Patents by Inventor Yuji Koga

Yuji Koga 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: 20160325951
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 9487038
    Abstract: A printer has a carriage being movable between a first end and a second end of a reciprocating path; and a driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism provided at the second end of the reciprocating path. The selecting mechanism has: a common driving force outputting member; a plurality of force receiving members; a selecting member; and a position retainer for keeping the position of the selecting member. The selecting member connects the force outputting member to one of the plurality of force receiving members, and moves in association with the carriage when the carriage moves in a vicinity of the second end in a first direction extending from the first end to the second end. The position retainer keeps the position of the selecting member when the carriage moves in a second direction extending from the second end to the first end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Koga, Masatoshi Izuchi
  • Publication number: 20160297196
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus which includes a recording portion, and a contact portion configured to come into contact with an upper surface of the sheet. The contact portion has a storage portion provided on a side of the recording portion and configured to store an ink, and a protruding portion provided between both ends in a width direction intersecting the transporting direction of the storage portion, and which is protruded toward the recording section, and an upper end of the protruding portion is the highest in the contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9457594
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a first upper-position guide member, a first lower-position guide member defining a first feeding path and a first feeding portion feeding a sheet in a feeding direction along the first feeding path. The image recording apparatus further includes a recording portion located downstream of the first feeding portion in the feeding direction, a second upper-position guide member, a second lower-position guide member defining a second feeding path and a second feeding portion comprising at least one pair of rollers each consisting of an upper-position roller and a lower-position roller. The second feeding portion feeds the sheet along the second feeding path and a first axis of the upper-position roller is located upstream of a second axis of the lower-position roller in the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Takashi Omura
  • Patent number: 9452619
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 9447090
    Abstract: An excellent drug for treating or preventing cardiovascular diseases, based on cGMP production enhancing action due to soluble guanylate cyclase activating action, is provided. It was found that imidazopyridine compounds having a carbamoyl group at the 3-position and a substituent bonded at the 8-position via an oxygen atom in an imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine skeleton exhibits a cGMP production enhancing action by a potent soluble guanylate cyclase activating action, and is useful as a drug for treating or preventing various soluble guanylate cyclase-related cardiovascular diseases, thereby completing the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Astellas Pharma Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Koga, Kyoichi Maeno, Ippei Sato, Yoshimasa Imamura, Takeshi Hanazawa, Maiko Iida, Kazuhiko Ohne, Kenichiro Imamura, Tsubasa Watanabe, Eisuke Nozawa, Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 9440460
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 9434563
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including: a drive source rotatable forwardly and reversely; a first roller rotatable in a first direction by the forward rotation of the drive source to convey a conveyed medium and rotatable in a second direction reverse to the first direction by the reverse rotation of the drive source; a recording device; a second roller; a first power transmitter which transmits a first-direction driving power to the second roller and not to transmit a second-direction driving power to the second roller, wherein the first-direction driving power is a rotational driving power of the first roller rotating in the first direction, and the second-direction driving power is a rotational driving power of the first roller rotating in the second direction; and a second power transmitter which transmits the second-direction driving power to the second roller and not to transmit the first-direction driving power to the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9422125
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga
  • Publication number: 20160229202
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a mechanism for forming a corrugated shape in a sheet to be conveyed. The mechanism may include various components include one or more pressing portions, one or more ribs, one or more discharge rollers, a switching mechanism and the like. In one arrangement, ribs and pressing portions configured to create the corrugated shape may be disposed at various locations upstream or downstream of the platen, recording portion and/or nozzles thereof. In one example, pressing portions may be disposed both upstream and downstream of the nozzles of the recording portion to maintain a corrugated shape in the conveyed sheet. Various other configurations may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9387704
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus which includes a recording portion, and a contact portion configured to come into contact with an upper surface of the sheet. The contact portion has a storage portion provided on a side of the recording portion and configured to store an ink, and a protruding portion is provided between both ends in a width direction intersecting the transporting direction of the storage portion, and which is protruded toward the recording section, and an upper end of the protruding portion is the highest in the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20160185137
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20160129711
    Abstract: A printer has a carriage being movable between a first end and a second end of a reciprocating path; and a driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism provided at the second end of the reciprocating path. The selecting mechanism has: a common driving force outputting member; a plurality of force receiving members; a selecting member; and a position retainer for keeping the position of the selecting member. The selecting member connects the force outputting member to one of the plurality of force receiving members, and moves in association with the carriage when the carriage moves in a vicinity of the second end in a first direction extending from the first end to the second end. The position retainer keeps the position of the selecting member when the carriage moves in a second direction extending from the second end to the first end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji KOGA, Masatoshi IZUCHI
  • Patent number: 9321283
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus may include a corrugate mechanism configured to form a sheet into a corrugated shape. The inkjet recording apparatus may be configured to receive sheets of various sizes and shapes. Accordingly, in some examples, the inkjet recording apparatus may include differently configured portions to handle sheets of different sizes or shapes. According to one arrangement, the inkjet recording apparatus may be configured to receive passage of sheets of a first size through multiple ones of the differently configured portions while receiving passage of sheets of a second size though limited ones of the differently configured portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Wataru Sugiyama, Yuji Koga, Takashi Omura, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20160107457
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a platen, a contact portion disposed between a pair of first ribs of the plurality of first ribs with respect to a scanning direction. A lower end of the contact portion is located lower than each upper end of the pair of first ribs. The platen includes a second rib disposed between one first rib of the pair of first ribs and the contact portion with respect to the scanning direction, and an upper end of the second rib is located lower than the upper end of the one first rib of the pair of first ribs and higher than the lower end of the contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 9290021
    Abstract: An image forming device may include a contact member and a support member configured to support a recording portion. In one or more arrangements, the contact member may be disposed on the support member and include a contact portion configured to contact a sheet being conveyed. In some examples, the support member may include a carriage frame. Additionally or alternatively, the image forming device may include a platen having a plurality of ribs. In one or more examples, the ribs may be configured to form a corrugated shape in a sheet in conjunction with the contact member. Still further, one or more of the ribs and the contact member may be movable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Noriyuki Kawamata, Wataru Sugiyama, Tsuyoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 9290344
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Publication number: 20160075152
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA, Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
  • Publication number: 20160075151
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Tetsuo ASADA, Hirotaka AOKI, Satoru NAKAKITA, Shota IIJIMA, Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
  • Patent number: 9283778
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga