Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Sekino
Hirokazu Sekino 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: 20150073454Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a liquid chamber with a variable inside volume; a volume varying unit which varies the volume inside the liquid chamber according to a drive signal; a volume changing unit which changes a representative volume of the liquid chamber; an ejection tube having an ejection port for ejecting a liquid from the liquid chamber; and a control unit which controls the volume varying unit and the volume changing unit and thereby adjusts pressure inside the liquid chamber. The control unit changes the representative volume according to a moving speed of the ejection port.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Kazuaki UCHIDA, Atsuya HIRABAYASHI, Hirokazu SEKINO
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Publication number: 20150073455Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting mechanism which is provided with a liquid chamber and a volume fluctuation portion that fluctuates a volume within the liquid chamber, a liquid supply portion that supplies a liquid to the liquid chamber, and a control portion that controls the volume fluctuation portion and the liquid supply portion. The control portion changes at least one of a voltage applied to the volume fluctuation portion and a flow rate of a liquid supplied to the liquid chamber in accordance with a movement velocity of the liquid ejecting mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Kazuaki UCHIDA, Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO, Takeshi SETO
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Publication number: 20150073450Abstract: A liquid injection device includes a liquid injection mechanism including a liquid chamber and an air bubble generation unit provided in the liquid chamber and generating air bubbles, and a control unit that changes a drive signal for driving the air bubble generation unit in response to a movement speed of the liquid injection mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Kazuaki UCHIDA, Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO, Takeshi SETO
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Publication number: 20150041348Abstract: A medical instrument holding apparatus (stand) that holds a medical instrument having a functional unit, includes: an instrument housing unit capable of housing at least a part of the instrument; and a coordination unit which coordinates with the functional unit when at least apart of the instrument is housed in the instrument housing unit. Thus, as the medical instrument is housed in this medical instrument holding apparatus, coordination between the two is possible.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2014Publication date: February 12, 2015Inventors: Hirokazu SEKINO, Atsuya HIRABAYASHI, Daisuke KAWAKAMI
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Patent number: 8919664Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: an inflow channel to which liquid is supplied; an outflow channel communicated with a nozzle; a liquid chamber formed with a spiral flow channel having a substantially constant cross-sectional area between the inflow channel and the outflow channel and having a given volume; a volume changing portion configured to deform the liquid chamber so as to change the volume of the liquid chamber to a volume smaller than the given volume; and an ejection control unit configured to cause the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle in a pulsed manner by driving the volume changing portion in a state in which the liquid chamber is filled with the liquid.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takeshi Seto, Hirokazu Sekino, Kazuaki Uchida, Kazuo Kawasumi
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Publication number: 20140316452Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a liquid chamber, a volume varying unit, a liquid supplying unit, and a control unit. An interior volume of the liquid chamber can be varied. The volume varying unit varies the volume in the liquid chamber. The liquid supplying unit supplies liquid to the liquid chamber. The control unit controls the volume varying unit and the liquid supplying unit to thereby adjust the pressure in the liquid chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hirokazu SEKINO, Hideki KOJIMA, Kazuaki UCHIDA
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Publication number: 20140309674Abstract: A liquid ejection device that ejects a liquid from an ejection opening includes: an actuator that is stored in a storage container and pressurizes the liquid supplied from outside; an inlet channel that has a curved shape and is connected to a first surface of the actuator, and supplies the liquid to the actuator; and an outlet channel that is connected to the first surface of the actuator and causes the liquid to flow out from the actuator to the ejection opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2014Publication date: October 16, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hirokazu SEKINO, Hideki KOJIMA, Takeshi SETO
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Publication number: 20140296891Abstract: A fluid ejection device which ejects a fluid includes: an ejection tube containing a conductive material and having an opening for the fluid; a fluid chamber communicating with the ejection tube; an actuator which operates on receiving supply of electric energy, thereby changing pressure of the fluid in the fluid chamber; and an insulating member which is made of an insulating material and electrically insulates a member forming the fluid chamber and the ejection tube from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO
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Publication number: 20140296894Abstract: A liquid ejection device ejecting a liquid includes: an ejection tube that has an ejection port ejecting the liquid; an actuator that communicates with the ejection tube and applies pulsation to the liquid that is flowed into and then supplies the liquid to the ejection tube; a casing that includes the ejection tube and accommodates the actuator on an inside thereof; a suction channel that is provided in the casing and is capable of sucking the liquid around the ejection port; and a suction adjustment mechanism that has an operation section for adjusting a degree of the suction of the suction channel, in which the operation section is provided in a position near the ejection port from the actuator of the casing.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO, Takeshi SETO
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Publication number: 20140296895Abstract: A fluid ejection device which ejects a fluid includes: an ejection tube which ejects the fluid; a fluid chamber which communicates with the ejection tube; a piezoelectric element capable of changing a volume of the fluid chamber; a controller which controls a drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element; and a fluid supplying unit which supplies the fluid to the fluid chamber at a predetermined flow rate. If a maximum frequency available to be set of the drive voltage is fmax [Hz] and an amount of change in the volume of the fluid chamber when a maximum value available to be set of the drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element to drive the piezoelectric element is V1 [ml], the fluid supplying unit supplies the fluid at the predetermined flow rate above V1Ă—fmax [ml/s].Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO
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Publication number: 20140296893Abstract: A liquid ejection device ejecting a liquid in a pulsed manner, includes: an ejection channel that includes an ejection port ejecting the liquid; an actuator that transports pulsed flow to the ejection channel by pressurizing the liquid supplied from outside; a suction channel that includes a suction port capable of sucking the liquid; and a storage container that accommodates a part of the suction channel and the actuator, and in which the ejection channel extends from one end thereof, in which the ejection channel is disposed near the suction channel on a side of the ejection port and is separated from the suction channel by being curved in the storage container, and in which the suction channel is a linear shape or a curved shape having a curvature that is less than that of a curve of the ejection channel in a portion in which the ejection channel is separated.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO
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Publication number: 20140277023Abstract: A fluid ejection device for ejecting fluid includes an ejection tube including an opening to eject the fluid, a pulsation applying part which communicates with the ejection tube and applies pulsation to the fluid, a supply flow path to supply the fluid to the pulsation applying part, and a cooling part to cool the fluid in the supply flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hirokazu SEKINO, Atsuya HIRABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20130310862Abstract: Liquid is ejected in a pulse-like manner from a nozzle provided at the distal end of a liquid ejection pipe. When the liquid is ejected, moving speed of the nozzle is detected. A driving frequency of a piezoelectric element is increased when the moving speed increase. The driving frequency is reduced when the moving speed decreases. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the number of times the liquid is ejected per unit length from changing according to the moving speed of the nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to excise a biological tissue at stable excision depth.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2013Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takeshi SETO, Kazuaki UCHIDA, Hideki KOJIMA, Hirokazu SEKINO
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Publication number: 20130304104Abstract: A liquid injection device includes: a chamber which supply of the liquid and connects with the injection nozzle; a chamber volume varying unit to which driving voltage is applied to reduce the volume of the chamber to a volume smaller than the volume of the chamber before the driving voltage is applied; a driving voltage applying unit which applies the driving voltage to the chamber volume varying unit with the liquid supplied to the chamber; a pseudo noise data memory unit which stores sound data of pseudo noise having audible frequency components contained in driving noise generated when the driving voltage is applied to the chamber volume varying unit; and a pseudo noise outputting unit which outputs the pseudo noise by using the sound data of the pseudo noise such that the sound pressure of the driving noise decreases within the audible frequency range when the driving voltage is applied.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hirokazu SEKINO, Takeshi SETO, Hideki KOJIMA, Takahiro MATSUZAKI
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Patent number: 8493222Abstract: A liquid injection device includes: a chamber which supply of the liquid and connects with the injection nozzle; a chamber volume varying unit to which driving voltage is applied to reduce the volume of the chamber to a volume smaller than the volume of the chamber before the driving voltage is applied; a driving voltage applying unit which applies the driving voltage to the chamber volume varying unit with the liquid supplied to the chamber; a pseudo noise data memory unit which stores sound data of pseudo noise having audible frequency components contained in driving noise generated when the driving voltage is applied to the chamber volume varying unit; and a pseudo noise outputting unit which outputs the pseudo noise by using the sound data of the pseudo noise such that the sound pressure of the driving noise decreases within the audible frequency range when the driving voltage is applied.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hirokazu Sekino, Takeshi Seto, Hideki Kojima, Takahiro Matsuzaki
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Publication number: 20130096601Abstract: A liquid injection device includes an injection unit which injects a liquid, a liquid supply instrument which supplies the liquid to the injection unit, and a control unit which controls operation of the injection unit and the liquid supply instrument, wherein the injection unit includes a distal end portion where a nozzle for injecting the liquid is formed, and a body portion in which the distal end portion is removably loaded, at the distal end portion, a distal end-side memory is provided in which first startup data is written, and the control unit is a control unit which reads and writes the first startup data from and to the distal end-side memory in the distal end portion loaded in the body portion and manages use time of the distal end portion based on the first startup data that is read out.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: April 18, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Tsunemori ASAHI, Hirokazu SEKINO
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Publication number: 20120181352Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: an inflow channel to which liquid is supplied; an outflow channel communicated with a nozzle; a liquid chamber formed with a spiral flow channel having a substantially constant cross-sectional area between the inflow channel and the outflow channel and having a given volume; a volume changing portion configured to deform the liquid chamber so as to change the volume of the liquid chamber to a volume smaller than the given volume; and an ejection control unit configured to cause the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle in a pulsed manner by driving the volume changing portion in a state in which the liquid chamber is filled with the liquid.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2012Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Takeshi Seto, Hirokazu Sekino, Kazuaki Uchida, Kazuo Kawasumi
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Patent number: 8126171Abstract: An electrostatic ultrasonic transducer includes a first electrode that has through-holes, a second electrode that has through-holes, and a vibrating membrane that is disposed such that the through-holes of the first electrode and the through-holes of the second electrode form a pair, interposed between a pair of electrodes composed of the first electrode and the second electrode, and having a conductive layer applied with a direct current bias voltage. The first electrode and the second electrode each have counter electrode portions that are formed in the through-holes to face the vibrating membrane, and a modulated wave, which is obtained by modulating a carrier wave in an ultrasonic frequency band with a signal wave in an audible frequency band, is applied between the pair of electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2007Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hirokazu Sekino, Kinya Matsuzawa, Hideki Kojima
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Patent number: 8045735Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes: a pair of fixed electrodes including a conductive member; a vibrating film having a conductive layer; and a member which holds the pair of fixed electrodes and the vibrating film. The vibrating film is formed of nonconductive bodies and has an electrode layer formed of a conductive material. The electrode layer is applied with a DC bias voltage of a single polarity by a DC bias supply, and is also applied with an AC signal output from a signal source superimposed on the DC bias voltage. The pair of fixed electrodes have a plurality of holes of the same number at positions facing each other via the vibrating film, and an AC signal is applied between the conductive members of the pair of fixed electrodes by the signal source.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2005Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kinya Matsuzawa, Hirokazu Sekino, Yoshiki Fukui, Shinichi Miyazaki
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Publication number: 20110238098Abstract: A liquid injection device includes: a chamber which supply of the liquid and connects with the injection nozzle; a chamber volume varying unit to which driving voltage is applied to reduce the volume of the chamber to a volume smaller than the volume of the chamber before the driving voltage is applied; a driving voltage applying unit which applies the driving voltage to the chamber volume varying unit with the liquid supplied to the chamber; a pseudo noise data memory unit which stores sound data of pseudo noise having audible frequency components contained in driving noise generated when the driving voltage is applied to the chamber volume varying unit; and a pseudo noise outputting unit which outputs the pseudo noise by using the sound data of the pseudo noise such that the sound pressure of the driving noise decreases within the audible frequency range when the driving voltage is applied.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hirokazu SEKINO, Takeshi SETO, Hideki KOJIMA, Takahiro MATSUZAKI