Patents by Inventor Akihisa Wanibe
Akihisa Wanibe 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).
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Publication number: 20140292905Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a plurality of heads having a nozzle surface in which nozzle openings that eject ink are provided; a cover head that protects the nozzle surfaces of the heads, and a cover that covers the heads and between the nozzle surfaces of each head, in which the cover has a conducting portion that conducts with the cover head of the head.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Akihisa Wanibe, Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Publication number: 20140285578Abstract: A printing apparatus including a head unit in which a print head is mounted on a head plate, and a small carriage that holds the head unit. The head unit engages with a slide rail formed in the small carriage with an engagement protrusion, and can be attached and detached in a sliding manner when the head unit is attached and detached.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Akihisa WANIBE
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Patent number: 8840207Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a support member that supports a recording medium; a head plate that extends in a direction that intersects a transporting direction of the recording medium; a head body mounted on the head plate and having a nozzle that ejects a liquid onto the recording medium supported on a surface of the support member; and adjusting members that respectively project from opposite ends of the head plate in a direction of the head plate that intersects the transporting direction toward the support member, and that position the head plate with respect to the surface of the support member when each distal end of the adjusting members contacts the surface of the support member.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2013Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe
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Publication number: 20140176636Abstract: An image recording device is provided with: a first guide mechanism for guiding the movement of a print head between an image recording position and a maintenance-receiving position, which is a position different from a support member in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in which the print head at the image recording position and the support member face each other; and a second guide mechanism for guiding the movement of a maintenance unit between a withdrawn position for separating away from the print head in a third direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the second direction, in relation to the print head at the maintenance-receiving position, and a maintenance position for drawing nearer to the print head than the withdrawn position.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2013Publication date: June 26, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Akihisa WANIBE
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Publication number: 20140160188Abstract: An image recording device, wherein the image recording device is provided with a support member for supporting a recording medium, a print head for recording an image at a first position facing the support member, and a maintenance unit arranged at a position different from that of the support member in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head and the support member face each other in the first position. The image recording device is further provided with a guide mechanism for guiding movement of the print head between a first position, a second position in which the print head faces the maintenance unit, and a third position which is a different position from those of the support member and the maintenance unit in an orthogonal direction, and a space allowing for a manual task on the print head is present at the facing position of the print head at the third position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2013Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Akihisa WANIBE, Naoyuki OKUMURA
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Publication number: 20130286066Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a support member that supports a recording medium; a head plate that extends in a direction that intersects a transporting direction of the recording medium; a head body mounted on the head plate and having a nozzle that ejects a liquid onto the recording medium supported on a surface of the support member; and adjusting members that respectively project from opposite ends of the head plate in a direction of the head plate that intersects the transporting direction toward the support member, and that position the head plate with respect to the surface of the support member when each distal end of the adjusting members contacts the surface of the support member.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Akihisa WANIBE
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Patent number: 8366250Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a remanufacturing method of a liquid container forms an inlet in a certain area, for example, a buffer chamber, other than a specific section including liquid reservoirs and flow paths adjoining to and directly communicating with a bubble trap flow path in the liquid container. In the state of closing a liquid feeder and opening an air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects a liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the upstream of the inlet with the liquid. In the state of opening the liquid feeder and closing the air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects the liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the downstream of the inlet with the liquid. The remanufacturing process seals the inlet after completion of the injection of the liquid. This arrangement enables the liquid to be refilled into the liquid container without damaging the functions of the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akihisa Wanibe, Taku Ishizawa, Satoshi Shinada, Chiaki Miyajima
