Patents by Inventor Kazushi ARAFUKA

Kazushi ARAFUKA 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: 11840088
    Abstract: A wiping unit includes a wiping member with a long shape configured to wipe a liquid ejecting head configured to discharge liquid, a first roller around which to wind the wiping member, a second roller configured to wind up the wiping member fed out from the first roller, a driving force transmission mechanism configured to transmit a driving force of a driving source to the second roller, a conveyance roller configured to make contact with the wiping member and rotate along with a movement of the wiping member, a first detection unit configured to detect a rotation amount of the first roller, and a second detection unit configured to detect a rotation amount of the conveyance roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Inventor: Kazushi Arafuka
  • Patent number: 11724513
    Abstract: A liquid circulation mechanism includes a supply flow path making a liquid supply source and a liquid discharging head communicate with each other and a collection flow path making the liquid discharging head and a connection portion of the supply flow path communicate with each other, in which a branch portion, a plurality of flow paths branched at the branch portion, and a merging portion, in which the plurality of flow paths are merged, are provided in at least one of the supply flow path and the collection flow path. Pressure adjustment portions, which are provided in the plurality of flow paths and open the flow paths when a pressure on the liquid discharging head side is equal to a predetermined pressure, have different the predetermined pressures for opening the flow paths in the plurality of flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Nakata, Yuichi Urabe, Kazushi Arafuka, Yuki Shiohara, Munechika Otsuru
  • Patent number: 11712898
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head that ejects a liquid; a curing portion that cures the liquid by emitting energy to the liquid; and a waste-liquid collecting portion that collects the liquid as waste liquid, in which the waste-liquid collecting portion includes an absorber that absorbs the liquid from the head, a first rotational shaft that holds an unused portion of the absorber, and a second rotational shaft that holds a used portion of the absorber, and the curing portion emits the energy to the liquid absorbed by the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hisashi Sato, Kazushi Arafuka, Yuichi Urabe
  • Publication number: 20220410573
    Abstract: A wiping unit includes a wiping member with a long shape configured to wipe a liquid ejecting head configured to discharge liquid, a first roller around which to wind the wiping member, a second roller configured to wind up the wiping member fed out from the first roller, a driving force transmission mechanism configured to transmit a driving force of a driving source to the second roller, a conveyance roller configured to make contact with the wiping member and rotate along with a movement of the wiping member, a first detection unit configured to detect a rotation amount of the first roller, and a second detection unit configured to detect a rotation amount of the conveyance roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventor: Kazushi ARAFUKA
  • Patent number: 11504969
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a feeding portion having a feeding shaft, and configured to hold a band-like member, a pressing unit configured to allow a contact portion located in a contact region of the band-like member, to be brought into contact with a liquid ejecting portion, a winding portion having a winding shaft, and configured to be capable of performing a winding operation for winding the band-like member to move the contact portion in a movement direction, a brake mechanism configured to brake rotation of the feeding shaft, and a contact unit configured to contact the band-like member fed from the feeding portion and to apply tension to the band-like member, the contact unit being movable between an operating time position during the winding operation and a stop time position when the winding operation is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushi Arafuka, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20220242136
    Abstract: A liquid circulation mechanism includes a supply flow path making a liquid supply source and a liquid discharging head communicate with each other and a collection flow path making the liquid discharging head and a connection portion of the supply flow path communicate with each other, in which a branch portion, a plurality of flow paths branched at the branch portion, and a merging portion, in which the plurality of flow paths are merged, are provided in at least one of the supply flow path and the collection flow path. Pressure adjustment portions, which are provided in the plurality of flow paths and open the flow paths when a pressure on the liquid discharging head side is equal to a predetermined pressure, have different the predetermined pressures for opening the flow paths in the plurality of flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Toshio NAKATA, Yuichi URABE, Kazushi ARAFUKA, Yuki SHIOHARA, Munechika OTSURU
  • Publication number: 20220242128
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head that ejects a liquid; a curing portion that cures the liquid by emitting energy to the liquid; and a waste-liquid collecting portion that collects the liquid as waste liquid, in which the waste-liquid collecting portion includes an absorber that absorbs the liquid from the head, a first rotational shaft that holds an unused portion of the absorber, and a second rotational shaft that holds a used portion of the absorber, and the curing portion emits the energy to the liquid absorbed by the absorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Hisashi SATO, Kazushi ARAFUKA, Yuichi URABE
  • Patent number: 11400722
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including: a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a liquid from a nozzle disposed in a nozzle surface; a wiping mechanism configured to perform a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving a strip-shaped member configured to absorb the liquid relative to the nozzle surface in a state in which the strip-shaped member is in contact with the nozzle surface; and a control portion configured to perform a pre-wiping operation of moving the strip-shaped member relative to the nozzle surface at a speed higher than a speed for the relative movement during the wiping operation in a state in which the strip-shaped member is not in contact with the nozzle surface and is configured to be brought into contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, prior to the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the strip-shaped member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Murayama, Atsushi Yoshida, Hiroki Matsuoka, Kazushi Arafuka
  • Patent number: 11267247
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a wiping mechanism that includes a wiping portion configured to move in a wiping direction, in which a first nozzle surface and a second nozzle surface each provided with nozzles of a liquid ejecting portion are aligned, and to wipe the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface, and an isolation region in which the wiping portion is not brought into contact with the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface when a gap between the first and second nozzle surfaces and the wiping portion in an ejecting direction of liquid from the nozzles is a contact interval at which the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface are wiped is provided between the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface in the wiping direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Murayama, Atsushi Yoshida, Kazushi Arafuka, Mizuki Yokouchi, Masanobu Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20210323309
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a feeding portion having a feeding shaft, and configured to hold a band-like member, a pressing unit configured to allow a contact portion located in a contact region of the band-like member, to be brought into contact with a liquid ejecting portion, a winding portion having a winding shaft, and configured to be capable of performing a winding operation for winding the band-like member to move the contact portion in a movement direction, a brake mechanism configured to brake rotation of the feeding shaft, and a contact unit configured to contact the band-like member fed from the feeding portion and to apply tension to the band-like member, the contact unit being movable between an operating time position during the winding operation and a stop time position when the winding operation is not performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Kazushi ARAFUKA, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20210245516
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including: a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a liquid from a nozzle disposed in a nozzle surface; a wiping mechanism configured to perform a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving a strip-shaped member configured to absorb the liquid relative to the nozzle surface in a state in which the strip-shaped member is in contact with the nozzle surface; and a control portion configured to perform a pre-wiping operation of moving the strip-shaped member relative to the nozzle surface at a speed higher than a speed for the relative movement during the wiping operation in a state in which the strip-shaped member is not in contact with the nozzle surface and is configured to be brought into contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, prior to the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the strip-shaped member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Masato MURAYAMA, Atsushi YOSHIDA, Hiroki MATSUOKA, Kazushi ARAFUKA
  • Publication number: 20210138789
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a liquid from a nozzle disposed on a nozzle surface, a liquid receiving portion that receives the liquid discharged from the nozzle, a wiping mechanism that includes a wiping portion configured to wipe the nozzle surface, a liquid-ejecting-portion moving mechanism configured to move the liquid ejecting portion, and a control portion that performs an acceleration operation of moving the liquid ejecting portion after a discharge operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzle to the liquid receiving portion and before a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by the wiping portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Kazushi ARAFUKA, Masanobu YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200353750
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a wiping mechanism that includes a wiping portion configured to move in a wiping direction, in which a first nozzle surface and a second nozzle surface each provided with nozzles of a liquid ejecting portion are aligned, and to wipe the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface, and an isolation region in which the wiping portion is not brought into contact with the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface when a gap between the first and second nozzle surfaces and the wiping portion in an ejecting direction of liquid from the nozzles is a contact interval at which the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface are wiped is provided between the first nozzle surface and the second nozzle surface in the wiping direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Masato MURAYAMA, Atsushi YOSHIDA, Kazushi ARAFUKA, Mizuki YOKOUCHI, Masanobu YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10173430
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus which performs printing by ejecting ink from a nozzle, including: a wiper blade that abuts on a nozzle surface on which an opening of the nozzle is formed, and moves in a first direction to wipe the ink adhering to the nozzle surface; and a cleaner that abuts on the moving wiper blade and scrapes off the ink adhering to the wiper blade, in which the wiper blade includes a blade member which protrudes in a second direction which is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, and in which the cleaner includes a scraping member which protrudes in a third direction which is a direction opposite to the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Urabe, Kazushi Arafuka, Ken Inoue
  • Publication number: 20180111375
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus which performs printing by ejecting ink from a nozzle, including: a wiper blade that abuts on a nozzle surface on which an opening of the nozzle is formed, and moves in a first direction to wipe the ink adhering to the nozzle surface; and a cleaner that abuts on the moving wiper blade and scrapes off the ink adhering to the wiper blade, in which the wiper blade includes a blade member which protrudes in a second direction which is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, and in which the cleaner includes a scraping member which protrudes in a third direction which is a direction opposite to the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Yuichi URABE, Kazushi ARAFUKA, Ken INOUE
  • Patent number: 9919529
    Abstract: Provided is a cap unit that can prevent or suppress collision between the drive gear and intermittent gear when the drive gear and intermittent gear begin to mesh. A cap unit 25 has a moving mechanism 28 that moves a cap 26. The moving mechanism 28 has an intermittent cam gear 36 with a cam channel 43; a drive gear 35; and a cap holder 45. The cap holder 45 includes a holding member 48 that holds the cap 26; a cam follower pin 49; a pin support mechanism 50 that supports the cam follower pin 49; and a coil spring 51 that urges the cam follower pin 49 toward the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. A slope 57 is disposed to the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. The cam follower pin 49 is on the slope 57 when meshing of the intermittent cam gear 36 and drive gear 35 is disengaged, and the intermittent cam gear 36 turns in conjunction with the cam follower pin 49 moving on the slope 57 due to the urging force of the coil spring 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazushi Arafuka
  • Publication number: 20170297337
    Abstract: Provided is a cap unit that can prevent or suppress collision between the drive gear and intermittent gear when the drive gear and intermittent gear begin to mesh. A cap unit 25 has a moving mechanism 28 that moves a cap 26. The moving mechanism 28 has an intermittent cam gear 36 with a cam channel 43; a drive gear 35; and a cap holder 45. The cap holder 45 includes a holding member 48 that holds the cap 26; a cam follower pin 49; a pin support mechanism 50 that supports the cam follower pin 49; and a coil spring 51 that urges the cam follower pin 49 toward the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. A slope 57 is disposed to the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. The cam follower pin 49 is on the slope 57 when meshing of the intermittent cam gear 36 and drive gear 35 is disengaged, and the intermittent cam gear 36 turns in conjunction with the cam follower pin 49 moving on the slope 57 due to the urging force of the coil spring 51.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventor: Kazushi ARAFUKA