Patents by Inventor Katsuhiro Okubo

Katsuhiro Okubo 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: 9592663
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid through a nozzle formed in a nozzle surface, and a holding member to which the liquid ejecting head is attached. Further, in the liquid ejecting head unit, the holding member includes a holder that supports the liquid ejecting head in a predetermine direction which is different from a direction of the nozzle surface of the liquid ejecting head, and a base portion that sticks out from the holder to a side which is parallel to the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishii, Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo, Hiroyuki Hagiwara
  • Publication number: 20170008284
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a first flow path member with a first flow path and a second flow path member with a second flow path which is stacked on the first flow path member. A seal member connects the first and second flow paths and has a first seal part and a second seal part. The first flow path member applies a force to the first seal part in a stacking direction of the first and second flow path members. The second flow path member applies a force to the second seal part in a direction from the center of the second flow path to the outside and normal to the stacking direction. A retaining part controls expansion of the seal member in the normal direction with a control part. A drive element ejects liquid supplied through the first and the second flow paths through nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: Katsuhiro OKUBO
  • Publication number: 20170008291
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes: a fixing plate provided with a plurality of openings; a plurality of heads, each of which is provided for each of the openings; and a channel holder that is provided with a plurality of channels and that accommodates the plurality of heads in cooperation with the fixing plate. Each of heads has a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle row having a plurality of nozzles. The head is fixed to a first surface of the fixing plate. An ejection surface is defined by a second surface of the fixing plate and the nozzle plate. The fixing plate has a plurality of sets, each of which has the plurality of openings. Only a part of the openings constituting each of the sets are disposed to be overlapped in a second direction, and the openings are disposed not to be overlapped in a first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroshige OWAKI, Katsuhiro OKUBO, Takahiro KANEGAE
  • Publication number: 20160311224
    Abstract: A wall-shaped enclosure that forms a space which can accommodate a head chip is formed in a projecting manner at a lower end of a lower case member. Since a cylindrical thick part is formed at the lower end of the lower case member, the lower case member is unlikely to be bent, particularly around the wall-shaped enclosure and a part where the wall-shaped enclosure is disposed. The head chip that is disposed in the space of the lower case member which is unlikely to be bent is unlikely to be subjected to an external force, and the cover member absorbs torsion generated between the head chip and the lower case member so that the head chip is even more unlikely to be subjected to the external force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Shunsuke WATANABE, Katsumi ENOMOTO, Ryota KINOSHITA, Hiroyuki ISHII, Hiroshige OWAKI, Takahiro KANEGAE, Katsuhiro OKUBO
  • Patent number: 9475292
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes generating chambers communicating with nozzles, a manifold communicating with the pressure generating chambers, a flexible member that has a compliance region, which is able to perform deflection in response to pressure fluctuation in the manifold, a compliance space disposed on a side opposite to the manifold through the flexible member, a cap member facing the flexible member through the compliance space; a frame-like member disposed between the flexible member and the cap member, and an island-like member to be disposed in the compliance region and separated from the frame-like member. One surface of the frame-like member faces the flexible member and the other surface faces the cap member. In a direction in which the flexible member and the cap member face each other, the island-like member is thinner in thickness than the frame-like member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Kanegae, Katsuhiro Okubo, Hiroshige Owaki, Takashi Kato
  • Publication number: 20160229187
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes generating chambers communicating with nozzles, a manifold communicating with the pressure generating chambers, a flexible member that has a compliance region, which is able to perform deflection in response to pressure fluctuation in the manifold, a compliance space disposed on a side opposite to the manifold through the flexible member, a cap member facing the flexible member through the compliance space; a frame-like member disposed between the flexible member and the cap member, and an island-like member to be disposed in the compliance region and separated from the frame-like member. One surface of the frame-like member faces the flexible member and the other surface faces the cap member. In a direction in which the flexible member and the cap member face each other, the island-like member is thinner in thickness than the frame-like member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Takahiro KANEGAE, Katsuhiro OKUBO, Hiroshige OWAKI, Takashi KATO
  • Patent number: 9409392
    Abstract: A wall-shaped enclosure that forms a space which can accommodate a head chip is formed in a projecting manner at a lower end of a lower case member. Since a cylindrical thick part is formed at the lower end of the lower case member, the lower case member is unlikely to be bent, particularly around the wall-shaped enclosure and a part where the wall-shaped enclosure is disposed. The head chip that is disposed in the space of the lower case member which is unlikely to be bent is unlikely to be subjected to an external force, and the cover member absorbs torsion generated between the head chip and the lower case member so that the head chip is even more unlikely to be subjected to the external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Watanabe, Katsumi Enomoto, Ryota Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Ishii, Hiroshige Owaki, Takahiro Kanegae, Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9290004
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a head body configured to eject liquid, a flow path member including a liquid flow path for supplying the liquid to the head body, and a circuit substrate held by the flow path member and including a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature. The flow path member includes a detection region, which has a thermal resistance lower than a thermal resistance of other regions and which is provided in a part of a partition wall that partitions the liquid flow path. The circuit substrate is fixed to the flow path member in a state in which the temperature detection unit faces the detection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo, Haruhisa Uezawa
  • Patent number: 9174443
    Abstract: A cover member is fixed to a head chip in an area in the vicinity of a nozzle plate but does not constitute a communication path, and thus causes no liquid leakage. The head chip discharges droplets of a discharge liquid that is supplied via the communication path which is formed from nozzles thereof without depending on the cover member. A surface of the nozzle plate is positioned on a side further apart from a printing medium than from a surface of the cover member and is surrounded. As a result, abutting of the printing medium against a side surface of the nozzle plate is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Watanabe, Katsumi Enomoto, Ryota Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Ishii, Hiroshige Owaki, Takahiro Kanegae, Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9150021
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes: a liquid ejecting head that has a fixing face to be used for attachment and that ejects a liquid from a nozzle; a head fixing member that has stiffness higher than that of the fixing face and that is secured to the fixing face on the liquid ejecting head; and a support member that has an attachment face to which the liquid ejecting head is attached through the head fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishii, Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9120313
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a plurality of liquid ejecting heads each having a liquid ejecting surface provided with a nozzle row in which nozzle openings through which liquid is discharged are aligned in a first direction, and a holding member having a holder to which the liquid ejecting head is attached. Further, in the above liquid ejecting head unit, a positioning reference that specifies relative positions between the liquid ejecting heads is provided to the holder, and the liquid ejecting head is fixed to the holder being positioned in compliance with the positioning reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9090071
    Abstract: An end section part of a cover member is bent across a predetermined length toward a wiping direction, and a bending angle with respect to a plane is between 45° and 80°. When the wiper relatively begins to abut against the end section of the cover member, a top of the wiper first abuts against the bent end section of the cover member and then is gradually bent and wipes a lower surface of the cover member and a surface of a nozzle plate to wipe contamination such as ink. The ink that remains on the wiper is likely to be attached to a vicinity of the bent end section against which the wiper abuts first, but is likely to come off because a water-repellent treatment is performed in both the wiper and the bent end section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Enomoto, Katsuhiro Okubo, Shunsuke Watanabe, Hiroki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 9073334
    Abstract: A unit head has an inlet section that introduces ink from a side of a sub-tank through a porous member. The sub-tank has a pressure control section corresponding to each unit head, individually, and has an outlet section that delivers the ink from the pressure control section through a porous member. The pressure control section has a valve and a film that is displaced in response to a pressure change. The film is provided in an upper surface of the sub-tank. A frame has an inlet-side connection section to which the outlet section of the sub-tank is connected, an outlet-side connection section to which the inlet section of the unit head is connected, and a communication flow path that communicates with both connection sections. Both of the connection sections include porous members, and supply and receive the ink by a surface contact of the porous members with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9061497
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a first-member that has a first liquid-flow-path and discharges liquid in the first liquid-flow-path from a nozzle; a second-member that has a second liquid-flow-path communicating with the first liquid-flow-path; a seal-member that seals a coupling portion between the first liquid-flow-path of the first-member and the second liquid-flow-path of the second-member; and a support-member that is fixed to the first-member at a fixing area side which is located in a position different from a position where the nozzle is located when a plane in which the nozzle is formed is seen from above. The support-member is supported at the fixing area and projects toward the coupling portion, and supports, at a coupling portion side, the seal member at a first-member-side of the seal-member. The seal-member seals the coupling portion by applying pressure in a diameter direction of the first liquid-flow-path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Publication number: 20150049148
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a head body configured to eject liquid, a flow path member including a liquid flow path for supplying the liquid to the head body, and a circuit substrate held by the flow path member and including a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature. The flow path member includes a detection region, which has a thermal resistance lower than a thermal resistance of other regions and which is provided in a part of a partition wall that partitions the liquid flow path. The circuit substrate is fixed to the flow path member in a state in which the temperature detection unit faces the detection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroshige OWAKI, Katsuhiro OKUBO, Haruhisa UEZAWA
  • Patent number: 8899727
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a head body configured to eject liquid, a flow path member including a liquid flow path for supplying the liquid to the head body, and a circuit substrate held by the flow path member and including a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature. The flow path member includes a detection region, which has a thermal resistance lower than a thermal resistance of other regions and which is provided in a part of a partition wall that partitions the liquid flow path. The circuit substrate is fixed to the flow path member in a state in which the temperature detection unit faces the detection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo, Haruhisa Uezawa
  • Publication number: 20140292914
    Abstract: An end section part of a cover member is bent across a predetermined length toward a wiping direction, and a bending angle with respect to a plane is between 45° and 80°. When the wiper relatively begins to abut against the end section of the cover member, a top of the wiper first abuts against the bent end section of the cover member and then is gradually bent and wipes a lower surface of the cover member and a surface of a nozzle plate to wipe contamination such as ink. The ink that remains on the wiper is likely to be attached to a vicinity of the bent end section against which the wiper abuts first, but is likely to come off because a water-repellent treatment is performed in both the wiper and the bent end section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Katsumi ENOMOTO, Katsuhiro OKUBO, Shunsuke WATANABE, Hiroki MIYAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20140292931
    Abstract: A wall-shaped enclosure that forms a space which can accommodate a head chip is formed in a projecting manner at a lower end of a lower case member. Since a cylindrical thick part is formed at the lower end of the lower case member, the lower case member is unlikely to be bent, particularly around the wall-shaped enclosure and a part where the wall-shaped enclosure is disposed. The head chip that is disposed in the space of the lower case member which is unlikely to be bent is unlikely to be subjected to an external force, and the cover member absorbs torsion generated between the head chip and the lower case member so that the head chip is even more unlikely to be subjected to the external force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Shunsuke WATANABE, Katsumi ENOMOTO, Ryota KINOSHITA, Hiroyuki ISHII, Hiroshige OWAKI, Takahiro KANEGAE, Katsuhiro OKUBO
  • Publication number: 20140292908
    Abstract: A cover member is fixed to a head chip in an area in the vicinity of a nozzle plate but does not constitute a communication path, and thus causes no liquid leakage. The head chip discharges droplets of a discharge liquid that is supplied via the communication path which is formed from nozzles thereof without depending on the cover member. A surface of the nozzle plate is positioned on a side further apart from a printing medium than from a surface of the cover member and is surrounded. As a result, abutting of the printing medium against a side surface of the nozzle plate is avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke WATANABE, Katsumi ENOMOTO, Ryota KINOSHITA, Hiroyuki ISHII, Hiroshige OWAKI, Takahiro KANEGAE, Katsuhiro OKUBO
  • Publication number: 20140292933
    Abstract: A unit head has an inlet section that introduces ink from a side of a sub-tank through a porous member. The sub-tank has a pressure control section corresponding to each unit head, individually, and has an outlet section that delivers the ink from the pressure control section through a porous member. The pressure control section has a valve and a film that is displaced in response to a pressure change. The film is provided in an upper surface of the sub-tank. A frame has an inlet-side connection section to which the outlet section of the sub-tank is connected, an outlet-side connection section to which the inlet section of the unit head is connected, and a communication flow path that communicates with both connection sections. Both of the connection sections include porous members, and supply and receive the ink by a surface contact of the porous members with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo