Patents by Inventor Yujiro Nomura

Yujiro Nomura 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: 20110044731
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier that has a belt-like shape and carries an image; an image forming section that forms the image on the image carrier; a driving roller around which the image carrier is looped, the driving roller being rotationally driven by a first driving source to drive the image carrier; a roller around which the image carrier is looped; a transfer roller having a partially hollow peripheral surface and being rotationally driven by a second driving source, the transfer roller abutting on the image carrier to form a transfer nip at a position at which the image carrier is looped around the roller; a first tension roller that abuts on the image carrier between a position of the driving roller and a position of the roller to adjust a tensile force of the image carrier; and a second tension roller that abuts on the image carrier to adjust a tensile force of the image carrier, the second tension roller abutting on the image carrier on an abutting position opposite to that o
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yujiro NOMURA, Yoshihisa SAKA
  • Patent number: 7889222
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a head substrate that includes a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element; and a lens array that includes a first positive lens that images a light emitted from the first light emitting element on a specified plane and has a lens surface of a free-form surface, and a second positive lens that images a light emitted from the second light emitting element on the specified plane and has a lens surface of a free-form surface, each of the lens surfaces of the first and the second positive lenses having focal points with different focal lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuta Koizumi, Yujiro Nomura, Takeshi Sowa
  • Publication number: 20110026980
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising: forming an image on a latent image bearing member by developing a latent image formed on the latent image bearing member using a liquid developing agent having toner and a carrier liquid; transferring the image onto an image bearing belt that cyclically moves while forming a winding portion by being wound upon the latent image bearing member; detecting positions of the image bearing belt using a first sensor and a second sensor disposed in a different position from that of the first sensor; and adjusting a formation position of the latent image based on the results of the detection, wherein at the winding portion, the transfer member makes contact with the latent image bearing member through the image bearing belt, and a transfer bias of a constant voltage is applied to the transfer member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki MIZUSHIMA, Yujiro NOMURA
  • Publication number: 20100329744
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a microlens array in which a plurality of microlenses having a magnification whose absolute value is below 1 are arranged in a main scanning direction of a surface-to-be-scanned, and a plurality of luminous element groups which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective plurality of microlenses, wherein in each of the plurality of luminous element groups, a plurality of luminous elements are arranged at mutually different main-scanning-direction positions in the main scanning direction, the plurality of luminous elements are respectively caused to emit lights at timings in conformity with a movement of the surface-to-be-scanned in a sub scanning direction, and light beams emitted from the plurality of luminous elements are imaged on the surface-to-be-scanned at mutually different main-scanning-direction positions in the main scanning direction to form a plurality of spots side by side on the surface-to-be-scanned in the main scanning direction, and in each of the pl
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yujiro NOMURA, Nozomu INOUE, Ryuta KOIZUMI, Ken IKUMA
  • Patent number: 7860439
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a latent image carrier that moves in a first direction; an exposure head that includes a light emitting element and an imaging optical system row which is arranged in the first direction and which is made up of imaging optical systems which are arranged in a second direction different from the first direction and image light emitted from the light emitting element on the latent image carrier; a developing unit that develops a latent image formed on the latent image carrier by the exposure head; and two detectors that detect an image obtained by developing a latent image by the developing unit, the latent image being formed using the same imaging optical system row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro Kawada, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7852364
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a head substrate; a first light emitting element group which is arranged on the head substrate and includes a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element; a second light emitting element group and a third light emitting element group which are arranged in a first direction on the head substrate; a first wiring which is arranged between the second and the third light emitting element groups on the head substrate and is electrically connected with the first light emitting element; a second wiring which is arranged between the second and the third light emitting element groups on the head substrate and is electrically connected with the second light emitting element; and a connecting portion which is arranged on the head substrate and is electrically connected with the first and the second wirings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tsujino, Nozomu Inoue, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7848023
    Abstract: An exposure head, includes: a lens array that includes lenses that are arranged in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a light emitting element substrate that is provided with light emitting elements that emit lights to be imaged by the lenses, wherein a relationship defined by a following formula: 1<L1/L2 is satisfied, where the symbol L1 denotes a length of the lens in the first direction and the symbol L2 denotes a length of the lens in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuta Koizumi, Yujiro Nomura, Takeshi Sowa
  • Patent number: 7835082
    Abstract: A line head includes: a first lens array having a plurality of first lenses each having a convex surface as a light incidence surface; a second lens array that is arranged at a light-emitting surface side of the first lens array so as to be opposite to the first lens array and that has a plurality of second lenses, which are arranged at positions corresponding to the plurality of first lenses and each of which has a convex surface as a light incidence surface; and at least a light-emitting element provided for each of the first lenses at a light incidence side of the first lens array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tsujino, Nozomu Inoue, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7834898
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a photoconductor drum having a rotational shaft in a first direction, and an exposure head having a plurality of imaging optical systems disposed in the first direction and a second direction and each having a negative optical magnification, and a light emitting element substrate on which a plurality of light emitting elements are disposed, the plurality of light emitting elements emitting light beams imaged on the photoconductor drum by one of the imaging optical systems, and the light beams are imaged by the imaging optical systems disposed in the second direction on the photoconductive drum at positions different from each other in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Yamaguchi, Nozomu Inoue, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7834897
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus in which an exposing signal is generated from pattern data indicating a position to be exposed by a light beam on a surface-to-be-scanned. A corrected exposing signal is generated by varying the width of pulses of the exposing signal in accordance with a distance between an exposing area corresponding to the pulse and an optical axis of the scanning optical system. The light beam is emitted and modulated by the corrected exposing signal. The pulse width and/or the light quantity of the light beam is/are varied in accordance with the distance between the exposing area and the optical axis of the scanning optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Toyama, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7815276
    Abstract: An image forming method using an image forming apparatus including: a latent image carrier whose surface is driven in a sub scanning direction; a deflector which scans a beam spot reciprocally in a main scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the sub scanning direction on the surface of the latent image carrier in the use of an oscillating deflect mirror so as to form spot latent images each of which formed on a pixel; developer which develops each of the spot latent images as a pixel-dot, the method includes of: halftoning for a tone reproduction in which a halftone-dot constituted by the pixel-dot(s) is formed on a cell consisting plural pixels according to a fattening type threshold matrix, wherein a plurality of cells are contiguously arranged in the main scanning direction so as to form a plurality of contiguous locations at each of which the cells adjoin mutually in the main scanning direction, each cell includes a larger-than-four even number of pixels in the sub scanning direction, and the c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Toyama, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Publication number: 20100260522
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries an image and a transfer roller including a roller base material which faces the image carrier and rotates. A concave portion is positioned on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. A grip unit on the concave portion grips a recording medium. An elastic layer is disposed on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. The transfer roller passes the recording medium through a nip between the image carrier and the elastic layer which comes into contact with the image carrier via the image carrier and the recording medium to transfer the image carried on the image carrier onto the recording medium. A roller driving unit rotates the roller base material. A control unit controls the roller driving unit and causes the concave portion to face the image carrier to stop the transfer roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi IMAMURA, Yujiro NOMURA, Yoshihisa SAKA
  • Publication number: 20100260512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which moves while carrying an image and a transfer roller including a roller base material which faces the image carrier and rotates. A concave portion is positioned on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. A grip unit on the concave portion grips a recording medium. An elastic layer is disposed on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. The transfer roller grips a recording medium by the grip unit when the concave portion faces the image carrier and passes the recording medium through a nip between the image carrier and the elastic layer when facing each other so that the image carried on the image carrier is transferred on the recording medium. A roller driving unit rotates the roller base material. A control unit controls the roller driving unit to adjust a timing for forming the nip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Imamura, Yujiro Nomura, Yoshihisa Saka
  • Patent number: 7808519
