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).

  • Patent number: 9317001
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a cover, a process unit, and a grip portion. The housing has an opening portion defining an open end. The cover is movable between a closing position to close the open end and an opening position to open the open end. The cover defines the opening portion and has one end portion to define the open end. The process unit is configured to be attached to and detached from the housing through the opening portion. The process unit includes a developer chamber configured to accommodate therein developer. The grip portion is provided at the process unit, and has a protruding portion protruding outward between the open end and the one end portion when the process unit has been attached to the housing and the cover is at the closing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9280127
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main casing having side wall and a frame defining a sheet opening. The side wall of the main casing and the frame define an accommodating space therebetween. The frame defines a first vent, and the frame further defines a second vent disposed below the first vent closer to the side wall than the first vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9268291
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a pair of frames, a connecting member, a supply board, and a control board. The image forming unit includes a photosensitive body configured to carry developer and an exposure unit configured to scan and expose the photosensitive body to light. The pair of frames is disposed in a horizontal direction opposite to each other with the image forming unit being positioned therebetween. The connecting member extends in the horizontal direction and supports the exposure unit. The connecting member has each longitudinal end portion connected to each of the pair of frames. The supply board is configured to supply electric power to an electric motor. The control board is configured to control operation of the image forming unit. At least one of the control board and the supply board is supported to the connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Masahito Saeki, Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 9207635
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising: a housing having an opening through which a recording medium passes, the housing comprising a container unit configured to support at least a part of the recording medium passed through the opening; a feed roller configured to feed the recording medium supported in the container unit to an image formation unit; and a fan configured to cause air in the housing to flow, wherein the container unit comprises: a stacker part to support at least the part of the recording medium; and a pair of side parts disposed to sandwich the stacker part between the pair of side parts, in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the feed roller, and the fan is disposed at one of the pair of side parts and at a position closer to the opening relative to the feed roller in the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20150277369
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a cover, a process unit, and a grip portion. The housing has an opening portion defining an open end. The cover is movable between a closing position to close the open end and an opening position to open the open end. The cover defines the opening portion and has one end portion to define the open end. The process unit is configured to be attached to and detached from the housing through the opening portion. The process unit includes a developer chamber configured to accommodate therein developer. The grip portion is provided at the process unit, and has a protruding portion protruding outward between the open end and the one end portion when the process unit has been attached to the housing and the cover is at the closing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO, Shougo SATO
  • Publication number: 20150277340
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a pair of frames, a connecting member, a supply board, and a control board. The image forming unit includes a photosensitive body configured to carry developer and an exposure unit configured to scan and expose the photosensitive body to light. The pair of frames is disposed in a horizontal direction opposite to each other with the image forming unit being positioned therebetween. The connecting member extends in the horizontal direction and supports the exposure unit. The connecting member has each longitudinal end portion connected to each of the pair of frames. The supply board is configured to supply electric power to an electric motor. The control board is configured to control operation of the image forming unit. At least one of the control board and the supply board is supported to the connecting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO, Masahito SAEKI, Shougo SATO
  • Patent number: 9098057
    Abstract: An electrode for an image forming apparatus, the electrode including: an elastically deformable spring portion including a wire which is spirally wound and formed in a tube shape; an electrical contact portion provided continuously to the spring portion at one side in an axial direction of the spring portion, including the wire which is wound at least twice, and formed in an annular shape, where a center axis of the annular shape extends in an intersecting direction which intersects with the axial direction of the spring portion; and an extending portion provided continuously to the electrical contact portion and extending at least in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20150185684
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main casing having side wall and a frame defining a sheet opening. The side wall of the main casing and the frame define an accommodating space therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150093141
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising: a housing having an opening through which a recording medium passes, the housing comprising a container unit configured to support at least a part of the recording medium passed through the opening; a feed roller configured to feed the recording medium supported in the container unit to an image formation unit; and a fan configured to cause air in the housing to flow, wherein the container unit comprises: a stacker part to support at least the part of the recording medium; and a pair of side parts disposed to sandwich the stacker part between the pair of side parts, in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the feed roller, and the fan is disposed at one of the pair of side parts and at a position closer to the opening relative to the feed roller in the feeding direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150058642
    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: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Tatsuya Fujiki, Toshihiro MIYAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8929765
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to electro-photographically form an image and includes a main body frame which includes a side wall, an outer cover which covers an outer face of the main body frame, a high-voltage board which includes a high-voltage generator circuit configured to generate a high voltage and supply an electric power to a device requiring a high-voltage power source, and a main board which includes a main control circuit configured to perform a control on an image forming process of the image forming apparatus. In a side region which is formed by the side wall of the main body frame and the outer cover, the high-voltage board and the main board are disposed along the side wall to overlap with each other at least partially, and the high-voltage board is disposed on an outer side relative to the main board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Hamaya, Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20140153952
