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).
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Publication number: 20170251120Abstract: An image processing apparatus including: a first housing; and a second housing, the second housing including: a base part; a supporting part; an image reader; and a detector, the first housing including: an image forming unit and a cover, wherein: the cover has a 1st region disposed on a lower position of the detector and a 2nd region disposed on an upper position of a moving range of a recording head; the 1st region has a recessed part recessed downward, an inner bottom surface of the recessed part being disposed at a position lower that an upper edge position of the 2nd region; the base part has a housing part; and a lower edge of the detector is lower than the upper edge position of the 2nd region.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Inventors: Kazuhiro Nakashima, Noriyuki Kawamata
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Patent number: 9713930Abstract: An inkjet recording device is described in which maintenance is performed by a maintenance unit upon a recording head. The maintenance unit is located on a base unit. The base unit includes a wall portion supporting a plurality of gear shafts protruding in a width direction from the wall portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2014Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jie Xiu, Keisuke Wakakusa, Iwane Sano, Masao Mimoto, Yasuhira Ota, Shingo Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata
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Publication number: 20170157956Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2016Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
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Patent number: 9650221Abstract: A conveyor includes: a conveyor roller unit including a conveyor roller; a transmission mechanism; a driven roller unit including a driven roller; a supporting member which supports the conveyor roller unit and the driven roller unit to allow the conveyor roller unit and the driven roller unit to take a conveyance position or a retracted position; and a movable member which is movable between a first position where the conveyor roller and the driven roller take the conveyance position and a second position where the conveyor roller and the driven roller take the refracted position. The movable member moves from the second position to the first position when the conveyor roller in the second position rotates in one direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2015Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yasuhira Ota
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Patent number: 9654658Abstract: 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. The controller controls the driving device to generate the driving force based on a determined driving manner.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2015Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
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Patent number: 9617109Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a casing; a sheet-feeder tray having a supporting surface for supporting a sheet-shaped recording medium; a recording unit which is configured to record an image on the recording medium fed from the sheet-feeder tray; a discharge roller pair configured to discharge, from the casing, the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit; an opening-closing member which is provided on the downstream of the discharge roller pair in a direction in which the recording medium is discharged by the discharge roller pair and is rotatable between a first position where a discharging slot of the recording medium discharged by the discharge roller pair is closed and a second position where the discharging slot is open; and a restricting mechanism configured to restrict the rotation of the opening-closing member from the second position to the first position.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2015Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yasuhira Ota, Noriyuki Kawamata, Motohiro Okamura
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Patent number: 9592681Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 3, 2016Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
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Patent number: 9592977Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 20, 2015Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yasuhira Ota, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
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Patent number: 9555986Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 25, 2015Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yasuhira Ota
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Patent number: 9511963Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 17, 2014Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasuhira Ota, Noriyuki Kawamata, Masao Mimoto, Keisuke Wakakusa, Iwane Sano, Jie Xiu, Shingo Ito
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Patent number: 9493318Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 25, 2015Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yasuhira Ota
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Publication number: 20160279974Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Yohei Hashimoto, Masamitsu Ukai, Hirotaka Mori, Noriyuki Kawamata, Masahito Saeki, Hiroyuki Okuchi, Makoto Souda
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Patent number: 9409422Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 19, 2015Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
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Publication number: 20160212286Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2015Publication date: July 21, 2016Inventor: Noriyuki Kawamata
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Publication number: 20160185137Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
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Publication number: 20160152048Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2016Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura
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Patent number: 9296579Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keisuke Wakakusa, Noriyuki Kawamata, Iwane Sano, Masao Mimoto, Yasuhira Ota, Jie Xiu, Shingo Ito
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Patent number: 9290021Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 27, 2012Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Noriyuki Kawamata, Wataru Sugiyama, Tsuyoshi Ito
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Patent number: 9290344Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 10, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
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Patent number: 9259946Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 4, 2015Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Noriyuki Kawamata, Takashi Omura