Patents by Inventor Soichiro Kii

Soichiro Kii 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: 11845628
    Abstract: A drive transferring unit includes a first roller, a second roller, a first clutch, a second clutch, a transferring section, and a control section. The first roller includes a first shaft section. The second roller includes a second shaft section. The first clutch switches between enabling transfer of a driving force to the first shaft section and interrupting transfer thereof. The second clutch switches between enabling transfer of the driving force to the second shaft section and interrupting transfer thereof. The transferring section transfers the driving force from one of the first roller and the second roller to the other. The control section selects between first control in which the first clutch is in the on state and the second clutch is in the off state and second control in which the second clutch is in the on state and the first clutch is in the off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Soichiro Kii
  • Publication number: 20230399188
    Abstract: A skew correction device is configured to transport a medium through regular rotation of a resist roller and correct skew of the medium through reverse rotation or stoppage of the resist roller. The skew correction device includes the resist roller, a driven roller configured to transport the medium by nipping the medium together with the resist roller and correct skew of the medium, and a driving force transmission unit configured to transmit a driving force from a driving source to the resist roller, wherein the driving force transmission unit includes a torque limiter configured to regularly rotate the resist roller by transmitting a driving source from the driving source, and a clutch configured to perform switching between a state of regularly rotating the resist roller and a state of reversely rotating or stopping the resist roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventor: Soichiro KII
  • Publication number: 20230356535
    Abstract: A plunger of a solenoid includes a pin member that moves in a groove portion of a link member in association with a displacement operation, the solenoid regulates the posture of a path switching member in a suction state, a contact surface that is an inner surface of the groove portion and with which the pin member comes into contact when the plunger moves in a suction direction is formed in a non-linear shape to have a first region extending in a first direction and a second region extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and an angle formed by the suction direction and the second direction is smaller than an angle formed by the suction direction and the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventor: Soichiro KII
  • Publication number: 20230321981
    Abstract: A transportation portion includes an apparatus body, a cover, first and second path formation portions, and a movement portion. The apparatus body has a transportation path including a downward path and an upward path having portions located at the same level in the Z direction. The cover covers and uncovers the transportation path. The first path formation portion is movable to a first position and to a second position. The second path formation portion defines the upward path and defines the downward path with the first path formation portion. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion in response to opening or closing of the cover. The first path formation portion is positioned in a movement area during a closed state. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion to the second position when the cover is opened and to the first position when the cover is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Akinobu NAKAHATA, Soichiro KII, Atsushi MUKAIDA, Yosaku TAMURA
  • Patent number: 11724504
    Abstract: A transportation portion includes an apparatus body, a cover, first and second path formation portions, and a movement portion. The apparatus body has a transportation path including a downward path and an upward path having portions located at the same level in the Z direction. The cover covers and uncovers the transportation path. The first path formation portion is movable to a first position and to a second position. The second path formation portion defines the upward path and defines the downward path with the first path formation portion. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion in response to opening or closing of the cover. The first path formation portion is positioned in a movement area during a closed state. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion to the second position when the cover is opened and to the first position when the cover is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Soichiro Kii, Atsushi Mukaida, Yosaku Tamura
  • Publication number: 20230120301
    Abstract: A medium transport device 1 including a device main body 12 having a transport path T for transporting a medium P, an outer door 30, an inner door 40 disposed with respect to the device main body 12 to the inside of the outer door 30, an outer hinge 31 that openably and closably attaches the outer door 30 to the device main body 12, and an inner hinge 41 that openably and closably attaches the inner door 40 to the device main body 12, wherein a pivot axis 15 of the outer hinge 31 and a pivot axis 5 of the inner hinge 41 both extend in a first direction and the outer hinge 31 and the inner hinge 41 overlap when viewed from a direction intersecting an outer door surface 30B of the outer door 30 in a closed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Morihiko YAMADA, Soichiro KII
  • Patent number: 11370232