    Abstract: An electrode for an image forming apparatus, the electrode including: an elastically deformable spring portion including a wire which is spirally wound and formed in a tube shape; an electrical contact portion provided continuously to the spring portion at one side in an axial direction of the spring portion, including the wire which is wound at least twice, and formed in an annular shape, where a center axis of the annular shape extends in an intersecting direction which intersects with the axial direction of the spring portion; and an extending portion provided continuously to the electrical contact portion and extending at least in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro OKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8739002
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a decoder, a perpendicular magnetic recording and reproducing device, a receiving device, and a decoding method that are used for performing decoding resistant to burst errors such as a pole-erase phenomenon, where the burst errors do not have amplitude fluctuation, without the addition of a special code (redundant code) for detecting burst errors. The present invention is a decoder, a perpendicular magnetic recording and reproducing device, a receiving device, and a decoding method that perform a decoding process on an encoded data signal, wherein a parity check is performed on the encoded data signal that is encoded with a low density parity check code to output burst information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Ehime University
    Inventors: Yasuaki Nakamura, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Hisashi Osawa
  • Publication number: 20130322911
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to electro-photographically form an image and includes a main body frame which includes a side wall, an outer cover which covers an outer face of the main body frame, a high-voltage board which includes a high-voltage generator circuit configured to generate a high voltage and supply an electric power to a device requiring a high-voltage power source, and a main board which includes a main control circuit configured to perform a control on an image forming process of the image forming apparatus. In a side region which is formed by the side wall of the main body frame and the outer cover, the high-voltage board and the main board are disposed along the side wall to overlap with each other at least partially, and the high-voltage board is disposed on an outer side relative to the main board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Hamaya, Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8595891
    Abstract: A adhered substance removing device of the present disclosure includes a suction removal unit configured to suck and remove a liquid medium with which a wiping sheet is impregnated and adhered substances which is separated from the wiping sheet by an oscillation unit and re-adhered to a surface of the wiping sheet. The suction removal unit includes a cylindrical suction nozzle having inlet holes in a surface along which the wiping sheet is guided. and a suction pump configured to suck air from the suction nozzle. The Suction pump is connected to the suction nozzle, and a lid is detachably attached to an opening of the suction nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sawa Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Mitsuhiro Takeda, Takashi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8591782
    Abstract: A stent comprising a tubular stent matrix of which diameter is extendable and a flexible polymer layer covering the stent matrix. The polymer layer is closely attached to and covers the entire surface of the stent matrix. Since the flexible polymer layer closely covers the entire surface of the stent matrix not only the outer periphery of the stent matrix, the stent has no problem of causing allergic to metal, stimulus of tissues due to metal, and rust development. Since the inner periphery of the stent is a flat and smooth surface covered by the polymer layer without convexes and concaves, the formation of thrombus can be inhibited well. There is no problem of drift between the polymer layer and the stent matrix, thereby maintaining the positional relationship between the stent matrix and the polymer layer before and after the expansion of the stent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignees: National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Japan Stent Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhide Nakayama, Shogo Nishi, Yasushi Nemoto, Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8387450
    Abstract: A chassis dynamometer for a vehicle has a base seat, a fixed shaft having one end thereof attached to the base seat, a rotary proximal portion rotatably supported to the fixed shaft, a roller connected to the rotary proximal portion, for loading a wheel of a vehicle, and a motor connected to the roller so that power can be transmitted therebetween. The roller has a single flange portion connected to the rotary proximal portion and extending obliquely to the axis, and an outer peripheral portion extending both axial directions from an outer periphery of the flange portion and disposed outward in the radial direction of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: A&D Company, Limited, Toyo Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Ichige, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Mieko Nagai
  • Patent number: 8264511
    Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus including: a medium transporting unit configured to transport a printing target medium; a sheet traveling unit configured to allow a thermal transfer sheet, in which a color material layer and a protection layer are formed on a sheet in a line along a travel direction, to travel; a printing unit configured to sequentially and thermally transfer the color material layer and the protection layer onto the printing target medium by applying thermal energy to the printing target medium and the thermal transfer sheet which are sandwiched by the printing unit; and a pressure changing mechanism configured to change the sandwiching force acting on the printing target medium and the thermal transfer sheet so as to have a relationship of force P1<force P2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yoshimura, Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8207514
    Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus forms a map having meshes, forms representative figures, area of each representative figure in each mesh being equal to gross area of figures in each mesh, and calculates a proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam in each mesh on the basis of area of each representative figure in each mesh. If it is necessary to change the proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam for drawing at least one pattern corresponding to at least one figure, the charged particle beam drawing apparatus changes area of the at least one figure before the representative figures are formed by a representative figure forming portion, and changes the proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam for drawing the at least one pattern corresponding to the at least one figure, calculated by a proximity effect correction dose calculating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Shuichi Tamamushi, Takashi Kamikubo, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shinji Sakamoto, Yusuke Sakai, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Akihito Anpo
  • Publication number: 20120060596
    Abstract: A chassis dynamometer for a vehicle has a base seat, a fixed shaft having one end thereof attached to the base seat, a rotary proximal portion rotatably supported to the fixed shaft, a roller connected to the rotary proximal portion, for loading a wheel of a vehicle, and a motor connected to the roller so that power can be transmitted therebetween. The roller has a single flange portion connected to the rotary proximal portion and extending obliquely to the axis, and an outer peripheral portion extending both axial directions from an outer periphery of the flange portion and disposed outward in the radial direction of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicants: TOYO ELECTRIC MFG. CO., LTD., A&D COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuo Ichige, Hidenori Nagai (deceased), Mieko Nagai, Yoshihiro Okamoto