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Patent number: 8366251Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a remanufacturing method of a liquid container forms an inlet in a certain area, for example, a buffer chamber, other than a specific section including liquid reservoirs and flow paths adjoining to and directly communicating with a bubble trap flow path in the liquid container. In the state of closing a liquid feeder and opening an air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects a liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the upstream of the inlet with the liquid. In the state of opening the liquid feeder and closing the air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects the liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the downstream of the inlet with the liquid. The remanufacturing process seals the inlet after completion of the injection of the liquid. This arrangement enables the liquid to be refilled into the liquid container without damaging the functions of the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akihisa Wanibe, Taku Ishizawa, Satoshi Shinada, Chiaki Miyajima
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Patent number: 8262208Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a remanufacturing method of a liquid container forms an inlet in a certain area, for example, a buffer chamber, other than a specific section including liquid reservoirs and flow paths adjoining to and directly communicating with a bubble trap flow path in the liquid container. In the state of closing a liquid feeder and opening an air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects a liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the upstream of the inlet with the liquid. In the state of opening the liquid feeder and closing the air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects the liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the downstream of the inlet with the liquid. The remanufacturing process seals the inlet after completion of the injection of the liquid. This arrangement enables the liquid to be refilled into the liquid container without damaging the functions of the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2009Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akihisa Wanibe, Taku Ishizawa, Satoshi Shinada, Chiaki Miyajima
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Patent number: 8256882Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a remanufacturing method of a liquid container forms an inlet in a certain area, for example, a buffer chamber, other than a specific section including liquid reservoirs and flow paths adjoining to and directly communicating with a bubble trap flow path in the liquid container. In the state of closing a liquid feeder and opening an air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects a liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the upstream of the inlet with the liquid. In the state of opening the liquid feeder and closing the air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects the liquid through the inlet to fill a space in the downstream of the inlet with the liquid. The remanufacturing process seals the inlet after completion of the injection of the liquid. This arrangement enables the liquid to be refilled into the liquid container without damaging the functions of the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akihisa Wanibe, Taku Ishizawa, Satoshi Shinada, Chiaki Miyajima
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Patent number: 8220910Abstract: An ink cartridge 1 constructed as a liquid container has wall faces 1a, 370w1, and 370w2 that are respectively pierced to have holes. One end of an ink supply tube 910 is inserted through the holes of the wall faces 1a, 370w1, and 370w2 and is connected with an inlet 401 of a vertical communicating path 400 located in the upstream of a sensor unit 30 functioning as a detector. The other end of the ink supply tube 910 is connected to a large-capacity ink tank 900. Attachment of the ink cartridge 1 to an ink-jet printer completes an ink supply system. This arrangement effectively controls or prevents migration of bubbles into the detector in the liquid container equipped with the detector.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2009Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe
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Patent number: 8197047Abstract: A liquid container mountable in a liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid container includes a liquid storage section that stores liquid, an air communication section that allows the liquid storage section and an outside of the liquid container to communicate with each other, a bubble separation unit that separates bubbles from the liquid, a communication path that allows the bubble separation unit and the liquid storage section to communicate with each other and has at one end thereof an exit connected to the bubble separation unit and at the other end thereof an entrance connected to the liquid storage section, the exit having a cross section whose area continuously increases toward the bubble separation unit, a liquid supply unit through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting apparatus, and a detection unit that is connected to the liquid supply unit and the bubble separation unit and detects an amount of the liquid stored in the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe
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Patent number: 8177342Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a remanufacturing method of a liquid container forms an inlet in a downstream wall surface of a second chamber, which defines part of a bottom face of the liquid container. In the state of closing a liquid feeder and opening an air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects a liquid through the inlet to fill the second chamber with the liquid. In the state of opening the liquid feeder and closing the air open structure, the remanufacturing method injects the liquid through the inlet to fill a space from the second chamber to the liquid feeder with the liquid. The remanufacturing process seals the inlet after completion of the injection of the liquid. This arrangement enables the liquid to be efficiently refilled into the liquid container without damaging the functions of the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2009Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akihisa Wanibe, Taku Ishizawa, Satoshi Shinada, Chiaki Miyajima