    Abstract: The medium detection unit is a component constituting an optical path of the detection light, and includes a first optical element disposed on an upper side of the medium transport path and a second optical element disposed on a lower side of the medium transport path so as to face the first optical element, the second optical element has a facing surface that faces the first optical element, the facing surface being located at a position that is not in contact with a medium nipped by both the first roller pair and the second roller pair, and a medium feeding direction by the first roller pair is a direction by which a leading edge of a medium fed out abuts a position upstream in the medium transport direction relative to a position where the detection light is received on the facing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junko Ao, Koji Oda, Toshihiro Imae, Soichiro Kii
  • Publication number: 20220194084
    Abstract: A transportation portion includes an apparatus body, a cover, first and second path formation portions, and a movement portion. The apparatus body has a transportation path including a downward path and an upward path having portions located at the same level in the Z direction. The cover covers and uncovers the transportation path. The first path formation portion is movable to a first position and to a second position. The second path formation portion defines the upward path and defines the downward path with the first path formation portion. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion in response to opening or closing of the cover. The first path formation portion is positioned in a movement area during a closed state. The movement portion moves the first path formation portion to the second position when the cover is opened and to the first position when the cover is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Akinobu NAKAHATA, Soichiro KII, Atsushi MUKAIDA, Yosaku TAMURA
  • Publication number: 20220119213
    Abstract: A drive transferring unit includes a first roller, a second roller, a first clutch, a second clutch, a transferring section, and a control section. The first roller includes a first shaft section. The second roller includes a second shaft section. The first clutch switches between enabling transfer of a driving force to the first shaft section and interrupting transfer thereof. The second clutch switches between enabling transfer of the driving force to the second shaft section and interrupting transfer thereof. The transferring section transfers the driving force from one of the first roller and the second roller to the other. The control section selects between first control in which the first clutch is in the on state and the second clutch is in the off state and second control in which the second clutch is in the on state and the first clutch is in the off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventor: Soichiro KII
  • Patent number: 11046546
    Abstract: A medium discharge device includes: a discharge unit that discharges a medium; a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit; and a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit. The second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position for receiving a medium, which is discharged, by causing at least an upstream zone of the tray including an upstream side end portion in a medium discharge direction to advance to a passing route of the medium from the discharge unit toward the first medium receiving tray and a retraction position to which the upstream zone retracts from the passing route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Imae, Soichiro Kii, Takafumi Ogimura, Yasuhiro Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10875332
    Abstract: A recording device includes a recording unit; an inverting path that inverts a medium that recording has been performed on and sends the medium back to the recording unit; a feeding roller an outer circumferential surface of which is in contact with the medium at both a first position in the inverting path before inverting the medium and a second position in the inverting path after inverting the medium; and a cleaning unit that cleans the outer circumferential surface of the feeding roller; in which the cleaning unit, before a contact portion on the outer circumferential surface of the feeding roller in contact with the medium at the first position reaches the second position with rotation of the feeding roller, is disposed at a position in contact with the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Soichiro Kii
  • Publication number: 20200023659
    Abstract: A recording device includes a recording unit; an inverting path that inverts a medium that recording has been performed on and sends the medium back to the recording unit; a feeding roller an outer circumferential surface of which is in contact with the medium at both a first position in the inverting path before inverting the medium and a second position in the inverting path after inverting the medium; and a cleaning unit that cleans the outer circumferential surface of the feeding roller; in which the cleaning unit, before a contact portion on the outer circumferential surface of the feeding roller in contact with the medium at the first position reaches the second position with rotation of the feeding roller, is disposed at a position in contact with the contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventor: Soichiro KII
  • Patent number: 10455106
    Abstract: There is provided an image reading apparatus including: a reading device; a carriage which the reading device is loaded; a support shaft which is formed of a conductive material, which is grounded to a ground potential, and which supports the carriage; and a conduction member which allows a conductive part of the carriage and the support shaft to be electrically conducted to each other, in which the carriage includes a bearing section which is formed of a material having electric insulation properties, in which the bearing section is supported by the support shaft in a state of abutting against the support shaft from one side of the support shaft in a direction intersecting with a shaft line of the support shaft, and in which the conduction member is fixed to the carriage, and abuts against the support shaft from a side opposite to the support shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Etsuo Tsuji, Soichiro Kii, Yutaro Kajitani
