Patents by Inventor Eiichiro Watanabe
Eiichiro Watanabe 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).
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Publication number: 20240100823Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a mode controller that controls execution of a first mode in which an operation of the liquid ejecting head is controlled under pressurization at first pressure by the pressurizing mechanism and depressurization at second pressure by the depressurizing mechanism and execution of a second mode in which the operation of the liquid ejecting head is controlled under pressurization at third pressure by the pressurizing mechanism and depressurization at fourth pressure by the depressurizing mechanism. To switch from the execution of the first mode to the execution of the second mode, the mode controller gradually changes, from the first pressure to the third pressure, pressure at which the pressurization operation is performed by the pressurizing mechanism, and gradually changes, from the second pressure to the fourth pressure, pressure at which the depressurization operation is performed by the depressurizing mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventor: Eiichiro WATANABE
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Publication number: 20240100843Abstract: An individual flow path that communicates with a nozzle, a supply side common liquid chamber for supplying ink to the nozzle, a recovery side common liquid chamber for recovering the ink not discharged from the nozzle, an inlet that communicates with the supply side common liquid chamber, an outlet that communicates with the recovery side common liquid chamber, a first bypass flow path, and a second bypass flow path are provided, in which the inlet and the outlet are disposed between the first bypass flow path and the second bypass flow path, and a flow path resistance of the first bypass flow path and a flow path resistance of the second bypass flow path are different from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventor: Eiichiro WATANABE
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Publication number: 20240025180Abstract: a first flow path communicating with the first common flow path; a second flow path communicating with the first common flow path at a position different from a position at which the first flow path communicates with the first common flow path; a third flow path communicating with the second common flow path; and a fourth flow path communicating with the second common flow path at a position different from a position at which the third flow path communicates with the second common flow path. In a first mode: through the first flow path, a liquid is supplied to the first common flow path; through the second flow path, the liquid is collected from the first common flow path; through the third flow path, the liquid is supplied to the second common flow path; and through the fourth flow path, the liquid is collected from the second common flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2023Publication date: January 25, 2024Inventor: Eiichiro WATANABE
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Patent number: 11850859Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes an ejection surface including head chips, and a first-positioning-portion and a second-positioning-portion disposed in a second-direction orthogonal to a first-direction with respect to the ejection surface and positioning a holding member, the liquid ejecting head has a first-edge and a second-edge separated from each other in the first-direction and extending along a third-direction parallel to the ejection surface and inclined with respect to the first-direction and the second-direction, and one end portion and the other end portion forming both end portions in the second-direction, and the first-positioning-portion does not overlap a virtual parallelogram having a first-virtual side contacting the first-edge and extending along the third-direction, a second-virtual side contacting the second-edge and extending along the third-direction, a third-virtual side contacting the one end portion and extending along the first-direction, and a fourth-virtual side contacting the otherType: GrantFiled: December 10, 2021Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Inventors: Hiroaki Okui, Eiichiro Watanabe, Shun Katsuie
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Patent number: 11845278Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes piezoelectric elements for ejecting liquid from nozzles, pressure chambers in communication with the nozzles, individual supply flow passages for supplying the liquid to the nozzles, individual collection flow passages for collecting the liquid not ejected from the nozzles, a diaphragm that defines a wall surface of the pressure chambers and deforms by driving the piezoelectric element, a flexible substrate having a drive circuit electrically coupled to the piezoelectric elements, and a heat release member that is either in contact with an surface of the flexible substrate that faces away from the drive circuit, or in contact with the drive circuit, and conducts heat of the drive circuit to the diaphragm. The heat release member is disposed closer to the individual supply flow passage than to the individual collection flow passage.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Inventors: Hiroaki Okui, Eiichiro Watanabe, Takahiro Kanegae, Kazuaki Uchida
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Patent number: 11840085Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a plurality of individual flow channels provided with nozzles; a common supply flow channel through which a liquid is supplied to the plurality of individual flow channels; a common discharge flow channel through which the liquid is discharged from the plurality of individual flow channels; and a bypass flow channel that bypasses the plurality of individual flow channels and causes the common supply flow channel and the common discharge flow channel to communicate with each other. A combined flow channel resistance of the bypass flow channel and the plurality of individual flow channels is greater than a flow channel resistance of the common supply flow channel and is greater than a flow channel resistance of the common discharge flow channel.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Eiichiro Watanabe, Hiroaki Okui
