Patents by Inventor Hitotoshi Kimura

Hitotoshi Kimura 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: 9855760
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid inflow unit provided in the liquid supply path which supplies a liquid to a liquid ejecting unit and into which the liquid flows, a liquid accommodation unit having a diaphragm section, a communication path through which the liquid inflow part and the liquid accommodation part communicate, and a pressure-regulating mechanism having an on-off valve which opens and closes the communication path in response to displacement of the diaphragm portion, and a pressing mechanism which puts the on-off valve in an open state regardless of the pressure in the liquid inflow unit by pressing the diaphragm portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Sato, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9796184
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit having nozzles able to eject a liquid to a medium; a maintenance unit which performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit using a maintenance liquid; and a heating section which heats the maintenance liquid used for maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hara, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20170225481
    Abstract: A liquid accommodation body that is removably installed in a liquid ejecting apparatus provided with a supply flow channel that supplies a liquid to a liquid ejecting portion, and a feedback flow channel that is connected to the supply flow channel so as to form a circulation flow channel, and is provided with a liquid accommodation portion that accommodates the liquid, a lead-out flow channel that connects a lead-out port, which is connected to the supply flow channel, and the feedback flow channel, an introduction flow channel that connects an introduction port, which is connected to the feedback flow channel, and the lead-out flow channel, and a filter portion that is provided in a partial circulation flow channel, which, among portions of the lead-out flow channel and the introduction flow channel, configures the circulation flow channel, and filters the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Takeshi IWAMURO, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170225482
    Abstract: A filter unit which is detachably mounted on a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting section which ejects liquid, the filter unit including a filter which filters the liquid; and a storage medium which stores information on the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Akira SHINOTO, Hitotoshi KIMURA, Takanori SEKI, Takeshi IWAMURO
  • Patent number: 9669635
    Abstract: An attachment is mountable on a carriage in place of a liquid container that contains liquid and that is mounted on the carriage having a liquid jet head for jetting liquid, so that the attachment can supply liquid introduced from outside to the liquid jet head. The attachment has a pressure control means provided in a flow passage which is formed in an attachment body and through which the liquid introduced from the outside is supplied to the liquid jet head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Seino, Takahiro Naka, Satoshi Shinada, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20170151805
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pressure-regulating mechanism which is provided in a liquid supply path in which it is possible to supply liquid to a liquid ejecting unit, and includes a liquid accommodation part which can accommodate the liquid internally, and in which a volume of the liquid accommodation part is changed depending on displacing of a diaphragm section, in which the diaphragm section includes an annular corrugated portion formed in a sectional waveform shape which is deformed when the diaphragm section receives pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiko SATO, Keiji MATSUMOTO, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170113463
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion which has a nozzle that ejects liquid, and a flushing receptive body which receives the liquid that is ejected in a flushing operation in which the liquid is ejected from the nozzle, the flushing receptive body including a receiving member that is able to receive the liquid, a receiving member holding portion which holds the receiving member, and a fixing member with conductivity that fixes the receiving member to the receiving member holding portion by contacting the receiving member and has a mesh form portion that forms an adhesion surface to which the ejected liquid is adhered with the receiving member in the flushing operation, in which the fixing member is electrically grounded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Koji HARADA, Shigeki SUZUKI, Kinya OZAWA, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170087867
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid inflow unit provided in the liquid supply path which supplies a liquid to a liquid ejecting unit and into which the liquid flows, a liquid accommodation unit having a diaphragm section, a communication path through which the liquid inflow part and the liquid accommodation part communicate, and a pressure-regulating mechanism having an on-off valve which opens and closes the communication path in response to displacement of the diaphragm portion, and a pressing mechanism which puts the on-off valve in an open state regardless of the pressure in the liquid inflow unit by pressing the diaphragm portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiko SATO, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170057243
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting section that includes a nozzle that ejects a liquid; a supplying path that is capable of supplying the liquid accommodated in a liquid accommodating section to the liquid ejecting section; a pressure adjusting valve that is disposed in the supplying path, and includes a pressure chamber which is capable of storing the liquid, the pressure chamber being is provided with an outlet that draws out the stored liquid to the liquid ejecting section, and when a pressure in the internal portion of the pressure chamber decrease, the pressure adjusting valve being opened to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting section; a discharging path that connects to a communicating port which communicates with the pressure chamber in a separate position different from a position of the outlet; and a switching valve that is provided in the discharging path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KAMEI, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Patent number: 9527287
    Abstract: A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a droplet ejecting unit provided with ejecting ports capable of ejecting a solution onto a medium as droplets; a cap portion which performs capping in which a region to which the ejecting ports are open is set to a closed space; a gas supply portion capable of supplying a humidified gas to the closed space; and a liquid supply portion capable of supplying a liquid for humidifying the closed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9527302
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting section that includes a nozzle that ejects a liquid; a supplying path that is capable of supplying the liquid accommodated in a liquid accommodating section to the liquid ejecting section; a pressure adjusting valve that is disposed in the supplying path, and includes a pressure chamber which is capable of storing the liquid, the pressure chamber being is provided with an outlet that draws out the stored liquid to the liquid ejecting section, and when a pressure in the internal portion of the pressure chamber decrease, the pressure adjusting valve being opened to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting section; a discharging path that connects to a communicating port which communicates with the pressure chamber in a separate position different from a position of the outlet; and a switching valve that is provided in the discharging path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kamei, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9522541
