Patents by Inventor Kazutoshi Shimizu
Kazutoshi Shimizu 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: 20230173811Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head, a first holder to which a main tank is attached, a second holder to which a sub tank is attached, a supply channel coupled to the head and the first holder, a branch channel that branches off at an intermediate point in the supply channel and that is coupled to the second holder, and a controller. Each of the main tank and the sub tank is a liquid container including a container and a memory circuit. The first holder includes a connector. The controller updates, via the connector, remaining amount information stored in the memory circuit of the main tank, performs an operational control based on the remaining amount information stored in the memory circuit of the main tank, and does not perform the operational control based on the remaining amount information stored in the memory circuit of the sub tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2022Publication date: June 8, 2023Inventors: Takeshi IWATA, Kazutoshi SHIMIZU, Atsushi YOSHIDA
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Patent number: 10717283Abstract: A cap device is designed to form a space surrounding an opening of a nozzle of a liquid ejecting head when the cap device is in contact with the liquid ejecting head including the nozzle for ejecting a liquid, and includes a moisturizing chamber to which a moisturizing fluid for moisturizing the above space is supplied, and a partition wall having gas permeability and configured to partition the space and the moisturizing chamber, where part of the partition wall is formed of a flexible portion.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kazutoshi Shimizu, Toshio Nakata, Ryoji Fujimori, Shuhei Harada, Noritaka Mitsuo
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Patent number: 10464326Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having nozzles for ejecting a liquid, and an attachment section to which a maintenance unit to be used for maintenance of the liquid ejecting head is to be detachably attached. If the maintenance unit having a maintenance mechanism for performing the maintenance by driving force transmitted from the attachment section is a first unit and the maintenance unit having no maintenance mechanism is a second unit, one of a plurality of the maintenance units including the first unit and the second unit and having different structure is interchangeably attached to the attachment section, and the attachment section includes an identification section configured to identify the structure of the attached maintenance unit and a driving-force transmission section configured to transmit the driving force to the attached first unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2018Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Ryoji Fujimori, Takeshi Iwata, Chikashi Nakamura, Shuhei Harada, Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Publication number: 20190061353Abstract: A cap device is designed to form a space surrounding an opening of a nozzle of a liquid ejecting head when the cap device is in contact with the liquid ejecting head including the nozzle for ejecting a liquid, and includes a moisturizing chamber to which a moisturizing fluid for moisturizing the above space is supplied, and a partition wall having gas permeability and configured to partition the space and the moisturizing chamber, where part of the partition wall is formed of a flexible portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2018Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Kazutoshi SHIMIZU, Toshio NAKATA, Ryoji FUJIMORI, Shuhei HARADA, Noritaka MITSUO
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Publication number: 20190023017Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having nozzles for ejecting a liquid, and an attachment section to which a maintenance unit to be used for maintenance of the liquid ejecting head is to be detachably attached. If the maintenance unit having a maintenance mechanism for performing the maintenance by driving force transmitted from the attachment section is a first unit and the maintenance unit having no maintenance mechanism is a second unit, one of a plurality of the maintenance units including the first unit and the second unit and having different structure is interchangeably attached to the attachment section, and the attachment section includes an identification section configured to identify the structure of the attached maintenance unit and a driving-force transmission section configured to transmit the driving force to the attached first unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2018Publication date: January 24, 2019Inventors: Ryoji FUJIMORI, Takeshi IWATA, Chikashi NAKAMURA, Shuhei HARADA, Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
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Patent number: 9527291Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided with an ink ejecting section which performs printing by ejecting an ink onto a printing medium and a mist processing device which processes an ink mist which is generated together with an ejection of the ink. The printing apparatus includes a gas-liquid separation section which separates the ink mist into a separated gas and a separated liquid using a centrifugal force generated by an airflow, an airflow generating section which is provided in an exhaust flow path which is joined to an exhaust side of the separated gas in the gas-liquid separation section and generates the airflow, and a liquid leakage detection section, which is provided beneath an exhaust port which is provided on a downstream end of the exhaust flow path, and is capable of detecting a liquid which is released from the exhaust port.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2016Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Publication number: 20160236473Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided with an ink ejecting section which performs printing by ejecting an ink onto a printing medium and a mist processing device which processes an ink mist which is generated together with an ejection of the ink. The printing apparatus includes a gas-liquid separation section which separates the ink mist into a separated gas and a separated liquid using a centrifugal force generated by an airflow, an airflow generating section which is provided in an exhaust flow path which is joined to an exhaust side of the separated gas in the gas-liquid separation section and generates the airflow, and a liquid leakage detection section, which is provided beneath an exhaust port which is provided on a downstream end of the exhaust flow path, and is capable of detecting a liquid which is released from the exhaust port.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2016Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventor: Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