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Publication number: 20230391092Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a supply tank, a recovery tank, a supply flow path, a recovery flow path, a pressurizing mechanism pressurizing the inside of the supply tank, and a depressurizing mechanism depressurizing the inside of the recovery tank. A filling period, in which a filling process is performed to fill, with the liquid, a nozzle, the supply flow path, and the recovery flow path, includes a period that is after a meniscus is formed in the nozzle and before the liquid reaches the recovery flow path. In the period, the pressurizing and the depressurizing mechanisms are driven; and in the period, Pt_out>?|Pm| is satisfied, where Pm indicates a pressure at which the meniscus is broken and Pt_out indicates a pressure in the recovery tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Yu HASEGAWA, Eiichiro WATANABE, Masami OTA, Hiroaki OKUI
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Patent number: 11827016Abstract: The control section sets, as a first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during an ejection operation of ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting head. The control section sets, as a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during a recovery operation of recovering a state of the liquid ejecting head.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2022Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Eiichiro Watanabe, Hiroaki Okui
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Publication number: 20230373210Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes an introduction portion for introducing a gas supplied, a discharge portion for discharging the gas, and drive circuits provided in each of head chips, in which the drive circuits include a first drive circuit for driving the first head chip and a second drive circuit for driving the second head chip, a gas path through which the gas flows from the introduction portion to the discharge portion includes a first path coupled to the introduction portion, a second path coupled to the discharge portion, a first branch path coupling the first path and the second path, and a second branch path coupling the first path and the second path so as not to pass through the first branch path, the first drive circuit is disposed in the first branch path, and the second drive circuit is disposed in the second branch path.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2023Publication date: November 23, 2023Inventors: Yu HASEGAWA, Hiroaki OKUI, Eiichiro WATANABE, Yuma FUKUZAWA
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Patent number: 11806987Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle face; a filter; a downstream chamber that includes a first outlet and a second outlet for discharging the liquid, the downstream chamber being located downstream of the filter; a first flow passage that is in communication with the downstream chamber through the first outlet; a second flow passage that is in communication with the downstream chamber through the second outlet; and a common flow passage that is in communication with the first flow passage and the second flow passage, wherein, as viewed perpendicularly to the nozzle face, the first outlet is located at a position that is shifted from a center of the downstream chamber in a first direction, and the second outlet is located at a position that is shifted from the center of the downstream chamber in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2021Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Eiichiro Watanabe
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Publication number: 20230347641Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a circulation control section that controls a circulation operation of circulating the liquid in the first individual flow path, and a minute vibration control section that supplies a drive signal having a first waveform to the first piezoelectric element so as to control a minute vibration operation of causing the liquid in the first nozzle to vibrate to such a degree that the liquid is not ejected from the first nozzle. The circulation control section starts the circulation operation at a first time, and the minute vibration control section starts the minute vibration operation at a second time later than the first time.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Eiichiro WATANABE, Hiroaki OKUI, Yu HASEGAWA
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Publication number: 20230347645Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a circulation control section that controls a circulation operation of circulating the liquid in the first individual flow path, and a minute vibration control section that supplies a drive signal having a first waveform to the first piezoelectric element so as to control a minute vibration operation of causing the liquid in the first nozzle to vibrate to such a degree that the liquid is not ejected from the first nozzle. The circulation control section starts the circulation operation at a first time, and the minute vibration control section starts the minute vibration operation at a second time earlier than the first time.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Eiichiro WATANABE, Hiroaki OKUI, Yu HASEGAWA
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Patent number: 11787183Abstract: A head includes an upper surface opposite from an ejection surface; and an electrical coupling portion disposed at a first-end portion of the upper surface in a Y-direction, an outer shape of the upper surface has first and second edges separated from each other in an X-direction, a third-edge disposed at the first-end portion, and a fourth-edge disposed at a second-end portion opposite from the first-end portion in the Y-direction, along a V-direction, and when viewed in a normal direction, the upper surface is not overlapped with an acute-angled portion of a virtual parallelogram having a first-virtual side contacting the first-edge, a second-virtual side contacting the second-edge, a third-virtual side contacting the third-edge, and a fourth-virtual side contacting the fourth-edge, and projects beyond an obtuse-angled portion of the virtual parallelogram in the X-direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Inventors: Hiroaki Okui, Eiichiro Watanabe, Shun Katsuie
