Patents by Inventor Takanori Mukai

Takanori Mukai 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: 9939713
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens case on which a lens is installed; a columnar member having a central axis coincidental with a rotational axis of the lens case and formed on a lateral surface of the lens case, the rotational axis extending in a tilt direction being an in-plane direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction; a base supporting the lens case so as to be turnable in the tilt direction; and a plate spring secured to the base and pressing a circumferential surface of the columnar member toward the base by elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Patent number: 9860435
    Abstract: Provided is an image capture device including a lens unit that includes a lens, a supporting member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction with the lens unit, a rotation regulating member that regulates rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating, and a move permitting part that permits the rotation regulating member being in contact with the supporting member to move a predetermined amount in the rotating direction in a manner that the supporting member is rotatable 360 degrees or more in the rotating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20170104908
    Abstract: Provided is an image capture device including a lens unit that includes a lens, a supporting member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction with the lens unit, a rotation regulating member that regulates rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating, and a move permitting part that permits the rotation regulating member being in contact with the supporting member to move a predetermined amount in the rotating direction in a manner that the supporting member is rotatable 360 degrees or more in the rotating direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20170038663
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens case on which a lens is installed; a columnar member having a central axis coincidental with a rotational axis of the lens case and formed on a lateral surface of the lens case, the rotational axis extending in a tilt direction being an in-plane direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction; a base supporting the lens case so as to be turnable in the tilt direction; and a plate spring secured to the base and pressing a circumferential surface of the columnar member toward the base by elastic force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventor: Takanori MUKAI
  • Patent number: 9565345
    Abstract: Provided is an image capture device including a lens unit that includes a lens, a supporting member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction with the lens unit, a rotation regulating member that regulates rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating, and a move permitting part that permits the rotation regulating member being in contact with the supporting member to move a predetermined amount in the rotating direction in a manner that the supporting member is rotatable 360 degrees or more in the rotating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Patent number: 9497362
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens case on which a lens is installed; a columnar member having a central axis coincidental with a rotational axis of the lens case and formed on a lateral surface of the lens case, the rotational axis extending in a tilt direction being an in-plane direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction; a base supporting the lens case so as to be turnable in the tilt direction; and a plate spring secured to the base and pressing a circumferential surface of the columnar member toward the base by elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20150326759
    Abstract: Provided is an image capture device including a lens unit that includes a lens, a supporting member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction with the lens unit, a rotation regulating member that regulates rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating, and a move permitting part that permits the rotation regulating member being in contact with the supporting member to move a predetermined amount in the rotating direction in a manner that the supporting member is rotatable 360 degrees or more in the rotating direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori MUKAI
  • Patent number: 8953086
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes a placing section on which an image pickup element that receives light from an object is placed, a tilted surface section, which is provided on the placing section and is tilted with respect to the axis of light that enters the image pickup element, a direction specifying section, which specifies a moving direction so that the placing section moves parallel to the optical axis direction, a panel section having a surface perpendicular to the optical axis, and a rotating member, which is disposed between the tilted surface section and the panel section, and rotates and moves in the tilt direction of the tilted surface by being in contact with the tilted surface section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20140104489
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes a placing section on which an image pickup element that receives light from an object is placed, a tilted surface section, which is provided on the placing section and is tilted with respect to the axis of light that enters the image pickup element, a direction specifying section, which specifies a moving direction so that the placing section moves parallel to the optical axis direction, a panel section having a surface perpendicular to the optical axis, and a rotating member, which is disposed between the tilted surface section and the panel section, and rotates and moves in the tilt direction of the tilted surface by being in contact with the tilted surface section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori MUKAI
  • Patent number: 8638386
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes a placing section on which an image pickup element that receives light from an object is placed, a tilted surface section, which is provided on the placing section and is tilted with respect to the axis of light that enters the image pickup element, a direction specifying section, which specifies a moving direction so that the placing section moves parallel to the optical axis direction, a panel section having a surface perpendicular to the optical axis, and a rotating member, which is disposed between the tilted surface section and the panel section, and rotates and moves in the tilt direction of the tilted surface by being in contact with the tilted surface section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20130278765
