Patents by Inventor Yoji Inoue

Yoji Inoue 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: 20240094671
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to heat a recording material at a use position, an opening and closing member, and a drawer unit. In a state where the fixing device is at the use position, part of the fixing device is located in a space for the drawer unit to pass through when moved from a first inner position to a first outer position so that movement of the drawer unit from the first inner to the first outer position is restricted. The fixing device is retracted from the use position to a retracted position so that the movement of the drawer unit from the first inner to the first outer position is allowed. Part of the fixing device at the retracted position is at a position higher than a position of an upper cover portion of the opening and closing member at a closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: CHIKARA IMAIZUMI, SATOSHI MURASAKI, KIYOSHI FURUTA, SHINYA NODA, KUNIHIRO NIWA, YOJI MISAO, TOMOOKU KOYAMA, TOMOKI KATAFUCHI, TOMONARI INOUE, KOICHI SEKIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20240085825
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording material includes an apparatus main body having a first end provided with an opening and having a second end, a fixing device to heat the recording material, an opening and closing member, a drawer unit having a first photosensitive drum, and a transfer device. When being moved from a first inner position inside the apparatus main body to a first outer position outside the apparatus main body through the main body opening, the drawer unit is to be moved in a moving direction intersecting with a rotation axis of the first photosensitive drum, and is to be moved away from the second end. When being moved from a second inner position inside the apparatus main body to a second outer position outside the apparatus main body, the transfer device is moved away from the second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: CHIKARA IMAIZUMI, SATOSHI MURASAKI, KIYOSHI FURUTA, SHINYA NODA, KUNIHIRO NIWA, YOJI MISAO, TOMOOKU KOYAMA, TOMOKI KATAFUCHI, TOMONARI INOUE, KOICHI SEKIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20240085824
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a drawer unit, and a transfer device a including a belt. When image formation on a recording material is performed, the drawer unit is at a first apparatus main body inner position and the transfer device is at a second apparatus main body inner position. In this drawer unit state, (a) a part of the transfer device is disposed downstream of the drawer unit in a moving direction in which the drawer unit moves from the first inner position to a first apparatus main body outer position, and (b) in a vertical direction, an area where the part of the transfer device is positioned overlaps, at least in part, with an area where the drawer unit is positioned. The transfer device includes a cleaning member to clean the belt and is accommodated in the part of the transfer device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: CHIKARA IMAIZUMI, SATOSHI MURASAKI, KIYOSHI FURUTA, SHINYA NODA, KUNIHIRO NIWA, YOJI MISAO, TOMOOKU KOYAMA, TOMOKI KATAFUCHI, TOMONARI INOUE, KOICHI SEKIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20240085849
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a drawer unit, and a transfer device including a belt. The drawer unit includes a first cartridge, a support member to which the first cartridge is detachably attached, and a first photosensitive drum disposed on the support member or the first cartridge. The drawer unit is moved to a first inner position inside the apparatus main body and to a first outer position outside the apparatus main body. The transfer device is moved to a second inner position inside the apparatus main body and to a second outer position outside the apparatus main body. The belt contacts the first photosensitive drum with the transfer device at the second inner position. The transfer device is moved from the second inner to the second outer position when the drawer unit is moved from the first inner to the first outer position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: CHIKARA IMAIZUMI, SATOSHI MURASAKI, KIYOSHI FURUTA, SHINYA NODA, KUNIHIRO NIWA, YOJI MISAO, TOMOOKU KOYAMA, TOMOKI KATAFUCHI, TOMONARI INOUE, KOICHI SEKIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20240066680
    Abstract: An auxiliary grip for an impact tool capable of enhancing a shock absorbing function, comprising a grip shaft extending orthogonally to the impact direction, a tubular grip body covering the grip shaft, and a connecting mechanism for connecting the grip body at one end of the grip shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime TAKEUCHI, Yoji INOUE, Hiroki TAKESASHI
  • Publication number: 20240033870
    Abstract: A dust collecting attachment for an electric power tool includes dust collecting fans, a suctioning portion, and a dust collecting portion. The suctioning portion generates a suctioning force by rotation of the dust collecting fans. The dust collecting portion captures dust suctioned from the suctioning portion. When the dust collecting attachment is mounted to an electric power tool including a motor, a fan shaft of the dust collecting fans is connected to a rotation shaft that is disposed in the electric power tool and rotates in accordance with driving of the motor to allow the dust collecting fans to rotate integrally with the rotation shaft. The dust collecting fans are disposed in a plurality of stages in an axial direction of the fan shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime TAKEUCHI, Hitoshi IIDA, Masanori FURUSAWA, Yoji INOUE
  • Publication number: 20240009823
    Abstract: A rotary hammer includes a tool body, a tool holder, a cylinder, and a coupling member. The tool holder has a tubular shape and a longitudinal axis. The tool holder is configured to hold a tool accessory to be movable along the longitudinal axis and is supported by the tool body to be rotatable around the longitudinal axis. The cylinder extends coaxially with the tool holder and is supported by the tool body to be rotatable around the longitudinal axis. The coupling member is between the tool holder and the cylinder in a radial direction of the tool holder and is engaged with the tool holder and the cylinder to couple the tool holder and the cylinder together such that the tool holder and the cylinder integrally rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime TAKEUCHI, Yoji INOUE, Masanori FURUSAWA
  • Patent number: 11623333
    Abstract: A power tool includes a hammer mechanism, a brushless motor and a cooling fan. The brushless motor includes a rotary member having a motor shaft operably coupled to the hammer mechanism for linearly driving a tool accessory. The cooling fan has a first blade part and is configured to be rotated by the rotary member. The cooling fan includes a polymer portion, which forms at least a portion of the first blade part, and a metal portion disposed in or on the polymer portion. When viewed in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of the cooling fan, the metal member at least partially overlaps the first blade part in a radial direction of the cooling fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Furusawa, Hajime Takeuchi, Yoji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20210299839
    Abstract: A power tool includes a hammer mechanism, a brushless motor and a cooling fan. The brushless motor includes a rotary member having a motor shaft operably coupled to the hammer mechanism for linearly driving a tool accessory. The cooling fan has a first blade part and is configured to be rotated by the rotary member. The cooling fan includes a polymer portion, which forms at least a portion of the first blade part, and a metal portion disposed in or on the polymer portion. When viewed in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of the cooling fan, the metal member at least partially overlaps the first blade part in a radial direction of the cooling fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Masanori FURUSAWA, Hajime TAKEUCHI, Yoji INOUE
  • Patent number: 10525955
    Abstract: A check valve of this negative pressure-type booster device is provided with: a cylindrical section that is integrally formed with a shell disposed on one side, communicates with a connection pipe, and is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding toward the inside of a housing; and a valve body section that is disposed inside the cylindrical section, and is axially fitted, within the cylindrical section, to the cylindrical section such that air is permitted to flow from a negative pressure chamber to the connection pipe while the air is prohibited from flowing from the connection pipe to the negative pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoji Inoue, Nan Li
  • Patent number: 10435003
    Abstract: A valve mechanism of this negative pressure type booster device has: a negative pressure valve seat provided on a valve body; an atmospheric valve seat provided on a plunger; and a valve part provided with a negative pressure valve section constituting a negative pressure valve together with the negative pressure valve seat and an atmospheric valve section constituting an atmospheric valve together with the atmospheric valve seat. The valve mechanism is provided with a tilting part which is provided on at least one of the valve body and the valve part and tilts the atmospheric valve section relative to a first plane formed when the negative pressure valve section and the negative pressure valve seat are brought into contact with each other to put the negative pressure valve in a closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hirota, Minoru Watanabe, Yu Furuta, Yoji Inoue, Eri Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20190031168
    Abstract: This negative-pressure type booster device improves operation feeling for a driver at the time of a sudden braking operation. A valve body is provided with a flange part which extends in the radially outward direction from a front section of the valve body, and a plate is provided with a locking part which comes into contact with the flange part so as to restrict a movement in the axially forward direction relative to the valve body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoji INOUE
  • Patent number: 10173656
    Abstract: A movable diaphragm of a negative pressure type booster device includes an annular rubber diaphragm and an annular metal plate. The diaphragm is airtightly pinched by the housing at an annular outer peripheral bead portion formed at an outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm, and airtightly secured to an outer peripheral portion of a valve body, together with an inner peripheral portion of the plate, at an annular inner peripheral bead portion formed at an inner peripheral edge of the diaphragm. Between the outer peripheral bead portion and the inner peripheral bead portion, there are formed a folded portion having a curved portion toward the front and continuous with the outer peripheral bead portion at an outer peripheral area, and an annular portion continuous with an inner peripheral area of the folded portion and with the inner peripheral bead portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20180118182