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a microlens array in which a plurality of microlenses having a magnification whose absolute value is below 1 are arranged in a main scanning direction of a surface-to-be-scanned, and a plurality of luminous element groups which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective plurality of microlenses, wherein in each of the plurality of luminous element groups, a plurality of luminous elements are arranged at mutually different main-scanning-direction positions in the main scanning direction, the plurality of luminous elements are respectively caused to emit lights at timings in conformity with a movement of the surface-to-be-scanned in a sub scanning direction, and light beams emitted from the plurality of luminous elements are imaged on the surface-to-be-scanned at mutually different main-scanning-direction positions in the main scanning direction to form a plurality of spots side by side on the surface-to-be-scanned in the main scanning direction, and in each of the pl
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yujiro Nomura, Nozomu Inoue, Ryuta Koizumi, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7796146
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an exposure head that includes a plurality of imaging optical systems which are arranged in a first direction and a plurality of light emitting elements which emit lights to be imaged by the imaging optical systems; a latent image carrier that moves in a second direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the first direction and carries a latent image formed by the exposure head; a developer that develops the latent image; and a detector that detects an image developed by the developer, wherein the image detected by the detector has a width in the first direction wider than that of an image formed by one imaging optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro Kawada, Yujiro Nomura
  • Publication number: 20100226671
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image bearing drum that rotates and on which a latent image is formed; an exposure head having a first light-emitting element that exposes a first region of the latent image bearing drum and a second light-emitting element that exposes a second region of the latent image bearing drum; a storage unit that stores first speed-related information relating to the rotational speed of the first region of the latent image bearing drum and second speed-related information relating to the rotational speed of the second region of the latent image bearing drum; and a light-emission timing adjustment unit that adjusts the timing of the light emission of the first light-emitting element based on the first speed-related information and adjusts the timing of the light emission of the second light-emitting element based on the second speed-related information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki MIZUSHIMA, Yujiro NOMURA, Ken IKUMA
  • Patent number: 7791631
    Abstract: A line head, includes: an element substrate that includes luminous element groups as groups of a plurality of luminous elements; and a lens array that includes lenses which have an optical property of inverting or non-unity-magnification, focus light from the luminous element groups to form spot groups on an image plane, and are provided corresponding to the respective luminous element groups, wherein the plurality of luminous elements are two-dimensionally arranged in point symmetry in each luminous element group, a plurality of spots are formed as the spot group when the respective luminous elements of the luminous element group emit light, and an inter-point distance between an intersection of a line extending from a symmetry center of the luminous element group in an optical axis direction of the lens with the image plane and a center of gravity position of the spot group is shorter than a specified distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Inoue, Kiyoshi Tsujino, Ken Ikuma, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7787004
    Abstract: A line head includes: a first substrate that includes light-emitting elements formed thereon; and a second substrate that includes focusing lenses, which are inverted optical systems, focusing light emitted from the light-emitting elements, and has a linear expansion coefficient that is smaller than that of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7787005
    Abstract: A print head includes a plurality of light emitting elements grouped into a plurality of light emitting element groups and disposed by the light emitting group, a lens array having optical systems corresponding respectively to the light emitting element groups, each of the optical systems imaging a light beam emitted from the light emitting element group on a scan target surface, and a light shielding member provided with light guide holes corresponding respectively to the light emitting element groups, each of the light guide holes guiding the light beam emitted from the light emitting element group, wherein each of the light emitting element groups is provided with an aperture section disposed at a front focal position of the optical system and a center axis one of substantially identical and identical to an optical axis of the optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7782351
    Abstract: Provided is an exposure head, including: an array substrate having a plurality of organic EL elements arranged in an array on one face; and a plurality of circuit chips having a circuit for driving the organic EL element, and in which the forming face of the circuit is serially arranged along the extending direction of the array substrate so as to face one face of the array substrate; wherein the plurality of circuit chips are mutually serially connected by providing a pair of wiring groups for each mutual boundary location of the circuit chips on one face of the array substrate and outside the arrangement area of the organic EL element, bump-bonding one of the adjacent circuit chips to one end of the pair of wiring groups, and bump-bonding the other adjacent circuit chip to the other end of the pair of wiring groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsukazu Kurose, Yujiro Nomura, Kiyoshi Tsujino, Ken Ikuma