Patents by Inventor Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
Shintaro SAKAGUCHI 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: 20200333727Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a cam, a switching mechanism, a sheet tray, a sheet feed mechanism, a sheet sensor, and a controller. The switching mechanism rotates the cam to move the developing roller from a contact position in contact with the photosensitive drum to a separated position away from the photosensitive drum after development for the first sheet, if feeding of a second sheet is not started after elapse of a prescribed time period since detection of a first sheet. If image data for the second sheet is ready and upon elapse of a predetermined standby time period from elapse of the prescribed time period, the sheet feed mechanism starts feeding the second sheet toward the photosensitive drum and the switching mechanism rotates the cam to move the developing roller to the separated position in accordance with conveyance of the second sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2020Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventors: Shintaro SAKAGUCHI, Toshiyuki SANO, Masahito SAEKI
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Publication number: 20200301335Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a cam, a switching mechanism, a cam follower, and a controller for controlling the switching mechanism to control rotation of the cam. The cam is rotatable to move the developing roller between a contact position in contact with the photosensitive drum and a separated position in separation from the photosensitive drum. To maintain the developing roller at the contact position after being moved from the separated position, the cam is rotated to move the cam follower from a first holding surface to a second holding surface of the cam through a second guide surface, and is stopped rotating to hold the cam follower in contact with a first guide surface of the cam at a position closer to the first holding surface than to the second holding surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masahito SAEKI, Toshiyuki SANO, Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20200301358Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to, before driving a development motor, obtain a temperature inside a housing from a temperature sensor, determine whether the obtained temperature inside the housing is equal to or lower than a particular temperature, when determining that the temperature inside the housing is higher than the particular temperature, execute a full-speed mode to control the development motor to rotate at a first target speed and control a process motor to rotate at a second target speed, and when determining that the temperature inside the housing is equal to or lower than the particular temperature, execute a low-temperature mode to control the development motor to rotate at a third target speed lower than the first target speed and control the process motor to rotate at the second target speed that is the same as in the full-speed mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2019Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kotaro HARUTA, Masahito SAEKI, Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20200301350Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a motor, a first photosensitive drum, a second photosensitive drum, a first developing roller, a second developing roller, a first cam, a second cam, a first clutch, a second clutch, a first phase sensor, and a controller, is provided. On condition that a triggering condition is satisfied, the controller starts the motor to operate, place the first clutch in a transmittable condition to cause the first developing roller to move for a first separated position, and place the second clutch in a discontinuing condition; and place the second clutch in the transmittable condition to cause the second developing roller to move to the second separated position in one of cases where a predetermined period since the first clutch is placed in the transmittable condition elapses and where the controller receives the separation signal from the first phase sensor before the predetermined period elapses.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shintaro SAKAGUCHI, Toshiyuki SANO, Masahito SAEKI
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Publication number: 20200292959Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having first, second, and third photosensitive drums, a first developing cartridge including a first developing roller, a second developing cartridge including a second developing roller, a third developing cartridge including a third developing roller, an exposure device, a conveyer, and a moving mechanism, is provided. The first developing roller, the second developing roller, and the third developing roller are arranged in the recited order from upstream to downstream in a moving direction for the sheet to be conveyed. When the second developing roller is at the separated position thereof, the second developing cartridge coincides with a light path of the laser beam for scanning the first photosensitive drum. When the third developing roller is at the separated position thereof, the third developing cartridge coincides with a light path of the laser beam for scanning the second photosensitive drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2019Publication date: September 17, 2020Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masahito SAEKI, Toshiyuki SANO, Shintaro SAKAGUCHI, Kotaro HARUTA, Shoichiro NISHIMURA
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Publication number: 20200277155Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main apparatus body having an image forming unit and a discharge tray; and a controller. The main apparatus body includes a conveyance path along which a sheet passed through the image forming unit is conveyed; a discharge path branched from the conveyance path and connected to the discharge tray; and a reconveyance path having a first path different from the discharge path and a second path for conveying the sheet to the image forming unit. In a double-sided printing, if a first sheet has passed through the first path when a forward end of a second sheet arrives at a predetermined position in the conveyance path, the controller conveys the second sheet to the first path and then conveys the second sheet to the second path.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshiyuki SANO, Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20200073306Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a user interface, a controller, and a main memory. The controller provides an error notification to the user interface in a case where drum cartridge information read from the main memory does not match drum-cartridge identification information stored in a drum-cartridge memory of a drum cartridge and replacement of the drum cartridge replacement is not necessary. The controller may also provide an error notification to the user interface in a case where a toner cartridge information read from the main memory does not match toner-cartridge identification information stored in a toner-cartridge memory of a toner cartridge and replacement of the toner cartridge is not necessary.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2019Publication date: March 5, 2020Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
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Patent number: 10562327Abstract: An image forming system, image forming apparatus and tray for the same are provided. The tray supports sheets and may include a coupling including first and second connectable members, a cam and clutch. The coupling allows the driving force to be transmitted when the second connectable member is in a connected position and block the driving force to be transmitted when the second connectable member is in a disconnected position. The cam is rotatable by the driving force to be in a transmitting or a blocking state. The clutch allows the cam to rotate when activated and prevents the cam from rotating when deactivated. A controller can activate the clutch to transmit or block the driving force to the load and deactivate the clutch when the cam is placed in the transmitting or blocking states.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2017Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shintaro Sakaguchi, Yohei Hashimoto
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Patent number: 10399366Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit, a receiving unit, a conveyance unit and a controller. The controller is configured to carry out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the liquid jetted recording medium in the conveyance path and controlling the conveyance unit to stop the recording medium in the conveyance path under a condition that the controller determines that it is necessary to dry the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2017Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shintaro Sakaguchi
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Publication number: 20180147867Abstract: An image forming system, image forming apparatus and tray for the same are provided. The tray supports sheets and may include a coupling including first and second connectable members, a cam and clutch. The coupling allows the driving force to be transmitted when the second connectable member is in a connected position and block the driving force to be transmitted when the second connectable member is in a disconnected position. The cam is rotatable by the driving force to be in a transmitting or a blocking state. The clutch allows the cam to rotate when activated and prevents the cam from rotating when deactivated. A controller can activate the clutch to transmit or block the driving force to the load and deactivate the clutch when the cam is placed in the transmitting or blocking states.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2017Publication date: May 31, 2018Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shintaro Sakaguchi, Yohei Hashimoto
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Publication number: 20180079236Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit, a receiving unit, a conveyance unit and a controller. The controller is configured to carry out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the liquid jetted recording medium in the conveyance path and controlling the conveyance unit to stop the recording medium in the conveyance path under a condition that the controller determines that it is necessary to dry the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2017Publication date: March 22, 2018Inventor: Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
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Patent number: 9757964Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit, a receiving unit, a conveyance unit and a controller. The controller is configured to carry out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the liquid jetted recording medium in the conveyance path and controlling the conveyance unit to stop the recording medium in the conveyance path under a condition that the controller determines that it is necessary to dry the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shintaro Sakaguchi
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Patent number: 9751343Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit and a receiving unit for a recording medium, a conveyance unit, and a controller. The controller carries out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the recording medium in a conveyance path, determining whether or not a first length of the recording medium along the conveyance direction is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, when it is necessary to dry the recording medium, and controlling the conveyance unit to convey the recording medium to a switchback path by reversing the conveyance direction and stop the recording medium in a state of being at least partially within the switchback path, and then to cause the receiving unit to receive the recording medium, when it is determined that the first length is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shintaro Sakaguchi
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Publication number: 20170087893Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit and a receiving unit for a recording medium, a conveyance unit, and a controller. The controller carries out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the recording medium in a conveyance path, determining whether or not a first length of the recording medium along the conveyance direction is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, when it is necessary to dry the recording medium, and controlling the conveyance unit to convey the recording medium to a switchback path by reversing the conveyance direction and stop the recording medium in a state of being at least partially within the switchback path, and then to cause the receiving unit to receive the recording medium, when it is determined that the first length is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventor: Shintaro SAKAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20170087894Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit, a receiving unit, a conveyance unit and a controller. The controller is configured to carry out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the liquid jetted recording medium in the conveyance path and controlling the conveyance unit to stop the recording medium in the conveyance path under a condition that the controller determines that it is necessary to dry the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventor: Shintaro Sakaguchi
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Patent number: 9261830Abstract: In an image-forming apparatus an image-forming portion performs a printing operation in which an image is formed on a sheet. A heater thermally fixes the image on the sheet. A processor is configured to: determine whether a temperature detected by a detector is higher than a threshold value before the image-forming portion performs the printing operation; drive a fan at a first speed following start of the printing operation when the temperature is higher than the threshold value; and drive the fan at a second speed lower than the first speed for a prescribed period of time following the start of the printing operation when the temperature is lower than the threshold value or equal to the threshold value, and subsequently drive the fan at the first speed; control a temperature of the heater based on the temperature detected by the detector while the image-forming portion performs the printing operation.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2015Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shintaro Sakaguchi, Kaoru Suzuki
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Publication number: 20150198918Abstract: In an image-forming apparatus an image-forming portion performs a printing operation in which an image is formed on a sheet. A heater thermally fixes the image on the sheet. A processor is configured to: determine whether a temperature detected by a detector is higher than a threshold value before the image-forming portion perform the printing operation; drive a fan at a first speed following start of the printing operation when the temperature is higher than the threshold value; and drive the fan at a second speed lower than the first speed for a prescribed period of time following the start of the printing operation when the temperature is lower than the threshold value or equal to the threshold, and subsequently drive the fan at the first speed; control a temperature of the heater based on the temperature detected by the detector while the image-forming portion performs the printing operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2015Publication date: July 16, 2015Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shintaro SAKAGUCHI, Kaoru SUZUKI
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Patent number: 8817291Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a memory, an image forming device, an authentication device, and a control device. The authentication device performs user authentication. The control device determines whether the stored job requires user authentication. The control device permits the image forming unit to form an image based on the stored job when the job requires user authentication and the authentication device successfully performs user authentication for the job. The control device permits the image forming unit to form an image based on the stored job without user authentication when the job does not require user authentication. The control device selectively supplies power to the authentication device based on whether the stored job requires user authentication.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2012Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Shintaro Sakaguchi
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Publication number: 20120250068Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a memory, an image forming device, an authentication device, and a control device. The authentication device performs user authentication. The control device determines whether the stored job requires user authentication. The control device permits the image forming unit to form an image based on the stored job when the job requires user authentication and the authentication device successfully performs user authentication for the job. The control device permits the image forming unit to form an image based on the stored job without user authentication when the job does not require user authentication. The control device selectively supplies power to the authentication device based on whether the stored job requires user authentication.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Inventors: Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO, Shintaro SAKAGUCHI