Patents by Inventor Keiji Hara

Keiji Hara 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: 9403369
    Abstract: The flow channel member includes an attachment member having a first flow channel to be connected to an ink cartridge; a flow channel plate having a second flow channel to be connected to a head main body ejecting an ink; an adhesive arranged on a first joining surface and a second joining surface where the attachment member and the flow channel plate are opposing each other, and enclosing openings of the first flow channel and the second flow channel; a seal member arranged on the joining surfaces, enclosing an outer side of the adhesive; and an air chamber between the adhesive and the seal member, in which a communication channel allowing the air chamber to communicate outward is disposed in the attachment member, and the communication channel is capable of communicating with an outward open channel of the ink cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Hara
  • Patent number: 9233544
    Abstract: A head unit, in which unit head rows are formed by respectively arraying unit heads in parallel on both sides of a transmission substrate. The head unit includes a first liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a first side of the transmission substrate and a second liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a second side of the transmission substrate. The unit heads are provided with a flexible cable. A first head fluid channel sandwiches the flexible cable and is provided on a side that is opposite a transmission substrate side. A second head fluid channel is provided on the transmission substrate side. The first head fluid channel is in communication with a first liquid fluid channel on a surface side on which the unit heads are disposed. The second head fluid channel straddles the transmission substrate and is in communication with a second liquid fluid channel on a surface side that is opposite the unit heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Fujio Akahane, Hiroaki Okui, Keiji Hara, Yasuyuki Kudo
  • Patent number: 8967779
    Abstract: A flow channel member to which an ink cartridge is removably mounted has a sealing member made of an elastic material around the entire periphery of an installation section of a flow channel member main body. The sealing member is integrally formed of: a top plane portion, where an end face of a leg portion abuts the top plane portion so as to define an enclosed space between an inner peripheral surface of the leg portion and an outer peripheral surface of the installation section; and an inner leg portion and an outer leg portion extending from edges of the top plane portion along the longitudinal axis of the installation section, and having end faces, abutting the flow channel member main body. Furthermore, the sealing member has curved thicker portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutomo Tsukahara, Keiji Hara
  • Patent number: 8960873
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a mounting mechanism including a downstream flow path, a cartridge including an upstream flow path to be communicably connected to the downstream flow path when the cartridge is attached to the mounting mechanism and an annular projection, and configured to be mounted on the mounting mechanism by being made to pivot, a carriage that reciprocates in a predetermined stroke region carrying thereon the liquid ejecting head and the mounting mechanism, a liquid supply tube connecting between a liquid tank located outside the stroke region and the upstream flow path, and an elastic member of an annular shape having a larger outer diameter than that of the annular projection and a smaller inner diameter than that of the annular projection and disposed to surround a liquid introduction path, the elastic member including an abutment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Hara
  • Patent number: 8894186
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus is provided which can suppress bubbles from remaining in liquid flow paths. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head that includes a flow path member in which a plurality of ink flow paths are formed, a head main body to which ink is supplied form the flow path member and which ejects the ink to a recording sheet, and a moving element that causes the head to perform a reciprocating moving motion on the recording sheet in the X direction. In the plurality of ink flow paths, the longest ink flow path has the smallest Y direction component on an XY surface (a horizontal surface) of the plurality of ink flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Hara, Isamu Togashi
  • Publication number: 20140285574
    Abstract: A head unit, in which unit head rows are formed by respectively arraying unit heads in parallel on both sides of a transmission substrate. The head unit includes a first liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a first side of the transmission substrate and a second liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a second side of the transmission substrate. The unit heads are provided with a flexible cable. A first head fluid channel sandwiches the flexible cable and is provided on a side that is opposite a transmission substrate side. A second head fluid channel is provided on the transmission substrate side. The first head fluid channel is in communication with a first liquid fluid channel on a surface side on which the unit heads are disposed. The second head fluid channel straddles the transmission substrate and is in communication with a second liquid fluid channel on a surface side that is opposite the unit heads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fujio AKAHANE, Hiroaki OKUI, Keiji HARA, Yasuyuki KUDO
  • Publication number: 20140267503
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus is provided which can suppress bubbles from remaining in liquid flow paths. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head that includes a flow path member in which a plurality of ink flow paths are formed, a head main body to which ink is supplied form the flow path member and which ejects the ink to a recording sheet, and a moving element that causes the head to perform a reciprocating moving motion on the recording sheet in the X direction. In the plurality of ink flow paths, the longest ink flow path has the smallest Y direction component on an XY surface (a horizontal surface) of the plurality of ink flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji HARA, Isamu TOGASHI
  • Patent number: 8833916
    Abstract: An liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head main body which ejects liquid and a flow channel member to which the head main body is fixed, the flow channel member includes a plurality of liquid chambers to which the liquid is supplied, and a filter chamber which communicates with each liquid chamber and in which a filter is provided, the liquid passing through the liquid chamber and the filter chamber is supplied to the head main body, inlets which are opened to the liquid chamber and communicate with each filter chamber, the filter chamber includes a plurality of first filter chambers which are juxtaposed in a first row and a plurality of second filter chambers which are juxtaposed in a second row, the first filter chambers directly communicate with the inlet, and the second filter chambers communicate with the inlet through the communicating flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Hara, Hajime Nakao
  • Patent number: 8758652
    Abstract: A tungsten cathode material to be used for TIG welding, plasma spraying, plasma cutting, electro-discharge machining, discharge lamps, and the like is improved; use of the radioactive element thorium is reduced; and a long life and a high performance are realized. In a tungsten cathode material, oxide particles containing an oxide or oxides of at least one selected from the group consisting of Sm, Nd, Gd, and La in a total amount of 50 vol % or more are dispersed, the oxide particles having an average particle diameter d satisfying the relationship 0<d?2.5 ?m. Given a volume fraction f (vol %) of the total amount of the oxide particles in the tungsten cathode material, 0.083?f/I holds when a current I(A) such that 0<I?40 A is applied to an electrode being made of the tungsten cathode material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Yasutsugu Ueno, Keiji Hara, Keiichi Ozuka, Shuichi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 8740354
    Abstract: A first member and a second member constituting flow passage member are joined at a first joining region that surrounds the periphery of a liquid flow passage and a second joining region that is further to the outside than the first joining region, and in a state where the second joining region has a gas barrier property higher than that of the first joining region, the second joining region seals a gap between the first member and the second member, wherein the liquid ejecting head includes a communication hole that communicates a space between the first member and the second member with the outside, which is surrounded by the first joining region and the second joining region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nakao, Keiji Hara
  • Publication number: 20140063137
    Abstract: A flow channel member to which an ink cartridge is removably mounted has a sealing member made of an elastic material around the entire periphery of an installation section of a flow channel member main body. The sealing member is integrally formed of: a top plane portion, where an end face of a leg portion abuts the top plane portion so as to define an enclosed space between an inner peripheral surface of the leg portion and an outer peripheral surface of the installation section; and an inner leg portion and an outer leg portion extending from edges of the top plane portion along the longitudinal axis of the installation section, and having end faces, abutting the flow channel member main body. Furthermore, the sealing member has curved thicker portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutomo TSUKAHARA, Keiji HARA
  • Publication number: 20140043402
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a mounting mechanism including a downstream flow path, a cartridge including an upstream flow path to be communicably connected to the downstream flow path when the cartridge is attached to the mounting mechanism and an annular projection, and configured to be mounted on the mounting mechanism by being made to pivot, a carriage that reciprocates in a predetermined stroke region carrying thereon the liquid ejecting head and the mounting mechanism, a liquid supply tube connecting between a liquid tank located outside the stroke region and the upstream flow path, and an elastic member of an annular shape having a larger outer diameter than that of the annular projection and a smaller inner diameter than that of the annular projection and disposed to surround a liquid introduction path, the elastic member including an abutment portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiji HARA
  • Publication number: 20140009540
    Abstract: An ink cartridge is formed with a cartridge-side engaging portion having a form inherent among a plurality of ink cartridges, and a cartridge mounting chamber in which the ink cartridges are mounted is formed with cartridge-mounting-chamber-side engaging portions, and these engaging portions constitute an erroneous mounting preventing structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Kazutoshi MATSUZAKI, Kazumasa HARADA, Keiji HARA, Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Izumi NOZAWA, Hidetoshi KODAMA, Isamu TOGASHI
