With Fluid Treatment (e.g., Filtering) Patents (Class 347/93)
  • Patent number: 11884076
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for a fluid management system and a method of utilizing the fluid management system. The fluid management system includes a servicing fluid management system and an ink management system. The servicing fluid management system and the ink management system run in parallel within an inkjet chamber. The ink management system supports the flow of inkjet materials between a waste tank, one or more inkjet material supply tanks, an ink management module, and the inkjet printer. The servicing fluid management system supports the flow of servicing fluids between the waste tank, one or more servicing fluid supply tanks, a servicing fluid management module, and the inkjet printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daihua Zhang, Kazuya Daito, Kang Luo, Elsa Massonneau, Alexey Stepanov, Ludovic Godet
  • Patent number: 11827032
    Abstract: An image forming device including a deaerator that deaerates liquid, a supply tank for storing liquid, a spray device that sprays liquid, and a controller. The controller executes a control causing supply of deaerated liquid from the deaerator to the supply tank, and from the supply tank to the spray device, and spraying of liquid by the spray device to form an image, and while waiting for image forming or while the supply of liquid from the supply tank to the spray device is stopped, the controller executes a control causing at least some of the liquid stored in the supply tank to be supplied to the deaerator in a direction opposite the supply from the deaerator to the supply tank, and causing the deaerator to deaerate the liquid so supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Masanari Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 11801683
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle configured to eject ink, a filter chamber accommodating a filter, and a nozzle introduction port through which the ink flows out of the filter chamber. The filter chamber includes a first side and a second side that extend toward the nozzle introduction port in plan view in a direction perpendicular to the filter, and the nozzle introduction port is elongated along the first side in plan view in the direction perpendicular to the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keita Moriyama
  • Patent number: 11613130
    Abstract: Provided is a sealing member to be used as a valve in a pressure adjustment mechanism. The sealing member includes a base member having high strength, and has high reliability. The sealing member includes an elastic member (valve portion) having an annular abutment portion (valve distal end portion) formed as an annular protrusion and the base member (lever portion). When a held portion having a tubular shape extending from the annular abutment portion is held in an annular groove formed in the base member, the elastic member is fixed to the base member. A holding length over which an annular groove holds the held portion along a depth direction of the base member is set longer than a width of the annular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Soji Kondo, Kazuya Yoshii
  • Patent number: 11571903
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a head, a fixing device and a mist collector configured to collect a mist of a liquid. The mist collector and the fixing device are arranged side by side in this order in a first direction. The mist collector is provided with an air channel having a suction port and an exhaust port. The air channel has: a first part and a second part connected to an other end of the first part. The exhaust port is opened, in the second part, toward any one of directions which are: a direction including a direction opposite to the first direction as a directional component thereof, a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and a second direction, and a direction opposite to the third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Kobayashi, Kengo Takeda, Takahiro Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 11554589
    Abstract: A liquid container to be mounted in a liquid ejection apparatus contains liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejection apparatus. The liquid container comprises a liquid container bag containing liquid, at least one tube arranged in the inner space of the liquid container bag and having the first end open to the inner space, a connection member fitted to the aperture of the liquid container bag and connected to the second end of the tube and a holding member supported by the connection member and arranged in the inner space to hold the tube, the holding member having at least a groove for receiving the tube to be fitted thereinto at a position thereof other than the second end thereof. The holding member can integrally be molded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Ninagawa
  • Patent number: 11548286
    Abstract: A device includes a fluid channel connecting a pair of ports and an attachment feature to attach the device at a dummy cartridge; wherein the pair of ports is dimensioned to mate with fluid feed ports of a printer when the device is attached to the dummy cartridge and the dummy cartridge is inserted in the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: David Butinya, Joan Albert Miravet Jimenez, Marta Coma Vives
  • Patent number: 11351795
