Patents by Inventor Akinari Ishibe

Akinari Ishibe 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: 11654705
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a main body. An ink containing unit is disposed in the main body and is configured to contain ink to be supplied. The ink containing unit includes an ink refill portion through which ink is refilled and an ink level display surface disposed on a side surface of the main body. The side surface has an opening through which a jammed sheet is removed and a first cover configured to cover the opening. The ink level display surface and the first cover are juxtaposed on the side surface in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinari Ishibe, Motohiro Momozaki
  • Patent number: 11597208
    Abstract: According to one aspect, the disclosure provides an image recording apparatus including a liquid supplying device. The liquid supplying device includes a tank, a cartridge, an atmospheric communication portion, and a recording portion. The tank has a second storage chamber configured to store liquid, a liquid passage in communication with the second storage chamber, and a gas passage in communication with the second storage chamber. The atmospheric communication portion includes a buffer tank defining a buffer chamber configured to store gas, a single communication flow passage allowing the buffer chamber to communicate with the second storage chamber, and an air communication passage allowing the buffer chamber to communicate with an atmosphere. When the cartridge is attached to the tank, the buffer chamber is positioned below the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber is positioned below the buffer chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Yoshinori Osakabe, Akinari Ishibe, Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11590760
    Abstract: A liquid supply apparatus includes a tank and a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the tank along an attachment and detachment direction crossing a vertical direction. The cartridge includes a first storing chamber configured to store liquid therein. The tank includes a second storing chamber configured to store liquid therein, a liquid channel and an air channel that communicate with the second storing chamber, and an air communication port allowing the second storing chamber to communicate with an outside thereof. When the cartridge is attached to the tank with the first storing chamber of the cartridge communicating with the liquid channel and the air channel of the tank, the first storing chamber has a portion located above the liquid channel and the air channel in the vertical direction, and the tank is located below a secondary-lower surface and faces a secondary-front surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinari Ishibe, Yoshinori Osakabe, Hiroaki Takahashi, Tatsuya Shindo
  • Publication number: 20230058199
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a housing, a circuit board including an electrode, and a liquid supply portion extending from the housing in a depth direction. The housing includes a top wall, and first and second protrusions protruding upward from the top wall. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned frontward relative to the circuit board. The first protrusion is higher than an upper edge of a front end of the second protrusion. No part of the liquid cartridge is positioned higher than an imaginary plane in a height direction in a region between a first point on the first protrusion and a second point on the second protrusion (the upper edge of the front end of the second protrusion) in the depth direction. The imaginary plane passes through the first and second points, and extends perpendicularly to the depth direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari ISHIBE
  • Patent number: 11584130
    Abstract: A system includes: a housing; a first tank; a second tank; a first reservoir configured to be connected to the first tank; a second reservoir configured to be connected to the second tank; and a liquid discharge head that ejects the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank. The housing includes: a front wall; a rear wall facing the front wall; and a housing side contact, the first reservoir and the second reservoir includes: a liquid flow hole; a first outer wall; and a second outer wall facing the first outer wall, the first tank includes a first flow pipe, and the second tank includes a second flow pipe. The system further includes a circuit board that is disposed on the second outer wall and has a reservoir side contact that contacts the housing side contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito Ono, Akinari Ishibe, Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 11577521
    Abstract: A liquid supplying device includes a tank a tank and a cartridge. The cartridge includes a first storage chamber. The cartridge is formed with a communicating opening in communication with the first storage chamber. The tank has a second storage chamber and a joint having a hollow cylindrical shape. In an attachment state where the communicating opening of the cartridge is connected to the joint, the first storage chamber has a portion positioned above the joint and the second storage chamber is positioned below the joint. At least in the first end portion, the liquid passage has a rectangular shape in a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to an extending direction of the liquid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Yoshinori Osakabe, Akinari Ishibe, Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11571907
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge attachment section includes: a cartridge body having a liquid storage chamber, and a liquid supply portion configured to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside. The liquid supply portion includes: a front end face facing frontward, an outer peripheral surface extending rearward from the front end face, and at least one guide provided at the outer peripheral surface. Each of the at least one guide is guided by corresponding at least one projection of the cartridge attachment section during attachment of a liquid supply tube of the cartridge attachment section to the liquid supply portion at a time of attachment of the liquid cartridge to the cartridge attachment section. Each of the at least one guide includes: a first guide portion, and a second guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito Ono, Akinari Ishibe
