Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Okamoto

Yoshihiro Okamoto 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: 20210198059
    Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosures, there is provided a tray swinging mechanism including a document tray. A movable plate of the document tray is configured to be swingable about a tray shaft and extends leftward. A lifter is configured to be swingable about a lifter shaft extending in the front-rear direction at a position different from the tray shaft. On a lower surface of the movable plate, a cam surface configured to contact a tip of the lifter is formed. The cam surface includes a parallel part parallel to an upper surface of the movable plate and a curved part spaced from the upper surface farther toward a right side. According to a shape of the cam surface, each time the lifter is rotated by a particular angle, the tip of the movable plate moves by a particular amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20210122594
    Abstract: A sheet conveyer having a sheet tray, a tray-driving mechanism, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a separator, a conveyer, a conveyer-driving mechanism, a controller, and a sheet sensor to detect sheets on the sheet tray, is provided. The conveyer-driving mechanism includes a transmission-active portion and a transmission-passive portion. A conveying velocity to convey the sheets by the conveyer is higher than a conveying velocity to convey the sheets by the feed roller and the separator. The transmission-active portion and the transmission-passive portion are rotatable about a transmission axis. The transmission-passive portion rotates passively by being pushed by the transmission-active portion. After the sheet sensor detects absence of the sheets, and before the transmission-passive portion starts rotating passively, the controller conducts a specific action to move the sheet tray downward by controlling the tray-driving mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20210127029
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a main body part and an openable part. On an upper surface of the main body part, a first reading surface, a second reading surface and a first guide part arranged between the two reading surfaces are provided. When a direction parallel to a direction in which an original passes over the second reading surface is defined as a first direction, and a direction parallel to the second reading surface and orthogonal to the first direction is defined as a second direction, on the upper surface, a positioning convex part having a curved surface curved downward when viewed in the second direction is provided on an extended line of the first guide part. On a lower surface of the openable part, a positioning concave part having two inclined surfaces respectively contacting the curved surface when viewed in the second direction is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Oyama, Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20210120137
    Abstract: An image reading device according to the present disclosures installed in an image forming apparatus includes a document placing table having an image reader, and an auto document feeder (ADF) rotatably supported by the document placing table. The ADF is configured to rotatable between a closed position where an upper surface of the document placing table is uncovered and an opened position where the upper surface is covered. The ADF includes a document tray, a document discharge tray arranged at a lower position than the document tray with a space, a front wall fixed to a front side of the document tray. A cutout part is formed on the front wall, a front side of the space is opened through the cutout part. The ADF further includes a hand grip provided to an upper edge of the cutout part, and the hand grip is used to lift up the ADF from the closed position toward the opened positon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Takashi Fujiwara, Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20210048372
    Abstract: A case a-having a stator a-fixed to an inside surface of a peripheral wall portion s-can be inserted into a tire house of a vehicle from an outside o in an axial direction. An inside of a hollow portion of the case can receive, by insertion thereinto, a brake disc and a brake caliper of the vehicle. A rotor includes: a rotor coupling portion that can be coupled to a drive wheel coupling portion of the vehicle; a rotor frame extending outside in a radial direction at an axially outer position than the brake caliper in a state in which the rotor coupling portion is coupled to the drive wheel coupling portion; a rotor circumferential wall portion connected to a radially outside end of the rotor frame, and extending axially inside from a connecting portion with the radially outside end; and a magnet fixed to the rotor circumferential wall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: TOYO DENKI SEIZO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Yuta Funaki
  • Publication number: 20200307930
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including a feed tray, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a separator, a reading sensor, and a controller, is provided. The feed tray supports sheets for being fed and has a movable plate movable between a standby position and a feedable position. The feed roller is movable and feeds the sheets to be conveyed along the conveyance guide. A positional relation between the feed roller and an uppermost sheet in the sheets is maintained within a predetermined range by the movable plate located at the feedable position. The controller controls at least rotating-and-stopping movements of the feed roller and the separator and ascending-and-descending movements of the movable plate. While the feed roller feeds the sheets, the controller conducts a vibrating action, in which the movable plate located at the feedable position is moved to ascend and descend for a plurality of times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO, Tomoyuki MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20200285188