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a nozzle configured to eject a liquid; an airflow introduction member configured to introduce an airflow to the liquid; a liquid feeding pump configured to adjust a pressure of the liquid; a pressure pump configured to adjust an introduction pressure of the airflow introduced by the airflow introduction member; and a processor configured to control driving of the liquid feeding pump and the pressure pump, and the processor controls a ratio of the introduction pressure of the airflow to an ejection pressure of the liquid to be 0.005 or more and 0.11 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Sekino, Takeshi Seto, Takahiro Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 11173720
    Abstract: An ink supply system for a print bar of an inkjet printing device includes two supply lines that travel along the longitudinal axis of the print bar and direct ink with opposite flow direction. The print heads of the print bar are respectively connected to both supply lines via a connecting line in order to supply ink to said print heads. A uniform mean hydraulic pressure is produced in all print heads via the opposite flow directions in the two supply lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hettler, Florian Hitzlsperger, Christoph Rummelsberger
  • Patent number: 11148418
    Abstract: A head unit includes a recording head, a pipe member, and an ink supply section. The recording head ejects an ink. The pipe member supplies the ink to the recording head. The ink supply section supplies the ink to the pipe member. The ink supply section includes a flow channel in which the ink flows toward one end of the pipe member. The ink supply section includes a heating member located beside the flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tomioka
  • Patent number: 11104146
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head including a first-liquid ejecting portion, a second-liquid ejecting portion, a common supply flow path being supplied a liquid from a liquid reservoir, a first-individual supply flow path communicating the common supply flow path and the first-liquid ejecting portion to each other, a second-individual supply flow path communicating the common supply flow path and the second-liquid ejecting portion to each other, a first-filter provided in the first-individual supply flow path, and a second-filter provided in the second-individual supply flow path. In the liquid ejecting head, regarding flow path resistance in the first-individual supply flow path, flow path resistance in the first-filter is the largest, regarding flow path resistance in the second-individual supply flow path, flow path resistance in the second-filter is the largest, and the flow path resistance in the first-filter and the flow path resistance in the second-filter are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Kanegae, Katsuhiro Okubo, Hiroyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 11027547
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate, an ejection orifice forming member having a plurality of ejection orifices for ejecting a liquid, and an intermediate layer provided between the substrate and the ejection orifice forming member. The substrate has a supply path for supplying the liquid to the plurality of ejection orifices, the ejection orifice forming member has a common liquid chamber communicating with the plurality of ejection orifices, the supply path and the common liquid chamber communicate with each other via a filter portion including a plurality of holes formed in the intermediate layer, the ejection orifice forming member has a wall portion that protrudes into the common liquid chamber at a position opposed to the filter portion, and the wall portion extends along a direction intersecting an arrangement direction of the plurality of ejection orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Hashimoto, Kenji Fujii, Hiroyuki Murayama
  • Patent number: 10981392
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid ejection head capable of preventing deformation and breakage of a filter and a method of manufacturing the liquid ejection head. The liquid ejection head comprises: a substrate comprising a supply port through which to supply a liquid and an element configured to produce energy for ejecting the liquid; a resin layer comprising an ejection port through which the liquid is ejectable with the energy produced by the element, and a flow channel connecting the supply port and the ejection port; a filter disposed between the supply port and the flow channel; and a support portion supporting a surface of the filter on the supply port side and a surface of the filter on the flow channel side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kurosu, Takanobu Manabe, Kenji Fujii
  • Patent number: 10857803
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store ink; a discharge unit configured to discharge the ink for printing; and an ink flow path configured to couple the storage unit to the discharge unit and allow the ink to flow down from the storage unit to the discharge unit, wherein the ink flow path includes a first flow path, a first filter provided in the first flow path and configured to collect a foreign material in the ink passing through the first flow path, a second flow path independent of the first flow path, and a second filter configured to collect a foreign material in the ink passing through the second flow path, wherein the printing apparatus is configured to switch the flow path of the ink between the first flow path and the second flow path based on a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Goki Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 10773524
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a plurality of individual channels; a supply channel; a return channel; an open/close valve; a pump provided on the return channel; and a controller. In a case that the controller removes an air bubble, the controller is configured to execute: circulation of the liquid along a circulation route by maintaining the open/close valve at an open position and driving the pump; and then moving of the liquid from the storing chamber to the plurality of individual channels via the return channel so as to exhaust the liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the plurality of individual channels, respectively, by maintaining the open/close valve at a close position and driving the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taisuke Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10752006
    Abstract: Provided is a flow path structure body including: a distribution flow path that is for distributing a liquid from a liquid supply source to a nozzle; an air bubble chamber that is connected to the distribution flow path and that is for storing air bubbles; and an air bubble chamber filter that is arranged to divide a space in the air bubble chamber into a first space that is connected to the distribution flow path and a second space that is connected to the distribution flow path via the first space, the air bubble chamber filter being for collecting foreign matters that have been formed at a gas-liquid interface in the air bubble chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Otsuki
  • Patent number: 10703103
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a substrate, an energy generating element provided on the substrate, a film provided on the substrate and the energy generating element, and a flow path forming member provided on the substrate, forming a flow path of a liquid between the flow path forming member and the substrate, and having an ejection orifice at a position faced with the energy generating element, characterized in that the substrate has a supply path of the liquid communicating with the flow path, the flow path forming member has a structure protruding toward the supply path, and a peripheral shape of a distal end portion of the structure is a curved surface shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Souta Takeuchi, Soichiro Nagamochi, Takuya Hatsui
  • Patent number: 10682854
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head including a flow path forming substrate on which a pressure generation chamber and a first liquid supply chamber communicating with the pressure generation chamber are formed, a vibration plate that is formed on one surface side of the flow path forming substrate, a piezoelectric element that is provided on the vibration plate at a position corresponding to the first pressure generation chamber, a first filter that is provided on the one surface side of the flow path forming substrate and in which a plurality of first liquid supply ports communicating with the first liquid supply chamber are formed, and a second filter that is provided on an upstream side of the first filter and provided with a plurality of second liquid supply ports, in which an inner diameter of the second liquid supply port is an inner diameter or larger of the first liquid supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shiro Yazaki
  • Patent number: 10675885
    Abstract: A printing device includes an ink jet print head having individually controllable nozzles for jetting ink drops. An ink line connected to a chamber has a feed and/or return line for the print head. The print head, ink line and chamber move jointly relative to printing material. The ink line is part of a circulation ink supply system for the print head. A mass element associated with the chamber has a position and/or shape relative to the chamber changing as a function of the joint movement so that the chamber volume is a function of the position and/or shape of the mass element to compensate for pressure fluctuations and/or movements of the ink and avoid problems in the ink supply system for a print head in industrial, high-performance ink jet printing and in cooperation with circulation ink supply systems conveying large volumes of ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Mueller, David Ehrbar
  • Patent number: 10562310
    Abstract: In one example, a container includes expandable and contractible air free interior volumes joined by a passage through which liquid may pass from one volume to another volume, an inlet different from the passage through which liquid may enter into one of the volumes, and an outlet different from the passage through which liquid may leave another of the volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Hector Lebron, Juan A Marrero Cosme
  • Patent number: 10562315
    Abstract: In a filling operation of filling liquid in a liquid supply flow path which includes a filter having holes by causing a pressure on a downstream side in the liquid supply flow path to be lower than a pressure on an upstream side, and a maximum pressure difference which occurs between an upstream side of the filter and a downstream side of the filter is larger than a pressure difference for destroying a gas-liquid interface formed in the hole in a case where the upstream side of the filter is the liquid, and the downstream side of the filter is gas, and is smaller than a pressure difference for destroying the gas-liquid interface formed in the hole, in a case where the upstream side of the filter is the gas, and the downstream side of the filter is the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Shinoda, Takeshi Iwamuro, Toshihiro Shinbara
  • Patent number: 10562314
