Patents by Inventor Osamu Shinkawa

Osamu Shinkawa 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: 9211750
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a cavity in which a pressure inside is increased or decreased due to displacement of a piezoelectric element; a nozzle that communicates the cavity and is capable of ejecting an ink filled in the inside; a driving signal generation unit that supplies a driving signal to the piezoelectric element; a detection unit that detects a change of an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element as a residual vibration signal; a comparison signal generation unit that generates a first comparison signal by binarizing the residual vibration signal with a first threshold potential and generates a second comparison signal by binarizing the residual vibration signal with a second threshold potential; and a determination data generation unit that determines an ejection state of a liquid in the nozzle based on at least the first comparison signal and the second comparison signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 9162506
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an ejection unit including a piezoelectric element that is displaced according to a driving signal, and a nozzle capable of ejecting the liquid; a driving signal supply unit that supplies the driving signal; a detection unit that detects change of an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element; a determination unit that determines an ejection state of the liquid in the ejection unit based on the detection result of the detection unit; and a decision unit that is capable of performing a first process of deciding a waveform of the driving signal for inspection such that the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle when the driving signal for inspection is supplied to the piezoelectric element and a second process of correcting the waveform decided in the first process and deciding the corrected waveform as a waveform of the driving signal for inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20150258829
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a cavity in which a pressure inside is increased or decreased due to displacement of a piezoelectric element; a nozzle that communicates the cavity and is capable of ejecting an ink filled in the inside; a driving signal generation unit that supplies a driving signal to the piezoelectric element; a detection unit that detects a change of an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element as a residual vibration signal; a comparison signal generation unit that generates a first comparison signal by binarizing the residual vibration signal with a first threshold potential and generates a second comparison signal by binarizing the residual vibration signal with a second threshold potential; and a determination data generation unit that determines an ejection state of a liquid in the nozzle based on at least the first comparison signal and the second comparison signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventor: Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Patent number: 9132627
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device ejects a liquid using a driving element driven through application of a drive signal. The liquid ejecting device comprises a detector electrically connected to a plurality of driving elements via a common electrical path. The detector detects electrical signals output from each of the plurality of driving elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9056455
    Abstract: There is provided a technique with which an abnormal discharge state in a discharge component can be determined on the basis of residual vibration. A printer includes a discharge component that discharges ink, a detector that detects residual vibration in the discharge component, and a tester that tests the discharge component on the basis of the change in the period of the residual vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20150158293
    Abstract: An ink jet printer includes an ejection unit including a nozzle which ejects a liquid containing a pigment; a cavity which communicates with the nozzle; and a piezoelectric element which is provided in the cavity, and a driving signal generation unit which generates a driving signal allowing the piezoelectric element to be displaced such that the cavity expands or is contracted. The ink jet printer includes a detection unit that detects a cycle of a residual vibration waveform of the piezoelectric element which is generated by the driving signal being applied to the piezoelectric element and indicates a value according to change of the pressure inside of the cavity and a determination unit that determines the pigment is settled based on the cycle of the residual vibration waveform detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150091960
    Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided with a driving signal generating section which generates a driving signal for driving a piezoelectric element, a residual vibration detecting section, a control IC which includes the residual vibration detecting section, and a connection terminal which connects the piezoelectric element, an input terminal to which the driving signal is supplied and an output terminal from which an output signal of the residual vibration detecting section is supplied, a first external wiring which is connected to the input terminal and through which the driving signal is supplied, and a second external wiring which is connected to the output terminal and through which the output signal of the residual vibration detecting section is supplied. A resistance value per unit length of the second external wiring is larger than a resistance value per unit length of the first external wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshio NAKAZAWA, Masahiko YOSHIDA, Kazuhito FUJISAWA, Atsushi AKIYAMA, Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150070420
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an ejection unit including a piezoelectric element that is displaced according to a driving signal, and a nozzle capable of ejecting the liquid; a driving signal supply unit that supplies the driving signal; a detection unit that detects change of an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element; a determination unit that determines an ejection state of the liquid in the ejection unit based on the detection result of the detection unit; and a decision unit that is capable of performing a first process of deciding a waveform of the driving signal for inspection such that the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle when the driving signal for inspection is supplied to the piezoelectric element and a second process of correcting the waveform decided in the first process and deciding the corrected waveform as a waveform of the driving signal for inspection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150054876
    Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided with a piezoelectric element which is provided corresponding to a pressure chamber in order to discharge liquid droplets, a driving signal generating section which generates a driving signal, a residual vibration detecting section which detects changes in an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element in accordance with the residual vibration inside the pressure chamber which occur after the driving signal is applied, a first switch which switches whether or not a driving signal is applied to the piezoelectric element, and a second switch which switches whether or not a change in the electromotive force is supplied to a first high-pass filter, where the second switch and the residual vibration detecting section are connected via a first capacitor of the first high-pass filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshio NAKAZAWA, Kazuhito FUJISAWA, Masahiko YOSHIDA, Atsushi AKIYAMA, Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Patent number: 8899710
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus which causes a liquid to be discharged through a first nozzle by applying a driving signal to a first driving element, and causes a liquid to be discharged through a second nozzle by applying the driving signal to a second driving element, and which, with respect to the first nozzle, determines on the basis of an image formed by causing the liquid to be discharged through the first nozzle whether or not the first nozzle causes a liquid discharge failure, and, with respect to the second nozzle, determines on the basis of a detection signal which is obtained by applying the driving signal to the second driving element whether or not the second nozzle corresponding to the second driving element causes a liquid discharge failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Kenji Otokita, Masahiko Yoshida, Tsuneo Kasai, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8882234
    Abstract: A liquid emission apparatus having a head provided with a plurality of nozzles which each emits liquid, the liquid emission apparatus being configured to emit liquid from the nozzles by applying a driving signal to the driver elements, the liquid emission apparatus being configured to apply the driving signal to the driver elements so as to obtain a plurality of detected signals, to decide whether one of the nozzles corresponding to one of the driver elements is causing a malfunction in liquid emission on the basis of one of detected signals, to drive the driver element corresponding to the nozzle again upon the nozzle having caused a malfunction in liquid emission, and to omit to drive the driver element corresponding to the nozzle upon the nozzle having caused no malfunction in liquid emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Masahiko Yoshida, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140327712
    Abstract: There is provided a technique with which an abnormal discharge state in a discharge component can be determined on the basis of residual vibration. A printer includes a discharge component that discharges ink, a detector that detects residual vibration in the discharge component, and a tester that tests the discharge component on the basis of the change in the period of the residual vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Publication number: 20140247301
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device comprising a plurality of ejection parts for ejecting liquid in cavities, an inspection part for inspecting the ejection parts. The ejection parts are classified into a plurality of ranks according to a characteristic of each of the ejection parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Patent number: 8783821
    Abstract: There is provided a technique with which an abnormal discharge state in a discharge component can be determined on the basis of residual vibration. A printer includes a discharge component that discharges ink, a detector that detects residual vibration in the discharge component, and a tester that tests the discharge component on the basis of the change in the period of the residual vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 8777347
    Abstract: A printer has a plurality of dischargers for discharging ink, a detector for detecting an electric signal SW, and an inspector unit for inspecting the dischargers on the basis of the electric signal SW; and a grounding terminal connecting a drive element of a discharger being inspected is electrically disconnected from another grounding terminal and a grounding line GL when the electric signal SW is detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8757748
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device comprising a plurality of ejection parts for ejecting liquid in cavities, an inspection part for inspecting the ejection parts. The ejection parts are classified into a plurality of ranks according to the characteristics of individual ejection parts. The inspection part performs inspection in accordance with a determination reference corresponding to the ranks. The inspection is performed consecutively on those among the plurality of ejection parts that are classified in the same rank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 8708449
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a plurality of nozzles and a common ejection testing portion. The nozzles are arranged to eject a liquid. The common ejection testing portion is provided in common to the nozzles, the common ejection testing portion being arranged to perform ejection testing of each of the nozzles during printing. At least one of the nozzles is selected to be tested using the common ejection testing portion when the liquid is ejected from the nozzles based on print data. The nozzles that eject liquid being identified based on the print data, and one of the nozzles, which have not been tested, having low ejection frequency based on the print data being selected as the at least one of the nozzles to be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20130307896
    Abstract: A liquid emission apparatus having a head provided with a plurality of nozzles which each emits liquid, the liquid emission apparatus being configured to emit liquid from the nozzles by applying a driving signal to the driver elements, the liquid emission apparatus being configured to apply the driving signal to the driver elements so as to obtain a plurality of detected signals, to decide whether one of the nozzles corresponding to one of the driver elements is causing a malfunction in liquid emission on the basis of one of detected signals, to drive the driver element corresponding to the nozzle again upon the nozzle having caused a malfunction in liquid emission, and to omit to drive the driver element corresponding to the nozzle upon the nozzle having caused no malfunction in liquid emission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu SHINKAWA, Masahiko YOSHIDA, Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20130293610
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head having a first ejecting unit including a first liquid ejecting nozzle, a first pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a first drive element, and a second ejecting unit including a second liquid ejecting nozzle, a second pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a second drive element. The first nozzle ejects liquid by applying a drive signal to the first drive element, and the second nozzle ejects liquid by applying the drive signal to the second drive element. The first nozzle state is determined using a first detection signal obtained by applying a first drive signal to the first drive element and a second drive signal to the second drive element, and a second detection signal obtained by applying the first drive signal to the first drive element and a third drive signal to the second drive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Osamu SHINKAWA, Masahiko YOSHIDO
  • Publication number: 20130257945
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus which causes a liquid to be discharged through a first nozzle by applying a driving signal to a first driving element, and causes a liquid to be discharged through a second nozzle by applying the driving signal to a second driving element, and which, with respect to the first nozzle, determines on the basis of an image formed by causing the liquid to be discharged through the first nozzle whether or not the first nozzle causes a liquid discharge failure, and, with respect to the second nozzle, determines on the basis of a detection signal which is obtained by applying the driving signal to the second driving element whether or not the second nozzle corresponding to the second driving element causes a liquid discharge failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Kenji Otokita, Masahiko Yoshida, Tsuneo Kasai, Toshiyuki Suzuki