Patents by Inventor Yukiko Kitamura

Yukiko Kitamura 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: 20230109925
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a toner image forming portion, a foil transfer unit, a sheet tray, and a discharge portion. The toner image forming portion is provided in the housing and configured to form a toner image on a sheet. The foil transfer unit is configured to superpose a foil with a surface of the sheet. The sheet tray is installable in the housing in an inserting direction and configured to accommodate a sheet to be supplied to the toner image forming portion. The first discharge portion is configured to discharge the sheet from the foil transfer unit to the outside of the housing in a discharging direction opposite to the inserting direction. The second discharge portion is configured to discharge the sheet from the toner image forming portion to the outside of the housing without passing through the foil transfer unit in the discharge direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Ryosuke Sakai, Hideshi Nishiyama, Isami Fujisawa, Yukiko Kitamura
  • Patent number: 10222737
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body casing; a photosensitive drum; a support member; a belt unit; a transfer roller; and a second sheet guide. The support member is movable between a first accommodated position and a first withdrawn position. The belt unit is movable between a second accommodated position and a second withdrawn position. The belt unit includes: a first sheet guide; and a transfer belt. The belt unit is movable together with the support member. The second sheet guide is positioned below the belt unit and faces the first sheet guide to define a sheet conveying path between the first sheet guide and the second sheet guide in a state where the belt unit is at the second accommodated position. The second sheet guide is configured to convey a sheet along the sheet conveying path toward a position between the transfer belt and the transfer roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukiko Kitamura, Takashi Arakawa, Shougo Sato
  • Publication number: 20190004466
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a toner image forming portion, a foil transfer unit, a sheet tray, and a discharge portion. The toner image forming portion is provided in the housing and configured to form a toner image on a sheet. The foil transfer unit is configured to superpose a foil with a surface of the sheet. The sheet tray is installable in the housing in an inserting direction and configured to accommodate a sheet to be supplied to the toner image forming portion. The first discharge portion is configured to discharge the sheet from the foil transfer unit to the outside of the housing in a discharging direction opposite to the inserting direction. The second discharge portion is configured to discharge the sheet from the toner image forming portion to the outside of the housing without passing through the foil transfer unit in the discharge direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Ryosuke Sakai, Hideshi Nishiyama, Isami Fujisawa, Yukiko Kitamura, Takehiro Masuda, Yusuke Ikegami, Wataru Yamaguchi, Yuichi Ikeno
  • Publication number: 20180246464
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body casing; a photosensitive drum; a support member; a belt unit; a transfer roller; and a second sheet guide. The support member is movable between a first accommodated position and a first withdrawn position. The belt unit is movable between a second accommodated position and a second withdrawn position. The belt unit includes: a first sheet guide; and a transfer belt. The belt unit is movable together with the support member. The second sheet guide is positioned below the belt unit and faces the first sheet guide to define a sheet conveying path between the first sheet guide and the second sheet guide in a state where the belt unit is at the second accommodated position. The second sheet guide is configured to convey a sheet along the sheet conveying path toward a position between the transfer belt and the transfer roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Yukiko Kitamura, Takashi Arakawa, Shougo Sato