  • Publication number: 20230001702
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a housing including first and second protrusions; and a circuit board including an electrode. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned forward relative to the circuit board. When viewed in a width direction crossing a gravitational direction, an outline of the liquid cartridge between a first point and a second point is lower than an imaginary line. The imaginary line passes through the first point on the first protrusion and the second point on the second protrusion. A distance between a front edge of the electrode and the first point is smaller than a distance between the front edge and the second point. A dimension between a front end and a rear end of the second protrusion is greater than a distance between a frontmost end of the housing and the front end of the second protrusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20220371326
    Abstract: A monochrome inkjet printer used only for monochrome recording includes a first ink reservoir configured to accommodate dye ink, a first recording head communicating with the first ink reservoir and configured to record an image using the dye ink, a second ink reservoir configured to accommodate pigment ink, and a second recording head communicating with the second ink reservoir and configured to record an image using the pigment ink. At least one of the first ink reservoir and the second ink reservoir includes an ink injection port compatible with an ink bottle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akinari ISHIBE, Yoshinori OSAKABE
  • Publication number: 20220363068
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a housing; a circuit board including an electrode; and an ink supply portion extending from the housing in a depth direction. The housing includes: an cover; and a base provided with a plurality of engaging pawls. The cover includes: a top wall; a peripheral wall formed with a plurality of engaging holes for engagement with the engaging pawls; a support portion supporting the circuit board; a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding from the top wall. The plurality of engaging holes is open in a width direction and includes a first engaging hole and a second engaging hole spaced away from each other in the depth direction. A front end of the second protrusion is positioned further frontward than a foremost edge of the first engaging hole that is positioned foremost in the depth direction among the plurality of engaging holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20220314630
    Abstract: A base board includes a board and a controller mounted on the board. A controller is configured to receive signals outputted from a first sensor and a second sensor. A recording head, a case, the first sensor, a maintenance unit, a waste liquid container, the second sensor, and the base board are arranged in an internal space of a housing. The base board has a flat surface extending in a first horizontal direction and in a second horizontal direction. A range occupied by the base board in a vertical direction overlaps each of a range occupied by the first sensor in the vertical direction and a range occupied by the second sensor in the vertical direction. The second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The vertical direction is perpendicular to both the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Hideaki YOSHIMUNE, Hikaru TAMURA, Akinari ISHIBE
  • Patent number: 11453220
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a housing, a circuit board including an electrode, and a liquid supply portion extending from the housing in a depth direction. The housing includes a top wall, and first and second protrusions protruding upward from the top wall. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned frontward relative to the circuit board. The first protrusion is higher than an upper edge of a front end of the second protrusion. No part of the liquid cartridge is positioned higher than an imaginary plane in a height direction in a region between a first point on the first protrusion and a second point on the second protrusion (the upper edge of the front end of the second protrusion) in the depth direction. The imaginary plane passes through the first and second points, and extends perpendicularly to the depth direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari Ishibe
  • Publication number: 20220274410
    Abstract: An ink injection cylinder includes a first flow path tube and a second flow path tube extending in a longitudinal direction. The first flow path tube has a first opening on one side in the longitudinal direction, a second opening on another side in the longitudinal direction, and a first flow path formed between the first and second openings. The second flow path tube has a third opening on the one side in the longitudinal direction, a fourth opening on the other side in the longitudinal direction, and a second flow path formed between the third and fourth openings. At least one of a first virtual plane including at least a portion of an end surface of the second opening and a second virtual plane including at least a portion of an end surface of the fourth opening intersects with a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori OSAKABE, Naoya OKAZAKI, Satoshi MIYASE, Hikaru TAMURA, Akinari ISHIBE, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Taichi SHIRONO, Tsuyoshi KUWAYAMA, Masahiro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11364723