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first casing, a second casing, a support portion, an indication, and a USB port. The first casing includes a sheet discharge tray disposed at a top surface thereof. The indication is located at a portion of one of the top surface of the first casing and the support portion, and is positioned outside the sheet discharge tray in a width direction. The portion is located closer to one end of the image forming apparatus in the width direction than the other end of the image forming apparatus opposite to the one end in the width direction. The USB port is disposed at a portion of one of the second casing and the support portion closer to the one end than the other end in the width direction, and is located at a different position in an up-down direction from the indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10732363
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a cleaning string for cleaning a tip end face of a single core optical connector, which contains a quite small residual amount of oil components and has a high wiping property without the attachment of oil components to the tip end face of a single core optical connector. Further, the present disclosure provides a method for producing a cleaning string for cleaning a connector which can suitably remove oil components adhering to a multifilament made of chemical fibers. A cleaning string for cleaning a connector formed by twisting plural multifilament made of chemical fibers, wherein a residual amount of oil components is 3 mg/g or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: KB SEIREN, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Naoyuki Yasuda, Kiyomichi Ninomiya, Shuhei Watabe
  • Patent number: 10656586
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having feeder tray, a multipurpose tray arranged on a first side surface, a first conveyer path, a second conveyer path, a third conveyer path, and a fourth conveyer path, is provided. A nip position between paired registration rollers is located to be lower than a nip position between a separation roller and a separator member. A tangent that contacts circumferential surfaces of the paired registration rollers at the nip position between paired registration rollers inclines to be lower toward a second side surface opposite from the multipurpose tray. The second conveyer path inclines to be lower toward the second side surface in a range between a merging point merging with the fourth conveyer path and the nip position between the paired registration rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10337744
    Abstract: A heat cooking device comprises a casing, a heating chamber, and an exhaust duct having an outlet provided on a rear edge side of an upper surface of the casing such that exhaust air from an inside of the casing is blown out forward. An upper outer wall surface of a rear surface plate of the casing is covered by the exhaust duct to form an exhaust passage between the casing and the exhaust duct. A guidance part is provided inside the exhaust passage, and guides the water infiltrating into the exhaust passage through the outlet of the exhaust duct, downward inside the exhaust passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kitaura, Yoshikazu Kitaguchi, Noriko Izumi, Mari Nishide, Junichi Takeuchi, Yasuhiko Kamii, Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10196221
    Abstract: A sheet conveyer, including a tray, a pickup roller, a separator roller, a separator pad, a driving source, a roller holder with an arm, an engagement member engageable with the arm, a load applier lever, and a first urging member coupled with the load applier lever, is provided. The load applier lever is movable between a first position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member causes the engagement member to be urged against the arm and to apply a load that acts in a direction to cause the pickup roller to be pressed against the sheets to the arm; and a second position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member is in the natural length thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10185286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a photosensitive member, an exposing device, a cartridge attachable to and removable from the casing, a protruding portion protruding toward a removal path along which the cartridge is removed, and a guide portion disposed on the cartridge. The guide portion is configured to, when the cartridge is attached to the casing, guide a sheet toward the photosensitive member. The guide portion is movable relative to the cartridge between a guide position where the guide portion guides a sheet and a retracted position where the guide portion is retracted from the protruding portion when the cartridge is removed from the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Yusuke Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20180246458
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having feeder tray, a multipurpose tray arranged on a first side surface, a first conveyer path, a second conveyer path, a third conveyer path, and a fourth conveyer path, is provided. A nip position between paired registration rollers is located to be lower than a nip position between a separation roller and a separator member. A tangent that contacts circumferential surfaces of the paired registration rollers at the nip position between paired registration rollers inclines to be lower toward a second side surface opposite from the multipurpose tray. The second conveyer path inclines to be lower toward the second side surface in a range between a merging point merging with the fourth conveyer path and the nip position between the paired registration rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20180088284
