Patents by Inventor Masahiro Inazuka

Masahiro Inazuka 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: 10432862
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a photographing optical system, an image sensor onto which an object image is projected through the photographing optical system, a movable member to which the image sensor is fixed, a base member which holds the movable member in a manner to allow the movable member to move relative to the base member, and a thrust generator which generates thrust forces in different directions, including first through third directions, the first direction being parallel with the optical axis direction of the photographing optical system. An interaction of the thrust forces against the movable member in at least one of the different directions causes the movable member to at least one of translate relative to the base member in the first through third directions, and/or rotate relative to the base member about the first through third directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiichi Ito, Masahiro Inazuka, Kosei Kosako
  • Publication number: 20170155816
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a photographing optical system, an image sensor onto which an object image is projected through the photographing optical system, a movable member to which the image sensor is fixed, a base member which holds the movable member in a manner to allow the movable member to move relative to the base member, and a thrust generator which generates thrust forces in different directions, including first through third directions, the first direction being parallel with the optical axis direction of the photographing optical system. An interaction of the thrust forces against the movable member in at least one of the different directions causes the movable member to at least one of translate relative to the base member in the first through third directions, and/or rotate relative to the base member about the first through third directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiichi ITO, Masahiro INAZUKA, Kosei KOSAKO
  • Patent number: 9310669
    Abstract: A camera body includes a plurality of body-side bayonet lugs which are provided on the peripheral edge of an opening; and a protrusion which is positioned in a circular-arc opening formed between adjacent body-side bayonet lugs of the body-side bayonet lugs, the distance between the protrusion and either of adjacent two body-side bayonet lugs of the body-side bayonet lugs being shorter than each of the lens-side bayonet lugs; and a body-side mount surface with which the lens-side bayonet surface comes into contact from the front side when the lens-side bayonet lugs are positioned immediately behind the body-side bayonet lugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Makoto Niwa, Yuji Kogure, Takahiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Inazuka, Ichiro Taguchi, Kosei Kosako
  • Patent number: 9197801
    Abstract: A camera body includes a body-side bayonet lug, wherein a lens-side bayonet lug of a lens barrel is positioned immediately behind the body-side bayonet lug when the lens barrel is mounted to the camera body; an opposed surface formed on the rear surface of the body-side bayonet lug and positioned immediately in front of the lens-side bayonet lug; a body-side mount surface positioned in front of the opposed surface and with which the lens-side bayonet surface comes into contact; and a body-side contact portion, the front end of which contacts the rear end of the lens-side contact portion when the opposed surface faces the lens-side bayonet lug, the front end of the body-side contact portion being positioned in front of the opposed surface and behind the body-side mount surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Makoto Niwa, Yuji Kogure, Takahiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Inazuka, Ichiro Taguchi, Kosei Kosako
  • Patent number: 9134590
    Abstract: A camera body includes body-side bayonet lugs concentric with lens-side bayonet lugs, circular-arc openings, a circular arc protrusion positioned inside the camera body and projecting forward and concentric with the body-side bayonet lugs, body-side contact portions provided and arranged on the front end surface of the circular arc protrusion and come into contact with lens-side contact portions which are provided on the lens barrel, and rearward biasers provided immediately behind two of the body-side bayonet lugs to bias and move the lens-side bayonet lugs rearward, wherein two of the body-side contact portions located at both ends in the lengthwise direction and the two rearward biasers lie on radial-direction extension lines of the circular arc protrusion, respectively, as viewed in an optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Makoto Niwa, Yuji Kogure, Takahiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Inazuka, Ichiro Taguchi, Kosei Kosako
  • Patent number: 9046742
    Abstract: A camera having a mirror drive mechanism, for rotating a movable mirror, includes a slider supported on a side of the movable mirror to be linearly movable in a vertical direction corresponding to an up-and-down rotation of the movable mirror, the slider including a cam follower; an end-face cam member positioned above a mirror up-and-down pivot, about which the movable mirror pivots, to be rotatable about a vertical rotational shaft, a cam follower provided on the slider is in contact with the end-face cam member so that the end-face cam member changes a vertical position of the slider via an end-face cam and the cam follower by rotating; and an end-face cam driver. A control apparatus for a cam drive mechanism and a method of controlling a cam drive mechanism are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Sanada, Masahiro Inazuka, Kosei Kosako
  • Publication number: 20150037023