    Abstract: A flow path member includes a filter, a first space provided with an entrance through which a ink flows in, and a second space separated from the first space by the filter and that has an exit through which the ink flows out and a bottom surface facing the filter, in which the bottom surface includes an inclined surface spaced away from the filter from an end of the filter toward a center in a case where the filter is viewed in plan view, and the exit is in a middle of the inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yohei Emi
  • Patent number: 10556438
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head which includes a plurality of individual channels, a common channel which includes a supply portion and a return portion, a first filter in which a plurality of first through holes along a supply direction is formed, and a second filter in which a plurality of second through holes along a discharge direction is formed. An opening at an upstream end in the supply direction of each of the plurality of through holes is smaller than an opening at a downstream end in the supply direction of each of the plurality of first through holes, and an opening at an upstream end in the discharge direction of each of the plurality of second through holes is larger than an opening at a downstream end in the discharge direction of each of the plurality of second through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shohei Koide
  • Patent number: 10538094
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a pressure adjusting mechanism that communicates with a supply flow path that supplies a liquid to an element substrate including an ejection port ejecting a liquid, and adjusts a pressure of the liquid flowing in the supply flow path, a pressure adjusting mechanism that communicates with a collection flow path that collects a liquid from the element substrate, and adjusts a pressure of the liquid flowing in the collection flow path, and a filter storage chamber including therein a filter that captures foreign matter in the liquid. Further, the liquid ejection head includes upstream flow paths and a connection section that causes the upstream flow paths to communicate with each other, and is provided downstream of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Kubo, Naozumi Nabeshima, Soji Kondo, Kazuya Yoshii, Noriyasu Nagai
  • Patent number: 10449778
    Abstract: A filter unit includes: a liquid chamber forming member having a liquid inlet port, a liquid outlet port, and a liquid chamber communicating with the liquid inlet port and the liquid outlet port; and a filter disposed in the liquid chamber such that a surface direction of the filter lies along an up-down direction, the filter extending to an upper end of the liquid chamber to divide the liquid chamber into an upstream chamber communicating with the liquid inlet port and a downstream chamber communicating with the liquid outlet port. A discharge port joined to the liquid outlet port is disposed in an upper end portion of the downstream chamber at a central portion in a width direction orthogonal to the up-down direction, and the liquid chamber forming member has two first side wall surfaces sandwiching the discharge port in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taisuke Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10377910
    Abstract: An aqueous ink composition contains an organic solvent, a surfactant, and resin fine particles. The resin of the resin fine particles takes 500 minutes or more to melt at 40° C. with the surfactant, which is a temperature relatively close to the temperature the ink jet head is heated to by the platen or the like during recording. Such an aqueous ink composition exhibits a good filling property and can be continuously ejected stably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Seguchi, Takayoshi Kagata, Tsuyoshi Sano, Akira Mizutani, Tadashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10259229
    Abstract: An ink container comprises an ink chamber configured to contain ink that is supplied to an ink ejection head; and an ink inlet flow path portion arranged to connect a first end portion that is open to outside of the ink chamber with a second end portion that is open to inside of the ink chamber and configured to inject the ink into the ink chamber. At least part of the ink inlet flow path portion is formed by sealing a groove that is defined by flow path walls with a first film and a second film attached to the flow path walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo
  • Patent number: 10252205
    Abstract: A filter element assembly includes a filter body and an auxiliary filter. The filter body includes a sidewall around a hollow core. Further the filter body and auxiliary filter are both received and held on a support including a base and a cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jacqueline L. Tomlin, Roger Khami, Alexander King, Jeff Sean Boulton, John Emley, Joseph Matthew McCann, Hovie Jarrett Cassell
  • Patent number: 10195864
    Abstract: An inkjet printer for the labeling of goods has a housing having outlet openings for ink droplets on a front face, a printing mechanism, and two hydraulic couplings that are accessible on the outside of the housing. Each hydraulic coupling has a mechanical connection part and an automatically closing first valve. Each automatically closing first valve has a first valve body and a first pusher connected to the first valve body. A filter has a filter housing in which the filter medium is accommodated and on which two hydraulic mating couplings are disposed that are accessible from the outside of the filter housing. In a joined state of the two hydraulic couplings and the hydraulic mating couplings, the pushers are each in contact with each other and respectively keep the valve bodies connected to them in an opened state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: EBS INK JET SYSTEME GMBH
