Patents by Inventor Eiji Kumai
Eiji Kumai 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: 20140285602Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head which discharges ink onto a recording medium; a heater which dries the ink discharged on the recording medium by the recording head without making contact with the recording medium; and a transport belt which supports the recording medium in a transportable manner in a position in which it is at least possible to dry a portion of the recording medium on which the ink is discharged using the heater. The transport belt includes a plurality of protruding portions, which can make contact with the recording medium, and a contact area between a contact portion of the protruding portion in relation to the recording medium, and the recording medium is 0.3 mm2 or less.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Tsuneyuki SASAKI, Eiji KUMAI, Yasuo NARAMATSU, Masahiro AKAMINE
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Publication number: 20140139600Abstract: A cutter device includes a cutter configured to cut a material to be cut; a carriage having a cutter and moving in a widthwise direction with respect to a feeding direction of the material to be cut; and a guide unit configured to guide the carriage in the widthwise direction and, assuming that the movement of the carriage when the cutter cuts the material to be cut is an outward route, a homeward route of the cutter of the carriage is different from the outward route of the cutter, and is shifted from the outward route toward one material to be cut which moves first in the direction away from the other material to be cut in the feeding direction immediately after the cutting from between the materials to be cut divided into two parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2014Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Norihiro YAMASHITA, Eiji KUMAI, Yuta TSUKADA, Shoji AKATSU
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Publication number: 20140111587Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a transportation unit that transports a recording medium having flexibility; a head unit that has a liquid droplet ejection head which ejects an ink onto the recording medium transported by operation of the transportation unit, and a carriage which supports the liquid droplet ejection head; a movement unit that moves the head unit in a direction orthogonal to a transportation direction of the recording medium with respect to the recording medium; and a warpage straightening member that straightens a warpage to disappear when the warpage in a degree to interfere with the head unit which is moved by operation of the movement unit, occurs in the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Shuichiro NAKANO, Eiji KUMAI, Tsuneyuki SASAKI
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Publication number: 20140111586Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: an apparatus main body that has a transportation unit which transports a recording medium and a liquid droplet ejection head which ejects an ink onto the recording medium; a curing unit that has a curing heater which heats and cures the ink on the recording medium; and a support mechanism that connects the apparatus main body and the curing unit, and displaceably supports the curing unit to be in an unfolded state and to be in a folded state where a depth which is the total length of the apparatus main body and the curing unit is shorter than that in the unfolded state in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the apparatus main body.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Eiji Kumai
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Patent number: 8678690Abstract: A cutter device includes a cutter configured to cut a material to be cut; a carriage having a cutter and moving in a widthwise direction with respect to a feeding direction of the material to be cut; and a guide unit configured to guide the carriage in the widthwise direction and, assuming that the movement of the carriage when the cutter cuts the material to be cut is an outward route, a homeward route of the cutter of the carriage is different from the outward route of the cutter, and is shifted from the outward route toward one material to be cut which moves first in the direction away from the other material to be cut in the feeding direction immediately after the cutting from between the materials to be cut divided into two parts.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Norihiro Yamashita, Eiji Kumai, Yuta Tsukada, Shoji Akatsu
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Publication number: 20130302077Abstract: A cutter device includes: a first cutter provided on a front surface side of a medium being fed to be cut; a second cutter that is provided on a back surface side opposite the front surface side and cuts the medium in cooperation with the first cutter; a carriage that retains the first and second cutters and moves in a width direction of the medium; a guide portion that guides the carriage in the width direction; and a post-cut guide portion that is provided on the carriage and comes into contact with the back surface to guide the medium on the downstream side of the first and second cutters in a medium feed direction after cutting to the front surface side.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Inventor: Eiji KUMAI
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Publication number: 20130277482Abstract: A recording medium after printing which is discharged from a main body of a printer is guided from the main body to a support surface of a discharge support portion extending to a lower anterior side, and is wound as a roll body by a winding unit in a path that passes a tension roller. A tape-shaped elastic member is fixed on an end portion of a downstream side in a transport direction of the discharge support portion so as to extend in a width direction. An elastic friction surface is formed on the end portion of the downstream side in the transport direction of the support surface. A friction coefficient between the elastic friction surface and the recording medium is higher than the friction coefficient between a portion at an upstream side in the transport direction from the elastic friction surface in the support surface and the recording medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2013Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yasuo NARAMATSU, Tsuneyuki SASAKI, Eiji KUMAI
