Patents by Inventor Masashi Imai

Masashi Imai 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).

  • Publication number: 20120308270
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a first guide and a second guide. The second is movable with respect to the developing frame between a first position where the second guide is in continuous with the first guide and a second position where a continuous state of the second guide with the first guide is interrupted. The developer cartridge includes a developer frame that accommodates a developer and a first guided member movable with respect to the developer frame. The first guide and the second guide at the first position guide the first guided member in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to the developing unit. When an attachment of the developer cartridge to the developing unit completes, the first guide receives the first guided member, and the second guide is at the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiko HAYAKAWA, Masashi IMAI, Shougo SATO
  • Patent number: 8254807
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a first guide and a second guide. The second is movable with respect to the developing frame between a first position where the second guide is in continuous with the first guide and a second position where a continuous state of the second guide with the first guide is interrupted. The developer cartridge includes a developer frame that accommodates a developer and a first guided member movable with respect to the developer frame. The first guide and the second guide at the first position guide the first guided member in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to the developing unit. When an attachment of the developer cartridge to the developing unit completes, the first guide receives the first guided member, and the second guide is at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Hayakawa, Masashi Imai, Shougo Sato
  • Publication number: 20120195629
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt operating as an intermediate image transfer member. A plurality of process cartridges is juxtaposed along the endless belt. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum confronting the endless belt and a developing agent carrying member disposed in confronting relation with the photosensitive drum for supplying toner to the photosensitive drum. A first conveying member is provided in each process cartridge. A second conveying member is provided in the housing, and the first conveying member conveys a recording sheet in cooperation with the second conveying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi IMAI
  • Patent number: 8229329
    Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a casing, a shutter, a first lock mechanism, and a second lock mechanism. The casing accommodates a developing agent therein and is formed with a supply opening. The shutter is movable between a closed position to close the supply opening and an open position to open the supply opening. The first lock mechanism locks the shutter at the closed position and unlocks the shutter to open the supply opening. The second lock mechanism is configured to lock the shutter at the closed position and be incapable of unlocking the shutter to maintain the closed position of the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Imai
  • Publication number: 20120082476
    Abstract: A developing device includes a casing having an opening extending in a first direction, a developing roller, a thickness-regulation member, an engagement portion and a sealing member. The thickness-regulation member includes a thin-plate member and a regulating portion. The thin-plate member is fixed to the casing and has a lateral end extending in a second direction. The regulating portion is fixed on the thin-plate member and has an end face extending in a direction. The engagement portion is fixed on the thin-plate member and positioned closer to the lateral end than the end face to the lateral end to provide a groove between the engagement portion and the end face. The sealing member is fitted in the groove and has a length in the first direction longer than a length of the groove prior to assembly of the sealing member into the groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori ITO, Satoru SUZUKI, Masashi IMAI, Ryuya YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20120003000
    Abstract: An image forming device includes: a main casing; a retaining member; a plurality of developing units; a plurality of toner cartridges; and an operation unit. The retaining member is configured to be movable in a first direction between an accommodated position and a pulled-out position. The retaining member includes a first side plate and a second side plate extending in the first direction and disposed in confrontation with and spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The developing units are retained in the retaining member. The toner cartridges have one-on-one correspondence to the developing units and are configured to be mountable in or detachable from the retaining member when the retaining member is located at the pulled-out position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideshi NISHIYAMA, Naoya KAMIMURA, Nao ITABASHI, Ryuya YAMAZAKI, Masashi IMAI
  • Patent number: 8074139
