Patents by Inventor Mitsuru Obara

Mitsuru Obara 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: 20220238359
    Abstract: A controlling method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first chamber provided with a fan, a second chamber to which a replacement gas is sent from the first chamber by the fan and which includes a transporter configured to transport a substrate, a circulation line configured to communicate the first chamber and the second chamber with each other and circulate the replacement gas, and a valve provided in the circulation line. The method includes replacing an inside of the first chamber and an inside of the second chamber with the replacement gas by turning off the fan and closing the valve, and circulating the replacement gas through the circulation line by turning on the fan and opening the valve. The replacing includes controlling the fan to be turned on and the valve to be opened for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroto Sato, Takahiro Miki, Mitsuru Obara
  • Publication number: 20190256146
    Abstract: The purpose of this invention is for the better way to connect chassis, to improve safety when car crashed, by change the method of connecting chassis together from articulate two parts together into using high-temperature welding and the strengthen part has been added for help this welding process and improve safety when car crashed In addition, chassis have a better quality, lower price and easier to manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: AAPICO AMATA COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Mitsuru OBARA
  • Patent number: 10297481
    Abstract: A magnetic annealing apparatus is provided which performs a magnetic annealing on workpieces held in a workpiece boat by using a horizontal superconducting magnet as a magnetic field generating unit. The magnetic annealing apparatus includes a carrier configured to accommodate the workpieces before the magnetic annealing process; and a workpiece conveyance mechanism configured to convey the workpieces held in the carrier to the workpiece boat. The workpiece conveyance mechanism is capable of holding the workpieces in either a horizontal state or in a vertical state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuji Ono, Toru Ishii, Makoto Saito, Mitsuru Obara, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9857124
    Abstract: The clamp apparatus of the present disclosure includes a clamp member configured to contact a substrate accommodating container from an upper side and fix the substrate accommodating container to a predetermined position when a cover provided on a front surface of the substrate accommodating container is opened/closed, a driving mechanism configured to drive the clamp member; a casing configured to cover the driving mechanism, a suction port configured to communicate with the casing, an exhaust chamber provided near the casing, and a fan provided inside the exhaust chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Hisashi Inoue, Keishi Shionaga, Masahiro Kobayashi, Norio Baba, Hiroshi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9508914
    Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic annealing apparatus including a carrier conveyance region and a workpiece conveyance region. The carrier conveyance region includes: a first mounting table where a carrier is disposed; second mounting tables where carriers convey workpieces from the carrier conveyance region to the workpiece conveyance region; a storage unit; and a carrier conveyance mechanism that performs carrying-out/carrying-in of the carriers. The workpiece conveyance region includes: an aligner device; a workpiece boat; a workpiece conveyance mechanism that conveys the workpieces from the carriers disposed on the second mounting tables to the workpiece boat via the aligner device; a heating unit; a magnetic field generating unit; and a transfer mechanism that transfers the workpieces held by the workpiece boat into the magnetic field generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuji Ono, Toru Ishii, Makoto Saito, Mitsuru Obara, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20160273836
    Abstract: The clamp apparatus of the present disclosure includes a clamp member configured to contact a substrate accommodating container from an upper side and fix the substrate accommodating container to a predetermined position when a cover provided on a front surface of the substrate accommodating container is opened/closed, a driving mechanism configured to drive the clamp member; a casing configured to cover the driving mechanism, a suction port configured to communicate with the casing, an exhaust chamber provided near the casing, and a fan provided inside the exhaust chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Hisashi Inoue, Keishi Shionaga, Masahiro Kobayashi, Norio Baba, Hiroshi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9253367
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a charging device that uniformly charges the image carrying member, an exposure device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member, a development device that applies a development bias voltage to form a visible image in which toner is adhered to the electrostatic latent image, a control portion that controls an exposure amount in the exposure device and the development bias voltage and a storage portion that stores an exposure condition and a development condition. The resolution of image data can be switched to at least two types, a standard resolution and a high resolution higher than the standard resolution, and when the resolution of the image data is set at the high resolution, the control portion controls the exposure amount in the exposure device to perform thinning processing on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Tetsuya Sakai, Munenori Nakano, Hironori Akashi, Tomoyuki Saito
  • Publication number: 20150264221
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a charging device that uniformly charges the image carrying member, an exposure device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member, a development device that applies a development bias voltage to form a visible image in which toner is adhered to the electrostatic latent image, a control portion that controls an exposure amount in the exposure device and the development bias voltage and a storage portion that stores an exposure condition and a development condition. The resolution of image data can be switched to at least two types, a standard resolution and a high resolution higher than the standard resolution, and when the resolution of the image data is set at the high resolution, the control portion controls the exposure amount in the exposure device to perform thinning processing on the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsuru OBARA, Tetsuya SAKAI, Munenori NAKANO, Hironori AKASHI, Tomoyuki SAITO
  • Publication number: 20140284321
    Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic annealing apparatus which performs a magnetic annealing on workpieces held in a workpiece boat by using a horizontal superconducting magnet as a magnetic field generating unit. The magnetic annealing apparatus includes a carrier configured to accommodate the workpieces before the magnetic annealing process; and a workpiece conveyance mechanism configured to convey the workpieces held in the carrier to the workpiece boat. The workpiece conveyance mechanism is capable of holding the workpieces in either a horizontal state or in a horizontal state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuji Ono, Toru Ishii, Makoto Saito, Mitsuru Obara, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20140287926
    Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic annealing apparatus including a carrier conveyance region and a workpiece conveyance region. The carrier conveyance region includes: a first mounting table where a carrier is disposed; second mounting tables where carriers are disposed to convey workpieces from the carrier conveyance region to the workpiece conveyance region; a storage unit that stores carriers; and a carrier conveyance mechanism that performs carrying-out/carrying-in of the carriers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuji Ono, Toru Ishii, Makoto Saito, Mitsuru Obara, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20140147132
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which can execute an image stabilization operation and which includes: a determination portion that determines whether or not the image stabilization operation can be executed when a constituent member of the apparatus is replaced or when a consumable item is supplied; and an image stabilization control portion that executes the image stabilization operation when the determination portion determines that the image stabilization operation can he executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta , Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro KOUZAKI, Mitsuru OBARA, Soh HIROTA, Yoshinori TSUTSUMI
  • Publication number: 20140010560
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on an image carrier, including: a patch former that forms a solid and a non-solid patch on the image carrier under different image formation conditions; a measurer that measures amounts of toner adhering to the solid and the non-solid patch; a determiner that determines image density properties indicating a relationship between an image formation condition and an amount of adhering toner, based on both (i) a relationship between an image formation condition applied to the solid patch and the amount of toner adhering to the solid patch, and (ii) a relationship between an image formation condition applied to the non-solid patch and the amount of toner adhering to the non-solid patch; and a setter that sets an appropriate image formation condition for forming a toner image having a desired density on the image carrier according to the image density properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Mitsuru OBARA, Shigeki NAIKI, Masahiro KOUZAKI, Munenori NAKANO
  • Patent number: 8543022
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrier; an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a development device having a housing section that stores toner therein, a stirring device for stirring the toner inside the housing section, and a toner, carrier that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by imparting the toner to the image carrier; a voltage applying device that applies a development bias voltage between the image carrier and the toner carrier; a control device that makes the electrostatic latent image forming device and the development device form a test toner image on the image carrier; and a sensing device that senses a toner adhering amount of the test toner image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Shigeki Naiki, Masahiro Kouzaki, Yusuke Mamiya
  • Patent number: 8412063
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member that moves at a specified speed; a toner pattern forming section for forming toner patterns of a specified type on the image bearing member under specified image forming conditions; a toner pattern detection member for detecting the toner patterns formed on the image bearing member; a toner amount varying section for varying a target amount of toner to adhere to the toner patterns; and a control section that calculates a toner adherence amount and a toner adherence position from detection results outputted from the toner pattern detection member and that performs image stabilization control to adjust the image forming conditions based on the calculation results. In the image stabilization control, the control section uses detection results of the same toner patterns both to calculate the toner adherence amount and to calculate the toner adherence position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Techologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Soh Hirota, Hironori Akashi, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara
  • Patent number: 8260160