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Publication number: 20230294410Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a wiping member extending along a first axis; a head including a nozzle surface; and a movement mechanism configured to change a relative positional relationship between the wiping member and the head, and the printing apparatus executes a first wiping operation that changes a position of the head relative to the wiping member along a second axis intersecting the first axis, with the nozzle surface and a first wiping area of the wiping member in contact with each other, and a second wiping operation that changes the position of the head relative to the wiping member along the second axis, with the nozzle surface and a second wiping area of the wiping member in contact with each other, the second wiping area being located at a position different from a position of the first wiping area in a direction along the first axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2023Publication date: September 21, 2023Inventors: Masaru KUMAGAI, Shinichi NAKAMURA, Eiichiro WATANABE
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Patent number: 11752768Abstract: A liquid ejecting head that has substrates stacked, includes individual flow paths respectively communicating with nozzles, a supply common liquid chamber and a discharge common liquid chamber that communicate with the individual flow paths, and a bypass flow path coupling the supply common liquid chamber to the discharge common liquid chamber, in which the supply common liquid chamber and the discharge common liquid chamber are formed in the same layer among the substrates, and the bypass flow path has a portion formed in a layer different from the supply common liquid chamber and the discharge common liquid chamber, among the substrates.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2021Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Eiichiro Watanabe
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Publication number: 20230263839Abstract: A composition for suppressing trypsin activity is disclosed. The composition contains a bacterium belonging to a genus Paraprevotella as an active ingredient.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: RIKENInventors: Kenya HONDA, Seiko NARUSHIMA, Eiichiro WATANABE, Osamu OHARA, Yusuke KAWASHIMA, Youxian LI
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Publication number: 20230249466Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a first head disposed such that an arrangement angle is a first angle; a second head disposed such that an arrangement angle is a second angle, which is greater than the first angle; a first circulation mechanism circulating liquid between a first reservoir and the first head; a second circulation mechanism circulating liquid between a second reservoir and the second head; and a control unit controlling the first and the second circulation mechanisms. The control unit performs circulation cleaning, in which the liquid is circulated, on multiple heads including the first head and the second head. The amount of the liquid circulating through the first head during the circulation cleaning is a first amount, and the amount of the liquid circulating through the second head during the circulation cleaning is a second amount that is greater than the first amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2023Publication date: August 10, 2023Inventors: Hirokazu YANAGIHARA, Eiichiro WATANABE, Hiroaki OKUI
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Patent number: 11691445Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a holding member holding the liquid ejecting head, a fixing member including a head portion, an engaging portion, and a shaft portion that couples the head portion to the engaging portion, and an elastic member including a first opening into which the shaft portion is inserted. One of the liquid ejecting head and the holding member includes a second opening into which the shaft portion is inserted, and the other one of the liquid ejecting head and the holding member includes a first engaged portion to be engaged with the engaging portion. The liquid ejecting head is fixed to the holding member by the engaging portion being brought into engagement with the first engaged portion such that the first opening and the second opening are disposed between the head portion and the engaging portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2022Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Inventors: Hiroaki Okui, Eiichiro Watanabe
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Patent number: 11613122Abstract: A liquid ejecting head that has an ejection surface configured to eject a liquid includes a plurality of head chips that are long in a first direction. The plurality of head chips are arranged inside a virtual parallelogram including a first virtual side and a second virtual side that are in contact with at least one of the plurality of head chips and that extend in the first direction, and a third virtual side and a fourth virtual side that are in contact with at least one of the plurality of head chips and that extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the ejection surface is not overlapped with an acute-angled portion of the virtual parallelogram when the ejection surface is viewed in a normal direction of the ejection surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroaki Okui, Eiichiro Watanabe, Shun Katsuie
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Publication number: 20220363056Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a plurality of individual flow channels provided with nozzles; a common supply flow channel through which a liquid is supplied to the plurality of individual flow channels; a common discharge flow channel through which the liquid is discharged from the plurality of individual flow channels; and a bypass flow channel that bypasses the plurality of individual flow channels and causes the common supply flow channel and the common discharge flow channel to communicate with each other. A combined flow channel resistance of the bypass flow channel and the plurality of individual flow channels is greater than a flow channel resistance of the common supply flow channel and is greater than a flow channel resistance of the common discharge flow channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2022Publication date: November 17, 2022Inventors: Eiichiro WATANABE, Hiroaki OKUI