Patents by Inventor Noriyuki Kawamata

Noriyuki Kawamata 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: 9592681
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a first transporting portion provided in a first transport path; a support member configured to support the sheet; a recording portion; a plurality of contact portions configured to come into contact with the sheet; a plurality of support ribs; a second transporting portion provided in a second transport path connected with the first transport path; and a third transporting portion configured to sandwich and transport the sheet in the first transporting direction or toward the second transport path. On the upstream side to the second transporting portion in the second transporting direction, a projecting portion is formed with the upper guide member to project toward the lower guide member below a virtual line linking a nip position of the sheet due to the third transporting portion with another nip position of the sheet due to the second transporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
  • Patent number: 9592977
    Abstract: A first actuator is detected at a first detection position by a detecting unit when no sheet is held on a feed tray, and is not detected at a first non-detection position by the detecting unit when the first actuator is in contact with a sheet held on the feed tray. A second actuator is detected at a second detection position by the detecting unit when the second actuator is in contact, at a predetermined position downstream of the first actuator in a conveying direction, with a sheet conveyed, and is not detected at a second non-detection position by the detecting unit when the second actuator is out of contact, at the predetermined position, with the sheet conveyed. A restricting member restricts the first actuator from moving from the first non-detection position to the first detection position when the second actuator is at the second detection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhira Ota, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
  • Patent number: 9555986
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a housing including a frame and a conveyance path; a recording device which records an image on a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path; a first roller located upstream of the recording device; a second roller opposed to the first roller; a guide member pivotable between a first position for partly defining the conveyance path and a second position where the conveyance path is open; a roller holder coupled to the guide member and supporting the second roller; an urging portion which urges the second roller toward the first roller; and an engaging portion supported by the roller holder and configured to, when the guide member is located at the first position, be engaged with the frame to position the roller holder to a third position where the second roller contacts the first roller by an urging force of the urging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yasuhira Ota
  • Patent number: 9511963
    Abstract: A conveyor device is described in which a conveyor roller is used to convey a medium inside a printing device with the conveyor roller extending in a width direction of the printing device. The conveyor roller receives a force from a following roller configured to face the conveyor roller. The conveyor roller is supported by one or more bearings. The one or more bearings include a shaft supporting portion that extends in the width direction to support the conveyor roller against the force of the following roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhira Ota, Noriyuki Kawamata, Masao Mimoto, Keisuke Wakakusa, Iwane Sano, Jie Xiu, Shingo Ito
  • Patent number: 9493318
    Abstract: A conveying device includes: a housing having a conveyance path; a first roller disposed on the conveyance path; a second roller which is opposed to the first roller; a guide member whose state is changeable between a first state in which the guide member partly defines the conveyance path and a second state in which the guide member exposes the conveyance path; a roller holder supporting the second roller; an urging force applier configured to apply, to the second roller, an urging force in a first direction directed from the second roller toward the first roller; and an urging force adjuster configured to adjust the urging force to a first value when the guide member is in the first state and adjust the urging force to a second value when the guide member is in the second state, the second value being less than the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yasuhira Ota
  • Publication number: 20160279974
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device having sheet feed tray configured to support multiple sheets be movably inserted to a main body. A sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet supported by the sheet feed tray and rotate to apply a feeding force to feed the sheet in a sheet feed direction. The sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet feed tray when there is no sheet on the sheet feed tray. A push latch mechanism is arranged on a downstream side with respect to the sheet feed roller in the sheet feed direction. A state of the push latch mechanism is alternately switched between an engaged state and a disengaged state every time when a pressing force is applied to the push latch mechanism. A first spring is configured to exert an elastic force to move the sheet feed tray toward a near side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Yohei Hashimoto, Masamitsu Ukai, Hirotaka Mori, Noriyuki Kawamata, Masahito Saeki, Hiroyuki Okuchi, Makoto Souda
  • Patent number: 9409422
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a transporting roller; a driven roller provided opposite the transporting roller to sandwich the recording medium between the driven roller and the transporting roller, while moving in an approaching-departing direction based on a thickness of the recording medium; a first biasing member biasing the driven roller to the transporting roller; a platen; a recording portion configured to jet ink droplets from nozzles; and a cooperative portion moving along with the movement of the driven roller in the approaching-departing direction to move the platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20160212286
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a housing; a first supporter having a document support surface; a cover switchable between a closed state for covering the support surface and a spaced state for exposing the support surface; a driving device for generating a driving force; a mover movable by the driving force; and an image reader supported by the mover to perform a reading operation. A controller obtains first information that changes depending upon change in a magnitude of a force acting on the support surface. The controller determines, based on the obtained first information, whether the driving device generates the driving force based on a first driving manner or a second driving manner different from the first driving manner, as a driving manner of the driving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20160185137
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20160152048
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a first transporting portion provided in a first transport path; a support member configured to support the sheet; a recording portion; a plurality of contact portions configured to come into contact with the sheet; a plurality of support ribs; a second transporting portion provided in a second transport path connected with the first transport path; and a third transporting portion configured to sandwich and transport the sheet in the first transporting direction or toward the second transport path. On the upstream side to the second transporting portion in the second transporting direction, a projecting portion is formed with the upper guide member to project toward the lower guide member below a virtual line linking a nip position of the sheet due to the third transporting portion with another nip position of the sheet due to the second transporting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
  • Patent number: 9296579
    Abstract: A transporting apparatus includes a base unit made of resin, a tray configured to support a sheet, a transporting section supported by an upper portion of the base unit and configured to transport the sheet, and a feeding section supported by a lower portion of the base unit and including a feeding roller configured to contact an upper surface of the sheet supported by the tray and to feed the sheet toward the transporting section. The base unit is integrally formed with an inner-side guide which defines an inner side of a curved path which is configured to guide the sheet fed by the feeding section to the transport section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Wakakusa, Noriyuki Kawamata, Iwane Sano, Masao Mimoto, Yasuhira Ota, Jie Xiu, Shingo Ito
  • Patent number: 9290021
    Abstract: An image forming device may include a contact member and a support member configured to support a recording portion. In one or more arrangements, the contact member may be disposed on the support member and include a contact portion configured to contact a sheet being conveyed. In some examples, the support member may include a carriage frame. Additionally or alternatively, the image forming device may include a platen having a plurality of ribs. In one or more examples, the ribs may be configured to form a corrugated shape in a sheet in conjunction with the contact member. Still further, one or more of the ribs and the contact member may be movable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Noriyuki Kawamata, Wataru Sugiyama, Tsuyoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 9290344
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9259946
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a first transporting portion provided in a first transport path; a support member configured to support the sheet; a recording portion; a plurality of contact portions configured to come into contact with the sheet; a plurality of support ribs; a second transporting portion provided in a second transport path connected with the first transport path; and a third transporting portion configured to sandwich and transport the sheet in the first transporting direction or toward the second transport path. On the upstream side to the second transporting portion in the second transporting direction, a projecting portion is formed with the upper guide member to project toward the lower guide member below a virtual line linking a nip position of the sheet due to the third transporting portion with another nip position of the sheet due to the second transporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
  • Publication number: 20160039224
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a transporting roller; a driven roller provided opposite the transporting roller to sandwich the recording medium between the driven roller and the transporting roller, while moving in an approaching-departing direction based on a thickness of the recording medium; a first biasing member biasing the driven roller to the transporting roller; a platen; a recording portion configured to jet ink droplets from nozzles; and a cooperative portion moving along with the movement of the driven roller in the approaching-departing direction to move the platen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Patent number: 9249700
    Abstract: An oil pump unit with a variable flow rate includes: an oil pump having an intake port and a discharge port and accommodating a pump rotor; and an oil path switching valve having oil inlets and oil outlets and opening/closing oil pressure return holes communicating with the discharge port, in which the oil path switching valve and the oil pump are separately disposed, the intake port and the discharge port are open to valve-mounting surfaces formed at the oil pump, and oil inlets and the oil outlet are open to body-mounting surfaces matching with the valve-mounting surfaces of the oil path switching valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiichi Kai, Junichi Miyajima, Noriyuki Kawamata, Toshimasa Mitsubori, Satoshi Ino
  • Patent number: 9221636
    Abstract: A conveying device includes: a conveyor for conveying a sheet; a path defining member having a first conveying surface that guides the sheet; and a sensor device for sensing the sheet. The sensor device includes: a sensor casing provided on the path defining member and including a second conveying surface that guides the sheet and a main wall whose outer surface is exposed from the path defining member and contiguous to the first conveying surface; a movable member including (i) a contact portion projecting to a second-conveying-surface side of the main wall through an opening formed in the main wall and (ii) a sensed portion located in the sensor casing and moved by the sheet conveyed on the second conveying surface while contacting the contact portion; and a signal output device, provided in the sensor casing, for sensing the sensed portion to output a signal related to its position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhira Ota, Masao Mimoto, Iwane Sano, Keisuke Wakakusa, Jie Xiu, Noriyuki Kawamata, Shingo Ito
  • Patent number: 9187283
    Abstract: A conveyor device may include first and second conveyor units, and a movable member. The first conveyor unit includes a first roller that contacts an upper surface of a sheet and a second roller that contacts a lower surface of the sheet. The second conveyor unit includes a third roller that contacts the lower surface of the sheet and a fourth roller that contacts the upper surface of the sheet. The first and second rollers and the third and fourth rollers nip and convey the sheet along a conveyance path. When the movable member is located in a first position, the first roller contacts the second roller and the third roller contacts the fourth roller. When the movable member moves to the second position, the first roller is moved away from the second roller and the third roller is moved away from the fourth roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Iwane Sano, Masao Mimoto, Noriyuki Kawamata, Keisuke Wakakusa, Jie Xiu, Yasuhira Ota, Shingo Ito
  • Patent number: 9180704
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a housing having a sheet conveyance path having curved and extending portions; and a pivotable guide member at least partly defining the curved portion and pivotable. The guide member has a first guide portion and a second guide portion pivotably coupled to it. The first guide portion is pivotable between a first position for partly defining the curved portion and a second position where the curved portion is open. The second guide portion is movable between a third position where the second guide portion partly defines the curved portion with the first guide portion located at the first position and a fourth position where the second guide portion extends in a direction from an inner side to the outer side of the curved portion with the first guide portion located at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhira Ota, Noriyuki Kawamata
  • Patent number: 9163598
    Abstract: The engine with a variable flow rate oil pump includes a subsidiary relief passage that extends from an oil passage-switching valve to a subsidiary oil pump, a main relief passage that extends from the oil passage-switching valve to the main oil pump separately from the subsidiary relief passage, and a check valve that is provided in the subsidiary discharge passage and cuts off the flow of oil from the main discharge passage side to the oil passage-switching valve side. The oil passage-switching valve has a main pressure-adjusting chamber for the main oil pump, a subsidiary pressure-adjusting chamber of for the subsidiary oil pump, and a spool valve that performs partitioning between the main pressure-adjusting chamber and the subsidiary pressure-adjusting chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignees: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasunori Ono, Junichi Miyajima, Noriyuki Kawamata, Hayato Maehara, Eisuke Kajihara, Kazuhiro Takeuchi, Norihiko Gogami, Satoshi Ino