  • Patent number: 10407264
    Abstract: A medium transporting device including: a main body; an opening/closing body; and a holding unit, in which the holding unit includes a rotation member that has a supporting portion which can be displaced between raised up and dropped down by rotation thereof and supports the opening/closing body and applies a force to the opening/closing body in an opening direction by the supporting portion engaging with the opening/closing body, and a pressing unit that presses the rotation member in the raised direction, and in which the holding unit further includes a configuration in which a force which is applied to the opening/closing body in the opening direction due to a pressing force to the rotation member generated by the pressing unit and a force that the opening/closing body tries to close are balanced with each other according to a predetermined rotation angle of the rotation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Soichiro Kii
  • Publication number: 20190233245
    Abstract: A medium discharge device includes: a discharge unit that discharges a medium; a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit; and a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit. The second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position for receiving a medium, which is discharged, by causing at least an upstream zone of the tray including an upstream side end portion in a medium discharge direction to advance to a passing route of the medium from the discharge unit toward the first medium receiving tray and a retraction position to which the upstream zone retracts from the passing route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Toshihiro IMAE, Soichiro KII, Takafumi OGIMURA, Yasuhiro MATSUO
  • Patent number: 10334131
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a document placement surface, a document cover that rotates between a closed state and an open state, a pressing portion that is disposed on the side of the document table and presses a switch, a rotary lever that is disposed on the side of the document cover and applies external force to the pressing portion, and a biasing member that biases one end side of the rotary lever in a direction that moves away from the document cover, in which when the document cover is at a predetermined angle, one end of the rotary lever pushes down the pressing portion to change the state of the switch, and in the process of displacement from the predetermined angle to the closed state, the one end of the rotary lever rotates in a direction approaching the document cover and maintains the state of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro Kii, Etsuo Tsuji, Osamu Hanamura
  • Patent number: 10291802
    Abstract: A document reader includes: a scanner unit; an ADF; a hinge that connects the scanner unit and the ADF in a way that the ADF is openable from and closable to the scanner unit by turning around a turn shaft of the hinge; and a positioning mechanism. The hinge includes a pressing member that holds the ADF open, and is arranged on a back side of the scanner unit with the turn shaft located above the pressing member. The positioning mechanism includes: a projecting portion located below the turn shaft, and formed on a surface of the hinge intersecting an axial direction of the turn shaft; a slit formed in the scanner unit, and brought into engagement with the projecting portion; and an adjusting screw that presses a lower part of the hinge from the back side of the scanner unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Soichiro Kii
  • Publication number: 20180278787
    Abstract: There is provided an image reading apparatus including: a reading device; a carriage which the reading device is loaded; a support shaft which is formed of a conductive material, which is grounded to a ground potential, and which supports the carriage; and a conduction member which allows a conductive part of the carriage and the support shaft to be electrically conducted to each other, in which the carriage includes a bearing section which is formed of a material having electric insulation properties, in which the bearing section is supported by the support shaft in a state of abutting against the support shaft from one side of the support shaft in a direction intersecting with a shaft line of the support shaft, and in which the conduction member is fixed to the carriage, and abuts against the support shaft from a side opposite to the support shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Etsuo TSUJI, Soichiro KII, Yutaro KAJITANI
  • Publication number: 20180278773
    Abstract: A document reader includes: a scanner unit; an ADF; a hinge that connects the scanner unit and the ADF in a way that the ADF is openable from and closable to the scanner unit by turning around a turn shaft of the hinge; and a positioning mechanism. The hinge includes a pressing member that holds the ADF open, and is arranged on a back side of the scanner unit with the turn shaft located above the pressing member. The positioning mechanism includes: a projecting portion located below the turn shaft, and formed on a surface of the hinge intersecting an axial direction of the turn shaft; a slit formed in the scanner unit, and brought into engagement with the projecting portion; and an adjusting screw that presses a lower part of the hinge from the back side of the scanner unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Soichiro KII
  • Patent number: D830451
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Makino, Seiji Kimura, Yusuke Yamashita, Genta Kawabe, Shinichiro Yoshikawa, Etsuo Tsuji, Soichiro Kii