Patents by Inventor Wataru Senoo

Wataru Senoo 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: 10809643
    Abstract: An optical scanning device that scans a photoreceptor with light, the device includes: a light emitter that emits light according to a supply current amount; a source-side optical system that includes an optical element corresponding to the light emitter, the optical element transmitting and shaping the light emitted from the corresponding light emitter; a polygon mirror that cyclically deflects the light shaped by the source-side optical system; an image-side optical system that condenses the light deflected by the polygon mirror on a surface of the photoreceptor; a motor that rotates the polygon mirror; and a light source controller that: monitors a temperature of the optical element; and adjusts the supply current amount for the light emitter or adjusts the temperature of the optical element corresponding to the light emitter to make a temperature difference between the light emitter and the corresponding optical element fall within an allowable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yuasa, Hidenari Tachibe, Masayuki Iijima, Makoto Obayashi, Wataru Senoo
  • Patent number: 10635015
    Abstract: An optical writing device includes a light source, a deflector, an imager, and a casing, wherein the imager includes a scanning optical member, the casing includes an optical axis direction positioner, the optical axis direction positioner includes two one side positioners, and one other side positioner, a central position in a sub-scanning direction of the one other side positioner is located between central positions in the sub-scanning direction of the two one side positioners, the scanning optical member is bonded to the casing at a bonding position, and a position in the sub-scanning direction of the bonding position and a position in the sub-scanning direction of the optical axis direction positioner overlap with each other, a main-scanning direction positioner is further provided, and the main-scanning direction positioner is located on the other side with respect to the central position of the scanning optical member in the main-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Wataru Senoo, Hidenari Tachibe, Takafumi Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20200117111
    Abstract: An optical writing device includes a light source, a deflector, an imager, and a casing, wherein the imager includes a scanning optical member, the casing includes an optical axis direction positioner, the optical axis direction positioner includes two one side positioners, and one other side positioner, a central position in a sub-scanning direction of the one other side positioner is located between central positions in the sub-scanning direction of the two one side positioners, the scanning optical member is bonded to the casing at a bonding position, and a position in the sub-scanning direction of the bonding position and a position in the sub-scanning direction of the optical axis direction positioner overlap with each other, a main-scanning direction positioner is further provided, and the main-scanning direction positioner is located on the other side with respect to the central position of the scanning optical member in the main-scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Wataru SENOO, Hidenari TACHIBE, Takafumi YUASA
  • Publication number: 20200071790
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a steel strip for a blade and a steel strip for a plate, said method includes a batch annealing step for annealing a material for cold rolling having the aforementioned metal composition in a batch annealing furnace and a cold rolling step for forming a steel strip by performing cold rolling one or more times on the material for cold rolling that has been batch annealed. The batch annealing step includes a first uniform temperature step for maintaining heating for 1 to 12 hours at an internal furnace temperature exceeding 450° C. and less than 770° C. and a second uniform temperature step, carried out after the first uniform temperature step, for maintaining heating for 1 to 16 hours at an internal furnace temperature exceeding 770° C. and less than 900° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventor: Wataru SENOO
  • Patent number: 10534298
    Abstract: In a displacement sensor, an illumination optical system, which converts laser light emitted from an emission unit into first converging light, and irradiates with the first converging light a detection space through which a target moves. An imaging optical system converts laser light reflected from the target into second converging light, and irradiates with the second converging light a light-receiving surface of a detection unit. The image of the emission unit into which the illumination optical system focuses the first converging light is displaced along the optical axis of the imaging optical system by a temperature change of the illumination optical system. The range in which the image is displaced is limited to be located either anterior to the front principal point of the imaging optical system, or posterior to the rear principal point of the imaging optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiko Takahashi, Makoto Ooki, Wataru Senoo, Atsushi Nagaoka, Hidenari Tachibe, Hajime Taniguchi, Takafumi Yuasa, Yoshitaka Otani
  • Publication number: 20190286006
    Abstract: An optical scanning device that scans a photoreceptor with light, the device includes: a light emitter that emits light according to a supply current amount; a source-side optical system that includes an optical element corresponding to the light emitter, the optical element transmitting and shaping the light emitted from the corresponding light emitter; a polygon mirror that cyclically deflects the light shaped by the source-side optical system; an image-side optical system that condenses the light deflected by the polygon mirror on a surface of the photoreceptor; a motor that rotates the polygon mirror; and a light source controller that: monitors a temperature of the optical element; and adjusts the supply current amount for the light emitter or adjusts the temperature of the optical element corresponding to the light emitter to make a temperature difference between the light emitter and the corresponding optical element fall within an allowable range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yuasa, Hidenari Tachibe, Masayuki Iijima, Makoto Obayashi, Wataru Senoo
  • Patent number: 10088674