    Abstract: A camera having a mirror drive mechanism, for rotating a movable mirror, includes a slider supported on a side of the movable mirror to be linearly movable in a vertical direction corresponding to an up-and-down rotation of the movable mirror, the slider including a cam follower; an end-face cam member positioned above a mirror up-and-down pivot, about which the movable mirror pivots, to be rotatable about a vertical rotational shaft, a cam follower provided on the slider is in contact with the end-face cam member so that the end-face cam member changes a vertical position of the slider via an end-face cam and the cam follower by rotating; and an end-face cam driver. A control apparatus for a cam drive mechanism and a method of controlling a cam drive mechanism are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Shinichiro SANADA, Masahiro INAZUKA, Kosei KOSAKO
  • Publication number: 20140119720
    Abstract: A camera body includes body-side bayonet lugs concentric with lens-side bayonet lugs, circular-arc openings, a circular arc protrusion positioned inside the camera body and projecting forward and concentric with the body-side bayonet lugs, body-side contact portions provided and arranged on the front end surface of the circular arc protrusion and come into contact with lens-side contact portions which are provided on the lens barrel, and rearward biasers provided immediately behind two of the body-side bayonet lugs to bias and move the lens-side bayonet lugs rearward, wherein two of the body-side contact portions located at both ends in the lengthwise direction and the two rearward biasers lie on radial-direction extension lines of the circular arc protrusion, respectively, as viewed in an optical axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Makoto Niwa, Yuji Kogure, Takahiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Inazuka, Ichiro Taguchi, Kosei Kosako
  • Publication number: 20140119721
    Abstract: A camera body includes a plurality of body-side bayonet lugs which are provided on the peripheral edge of an opening; and a protrusion which is positioned in a circular-arc opening formed between adjacent body-side bayonet lugs of the body-side bayonet lugs, the distance between the protrusion and either of adjacent two body-side bayonet lugs of the body-side bayonet lugs being shorter than each of the lens-side bayonet lugs; and a body-side mount surface with which the lens-side bayonet surface comes into contact from the front side when the lens-side bayonet lugs are positioned immediately behind the body-side bayonet lugs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Makoto Niwa, Yuji Kogure, Takahiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Inazuka, Ichiro Taguchi, Kosei Kosako
  • Publication number: 20140111686
    Abstract: A camera body includes a body-side bayonet lug, wherein a lens-side bayonet lug of a lens barrel is positioned immediately behind the body-side bayonet lug when the lens barrel is mounted to the camera body; an opposed surface formed on the rear surface of the body-side bayonet and positioned immediately in front of the lens-side bayonet lug; a body-side mount surface positioned in front of the opposed surface and with which the lens-side bayonet surface comes into contact; and a body-side contact portion, the front end of which contacts the rear end of the lens-side contact portion when the opposed surface faces the lens-side bayonet lug, the front end of the body-side contact portion being positioned in front of the opposed surface and behind the body-side mount surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Makoto Niwa, Yuji Kogure, Takahiro Kobayashi, Masahiro Inazuka, Ichiro Taguchi, Kosei Kosako
  • Patent number: 7720365
    Abstract: A photographic device, includes a shake detector, a shake mitigator, a first commander, and a shake controller. The shake detector detects a device shake, that is, a shaking of the photographic device. The shake mitigator mitigates the effects of the device shake to reduce an image shake that is a shake of a photographed subject image. The first commander commands the photographic device to photograph the subject image. The shake controller controls the shake mitigator so that the shake mitigator refrains from mitigating the effects of the device shake from the point when the first commander commands the photographic device to photograph the subject image, until the point when photographing the subject image commences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Kosei Kosako, Masahiro Inazuka, Takuma Sato, Shinichi Kakiuchi, Shinya Suzuka
  • Patent number: 7586519
    Abstract: An optical apparatus including an electrical component which is movable in a plane, and a flexible printed wiring board in the shape of a strip, the widthwise direction thereof being parallel to the plane, which connects the electrical component to a stationary board, wherein the flexible printed wiring board includes a folded extension portion which firstly extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane and is subsequently folded back at a folded portion to extend in a direction opposite thereto; and at least one slit which is provided to pass through the folded portion and to split at least a part of the folded extension portion into at least two split portions thereof in the widthwise direction of the flexible printed wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: HOYA Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nomura, Kosei Kosako, Shinya Suzuka, Masahiro Inazuka, Ken Endo
  • Publication number: 20070212041
    Abstract: A photographic device, includes a shake detector, a shake mitigator, a first commander, and a shake controller. The shake detector detects a device shake, that is, a shaking of the photographic device. The shake mitigator mitigates the effects of the device shake to reduce an image shake that is a shake of a photographed subject image. The first commander commands the photographic device to photograph the subject image. The shake controller controls the shake mitigator so that the shake mitigator refrains from mitigating the effects of the device shake from the point when the first commander commands the photographic device to photograph the subject image, until the point when photographing the subject image commences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: PENTAX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosei KOSAKO, Masahiro INAZUKA, Takuma SATO, Shinichi KAKIUCHI, Shinya SUZUKA