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a housing including first and second protrusions; and a circuit board including an electrode. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned forward relative to the circuit board. When viewed in a width direction crossing a gravitational direction, an outline of the liquid cartridge between a first point and a second point is lower than an imaginary line. The imaginary line passes through the first point on the first protrusion and the second point on the second protrusion. A distance between a front edge of the electrode and the first point is smaller than a distance between the front edge and the second point. A dimension between a front end and a rear end of the second protrusion is greater than a distance between a frontmost end of the housing and the front end of the second protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari Ishibe
  • Patent number: 11345160
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a housing; a circuit board including an electrode; and an ink supply portion extending from the housing in a depth direction. The housing includes: an cover; and a base provided with a plurality of engaging pawls. The cover includes: a top wall; a peripheral wall formed with a plurality of engaging holes for engagement with the engaging pawls; a support portion supporting the circuit board; a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding from the top wall. The plurality of engaging holes is open in a width direction and includes a first engaging hole and a second engaging hole spaced away from each other in the depth direction. A front end of the second protrusion is positioned further frontward than a foremost edge of the first engaging hole that is positioned foremost in the depth direction among the plurality of engaging holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari Ishibe
  • Publication number: 20220144566
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a support surface configured to support a sheet, a sheet feeding roller configured to feed the sheet in a conveying direction, a separation member for separating the sheet one by one and positioned downstream of the sheet feeding roller in the conveying direction, and a regulating member displaceable between a first position where the regulating member abuts against a distal end of the sheet supported by the support surface to regulate passage of the sheet in the conveying direction between the sheet feeding roller and the separation member and a second position that is farther from a conveyance path than the first position and that allows passage of the sheet in the conveying direction. The regulating member has a wall surface that abuts against the distal end of the sheet and includes at least one protrusion on the wall surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tianjin XIE, Akinari ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20220144570
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a tray, a device body having a conveying route of a sheet and supporting the tray, a side guide supported by the tray to be movable in a first direction intersecting with a conveying direction of the sheet and contacting an end portion in the first direction of the sheet placed on the tray, a cover rotatable with respect to the device body and covering the conveying route, and a lock lever locking the cover to the device body and provided in a position overlapping the side guide in a second direction intersecting with the conveying direction and the first direction. The lock lever is rotatable between a lock position where the cover is locked and a release position where the cover is released. The side guide includes a first notched portion facing a rotation track of the lock lever with a gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinari ISHIBE, Hideaki YOSHIMUNE, Hikaru TAMURA
  • Publication number: 20220063286
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge attachment section includes: a cartridge body having a liquid storage chamber, and a liquid supply portion configured to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside. The liquid supply portion includes: a front end face facing frontward, an outer peripheral surface extending rearward from the front end face, and at least one guide provided at the outer peripheral surface. Each of the at least one guide is guided by corresponding at least one projection of the cartridge attachment section during attachment of a liquid supply tube of the cartridge attachment section to the liquid supply portion at a time of attachment of the liquid cartridge to the cartridge attachment section. Each of the at least one guide includes: a first guide portion, and a second guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito ONO, Akinari ISHIBE
  • Publication number: 20220040987
    Abstract: A liquid supplying device includes a tank and a cartridge. The cartridge is configured to be detachably attached to the tank in an attachment-detachment direction crossing a vertical direction. The cartridge includes a first storage chamber. The tank includes a second storage chamber, a liquid passage, and a gas passage. The liquid passage has a first end, a second end, and a first extending portion. The second end is formed with a second opening open to an atmosphere. The first extending portion extends from the second opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The gas passage has a third end, a fourth end, and a second extending portion. The fourth end is formed with a fourth opening open to the atmosphere. The second extending portion extends from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The second opening is at a position different from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Yoshinori OSAKABE, Akinari ISHIBE, Tatsuya SHINDO, Masahiro HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220040998
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a main body. An ink containing unit is disposed in the main body and is configured to contain ink to be supplied. The ink containing unit includes an ink refill portion through which ink is refilled and an ink level display surface disposed on a side surface of the main body. The side surface has an opening through which a jammed sheet is removed and a first cover configured to cover the opening. The ink level display surface and the first cover are juxtaposed on the side surface in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinari ISHIBE, Motohiro MOMOZAKI