Patents by Inventor Nobuhiro FUKUMA

Nobuhiro FUKUMA 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: 11767186
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a transport roller, a drive source, and a gear train. The transport roller transports a sheet. The gear train transmits rotating force from the drive source to the transport roller. The gear train includes a movable gear and a leaf spring. The movable gear is configured to move between a normal position where transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is enabled, and a disengaged position where the transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is interrupted, and also to move in an axial direction, and includes a helical gear that generates force to axially move in one direction, when the movable gear moves from the normal position to the disengaged position. The leaf spring buffers the movement of the movable gear in the one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20220234851
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a transport roller, a drive source, and a gear train The transport roller transports a sheet. The gear train transmits rotating force from the drive source to the transport roller. The gear train includes a movable gear and a leaf spring. The movable gear is configured to move between a normal position where transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is enabled, and a disengaged position where the transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is interrupted, and also to move in an axial direction, and includes a helical gear that generates force to axially move in one direction, when the movable gear moves from the normal position to the disengaged position. The leaf spring buffers the movement of the movable gear in the one direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro FUKUMA
  • Patent number: 11294326
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner container, a support member, a lock member, a lock removing portion, and a moving mechanism. The toner container is attachable to an attachment position in an apparatus main body. The support member supports the toner container which is moved between the attachment position and a detachment position located toward a surface of the apparatus main body. The lock member is provided on the support member, is movable in a first direction along the surface, and is displaced between a lock position where the toner container is locked to the attachment position and a removal position. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the lock removing portion moves the lock member to the removal position to remove a lock of the toner container. The moving mechanism moves the toner container toward the detachment position when the lock removing portion removes the lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Patent number: 11283951
    Abstract: A lateral slide member includes first locked portions and a second locked portion and is configured to be displaced between a first lock position and a first release position. A vertical slide member includes a second locking portion that restricts the lateral slide member from being displaced from the first lock position to the first release position, the vertical slide member configured to be displaced between a second lock position and a second release position. A swing member includes a contacted portion and a third locking portion. A cover projection portion includes a third locked portion that is locked to the third locking portion and thereby restricts a document sheet cover from moving upward. When a document sheet reading unit is closed, a main body projection portion pushes up the contacted portion to hold the swing member at a third release position, allowing the contacted portion to extend diagonally upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20210405575
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner container, a support member, a lock member, a lock removing portion, and a moving mechanism. The toner container is attachable to an attachment position in an apparatus main body. The support member supports the toner container which is moved between the attachment position and a detachment position located toward a surface of the apparatus main body. The lock member is provided on the support member, is movable in a first direction along the surface, and is displaced between a lock position where the toner container is locked to the attachment position and a removal position. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the lock removing portion moves the lock member to the removal position to remove a lock of the toner container. The moving mechanism moves the toner container toward the detachment position when the lock removing portion removes the lock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Patent number: 11196885
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main unit, a unit coupling part, a document reading unit, and a correction mechanism. The unit coupling part includes a rear side coupling part and a pair of lateral side coupling parts whose rear end portions are coupled to the rear side coupling part. The document reading unit is supported by the unit coupling part in an openable and closable manner. The correction mechanism corrects a position of the pair of lateral side coupling parts with respect to the document reading unit in a facing direction where the lateral side coupling parts face each other, by closing the document reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20210289089
    Abstract: A lateral slide member includes first locked portions and a second locked portion and is configured to be displaced between a first lock position and a first release position. A vertical slide member includes a second locking portion that restricts the lateral slide member from being displaced from the first lock position to the first release position, the vertical slide member configured to be displaced between a second lock position and a second release position. A swing member includes a contacted portion and a third locking portion. A cover projection portion includes a third locked portion that is locked to the third locking portion and thereby restricts a document sheet cover from moving upward. When a document sheet reading unit is closed, a main body projection portion pushes up the contacted portion to hold the swing member at a third release position, allowing the contacted portion to extend diagonally upward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20210289080
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main unit, a unit coupling part, a document reading unit, and a correction mechanism. The unit coupling part includes a rear side coupling part and a pair of lateral side coupling parts whose rear end portions are coupled to the rear side coupling part. The document reading unit is supported by the unit coupling part in an openable and closable manner. The correction mechanism corrects a position of the pair of lateral side coupling parts with respect to the document reading unit in a facing direction where the lateral side coupling parts face each other, by closing the document reading unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro FUKUMA
  • Patent number: 10890876
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an apparatus body, a toner container, a container supporting portion, and an exterior member. The toner container is configured to be attached at an attachment position that is specified inside the apparatus body. The container supporting portion is configured to support the toner container such that the toner container is movable between the attachment position and a pull-out position that is separated from the attachment position by a specific distance toward a specific first surface of the apparatus body. The exterior member is provided on the toner container, and constitutes an exterior of the first surface when the toner container is in an attached state, where the toner container is held at the attachment position by the container supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Patent number: 10754291
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner container, and a lock drive portion. The toner container is attached to an attachment position set in an apparatus main body. The lock drive portion acquires a identification information from a storage portion, and upon determining, based on the identification information, that the toner container has an attachment compatibility, places a lock member at a lock position, and upon determining that the toner container does not have the attachment compatibility, places the lock member at a unlock position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromu Matsumoto, Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20200150580
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner container, and a lock drive portion. The toner container is attached to an attachment position set in an apparatus main body. The lock drive portion acquires a identification information from a storage portion, and upon determining, based on the identification information, that the toner container has an attachment compatibility, places a lock member at a lock position, and upon determining that the toner container does not have the attachment compatibility, places the lock member at a unlock position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromu Matsumoto, Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20190286048
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an apparatus body, a toner container, a container supporting portion, and an exterior member. The toner container is configured to be attached at an attachment position that is specified inside the apparatus body. The container supporting portion is configured to support the toner container such that the toner container is movable between the attachment position and a pull-out position that is separated from the attachment position by a specific distance toward a specific first surface of the apparatus body. The exterior member is provided on the toner container, and constitutes an exterior of the first surface when the toner container is in an attached state, where the toner container is held at the attachment position by the container supporting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Patent number: 10248067
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cover, a cooperating member, a switching member, a detector, and a controller. The cover opens and closes an aperture in a main body of the image forming apparatus. The cooperating member moves to an activated position when the cover is opened for the first time. The activated position is a position where the cooperating member is enabled to cooperate with the cover. The switching member moves in cooperation with the cover through the cooperating member in the activated position as the cover is opened and closed. The detector detects an open state or a closed state of the cover according to the movement of the switching member. The controller determines that image formation is enabled when the detector has detected the closed state of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Patent number: 10133214
    Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a rotator, a transmitter, a moving mechanism and a shutter. The case main body has a discharge port. The rotator is stored in the case main body and rotates around a rotation axis. The transmitter is arranged outside the case main body. As the shutter moves along a rotation axis direction of the rotator from a closing position where the shutter closes the discharge port to an opening position where the shutter opens the discharge port, the moving mechanism moves the transmitter from a first position to a second position which is arranged at an outside of the first position in the rotation axis direction. As the shutter moves from the opening position to the closing position, the moving mechanism moves the transmitter from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke Mimura, Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20180284679
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cover, a cooperating member, a switching member, a detector, and a controller. The cover opens and closes an aperture in a main body of the image forming apparatus. The cooperating member moves to an activated position when the cover is opened for the first time. The activated position is a position where the cooperating member is enabled to cooperate with the cover. The switching member moves in cooperation with the cover through the cooperating member in the activated position as the cover is opened and closed. The detector detects an open state or a closed state of the cover according to the movement of the switching member. The controller determines that image formation is enabled when the detector has detected the closed state of the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro FUKUMA
  • Patent number: 10073375
    Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a rotator, a transmitter and a moving mechanism. The case main body stores a toner. The rotator is stored in the case main body and rotates around a rotation axis. The transmitter is arranged outside the case main body and transmits rotation to the rotator. The moving mechanism moves the transmitter between a first position and a second position which is arranged at an outside of the first position in a rotation axis direction of the rotator. The moving mechanism includes a holder holding the transmitter. As the holder moves with respect to the case main body, the transmitter moves between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke Mimura, Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Publication number: 20180181026
    Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a rotator, a transmitter, a moving mechanism and a shutter. The case main body has a discharge port. The rotator is stored in the case main body and rotates around a rotation axis. The transmitter is arranged outside the case main body. As the shutter moves along a rotation axis direction of the rotator from a closing position where the shutter closes the discharge port to an opening position where the shutter opens the discharge port, the moving mechanism moves the transmitter from a first position to a second position which is arranged at an outside of the first position in the rotation axis direction. As the shutter moves from the opening position to the closing position, the moving mechanism moves the transmitter from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke MIMURA, Nobuhiro FUKUMA
  • Publication number: 20180164713
    Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a rotator, a transmitter and a moving mechanism. The case main body stores a toner. The rotator is stored in the case main body and rotates around a rotation axis. The transmitter is arranged outside the case main body and transmits rotation to the rotator. The moving mechanism moves the transmitter between a first position and a second position which is arranged at an outside of the first position in a rotation axis direction of the rotator. The moving mechanism includes a holder holding the transmitter. As the holder moves with respect to the case main body, the transmitter moves between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke MIMURA, Nobuhiro FUKUMA
  • Patent number: 9874850
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exterior cover, a connector, and an upper exterior member disposed above the exterior cover. The upper exterior member includes a groove portion and projections. In the upper exterior member, the groove portion is formed so as to extend from a first end closer to the connector to a second end closer to one of left and right side ends of the exterior cover. The projections are formed so as to project upward from a lower edge portion of an opening of the groove portion. A cable connected to the connector is inserted in the groove portion. The projections prevent the cable from being dropped from the groove portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Tamura, Nobuhiro Fukuma
  • Patent number: 9857768
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a mounting portion, and a detecting device. The image forming unit forms an image using toner. A toner container of a given type is removably mounted on the mounting portion. The detecting device detects whether or not the toner container has been mounted on the mounting portion. The toner container and the mounting portion respectively include an engaging protrusion and an engaging hole. The engaging protrusion and the engaging hole are engageable with one another. The engaging protrusion and the engaging hole engaged with one another causes the detecting device to detect that the toner container has been mounted on the mounting portion. The engaging protrusion and the engaging hole are of form configured according to the toner container type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Fukuma, Daisuke Fujiwara