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a cleaning string for cleaning a tip end face of a single core optical connector, which contains a quite small residual amount of oil components and has a high wiping property without the attachment of oil components to the tip end face of a single core optical connector. Further, the present disclosure provides a method for producing a cleaning string for cleaning a connector which can suitably remove oil components adhering to a multifilament made of chemical fibers. A cleaning string for cleaning a connector formed by twisting plural multifilament made of chemical fibers, wherein a residual amount of oil components is 3 mg/g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: KB SEIREN, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO, Naoyuki YASUDA, Kiyomichi NINOMIYA, Shuhei WATABE
  • Publication number: 20180088525
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a photosensitive member, an exposing device, a cartridge configured to be attached to and removed from the casing, a protruding portion protruding toward a removal path along which the cartridge is removed, and a guide portion disposed on the cartridge. The guide portion is configured to, when the cartridge is attached to the casing, guide a sheet toward the photosensitive member. The guide portion is movable relative to the cartridge between a guide position where the guide portion guides a sheet and a retracted position where the guide portion is retracted from the protruding portion when the cartridge is removed from the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Yusuke Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20180057289
    Abstract: A sheet conveyer, including a tray, a pickup roller, a separator roller, a separator pad, a driving source, a roller holder with an arm, an engagement member engageable with the arm, a load applier lever, and a first urging member coupled with the load applier lever, is provided. The load applier lever is movable between a first position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member causes the engagement member to be urged against the arm and to apply a load that acts in a direction to cause the pickup roller to be pressed against the sheets to the arm; and a second position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member is in the natural length thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9670014
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet receiving plate configured to receive a sheet and pivot in an up-down direction; a feed roller configured to pivot between a contact position where the feed roller contacts the sheet on the sheet receiving plate and a withdrawal position where the feed roller withdraws from the sheet; an urging member configured to urge the sheet receiving plate upward; an abutting portion configured to, when the sheet receiving plate pivots upward, abut the sheet and stop the sheet receiving plate; a moving member configured to, after the sheet abuts the abutting portion, move the sheet receiving plate to a sheet feed position; and a feed roller pivoting mechanism configured to, when the sheet receiving plate pivots upward, withdraw the feed roller to the withdrawal position and to, after the sheet contacts the abutting portion, move the feed roller to the sheet receiving plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Akira Terao
  • Publication number: 20160370014
    Abstract: A heat cooking device comprises a casing, a heating chamber, and an exhaust duct having an outlet provided on a rear edge side of an upper surface of the casing such that exhaust air from an inside of the casing is blown out forward. An upper outer wall surface of a rear surface plate of the casing is covered by the exhaust duct to form an exhaust passage between the casing and the exhaust duct. A guidance part is provided inside the exhaust passage, and guides the water infiltrating into the exhaust passage through the outlet of the exhaust duct, downward inside the exhaust passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro KITAURA, Yoshikazu KITAGUCHI, Noriko IZUMI, Mari NISHIDE, Junichi TAKEUCHI, Yasuhiko KAMII, Yoshihiro OKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9483093
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a communication connector, a determiner, and a setting controller. The communication connector includes a power supply terminal and a plurality of signal terminals. The determiner determines whether a device connected via the communication connector is a device capable of communicating according to a second communication standard, based on the potential of a predetermined signal terminal specified by a first communication standard but not specified by the second communication standard, among the signal terminals. The setting controller switches the setting related to a power supply signal input from the power supply terminal, according to the determination result of the determiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Tatsuya Fujiki, Toshihiro Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20160272441
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet receiving plate configured to receive a sheet and pivot about in an up-down direction; a feed roller configured to pivot between a contact position where the feed roller contacts the sheet on the sheet receiving plate and a withdrawal position where the feed roller withdraws from the sheet; an urging member configured to urge the sheet receiving plate upward; an abutting portion configured to, when the sheet receiving plate pivots upward, abut the sheet and stop the sheet receiving plate; a moving member configured to, after the sheet abuts the abutting portion, move the sheet receiving plate to a sheet feed position; and a feed roller pivoting mechanism configured to, when the sheet receiving plate pivots upward, withdraw the feed roller to the withdrawal position and to, after the sheet contacts the abutting portion, move the feed roller to the sheet receiving plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Akira Terao