Patents by Inventor Kei Kosaka

Kei Kosaka 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).

  • Publication number: 20220111651
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a discharge unit for performing recording processing in which a liquid is discharged onto a recording medium; a waste liquid containing unit for containing a waste liquid; a mount unit to which the waste liquid containing unit is mounted; a detection unit for detecting whether the waste liquid containing unit is mounted; and a control unit for controlling a discharge operation of a liquid from the discharge unit, wherein if the detection unit detects that the waste liquid containing unit is not mounted, the control unit controls not to perform the discharge operation, and the control unit performs a first recovery operation for restoring the discharge unit after the detection unit has detected that the waste liquid containing unit is not mounted, and before the next execution of the recording processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya Narazaki, Kei Kosaka
  • Publication number: 20220111649
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus. A print head includes a nozzle that discharges a liquid. A recovery unit includes a cap that caps the nozzle and a pump that suctions a liquid from the nozzle via the cap, and discharges to a waste liquid tank that accommodates a waste liquid of suctioned liquid. A control unit causes the recovery unit to execute at least one of a first recovery operation, in which the suction pump is driven at a first driving amount, or a second recovery operation, in which the pump is driven at a second driving amount smaller than the first driving amount, based on an amount of waste liquid discharged to the waste liquid tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Kei Kosaka, Tetsuya Narazaki
  • Patent number: 11192379
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus. A cap caps an ink ejection surface of a printhead. An ink suction path is connected to the cap and sucks the ink in the cap. An ink tank stores the ink to be supplied to the printhead. An ink supply path connects the printhead to the ink tank. A first closing unit closes the ink suction path. A second closing unit closes the ink supply path. A control unit is able to execute a first control mode in which the first closing unit closes the ink suction path and a second control mode in which the second closing unit closes the ink supply path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Narazaki, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Kei Kosaka, Koki Shimada, Yusuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20200316936
    Abstract: A printing apparatus according to an embodiment of this present invention includes a printhead with an orifice for discharging ink, and a recovery unit configured to perform recovery of the printhead by driving a print element of the printhead to discharge ink from the orifice. The apparatus makes a setting for a request for discharge recovery by the recovery unit after initialization processing performed upon power-on of the printing apparatus, and controls the recovery unit to execute one of first discharge recovery and second discharge recovery in which an ink discharge amount is smaller than in the first discharge recovery in accordance with the setting before a start of printing by the printhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Satoko Yaita, Kei Kosaka
  • Publication number: 20200316951
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus. A cap caps an ink ejection surface of a printhead. An ink suction path is connected to the cap and sucks the ink in the cap. An ink tank stores the ink to be supplied to the printhead. An ink supply path connects the printhead to the ink tank. A first closing unit closes the ink suction path. A second closing unit closes the ink supply path. A control unit is able to execute a first control mode in which the first closing unit closes the ink suction path and a second control mode in which the second closing unit closes the ink supply path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Tetsuya Narazaki, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Kei Kosaka, Koki Shimada, Yusuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20200316955
    Abstract: A printing apparatus according to this invention counts an ink quantity in an inktank in accordance with consumption of ink from the inktank, updates and holds a count value obtained by the count in a counter, and detects whether ink injection to the inktank has been done before execution of sensing by a sensing unit configured to sense whether a predetermined quantity of ink is present in the inktank. If sensing by the sensing unit is executed, the apparatus reads out a preceding sensing result from a memory that stores a sensing result of presence/absence of the ink by the sensing unit, verifies a transition between the preceding sensing result and a current sensing result, and controls operations of reset of the count value held by the counter and the count based on the transition and a result of the detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Kei Kosaka, Tetsuya Narazaki
  • Publication number: 20200064301
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and one or more hollow columnar dense bodies. The sensor element includes an element main body having a side surface, a porous layer and a water-penetration reduction portion that cover at least a front end-side part of the side surface. The water-penetration reduction portion disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer an overlap length W that is the length of a continuous overlap between a range in which the water-penetration reduction portion is present in the longitudinal direction and a range in which inner peripheral surfaces of the one or more dense bodies are present in the longitudinal direction being 0.5 mm or more, the water-penetration reduction portion being a gap region in which the porous layer is absent, the water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Yuki NAKAYAMA, Shota KAGEYAMA, Yusuke FUJII, Kei KOSAKA