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid via nozzles; a first passage that communicates with the liquid ejection head, the first passage being configured to supply the liquid to the liquid ejection head; a second passage that communicates with the first passage in the liquid ejection head, the second passage forming, in cooperation with the first passage, a circulation passage; and a liquid driving unit provided in the circulation passage, the liquid driving unit being configured to move the liquid in the circulation passage when driven. The liquid is moved, by the driven liquid driving unit, at a first flow rate that maintains a meniscus of the liquid inside the nozzles after the liquid is moved at a second flow rate that is faster than the first flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideya Yokouchi, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20160311225
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit having nozzles able to eject a liquid to a medium; a maintenance unit which performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit using a maintenance liquid; and a heating section which heats the maintenance liquid used for maintenance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Kazuhiko HARA, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20160243835
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit having nozzles able to eject a first liquid to a medium; and a fluid ejecting device having ejection ports able to eject a fluid including a second liquid to the liquid ejecting unit, in which the fluid ejecting device performs, as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting unit, a first fluid ejection of ejecting a fluid including small droplets of the second liquid that are smaller than a nozzle opening to an opening region in which the nozzles of the liquid ejecting unit open, and a second fluid ejection of ejecting a fluid including droplets of the second liquid in which the smallest droplets are larger than the small droplets to the liquid ejecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Toshihiro Shinbara, Kazuhiko Hara, Takayuki Kawakami, Kazuyuki Fujioka, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20160229185
    Abstract: A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a droplet ejecting unit provided with ejecting ports capable of ejecting a solution onto a medium as droplets; a cap portion which performs capping in which a region to which the ejecting ports are open is set to a closed space; a gas supply portion capable of supplying a humidified gas to the closed space; and a liquid supply portion capable of supplying a liquid for humidifying the closed space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9393791
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit that has a plurality of nozzles that eject liquid drops, and performs a recording process on a recording medium; and an abnormal ejection detecting unit that detects whether abnormal ejection in the nozzles exists, in which when the abnormal ejection detecting unit detects that nozzles with abnormal ejection exist, if a time required for a maintenance operation in order to solve the abnormal ejection of the nozzles is equal to or shorter than a threshold value, the recording process is interrupted and the maintenance operation is performed, and if the time required for the maintenance operation is longer than the threshold value, the maintenance operation is reserved and the recording process is continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Matsumoto, Hitotoshi Kimura, Takayuki Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9375935
    Abstract: A waste liquid container includes a fitted portion, in which a discharge unit is fittable in a removable manner, a container connection terminal, which contacts a device connection terminal, an insertion restriction portion, which contacts a device contact portion and restricts movement of the waste liquid container in the insertion direction, and an engaged portion, which includes a contacted portion that contacts a removal restriction unit and restricts movement of the waste liquid container in the removal direction. The engaged portion is located toward an inner side in the lateral direction from a side wall at a position lower than both of the container connection terminal and the insertion restriction portion. The removal restriction unit is receivable in a region located toward an outer side in the lateral direction from the engaged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Harada, Masanori Nakata, Shigenori Fukasawa, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9358794
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid flow path connecting a liquid containing unit that contains a liquid to a liquid ejecting unit that ejects the liquid. The liquid flow path includes a supply flow path which connects the liquid containing unit to the liquid ejecting unit and a return flow path which connects the liquid ejecting unit to the liquid containing unit. When the liquid is not ejected by the liquid ejecting unit, the liquid contained in the liquid containing unit is circulated between the liquid containing unit and the liquid flow path by allowing the liquid to flow in order of the supply flow path, the liquid ejecting unit, and the return flow path. When the liquid is ejected, the liquid contained in the liquid containing unit is supplied to the common liquid chamber via both of the supply flow path and the return flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9346281
    Abstract: A liquid supply unit includes a pressure adjusting valve portion that includes a liquid outlet connectable to an upstream end of a supply passage, which supplies liquid to a liquid ejection head, a liquid inlet that draws in the liquid from a liquid supply source containing the liquid, a pressure chamber at least partially formed by a flexible portion configured to be deformed when the pressure changes, an urging member configured to urge the flexible portion in a direction in which the flexible portion increases a volume of the pressure chamber, and an opening-closing valve configured to allow the liquid to be drawn from the liquid supply source to the pressure chamber through the liquid inlet in accordance with a deformation of the flexible portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tokujiro Okuno, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20160129697
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid via nozzles; a first passage that communicates with the liquid ejection head, the first passage being configured to supply the liquid to the liquid ejection head; a second passage that communicates with the first passage in the liquid ejection head, the second passage forming, in cooperation with the first passage, a circulation passage; and a liquid driving unit provided in the circulation passage, the liquid driving unit being configured to move the liquid in the circulation passage when driven. The liquid is moved, by the driven liquid driving unit, at a first flow rate that maintains a meniscus of the liquid inside the nozzles after the liquid is moved at a second flow rate that is faster than the first flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Hideya Yokouchi, Hitotoshi Kimura