Patents by Inventor Yutaka Inokuchi

Yutaka Inokuchi 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: 20250042186
    Abstract: A printer includes a roll paper housing that houses roll paper, a sheet paper housing that houses sheet paper, a print portion that prints on the roll paper and the sheet paper, and a flip portion that flips a side of the sheet paper to be printed on by the print portion, wherein the flip portion includes at least a portion and at least another portion, the portion being provided in front of the roll paper housing and overlapping with the roll paper housing when viewed in a front and back direction, and the another portion being provided below the roll paper housing and overlapping with the roll paper housing when viewed in a height direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2022
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Inventors: Akira TAKAHASHI, Yutaka INOKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20250026604
    Abstract: To prevent or suppress cutting of paper with a simple configuration in a creasing device (100), the creasing device (100) includes a receiving member (120) including a groove (124) extending in a width direction (Y) of paper (300), a rotary blade (135) that is movable at a constant height along the groove (124), and a movement mechanism (180) configured to move the rotary blade (135) along the groove (124). The groove in an outside range (124a) in the width direction (Y) is wider than the groove in an inside range (124b) in the width direction (Y). The outside range (124a) in the width direction (Y) corresponds to at least one of the first and second edges (302, 303) of the paper (300) in the width direction (Y) that is located on a side where the rotary blade (135) starts contacting the paper (300) when the rotary blade (135) moves along the groove (124).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2022
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventor: Yutaka INOKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200290374
    Abstract: A printer includes a transport roller (driving roller, driven roller, counter roller) that is disposed in a casing, and configured to transport a sheet to be fed from roll paper, an image forming portion (thermal head) that is disposed in a cover (upper cover) of the casing, and configured to form an image on the sheet; and a platen roller that is disposed in the casing to face the image forming portion (thermal head). The image forming portion (thermal head) is movable in transport directions (feeding direction, drawing back direction) of the sheet, and the platen roller is movable in directions substantially vertical to the transport directions (feeding direction, drawing back direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventor: Yutaka INOKUCHI
  • Patent number: 10773533
    Abstract: A printer includes a transport roller (driving roller, driven roller, counter roller) that is disposed in a casing, and configured to transport a sheet to be fed from roll paper, an image forming portion (thermal head) that is disposed in a cover (upper cover) of the casing, and configured to form an image on the sheet; and a platen roller that is disposed in the casing to face the image forming portion (thermal head). The image forming portion (thermal head) is movable in transport directions (feeding direction, drawing back direction) of the sheet, and the platen roller is movable in directions substantially vertical to the transport directions (feeding direction, drawing back direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yutaka Inokuchi
  • Patent number: 10589542
    Abstract: In order to prevent degradation in print quality which can come from matter generated from an ink ribbon and adhering to a thermal head, the thermal transfer printer transports an ink ribbon which has characteristics such that the amount of matter generated from the ink ribbon by transfer and adhering to the thermal head has a peak at predetermined transfer energy and reduces in an energy range higher than the predetermined transfer energy with increase in transfer energy, transfers ink and protective material onto paper in this order from the ink ribbon on which the ink and the protective material are repeatedly arranged in a longitudinal direction thereof, and adjusts transfer energy for the protective material to a value within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Yamazaki, Yutaka Inokuchi
  • Publication number: 20190283448
    Abstract: In order to prevent degradation in print quality which can come from matter generated from an ink ribbon and adhering to a thermal head, the thermal transfer printer transports an ink ribbon which has characteristics such that the amount of matter generated from the ink ribbon by transfer and adhering to the thermal head has a peak at predetermined transfer energy and reduces in an energy range higher than the predetermined transfer energy with increase in transfer energy, transfers ink and protective material onto paper in this order from the ink ribbon on which the ink and the protective material are repeatedly arranged in a longitudinal direction thereof, and adjusts transfer energy for the protective material to a value within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi YAMAZAKI, Yutaka INOKUCHI
  • Patent number: 9981481
    Abstract: Irregularities in the density that can occur in printed images of a thermal transfer printer due to mechanical variations or variations in thermal characteristics in the thermal head are more easily and accurately corrected as compared to cases not having the features of the disclosed invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Inokuchi, Takeshi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20170246881
    Abstract: Irregularities in the density that can occur in printed images of a thermal transfer printer due to mechanical variations or variations in thermal characteristics in the thermal head are more easily and accurately corrected as compared to cases not having the features of the disclosed invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicants: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Inokuchi, Takeshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8902472
    Abstract: A printer includes a recording unit that executes on a recording medium, a recording operation under a sublimation transfer scheme; a conveying unit that using a protrusion roller having protrusions protruding toward an outer periphery and abutting a first surface of the recording medium, conveys the recording medium to a recording position for the recording operation; a pseudo recorded image data producing unit that produces pseudo recorded image data that includes pseudo pixels obtained by correcting a density of each predetermined pixel that is determined corresponding to an arrangement pattern of the protrusions on the protrusion roller and is determined from among pixels to be recorded in a second area that excludes a first area that is in contact with the protrusions, on the first surface of the conveyed recording medium; and a recording control unit that controls the recording unit based on the pseudo recorded image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Inokuchi, Takeshi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20140293302