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Publication number: 20130265364Abstract: A liquid removing device which removes liquid attached to an abutment section in a cap having the abutment section which is capable of abutting a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle ejecting the liquid onto a target, includes a transfer section which abuts the abutment section to transfer the liquid attached to the abutment section of the cap, wherein a contact angle between a surface of the transfer section and the liquid is smaller than a contact angle between a surface of the abutment section of the cap and the liquid.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2013Publication date: October 10, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Takayuki KAWAKAMI, Eiji KUMAI, Shuichiro NAKANO
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Publication number: 20130251435Abstract: A cutter device includes a cutter configured to cut a material to be cut; a carriage having a cutter and moving in a widthwise direction with respect to a feeding direction of the material to be cut; and a guide unit configured to guide the carriage in the widthwise direction and, assuming that the movement of the carriage when the cutter cuts the material to be cut is an outward route, a homeward route of the cutter of the carriage is different from the outward route of the cutter, and is shifted from the outward route toward one material to be cut which moves first in the direction away from the other material to be cut in the feeding direction immediately after the cutting from between the materials to be cut divided into two parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Norihiro YAMASHITA, Eiji KUMAI, Yuta TSUKADA, Shoji AKATSU
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Patent number: 8500350Abstract: A cutter device includes: a first cutter provided on a front surface side of a medium being fed to be cut; a second cutter that is provided on a back surface side opposite the front surface side and cuts the medium in cooperation with the first cutter; a carriage that retains the first and second cutters and moves in a width direction of the medium; a guide portion that guides the carriage in the width direction; and a post-cut guide portion that is provided on the carriage and comes into contact with the back surface to guide the medium on the downstream side of the first and second cutters in a medium feed direction after cutting to the front surface side.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2009Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Eiji Kumai
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Patent number: 8459887Abstract: A cutter device includes a cutter configured to cut a material to be cut; a carriage having a cutter and moving in a widthwise direction with respect to a feeding direction of the material to be cut; and a guide unit configured to guide the carriage in the widthwise direction and, assuming that the movement of the carriage when the cutter cuts the material to be cut is an outward route, a homeward route of the cutter of the carriage is different from the outward route of the cutter, and is shifted from the outward route toward one material to be cut which moves first in the direction away from the other material to be cut in the feeding direction immediately after the cutting from between the materials to be cut divided into two parts.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2009Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Norihiro Yamashita, Eiji Kumai, Yuta Tsukada, Shoji Akatsu
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Publication number: 20130052601Abstract: A transportation device includes a cover member that is displaceable between a closing position for closing an opening of a body case and an opening position for opening the opening, a processing unit that is arranged inside the body case, and performs a specified processing with respect to a medium transported to a working area communicating with the outside of the body case through the opening when the cover member is positioned at the opening position, and a transmitted unit that is positioned at a first position different from a position between the working area and the processing unit when the cover member is positioned at the closing position, and is positioned at a second position which is the position between the working area and the processing unit when the cover member is positioned at the opening position.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Eiji Kumai
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Patent number: 8016502Abstract: A cutter device includes a medium supporting surface that supports a recording medium being transported, and a cutter carriage that has a cutter blade for cutting the recording medium and that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium. An opening that forms a passage region for the cutter carriage is provided in the medium supporting surface so as to extend in the moving direction of the cutter carriage. The opening is provided with a cover capable of switching between a first state in which the cover covers the opening and forms part of the medium supporting surface and a second state in which the cover is retracted to form the passage region for the cutter carriage.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2009Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Shoji Akatsu, Eiji Kumai, Norihiro Yamashita, Yuta Tsukada
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Publication number: 20110052300Abstract: A cutting apparatus includes: a restricting member that is provided downstream of an ejector that ejects a recording target medium after recording processing, the restricting member restricting a position in height of the ejected recording target medium; and a cutting unit that is also provided downstream of the ejector and moves in a width direction, which is orthogonal to a direction of ejection of the recording target medium, to cut the recording target medium, wherein the restricting member moves between a first position that is located inside a path of movement of the cutting unit and a second position that is located outside the path of movement of the cutting unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2010Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Shoji AKATSU, Eiji KUMAI
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Publication number: 20090232577Abstract: A cutter device includes: a first cutter provided on a front surface side of a medium being fed to be cut; a second cutter that is provided on a back surface side opposite the front surface side and cuts the medium in cooperation with the first cutter; a carriage that retains the first and second cutters and moves in a width direction of the medium; a guide portion that guides the carriage in the width direction; and a post-cut guide portion that is provided on the carriage and comes into contact with the back surface to guide the medium on the downstream side of the first and second cutters in a medium feed direction after cutting to the front surface side.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2009Publication date: September 17, 2009Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Eiji KUMAI
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Publication number: 20090226236Abstract: A cutter device includes a cutter configured to cut a material to be cut; a carriage having a cutter and moving in a widthwise direction with respect to a feeding direction of the material to be cut; and a guide unit configured to guide the carriage in the widthwise direction and, assuming that the movement of the carriage when the cutter cuts the material to be cut is an outward route, a homeward route of the cutter of the carriage is different from the outward route of the cutter, and is shifted from the outward route toward one material to be cut which moves first in the direction away from the other material to be cut in the feeding direction immediately after the cutting from between the materials to be cut divided into two parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2009Publication date: September 10, 2009Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Norihiro YAMASHITA, Eiji KUMAI, Yuta TSUKADA, Shoji AKATSU
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Publication number: 20090196673Abstract: A cutter device includes a medium supporting surface that supports a recording medium being transported, and a cutter carriage that has a cutter blade for cutting the recording medium and that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium. An opening that forms a passage region for the cutter carriage is provided in the medium supporting surface so as to extend in the moving direction of the cutter carriage. The opening is provided with a cover capable of switching between a first state in which the cover covers the opening and forms part of the medium supporting surface and a second state in which the cover is retracted to form the passage region for the cutter carriage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2009Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Shoji AKATSU, Eiji KUMAI, Norihiro YAMASHITA, Yuta TSUKADA
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Patent number: 6183152Abstract: A printer having a paper handling mechanism that includes a paper feed roller pair located upstream of a recording head. The paper feed roller pair includes a roller having a roller axis and a follow-up roller having a follow-up roller axis. A line between the roller axis and the follow-up axis is inclined towards the recording head. A paper discharge roller pair located downstream. The paper discharge roller pair includes a discharge roller having a discharge roller axis and a discharge follow-up rolling having discharge follow-up roller axis. A line between the discharge roller axis and the discharge follow-up roller axis is inclined towards the recording head.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1998Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Eiji Kumai, Masatomo Kanamitsu, Tsuyoshi Tomii
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Patent number: 6158839Abstract: An ink jet printer in which hardened ink is readily and reliably removed from a nozzle plate. The ink jet printer includes a print head having a plural number of nozzle openings arrayed in the width direction of a recording paper, a head drive circuit for selectively outputting a first signal to cause a stream of ink droplets at a speed suitable for print and a second signal to cause ink to ooze through each nozzle opening, and a cleaning device with a rubbing function and which is usually positioned in a nonprinting region, but is movable in the longitudinal direction of the print head and with respect to a nozzle plate. In a cleaning mode, the cleaning device is operated while oozing ink from the nozzle openings. The hardened ink on the nozzle plate is dissolved by the oozing ink, and then removed therefrom through the rubbing and wiping operations of the cleaning device.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 1996Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Tohru Fukushima, Kenichi Kanbayashi, Eiji Kumai
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Patent number: 6113289Abstract: A printer is provided wherein printing can be executed continuously after the rear end of printing paper comes off a paper feeding roller without loss in print image quality. Specifically, the position of a point nipped by a paper ejecting roller is placed higher than the position of the top face of a record medium regulating part, and the surface of the paper located upstream of the paper ejecting roller is pressed downward. The position of the top face of the record medium regulating may be varied and backed up. As a result, the rear end of the paper being pressed downward may be caused not to touch the print head. The printer is also provided with a driving controller, that executes an interlace recording method, and the end on the upstream side of the flat top face of the record medium regulating part is located within a range of the array of dot formation elements.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1999Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kazuo Saito, Eiji Kumai, Masatomo Kanamitsu, Tsuyoshi Tomii