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Patent number: 8172388Abstract: A liquid container mountable in a liquid ejecting apparatus is provided. The liquid container includes a liquid storage section that stores liquid, a liquid supply section through which the liquid stored in the liquid storage section is supplied to the liquid ejecting apparatus, an air communication section that allows the liquid storage section and an outside of the liquid container to communicate with each other, a bubble separation section that separates bubbles from the liquid, a vertical communication path that has an entrance communicating with the liquid storage section and an exit provided at a higher level in a vertical direction than the entrance and communicating with the bubble separation section, and a detection section that communicates with the liquid supply section and the bubble separation section and is adapted to detect a depletion of the liquid stored in the liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2009Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe
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Patent number: 8142000Abstract: One aspect of the invention is directed to a remanufacturing method of a liquid container constructed to store a liquid, which is to be supplied to a liquid ejection device. The remanufacturing method provides the liquid container structured to include: a liquid reservoir assembly configured to store the liquid; a liquid feeder configured to supply the liquid stored in the liquid reservoir assembly to the liquid ejection device; a sensor unit located in the upstream of the liquid feeder and configured to detect a level of the liquid stored in the liquid container; and a bubble trap module located in the upstream of the sensor unit and in the downstream of the liquid reservoir assembly and configured to trap bubbles included in the liquid. The remanufacturing method forms an inlet to communicate either with the bubble trap module or with a pathway of the liquid in the downstream of the bubble trap module.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2009Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Taku Ishizawa, Satoshi Shinada, Chiaki Miyajima, Akihisa Wanibe
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Publication number: 20120069112Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes: a medium feed part including a rotating body that rotates about a horizontal axis to feed an elongated recording medium while the recording medium is in contact against a circular outer face of the rotating body so that the recording medium is fed along an arcuate feed path conforming to the outer face; a medium recording part having a plurality of recording units arranged along the feed path, and that carries out recording through ejection deposition of ink onto the recording medium; an outfeed part that outfeeds the recording medium in a tangential direction from the rotating body at an outfeed position positioned in an upper half of the rotating body; and an ink fixation part facing from above the recording medium outfed from the rotating body, and fixes the ink that has been ejection-deposited onto the recording medium by the medium recording part.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Akihisa WANIBE
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Publication number: 20120023871Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid container having a tank chamber, first and second communication holes communicating with the tank chamber, and a flow channel communicating with the first communication hole, including welding a film to one surface of the liquid container in which openings communicating with the tank chamber and the flow channel, respectively, are formed; filing the tank chamber with a liquid from the second communication hole disposed in a vertical upper portion of the tank chamber; and delivering bubbles, which are gathered in the vertical upper portion of the tank chamber at a time of filling the tank chamber with the liquid, from the tank chamber to the flow channel through a bypass channel extending from an opening of the tank chamber to an opening of the flow channel through a non-welded portion of the film.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Akihisa WANIBE
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Patent number: 8079657Abstract: A liquid sensing device is for a liquid consuming system in which air is introduced from the upstream end in association with consumption of liquid at the downstream end. The liquid sensing device includes a sensor positioning member that defines a sensing flow channel including an inlet hole at the upstream end and a first outlet hole at the downstream end, a sensor positioned on the outside face of the sensor positioning member at a location facing the sensing flow channel as to sense whether liquid is present in the sensing flow channel, and a sensor positioning member mounting portion that mounts the sensor positioning member.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2009Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe
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Patent number: 8061800Abstract: A liquid detector includes: a case in which a flow channel is exposed from an opening; a sensor base, disposed in the opening of the case to face the flow channel; a sensor chip, mounted on a surface opposite to a surface of the sensor base which faces the flow channel and including a piezoelectric element; a film, adapted to hold the sensor base in the opening and sealing the opening; a circuit board, disposed in such a manner as to face the sensor chip; a relay terminal, electrically connecting the sensor chip and the circuit board; and a support member, adapted to support the circuit board and the relay terminal and fixed to the case. The relay terminal includes: a base end portion, fixed to the support member; and first and second free end portions, separately extending into two branches from the base end portion, and a first contact connected to the circuit board is formed in the first free end portion, and a second contact connected to the sensor chip is formed in the second free end portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe
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Patent number: 8029120Abstract: A liquid container includes: a bubble trapping section, disposed upstream of the upstream buffer chamber. The bubble trapping section includes: a bubble trapping chamber, adapted to trap bubbles upside by allowing the liquid level to be lowered with reduction in an amount of remaining liquid at a time of consuming the liquid; an inlet, communicating at a vertical upper position of the bubble trapping chamber to introduce the liquid at the time of consuming the liquid; and an outlet, communicating at a vertical lower position of the bubble trapping chamber to discharge the liquid at the time of consuming the liquid.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: October 4, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Akihisa Wanibe