Patents by Inventor Ken Tsuchii

Ken Tsuchii 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: 7077503
    Abstract: An ink jet head according to the present invention includes multiple discharge ports for discharging ink, multiple ink flow paths for communicating with the discharge ports, and heat generating elements for generating bubbles in ink filling the ink flow paths. For each ink flow path, two heat generating elements are arranged therein, and the discharge port is arranged along a line that is extended, from the center of a pressure generation region formed by the two heat generating elements, in the normal direction relative to the surface of the substrate. The arrangement pitch of the heat generating elements is equal to or greater than 600 dpi, and the interval dhn between a partition wall defining an ink flow path and the heat generating element adjacent to the partition wall is equal to or smaller than 4 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Publication number: 20060119663
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing an ink jet recording head which controls an impulse force generated at the time of disappearing of a bubble with keeping an energy efficiency of ink ejection high. The ink jet recording head has a discharge port from which ink is discharged, a pressure chamber by which energy for ejection is given to ink, and a nozzle portion which makes the pressure chamber and the discharge port communicate. The nozzle portion includes a major diameter portion with a sectional area larger than an area of the discharge port, and a minor diameter portion, whose sectional area is smaller than that of the major diameter portion, along an ink ejection direction, and the minor diameter portion is provided between the major diameter portion and pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Tsuchii
  • Publication number: 20060077233
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head is provided with one heat generating member in each of ink flow paths, and the discharge port thereof is arranged on the extended line extending in the normal direction from the center of the main surface of the heat generating member to the surface of the substrate. Then, on the surface of the substrate, non-bubbling area is provided on the center within the projected area having the discharge port projected thereon. Bubble brought to the boil by the heat generating member pushes out ink from the discharge port by the pressure exerted by the bubble, while being communicated with the outside. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to enhance the precision of discharge direction of the liquid droplet discharged from the discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Publication number: 20060044350
    Abstract: A recording head has a channel forming member and an element substrate. A discharge port through which liquid is discharged is formed in the channel forming member. An energy generating element for discharging the liquid is formed in the substrate. A gap forming member is arranged above the channel forming member. A moisture retention liquid retention portion which retains moisture in the vicinity of the discharge port is formed between the gap forming member and the channel forming member so as to be opened toward the discharge port side. Even if the state in which the liquid is not discharged continues, the liquid in the discharge port can be prevented from drying with the recording head having the above configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Tsuchii
  • Patent number: 6988786
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head is provided with one heat generating member in each of ink flow paths, and the discharge port thereof is arranged on the extended line extending in the normal direction from the center of the main surface of the heat generating member to the surface of the substrate. Then, on the surface of the substrate, non-bubbling area is provided on the center within the projected area having the discharge port projected thereon. Bubble brought to the boil by the heat generating member pushes out ink from the discharge port by the pressure exerted by the bubble, while being communicated with the outside. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to enhance the precision of discharge direction of the liquid droplet discharged from the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Patent number: 6984025
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a substrate provided with heat generating members for generating a bubble in ink on a surface of the substrate, a plurality of discharge ports for discharging the ink, the ports opposed to the surface of the substrate, and a plurality of ink flow passages communicating with the plurality of discharge ports to feed the ink. A plurality of the heat generating members is provided in each of the ink flow passages, and the discharge port is arranged on an extension line extending from a center of a pressure generating area composed of the plurality of heat generating members toward the surface of the substrate in a normal direction. Moreover, a distance dhc between centers of each of two heat generating members arranged most apart from each other among the plurality of heat generating members is set to be larger than a diameter do of an aperture of the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Patent number: 6976748
    Abstract: Since the large amount nozzle arrays are disposed at first columns and the small amount nozzle arrays are disposed at second columns on both sides of the shifting directions along the main scan direction, the deflection of the ink droplet caused by the first air flows is totally reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Yabe, Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Masaki Oikawa
  • Publication number: 20050212861
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head substrate has improved protection performance of protective films for protecting heaters while effective bubble-forming regions are being secured. The protective films for protecting a plurality of heating elements provided on a substrate are formed using a platinum group element and are separately provided for the respective heating elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Mineo Kaneko, Masaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 6830317
    Abstract: In an ink jet recording head from which a small ink droplet and a large ink droplet can be discharged, a common liquid chamber is connected to discharge ports via ink flow paths and pressure chambers, and ink droplets are discharged from the discharge ports by utilizing thermal energy of heaters. Widths of the ink flow paths are narrower than widths of the pressure chambers so that the ink flow paths act as restriction portions. If it is assumed that a sectional area of the small liquid droplet ink flow path is SS, a sectional area of the small liquid droplet pressure chamber is SRS, a sectional area of the large liquid droplet ink flow path is SL and a sectional area of the large liquid droplet pressure chamber is SRL, a relationship SS/SRS<SL/SRL is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Mineo Kaneko, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe, Keiji Tomizawa
  • Patent number: 6824248
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a recording element base plate having an ink heating portion for heating ink, and ink discharge ports for discharging ink heated by the ink heating portion; a main body portion having an ink supply path for inducing ink from an ink retaining portion; and a connecting member having a first bonding surface bonded to the main body portion, and a second bonding surface bonded to the recording element base plate. For this head, the connecting member is formed by material having a weaker stretching strength than that of the recording element base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Tsuchii
  • Publication number: 20040021731
    Abstract: Since the large amount nozzle arrays are disposed at first columns and the small amount nozzle arrays are disposed at second columns on both sides of the shifting directions along the main scan direction, the deflection of the ink droplet caused by the first air flows is totally reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Yabe, Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Masaki Oikawa