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens case on which a lens is installed; a columnar member having a central axis coincidental with a rotational axis of the lens case and formed on a lateral surface of the lens case, the rotational axis extending in a tilt direction being an in-plane direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction; a base supporting the lens case so as to be turnable in the tilt direction; and a plate spring secured to the base and pressing a circumferential surface of the columnar member toward the base by elastic force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventor: Takanori MUKAI
  • Patent number: 8506181
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens block on which a lens is installed and which is turnable in a pan direction parallel to a horizontal direction; a support member supporting the lens block; and a plate spring secured to the support member and pressing the lens block toward the support member side by elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Patent number: 8469612
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens case on which a lens is installed; a columnar member having a central axis coincidental with a rotational axis of the lens case and formed on a lateral surface of the lens case, the rotational axis extending in a tilt direction being an in-plane direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction; a base supporting the lens case so as to be turnable in the tilt direction; and a plate spring secured to the base and pressing a circumferential surface of the columnar member toward the base by elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20120169920
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes a placing section on which an image pickup element that receives light from an object is placed, a tilted surface section, which is provided on the placing section and is tilted with respect to the axis of light that enters the image pickup element, a direction specifying section, which specifies a moving direction so that the placing section moves parallel to the optical axis direction, a panel section having a surface perpendicular to the optical axis, and a rotating member, which is disposed between the tilted surface section and the panel section, and rotates and moves in the tilt direction of the tilted surface by being in contact with the tilted surface section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori Mukai
  • Publication number: 20120106943
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens case on which a lens is installed; a columnar member having a central axis coincidental with a rotational axis of the lens case and formed on a lateral surface of the lens case, the rotational axis extending in a tilt direction being an in-plane direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction; a base supporting the lens case so as to be turnable in the tilt direction; and a plate spring secured to the base and pressing a circumferential surface of the columnar member toward the base by elastic force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: Takanori MUKAI
  • Publication number: 20120106942
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens block on which a lens is installed and which is turnable in a pan direction parallel to a horizontal direction; a support member supporting the lens block; and a plate spring secured to the support member and pressing the lens block toward the support member side by elastic force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: Takanori MUKAI
  • Patent number: 8035733
    Abstract: A lens barrel rotation detection apparatus for detecting a rotational state of a lens barrel to which a lens for image pickup is attached and which is rotated in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction by driving force of a driving section, includes: a single rotatable member rotatable together with rotation of the lens barrel; and three rotation detection section for detecting a rotational state of the rotatable member. The rotatable member has a fixed pattern formed thereon so as to be detected by said rotation detection section and a rotation limit section indicative of limit positions of a range of rotation of the lens barrel. The rotation detection section is disposed for detection of presence or absence of rotation of the rotatable member and the limit positions of the range of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takanori Mukai, Fumito Kageura, Masami Yoshioka, Toshihide Nakane
  • Publication number: 20090059060
    Abstract: A lens barrel rotation detection apparatus for detecting a rotational state of a lens barrel to which a lens for image pickup is attached and which is rotated in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction by driving force of a driving section, includes: a single rotatable member rotatable together with rotation of the lens barrel; and three rotation detection section for detecting a rotational state of the rotatable member. The rotatable member has a fixed pattern formed thereon so as to be detected by said rotation detection section and a rotation limit section indicative of limit positions of a range of rotation of the lens barrel. The rotation detection section is disposed for detection of presence or absence of rotation of the rotatable member and the limit positions of the range of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Takanori Mukai, Fumito Kageura, Masami Yoshioka, Toshihide Nakane
  • Patent number: 5502475
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus has means for heating a recording medium guide member disposed near the ink recording area by a recording head for discharging ink, and means for changing the rate of heat imparted to the unit length of the recording medium with respect to the direction of conveyance thereof by the heating means in conformity with a parameter changing the environmental condition of the ink recording area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kaburagi, Shoichiro Shoda, Tetsuo Kimura, Yoji Ara, Takanori Mukai, Masaaki Nakamura, Katsuyuki Yokoi
  • Patent number: 4951066
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a discharge port surface of an ink jet recording apparatus includes wiping the surface using a blade having a certain contact area with the surface and rubbing the surface using a rubbing member having a larger contact area with the surface than the blade. The wiping and rubbing operations are performed independently of each other so that their different purposes can be better accomplished. For example, since rubbing the surface need not be done as often as wiping, they can both be performed at optimum intervals. The rubbing member can be removably mounted to a replacement ink cartridge so that the rubbing member can be conveniently replaced at the same time as the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Terasawa, Akira Miyakawa, Hideki Yamaguchi, Shinya Matsui, Mikio Shiga, Shigeru Tsuyukubo, Yoji Ara, Katsuyuki Yokoi, Masaaki Nakamura, Yoshiaki Kaburagi, Takanori Mukai, Shoichiro Shoda, Tetsuo Kimura