    Abstract: In a laser scanning optical system, at least one of one or more scanning optical elements is made of a material having a photoelastic coefficient equal to or greater than 20×10?12 [Pa?1]; wherein at least one of one or more reflectors comprises a basal plate, and a metal film and a single-layer optical thin film evaporated on the basal plate; wherein the single-layer optical thin film has a thickness greater than 0.15? and less than 0.40?, wherein ? is a wavelength of the light beam; and wherein the light beams heading to both ends of an effective scanning range of the imaging surface, of which image heights are maximum, enter the one or more reflectors at angles of incidence equal to or greater than 10 degrees and less than 55 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Wataru Senoo, Hideo Uemura, Makoto Ooki
  • Publication number: 20180017917
    Abstract: In a displacement sensor, an illumination optical system, which converts laser light emitted from an emission unit into first converging light, and irradiates with the first converging light a detection space through which a target moves. An imaging optical system converts laser light reflected from the target into second converging light, and irradiates with the second converging light a light-receiving surface of a detection unit. The image of the emission unit into which the illumination optical system focuses the first converging light is displaced along the optical axis of the imaging optical system by a temperature change of the illumination optical system. The range in which the image is displaced is limited to be located either anterior to the front principal point of the imaging optical system, or posterior to the rear principal point of the imaging optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiko TAKAHASHI, Makoto OOKI, Wataru SENOO, Atsushi NAGAOKA, Hidenari TACHIBE, Hajime TANIGUCHI, Takafumi YUASA, Yoshitaka OTANI
  • Patent number: 9423610
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus has a first scanning optical element having a negative power in a sub-scanning direction. A first light beam and a second light beam enter the first scanning optical element through points of an input surface on a same side of a reference surface, which includes an optical axis of the first scanning optical element and being parallel to a main-scanning direction. The second light beam makes a greater angle with the reference surface than the first light beam. A first angle between the reference surface and a principal ray of a first ghost light beam is greater than a second angle between the reference surface and a principal ray of a first normal light beam and is smaller than a third angle between the reference surface and a principal ray of a second normal light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooki, Masahiko Takahashi, Wataru Senoo
  • Publication number: 20160209644
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus has a first scanning optical element having a negative power in a sub-scanning direction. A first light beam and a second light beam enter the first scanning optical element through points of an input surface on a same side of a reference surface, which includes an optical axis of the first scanning optical element and being parallel to a main-scanning direction. The second light beam makes a greater angle with the reference surface than the first light beam. A first angle between the reference surface and a principal ray of a first ghost light beam is greater than a second angle between the reference surface and a principal ray of a first normal light beam and is smaller than a third angle between the reference surface and a principal ray of a second normal light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Makoto OOKI, Masahiko TAKAHASHI, Wataru SENOO
  • Patent number: 9046691
    Abstract: In an oblique-incidence optical system, a pair of optical beams are incident from the deflection section on an optically anisotropic common scanning lens. First and second individual scanning lenses are optically anisotropic and on which the one and the other of the pair of optical beams are respectively incident from the common scanning lens. Light sources are arranged such that their respective planes of polarization are symmetrical to each other. The first and second individual scanning lenses are arranged so as to be symmetrical to each other, the common scanning lens has a symmetrical shape in the secondary direction with respect to a plane including its own optical axis, and each of the individual scanning lenses has an asymmetrical shape in the secondary direction with respect to a plane including its own optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Hideo Uemura, Makoto Ooki, Wataru Senoo
  • Publication number: 20130265627
    Abstract: In a laser scanning optical system, at least one of one or more scanning optical elements is made of a material having a photoelastic coefficient equal to or greater than 20×10?12 [Pa?1]; wherein at least one of one or more reflectors comprises a basal plate, and a metal film and a single-layer optical thin film evaporated on the basal plate; wherein the single-layer optical thin film has a thickness greater than 0.15? and less than 0.40?, wherein ? is a wavelength of the light beam; and wherein the light beams heading to both ends of an effective scanning range of the imaging surface, of which image heights are maximum, enter the one or more reflectors at angles of incidence equal to or greater than 10 degrees and less than 55 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Wataru SENOO, Hideo UEMURA, Makoto OOKI
  • Publication number: 20130083380
    Abstract: In an oblique-incidence optical system, a pair of optical beams are incident from the deflection section on an optically anisotropic common scanning lens. First and second individual scanning lenses are optically anisotropic and on which the one and the other of the pair of optical beams are respectively incident from the common scanning lens. Light sources are arranged such that their respective planes of polarization are symmetrical to each other. The first and second individual scanning lenses are arranged so as to be symmetrical to each other, the common scanning lens has a symmetrical shape in the secondary direction with respect to a plane including its own optical axis, and each of the individual scanning lenses has an asymmetrical shape in the secondary direction with respect to a plane including its own optical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Hideo Uemura, Makoto Ooki, Wataru Senoo
  • Patent number: D378927
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kasahara, Masami Goto, Wataru Senoo, Tetsuya Nagata