  • Publication number: 20040004648
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a substrate provided with heat generating members for generating a bubble in ink on a surface of the substrate, a plurality of discharge ports for discharging the ink, the ports opposed to the surface of the substrate, and a plurality of ink flow passages communicating with the plurality of discharge ports to feed the ink. A plurality of the heat generating members is provided in each of the ink flow passages, and the discharge port is arranged on an extension line extending from a center of a pressure generating area composed of the plurality of heat generating members toward the surface of the substrate in a normal direction. Moreover, a distance dhc between centers of each of two heat generating members arranged most apart from each other among the plurality of heat generating members is set to be larger than a diameter do of an aperture of the discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Publication number: 20030222941
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head is provided with one heat generating member in each of ink flow paths, and the discharge port thereof is arranged on the extended line extending in the normal direction from the center of the main surface of the heat generating member to the surface of the substrate. Then, on the surface of the substrate, non-bubbling area is provided on the center within the projected area having the discharge port projected thereon. Bubble brought to the boil by the heat generating member pushes out ink from the discharge port by the pressure exerted by the bubble, while being communicated with the outside. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to enhance the precision of discharge direction of the liquid droplet discharged from the discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Patent number: 6652079
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head that is capable of avoiding damages due to cavitation of an electrothermal converting element and thus extending its life is provided. The ink jet recording head comprises a plurality of ink discharge ports for discharging ink; a plurality of electrothermal converting elements provided to be associated with each of the ink discharge ports, respectively, for bubbling and discharging the ink; a plurality of pressure chambers for containing the electrothermal converting elements and providing spaces for heating and bubbling the ink; a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to the plurality of pressure chambers; and a plurality of ink flow paths for communicating the pressure chambers with the common liquid chamber. The ink flow paths are arranged such that central lines in a direction of ink supply to the pressure chambers are positioned offset from central lines of the electrothermal converting elements in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Mineo Kaneko, Masaki Oikawa, Ryoji Inoue, Kenji Yabe
  • Publication number: 20030214552
    Abstract: An ink jet head according to the present invention comprises multiple discharge ports for discharging ink, multiple ink flow paths for communicating with the discharge ports, and heat generating elements for generating bubble in ink filling the ink flow paths. Two heat generating elements are arranged in each ink flow path, and the discharge ports are arranged along a line that is extended, from the center of a pressure generation region formed by the two heat generating elements, in the normal direction relative to the surface of the substrate. The pitch for the arrangement of the heat generating elements is equal to or greater than 600 dpi, and the interval dhn between a partition wall defining the ink flow path and the heat generating element adjacent to the partition wall is equal to or smaller than 4 &mgr;m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Publication number: 20030197760
    Abstract: In an ink jet recording head according to the present invention in which a small ink droplet and a large ink droplet can be discharged, a common liquid chamber is connected to discharge ports via ink flow paths and pressure chambers, and ink droplets are discharged from the discharge ports by utilizing thermal energy of heaters. Widths of the ink flow paths are narrower than widths of the pressure chambers so that the ink flow paths act as restriction portions. When it is assumed that a sectional area of the small liquid droplet ink flow path is SS, a sectional area of the small liquid droplet pressure chamber is SRS, a sectional area of the large liquid droplet ink flow path is SL and a sectional area of the large liquid droplet pressure chamber is SRL, a relationship SS/SRS<SL/SRL is established. According to the present invention, with this arrangement, even in the nozzle for discharging the small ink droplet, loss is reduced and energy efficiency can be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Mineo Kaneko, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe, Keiji Tomizawa
  • Publication number: 20020175967
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head comprises a recording element base plate having an ink heating portion for heating ink, and ink discharge ports for discharging ink heated by the ink heating portion; a main body portion having ink supply path for inducing ink from an ink retraining portion; and a connecting member having a first bonding surface bonded to the main body portion, and a second bonding surface bonded to the recording element base plate. For this head, the connecting member is formed by material having weaker stretching strength than that of the recording element base plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventor: Ken Tsuchii
  • Patent number: 6481819
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a plurality of recording element substrates each having a plurality of recording elements for applying ejection energy to recording liquid; a plurality of flow paths for the recording liquid which is to receive ejection energy; a supply port for supplying the recording liquid to the plurality of flow paths; a plurality of ejection outlets for ejecting the recording liquid, the ejection outlets being disposed face to the recording elements, respectively; wherein distances between the recording elements and the ejection outlets in at least one of the recording element substrates are different from distances between the recording elements and ejection outlets of another one of the recording element substrates, and wherein liquid ejection systems of the recording elements of the at least one of the recording element substrates and the recording elements of the another one of the recording element substrates, are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda
  • Patent number: 6474763
    Abstract: A recording control method and a recording apparatus in which high accuracy in the position of a discharged liquid droplet is obtained irrespective of changes in the temperature of a recording head are provided. In a liquid discharging method in which a bubble is generated by supplying ink (a liquid) with thermal energy, and the generated bubble is caused to communicate with the atmospheric air, by controlling a driving signal so that a discharging state in which a part of the ink to be discharged falls even if the temperature of the recording head changes, the direction of ink discharge can be stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Murakami, Masayoshi Tachihara, Ken Tsuchii, Toshiharu Inui, Mitsuhiro Ono, Kazuhiko Okito
  • Patent number: 6471346
    Abstract: An ink container has a liquid retaining member accommodation chamber for accommodating a liquid retaining member, which is in fluid communication with an ink accommodation chamber for accommodating ink through a fluid communication path. An ink introduction groove extends substantially along an entirety of an inner corner portion of a bottom wall of the ink accommodation chamber to the fluid communication path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Kishida, Ken Tsuchii