Patents Examined by Lisa Solomon
  • Patent number: 11292254
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle configured to discharge a liquid, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, a pressure generator configured to apply pressure on the pressure chamber, a first substrate including a terminal electrode connected to the pressure generator, and a second substrate including a bonding surface bonded to the first substrate, the second substrate including a terminal opening exposing the terminal electrode of the first substrate. The first substrate includes a through hole penetrating through the first substrate, and the second substrate includes a communication hole communicating with the through hole of the first substrate and an air communication channel on a surface opposite to the bonding surface, the air communication channel communicating with the terminal opening and the communicating hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Keishi Miwa, Takahiko Kuroda, Toshiaki Masuda
  • Patent number: 11285731
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device may include fluid actuators, ejection chambers adjacent the fluid actuators, nozzles extending from the ejection chambers, and fluid feed holes to supply fluid from a fluid supply passage to the ejection chambers. The fluid feed holes have ports connected to the ejection chambers. The ports are sized to pass bubbles formed by the fluid actuators out of the ejection chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Garrett E. Clark, Michael W. Cumbie
  • Patent number: 11285721
    Abstract: A piezoelectric printing device includes a substrate and a piezoelectric plate. At least one row of drop ejectors is disposed along a row direction. Each drop ejector includes a nozzle in fluid communication with a pressure chamber that is bounded by side walls. The piezoelectric plate has a first surface that is disposed proximate to the first side of the substrate. A bonding layer is disposed between the piezoelectric plate and the substrate. An electrode layer is disposed between the first surface of the piezoelectric plate and the bonding layer. The electrode layer includes a signal line corresponding to each pressure chamber. Each signal line leads to a signal input pad. The electrode layer also includes ground traces disposed on both sides of each pressure chamber. The ground traces are electrically connected to at least one common ground bus that is electrically connected to at least one ground return pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Suzhou Ruifa Printing Technology & Co, Ltd
    Inventors: Yonglin Xie, Xiaofei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11285720
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes: a pressure chamber; a descender extending from the pressure chamber in a first direction; a communicating channel extending from the descender in a second direction crossing the first direction; a first return channel and a second return channel connecting the communicating channel and a return manifold; and a nozzle connected to the communicating channel. The first return channel and the second return channel are connected, with respect to the communicating channel, at facing positions, respectively, the facing positions facing each other in a direction orthogonal to the second direction; and the nozzle is provided, in the communicating channel, at a position which is offset from an axis of the descender, and which is sandwiched between a connecting location of the first return channel with respect the communicating channel and a connecting location of the second return channel with respect to the communicating channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita Sugiura, Jiro Yamamoto, Shotaro Kanzaki, Taisuke Mizuno, Hiroshi Katayama
  • Patent number: 11273637
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle, a pressure chamber configured to receive a pressure to eject liquid from the nozzle, a descender, and a communication channel. The descender has a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The first end is connected to the pressure chamber. The communication channel is connected to the second end and extends from a connection with the second end in an X direction. A first direction in which the descender extends from the second end toward the first end is inclined toward the communication channel relative to a Y direction orthogonal to the X direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Hirai, Shohei Koide, Keita Sugiura, Hiroshi Katayama
  • Patent number: 11260660
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes: a first substrate including a pressure chamber; and a second substrate. The first substrate has a first surface in which a nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber is opened and a second surface positioned at an opposite side of the first surface and in which a communication hole communicating with the pressure chamber is opened. The second substrate is joined to the second surface of the first substrate and has a channel communicating with the pressure chamber via the communication hole. The pressure chamber has a first end in a first direction and a center portion in the first direction. The communication hole communicates with the first end of the pressure chamber, and the first end of the pressure chamber is greater than the center portion of the pressure chamber in length in a second direction which intersects with the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keita Hirai
  • Patent number: 11260659
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide an ejection device for a fluid. The ejection device includes a first semiconductor wafer, housing, on a first side thereof, a piezoelectric actuator and an outlet channel for the fluid alongside the piezoelectric actuator; a second semiconductor wafer having, on a first side thereof, a recess and, on a second side thereof opposite to the first side, at least one inlet channel for said fluid fluidically coupled to the recess; and a dry-film coupled to a second side, opposite to the first side, of the first wafer. The first and the second wafers are coupled together so that the piezoelectric actuator and the outlet channel are set directly facing, and completely contained in, the recess that forms a reservoir for the fluid. The dry-film has an ejection nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Domenico Giusti, Carlo Luigi Prelini, Lorenzo Tentori
  • Patent number: 11254128
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a channel member formed with an individual channel, the individual channel including a nozzle and a pressure chamber; a piezoelectric element arranged in the channel member and facing the pressure chamber, the piezoelectric element being configured to apply pressure to liquid in the individual channel; and a driver configured to apply a driving signal to the piezoelectric element, the driving signal being constructed of a plurality of pulse waveforms, wherein the piezoelectric element is driven in a pull-strike system by one piece of the pulse waveforms such that the pressure chamber is depressurized and then pressurized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shotaro Kanzaki, Toshihiro Kishigami
  • Patent number: 11254125
    Abstract: A first flow path is provided between the first layer and the second layer, a second flow path is provided between the second layer and the third layer, a filter chamber is provided inside the third layer, and the second layer is thinner than each of the first layer and the third layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Okubo, Nobuaki Ito
  • Patent number: 11254127
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a flow path substrate configuring a side face of a pressure chamber in communication with a nozzle through which a liquid is ejected, a diaphragm including a first face joined to the flow path substrate and a second face on an opposite side of the diaphragm to the first face, and a drive device provided on the second face and configured to change pressure in the pressure chamber. A corner of the side face of the pressure chamber includes a curved face having a center of curvature positioned in the pressure chamber in plan view, a recess is formed in the first face, and the pressure chamber is positioned inside the recess in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Takahashi, Hiroaki Okui
  • Patent number: 11254132
    Abstract: There is provided a head chip and so on capable of achieving the reduction in power consumption and the improvement in print image quality while suppressing the manufacturing cost of the head chip. The head chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an actuator plate having a plurality of ejection grooves and a plurality of electrodes, a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle holes, and a cover plate having a wall part, a first through hole, and a second through hole. The plurality of nozzle holes includes a plurality of first nozzle holes arranged so as to be shifted toward the first through hole, and a plurality of second nozzle holes arranged so as to be shifted toward the second through hole. In a first ejection groove communicated with the first nozzle hole, a first cross-sectional area of a part communicated with the first through hole is smaller than a second cross-sectional area of a part communicated with the second through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SII PRINTEK INC.
    Inventors: Masakazu Hirata, Yuzuru Kubota, Yuki Yamamura, Tomoki Ai
  • Patent number: 11247465
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a nozzle surface having a nozzle; a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle and configured to store liquid; a piezoelectric body configured to apply pressure to the liquid inside the pressure chamber; a supply manifold configured to supply the liquid to the pressure chamber; a return manifold arranged to overlap with the supply manifold and configured to allow the liquid, which is not discharged from the nozzle, to flow therethrough; a pair of elastically deformable portions provided between the supply manifold and the return manifold; a damper space formed between the elastically deformable portions; and a shielding plate configured to separate the damper space into a first damper space and a second damper space, wherein Young's modulus of the shielding plate is greater than Young's modulus of each of the elastically deformable portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Keita Sugiura
  • Patent number: 11247460
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes: a first member having a surface in which first openings are formed, the first openings arranged in a first direction and communicating with individual channels; a second member disposed at one side in a second direction with respect to the first member, the second member having: a space extending in the first direction and communicating with the first openings; and a second opening disposed at the first side in the second direction with respect to the space and communicating with the space; and a third member disposed between the first member and the second member in the second direction and having a communicating hole extending in the first direction and allowing the first openings to communicate with the space. The third member has a wall dividing the communicating hole into partial holes separated from each other in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Sugiura, Shohei Koide, Keita Hirai, Hiroshi Katayama
  • Patent number: 11241882