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus having photosensitive members; developing devices for developing electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive members into toner images with developers comprising toner and carriers; toner concentration sensors for detecting toner concentrations of the developers in the respective developing devices; a toner image bearing member for bearing the toner images temporarily; a toner adherence amount sensor for detecting toner adherence amounts of the toner images held on the image bearing member; and a controller for calculating, with respect to the developing devices, individual optimal developing bias voltage ranges within which a target toner adherence amount can be achieved while the toner concentrations of the developers are within a predetermined toner concentration range from a lower limit to an upper limit, so as to specify a common optimal developing bias voltage range that are commonly suitable for all the developing devices to achieve the target toner adherenc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Akashi, Soh Hirota, Mitsuru Obara, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara
  • Patent number: 8218982
    Abstract: The developing apparatus, having stirring members for conveying and stirring developer-tank-contained developer and a developer holder, comprises a developer replenishing tank; a magnetic-type toner concentration detecting sensor; a trickle-type discharging mechanism; conveying state switching device for temporarily blocking the flow of the developer-tank-contained developer and for temporarily switching the circulating state of the developer-tank-contained developer to the staying state thereof; and a controller for controlling replenishment operation for replenishing the toner and the carrier for replenishment to the developer tank when the toner concentration is lower than a predetermined reference toner concentration, wherein the controller determines the amounts of the toner and the carrier to be replenished on the basis of the calculated toner concentration and the estimated amount of the developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Hirata, Kazuomi Sakatani, Mitsuru Obara, Yoshinori Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8029224
    Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus 100 includes a substrate transport means 4 having a transport base 5 and a plurality of retention arms 41a-41e for retaining substrates W, an optical sensor 62 that is used to define a horizontal optical axis L, an elevator means 52 for moving the transport base 5 up and down, and a height detection means 54 for detecting the height of the transport base 5 relative to the optical axis L. In accordance with a light-reception/no-light-reception detection result fed from the optical sensor 62 and the height of the transport base 5, a judgment means 72a of a control section 7 judges whether the postures of the retention arms 41a-41e relative to the horizontal plane are normal. When the judgment means 72a judges that the postures of the retention arms 41a-41e relative to the horizontal plane are abnormal, the control section 7 exercises control to stop the substrate transport means 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yo Abe, Mitsuru Obara, Takahiro Abe
  • Patent number: 8023839
    Abstract: The developing apparatus, having stirring members for conveying and stirring developer-tank-contained developer and a developer holder, comprises a developer replenishing tank; a toner concentration detecting sensor; a trickle-type discharging mechanism; a developer amount estimating sensor; and a controller for controlling replenishment operation for replenishing the toner and the carrier for replenishment to the developer tank when the toner concentration is lower than a predetermined reference toner concentration, wherein the controller determines the amounts of the toner and the carrier to be replenished on the basis of the calculated toner concentration and the estimated amount of the developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuomi Sakatani, Katsuyuki Hirata, Mitsuru Obara, Yoshinori Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20110211852
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrier; an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a development device having a housing section that stores toner therein, a stirring device for stirring the toner inside the housing section, and a toner, carrier that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by imparting the toner to the image carrier; a voltage applying device that applies a development bias voltage between the image carrier and the toner carrier; a control device that makes the electrostatic latent image forming device and the development device form a test toner image on the image carrier; and a sensing device that senses a toner adhering amount of the test toner image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Obara, Shigeki Naiki, Masahiro Kouzaki, Yusuke Mamiya
  • Publication number: 20110044705
    Abstract: A color image forming apparatus having photosensitive members; developing devices for developing electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive members into toner images with developers comprising toner and carriers; toner concentration sensors for detecting toner concentrations of the developers in the respective developing devices; a toner image bearing member for bearing the toner images temporarily; a toner adherence amount sensor for detecting toner adherence amounts of the toner images held on the image bearing member; and a controller for calculating, with respect to the developing devices, individual optimal developing bias voltage ranges within which a target toner adherence amount can be achieved while the toner concentrations of the developers are within a predetermined toner concentration range from a lower limit to an upper limit, so as to specify a common optimal developing bias voltage range that are commonly suitable for all the developing devices to achieve the target toner adherenc
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies
    Inventors: Hironori AKASHI, Soh Hirota, Mitsuru Obara, Takashi Harashima, Kanako Kibihara