Patents by Inventor Michihiro SHIMADU

Michihiro SHIMADU 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: 11947311
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a main body housing including an air outlet opening, a photosensitive drum, a fuser to thermally fix toner transferred from the photosensitive drum to a sheet on the sheet, a fan to generate an airflow toward the air outlet opening, and a controller, is provided. The controller is configured to, in a continuous stage of printing continuous from a beginning stage, count a cumulative printed page number being a cumulative number of pages printed by the image forming apparatus, in a case where the cumulative printed page number is smaller than a first page number, control the fan to rotate at a first speed, and in a case where the cumulative printed page number is equal to or larger than the first page number, control the fan to rotate at a second speed, the second speed being higher than the first speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michihiro Shimadu, Yusuke Okabe
  • Patent number: 11675309
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a drum cartridge; a toner cartridge; a toner data electrical contact surface; a drum data electrical contact surface; and a controller. The drum cartridge includes: a drum memory storing data relating to the drum cartridge; and a first drum electrical contact for communication of data stored in the drum memory. The toner cartridge includes a board having: a first relay electrical contact for relaying the data stored in the drum memory; a toner memory storing data relating to the toner cartridge; and a first toner electrical contact for communication of data stored in the toner memory. The controller is configured to: read the data stored in the drum memory through the drum data electrical contact surface contacting the first relay electrical contact; and read the data stored in the toner memory through the toner data electrical contact surface contacting the first toner electrical contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Michihiro Shimadu
  • Publication number: 20230029862
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a main body housing including an air outlet opening, a photosensitive drum, a fuser to thermally fix toner transferred from the photosensitive drum to a sheet on the sheet, a fan to generate an airflow toward the air outlet opening, and a controller, is provided. The controller is configured to, in a continuous stage of printing continuous from a beginning stage, count a cumulative printed page number being a cumulative number of pages printed by the image forming apparatus, in a case where the cumulative printed page number is smaller than a first page number, control the fan to rotate at a first speed, and in a case where the cumulative printed page number is equal to or larger than the first page number, control the fan to rotate at a second speed, the second speed being higher than the first speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Michihiro SHIMADU, Yusuke OKABE
  • Publication number: 20220187761
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a drum cartridge; a toner cartridge; a toner data electrical contact surface; a drum data electrical contact surface; and a controller. The drum cartridge includes: a drum memory storing data relating to the drum cartridge; and a first drum electrical contact for communication of data stored in the drum memory. The toner cartridge includes a board having: a first relay electrical contact for relaying the data stored in the drum memory; a toner memory storing data relating to the toner cartridge; and a first toner electrical contact for communication of data stored in the toner memory. The controller is configured to: read the data stored in the drum memory through the drum data electrical contact surface contacting the first relay electrical contact; and read the data stored in the toner memory through the toner data electrical contact surface contacting the first toner electrical contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Michihiro SHIMADU
  • Patent number: 10642185
    Abstract: A scanning exposure device including: a first and a second light sources emitting a first and second beam, respectively; a polygon mirror having reflecting surfaces; a first and a second optical sensors detecting the first and the second beam, respectively; and a controller storing first writing time until which an exposure by the first beam starts after the first beam is detected and second writing time until which an exposure by the second beam starts after the first beam is detected, for respective reference surface identifiers specifying the respective reflecting surfaces, and the controller acquires a first timing at which the first beam is detected and a second timing at which the second beam is detected for the respective reflecting surfaces identified by respective acquisition surface identifiers; and specifies a correspondence relation between the respective reference surface identifiers and the respective acquisition surface identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro Shimadu, Shunsuke Hachiya, Yoshifumi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190243276
    Abstract: A scanning exposure device including: a first and a second light sources emitting a first and second beam, respectively; a polygon mirror having reflecting surfaces; a first and a second optical sensors detecting the first and the second beam, respectively; and a controller storing first writing time until which an exposure by the first beam starts after the first beam is detected and second writing time until which an exposure by the second beam starts after the first beam is detected, for respective reference surface identifiers specifying the respective reflecting surfaces, and the controller acquires a first timing at which the first beam is detected and a second timing at which the second beam is detected for the respective reflecting surfaces identified by respective acquisition surface identifiers; and specifies a correspondence relation between the respective reference surface identifiers and the respective acquisition surface identifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro SHIMADU, Shunsuke HACHIYA, Yoshifumi NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 9983501
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an exposing unit including: a first light source comprising a first light emitter and a first light receiver including a first electric output responsive to a received light quantity of the first light emitter; a second light source comprising a second light emitter and a second light receiver including a second electric output responsive to a received light quantity of the second light emitter; and a first light-source driver electrically connected to the first light source and the second light source. The first light-source driver includes: a first output terminal electrically connected to the first light emitter; a second output terminal electrically connected to the second light emitter; and an input terminal electrically connected to both the first electric output and the second electric output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro Shimadu, Osamu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20170108794
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an exposing unit including: a first light source comprising a first light emitter and a first light receiver including a first electric output responsive to a received light quantity of the first light emitter; a second light source comprising a second light emitter and a second light receiver including a second electric output responsive to a received light quantity of the second light emitter; and a first light-source driver electrically connected to the first light source and the second light source. The first light-source driver includes: a first output terminal electrically connected to the first light emitter; a second output terminal electrically connected to the second light emitter; and an input terminal electrically connected to both the first electric output and the second electric output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro SHIMADU, Osamu TAKAHASHI