    Abstract: A printer includes a recording unit that executes on a recording medium, a recording operation under a sublimation transfer scheme; a conveying unit that using a protrusion roller having protrusions protruding toward an outer periphery and abutting a first surface of the recording medium, conveys the recording medium to a recording position for the recording operation; a pseudo recorded image data producing unit that produces pseudo recorded image data that includes pseudo pixels obtained by correcting a density of each predetermined pixel that is determined corresponding to an arrangement pattern of the protrusions on the protrusion roller and is determined from among pixels to be recorded in a second area that excludes a first area that is in contact with the protrusions, on the first surface of the conveyed recording medium; and a recording control unit that controls the recording unit based on the pseudo recorded image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicants: CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD., CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka INOKUCHI, Takeshi YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 8827440
    Abstract: A printer includes a printer unit that performs a recording operation on a recording medium pulled out from a first recording medium holding unit and on a recording medium held by a second recording medium holding unit included in a paper-feeding/paper-reversing unit. The paper-feeding/paper-reversing unit has a third recording medium transportation path in which the side of the recording medium to be subject to simplex recording is switched and through which the recording medium is fed back to a recording unit of the printer unit. The third recording medium transportation path partially overlaps a second recording medium transportation path through which the recording medium is fed to the printer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Inokuchi, Yuichi Taguchi, Akira Takahashi, Takeshi Yamazaki, Shinya Hosoda
  • Publication number: 20140071194
    Abstract: A printer includes a printer unit that performs a recording operation on a recording medium pulled out from a first recording medium holding unit and on a recording medium held by a second recording medium holding unit included in a paper-feeding/paper-reversing unit. The paper-feeding/paper-reversing unit has a third recording medium transportation path in which the side of the recording medium to be subject to simplex recording is switched and through which the recording medium is fed back to a recording unit of the printer unit. The third recording medium transportation path partially overlaps a second recording medium transportation path through which the recording medium is fed to the printer unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Yutaka Inokuchi, Yuichi Taguchi, Akira Takahashi, Takeshi Yamazaki, Shinya Hosoda
  • Patent number: 8029202
    Abstract: A printer, which prints by repeatedly reciprocating a rolled recording paper and ejects a printed recording paper, has therein a recording paper storage unit in which the recording paper is temporarily stored. The recording paper storage unit has a configuration formed by at least a part of the periphery of the rolled recording paper or a configuration provided in a space between the rolled paper holder and an ejection slot. This configuration eliminates the need for separately providing a configuration in which a recording paper is set aside when printing a long sheet of printed material and, at the same time, makes the printer smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Yuichi Taguchi, Yutaka Inokuchi
  • Publication number: 20090232574
    Abstract: A printer, which prints by repeatedly reciprocating a rolled recording paper and ejects a printed recording paper, has therein a recording paper storage unit in which the recording paper is temporarily stored. The recording paper storage unit has a configuration formed by at least a part of the periphery of the rolled recording paper or a configuration provided in a space between the rolled paper holder and an ejection slot. This configuration eliminates the need for separately providing a configuration in which a recording paper is set aside when printing a long sheet of printed material and, at the same time, makes the printer smaller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira TAKAHASHI, Yuichi TAGUCHI, Yutaka INOKUCHI
  • Patent number: 6877918
    Abstract: A ribbon winding side ribbon and a ribbon supply side ribbon holder are provided for supplying an inked ribbon to a thermal printer. A ribbon tension detecting plate is rotatably supported on a frame so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon. A ribbon tension adjusting means is provided to be responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Heiwa Tokei Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Yutaka Inokuchi
  • Publication number: 20040042835
    Abstract: A ribbon winding side ribbon and a ribbon supply side ribbon holder are provided for supplying an inked ribbon to a thermal printer. A ribbon tension detecting plate is rotatably supported on a frame so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon. A ribbon tension adjusting means is provided to be responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Yutaka Inokuchi
  • Patent number: 6648527
    Abstract: A ribbon winding side ribbon and a ribbon supply side ribbon holder are provided for supplying an inked ribbon to a thermal printer. A ribbon tension detecting plate is rotatably supported on a frame so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon. A ribbon tension adjusting means is provided to be responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Heiwa Tokei Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Yutaka Inokuchi
  • Publication number: 20020012559
    Abstract: A ribbon winding side ribbon and a ribbon supply side ribbon holder are provided for supplying an inked ribbon to a thermal printer. A ribbon tension detecting plate is rotatably supported on a frame so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon. A ribbon tension adjusting means is provided to be responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Applicant: HIEWA TOKEI MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Yutaka Inokuchi