Patents by Inventor Susumu Hirosawa

Susumu Hirosawa 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: 9085172
    Abstract: A first humidified gas is supplied through a first supply port to a sheet. A second humidified gas is supplied to a space where nozzles of an inkjet recording head are exposed through a second supply port located at a position closer to the recording heads than the first supply port, to increase atmosphere humidity in the space. The sheet portion having a moisture content increased by the humidification in advance is advanced into the space having the increased atmosphere humidity, to record on the sheet using the inkjet recording head. An amount of humidification with the first humidified gas is set according to at least one recording condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Kato, Kentarou Muro, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minako Kato, Takeshi Murase, Satoshi Azuma
  • Patent number: 9079421
    Abstract: To provide an inkjet printing apparatus that suppresses occurrence of image deterioration, such as a texture, a moire, and a streak in a printing result. In order for this to be achieved, a level is set up to a overlapping portion of a chip of a print head depending on dot impact accuracy, and a print data distribution rate of each chip in the overlapping portion is determined according to the level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minako Kato, Yoshiaki Murayama, Satoshi Azuma, Yutaka Kano, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Murase, Susumu Hirosawa, Kentarou Muro, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 9050840
    Abstract: A printing apparatus, including: printing unit; conveying unit; print control unit; correcting unit configured to determine, in printing an image on each of a plurality of sets of the same type of print medium, a correction value for correcting printing position shift between a plurality of nozzle arrays based on an inspection pattern printed on a preceding region of the print medium, and to correct the printing position between the plurality of nozzle arrays in the subsequent region of the print medium by using the determined correction value, wherein the correcting unit corrects, in printing on a leading end region of a set of print medium subsequent to the preceding set of print medium, the printing position shift by using the correction value used in printing on the preceding set of print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsuchi Sakamoto, Susumu Hirosawa, Satoshi Masuda, Toshiki Takeuchi, Kengo Nieda
  • Publication number: 20150151554
    Abstract: A first humidified gas is supplied through a first supply port to a sheet. A second humidified gas is supplied to a space where nozzles of an inkjet recording head are exposed through a second supply port located at a position closer to the recording heads than the first supply port, to increase atmosphere humidity in the space. The sheet portion having a moisture content increased by the humidification in advance is advanced into the space having the increased atmosphere humidity, to record on the sheet using the inkjet recording head. An amount of humidification with the first humidified gas is set according to at least one recording condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Masao Kato, Kentarou Muro, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minako Kato, Takeshi Murase, Satoshi Azuma
  • Patent number: 9044952
    Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Murase, Masao Kato, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minako Kato, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 9039112
    Abstract: In a line-head type inkjet printing apparatus that ejects a plurality of types of inks, an inkjet printing apparatus is provided in which the change of its ejection properties different depending on the type of ink is prevented from occurring. The line-head type printing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that counts the ejection number of liquid from each of print heads in each of a plurality of print heads. Furthermore, the printing apparatus compares the ejection number of liquid from each of the print heads counted by the acquisition unit with a threshold value set for each of the print heads. The printing apparatus includes a change unit that can move a holder in the main scanning direction when the counted ejection number of liquid exceeds the threshold value set for the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Murayama, Takeshi Murase, Masao Kato, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Minako Kato, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 9028029
    Abstract: A printing method is performed on a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads is divided into groups, with one of the groups being subjected to preliminary ejection on a sheet. The other print head group not subjected to preliminary ejection is located in a more upstream area with respect to a conveyance direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Publication number: 20150062225
    Abstract: A printing apparatus, including: printing unit; conveying unit; print control unit; correcting unit configured to determine, in printing an image on each of a plurality of sets of the same type of print medium, a correction value for correcting printing position shift between a plurality of nozzle arrays based on an inspection pattern printed on a preceding region of the print medium, and to correct the printing position between the plurality of nozzle arrays in the subsequent region of the print medium by using the determined correction value, wherein the correcting unit corrects, in printing on a leading end region of a set of print medium subsequent to the preceding set of print medium, the printing position shift by using the correction value used in printing on the preceding set of print medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakamoto, Susumu Hirosawa, Satoshi Masuda, Toshiki Takeuchi, Kengo Nieda
  • Patent number: 8967751
    Abstract: When an image is recorded using a multichip recording head including a plurality of chips each having a plurality of nozzle arrays, a change in image density can occur due to a registration error between chips in an overlapping part where two chips are connected. To suppress the change in image density, input image data is distributed to two chips such that there are dots overlapping each other between the two chips in the overlapping part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Yoshiaki Murayama, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Fumitaka Goto, Mitsuhiro Ono, Akitoshi Yamada, Yugo Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 8955959
    Abstract: A first reading unit that reads a pattern or an image formed on a sheet by a print unit for recognizing a print unit state, a second reading unit that reads a cut mark formed on the sheet on a downstream thereof, a cutter that cuts the sheet on a downstream thereof, and a reverse unit that reverses the sheet fed to the print unit again are provided. In duplex printing, the sheet where images are sequentially printed on a first surface is led to the reverse unit, the front and rear faces are reversed, and the sheet is fed to the print unit again. The sheet where images and cut marks are sequentially printed on a second surface is cut by the cutter for each piece and discharged. The sheet is cut on the basis of a reading of the cut mark by the second reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Teshigawara, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Takeshi Murase, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8950838
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus stabilizes an ink discharge amount of a line head, while suppressing an ink supply amount of a circulation route, thereby performing high quality image recording. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a first flow path configured to supply ink from an ink tank to a first discharge port group, a second flow path configured to supply ink from the ink tank to a second discharge port group, and a control unit configured to control an ink supply amount of at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path according to the passing position of a recording medium with respect to the line head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yuji Kanome, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Masahiro Sugimoto, Seiji Suzuki, Susumu Hirosawa, Takeaki Nakano
  • Patent number: 8919906
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Satoshi Azuma, Yoshiaki Murayama, Minoru Teshigawara, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8882240
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and a print head recovery method are provided according to which, in an environment in which dust (e.g., paper dust) is easily attached to the periphery of an ejection port of a print head, the print head is subjected to a recovery operation depending on the level of the attached dust. The inkjet printing apparatus has a cutter unit for cutting a print medium and a recovery unit for performing the recovery operation by wiping the ejection port formation portion at which the ejection port is formed of the print head while sucking the ejection port formation portion. When the passing number showing how many times the cut part of the print medium cut by the cutter passes the printing position is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the recovery means subjects the print head to the recovery operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Hirosawa, Hidehiko Kanda, Yutaka Kano, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 8876251
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a supply unit having a humidifying portion that supplies humidified gas near a nozzle array of a line-type recording head. In correspondence to displacement of the recording head in a direction of the nozzle array, at least one of an introducing direction and an introducing position of the supplied humidified gas can be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Sugimoto, Akira Kida, Susumu Hirosawa, Takeaki Nakano, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Seiji Suzuki, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Yuji Kanome
  • Patent number: 8851618
    Abstract: An ejection complement process is performed during which both a usual ejection failure and a sudden ejection failure can be appropriately coped with, without being accompanied by a frequent maintenance process. In a case wherein sequential printing is not currently being performed, the first detection process is performed with a high accuracy while being accompanied by the maintenance process, and in a case wherein sequential printing is currently being performed, the second detection process that requires only a small process load is performed at a predetermined timing without being accompanied by the maintenance processing. At this time, when the number of ejection failed nozzles detected in the second ejection process has reached a predetermined value or greater, the maintenance process is performed, and only the information for the ejection failed nozzle, detected in the second detection process, is reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Takatoshi Nakano, Takuya Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 8845053
    Abstract: In-image preliminary ejection is performed by use of nozzles used to print an image out of the nozzles included in an overlapping link region, and between-image preliminary ejection is performed by use of nozzles which are not used to print the image. Thus, a reduction in image quality is inhibited, while the amount of print media used in the between-image preliminary ejection is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 8833902
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a recording head having a sealing portion arranged in proximity to nozzle arrays and protruding beyond a nozzle surface. A wiper unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface of the recording head has a first wiper blade and a second wiper blade, and the first wiper blade is arranged to be inclined by an angle ?1 (?1>0) with respect to a direction orthogonal to the wiping direction within a plane parallel to the nozzle surface, while the second wiper blade is arranged to be inclined by an angle ?2 (?2<0) with respect to the direction orthogonal to the wiping direction within the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaya Sato, Yuji Kanome, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Masahiro Sugimoto, Seiji Suzuki, Susumu Hirosawa, Takeaki Nakano
  • Patent number: 8827418
    Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus includes a print head having an ejection port surface with ejection ports formed therein from which ink is ejected, a cap covering the ejection port surface of the print head, and a suction unit for allowing a pump to generate negative pressure in the cap to suck ink from the print head. The suction unit has a valve provided in a communication tube joining the pump and the cap together. The suction unit sucks ink under a relatively low negative pressure and then switches the valve to suck the ink under a relatively high negative pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Hamasaki, Susumu Hirosawa
  • Publication number: 20140247307
    Abstract: A printing method is performed on a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads is divided into groups, with one of the groups being subjected to preliminary ejection on a sheet. The other print head group not subjected to preliminary ejection is located in a more upstream area with respect to a conveyance direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8757754
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads are arranged in a sequence such that a print head configured to eject ink characterized by having a larger amount of volatile components evaporated within a predetermined time is located in a more upstream area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato