Patents by Inventor Akihiko Maruyama

Akihiko Maruyama 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: 11878534
    Abstract: A supply unit configured to which a liquid container is detachably attached includes a support member that extends along a guiding route crossing a vertical line and that includes a distal region in which a starting end of the guiding route is positioned and a proximal region in which a termination end of the guiding route is positioned, a pivot shaft that is arranged in the proximal region and that has an axis crossing both the vertical line and guiding route, and a liquid inlet that is arranged below the support member and that is configured to be coupled to the liquid container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Maruyama, Tomoyuki Miyazawa
  • Publication number: 20230339233
    Abstract: A supply unit in which a liquid container including a coupling portion is detachably mounted includes a liquid introducing portion to which the coupling portion of the liquid container is coupled, a pressing member configured to press the liquid container in an uncoupling direction, which is a direction opposite to a coupling direction, when a direction in which the liquid container is coupled to the liquid introducing portion is defined as the coupling direction, an engaging portion configured to engage with the liquid container when the liquid container is coupled to the liquid introducing portion, and a speed reduction portion configured to reduce, when engagement of the engaging portion with the liquid container is released, a moving speed of the liquid container moving in the uncoupling direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Seiya SATO, Seiji TOJO, Akihiko MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230117107
    Abstract: A tank unit includes a first inlet portion via which liquid supplied from a liquid container flows in, a first chamber configured to store the liquid that flows in via the first inlet portion, a first opening-to-atmosphere portion configured to open an inside of the first chamber to atmosphere, an outlet flow passage to which one end is connected to the first chamber, a second chamber connected to the other end of the outlet flow passage and configured to store the liquid supplied from the first chamber, a second opening-to-atmosphere portion configured to open an inside of the second chamber to atmosphere, and an on-off valve configured to open and close the outlet flow passage. The first inlet portion is connected to the first chamber via an opening portion at some midpoint in a vertical direction of the first chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Nanami HAGA, Yuta KOMATSU, Akihiko MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220169030
    Abstract: A supply unit configured to which a liquid container is detachably attached includes a support member that extends along a guiding route crossing a vertical line and that includes a distal region in which a starting end of the guiding route is positioned and a proximal region in which a termination end of the guiding route is positioned, a pivot shaft that is arranged in the proximal region and that has an axis crossing both the vertical line and guiding route, and a liquid inlet that is arranged below the support member and that is configured to be coupled to the liquid container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Akihiko MARUYAMA, Tomoyuki MIYAZAWA
  • Patent number: 10363753
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, and a supply device that supplies the liquid from a liquid supply source to the liquid ejecting head, the supply device including a first liquid supplying flow path that supplies the liquid, a pump that feeds the liquid, a second liquid supplying flow path having one end connected to an upstream connecting portion and the other end connected to a downstream connecting portion, a pressure control valve disposed in the second liquid supplying flow path, a buffer in which a volume of a storage chamber varies by displacement of a flexible member, and a pressure applying section that applies pressure to the flexible member from an outside of the storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Maruyama
  • Patent number: 10363742
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid from nozzles; a liquid supply path which includes a liquid chamber partly formed of a flexible member, and supplies liquid to the liquid ejecting head; and a flow path unit which includes a displacement detecting unit which detects a displacement of the flexible member, and the liquid chamber, in which the flexible member closes the liquid supply path by being displaced in a direction in which a volume of the liquid chamber is reduced due to a decrease in liquid in the liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Maruyama, Akihiro Toya
  • Publication number: 20180326739
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, and a supply device that supplies the liquid from a liquid supply source to the liquid ejecting head, the supply device including a first liquid supplying flow path that supplies the liquid, a pump that feeds the liquid, a second liquid supplying flow path having one end connected to an upstream connecting portion and the other end connected to a downstream connecting portion, a pressure control valve disposed in the second liquid supplying flow path, a buffer in which a volume of a storage chamber varies by displacement of a flexible member, and a pressure applying section that applies pressure to the flexible member from an outside of the storage chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventor: Akihiko MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20180056652
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid from nozzles; a liquid supply path which includes a liquid chamber partly formed of a flexible member, and supplies liquid to the liquid ejecting head; and a flow path unit which includes a displacement detecting unit which detects a displacement of the flexible member, and the liquid chamber, in which the flexible member closes the liquid supply path by being displaced in a direction in which a volume of the liquid chamber is reduced due to a decrease in liquid in the liquid chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Akihiko MARUYAMA, Akihiro TOYA
  • Publication number: 20170341405
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, supplied from a liquid supplier, toward a medium, an mounting portion on which the liquid supplier is removably mounted, and a supply channel that supplies the liquid from the mounting portion to the liquid ejecting head. The mounting portion has a frame forming an accommodating space capable of accommodating the liquid supplier, and the supply channel includes a portion disposed along the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventor: Akihiko MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 9315033
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a housing; a recording head that is provided inside the housing and records an image on paper by ejecting ink on the paper; a case that is attached to the housing in such a manner that the case can be separated from a side wall of the housing; and a first supply tube that supplies ink in a liquid container body contained in the case to the recording head. A through hole is provided in the side wall of the housing so as to allow the first supply tube to pass therethrough, and a through hole is provided in the case so as to allow the first supply tube to pass therethrough. The through hole in the case expands to be larger than the through hole in the side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Miyamoto, Satoshi Iwaya, Tokujiro Okuno, Akihiko Maruyama, Katsutomo Tsukahara
  • Patent number: 9315035
    Abstract: A liquid container retaining unit includes: a first urging member for generating, in relation to the insertion of a liquid container into the container retaining element, an urging force to urge the liquid container in a removal direction; a container retaining mechanism for releasing the liquid container from a restricted state by moving the liquid container retained in the restricted state in the insertion direction so that the urging force of the first urging member is capable of moving the liquid container in the removal direction; a second urging member for generating, when the liquid container is retained within the container retaining element in the restricted state, an urging force to urge so as to cause the first electrodes on the liquid container and the second electrodes on the container retaining element to abut against each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Maruyama, Yuji Aoki
  • Publication number: 20150258798
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a housing; a recording head that is provided inside the housing and records an image on paper by ejecting ink on the paper; a case that is attached to the housing in such a manner that the case can be separated from a side wall of the housing; and a first supply tube that supplies ink in a liquid container body contained in the case to the recording head. A through hole is provided in the side wall of the housing so as to allow the first supply tube to pass therethrough, and a through hole is provided in the case so as to allow the first supply tube to pass therethrough. The through hole in the case expands to be larger than the through hole in the side wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji MIYAMOTO, Satoshi IWAYA, Tokujiro OKUNO, Akihiko MARUYAMA, Katsutomo TSUKAHARA
  • Patent number: 9086063
    Abstract: A pump apparatus includes: a stationary shaft; a rotation-regulating member having a coil main body wound around the stationary shaft, the rotation-regulating member being permitted to rotate in a direction of loosening the coil main body and the rotation-regulating member being restrained from rotating in a direction of tightening the coil main body; a driven rotatable member that may rotate around the stationary shaft when a driving force of a driving source is transmitted; and a suction pump that has a rotary member driven together with rotation of the driven rotatable member and that performs a suction operation when the rotary member rotates. The suction pump is configured such that the rotation-regulating member rotates in the tightening direction of the coil main body when the driven rotatable member rotates in a direction opposite to a direction in which the driven rotatable member performs the suction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiya Sato, Akihiko Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8967767
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from nozzles; a liquid accommodation body having a liquid receiving surface configured to accommodate the liquid flushed from the nozzles; a pump that discharges the liquid; a liquid supply flow path that discharges the liquid discharged by the pump toward the liquid receiving surface in the liquid accommodation body; and a liquid discharge flow path that discharges the liquid from the liquid accommodation body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20140176650
    Abstract: A liquid container retaining unit includes: a first urging member for generating, in relation to the insertion of a liquid container into the container retaining element, an urging force to urge the liquid container in a removal direction; a container retaining mechanism for releasing the liquid container from a restricted state by moving the liquid container retained in the restricted state in the insertion direction so that the urging force of the first urging member is capable of moving the liquid container in the removal direction; a second urging member for generating, when the liquid container is retained within the container retaining element in the restricted state, an urging force to urge so as to cause the first electrodes on the liquid container and the second electrodes on the container retaining element to abut against each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko MARUYAMA, Yuji AOKI
  • Publication number: 20130241995
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from nozzles; a liquid accommodation body having a liquid receiving surface configured to accommodate the liquid flushed from the nozzles; a pump that discharges the liquid; a liquid supply flow path that discharges the liquid discharged by the pump toward the liquid receiving surface in the liquid accommodation body; and a liquid discharge flow path that discharges the liquid from the liquid accommodation body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiko MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 8408257
    Abstract: A liquid medicine dispensing device includes a rotary unit 12 which rotates while holding a plurality of original drug vials 100, and a conveyance mechanism that conveys a prescription bottle 110 in the horizontal direction on the underside of the rotary unit 12. Each of the original drug vials 100 is connected with a discharge nozzle 17 to which a discharge valve 26 is attached, and an air nozzle 29 connected with a pump and an atmospheric relief valve. When discharging liquid medicine, the prescription bottle 110 is conveyed in advance to a position that is directly below an original drug vial 100 required for dispensing. In that state, the original drug vial 100 is inverted by rotating the rotary unit 12 by 180 degrees, and the discharge valve 26 is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ono, Masanori Hamamoto, Yoshiyuki Kojo, Akihiko Maruyama, Hideaki Kubonoya
  • Patent number: 8172349
    Abstract: A fluid discharge device, a control method for a fluid discharge device, and an ink tank enable easy and accurate confirmation of the fluid usage history, such as how much fluid is left in the tank, on the user or device side without increasing the price. An inkjet printer that discharges ink from the inkjet head to print on recording paper has a cartridge loading unit in which a ink cartridge is loaded, an inkjet head that discharges ink drawn from the ink cartridge, a reader/writer that reads and writes an ink usage history about usage of ink in the ink cartridge to an IC chip substrate disposed to the ink cartridge, and a control unit that prints at least a part of the ink usage history written to the IC chip substrate to a printable part on the outside surface of the ink cartridge by the inkjet head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20120022797
    Abstract: There are provided a switching-device remaining lifetime diagnosis method and a switching-device remaining lifetime diagnosis apparatus, wherein as status amount history data, there are accumulated status amounts related to a deterioration status of a switching device, estimated based on measurement data obtained through measurement of performance characteristics of the switching device; based on the accumulated status amount history data, there are created a plurality of system data pieces in which the status amounts are arranged with the respective abscissas of an elapsed time during an operation period of the switching device, the number of operations of the switching device, an inoperative time of the switching device, and an accumulated operation time of the switching device; based on the created system data pieces, the remaining lifetime of the switching device is estimated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiko Maruyama, Yuko Maruyama, Katsuhiko Horinouchi
  • Patent number: 8040210
    Abstract: A switching contact, an electromagnetically operated electromagnet for driving the switching contact, and a drive power source device for driving the electromagnetically operated electromagnet. The electromagnetically operated electromagnet includes a movable core coupled to a movable contact of the switching contact, a fixed core located in a peripheral portion of the movable core, and coils wound around the movable core and the fixed core. Currents are supplied to the coils to drive the movable core. Capacitors store charges for supplying the current to the coils. Resistors are arranged in series with a path through which the capacitors are connected with the coils of the electromagnetically operated electromagnet and through which a current for closing operation flows. Capacitances of the capacitors and values of the resistors are controlled to adjust a supplied current characteristic to the electromagnetically operated electromagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tae Hyun Kim, Akihiko Maruyama, Tomotaka Yano