Patents by Inventor Hironori Maekawa
Hironori Maekawa 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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Patent number: 8465124Abstract: A carriage guide mechanism for a printer enables using plural rolling bearings to move a carriage along a guide shaft with no play or vibration. The carriage bearing units of the printer carriage guide mechanism have three rolling bearings each that hold the guide shaft from three directions. The outer ring of each rolling bearing makes line contact with the outer ring roller surfaces, which each face a different direction and are formed on the guide plate of the guide shaft, and contact therebetween is maintained by the urging force of a flat spring. Because chatter and vibration, particularly play and vibration around the center axis of the guide shaft, can be prevented when the carriage moves, a drop in print quality due to vibration of the printhead caused by carriage chatter or vibration can be reliably prevented.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2011Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yukihiro Hanaoka, Hironori Maekawa
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Patent number: 8459888Abstract: A paper cutting device comprising a fixed blade, a movable blade, a movable blade drive mechanism for moving the movable blade, wherein the movable blade and the fixed blade are disposed in substantially perpendicular positions.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Motoyoshi Shirotori, Hironori Maekawa
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Publication number: 20130107281Abstract: Characterized by having a printer cover that is attached to a main unit and opens and closes; a contact member that contacts or separates from an installation surface according to the state of the printer relative to an installation surface on which the printer is placed; and a preventing member that does not prevent the opening or closing operation of the printer cover when the contact member contacts the installation surface, and prevents the opening or closing operation of the printer cover when the contact member separates from the installation surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2012Publication date: May 2, 2013Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Masahiko Yamada
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Patent number: 8430504Abstract: A roll paper printer enables opening the cover and platen using a 4-part parallel linkage mechanism without interfering with the inkjet head. The cover unit for the roll paper compartment of the roll paper printer opens and closes by means of the parallel linkage mechanism. The back end part of the platen frame part of this linkage mechanism is connected to the top end part of the rear parallel links and so that the platen frame can move down.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2012Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Patent number: 8408542Abstract: A media processing device enables opening an openable unit so that the media transportation path is open with a minimal operation and little operating force. The media processing device has an openable unit that can rotate on a first pivot axis CL1 from a closed position to an open position; a lock member that can move to a locked position where it locks the openable unit in the closed position and an unlocked position where the lock is released; and an operating lever that can rotate on a second pivot axis CL2 through a range from a first pivot position passed a second pivot position to a third pivot position. A first cam mechanism converts rotation of the operating lever from the second pivot position to the third pivot position to rotation of the openable unit from the closed position to the open position.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hideki Furihata, Hironori Maekawa
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Patent number: 8382275Abstract: A printer is provided that can convey recording paper at a constant transportation speed and transportation amount passed a printing position by means of the transportation force of a single transportation roller pair located on the upstream side of the printing position. A roll paper printer has a vacuum type platen member opposite the ink nozzle surface of an inkjet head, and an upstream guide surface and a platen surface that defines the printing position are formed on the guide surface of the platen member. The upstream guide surface extends to a position near the nipping part of the single transportation roller pair on its upstream side. Because the recording paper fed from the nipping part toward the printing position is guided while being constrained by air suction to the upstream guide surface, deflection in the out-of-plane direction is suppressed and the recording paper is held flat.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2010Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Patent number: 8322845Abstract: Mechanism for producing vacuum pressure and air flow for drawing recording paper of various widths to the platen surface of a printer enables such pressure and air flow to be held in a suitable range without adjusting the suction. A first suction area of specified width is disposed width-wise in the middle of the platen surface that opposes the inkjet head of the printer, and second suction areas are disposed on the left and right sides of the first suction area, the front edge of which is offset from the front edge of the second suction areas. The first suction area is divided to form first chambers, each having a first suction hole that communicates with a vacuum channel. The second suction areas are segmented to form second chambers, some, but not all, of which are formed with second suction holes that are spaced from the first suction holes.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2012Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Shun Oya
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Publication number: 20120281050Abstract: The invention provides, as an aspect thereof, an inkjet printer that connects a vacuum fan on the printer case side and a vacuum platen on the cover side through a short vacuum path. The platen moves in conjunction with the cover of the roll paper compartment. The platen is a vacuum platen having vacuum regions, suction holes, and a platen-side air path on the platen side, and a vacuum fan and a vacuum duct that connects the vacuum fan to the suction unit of the platen on the printer case side. The vacuum duct is disconnected from the suction unit of the platen when the platen moves in conjunction with the cover, and the length of the vacuum duct can therefore be short, corresponding to the distance between the intake opening of the vacuum fan and the suction unit of the platen when the cover is closed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2011Publication date: November 8, 2012Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Shun Oya
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Publication number: 20120218354Abstract: A roll paper printer enables opening the cover and platen using a 4-part parallel linkage mechanism without interfering with the inkjet head. The cover unit for the roll paper compartment of the roll paper printer opens and closes by means of the parallel linkage mechanism. The back end part of the platen frame part of this linkage mechanism is connected to the top end part of the rear parallel links and so that the can move down.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Publication number: 20120218341Abstract: Mechanism for producing vacuum pressure and air flow for drawing recording paper of various widths to the platen surface of a printer enables such pressure and air flow to be held in a suitable range without adjusting the suction. A first suction area of specified width is disposed width-wise in the middle of the platen surface that opposes the inkjet head of the printer, and second suction areas are disposed on the left and right sides of the first suction area, the front edge of which is offset from the front edge of the second suction areas. The first suction area is divided to form first chambers, each having a first suction hole that communicates with a vacuum channel. The second suction areas are segmented to form second chambers, some, but not all, of which are formed with second suction holes that are spaced from the first suction holes.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Shun Oya
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Patent number: 8197060Abstract: A roll paper printer enables opening the cover and platen using a 4-part parallel linkage mechanism without interfering with the inkjet head. The cover unit for the roll paper compartment of the roll paper printer opens and closes by means of the parallel linkage mechanism. The back end part of the platen frame part of this linkage mechanism is connected to the top end part of the rear parallel links and so that the can move down.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2008Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Patent number: 8152296Abstract: Mechanism for producing vacuum pressure and air flow for drawing recording paper of various widths to the platen surface of a printer enables such pressure and air flow to be held in a suitable range without adjusting the suction. A first suction area with the same width as the minimum width of the recording paper is disposed width-wise in the middle of the platen surface that opposes the inkjet head of the printer, and second suction areas are disposed on the left and right sides of the first suction area. The first suction area is divided into a grid by intersecting ribs to form first chambers, each having a first suction hole formed in a bottom thereof that communicates with a vacuum channel. The second suction areas are also segmented to form second chambers. Second suction holes are selectively formed in some, but not all, of the second chambers and are appropriately spaced from the first suction holes.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2010Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Shun Oya
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Patent number: 8147155Abstract: A roll paper printer having a roll paper compartment in which roll paper is mounted so that it is freely rotatable inside the roll paper compartment with the compartment designed to prevent the roll paper from meandering from a given path of travel along which the paper roll is unwound. The design of the compartment prevents the edges of the paper from catching on steps between pairs of roll paper guides connected to or forming the sides of the roll paper compartment. Movable roll paper positioning plates 31 and 32 are urged toward each other by a tension spring 37 in the roll paper compartment 9 of the printer 1 located near the top of one pair of roll paper guides 28 and 29. The movable roll paper positioning plates 31 and 32 have roll paper positioning surfaces 31a and 32a which can contact the outside circumference part of the ends 10b and 10c of the roll paper 10.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2010Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Patent number: 8066368Abstract: The invention provides, as an aspect thereof, an inkjet printer that connects a vacuum fan on the printer case side and a vacuum platen on the cover side through a short vacuum path. The platen moves in conjunction with the cover of the roll paper compartment. The platen is a vacuum platen having vacuum regions, suction holes and a platen-side air path on the platen side, and a vacuum fan and a vacuum duct that connects the vacuum fan to the suction unit of the platen on the printer case side. The vacuum duct is disconnected from the suction unit of the platen when the platen moves in conjunction with the cover, and the length of the vacuum duct can therefore be short, corresponding to the distance between the intake opening of the vacuum fan and the suction unit of the platen when the cover is closed.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2008Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Shun Oya
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Publication number: 20110225891Abstract: A media processing device enables opening an openable unit so that the media transportation path is open with a minimal operation and little operating force. The media processing device has an openable unit that can rotate on a first pivot axis CL1 from a closed position to an open position; a lock member that can move to a locked position where it locks the openable unit in the closed position and an unlocked position where the lock is released; and an operating lever that can rotate on a second pivot axis CL2 through a range from a first pivot position passed a second pivot position to a third pivot position. A first cam mechanism converts rotation of the operating lever from the second pivot position to the third pivot position to rotation of the openable unit from the closed position to the open position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2011Publication date: September 22, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hideki Furihata, Hironori Maekawa
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Publication number: 20110205322Abstract: A printer is provided that can convey recording paper at a constant transportation speed and transportation amount passed a printing position by means of the transportation force of a single transportation roller pair located on the upstream side of the printing position. A roll paper printer has a vacuum type platen member opposite the ink nozzle surface of an inkjet head, and an upstream guide surface and a platen surface that defines the printing position are formed on the guide surface of the platen member. The upstream guide surface extends to a position near the nipping part of the single transportation roller pair on its upstream side. Because the recording paper fed from the nipping part toward the printing position is guided while being constrained by air suction to the upstream guide surface, deflection in the out-of-plane direction is suppressed and the recording paper is held flat.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Publication number: 20110181661Abstract: A carriage guide mechanism for a printer enables using plural rolling bearings to move a carriage along a guide shaft with no play or vibration. The carriage bearing units of the printer carriage guide mechanism have three rolling bearings each that hold the guide shaft from three directions. The outer ring of each rolling bearing makes line contact with the outer ring roller surfaces, which each face a different direction and are formed on the guide plate of the guide shaft, and contact therebetween is maintained by the urging force of a flat spring. Because chatter and vibration, particularly play and vibration around the center axis of the guide shaft, can be prevented when the carriage moves, a drop in print quality due to vibration of the printhead caused by carriage chatter or vibration can be reliably prevented.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2011Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Yukihiro Hanaoka, Hironori Maekawa
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Publication number: 20100247220Abstract: A roll paper printer having a roll paper compartment in which roll paper is mounted so that it is freely rotatable inside the roll paper compartment with the compartment designed to prevent the roll paper from meandering from a given path of travel along which the paper roll is unwound. The design of the compartment prevents the edges of the paper from catching on steps between pairs of roll paper guides connected to or forming the sides of the roll paper compartment. Movable roll paper positioning plates 31 and 32 are urged toward each other by a tension spring 37 in the roll paper compartment 9 of the printer 1 located near the top of one pair of roll paper guides 28 and 29. The movable roll paper positioning plates 31 and 32 have roll paper positioning surfaces 31a and 32a which can contact the outside circumference part of the ends 10b and 10c of the roll paper 10.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Hironori Maekawa
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Publication number: 20100220165Abstract: Mechanism for producing vacuum pressure and air flow for drawing recording paper of various widths to the platen surface of a printer enables such pressure and air flow to be held in a suitable range without adjusting the suction. A first suction area with the same width as the minimum width of the recording paper is disposed width-wise in the middle of the platen surface that opposes the inkjet head of the printer, and second suction areas are disposed on the left and right sides of the first suction area. The first suction area is divided into a grid by intersecting ribs to form first chambers, each having a first suction hole formed in a bottom thereof that communicates with a vacuum channel. The second suction areas are also segmented to form second chambers. Second suction holes are selectively formed in some, but not all, of the second chambers and are appropriately spaced from the first suction holes.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Hironori Maekawa, Shun Oya
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Publication number: 20100202819Abstract: A paper cutting device comprising a fixed blade, a movable blade, a movable blade drive mechanism for moving the movable blade, wherein the movable blade and the fixed blade are disposed in substantially perpendicular positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2010Publication date: August 12, 2010Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Motoyoshi Shirotori, Hironori Maekawa