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Patent number: 9266332Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus with a reduced size is provided. There is provided a plurality of heads arranged in an arc shape, and configured to eject liquid, a plurality of maintenance units arranged in an arc shape, and configured to carry out maintenance on the heads, and a receiving section configured to receive liquid that drips from the maintenance units below the maintenance units in a vertical direction, and configured to flow the liquid in at least two directions.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9211717Abstract: The invention provides a cap of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from nozzle holes, can come in contact with a nozzle hole surface, and has an opposite surface opposite the nozzle hole surface, in which the opposite surface has protrusions.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9132641Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head in which a nozzle ejecting liquid onto a recording medium is provided; a first wiping member which performs a first wiping process of wiping off foreign materials adhered to a nozzle opening surface of the head by moving a relative position thereof with respect to the head to the other side from one side in a predetermined direction, in a state of being in contact with the nozzle opening surface; and a second wiping member which performs a second wiping process of removing the foreign materials adhered to a side surface of the head at the other side in the predetermined direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9126410Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a plurality of heads having a nozzle surface in which nozzle openings that eject ink are provided; a cover head that protects the nozzle surfaces of the heads, and a cover that covers the heads and between the nozzle surfaces of each head, in which the cover has a conducting portion that conducts with the cover head of the head.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2014Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Akihisa Wanibe, Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9085158Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus which includes: a discharge head that includes a nozzle forming surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed; a wiping member that performs wiping by relatively moving on the nozzle forming surface in a state in which a wiping surface abuts on the nozzle forming surface; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to a liquid supplied surface which is a different surface from the nozzle forming surface and with which the wiping surface can come into contact; and a control unit that causes the wiping surface to abut on the liquid supplied surface to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and then causes the wiping surface to relatively move on the nozzle forming surface in a state in which the wiping surface abuts on the nozzle forming surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2014Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Toshio Kumagai, Katsuyoshi Onodera, Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 9039147Abstract: A liquid feed valve unit is configured to switch between a releasing mode for forcibly opening a valve and a blocking mode for closing the valve, and the valve can therefore be opened and closed in a short time as needed. Since the releasing mode is implemented by pushing the peripheral part and the pressure-receiving part of the flexible member, the flexible member can be prevented from flexing toward the outside of the liquid accommodating chamber even in the case that the pressure-receiving part is pushed. In this case, since a residual pressure can be prevented from forming in the liquid accommodating chamber, there is no need to suspend operation, and it is possible to immediately proceed to the next operation. A fast-operating liquid feed valve unit can thereby be obtained.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2011Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kaoru Koike, Toshio Kumagai, Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Publication number: 20150085012Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus with a reduced size is provided. There is provided a plurality of heads arranged in an arc shape, and configured to eject liquid, a plurality of maintenance units arranged in an arc shape, and configured to carry out maintenance on the heads, and a receiving section configured to receive liquid that drips from the maintenance units below the maintenance units in a vertical direction, and configured to flow the liquid in at least two directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2014Publication date: March 26, 2015Inventor: Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
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Publication number: 20140292918Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head in which a nozzle ejecting liquid onto a recording medium is provided; a first wiping member which performs a first wiping process of wiping off foreign materials adhered to a nozzle opening surface of the head by moving a relative position thereof with respect to the head to the other side from one side in a predetermined direction, in a state of being in contact with the nozzle opening surface; and a second wiping member which performs a second wiping process of removing the foreign materials adhered to a side surface of the head at the other side in the predetermined direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
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Publication number: 20140292905Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a plurality of heads having a nozzle surface in which nozzle openings that eject ink are provided; a cover head that protects the nozzle surfaces of the heads, and a cover that covers the heads and between the nozzle surfaces of each head, in which the cover has a conducting portion that conducts with the cover head of the head.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Akihisa Wanibe, Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Publication number: 20140253634Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus which includes: a discharge head that includes a nozzle forming surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed; a wiping member that performs wiping by relatively moving on the nozzle forming surface in a state in which a wiping surface abuts on the nozzle forming surface; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to a liquid supplied surface which is a different surface from the nozzle forming surface and with which the wiping surface can come into contact; and a control unit that causes the wiping surface to abut on the liquid supplied surface to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and then causes the wiping surface to relatively move on the nozzle forming surface in a state in which the wiping surface abuts on the nozzle forming surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2014Publication date: September 11, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshihiro KOBAYASHI, Toshio KUMAGAI, Katsuyoshi ONODERA, Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
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Publication number: 20140160199Abstract: The invention provides a cap of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from nozzle holes, can come in contact with a nozzle hole surface, and has an opposite surface opposite the nozzle hole surface, in which the opposite surface has protrusions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
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Patent number: 8727482Abstract: The invention provides a cap of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from nozzle holes, can come in contact with a nozzle hole surface, and has an opposite surface opposite the nozzle hole surface, in which the opposite surface has protrusions.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2012Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kazutoshi Shimizu
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Patent number: 8454117Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid containing metallic particles from a nozzle with respect to a target, the liquid ejecting head being disposed so that the nozzle opens facing a direction higher than a horizontal direction, and ejects the liquid from the nozzle facing the direction higher than the horizontal direction, thereby attaching the liquid to the target.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2010Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Kazutoshi Shimizu, Yasushi Akatsuka, Norihiro Masuda, Kazutoshi Fujisawa