Patents by Inventor Kohei Kitahara
Kohei Kitahara 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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Patent number: 6929354Abstract: The present invention is an ink jet recording head having multi-layer structure including a pressure generating unit and a flow path unit. The pressure generating unit contains a vibrating member with piezoelectric transducers on its surface, a first spacer with a plurality of through-holes forming pressure chambers, and a lid having through-holes through which the pressure chambers are communicated with a reservoir. The members are joined in such a manner that a diaphragm is placed on one surface of the first spacer, and the lid is sealingly set on the other surface of the spacer. The flow path unit includes an ink supplying member formed with a plate which also has through-holes through which the pressure chambers are communicated with nozzle openings, and the reservoir is communicated with the pressure chambers, a second spacer having the reservoir and through-holes through which the pressure chambers are communicated with the nozzle openings.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2003Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Inventor: Kohei Kitahara
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Patent number: 6902262Abstract: Actuator units independently dedicated to nozzles divided into a plurality of groups are fixed to a common flow path unit having the nozzles formed therein with through holes aligned with one another. Heads of various types can be formed by using the actuator units of the same design only by changing the mode of arrangement of the nozzles in accordance with the purpose.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2004Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yuji Tanaka, Koji Watanabe, Tomoaki Abe, Takayuki Ishii, Naomi Shirakawa, Koichi Toba, Minoru Usui, Shinri Sakai, Kohei Kitahara, Hideaki Sonehara
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Patent number: 6893117Abstract: Actuator units independently dedicated to nozzles divided into a plurality of groups are fixed to a common flow path unit having the nozzles formed therein with through holes aligned with one another. Heads of various types can be formed by using the actuator units of the same design only by changing the mode of arrangement of the nozzles in accordance with the purpose.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2002Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yuji Tanaka, Koji Watanabe, Tomoaki Abe, Takayuki Ishii, Naomi Shirakawa, Koichi Toba, Minoru Usui, Shinri Sakai, Kohei Kitahara, Hideaki Sonehara
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Publication number: 20050036009Abstract: Actuator units independently dedicated to nozzles divided into a plurality of groups are fixed to a common flow path unit having the nozzles formed therein with through holes aligned with one another. Heads of various types can be formed by using the actuator units of the same design only by changing the mode of arrangement of the nozzles in accordance with the purpose.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2004Publication date: February 17, 2005Inventors: Yuji Tanaka, Koji Watanabe, Tomoaki Abe, Takayuki Ishii, Naomi Shirakawa, Koichi Toba, Minoru Usui, Shinri Sakai, Kohei Kitahara, Hideaki Sonehara
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Publication number: 20030227512Abstract: Actuator units independently dedicated to nozzles divided into a plurality of groups are fixed to a common flow path unit having the nozzles formed therein with through holes aligned with one another. Heads of various types can be formed by using the actuator units of the same design only by changing the mode of arrangement of the nozzles in accordance with the purpose.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2002Publication date: December 11, 2003Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Yuji Tanaka, Koji Watanabe, Tomoaki Abe, Takayuki Ishii, Naomi Shirakawa, Koichi Toba, Minoru Usui, Shinri Sakai, Kohei Kitahara, Hideaki Sonehara
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Patent number: 6601949Abstract: An ink jet type recording head of a multi-layer structure including a pressure generating unit and a flow path unit. The pressure generating unit is composed of a ceramic vibrating member with piezoelectric transducers on the surface thereof, a ceramic first spacer member with a plurality of through-holes forming pressure chambers, and a lid member having through-holes through which the pressure chambers are communicated with a reservoir, these members being joined by firing in such a manner that a diaphragm is placed on one surface of the first spacer member, and the lid member is sealingly set on the other surface of the spacer member.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2000Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kohei Kitahara
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Publication number: 20030112299Abstract: An ink jet type recording head of a multi-layer structure including a pressure generating unit and a flow path unit. The pressure generating unit is composed of a ceramic vibrating member with piezoelectric transducers on the surface thereof, a ceramic first spacer member with a plurality of through-holes forming pressure chambers, and a lid member having through-holes through which the pressure chambers are communicated with a reservoir, these members being joined by firing in such a manner that a diaphragm is placed on one surface of the first spacer member, and the lid member is sealingly set on the other surface of the spacer member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2003Publication date: June 19, 2003Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Kohei Kitahara
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Patent number: 6502929Abstract: Actuator independently dedicated to nozzles divided into a plurality of groups are fixed to a common flow path unit having the nozzles formed therein with through holes aligned with one another. Heads of various types can be formed by using the actuator units of the same design only by changing the mode of arrangement of the nozzles in accordance with the purpose.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1994Date of Patent: January 7, 2003Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yuji Tanaka, Koji Watanabe, Tomoaki Abe, Takayuki Ishii, Naomi Shirakawa, Koichi Toba, Minoru Usui, Shinri Sakai, Kohei Kitahara, Hideaki Sonehara
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Patent number: 6334673Abstract: An ink jet print head having a vibrating plate, a chamber element with plural ink pressure chambers, piezoelectric vibrating elements for vibrating the vibrating plate to expand and contract the ink pressure chambers, drive electrodes contacting one surface of each vibrating element, and a common electrode contacting another surface of each vibrating element, wherein the common electrode is connected to a lead electrode at a region remote from the vibrating elements and the drive electrodes. Also, an ink jet print head in which a central portion of a piezoelectric vibrating element is thicker than its peripheral portion, so that a vibrating plate is bent towards an interior of an ink pressure chamber in an inoperative condition of the piezoelectric vibrating element.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1999Date of Patent: January 1, 2002Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Toshiki Usui, Tomoaki Abe, Keiichi Mukaiyama
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Patent number: 6290340Abstract: An ink jet print head is disclosed which includes a flow path unit with nozzles, a pressure generating unit disposed on the flow path unit and having ink pressure chambers formed behind the respective nozzles, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements each disposed on a wall defining a corresponding ink pressure chamber, for deforming the wall to change a pressure of the ink pressure chamber, whereby the ink in the ink pressure chamber is jetted through the corresponding nozzle. The pressure generating unit includes a spacer plate having windows which closed by a closure plate and a connecting plate disposed on the spacer plate, so as to give the respective ink pressure chambers. The connecting plate has communication holes through which the ink pressure chambers communicate with the nozzles. The spacer plate, closure plate and connecting plate are formed from respective ceramic green sheets, which are laminated on each other and fired into an integral ceramic structure as the pressure generating unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 1997Date of Patent: September 18, 2001Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hideo Masumori, Nobuo Takahashi, Hideaki Sonehara
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Patent number: 6279443Abstract: A die cut roll includes a rotary driving roll having projecting pressure cutting blades on a surface thereof formed in accordance with the shape of a product to be cut to thereby form a die cutter and an anvil roll adapted to receive an edge of each of the projecting pressure cutting blades of the die cutter. The rotary driving roll includes inclined finishing surfaces formed adjacent to a top smooth portion of an edge of each of the projecting pressure cutting blades by a grinding process so that the inclined finishing surfaces have grinding flaws which make an angle &phgr; of 50°-90° to ridgelines defining the top smooth portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1999Date of Patent: August 28, 2001Assignee: Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nakahara, Koichi Ibusuki, Shouji Eguchi, Kohei Kitahara, Kei Tokumoto, Shigeya Sakaguchi
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Patent number: 6270203Abstract: An ink jet type recording head of a multi-layer structure including a pressure generating unit and a flow path unit. The pressure generating unit is composed of a ceramic vibrating member with piezoelectric transducers on the surface thereof, a ceramic first spacer member with a plurality of through-holes forming pressure chambers, and a lid member having through-holes through which the pressure chambers are communicated with a reservoir, these members being joined by firing in such a manner that a diaphragm is placed on one surface of the first spacer member, and the lid member is sealingly set on the other surface of the spacer member.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1996Date of Patent: August 7, 2001Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Hideaki Sonehara
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Patent number: 6206501Abstract: An ink jet recording head that is formed by laminating a plurality of thin plate members, each having a plurality of holes. The holes of the adjacently stacked thin plate members cooperate to form ink flow paths each continuously extending to communicate a nozzle opening with a respective pressure producing chamber, which is connected to an ink supply section. In such ink jet recording head, the holes can be aligned or shifted with respect to each other, and allow ink to flow smoothly, thus preventing stagnation of air bubbles contained in the ink within the print head. Further, the nozzles openings are arranged in arrays in an auxiliary scanning direction. The nozzle opening arrays are divided into three groups spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in a main scanning direction. Nozzle openings belonging to groups arranged on both sides of the middle group are positioned vertically between adjacent nozzle openings of the middle group.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1998Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takayuki Ishii, Kohei Kitahara
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Patent number: 6120137Abstract: An ink jet print head is disclosed which includes a flow path unit with nozzles, a pressure generating unit disposed on the flow path unit and having ink pressure chambers formed behind the respective nozzles, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements each disposed on a wall defining a corresponding ink pressure chamber, for deforming the wall to change a pressure of the ink pressure chamber, whereby the ink in the ink pressure chamber is jetted through the corresponding nozzle. The pressure generating unit includes a spacer plate having windows which closed by a closure plate and a connecting plate disposed on the spacer plate, so as to give the respective ink pressure chambers. The connecting plate has communication holes through which the ink pressure chambers communicate with the nozzles. The spacer plate, closure plate and connecting plate are formed from respective ceramic green sheets, which are laminated on each other and fired into an integral ceramic structure as the pressure generating unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 1997Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hideo Masumori, Nobuo Takahashi, Hideaki Sonehara
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Patent number: 6073321Abstract: A method of manufacturing an inkjet recording head including drive electrodes arrayed at fixed pitches on the surface of an elastic plate, a common lead-out electrode lead from a common electrode formed on the surface of the elastic plate, the common lead-out electrode being arrayed extending in the direction of the arrays of the drive electrodes, while being spaced a fixed distance from the drive electrodes, the ends of the common lead-out electrode being connected to external, and piezoelectric vibration plates of which the reverse sides are in contact with the drive electrodes, and to the first ends are continuous, covering the common lead-out electrode. No disconnection is formed in the area of the piezoelectric vibration plates where the two groups of the piezoelectric vibration plates face, thereby ensuring a reliable bonding of the piezoelectric vibration plates and the elastic plate.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 1997Date of Patent: June 13, 2000Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Tomoaki Abe
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Patent number: 5956829Abstract: An ink jet recording head including a vibrating plate made of ceramic, a pressure producing chamber forming member, made of ceramic, for forming a plurality of pressure producing chambers in rows, and drive electrodes formed on a surface of the vibrating plate so as to confront the pressure producing chambers. A width W2 of each drive electrode is smaller than a width W1 of each pressure producing chamber. A width W3 of a piezoelectric vibrating element is larger than the width W2 of each drive electrode and smaller than the width W1 of each pressure producing chamber, so that an operation region of the piezoelectric vibrating element is regulated by the width W2 of the drive electrode, and peripheral portions of the piezoelectric vibrating element are reliably bonded to peripheral portions of the drive electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 1996Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Toshiki Usui, Tomoaki Abe, Keiichi Mukaiyama
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Patent number: 5933170Abstract: An ink jet print head is disclosed which includes an ink nozzle member with nozzles, an ink pump member disposed on the ink nozzle member and having ink chambers formed behind the respective nozzles, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements each disposed on a wall defining the corresponding ink chamber, for deforming the wall to change a pressure of the ink chamber, whereby the ink in the ink chamber is jetted through the corresponding nozzle. The ink pump member consists of a spacer plate having windows which are closed by a closure plate and a connecting plate disposed on the spacer plate, so as to give the respective ink chambers. The connecting plate has communication holes through which the ink chambers communicate with the nozzles. The spacer plate, closure plate and connecting plate are formed from respective ceramic green sheets, which are laminated on each other and fired into an integral ceramic structure as the ink pump member.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 1997Date of Patent: August 3, 1999Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hideo Masumori, Nobuo Takahashi, Hideaki Sonehara, Kohei Kitahara
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Patent number: 5929881Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes drive electrodes arrayed at fixed pitches on the surface of an elastic plate, a common lead-out electrode led from a common electrode formed on the surface of the elastic plate, the common lead-out electrode being arrayed extending in the direction of the arrays of the drive electrodes, while being spaced a fixed distance from the drive electrodes, the ends of the common lead-out electrode being connected to external, and piezoelectric vibration plates of which the reverse sides are in contact with the drive electrodes, and the first ends are continuous covering the common lead-out electrode. No disconnection is formed in the area of the piezoelectric vibration plates where the two groups of the piezoelectric vibration plates face, thereby ensuring a reliable bonding of the piezoelectric vibration plates and the elastic plate.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 1995Date of Patent: July 27, 1999Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Tomoaki Abe
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Patent number: 5880756Abstract: An ink jet recording head that is formed by laminating a plurality of thin plate members, each having a plurality of holes. The holes of the adjacently stacked thin plate members cooperate to form ink flow paths each continuously extending to communicate a nozzle opening with a respective pressure producing chamber, which is connected to an ink supply section. In such ink jet recording head, the holes can be aligned or shifted with respect to each other, and allow ink to flow smoothly, thus preventing stagnation of air bubbles contained in the ink within the print head. Further, the nozzles openings are arranged in arrays in an auxiliary scanning direction. The nozzle opening arrays are divided into three groups spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in a main scanning direction. Nozzle openings belonging to groups arranged on both sides of the middle group are positioned vertically between adjacent nozzle openings of the middle group.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 1994Date of Patent: March 9, 1999Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takayuki Ishii, Kohei Kitahara
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Patent number: 5856837Abstract: An ink jet recording head including: a vibrating plate made of ceramic; a pressure producing chamber forming member, made of ceramic, for forming a plurality of pressure producing chambers in rows; and drive electrodes formed on a surface of the vibrating plate so as to confront the pressure producing chambers. A width of the drive electrode is smaller than a width of the pressure producing chamber. A width of a piezoelectric vibrating element is larger than the width W2 of the drive electrode and smaller than the width of the pressure producing chamber, so that the operation region of the piezoelectric vibrating element is regulated by the width of the drive electrode and the peripheral portions of the piezoelectric vibrating element are bonded to the peripheral portions of the drive electrode reliably.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 1994Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kohei Kitahara, Toshiki Usui, Tomoaki Abe, Keiichi Mukaiyama