Patents by Inventor Yoshitada ICHIKAWA

Yoshitada ICHIKAWA 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: 11254528
    Abstract: A paper feed tray includes a cassette, a regulation plate which is slidably attached to the cassette, a cover provided to the regulation plate, a locking portion which is covered with the cover and engages with the cassette to fix a position of the regulation plate, and a lever. The lever includes a coupling portion coupled with the locking portion, a depression portion configured to be depressed toward one side in a direction of sliding of the regulation plate, and an intermediate portion provided between the coupling portion and the depression portion. The lever operates the locking portion to be disengaged from the cassette upon the depression portion being depressed toward the one side. The cover includes an extension extending while facing the intermediate portion. A space, which is open at a tip to which the extension extends, is formed between the extension and the intermediate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshitada Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10627771
    Abstract: Information processing equipment includes: a main body housing unit; and a console panel provided at the main body housing unit, the console panel having a front surface which has a display unit visible on the main body housing unit and does not include at least a hard key for switching an operation mode to a maintenance mode, the hard key being provided on a surface other than the front surface of the console panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitada Ichikawa, Hideyuki Nukumi
  • Publication number: 20200071106
    Abstract: A paper feed tray includes a cassette, a regulation plate which is slidably attached to the cassette, a cover provided to the regulation plate, a locking portion which is covered with the cover and engages with the cassette to fix a position of the regulation plate, and a lever. The lever includes a coupling portion coupled with the locking portion, a depression portion configured to be depressed toward one side in a direction of sliding of the regulation plate, and an intermediate portion provided between the coupling portion and the depression portion. The lever operates the locking portion to be disengaged from the cassette upon the depression portion being depressed toward the one side. The cover includes an extension extending while facing the intermediate portion. A space, which is open at a tip to which the extension extends, is formed between the extension and the intermediate portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshitada ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180246463
    Abstract: Information processing equipment includes: a main body housing unit; and a console panel provided at the main body housing unit, the console panel having a front surface which has a display unit visible on the main body housing unit and does not include at least a hard key for switching an operation mode to a maintenance mode, the hard key being provided on a surface other than the front surface of the console panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshitada ICHIKAWA, Hideyuki NUKUMI
  • Patent number: 9571683
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes, in an apparatus body, a sensing portion which senses presence or absence of depression by a paper feed unit. The sensing portion includes a slider provided to be slidingly movable along a mounting direction of the paper feed unit, a push switch arranged behind the slider along the mounting direction, and a first elastic body and a second elastic body for elastically biasing the slider toward a direction away from the push switch. The first elastic body is interposed between the slider and a portion which does not relatively move with respect to the apparatus body, and the second elastic body is interposed between the slider and a switch portion of the push switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hideji Higashimura, Yoshitada Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9561919
    Abstract: In a paper feeding cassette storing stacked sheets, a rotary lever adapted to rotate vertically about a rotation fulcrum is provided with a lift-up portion for lifting up the sheets as placed in contact with a bottom of the sheets stored in the paper feeding cassette. The lift-up portion is vertically turned by the rotary lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shinji Yanase, Takahiko Ushiroji, Dong Zhang, Yoshitada Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20170001816
    Abstract: A paper feed cassette provided with a size detection mechanism that detects the size of paper contained in the paper feed cassette, the size detection mechanism including: a link plate that moves along a paper feed direction with movement of side limitation plates in the width direction; a size detection member that is provided relative to the link plate, that moves with movement of the link plate along the paper feed direction, and that can enter a state in which the size detection member is abutting or not abutting an externally provided size detection sensor in the width direction of the paper; and a biasing member that provides the link plate with a biasing force in a direction of the movement of the link plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Yoshitada ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160227060
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes, in an apparatus body, a sensing portion which senses presence or absence of depression by a paper feed unit. The sensing portion includes a slider provided to be slidingly movable along a mounting direction of the paper feed unit, a push switch arranged behind the slider along the mounting direction, and a first elastic body and a second elastic body for elastically biasing the slider toward a direction away from the push switch. The first elastic body is interposed between the slider and a portion which does not relatively move with respect to the apparatus body, and the second elastic body is interposed between the slider and a switch portion of the push switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Hideji HIGASHIMURA, Yoshitada ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20140339762
    Abstract: In a paper feeding cassette storing stacked sheets, a rotary lever adapted to rotate vertically about a rotation fulcrum is provided with a lift-up portion for lifting up the sheets as placed in contact with a bottom of the sheets stored in the paper feeding cassette. The lift-up portion is vertically turned by the rotary lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji YANASE, Takahiko USHIROJI, Dong ZHANG, Yoshitada ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20110062649
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes first and second sheet feeding stocker provided in a main body and placed side by side in a horizontal direction, in which sheets are taken out from the first sheet feeding stocker and conveyed through a horizontal conveyance unit provided above the second sheet feeding stocker. The respective first and second sheet feeding stockers can independently be pulled out forward from the main body in a direction intersecting with a sheet conveying direction in the horizontal conveyance unit. The sheet feeding device includes an engaging mechanism for engaging the horizontal conveyance unit and the first sheet feeding stocker so that the first sheet feeding stocker is pulled out integrally with the horizontal conveyance unit when the horizontal conveyance unit is pulled out forward from the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshitada ICHIKAWA