Patents by Inventor Toshiaki Oshiro

Toshiaki Oshiro 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: 11897711
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet tray on which one or more sheets are placed, a pickup roller by which a sheet is picked up from the sheet tray, and an elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism includes a shaft rotated by a motor, and a cam attached to the shaft and rotated together with the shaft to raise and lower the sheet tray with respect to the pickup roller. The sheet conveying device further includes a load applying mechanism contacting the shaft to apply a load thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eizo Kurita, Naofumi Soga, Kenji Takashima, Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 11679948
    Abstract: A sheet aligning mechanism includes first and second conveyance mechanisms disposed on first and second sides of a sheet conveyance path, respectively. A nip is formed between the first and second conveyance mechanisms. The first conveyance mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, and a first conveyance belt wound around the first and second rollers. The first and second rollers are configured to rotate in a first direction along a sheet conveying direction for sheet conveyance, and stop rotation or rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction for sheet alignment. The first conveyance belt includes an extended region between the first and second rollers in an extending direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction, such that a width of the sheet conveyance path becomes narrower towards the nip in the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20230150782
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a tray, a pickup roller, a movement mechanism, a holder, a biasing unit, and a detecting mechanism. The movement mechanism moves the tray between a raised position and a lowered position. The raised position is a position where sheets come into contact with the pickup roller. The holder holds the pickup roller so that the pickup roller is displaceable when pushed up by the sheets. The biasing unit applies a biasing force to the holder pushing down the pickup roller. The detecting mechanism detects when the sheets push up the pickup roller. The detecting mechanism includes a detection unit and a sensor. The detection unit is switchable between a reference position and a detection position according to displacement of the holder accompanying the movement of the tray. The sensor detects when the detection unit reaches the detection position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Kenji TAKASHIMA, Eizo KURITA, Toshiaki OSHIRO
  • Patent number: 11649134
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide member, a matching member, a post-processing mechanism, a support member, and a drive unit. The guide member has a loading surface on which a sheet is loaded in a standing state. The matching member supports a lower end of the sheet loaded on the guide member in a free raising and lowering manner. The post-processing mechanism performs post-processing on the sheet. The support member supports the matching member. The drive unit raises and lowers the support member. The matching member is configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 11649125
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet feed device includes a first roller, a second roller, a torque limiter, a holder, and a driving unit. The first roller conveys a sheet in a first direction while being in contact with a first surface of the sheet. The second roller faces the first roller and is in contact with a second surface which is a back side of the first surface of the sheet in a state of sandwiching the sheet between the second roller and the first roller. The torque limiter imparts an anti-torque to the second roller in order to generate a force on the second surface in a direction opposite to the first direction. The holder rotatably supports the second roller. The driving unit moves the holder and biases the holder toward the first roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 11609527
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a first rotating body, a second rotating body, and a connection member. The first rotating body is configured to be openable and closeable and provided in the apparatus main body. The second rotating body is provided in the first rotating body. The second rotating body is configured to be openable and closable from the first rotating body in the same direction as that of the first rotating body. The connection member is linear. The connection member is configured to connect the apparatus main body and the second rotating body to each other and to restrict a rotation angle of the second rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20230020709
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a tray, an elevating mechanism, a conveyance roller, and a resistance member. The tray stacks a plurality of sheets. The elevating mechanism lifts and lowers the tray in the stacking direction of a plurality of sheets. The conveyance roller conveys the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction from the upper side in the stacking direction. The resistance member comes into contact with the leading ends of the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction. The resistance member imparts a sliding resistance larger than that of the sheet stacking surface of the tray to the leading ends of the plurality of sheets that are lifted and lowered by the elevating mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Toshiaki Oshiro, Isao Yahata
  • Publication number: 20220411212
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a paper feeding mechanism includes a tray, a first roller, a second roller, a third roller, and a guide member. The tray supports a sheet. The first roller picks up the sheet from the tray. The second roller conveys the sheet picked up by the first roller. The third roller forms a nip that sandwiches the sheet between the second roller and the third roller. Relative positions of the third roller and the first and second rollers are set such that a convey reference surface of the sheet that is in contact with the first roller and the second roller and a flat surface of the nip are disposed on substantially the same flat surface. The guide member is between the nip and the first roller and intersects the convey reference surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Toshiaki Oshiro, Naofumi Soga, Eizo Kurita, Kenji Takashima
  • Patent number: 11479434
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the sheet conveying device includes a tray, an elevating mechanism, a conveyance roller, and a resistance member. The tray stacks a plurality of sheets. The elevating mechanism lifts and lowers the tray in the stacking direction of a plurality of sheets. The conveyance roller conveys the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction from the upper side in the stacking direction. The resistance member comes into contact with the leading ends of the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction. The resistance member imparts a sliding resistance larger than that of the sheet stacking surface of the tray to the leading ends of the plurality of sheets that are lifted and lowered by the elevating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Oshiro, Isao Yahata
  • Publication number: 20220332529
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet tray on which one or more sheets are placed, a pickup roller by which a sheet is picked up from the sheet tray, and an elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism includes a shaft rotated by a motor, and a cam attached to the shaft and rotated together with the shaft to raise and lower the sheet tray with respect to the pickup roller. The sheet conveying device further includes a load applying mechanism contacting the shaft to apply a load thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Eizo KURITA, Naofumi SOGA, Kenji TAKASHIMA, Toshiaki OSHIRO
  • Patent number: 11434094
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a conveying path forming unit and an orthogonal movement permitting part. The conveying path forming unit forms a path for conveying a sheet. The orthogonal movement permitting part is provided in the conveying path. The orthogonal movement permitting part conveys the sheet along the conveying direction. The orthogonal movement permitting part allows the sheet to move in a conveying orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Saito, Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20220234849
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet feed device includes a first roller, a second roller, a torque limiter, a holder, and a driving unit. The first roller conveys a sheet in a first direction while being in contact with a first surface of the sheet. The second roller faces the first roller and is in contact with a second surface which is a back side of the first surface of the sheet in a state of sandwiching the sheet between the second roller and the first roller. The torque limiter imparts an anti-torque to the second roller in order to generate a force on the second surface in a direction opposite to the first direction. The holder rotatably supports the second roller. The driving unit moves the holder and biases the holder toward the first roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20220135354
    Abstract: A sheet aligning mechanism includes first and second conveyance mechanisms disposed on first and second sides of a sheet conveyance path, respectively. A nip is formed between the first and second conveyance mechanisms. The first conveyance mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, and a first conveyance belt wound around the first and second rollers. The first and second rollers are configured to rotate in a first direction along a sheet conveying direction for sheet conveyance, and stop rotation or rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction for sheet alignment. The first conveyance belt includes an extended region between the first and second rollers in an extending direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction, such that a width of the sheet conveyance path becomes narrower towards the nip in the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventor: Toshiaki OSHIRO
  • Publication number: 20220073296
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a sheet supply device includes a stacking unit, a first roller, a second roller, and a stopper. The stacking unit has a stack surface on which sheets are stacked. The first roller conveys a sheet from the stacking unit in a conveying direction. The second roller conveys the sheet conveyed by the first roller. The stopper has an abutting surface. The stopper is rotatable around a rotation shaft along a width direction. The stopper rotates such that a posture of the stopper switches between a first and a second posture. The first posture has a first angle at which an angle between the abutting surface and the stack surface is an obtuse angle. The second posture has a second angle at which an angle between the abutting surface and the stack surface is an obtuse angle, the second angle being more than the first angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20220070321
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processing tray, a post-processing section, a sensor, and a control section. A sheet supplied from an image forming apparatus is led into the processing tray through a lead-in path. The post-processing section applies post-processing to the sheet sent from the processing tray. The sensor detects an object passing a detection space in the lead-in path. The control section controls operation of the post-processing section based on a time in which the sensor detects the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20220063939
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an image processing apparatus including a sheet storage unit, a pickup roller, a paper feed roller, a separation roller, a roller drive unit, a roller pressing unit, and a drive control unit. The pickup roller picks up a sheet from the sheet storage unit. The paper feed roller conveys the sheet picked up by the pickup roller. The separation roller is disposed to face the paper feed roller. The roller drive unit drives the separation roller. The roller pressing unit presses the separation roller against the paper feed roller. The drive control unit controls the roller drive unit so as to generate a conveying force for conveying the sheet and a returning force for pushing the sheet back in a direction opposite to a conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 11254530
    Abstract: A sheet aligning mechanism includes first and second conveyance mechanisms disposed on first and second sides of a sheet conveyance path, respectively. A nip is formed between the first and second conveyance mechanisms. The first conveyance mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, and a first conveyance belt wound around the first and second rollers. The first and second rollers are configured to rotate in a first direction along a sheet conveying direction for sheet conveyance, and stop rotation or rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction for sheet alignment. The first conveyance belt includes an extended region between the first and second rollers in an extending direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction, such that a width of the sheet conveyance path becomes narrower towards the nip in the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20220041395
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the sheet conveying device includes a tray, an elevating mechanism, a conveyance roller, and a resistance member. The tray stacks a plurality of sheets. The elevating mechanism lifts and lowers the tray in the stacking direction of a plurality of sheets. The conveyance roller conveys the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction from the upper side in the stacking direction. The resistance member comes into contact with the leading ends of the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction. The resistance member imparts a sliding resistance larger than that of the sheet stacking surface of the tray to the leading ends of the plurality of sheets that are lifted and lowered by the elevating mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Toshiaki Oshiro, Isao Yahata
  • Patent number: 11209764
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a paper tray, an elevating plate, a cam, and a shutter. The paper tray is configured to hold sheets. The elevating plate on the paper tray is arranged to ascend and descend between a descended position and an ascended position higher than the descended position. The cam is movable between a first position and a second position. The shutter includes a shielding portion. The shielding portion is located at a shielding position when the cam moves to the first position. The shielding position is a position that overlaps with a region in a height direction occupied by the cam at the second position. The shielding portion retracts from the shielding position when the cam has moved from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Publication number: 20210356896
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a first rotating body, a second rotating body, and a connection member. The first rotating body is configured to be openable and closeable and provided in the apparatus main body. The second rotating body is provided in the first rotating body. The second rotating body is configured to be openable and closable from the first rotating body in the same direction as that of the first rotating body. The connection member is linear. The connection member is configured to connect the apparatus main body and the second rotating body to each other and to restrict a rotation angle of the second rotating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro