Patents by Inventor Tomofumi Sakuma

Tomofumi Sakuma 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: 11196890
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus including: a reading unit configured to read an image of an original in a main scanning direction; a housing configured to accommodate the reading unit; a guide member configured to guide a movement of the reading unit in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and a restricting member configured to restrict the movement of the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction and a movement of the reading unit in a vertical direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 11146703
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus in which tilt is suppressed when inserting a flexible flat cable into a connector mounted on a circuit board on which an image sensor is also mounted. The flexible flat cable transmits an image signal output from the image sensor to a controller, and is inserted into the connector for electrically connecting the image sensor with the controller. The circuit board is fixed by adhesive to a carriage. The connector is mounted at an end portion of the circuit board in a first direction which is a main scanning direction. A thickness direction of the circuit board is a second direction, and a third direction is orthogonal to the first and second directions. The flexible flat cable is inserted into the connector along the third direction, and the adhesive is filled between a surface at the end portion of the circuit board and an opposing wall portion of the carriage, wherein the surface extends in the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20210144269
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeding apparatus, including: a nip for separating sheets fed by a feeding roller; a rotating member provided between a feeding position of a sheet and the nip and rotated by being pushed by a sheet on a tray; a first sensor detecting presence of a sheet on the tray by detecting rotation of the rotating member; a second sensor detecting a trailing end of a sheet passing between the feeding position and the nip by detecting rotation of the rotating member; and a control portion detecting a trailing end of a preceding sheet separated by the nip using the second sensor, to detect presence of a subsequent sheet on the tray using the first sensor, and to control a driving source of the feed roller such that the feeding roller starts to feed the subsequent sheet, based on detection results of the first and second sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20200329172
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus including: a reading unit configured to read an image of an original in a main scanning direction; a housing configured to accommodate the reading unit; a guide member configured to guide a movement of the reading unit in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and a restricting member configured to restrict the movement of the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction and a movement of the reading unit in a vertical direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 10477051
    Abstract: Provided is a reading kit including a reading unit configured to read an image of an original being conveyed in a predetermined direction at a predetermined reading position, and a white reference sheet comprising a white reference portion to be read by the reading unit and an engaged portion to be engaged with a positioning member. The white reference portion being arranged at the predetermined reading position by engaging the engaged portion with the positioning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 10419629
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first supporting portion, a sheet conveyance portion, an image reading portion, a second supporting portion, and an illumination portion. The image reading portion is configured to read an image of the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance portion. The second supporting portion is disposed below the first supporting portion and configured to support the sheet whose image has been read. The illumination portion is disposed further on an outside than a sheet supporting region of the second supporting portion in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction, configured to illuminate the second supporting portion, and provided such that a light emission direction of the illumination portion is directed to the sheet supporting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20180103168
    Abstract: Provided is a reading kit including a reading unit configured to read an image of an original being conveyed in a predetermined direction at a predetermined reading position, and a white reference sheet comprising a white reference portion to be read by the reading unit and an engaged portion to be engaged with a positioning member. The white reference portion being arranged at the predetermined reading position by engaging the engaged portion with the positioning member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20170339292
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first supporting portion, a sheet conveyance portion, an image reading portion, a second supporting portion, and an illumination portion. The image reading portion is configured to read an image of the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance portion. The second supporting portion is disposed below the first supporting portion and configured to support the sheet whose image has been read. The illumination portion is disposed further on an outside than a sheet supporting region of the second supporting portion in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction, configured to illuminate the second supporting portion, and provided such that a light emission direction of the illumination portion is directed to the sheet supporting region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 9432534
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: an opening/closing portion configured to be rotatable around a hinge shaft; a biasing portion configured to apply a force to the opening/closing portion such that moment of the hinge shaft rotation higher than moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to self-weight of the opening/closing member is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is placed in a range up to a predetermined rotation angle from a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body, and moment of the hinge shaft rotation that is balanced with the moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to the self-weight of the opening/closing portion is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is opened more than the predetermined rotation angle; and a holding portion configured to maintain the opening/closing portion at the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamamoto, Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20150296093
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: an opening/closing portion configured to be rotatable around a hinge shaft; a biasing portion configured to apply a force to the opening/closing portion such that moment of the hinge shaft rotation higher than moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to self-weight of the opening/closing member is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is placed in a range up to a predetermined rotation angle from a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body, and moment of the hinge shaft rotation that is balanced with the moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to the self-weight of the opening/closing portion is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is opened more than the predetermined rotation angle; and a holding portion configured to maintain the opening/closing portion at the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamamoto, Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 9100521
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: an opening/closing portion configured to be rotatable around a hinge shaft; a biasing portion configured to apply a force to the opening/closing portion such that moment of the hinge shaft rotation higher than moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to self-weight of the opening/closing member is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is placed in a range up to a predetermined rotation angle from a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body, and moment of the hinge shaft rotation that is balanced with the moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to the self-weight of the opening/closing portion is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is opened more than the predetermined rotation angle; and a holding portion configured to maintain the opening/closing portion at the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamamoto, Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20140368894
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: an opening/closing portion configured to be rotatable around a hinge shaft; a biasing portion configured to apply a force to the opening/closing portion such that moment of the hinge shaft rotation higher than moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to self-weight of the opening/closing member is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is placed in a range up to a predetermined rotation angle from a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body, and moment of the hinge shaft rotation that is balanced with the moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to the self-weight of the opening/closing portion is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is opened more than the predetermined rotation angle; and a holding portion configured to maintain the opening/closing portion at the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamamoto, Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 8913303
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a stacking unit on which a document to be fed is stacked, a sensor configured to output a signal indicating that the document has been stacked on the stacking unit, a discharging unit to which the document is to be discharged, wherein the discharging unit includes a lamp, and a control unit configured to turn on the lamp in response to the signal indicating that the document has been stacked on the stacking unit output from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20120274996
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a stacking unit on which a document to be fed is stacked, a sensor configured to output a signal indicating that the document has been stacked on the stacking unit, a discharging unit to which the document is to be discharged, wherein the discharging unit includes a lamp, and a control unit configured to turn on the lamp in response to the signal indicating that the document has been stacked on the stacking unit output from the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomofumi Sakuma