  • Publication number: 20200064305
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and one or more hollow columnar dense bodies. The sensor element includes an element main body having a side surface, a porous layer and a water-penetration reduction portion that cover at least a front end-side part of the side surface. The water-penetration reduction portion disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer or to be located closer to the rear end than the porous layer, an overlap length W that is the length of a continuous overlap between a range in which the water-penetration reduction portion is present in a longitudinal direction and a range in which inner peripheral surfaces of the one or more dense bodies are present in the longitudinal direction being 0.5 mm or more, and having a dense layer covers the side surface, the water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Yuki NAKAYAMA, Shota KAGEYAMA, Yusuke FUJII, Kei KOSAKA
  • Publication number: 20200049679
    Abstract: A sensor element includes element main body including side surfaces, a detection unit, connector electrodes disposed on the rear end-side part of the side surfaces, a porous layer that covers at least front end-side part of the side surface, the porous layer having a porosity of 10% or more, and a water-penetration reduction portion. The water-penetration reduction portion is disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer or to be located closer to the rear end than the porous layer. The length L of the water-penetration reduction portion is 0.5 mm or more. The water-penetration reduction portion includes, among a dense layer covering the side surface and having a porosity of less than 10% and a gap region in which the porous layer is absent, at least the dense layer. The water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Yuki NAKAYAMA, Shota KAGEYAMA, Yusuke FUJII, Kei KOSAKA
  • Patent number: 10427411
    Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a print head having a first discharge port and a second discharge port, a cap, a suction unit connected to the cap for sucking ink from the print head, and a determining unit which determines one to be performed by the print head between a first printing operation using the first and second discharge ports and a second printing operation using the first discharge port only, wherein before the first printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform first and second suction operations sucking at different strengths. A storing unit further provided therein stores history information indicating the past performance of that the first printing operation. Before the second printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform the first suction operation only and, based on the history information after the printing operation, perform the second suction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Monta Matsui, Satoko Yaita
  • Patent number: 10286649
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a first discharge port configured to discharge a first amount of ink droplets and a second discharge port configured to discharge a second amount of ink droplets smaller than the first amount, a cap, a suction unit, and a determination unit configured to determine whether to perform a first recording operation by using the first and second discharge ports or a second recording operation by only using the first discharge port. If the first recording operation is determined to be performed, the suction unit performs a first suction operation with a first strength and a second suction operation with a second strength higher than the first strength. If the second recording operation is determined to be performed, the suction unit is controlled not to perform the second suction operation and to perform the first suction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoko Furuyama, Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Monta Matsui
  • Publication number: 20190118536
    Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a print head having a first discharge port and a second discharge port, a cap, a suction unit connected to the cap for sucking ink from the print head, and a determining unit which determines one to be performed by the print head between a first printing operation using the first and second discharge ports and a second printing operation using the first discharge port only, wherein before the first printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform first and second suction operations sucking at different strengths. A storing unit further provided therein stores history information indicating the past performance of that the first printing operation. Before the second printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform the first suction operation only and, based on the history information after the printing operation, perform the second suction operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Monta Matsui, Satoko Yaita
  • Patent number: 10207506
    Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus that can execute a recovery process appropriate for a print head according to a use condition of the inkjet printing apparatus. Therefore a recovery operation is performed based upon both an elapsed time in a non-use state where the printing is not performed and an elapsed time from the previous recovery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Iwasaki, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Atsushi Takahashi, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 10201977
    Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a print head having a first discharge port and a second discharge port, a cap, a suction unit connected to the cap for sucking ink from the print head, and a determining unit which determines one to be performed by the print head between a first printing operation using the first and second discharge ports and a second printing operation using the first discharge port only, wherein before the first printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform first and second suction operations sucking at different strengths. A storing unit further provided therein stores history information indicating the past performance of that the first printing operation. Before the second printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform the first suction operation only and, based on the history information after the printing operation, perform the second suction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Monta Matsui, Satoko Furuyama
  • Publication number: 20180029371
    Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a print head having a first discharge port and a second discharge port, a cap, a suction unit connected to the cap for sucking ink from the print head, and a determining unit which determines one to be performed by the print head between a first printing operation using the first and second discharge ports and a second printing operation using the first discharge port only, wherein before the first printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform first and second suction operations sucking at different strengths. A storing unit further provided therein stores history information indicating the past performance of that the first printing operation. Before the second printing operation, the suction unit is controlled to perform the first suction operation only and, based on the history information after the printing operation, perform the second suction operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Monta Matsui, Satoko Furuyama
  • Publication number: 20180029356
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a first discharge port configured to discharge a first amount of ink droplets and a second discharge port configured to discharge a second amount of ink droplets smaller than the first amount, a cap, a suction unit, and a determination unit configured to determine whether to perform a first recording operation by using the first and second discharge ports or a second recording operation by only using the first discharge port. If the first recording operation is determined to be performed, the suction unit performs a first suction operation with a first strength and a second suction operation with a second strength higher than the first strength. If the second recording operation is determined to be performed, the suction unit is controlled not to perform the second suction operation and to perform the first suction operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Satoko Furuyama, Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Monta Matsui
  • Patent number: 9597888
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus performing a printing operation using a main tank for storing ink and a sub tank for storing the ink supplied from the main tank to supply the ink to the print head includes a detection unit for detecting the ink amount in the sub tank and an ink filling unit for driving a driving unit for supplying ink from the main tank to the sub tank to subject the sub tank to an ink filling operation. The ink filling unit is configured, when the ink amount detected by the detection unit is determined to be equal to or lower than the first predetermined amount, the second ink filling operation is performed. The second ink filling operation performs a driving longer than the drive time of the driving unit in the first ink filling operation performed when the main tank is attached to the inkjet printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Takahashi, Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Naozumi Nabeshima
  • Patent number: 9517628
    Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises an ink tank containing ink, a sub-tank containing the ink supplied from the ink tank, a printhead discharging the ink supplied from the sub-tank, a detection unit configured to perform a detection operation of detecting an ink remaining amount of the sub-tank, a suction unit configured to perform a suction operation of sucking the ink from the printhead, and a control unit configured to stop the suction unit from performing the suction operation when the detection unit detects that the ink remaining amount becomes smaller than a predetermined residual amount during execution of the suction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Tenkawa, Atsushi Takahashi, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 9446595
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet printing apparatus that does not give poor usability to users and a method for controlling the same. To achieve this, in recovery processing performed multiple times to recover an ejection state, in a case where a printing instruction is inputted, the recovery processing is suspended in an amount smaller than an amount required for recovery, depending on an amount of ink in an ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kei Takarabe, Akiyoshi Sahara, Toshiyuki Kuroda, Atsushi Takahashi, Kei Kosaka, Tomoyuki Tenkawa
  • Patent number: 9340009
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a full-line printhead in which a plurality of chips, on each of which a plurality of nozzle arrays are juxtaposed, are arranged in the nozzle arrayed direction, and which prints by the entire width of a printing medium using a plurality of nozzles arranged on the plurality of chips. The printing apparatus discharges ink from a predetermined number of successive nozzles on each nozzle array of each chip toward a printing medium during conveyance, thereby forming a plurality of first patterns corresponding to at least one nozzle array of each chip on the printing medium in the nozzle arrayed direction, reads the plurality of first patterns from the printing medium during conveyance using a sensor, calculates the shift amount of an ink attached position based on the plurality of read first patterns and corrects the attached position of ink based on the shift amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Murayama, Satoshi Azuma, Kei Kosaka, Makoto Torigoe, Shigeyasu Nagoshi