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes: a first substrate having pressure chambers, the first substrate having a first surface in which nozzles communicating with the pressure chambers are open and a second surface in which first holes and second holes communicating with the pressure chambers are open; a piezoelectric actuator arranged on the second surface of the first substrate and configured to apply discharge energy to liquid inside the pressure chambers; a second substrate joined to the second surface of the first substrate and having first channels and second channels, the first channels communicating with the pressure chambers via the first holes, the second channels communicating with the pressure chambers via the second holes; first ring-shaped traces connected to the piezoelectric actuator and each surrounding one of the first holes; and second ring-shaped traces connected to the piezoelectric actuator and each surrounding one of the second holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keita Hirai
  • Patent number: 11235576
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a nozzle through which a liquid is ejected; a liquid transfer tube through which the liquid is transferred to the nozzle; and a vibration generation unit configured to generate vibration, in which the vibration generation unit is in contact with one of the liquid, the nozzle, and the liquid transfer tube, and when the liquid ejected from the nozzle flies as a plurality of droplets in a state where the vibration generation unit does not generate vibration, and the number of the droplets passing through a predetermined position in a unit time is defined as a droplet frequency, a frequency of the vibration generated by the vibration generation unit is equal to or less than the droplet frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventors: Hirokazu Sekino, Takeshi Seto, Hideki Kojima, Takahiro Matsuzaki, Yuji Saito
  • Patent number: 11230100
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharging head including a nozzle discharging a liquid; a chamber plate in which a plurality of pressure chambers are arranged side by side on a first surface side; and a flow path plate having a second surface formed with an opening of a communication flow path, wherein a first region of a partition wall between a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber adjacent to each other among the plurality of pressure chambers is constrained by being bonded to the second surface of the flow path plate, and a second region of the partition wall overlaps the opening of the communication flow path in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Takabe, Yoichi Naganuma, Shunya Fukuda, Shohei Mizuta
  • Patent number: 11225075
    Abstract: In a liquid ejection head, a substrate includes a first inflow port which is located on an upstream side of a pressure chamber in a flow direction of liquids in a liquid flow passage and allows a first liquid to flow into the liquid flow channel, a second inflow port which is located on the upstream side of the first inflow port and allows a second liquid to flow into the liquid flow passage, and a confluence wall provided between the first inflow port and the second inflow port and having a portion at a higher position than a surface of the substrate on a downstream side of the first inflow port in the flow direction. In the pressure chamber, the first liquid flows in contact with a pressure generating element and the second liquid flows closer to an ejection port than the first liquid does.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Akiko Hammura
  • Patent number: 11214064
    Abstract: In some examples, a fluidic die includes a substrate, a fluidic region comprising fluid chambers formed in a fluidic barrier layer supported by the substrate, fluidic actuators associated with the fluid chambers, electrical structures positioned away from the fluidic region, a metallic layer over the fluidic actuators, and an adherent barrier layer to adhere the metallic layer to the fluidic barrier layer. The adherent barrier layer includes a first adherent barrier layer portion comprising a dielectric layer and an adhesion layer, and a second adherent barrier layer portion comprising the adhesion layer and without the dielectric layer, the first adherent barrier layer portion formed over the electrical structures, and the second adherent barrier layer portion formed in the fluidic region, the adhesion layer of the second adherent barrier layer portion protruding into the fluid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Laurie A. Coventry, David R. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11207887
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a first flow path extending in a first axial direction between a supply port and a discharge port, and a nozzle that is provided to branch from the first flow path and that discharges a liquid along a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axial direction. The nozzle includes a first nozzle portion in which a first opening for discharging the liquid is formed and a second nozzle portion in which a second opening that is a coupling port with the first flow path is formed, and a diameter r2 of the second opening in the first axial direction is larger than a diameter r1 of the first opening in the first axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Taniuchi, Akira Miyagishi, Toshiro Murayama, Shotaro Tamai
  • Patent number: 11203204
    Abstract: Provided is an inkjet printing apparatus comprising: a print head that ejects ink; a tank that contains ink to be supplied to the print head; a floating body that floats on the liquid surface of the ink inside the tank; and an electrode pin that detects the level of the liquid surface inside the tank. The floating body includes an opening portion in which to insert the electrode pin, and a perimeter of the opening portion protrudes from a top surface side of the floating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Abe, Tsuyoshi Saeki