    Abstract: A request change unit outputs a command as a request under control of a judgment control unit. A response condition determination unit determines a condition that is to be matched by a correct response which is to be returned from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command if the other device-in-communication operates in conformity with a protocol. A check unit checks a response received from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command, against the condition. If the received response does not match the condition but is correctable to match the condition as a result of the check, a response correction unit corrects the received response to match the condition under control of the judgment control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignees: Panasonic Corporation, The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Tadanori Tezuka, Tsutomu Sekibe, Shunichi Kuromaru, Junji Michiyama, Hiroshi Nakamura, Masaaki Kondo, Takashi Nanya, Masashi Imai, Nassu Tomoyuki Bogdan
  • Publication number: 20110217069
    Abstract: Each of the toner cartridges includes a case, a shutter, a first operation portion and a second operation portion. The shutter is located at an open position where the shutter opens an opening of a case when the first operation portion is located at a first position. The shutter is located at a block position the shutter blocks the opening when the first operation portion is located at a second position. The shutter is located at the open position when the second operation portion is located at a third position. The shutter is located at the block position when the second operation portion is located at a fourth position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi IMAI, Shougo SATO, Naoya KAMIMURA, Nao ITABASHI, Hideshi NISHIYAMA, Ryuya YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20110217068
    Abstract: A holder unit is movable between an accommodated position and a pulled out position. A plurality of toner cartridges is detachably attached to the holder unit. A shutter provided on each toner cartridge is movable between a block position where the shutter blocks an opening of a case and an open position where the shutter opens the opening. An operation member of each toner cartridge operates the shutter such that the shutter moves between a first position and a second position. The shutter is located at the open position when the operation member is located at the first position. The shutter is located at the block position when the operation member is located at the second position. An interference member is configured such that the operation members abut the interference member to be displaced from the second position to the first position when the holder unit is moved from the pulled out position to the accommodated position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya KAMIMURA, Shougo SATO, Masashi IMAI, Nao ITABASHI, Hideshi NISHIYAMA, Ryuya YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20110015024
    Abstract: A gear device has an outer cylinder fixed to a first mating member and a crankshaft inside the outer cylinder. An external gear is mounted to an eccentric portion of the crankshaft and meshes with internal teeth of the outer cylinder. A carrier is fixed to a second mating member. Rocking rotation of the external gear rotates the carrier coaxially to the outer cylinder. A cylindrical body is inserted in an axial through-hole of the carrier. The carrier has a first portion on one end of the cylindrical body and a second portion on an axially intermediate portion of the cylindrical body. The other end of the cylindrical body extends toward a corresponding mating member while protruding axially beyond the second portion. An outer diameter of remaining portions of the cylindrical body do not exceed an outermost diameter of the portion on which the first and second portions are fit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Nakamura, Masashi Imai, Kenichi Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20100329734
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developing unit includes a first guide and a second guide. The second is movable with respect to the developing frame between a first position where the second guide is in continuous with the first guide and a second position where a continuous state of the second guide with the first guide is interrupted. The developer cartridge includes a developer frame that accommodates a developer and a first guided member movable with respect to the developer frame. The first guide and the second guide at the first position guide the first guided member in the course of attaching the developer cartridge to the developing unit. When an attachment of the developer cartridge to the developing unit completes, the first guide receives the first guided member, and the second guide is at the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiko HAYAKAWA, Masashi IMAI, Shougo SATO
  • Publication number: 20100247159
    Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a casing, a shutter, a first lock mechanism, and a second lock mechanism. The casing accommodates a developing agent therein and is formed with a supply opening. The shutter is movable between a closed position to close the supply opening and an open position to open the supply opening. The first lock mechanism locks the shutter at the closed position and unlocks the shutter to open the supply opening. The second lock mechanism is configured to lock the shutter at the closed position and be incapable of unlocking the shutter to maintain the closed position of the shutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi IMAI
  • Publication number: 20080126906
    Abstract: A request change unit outputs a command as a request under control of a judgment control unit. A response condition determination unit determines a condition that is to be matched by a correct response which is to be returned from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command if the other device-in-communication operates in conformity with a protocol. A check unit checks a response received from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command, against the condition. If the received response does not match the condition but is correctable to match the condition as a result of the check, a response correction unit corrects the received response to match the condition under control of the judgment control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Tadanori Tezuka, Tsutomu Sekibe, Shunichi Kuromaru, Junji Michiyama, Hiroshi Nakamura, Masaaki Kondo, Takashi Nanya, Masashi Imai, Nassu Tomoyuki Bogdan
  • Publication number: 20070121462
    Abstract: To provide a technology for improving the recording quality through edge correction of recording pulse in an optical disc apparatus. An optimum recording power of recording pulse is obtained through OPC processing according to a recording strategy with a first pulse timing; recording is performed by use of recording pulse with the optimum recording power; a first edge-shift amount of recording mark is measured from a reproduction signal to perform edge correction of recording pulse to form a second pulse timing of a recording strategy. Subsequently, recording is performed with pulse width variations of recording pulse to measure a second edge-shift amount of recording mark from a reproduction signal; and optimum edge positions of recording pulse are calculated based on the first edge-shift amount and the second edge-shift amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Toshiki Ishii, Tsuyoshi Toda, Tetsuya Fushimi, Masashi Imai
  • Publication number: 20050058033
    Abstract: A specific write power control method used for an optical disk drive is provided. This method relates to how to measure the writing quality and how to set write power for the next zone while settling the linear velocity so that each zone of an optical disk is provided with different linear velocity. At the time of zone switching, writing performed by the head facing an optical disk is interrupted. The head is moved to seek to a given return point in a written area. At the return point, the head is moved toward the next zone, and also a motor for rotating the optical disk is accelerated so that the linear velocity of the motor becomes the linear velocity of the next zone. During the acceleration, the written area is read to measure the writing quality. From the measured writing quality, write power for the next zone is set. At a point of time when the motor reaches the linear velocity of the next zone and the head reaches the next zone, restarting the writing to the optical disk is restarted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Junichi Ishii, Takakiyo Yasukawa, Yutaka Narita, Masashi Imai
  • Publication number: 20050014152
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a protein having a drug transport activity, a method for screening a compound that promotes or inhibits the activity of the drug transporter, a compound obtained by the method, an antibody against the drug transporter, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, or the like. The protein with a drug transport activity of the present invention has an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2002
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Akio Fujimura, Shuichi Tsuruoka, Kenichi Ishibashi, Masashi Imai, Osamu Ohara, Takahiro Nagase
  • Patent number: 6519408
    Abstract: In a display device used together with a playback apparatus such as an optical disk, a control is provided responding to a playback signal from an playback apparatus in order to prevent burn-out of CRT phosphor or deterioration of phosphor. A first controller controls the playback apparatus, and a second controller controls the display device, and those two controllers communicate with each other, thereby recognizing an operation status and a display status. Thus those two controllers control circuits and apparatus including a video control circuit which controls a contrast, whereby optimizing a display on a screen, and control status of an audio output, a power supply controller, and a playback apparatus controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Nagata, Takaaki Hoshi, Masashi Imai
  • Publication number: 20010010749
    Abstract: In a display device used together with a playback apparatus such as an optical disk, a control is provided responding to a playback signal from an playback apparatus in order to prevent burn-out of CRT phosphor or deterioration of phosphor. A first controller controls the playback apparatus, and a second controller controls the display device, and those two controllers communicate with each other, thereby recognizing an operation status and a display status. Thus those two controllers control circuits and apparatus including a video control circuit which controls a contrast, whereby optimizing a display on a screen, and control status of an audio output, a power supply controller, and a playback apparatus controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Publication date: August 2, 2001
    Inventors: KOICHIRO NAGATA, TAKAAKI HOSHI, MASASHI IMAI
  • Patent number: 5969655
    Abstract: A digital convergence correction device converts correction data into serial data by using a parallel/serial converter, and further converts the serial data into an analog correction signal by using a serial input type digital/analog converter, and outputs the analog correction signal in order to correct misconvergence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushida Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Imai