  • Publication number: 20070146489
    Abstract: A camera having an image-stabilizing function includes an image-stabilizing mechanism which corrects image blur that occurs due to hand shake of the camera; a shutter-release operating member; and an image-stabilizer operating member which is operably movable between an image-stabilizer-activated position and an image-stabilizer-deactivated position, the image-stabilizer operating member being provided separately from the shutter-release operating member on a camera body of the camera. The image-stabilizing mechanism is activated so as to be capable of image stabilization while the image-stabilizer operating member is positioned at the image-stabilizer-activated position. The image-stabilizing mechanism is deactivated so as to be incapable of image stabilization while the image-stabilizer operating member is positioned at the image-stabilizer-deactivated position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: PENTAX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosei KOSAKO, Masahiro INAZUKA, Kazuki YAZAWA, Shinya SUZUKA
  • Publication number: 20070077805
    Abstract: An optical apparatus including an electrical component which is movable in a plane, and a flexible printed wiring board in the shape of a strip, the widthwise direction thereof being parallel to the plane, which connects the electrical component to a stationary board, wherein the flexible printed wiring board includes a folded extension portion which firstly extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane and is subsequently folded back at a folded portion to extend in a direction opposite thereto; and at least one slit which is provided to pass through the folded portion and to split at least a part of the folded extension portion into at least two split portions thereof in the widthwise direction of the flexible printed wiring board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: PENTAX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi NOMURA, Kosei KOSAKO, Shinya SUZUKA, Masahiro INAZUKA, Ken ENDO
  • Patent number: 6813444
    Abstract: A camera includes a camera body having a photographing lens, a lens cover plate which is supported on the camera body so that said lens cover plate moves between a closed position at which the lens cover plate covers the front of the photographing lens and an open position at which the lens cover plate uncovers the front of the photographing lens, and a light emitting device, wherein at least one element of the light emitting device is positioned on the lens cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Inazuka, Kiyoshi Kawano
  • Publication number: 20030165337
    Abstract: A camera includes a camera body having a photographing lens, a lens cover plate which is supported on the camera body so that said lens cover plate moves between a closed position at which the lens cover plate covers the front of the photographing lens and an open position at which the lens cover plate uncovers the front of the photographing lens, and a light emitting device, wherein at least one element of the light emitting device is positioned on the lens cover plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Inazuka, Kiyoshi Kawano
  • Patent number: 6212335
    Abstract: A barrier mechanism for a zoom lens camera, is provided with a zooming mechanism; a barrier opening/closing mechanism; a motor; a first gear train connected to the motor; a second gear train connected to the zooming mechanism; and a planetary gear mechanism. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear, a first arm rotatable about the rotation axis of the sun gear, a planetary gear rotatably supported by the first arm, the planetary gear engaging the sun gear, a barrier drive gear fixed to the first arm, rotation axis of the barrier drive gear coincides of the rotation axis of the first arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Inazuka
  • Patent number: 6104882
    Abstract: Disclosed is a camera which includes: a built-in retractable flash movable between a retracted position and a raised position; a lens barrel movable between a retracted position and an advanced position; and a linkage mechanism that links the retractable flash with the movable lens barrel to move the retractable flash between the retracted position and the raised position when the movable lens barrel moves between the retracted position and the advanced position, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Inazuka
  • Patent number: 5970267
    Abstract: A field frame switching apparatus for a finder in which an elongated standard visual field, a narrow-width visual field and a laterally-elongated visual field can be selected. A pair of narrow-width visual-field-forming light-interception frames are provided with vertical light-interception walls which are adapted to block out the right and left ends of the standard visual field. A pair of laterally-elongated visual-field-forming light-interception frames are provided with lateral-light-interception walls are adapted to block out the upper and lower ends of the standard visual field. An operation member is adapted to move the narrow-width visual-field-forming light-interception frames in a first direction toward a narrow-width field-frame-forming position in which the vertical light-interception walls are located within the standard visual field frame and in a second direction toward a laterally-elongated field-frame-forming position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Inazuka, Hiroshi Ito