    Inventors: Radosław Krȩczewski, Grzegorz Ziȩba, Waldemar Grabowski
  • Patent number: 10179452
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzles from which liquid is discharged, a plurality of individual-liquid-chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively, a plurality of individual-drainage-channels communicating with the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers, respectively, a drainage-side common-liquid-chamber communicating with each of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels, a filter having filter holes and disposed between the plurality of individual-drainage-channels and the drainage-side common-liquid-chamber, and an intermediate-drainage-channel disposed between the filter and the plurality of individual-drainage-channels. The intermediate-drainage-channel faces the filter and communicates with two or more of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Iwama, Yukio Otome, Takahiro Yoshida, Takakazu Kihira, Takayuki Nakai, Shiomi Andou, Isamu Suzuki, Ryuji Yoshida, Kanshi Abe, Junichi Iwata, Katsuya Ishii, Toshimichi Odaka
  • Patent number: 10173428
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid to a medium transported along a transport path, a suction mechanism that sucks an interior of the liquid ejecting head, an atmospheric pressure detection unit that has a vent for communication with an atmosphere and that detects atmospheric pressure, and a control unit that controls operation of the suction mechanism on the basis of a value of atmospheric pressure detected by the atmospheric pressure detection unit. The atmospheric pressure detection unit is disposed at a location that is outside the transport path and that is higher than the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Taro Takekoshi, Shunichi Hizawa, Seiji Tojo
  • Patent number: 10166774
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of individual liquid chambers, a circulation channel, a circulation common liquid chamber, a common liquid chamber, and a vibration damping member. The plurality of nozzles discharges liquid. The plurality of individual liquid chambers is communicated with the plurality of nozzles. The circulation channel is communicated with the plurality of individual liquid chambers. The circulation common liquid chamber is communicated with the circulation channel. The common liquid chamber supplies the liquid to the plurality of individual liquid chambers. The common liquid chamber includes a first portion disposed side by side with the circulation common liquid chamber in an in-plane direction and a second portion having a width greater than a width of the first portion in the in-plane direction. The vibration damping member is recoverably deformable and constitutes a wall surface of the second portion of the common liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10087898
    Abstract: A filter element assembly includes a filter body and an auxiliary filter. The filter body includes a sidewall around a hollow core. Further the filter body and auxiliary filter are both received and held on a support including a base and a cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Jacqueline L. Tomlin, Roger Joseph Khami, Alexander Adam King, Jeff Sean Boulton, John Emley, Joseph Matthew McCann, Hovie Jarrett Cassell
  • Patent number: 10065419
    Abstract: An inkjet printing head 1 includes an actuator substrate, having an ink flow passage that includes a pressure chamber, a movable film formation layer, including a movable film, disposed on the pressure chamber and defining a top surface portion of the pressure chamber, a piezoelectric element 9, formed on the movable film, and a protective substrate 4, bonded to the actuator substrate so as to cover the piezoelectric element 9, and the protective substrate 4 has an ink supply passage 53 in communication with the ink flow passage, and on a surface of the protective substrate 4 at an opposite side from the actuator substrate, an alignment mark 81 is formed in each of a plurality of small regions set by dividing an entire region of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wataru Kira
  • Patent number: 10052871
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a substrate, a piezoelectric unit disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged along a surface of the substrate, and a plurality of pressure chambers, each of the pressure chambers being formed between two adjacent piezoelectric elements, a plurality of lid members, each of which is disposed on two adjacent piezoelectric elements and has a hole connected to one of the pressure chambers, and a nozzle plate disposed on the plurality of lid members and having a plurality of nozzles through which the liquid is discharged, each of the nozzles being connected to one of the holes of the lid members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishida, Isao Suzuki, Keizaburo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Kushida
  • Patent number: 10026035
    Abstract: A RFID device which can include a substrate, an antenna having a gap defined therein, a wireless communications device coupled to the antenna and a coating disposed over a portion of the antenna and within a portion of the gap. The coating may be an insulator or an environmentally-responsive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES, LLC
    Inventor: Ian J. Forster
