Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Igarashi

Hitoshi Igarashi 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).

  • Patent number: 8232013
    Abstract: A fuel cell system has a purge valve that adjusts the amount of nitrogen in a hydrogen circulation channel and a fuel electrode to be discharged through a discharge channel. A purge rate correcting unit variably sets a target control value of the nitrogen content in the hydrogen circulation channel and the fuel electrode by taking into account whether a driving mode is set in a normal power generation mode or an idle mode. An opening of the purge valve is controlled on the basis of the target control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Igarashi, Kenichi Goto, Kenji Yonekura, Kazuo Saito, Takashi Iimori, Ryoichi Shimoi, Yohei Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8211579
    Abstract: A fuel cell has an anode, a cathode, and a proton-exchange membrane disposed between the anode and cathode. An exhaust anode gas exhausted from an outlet of the anode is directed back to an inlet of the anode. Hydrogen is added to the exhaust anode gas before the exhaust anode gas reaches the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Igarashi, Masatoshi Iio, Seiho Sugawara, Atsushi Ooma, Takashi Iimori, Mitsuhiro Kokubo, Takashi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20120133701
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of an object, includes a light emitting portion that emits light, a light receiving portion that receives the light from the light emitting portion, and a scale that is arranged between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and includes a position detecting pattern and a smear detecting pattern. The position detecting pattern has a first light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a first light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged in a detection range of the object. The smear detecting pattern for detecting smear of the scale has a second light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a second light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20120098913
    Abstract: To prevent conveyance defects due to kicking, a printing device includes a conveyance roller for conveying a medium in a conveyance direction; a guide for supporting the medium on a top surface of the guide on an upstream side in the conveyance direction from the conveyance roller; and a head for ejecting ink and printing on the medium on a downstream side in the conveyance direction from the conveyance roller; wherein the top surface of the guide is positioned higher than a line tangent to the conveyance roller at a position of contact between the conveyance roller and the medium; and an end part of the guide on the downstream side in the conveyance direction has a smaller thickness in the direction in which the medium is supported than on the upstream side of the end part in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi IGARASHI
  • Publication number: 20120092671
    Abstract: To press a medium using an appropriate pressing force and perform colorimetric measurement, a color measurement device for performing colorimetric measurement of a print pattern printed on a medium, the color measurement device comprising a pressing member for pressing the medium; a power source for outputting power for the pressing member to press the medium; a detecting part for detecting a pressing force on the medium; a color measurement section for performing colorimetric measurement of the print pattern; and a control part for controlling the power source so that the pressing force detected by the detecting part is equal to a predetermined pressing force, and for causing the color measurement section to perform colorimetric measurement of the print pattern printed on the medium pressed by the pressing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji HATADA, Hitoshi IGARASHI, Jun USHIAMA
  • Patent number: 8157459
    Abstract: A recording apparatus performs recording on a strip of a recording target medium that is fed from a roll object that is set in or on the recording apparatus. The roll object is formed as, or at least includes, a roll of the recording target medium. The recording apparatus includes: a rotating unit that rotates the roll object; a rotation controlling unit that controls the rotation of the rotating unit; and a roll object diameter measuring unit that measures the diameter of the roll object, wherein the rotation controlling unit sets the rotation speed of the rotating unit or the rotation amount of the rotating unit on the basis of the diameter of the roll object measured by the roll object diameter measuring unit so as to ensure that at least either one of the transportation speed of the recording target medium and the transportation distance of the recording target medium is set at a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hatada, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20120087707
    Abstract: A printer includes a roll paper body driving mechanism that transports a medium by rotating a roll paper body on which the medium is wound, a first transport mechanism provided downstream of the roll paper body to transport the medium, a print head provided downstream of the first transport mechanism to carry out printing on the medium, a second transport mechanism provided between the roll paper body and the first transport mechanism to transport the medium, and a controller carries out control so that, in a range in which a velocity at which the first transport mechanism transports the media changes, the absolute value of a difference in an amount by which the medium is transported between transport mechanisms is larger between the roll paper body driving mechanism and the second transport mechanism than between the second transport mechanism and the first transport mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi IGARASHI
  • Publication number: 20120081448
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a movable head with nozzles that eject a liquid; a transport unit that transports a medium in a transporting direction; and a sensor that detects an edge of the medium and that is movable with the head. Ejection of liquid from the nozzles is controlled based on the sensor detection result. The transport roller transports the medium in a slanted manner toward a surface of a platen, and after the medium's front edge contacts the platen, the medium bends on the platen with the front edge of the medium moving along the surface of the platen toward a paper discharge roller. Relative to the transporting direction, the sensor is positioned upstream of the most upstream nozzle and downstream of a position at which the front edge of the medium first comes into contact with the platen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironori Endo, Hirokazu Nunokawa, Hitoshi Igarashi, Satoshi Nakata
  • Patent number: 8147023
    Abstract: A printing apparatus including: a first motor configured to provide a drive force for rotating a roll member that is a wound medium; a second motor configured to provide a drive force for driving a transporting drive roller provided on a downstream side of the roll member along a feeding direction of the medium for transporting the medium; and a control unit configured to drive at least one of the first motor and the second motor to cancel the slackness of the medium generated between the roll member and the transporting drive roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hatada, Hitoshi Igarashi, Masaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8129055
    Abstract: Moisture caused by humidity in the fuel gas and water vapor from the water that is generated become condensed inside a fuel cell when power generation in the fuel cell is temporarily stopped, making obstruction to the fuel gas flow channel when power generation is restarted possible. A fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode. Oxidant is supplied to the oxidant electrode in the fuel cell, and the fuel emitted from the fuel electrode of the fuel cell is resupplied back to the fuel electrode. When requested power generating capacity for the fuel cell is less than a prescribed capacity, the oxidant supply is temporarily stopped while the fuel continues to circulate in order to prevent obstruction in the fuel flow channel due to water condensation, making a reliable fuel supply becomes possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Igarashi, Keisuke Suzuki, Masatoshi Iio
  • Patent number: 8128189
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of an object, includes a light emitting portion that emits light, a light receiving portion that receives the light from the light emitting portion, and a scale that is arranged between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and includes a position detecting pattern and a smear detecting pattern. The position detecting pattern has a first light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a first light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged in a detection range of the object. The smear detecting pattern for detecting smear of the scale has a second light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a second light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20120038699
    Abstract: A printing device includes: a driving motor that applies a power rotating a roll body in which a medium is rolled; a driving roller that transfers the power of the driving motor to the roll body; a transport motor that applies a power transporting the medium; a transport roller that is provided further to the downstream side than the roll body in the transport direction of the medium; and a looseness acquiring unit that acquires an looseness between the driving roller and the transport roller. When the looseness is equal to or more than a predetermined looseness, the driving motor is controlled on the basis of the looseness acquired by the looseness acquiring unit. When the looseness is less than the predetermined looseness, the driving motor is controlled on the basis of tension between the driving roller and the transport roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hatada, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20120019837
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of an object, includes a light emitting portion that emits light, a light receiving portion that receives the light from the light emitting portion, and a scale that is arranged between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and includes a position detecting pattern and a smear detecting pattern. The position detecting pattern has a first light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a first light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged in a detection range of the object. The smear detecting pattern for detecting smear of the scale has a second light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a second light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20120012634
    Abstract: A printing device includes a first roller for rotatably retaining a roll body where a medium is rolled, a first motor for rotating the first roller, a second roller installed further to the downstream side of the roll body in the feeding direction of the medium to feed the medium in the feeding direction or in a reverse feeding direction which is opposite to the feeding direction corresponding to the rotating direction, a second motor for rotating the second roller, and a controller which causes the medium to become slack the first roller and the second roller by feeding the medium by a predetermined feeding amount in the reverse feeding direction by the second motor, and then rotates the roll body in a winding-up direction by the first motor so that the slackness decreases to calculate the diameter of the roll body based on the rotation amount of the first roller at that time and the predetermined feeding amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji HATADA, Hitoshi IGARASHI
  • Patent number: 8061798
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a movable head provided with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid; a carry unit for carrying a medium in a predetermined carrying direction; and a sensor for detecting an edge of the medium, the liquid ejecting apparatus controlling ejection of the liquid from the plurality of nozzles in accordance with a result of the detection of the sensor. In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the position, in the carrying direction, of the sensor is at the same position of or on an upstream side of a nozzle located most upstream in the carrying direction, of among the plurality of nozzles. In this way, it is possible to arrange the sensor for detecting the edge of the paper at the most suitable position, and to suppress waste of ink that is ejected from the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Endo, Hirokazu Nunokawa, Hitoshi Igarashi, Satoshi Nakata
  • Patent number: 8029089
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of an object, includes a light emitting portion that emits light, a light receiving portion that receives the light from the light emitting portion, and a scale that is arranged between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and includes a position detecting pattern and a smear detecting pattern. The position detecting pattern has a first light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a first light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged in a detection range of the object. The smear detecting pattern for detecting smear of the scale has a second light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a second light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8011753
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head which ejects a liquid onto a liquid ejection surface of an ejection target member; a scanning unit which scans the liquid ejecting head relative to the ejection target member; and a driving force transmission mechanism which transmits driving force of a rotary driving force source to the scanning unit through a belt, wherein a liquid absorbing material which absorbs and retains mists of a liquid floating in an inner space of the liquid ejecting apparatus is disposed on the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi, Yosuke Nakano
  • Publication number: 20110164084
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a record head having nozzles that discharge liquid; a transporting path along which a medium is transported; a transporting mechanism that transports the medium along the transporting path; a sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and disposed at a first position on the transporting path, the first position being located upstream relative to the record head in a transporting direction of the medium, the sensor outputting a signal in accordance with presence or absence of the medium at the first position; and a control unit that controls supply of power to the sensor and detects the presence or absence of the medium through the sensor. The control unit stops the supply of power to the sensor when the control unit detects a downstream end of the medium in the transporting direction, and resumes the supply of power to the sensor when the control unit detects an upstream end of the medium in the transporting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hatada, Hitoshi Igarashi, Koji Niioka
  • Patent number: 7931349
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a record head having nozzles that discharge liquid; a transporting path along which a medium is transported; a transporting mechanism that transports the medium along the transporting path; a sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and disposed at a first position on the transporting path, the first position being located upstream relative to the record head in a transporting direction of the medium, the sensor outputting a signal in accordance with presence or absence of the medium at the first position; and a control unit that controls supply of power to the sensor and detects the presence or absence of the medium through the sensor. The control unit stops the supply of power to the sensor when the control unit detects a downstream end of the medium in the transporting direction, and resumes the supply of power to the sensor when the control unit detects an upstream end of the medium in the transporting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hatada, Hitoshi Igarashi, Koji Niioka
  • Publication number: 20110085842
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a motor which drives a shaft of a roll body in which a medium is wound, in the feeding direction of the medium; a transport roller which transports the medium fed from the roll body; and a control section which supplies electric power for rotating the roll body to the motor, wherein the electric power that the control section supplies to the motor at the time of the start of the feeding of the medium is larger when the diameter of the roll body is R2 (<R1) than when the diameter of the roll body is R1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Igarashi