Patents by Inventor Mitsuko HANAI

Mitsuko HANAI 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).

  • Configuration for an image forming apparatus having an upright recording medium storage unit
    Patent number: 9746806
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage for conveying the recording sheet extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Shigeharu Katayama, Mitsuko Hanai
  • Configuration for an image forming apparatus having an upright recording medium storage unit
    Patent number: 8977185
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit. Further, a developer receptacle for storing developer that is supplied to the image forming unit is arranged adjacent to one longitudinal end of the developer carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Shigeharu Katayama, Mitsuko Hanai
  • Configuration for an Image Forming Apparatus Having an Upright Recording Medium Storage Unit
    Publication number: 20140086659
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage for conveying the recording sheet extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shougo SATO, Shigeharu KATAYAMA, Mitsuko HANAI
  • Configuration for an image forming apparatus having an upright recording medium storage unit
    Patent number: 8600284
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage for conveying the recording sheet extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Shigeharu Katayama, Mitsuko Hanai
  • Image Forming Apparatus
    Publication number: 20080247793
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage for conveying the recording sheet extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Shigeharu Katayama, Mitsuko Hanai
  • Image Forming Apparatus
    Publication number: 20080240817
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit. Further, a developer receptacle for storing developer that is supplied to the image forming unit is arranged adjacent to one longitudinal end of the developer carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shougo SATO, Shigeharu KATAYAMA, Mitsuko HANAI