Patents by Inventor Shohichi Fukutome

Shohichi Fukutome 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: 10057441
    Abstract: A driving device of the present invention includes a drive wire and a drive pulley. The drive pulley has a fixing hole and a guide groove on a wire-winding surface thereof on which the drive wire is wound. The drive wire is disposed in the guide groove and fixed in a fixing hole by a fixing member. A bottom face of the guide groove has a curved face portion formed in a boundary region of the wire-winding surface and the guide groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iguchi, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Yasuhiro Suto, Hiroki Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20180198942
    Abstract: An illuminating device according to an embodiment included in an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus includes light source portions, light-guiding members for illuminating an illumination target from an elongated light emitting face that extends in a longitudinal direction, by guiding light from the light source portions, and holding members for holding the light-guiding members. The holding members include holding portions for removably holding the light-guiding members, and tilted portions that reflect light emitted from the light emitting face, the tilted portions extending from a front end on the light emitting face side of the holding portions, obliquely widening with increasing distance from the light-guiding members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Yamada, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10015333
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image scanning unit that is provided with a holding portion holding a flexible flat cable. The holding portion is protruded toward an upstream side in a sub scanning direction, and provided with a second wall part. The flexible flat cable that is extended from a connector is brought into contact with the second wall part. As for the flexible flat cable, a downward movement is regulated by a lower holding portion and an upward movement is regulated by an upper holding portion. Accordingly, the flexible flat cable does not rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Kazuhiro Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10003712
    Abstract: An illuminating device capable of stably illuminating an irradiated object such as a document while suppressing light loss with a simply structure is provided. An LED array and a reflective plate are disposed sandwiching a slit (St) through which light reflected by a document MS passes and a light-guiding member is disposed on the side of the LED array. The light-guiding member includes a direct emission unit disposed between an illumination range y centered on a document reading position and the LED array and an indirect emission unit disposed between the reflective plate and the LED array, a light incidence face of the direct emission unit and a light incidence face of the indirect emission unit are disposed at mutually different position around the LED array, and the LED array is disposed on a side of an interior angle formed by the light incidence faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suto, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Tomohiko Okada, Hisashi Yamanaka, Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20180160003
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light guide member having a bar-like shape and a light source disposed so as to face an end surface of the light guide member. The illumination device guides light from the light source in the light guide member and emits the light from a light emission surface of the light guide member formed in a longitudinal direction of the light guide member. The light emission surface includes a first light diffusing portion that is formed in a first portion near the light source and that has a protruding/recessed shape, and a second light diffusing portion that is formed in a second portion adjacent to an end of the first light diffusing portion, the end being away from the light source. The second light diffusing portion has a protruding/recessed shape and has lower light diffusivity than the first light diffusing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: YASUHIRO SUTOH, SHOHICHI FUKUTOME, KENJI NAKANISHI, YUUYA IWAI
  • Publication number: 20180131833
    Abstract: A driving device is used in an image reading apparatus, and reciprocates a scanning unit for reading an image on an original. The driving device comprises a pull member, a driving pulley which transmits driving force to the pull member, a following pulley which applies tension to the pull member and a pulley holder having a pulley axis which holds the following pulley rotatably. Then, the pulley axis has a lock pawl capable of locking an upper end portion of the following pulley and canceling engagement with the following pulley by being tilted toward a side of an axial center by elastic deformation. Furthermore, the lock pawl is arranged at a side of a tension acting direction from the pull member to the following pulley except the farthest position from the driving pulley among positions in a circumferential direction of the pulley axis. It is possible to attach and detach the following pulley easily at a time of maintenance or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Masahiro IMOTO, Yasuhiro SUTO, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Kenji NAKANISHI, Kazuhiro IGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9948811
    Abstract: An illuminating device (210) according to an embodiment of the invention included in an image reading apparatus (100) and an image forming apparatus (D) includes light source portions (211a1), (211b1), (211a2) and (211b2), light-guiding members (213a) and (213b) for illuminating an illumination target (G) from an elongated light emitting face (M) that extends in a longitudinal direction (Y), by guiding light from the light source portions, and holding members (216a) and (216b) for holding the light-guiding members. The holding members include holding portions (2161a) and (2161b) for removably holding the light-guiding members, and tilted portions (2162a) and (2162b) that reflect light emitted from the light emitting face (M), the tilted portions extending from a front end on the light emitting face (M) side of the holding portions, obliquely widening with increasing distance from the light-guiding members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Yamada, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 9948801