  • Publication number: 20130327852
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a flow channel member, a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus which can suppress bubble mixing into a liquid and can be decreased in size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventor: Keiji HARA
  • Patent number: 8459790
    Abstract: A printer includes a reversal transportation path which transports a paper to which ink ejected from liquid ejecting heads has adhered toward a downstream side in the transportation direction. In the printer, the reversal transportation path is formed between a pair of guiding plates having a substantially circular arc shape along the transportation direction of the paper and opening holes which blow out wind toward the reversal transportation path from a blowing unit are provided on an inner guiding plate of the pair of the guiding plates, which is positioned at the center side of the circular arc shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Hara, Osamu Shinkawa, Akihiko Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8376539
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a liquid supply member including a flow channel formation member in which flow channel groove portions having different lengths is formed each, a flexible member that seals an opening of each of the flow channel groove portions to form a liquid flow channel, a pressure reception portion formation plate that has an opening formed for each of the liquid flow channels, each of the openings overlapping the corresponding liquid flow channel formed, and valves each urged by a coil spring to close the corresponding liquid flow channel, the valve opening the channel against an urging force of the spring due to the positional change of a pressure reception portion as pressure inside the liquid flow channel changes, wherein the openings of the pressure reception portion formation plate have a uniform shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Hara
  • Publication number: 20120241368
    Abstract: An liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head main body which ejects liquid and a flow channel member to which the head main body is fixed, the flow channel member includes a plurality of liquid chambers to which the liquid is supplied, and a filter chamber which communicates with each liquid chamber and in which a filter is provided, the liquid passing through the liquid chamber and the filter chamber is supplied to the head main body, inlets which are opened to the liquid chamber and communicate with each filter chamber, the filter chamber includes a plurality of first filter chambers which are juxtaposed in a first row and a plurality of second filter chambers which are juxtaposed in a second row, the first filter chambers directly communicate with the inlet, and the second filter chambers communicate with the inlet through the communicating flow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji HARA, Hajime NAKAO
  • Publication number: 20120242753
    Abstract: A first member and a second member constituting flow passage member are joined at a first joining region that surrounds the periphery of a liquid flow passage and a second joining region that is further to the outside than the first joining region, and in a state where the second joining region has a gas barrier property higher than that of the first joining region, the second joining region seals a gap between the first member and the second member, wherein the liquid ejecting head includes a communication hole that communicates a space between the first member and the second member with the outside, which is surrounded by the first joining region and the second joining region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Nakao, Keiji Hara
  • Patent number: 8251505
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transport belt that transports a target, a record head that performs recording by adhering liquid to the target that is loaded on the transport belt so as to be transported, a heating unit that heats the transport belt so as to accelerate drying the liquid that is recorded on the target by the record head, and a cooling unit that forcedly cools a portion of the transport belt that is heated by the heating unit in a position located in the middle in moving the portion of the transport belt to a position corresponding to the record head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Hara
  • Publication number: 20120091922
    Abstract: A tungsten cathode material to be used for TIG welding, plasma spraying, plasma cutting, electro-discharge machining, discharge lamps, and the like is improved; use of the radioactive element thorium is reduced; and a long life and a high performance are realized. In a tungsten cathode material, oxide particles containing an oxide or oxides of at least one selected from the group consisting of Sm, Nd, Gd, and La in a total amount of 50 vol % or more are dispersed, the oxide particles having an average particle diameter d satisfying the relationship 0<d?2.5 ?m. Given a volume fraction f (vol %) of the total amount of the oxide particles in the tungsten cathode material, 0.083?f/I holds when a current I(A) such that 0<I?40 A is applied to an electrode being made of the tungsten cathode material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: NIPPON TUNGSTEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Yasutsugu Ueno, Keiji Hara, Keiichi Ozuka, Shuichi Teramoto