  • Patent number: 9950534
    Abstract: A damper device includes a hollow case main body provided with an opening, a pressure sensitive film attached to the case main body so as to cover the opening, demarcates a liquid storage chamber together with the case main body, and is flexibly deformable internally toward, or externally away from, the liquid storage chamber, an inlet that is in the case main body, is in communication with the liquid storage chamber, and allows the liquid to flow into the liquid storage chamber, an injection outlet that is in the case main body, is in communication with the liquid storage chamber, and allows the liquid to flow out toward the liquid injector, an elastic member coupled with the pressure sensitive film to flexibly deform the pressure sensitive film externally away from the liquid storage chamber, and a pressure receiving plate that is located between the pressure sensitive film and the elastic member and includes a discontinuously joined portion that is discontinuously joined with the pressure sensitive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Ueda
  • Patent number: 9802405
    Abstract: In an inkjet print head for generating a droplet of ink, the inkjet print head comprises an ink supply substrate, a droplet forming unit arranged on the ink supply substrate and an intermediate element arranged between the ink supply substrate and the droplet forming unit. The intermediate element has a first element surface on which the droplet forming unit is arranged and the intermediate element has a second element surface opposite to the first element surface. The intermediate element is supported on the ink supply substrate at the second element surface. The intermediate element is provided with a number of support protrusions at the second element surface. Due to the support protrusions, differences in coefficient of thermal expansion of the droplet forming unit and the ink supply substrate may reduce an effect of a resulting deformation of the droplet forming unit on an image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: OCÉ-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Peter J. Hollands, Marco T. R. Moens
  • Patent number: 9757948
    Abstract: A damper device includes a hollow case main body provided with an opening, a pressure sensitive film attached to the case main body so as to cover the opening, demarcates a liquid storage chamber together with the case main body, and is flexibly deformable internally toward, or externally away from, the liquid storage chamber, an inlet that is in the case main body, is in communication with the liquid storage chamber, and allows the liquid to flow into the liquid storage chamber, an injection outlet that is in the case main body, is in communication with the liquid storage chamber, and allows the liquid to flow out toward the liquid injector, an elastic member coupled with the pressure sensitive film to flexibly deform the pressure sensitive film externally away from the liquid storage chamber, and a pressure receiving plate that is located between the pressure sensitive film and the elastic member and includes a discontinuously joined portion that is discontinuously joined with the pressure sensitive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Ueda
  • Patent number: 9718274
    Abstract: In a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus capable of reducing the occurrence of ejection malfunction, in a connecting section where a first flow channel and a second flow channel connect, a projecting member is provided on the flow channel wall forming the second flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Genji Inada, Hiromasa Amma, Takuya Iwano, Chiaki Muraoka, Tokuji Kudo, Shimpei Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 9682553
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a substrate, a piezoelectric unit disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged along a surface of the substrate, and a plurality of pressure chambers, each of the pressure chambers being formed between two adjacent piezoelectric elements, a plurality of lid members, each of which is disposed on two adjacent piezoelectric elements and has a hole connected to one of the pressure chambers, and a nozzle plate disposed on the plurality of lid members and having a plurality of nozzles through which the liquid is discharged, each of the nozzles being connected to one of the holes of the lid members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishida, Isao Suzuki, Keizaburo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Kushida
  • Patent number: 9358802
    Abstract: A flow passage member is used in a liquid ejecting head including an ejecting unit. The ejecting unit communicates with a self-sealing unit which is a negative pressure generation mechanism. The flow passage member includes a flow passage internal pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts a pressure inside a flow passage between the self-sealing unit and the ejecting unit by changing a volume of the flow passage on a way of the flow passage and a flow passage opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the flow passage on a way of a flow passage between the self-sealing unit and the flow passage internal pressure adjustment mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Fujio Akahane, Yasuyuki Kudo
  • Patent number: 9357635