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, an image forming unit, a discharge unit, and a discharge tray. The image reading unit is configured to read a document placed on a document placement table by moving and scanning of a scanning body in a sub-scanning direction. The image forming unit is configured to form an image read by the image reading unit on a paper sheet. The discharge unit is configured to discharge the paper sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit to a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction. The discharge tray is on which the paper sheet from the discharge unit is to be placed with a space portion at a lower side of the image reading unit. A bottom surface of a housing of the image reading unit facing the discharge tray is constituted of a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is a surface at a front side of the discharge unit in a discharging direction and high with respect to the discharge tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Nakanishi, Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 9894234
    Abstract: A driving device is used in an image reading apparatus, and reciprocates a scanning unit for reading an image on an original. The driving device comprises a pull member, a driving pulley which transmits driving force to the pull member, a following pulley which applies tension to the pull member and a pulley holder having a pulley axis which holds the following pulley rotatably. Then, the pulley axis has a lock pawl capable of locking an upper end portion of the following pulley and canceling engagement with the following pulley by being tilted toward a side of an axial center by elastic deformation. Furthermore, the lock pawl is arranged at a side of a tension acting direction from the pull member to the following pulley except the farthest position from the driving pulley among positions in a circumferential direction of the pulley axis. It is possible to attach and detach the following pulley easily at a time of maintenance or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Nakanishi, Kazuhiro Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20170318169
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image scanning unit that is provided with a holding portion holding a flexible flat cable. The holding portion is protruded toward an upstream side in a sub scanning direction, and provided with a second wall part. The flexible flat cable that is extended from a connector is brought into contact with the second wall part. As for the flexible flat cable, a downward movement is regulated by a lower holding portion and an upward movement is regulated by an upper holding portion. Accordingly, the flexible flat cable does not rise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiro IMOTO, Yasuhiro SUTO, Hisashi YAMANAKA, Kenji NAKANISHI, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Kazuhiro IGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9742940
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image scanning unit that is provided with a holding portion holding a flexible flat cable. The holding portion is protruded toward an upstream side in a sub scanning direction, and provided with a second wall part. The flexible flat cable that is extended from a connector is brought into contact with the second wall part. As for the flexible flat cable, a downward movement is regulated by a lower holding portion and an upward movement is regulated by an upper holding portion. Accordingly, the flexible flat cable does not rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Kazuhiro Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20170214815
    Abstract: An illuminating device capable of stably illuminating an irradiated object such as a document while suppressing light loss with a simply structure is provided. An LED array and a reflective plate are disposed sandwiching a slit (St) through which light reflected by a document MS passes and a light-guiding member is disposed on the side of the LED array. The light-guiding member includes a direct emission unit disposed between an illumination range y centered on a document reading position and the LED array and an indirect emission unit disposed between the reflective plate and the LED array, a light incidence face of the direct emission unit and a light incidence face of the indirect emission unit are disposed at mutually different position around the LED array, and the LED array is disposed on a side of an interior angle formed by the light incidence faces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SUTO, Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO, Tomohiko OKADA, Hisashi YAMANAKA, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Kenji NAKANISHI
  • Patent number: 9681014
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus has a light source unit for illuminating an object to be illuminated, a reading unit for reading the object illuminated by the light source unit, a reflective unit, having at least a first reflection mirror, for reflecting reading light reflected by the object toward the reading unit, and a first light blocking portion for partially blocking light except the reading light. The first reflection mirror has a reflecting surface for reflecting the reading light, and an end surface substantially orthogonal to the reflecting surface. The first light blocking portion extends in a longitudinal direction of the first reflection mirror toward the end surface of the first reflection mirror, with a tip end of the first light blocking portion being opposed to the end surface of the first reflection mirror with a gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Kenji Nakanishi, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Kazuhiro Iguchi, Hiroki Kuruma
  • Patent number: 9648192
    Abstract: An illuminating device capable of stably illuminating an irradiated object such as a document while suppressing light loss with a simply structure is provided. An LED array and a reflective plate are disposed sandwiching a slit (St) through which light reflected by a document MS passes and a light-guiding member is disposed on the side of the LED array. The light-guiding member includes a direct emission unit disposed between an illumination range y centered on a document reading position and the LED array and an indirect emission unit disposed between the reflective plate and the LED array, a light incidence face of the direct emission unit and a light incidence face of the indirect emission unit are disposed at mutually different position around the LED array, and the LED array is disposed on a side of an interior angle formed by the light incidence faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suto, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Tomohiko Okada, Hisashi Yamanaka, Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9635209
    Abstract: In an image forming device, a light-guiding member includes an integrated ridge extending in the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member. The light-guiding member further includes a protrusion on the ridge. The illuminating device includes an attachment recess that holds the light-guiding member and a holder member that has a fit portion to which a protrusion is fitted. The protrusion is disposed at a position decentered to one end portion of the light-guiding member in the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suto, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Masahiro Imoto, Kazuhiro Iguchi, Hiroki Kuruma
  • Publication number: 20170111528
    Abstract: A driving device of the present invention includes a drive wire and a drive pulley. The drive pulley has a fixing hole and a guide groove on a wire-winding surface thereof on which the drive wire is wound. The drive wire is disposed in the guide groove and fixed in a fixing hole by a fixing member. A bottom face of the guide groove has a curved face portion formed in a boundary region of the wire-winding surface and the guide groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhiro IGUCHI, Kenji NAKANISHI, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Yasuhiro SUTO, Hiroki KURUMA
  • Publication number: 20170085739
    Abstract: A driving device is used in an image reading apparatus, and reciprocates a scanning unit for reading an image on an original. The driving device comprises a pull member, a driving pulley which transmits driving force to the pull member, a following pulley which applies tension to the pull member and a pulley holder having a pulley axis which holds the following pulley rotatably. Then, the pulley axis has a lock pawl capable of locking an upper end portion of the following pulley and canceling engagement with the following pulley by being tilted toward a side of an axial center by elastic deformation. Furthermore, the lock pawl is arranged at a side of a tension acting direction from the pull member to the following pulley except the farthest position from the driving pulley among positions in a circumferential direction of the pulley axis. It is possible to attach and detach the following pulley easily at a time of maintenance or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiro IMOTO, Yasuhiro SUTO, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Kenji NAKANISHI, Kazuhiro IGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9554012
    Abstract: A driving device is used in an image reading apparatus, and reciprocates a scanning unit for reading an image on an original. The driving device comprises a pull member, a driving pulley which transmits driving force to the pull member, a following pulley which applies tension to the pull member and a pulley holder having a pulley axis which holds the following pulley rotatably. Then, the pulley axis has a lock pawl capable of locking an upper end portion of the following pulley and canceling engagement with the following pulley by being tilted toward a side of an axial center by elastic deformation. Furthermore, the lock pawl is arranged at a side of a tension acting direction from the pull member to the following pulley except the farthest position from the driving pulley among positions in a circumferential direction of the pulley axis. It is possible to attach and detach the following pulley easily at a time of maintenance or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Nakanishi, Kazuhiro Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20160352954
    Abstract: An illuminating device (210) according to an embodiment of the invention included in an image reading apparatus (100) and an image forming apparatus (D) includes light source portions (211a1), (211b1), (211a2) and (211b2), light-guiding members (213a) and (213b) for illuminating an illumination target (G) from an elongated light emitting face (M) that extends in a longitudinal direction (Y), by guiding light from the light source portions, and holding members (216a) and (216b) for holding the light-guiding members. The holding members include holding portions (2161a) and (2161b) for removably holding the light-guiding members, and tilted portions (2162a) and (2162b) that reflect light emitted from the light emitting face (M), the tilted portions extending from a front end on the light emitting face (M) side of the holding portions, obliquely widening with increasing distance from the light-guiding members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshihisa YAMADA, Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO, Yasuhiro SUTO, Kenji NAKANISHI, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Hisashi YAMANAKA
  • Publication number: 20160344883
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, an image forming unit, a discharge unit, and a discharge tray. The image reading unit is configured to read a document placed on a document placement table by moving and scanning of a scanning body in a sub-scanning direction. The image forming unit is configured to form an image read by the image reading unit on a paper sheet. The discharge unit is configured to discharge the paper sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit to a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction. The discharge tray is on which the paper sheet from the discharge unit is to be placed with a space portion at a lower side of the image reading unit. A bottom surface of a housing of the image reading unit facing the discharge tray is constituted of a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is a surface at a front side of the discharge unit in a discharging direction and high with respect to the discharge tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji NAKANISHI, Masahiro IMOTO, Yasuhiro SUTO, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Hisashi YAMANAKA, Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO