Patents by Inventor Takumi Shirakuma

Takumi Shirakuma 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).

  • Publication number: 20240089391
    Abstract: A control device includes a controller that determines, based on physical property information corresponding to physical property of a recording sheet and read information on an image evaluated as abnormal through reading of an image on the recording sheet by a reading section on a recording sheet conveyance path, a process condition under which an image forming section performs image forming on the recording sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenji IZUMIYA, Tatsuo ISHIZUKA, Hiroshi OYAMA, Takumi SHIRAKUMA
  • Patent number: 11201573
    Abstract: A driving device includes: a first motor that transmits power to a rotation shaft of a conveyance roller for conveying a paper sheet; a second motor that transmits power to the rotation shaft of the conveyance roller; and a motor controller that controls rotational speeds of the first and second motors by changing a control value, wherein the motor controller controls the control value of the first motor at multiple steps at a time of acceleration or deceleration and changes the control value of the second motor according to a change range of the control value of the first motor in synchronization with a timing when the control value of the first motor is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Keigo Ogura, Takumi Shirakuma, Kenji Izumiya, Hidenori Mine, Hirokatsu Kodama
  • Publication number: 20200161992
    Abstract: A motor drive device controls driving of a plurality of motors that rotate a common drive shaft, and includes: a motor drive device that outputs the same drive power to each motor of the plurality of motors, and includes a motor drive controller that controls the drive power, using a rotation speed detection signal of a motor of the plurality of motors as a feedback signal; and a controller that determines a drive abnormality from the rotation speed detection signal of the motor or the drive power of the motor, wherein the controller determines a motor abnormal state and an overloaded state, from the drive power of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Kenji IZUMIYA
  • Publication number: 20200052615
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus drives and controls a plurality of motors that rotate a common drive shaft. The motor drive apparatus includes a motor drive hardware processor that outputs equal drive power to each of the plurality of motors, and manipulates the drive power with a rotational speed detection signal of any one of the plurality of motors as a feedback signal. The feedback signal is switched based on conditions such as responsiveness and efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Takumi Shirakuma, Hirokatsu Kodama, Hidenori Mine, Keigo Ogura, Kenji Izumiya
  • Publication number: 20200019108
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a resist roller feeding a sheet of paper toward an image forming unit; a first detector arranged upstream of the resist roller in a feeding direction to detect a front edge of the sheet of paper; a first calculator computing a first misalignment amount of the sheet of paper based on detection results by the first detector; a corrector correcting misalignment of the sheet of paper based on the computed first misalignment amount; a second detector arranged downstream of the resist roller in the feeding direction to detect a position of an end of the sheet of paper in a widthwise direction; a second calculator computing a second misalignment amount of the sheet of paper based on detection results by the second detector; and an adjuster adjusting a correction amount by the corrector based on the computed second misalignment amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hidenori MINE, Kenji IZUMIYA, Keigo OGURA, Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Hirokatsu KODAMA
  • Publication number: 20190393810
    Abstract: A driving device includes: a first motor that transmits power to a rotation shaft of a conveyance roller for conveying a paper sheet; a second motor that transmits power to the rotation shaft of the conveyance roller; and a motor controller that controls rotational speeds of the first and second motors by changing a control value, wherein the motor controller controls the control value of the first motor at multiple steps at a time of acceleration or deceleration and changes the control value of the second motor according to a change range of the control value of the first motor in synchronization with a timing when the control value of the first motor is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Keigo OGURA, Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Kenji IZUMIYA, Hidenori MINE, Hirokatsu KODAMA
  • Patent number: 10509349
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first fixing section, a second fixing section, the first fixing section and the second fixing section forming a fixing nip therebetween, a nip width adjusting section capable of adjusting a nip width of the fixing nip, a rotation speed detecting section that detects a rotation speed of the second fixing section, and a hardware processor that controls the nip width adjusting section to make the nip width equal to a predetermined reference nip width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenji Izumiya, Takumi Shirakuma, Keigo Ogura, Hidenori Mine, Hirokatsu Kodama
  • Patent number: 10418923
    Abstract: A rotating motion control apparatus including a memory which stores an index value concerning a rotating speed of a stepping motor; and a hardware processor which determines the rotating speed of the stepping motor and controls operation of a driver which rotates the stepping motor according to the rotating speed; wherein the memory stores an arrangement of a speed index value and an arrangement of an acceleration index value, and the hardware processor controls the operation of the driver by combining a period of determining the rotating speed according to the arrangement of the speed index value and a period of calculating and determining the rotating speed based on the arrangement of the acceleration index value when the rotating speed is altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Keigo Ogura, Takumi Shirakuma, Yumiko Izumiya
  • Publication number: 20190146397
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first fixing section, a second fixing section, the first fixing section and the second fixing section forming a fixing nip therebetween, a nip width adjusting section capable of adjusting a nip width of the fixing nip, a rotation speed detecting section that detects a rotation speed of the second fixing section, and a hardware processor that controls the nip width adjusting section to make the nip width equal to a predetermined reference nip width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji IZUMIYA, Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Keigo OGURA, Hidenori MINE, Hirokatsu KODAMA
  • Publication number: 20180342967
    Abstract: A rotating motion control apparatus including a memory which stores an index value concerning a rotating speed of a stepping motor; and a hardware processor which determines the rotating speed of the stepping motor and controls operation of a driver which rotates the stepping motor according to the rotating speed; wherein the memory stores an arrangement of a speed index value and an arrangement of an acceleration index value, and the hardware processor controls the operation of the driver by combining a period of determining the rotating speed according to the arrangement of the speed index value and a period of calculating and determining the rotating speed based on the arrangement of the acceleration index value when the rotating speed is altered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Keigo OGURA, Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Yumiko IZUMIYA
  • Patent number: 9921524
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprising: a belt member suspended by a plurality of supporting rotating bodies and thus rotating; a cleaning member removing toner adhering to the belt member; a tray receiving waste toner removed from the belt member by the cleaning member; a vibration mechanism vibrating the tray to move the waste toner toward a lower side of the tray; a steering control mechanism to perform movement control to move the belt member in an axial direction of the supporting rotating bodies while the belt member rotates; and a vibration adjustment mechanism to change a manner of vibration of the vibration mechanism, based on the movement control by the steering control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Satoru Sasaki, Yumiko Izumiya, Hidenori Mine, Takumi Shirakuma, Kosuke Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9771236
    Abstract: In a saddle-stitching apparatus, when a sheet is transported to a center-folding unit, a folding blade moves from a retrieved position to a nip position between a pair of folding rollers. A forward end of the folding blade comes into contact with a fold of the sheet, so that the sheet is folded along the fold. When the sheet is attached to the nip position between the folding rollers, the folding rollers start rotating and then, the folding blade inserts the center-folded sheet between the folding rollers. After the center-fold finishing is completed, the rotations of the folding rollers stop in timing at which the folding blade is pulled out of the nip position between the folding rollers. When pulling the folding blade out of the nip position between the folding rollers, the rotations of the folding rollers restart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shohei Otsu, Hirofumi Nakajima, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Takumi Shirakuma
  • Publication number: 20170168427
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprising: a belt member suspended by a plurality of supporting rotating bodies and thus rotating; a cleaning member removing toner adhering to the belt member; a tray receiving waste toner removed from the belt member by the cleaning member; a vibration mechanism vibrating the tray to move the waste toner toward a lower side of the tray; a steering control mechanism to perform movement control to move the belt member in an axial direction of the supporting rotating bodies while the belt member rotates; and a vibration adjustment mechanism to change a manner of vibration of the vibration mechanism, based on the movement control by the steering control mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Satoru SASAKI, Yumiko IZUMIYA, Hidenori MINE, Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Kosuke SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9327541
    Abstract: The image forming system contains an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus. The post-processing apparatus includes a flattening unit that flattens a back portion of a booklet, an elevating mechanism that moves the flattening unit operating together with a conveyance of the booklet and a post-processing control portion that controls the flattening unit to perform flattening processing which flattens the back portion of the booklet during the conveyance of the booklet by the elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism elevates a booklet-holding mechanism including the flattening unit operating together with a conveyance of the booklet. The booklet-holding mechanism and the flattening unit moves up and down between cut-off processing portion and discharging portion operating together with the conveyance of the booklet. A square back roller reciprocatively moves along the back portion of the booklet together with the movement of roller moving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nakajima, Eiji Sugimoto, Takumi Shirakuma, Shohei Otsu
  • Publication number: 20150336763
    Abstract: In a saddle-stitching apparatus, when a sheet is transported to a center-folding unit, a folding blade moves from a retrieved position to a nip position between a pair of folding rollers. A forward end of the folding blade comes into contact with a fold of the sheet, so that the sheet is folded along the fold. When the sheet is attached to the nip position between the folding rollers, the folding rollers start rotating and then, the folding blade inserts the center-folded sheet between the folding rollers. After the center-fold finishing is completed, the rotations of the folding rollers stop in timing at which the folding blade is pulled out of the nip position between the folding rollers. When pulling the folding blade out of the nip position between the folding rollers, the rotations of the folding rollers restart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shohei OTSU, Hirofumi NAKAJIMA, Teruhiko TOYOIZUMI, Takumi SHIRAKUMA
  • Publication number: 20140308096
    Abstract: The image forming system contains an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus. The post-processing apparatus includes a flattening unit that flattens a back portion of a booklet, an elevating mechanism that moves the flattening unit operating together with a conveyance of the booklet and a post-processing control portion that controls the flattening unit to perform flattening processing which flattens the back portion of the booklet during the conveyance of the booklet by the elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism elevates a booklet-holding mechanism including the flattening unit operating together with a conveyance of the booklet. The booklet-holding mechanism and the flattening unit moves up and down between cut-off processing portion and discharging portion operating together with the conveyance of the booklet. A square back roller reciprocatively moves along the back portion of the booklet together with the movement of roller moving mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hirofumi NAKAJIMA, Eiji SUGIMOTO, Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Shohei OTSU
  • Patent number: 8226076
    Abstract: When a sheet is loaded to the sheet tray, the position of a trailing edge regulating section is set in response to the size of an insert sheet. Owing to this, the print sheet ejected from the ejection rollers onto the sheet tray falls onto the surface of the insert sheet. Further, when a booklet with an insert sheet placed therein is produced, an insert sheet is supplied to the sheet tray along the second conveying path. The shift amount of the execution position of center folding or the execution position of center stitching with respect to the sheet bundle is calculated in conformity to the finishing form of the booklet containing the insert sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takumi Shirakuma, Takeshi Tamada, Eiji Sugimoto, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Hideo Yamane
  • Patent number: 8023881
    Abstract: A sheet finisher having a post-processing section that conducts post-processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, the sheet finisher comprising: an intermediate storing section in which a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are superposed to be stored temporarily; a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the plurality of sheets stored in the intermediate storing section to the post-processing section while the plurality of sheets are superposed; each of two drive motors which drives one of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with one sheet of the plurality of sheets and the other of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with the other sheet of the plurality of sheets, separately; and a correction controller that controls a rotation speed of at least one of the two drive motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masayuki Watanabe, Eiji Sugimoto, Hideo Yamane, Takumi Shirakuma
  • Publication number: 20110084436
    Abstract: When a sheet is loaded to the sheet tray, the position of a trailing edge regulating section is set in response to the size of an insert sheet. Owing to this, the print sheet ejected from the ejection rollers onto the sheet tray falls onto the surface of the insert sheet. Further, when a booklet with an insert sheet placed therein is produced, an insert sheet is supplied to the sheet tray along the second conveying path. The shift amount of the execution position of center folding or the execution position of center stitching with respect to the sheet bundle is calculated in conformity to the finishing form of the booklet containing the insert sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Takumi SHIRAKUMA, Takeshi TAMADA, Eiji SUGIMOTO, Teruhiko TOYOIZUMI, Hideo YAMANE
  • Publication number: 20080298867
    Abstract: A sheet finisher having a post-processing section that conducts post-processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, the sheet finisher comprising: an intermediate storing section in which a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are superposed to be stored temporarily; a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the plurality of sheets stored in the intermediate storing section to the post-processing section while the plurality of sheets are superposed; each of two drive motors which drives one of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with one sheet of the plurality of sheets and the other of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with the other sheet of the plurality of sheets, separately; and a correction controller that controls a rotation speed of at least one of the two drive motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Masayuki Watanabe, Eiji Sugimoto, Hideo Yamane, Takumi Shirakuma