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to microfluidic refill cartridges and methods of assembling same. The microfluidic refill cartridges include a microfluidic delivery member that includes a filter for filtering fluid passed therethrough. The filter may be configured to block particles above a threshold size to prevent blockage in the nozzles. For instances, particles having a dimension that is larger than the diameter of the nozzles can block or reduce fluid flow through the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Dodd, Joe Scheffelin, Dana Gruenbacher, Roberto Brioschi, Teck Khim Neo, Dave Hunt, Faiz Sherman
  • Patent number: 9289998
    Abstract: A recording device includes a main body case that is arranged inside a recording head which ejects ink to paper, and an ink storing device that stores the ink to be supplied to the recording head and is attached to the outer side surface of the main body case through a screw member. When upward external force is added from the ink storing device, the main body case includes a reception section which can accept the external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshisada Aoki
  • Patent number: 9266345
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle that discharges liquid droplets, a common liquid chamber that supplies liquid to an individual liquid chamber that is in communication with the nozzle, and a filter plate that is arranged in a liquid flow path of the common liquid chamber. The filter plate includes a filter part that filters the liquid and a damper part that reduces a pressure variation in the common liquid chamber, and the filter part is arranged to be thicker than the damper part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Kimura, Kenichiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9254675
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head having nozzles through which liquid can be ejected, a liquid supply path through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting head, and a filter chamber which is disposed in the middle of the liquid supply path and of which an inner portion is divided into a first chamber on a downstream side and a second chamber on an upstream side by a filter which filters the liquid, in which a liquid outlet through which the liquid is introduced from the first chamber of the filter chamber to a downstream side of the liquid supply path is formed in an upper position of the first chamber in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Kobayashi, Ken Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 9193162
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a pressure generation chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening; a pressure generation unit that generates a change in a pressure in the pressure generation chamber; a manifold that communicates with a plurality of pressure generation chambers; and a rib that is provided inside the manifold, in which the rib is formed over the manifold in a direction intersecting a liquid flowing inside the manifold, and in which a notch section that divides the flow inside the manifold into two is provided in the rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshige Owaki, Hiroyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 9162466
    Abstract: A liquid housing body recycling method is provided for a liquid housing body that includes a liquid housing unit that is configured to house liquid, a supply member with a supply port that is configured to be connected to a liquid supply tube of a liquid consuming device, and a filter through which the liquid is configured to pass, with the liquid inside the liquid housing unit being supplied to the liquid consuming device via the supply port by passing through the filter. The liquid housing body recycling method includes forming an opening part on the liquid housing unit at a position outside an area facing opposite the filter on the liquid housing unit, injecting the liquid from the opening part of the liquid housing unit on which the opening part has been formed, and sealing the opening part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Nagashima, Taku Ishizawa
  • Patent number: 9162472
    Abstract: A filter unit includes: a space portion, through which a liquid passes, whose outer cross-sectional shape when cut along the direction orthogonal to the axial direction is circular or polygonal; a filter provided at the surface on one end side of the space portion in the axial direction thereof; a protruding member, provided at the surface on the other end side of the space portion in the axial direction thereof, that protrudes toward a center area of the surface on the one end side of the space portion; an inflow channel that allows the liquid to flow into the space portion from a direction tangential to the side circumferential surface of the space portion; and an outflow channel that allows the liquid to pass through the filter and flow out from the space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Koike, Toshio Kumagai, Masaaki Ando, Haruhisa Uezawa
  • Patent number: 9120312
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head may include a first flow path, a linking flow path that is provided on a downstream side of the first flow path and is connected to the first flow path, and a second flow path that is connected to the linking flow path. The first flow path, the linking flow path, and the second flow path are provided in a portion between a liquid receiving portion and a filter. The second flow path includes wall portions that partition a central flow path and external flow paths which are provided on both external sides of the central flow path. The linking flow path includes an inclined portion which is formed in a width direction and extends in a portion between the first flow path and the second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryota Kinoshita