • Patent number: 8590882
    Abstract: A feeder unit includes: a first tray that keeps a storage position in which the first tray is stored within the base portion and an operation position, and is provided at one end of a feeding path of a medium so as to place the medium thereon; a cover member that is openably and closeably provided to cover the first tray in the storage position when being closed or uncover the first tray when being open; and a first power transmitter that transmits power to open and close the cover member to the first tray, and the first power transmitter is configured so as to displace the first tray to the operation position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to an open-state, and to the storage position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to a closed-state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masafumi Furuyama, Toshio Miyake
  • Patent number: 7934717
    Abstract: A rotation-transmitting mechanism includes a first planetary gear mechanism and a locking mechanism. The first planetary gear mechanism transmits rotational driving force to the transportation unit through a first planet gear to rotate the transportation roller when the motor rotates in a first direction, and transmits rotational driving force to the transportation unit through a second planet gear to rotate the transportation roller when the motor rotates in a second direction. The locking mechanism can lock a planetary rocking member of the first planetary gear mechanism in such a condition that rotational driving force of the motor is transmitted to the transportation unit through the second planet gear. The locking mechanism terminates locking of the planetary rocking member of the first planetary gear mechanism by engaging with the sheet in the transportation path downstream of the transportation roller with respect to the direction in which the sheet is transported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Masaki Shimomura, Masafumi Furuyama
  • Publication number: 20100270726
    Abstract: A rotation-transmitting mechanism includes a first planetary gear mechanism and a locking mechanism. The first planetary gear mechanism transmits rotational driving force to the transportation unit through a first planet gear to rotate the transportation roller when the motor rotates in a first direction, and transmits rotational driving force to the transportation unit through a second planet gear to rotate the transportation roller when the motor rotates in a second direction. The locking mechanism can lock a planetary rocking member of the first planetary gear mechanism in such a condition that rotational driving force of the motor is transmitted to the transportation unit through the second planet gear. The locking mechanism terminates locking of the planetary rocking member of the first planetary gear mechanism by engaging with the sheet in the transportation path downstream of the transportation roller with respect to the direction in which the sheet is transported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhisa TAKEDA, Masaki SHIMOMURA, Masafumi FURUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20100252987
    Abstract: A feeder unit includes: a first tray that keeps a storage position in which the first tray is stored within the base portion and an operation position, and is provided at one end of a feeding path of a medium so as to place the medium thereon; a cover member that is openably and closeably provided to cover the first tray in the storage position when being closed or uncover the first tray when being open; and a first power transmitter that transmits power to open and close the cover member to the first tray, and the first power transmitter is configured so as to displace the first tray to the operation position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to an open-state, and to the storage position with the displacement of the cover member when the cover member is switched to a closed-state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masafumi FURUYAMA, Toshio MIYAKE
  • Patent number: 7694956
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, Masafumi Furuyama, Toru Fukushima
  • Patent number: 7591602
    Abstract: A gap detector is operable to detect a distance between a liquid ejecting head adapted to eject liquid toward a target medium and a platen adapted to support the target medium. A circular plate is adapted to be provided on a guide shaft which is rotated together with the rotary plate to selectively determine the distance as one of a plurality of distances. The circular plate has a plurality of flags formed on an outer periphery, each of which is associated with one of the distances. A sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the circular plate and operable to output a signal indicative of a passage of each of the flags in accordance with the rotation of the circular plate. At least one of intervals between the flags in a circumferential direction of the circular plate is made different from the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichiro Fukumasu, Kazuhiro Hashii, Masafumi Furuyama
  • Publication number: 20070211086
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Tsuyosi Yamanaka, Masafumi Furuyama, Toru Fukushima
  • Patent number: 7182336
    Abstract: A paper feed unit includes a hopper on which sheets are stacked and which is turned around a rotation shaft. The hopper is turned to move apart from or move to a paper feed roller. The paper feed unit has three modes: a large release mode in which the hopper is turned to be most apart from the paper feed roller, a non-release mode in which the printing sheet is abutted against the paper feed roller, and a small release mode in which the printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller, and is at a medium level between the above two modes. When a paper feeding job is still present, a state that the uppermost printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller is retained by the small release mode, whereby a swing range of the hopper is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Fukushima, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Masafumi Furuyama, Yoji Sasai, Norihiro Yamashita, Yoichi Kobayashi, Hirotomo Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20060284364
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki SHIMOMURA, Kazuhisa KAWAKAMI, Tsuyoshi YAMANAKA, Masafumi FURUYAMA, Toru FUKUSHIMA
  • Patent number: 7134658
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Tsuyosi Yamanaka, Masafumi Furuyama, Toru Fukushima
  • Patent number: 7114716
    Abstract: A paper returner is placed in the vicinity of an end portion of a hopper for stacking a plurality of sheets of paper which faces a paper feeding roller, so as to be pivotable between a first position where the paper returner constitutes a part of the paper transporting passage, and a second position where the paper returner is isolated from the paper transporting passage. A separation pad is provided on a first face of the paper returner. The separation pad has a friction coefficient which is higher than a friction coefficient of the first face of the paper returner. The paper returner is placed at the first position so that a top sheet of paper in the hopper is abutted against the paper feeding roller, and is separated from other sheets of paper by the separation pad. The paper returner is placed at the second position so that the first face of the paper returner returns sheets of paper, which are entered in the paper transporting passage-together with the sheet of paper to be fed, to the hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Otsuka, Masafumi Furuyama
  • Publication number: 20060193670
    Abstract: A gap detector is operable to detect a distance between a liquid electing head adapted to eject liquid toward a target medium and a platen adapted to support the target medium. A circular plate is adapted to be provided on a guide shaft which is rotated together with the rotary plate to selectively determine the distance as one of a plurality of distances. The circular plate has a plurality of flags formed on an outer periphery, each of which is associated with one of the distances. A sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the circular plate and operable to output a signal indicative of a passage of each of the flags in accordance with the rotation of the circular plate. At least one of intervals between the flags in a circumferential direction of the circular plate is made different from the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Keiichiro Fukumasu, Kazuhiro Hashii, Masafumi Furuyama
  • Patent number: 6880822
    Abstract: A paper feed unit includes a hopper on which sheets are stacked and which is turned around a rotation shaft. The hopper is turned to move apart from or move to a paper feed roller. The paper feed unit has three modes: a large release mode in which the hopper is turned to be most apart from the paper feed roller, a non-release mode in which the printing sheet is abutted against the paper feed roller, and a small release mode in which the printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller, and is at a medium level between the above two modes. When a paper feeding job is still present, a state that the uppermost printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller is retained by the small release mode, whereby a swing range of the hopper is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Fukushima, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Masafumi Furuyama, Yoji Sasai, Norihiro Yamashita, Yoichi Kobayashi, Hirotomo Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20050062215
    Abstract: A paper feed unit includes a hopper on which sheets are stacked and which is turned around a rotation shaft. The hopper is turned to move apart from or move to a paper feed roller. The paper feed unit has three modes: a large release mode in which the hopper is turned to be most apart from the paper feed roller, a non-release mode in which the printing sheet is abutted against the paper feed roller, and a small release mode in which the printing sheet. is slightly separated from the paper feed roller, and is at a medium level between the above two modes. When a paper feeding job is still present, a state that the uppermost printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller is retained by the small release mode, whereby a swing range of the hopper is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Toru Fukushima, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Masafumi Furuyama, Yoji Sasai, Norihiro Yamashita, Yoichi Kobayashi, Hirotomo Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20050062216
    Abstract: A paper feed unit includes a hopper on which sheets are stacked and which is turned around a rotation shaft. The hopper is turned to move apart from or move to a paper feed roller. The paper feed unit has three modes: a large release mode in which the hopper is turned to be most apart from the paper feed roller, a non-release mode in which the printing sheet is abutted against the paper feed roller, and a small release mode in which the printing sheet, is slightly separated from the paper feed roller, and is at a medium level between the above two modes. When a paper feeding job is still present, a state that the uppermost printing sheet is slightly separated from the paper feed roller is retained by the small release mode, whereby a swing range of the hopper is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Toru Fukushima, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Masafumi Furuyama, Yoji Sasai, Norihiro Yamashita, Yoichi Kobayashi, Hirotomo Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20040251610
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Tsuyosi Nakayama, Masafumi Furuyama, Toru Fukushima