    Abstract: A check valve of this negative pressure-type booster device is provided with: a cylindrical section that is integrally formed with a shell disposed on one side, communicates with a connection pipe, and is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding toward the inside of a housing; and a valve body section that is disposed inside the cylindrical section, and is axially fitted, within the cylindrical section, to the cylindrical section such that air is permitted to flow from a negative pressure chamber to the connection pipe while the air is prohibited from flowing from the connection pipe to the negative pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoji INOUE, Nan LI
  • Publication number: 20170291588
    Abstract: A valve mechanism of this negative pressure type booster device has: a negative pressure valve seat provided on a valve body; an atmospheric valve seat provided on a plunger; and a valve part provided with a negative pressure valve section constituting a negative pressure valve together with the negative pressure valve seat and an atmospheric valve section constituting an atmospheric valve together with the atmospheric valve seat. The valve mechanism is provided with a tilting part which is provided on at least one of the valve body and the valve part and tilts the atmospheric valve section relative to a first plane formed when the negative pressure valve section and the negative pressure valve seat are brought into contact with each other to put the negative pressure valve in a closed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki HIROTA, Minoru WATANABE, Yu FURUTA, Yoji INOUE, Eri TANIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160272182
    Abstract: A movable diaphragm of a negative pressure type booster device includes an annular rubber diaphragm and an annular metal plate. The diaphragm is airtightly pinched by the housing at an annular outer peripheral bead portion formed at an outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm, and airtightly secured to an outer peripheral portion of a valve body, together with an inner peripheral portion of the plate, at an annular inner peripheral bead portion formed at an inner peripheral edge of the diaphragm. Between the outer peripheral bead portion and the inner peripheral bead portion, there are formed a folded portion having a curved portion toward the front and continuous with the outer peripheral bead portion at an outer peripheral area, and an annular portion continuous with an inner peripheral area of the folded portion and with the inner peripheral bead portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoji INOUE
  • Patent number: 7591134
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum booster, which is constructed such that an area with which a cylinder communicates with a port communicating with a reservoir and being open to the cylinder is reduced at high temperature, so that a sufficient reaction force can be transmitted from a piston of a master cylinder to a valve mechanism at an initial stage of the braking operation, thus preventing vibration or noise from being generated in the valve mechanism. At high temperature, stop position, at which backward movement of the piston of the master cylinder is limited by an output member while a valve piston is at a non-operating position, is shifted forwards by a stop position shifting means, thus reducing the area with which the cylinder communicates with the port communicating with the reservoir and being open to the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Inoue, Yoshiyuki Yasui
  • Publication number: 20090008200
    Abstract: To provide a negative pressure type booster device which has a high responsiveness even when a brake pedal is stepped on strongly and which is simplified and compact in construction. To this end, a passage 45 communicating directly with the atmosphere is provided between the internal surface of a sliding cylindrical portion 8b of a valve piston 8 and the external surface of a silencer 27, and the atmospheric air is enabled to be admitted from the passage 45 to a variable pressure chamber 6 directly without passing through the silencer 27 when an input member is advanced beyond a predetermined distance relative to the valve piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Kaoru Tsubouchi, Yoji Inoue, Koichi Hashida, Tomoyasu Sakai
  • Patent number: 7448308
    Abstract: A valve piston 8 of a vacuum type booster device is provided with a bypass passage 51 which is defined between a sound-absorbing member 27 and an input rod 23 to communicate directly with the atmosphere and a sliding-type plate valve 52 composed of three plate valve parts 53, 54 55 which are arranged around the input rod 23 to be relatively slidable in radial directions. When the input rod 23 is advanced beyond a predetermined distance relative to the valve piston 8, the sliding-type plate valve 52 is separated between two of the plate valve parts 53, 54, 55 to make the bypass passage 51 communicate with the inside of the valve piston 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Inoue, Masaki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7370571
    Abstract: In a negative pressure type booster device, secondary passages 53 communicating directly with the atmosphere is formed between the internal surface of a sliding cylindrical portion 8b of a valve piston 8 and the external surface of a silencer 27, and communication means 60 is provided for being controlled to vary its path area in dependence on the advance amount of an input rod 23 when the same is moved beyond a predetermined distance relative to the valve piston 8. Thus, when a brake pedal 25 is stepped on strongly, the atmospheric air can be led from the secondary passages 53 through the communication means 60 to a variable pressure chamber 6, so that the property of the responsiveness in braking operation can be improved to a responsiveness enhancing property which varies in dependence on the manner of stepping the brake pedal 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Tsubouchi, Yoji Inoue