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).
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Patent number: 11947311Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 20, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Michihiro Shimadu, Yusuke Okabe
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Patent number: 11675309Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 2, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Michihiro Shimadu
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Publication number: 20230029862Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Michihiro SHIMADU, Yusuke OKABE
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Publication number: 20220187761Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2022Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Michihiro SHIMADU
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Patent number: 10642185Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 8, 2019Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Shimadu, Shunsuke Hachiya, Yoshifumi Nakamura
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Publication number: 20190243276Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2019Publication date: August 8, 2019Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro SHIMADU, Shunsuke HACHIYA, Yoshifumi NAKAMURA
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Patent number: 9983501Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 19, 2016Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Shimadu, Osamu Takahashi
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Publication number: 20170108794Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2016Publication date: April 20, 2017Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro SHIMADU, Osamu TAKAHASHI