Patents Assigned to Seiko Instruments Inc.
  • Patent number: 10737517
    Abstract: A printer for printing information on a recording sheet, includes a housing configured to accommodate a recording sheet and a printing portion; a battery to be removably mounted to the housing; and a clip pivotably mounted to the housing. The clip includes a joint portion, which is elastically deformable so that a coupling portion of the housing is pivotably fitted to the joint portion. Each of the joint portion and the coupling portion includes an engagement portion configured to restrain the clip from pivoting at a mounting position at which the clip covers at least a part of the battery. When a predetermined external force is applied to the housing in a pivoting direction of the clip, restraining of the clip by the engagement portions is canceled so that the clip is movable from the mounting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Norihisa Ando
  • Patent number: 10732052
    Abstract: A temperature display device issuing apparatus is configured to issue a temperature display device including a temperature indicator having a function of starting temperature detection when irradiated with light. The temperature display device issuing apparatus includes: a printing/recording device configured to print time information on the temperature display device; an irradiation device configured to irradiate the light onto the temperature indicator of the temperature display device; and a controller configured to control printing in the printing/recording device and irradiation in the irradiation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Kazuo Tani
  • Patent number: 10731729
    Abstract: In a wheel train mechanism, a first speed reduction gear, a second speed reduction gear, a third speed reduction gear, a fourth speed reduction gear and an output gear are all made of a resin material. The third speed reduction gear and the fourth speed reduction gear are disposed at a rear stage of the second speed reduction gear and made of a material having rigidity higher than that of the first speed reduction gear and the second speed reduction gear. The output gear is disposed at a rear stage of the fourth speed reduction gear and is made of a material having rigidity higher than that of the fourth speed reduction gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Koichi Masuzawa, Kenichi Kudo
  • Patent number: 10712712
    Abstract: A timepiece capable of selecting a timepiece mode and a chronograph mode includes an hour hand and a minute hand which indicate current time in a case where the timepiece mode is, selected. A main control unit performs control so as to start measuring time by simultaneously starting hand operations of the hour hand and the minute hand in a case where the chronograph mode is selected. When the hand operation of one of the hands is stopped, the control unit performs control so as to indicate the time when the hand operation of the one hand is stopped, and to continue to measure the time by continuing the hand operation of the other hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sakai, Tomohiro Ihashi
  • Patent number: 10688818
    Abstract: A printer for printing information on a recording sheet, includes a housing configured to accommodate the recording sheet and a printing portion; an attachment member, which is removably mounted to the housing, and has a hook hole for a strap. A portion of the housing, to which the attachment member is mounted, and the attachment member form a rotation regulating portion configured to regulate rotation of the attachment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Norihisa Ando
  • Patent number: 10690187
    Abstract: An enveloping layer-coated slide bearing includes a slide bearing having a bearing surface formed in a cylindrical shape, and a first enveloping layer composed of a thermoplastic elastomer formed on and directly contacting an outer circumferential surface of the slide bearing. In another arrangement, a second enveloping layer is interposed between the first enveloping layer and the slide bearing and directly contacts the outer circumferential surface of the slide bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Tatsumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10670049
    Abstract: An inner cylinder inside an outer cylinder is disposed to be coaxial to an air pressure supply rod inside the inner cylinder. A first piston is disposed between the air pressure supply rod and the inner cylinder, a pneumatic chamber is disposed on a side of one surface (hydraulic surface) of the first piston in the inner cylinder, and a first hydraulic chamber is disposed on a side of the other surface. A second piston is disposed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, and a second hydraulic chamber is disposed on a side of a surface of the second piston which is provided in the same direction as the hydraulic surface of the first piston in both of the cylinders. The inner cylinder is provided with a communication hole for transmitting a negative pressure along with movement of oil with which the first hydraulic chamber and the second hydraulic chamber are filled. In this configuration, it is possible to shorten an overall length of a fluid pressure cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Shigehiro Arai
  • Patent number: 10655676
    Abstract: An enveloping layer-coated slide bearing includes a slide bearing having a bearing surface formed in a cylindrical shape, and a first enveloping layer composed of a thermoplastic elastomer formed on and directly contacting an outer circumferential surface of the slide bearing. In another arrangement, a second enveloping layer is interposed between the first enveloping layer and the slide bearing and directly contacts the outer circumferential surface of the slide bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Tatsumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10644565
    Abstract: A vibration generation device includes a rotor rotatable about a rotation axis, the rotor including a weight having a center of gravity that is eccentric with respect to the rotation axis. A shaft is inserted into the rotor and rotatably supports the rotor. A restriction part is disposed further inward than the weight in a radial direction, the restriction part being attached to one end of the shaft for restricting movement of the rotor in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Masao Kasuga
  • Patent number: 10622592
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes an electrode body which includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode and an outer package which is formed by overlapping a first member and a second member. The outer package includes: a housing portion which houses the electrode body; and a sealing portion which is formed along an outer circumference of the housing portion, by fusing and bending the first member and the second member, at a portion corresponding to the outer circumference of the housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Shunji Watanabe, Kazumi Tanaka, Yoshimi Kanno, Tsuneaki Tamachi
  • Patent number: 10613481
    Abstract: There is provided a crown lock mechanism-installed timepiece which enables a lock mechanism to regulate an operation of a crown by using a simple operation. A crown lock mechanism includes a winding stem, a crown, a lock screw ring, an extrusion spring, and a regulator. The winding stem is connected to a corrector lever of a movement. The crown is fixed to the winding stem. The crown is capable of engaging with the lock screw ring, and the crown is supported by the lock screw ring so as to be movable in an axial direction. The extrusion spring biases the lock screw spring toward the crown. The regulator regulates the lock screw ring to be located at a predetermined position against a biasing force of the extrusion spring, and holds the crown engaging with the lock screw ring so as to stay at a normal hand operation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Katsunobu Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10598223
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an enveloping layer-coated slide bearing includes preparing a slide bearing formed of polycarbonate, ABS resin, or an alloy material of the polycarbonate and the ABS resin; and forming an enveloping layer by injection molding a thermoplastic elastomer on an outer circumferential surface of the slide bearing. In an alternate method, an inner enveloping layer is formed directly on the outer circumferential outer surface of the slide bearing beneath the thermoplastic elastomeric enveloping layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Tatsumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10576501
    Abstract: There is provided a vibration generation device superior in responsivity compared to the related art. The vibration generation device includes a stator, a rotor provided to the stator so as to be able to rotate around the central axis, and having a weight having a gravity center at a position shifted from the central axis, and an air resistance reduction part provided to the weight, and reducing the air resistance to the weight when the rotor rotates. The weight is formed to have a semicircular shape viewed from the axial direction, and the air resistance reduction part has an arcuate part adapted to connect an end edge on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the rotor in the outer circumferential surface of the weight and an end edge on the downstream side in the rotational direction to each other so as to form a circular arc shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Masao Kasuga
  • Patent number: 10550893
    Abstract: Provided is a bearing having a plurality of rolling elements disposed between an inner ring and an outer ring that are disposed coaxially, wherein a groove section extending in a circumferential direction of an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring outside in a radial direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface, and an enveloping layer formed of any one of rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer and a plastic is formed on the outer circumferential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Tatsumi Yamada, Noritoshi Yuura, Haruhiko Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10539927
    Abstract: A timepiece includes a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage applied to a stepping motor for driving an indicating hand, and that outputs a voltage detection result, and a drive control unit that controls a rotor to perform reverse rotation by using a reverse rotation pulse including a first pulse whose polarity is the same as that of a normal rotation pulse for causing the rotor of the stepping motor to perform normal rotation, a second pulse whose polarity is reverse to that of the first pulse, and a third pulse whose polarity is reverse to that of the second pulse, and to control the rotor to perform the reverse rotation by using the third pulse having a pulse width set in accordance with the voltage detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihito Okumura, Ryosuke Isogai, Kosuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10520897
    Abstract: There is provided an analog timepiece including an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand which are rotated by a unit step operation of a stepping motor. The analog timepiece includes a rotor that rotates the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand, and that has a magnetic polarity, a stator that includes magnetic pole portions disposed around the rotor, coils that excite the magnetic pole portions, and a control unit that controls each unit step of the rotor in accordance with each pulse group by applying a pulse group including a rotary pulse for rotating the rotor and a braking pulse for braking rotation of the rotor, which is applied before the rotary pulse is applied, to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10518560
    Abstract: A thermal printer includes a frame, a platen roller supported on the frame so as to be rotatable about a first direction, a head support plate supported on the frame, and a thermal head fixed to the head support plate. The head nips paper between the roller in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The frame includes a swing support portion supporting the plate so that the plate is swingable about the first direction and a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The head is fixed to a portion of the plate located on a first side in the third direction with respect to the swing support portion. Between a portion of the plate located on a second side and the frame, an urging member configured to urge the plate in a direction of causing the head to approach the roller is interposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Norihisa Ando
  • Patent number: 10520029
    Abstract: A structure includes an enveloping layer formed on one of a circular outer surface or a flat outer surface having irregularities, wherein the enveloping layer includes an outer circumferential surface layer formed by thermally fusing a thermoplastic elastomer. The enveloping layer has a first material layer provided on one of the outer surfaces and formed from an amorphos plastic, and a second material layer provided on the first material layer and formed from a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of styrenes, olefins, polyvinyl chlorides, urethanes and polyesters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro Iino, Yukihiro Nakayama, Hironobu Itoh, Tatsumi Yamada, Noritoshi Yuura, Haruhiko Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10510059
    Abstract: A printer device includes: a receiver configured to receive pieces of information from a host device; a storage configured to store output information among the pieces of information received by the receiver; a printer configured to print information on a sheet based on printing information; a display communication device configured to transmit display information to a display device; an output destination selection module configured to select an output destination of the output information stored in the storage based on instruction information among the pieces of information received by the receiver from the host device; a display information generation module configured to generate, when the output destination selected by the output destination selection module is the display device, the display information based on the output information stored in the storage; a display communication device configured to output the display information generated by the display information generation module to the display de
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Takanori Okayasu
  • Patent number: 10486442
    Abstract: A printing unit includes a frame, a head unit including a thermal head, a platen unit including a platen roller, a fixed blade provided to any one of the head unit and the platen unit, a movable blade provided to another one of the head unit and the platen unit and configured to slide with respect to the fixed blade, a drive mechanism configured to cause the movable blade to slide between a standby position of being separated from the fixed blade and a cutting position of riding on the fixed blade, an lever configured to release locking of the platen unit with respect to the head unit, and a return mechanism configured to move the movable blade to the standby position before releasing the locking of the platen unit by being interlocked with the lever under a state in which the movable blade is held at the cutting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Shinichi Sudo