Patents by Inventor Kenichiro Kubota

Kenichiro Kubota 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: 9206327
    Abstract: A nonaqueous ink composition for ink jet recording contains a glitter pigment and a solvent represented by the following formula: wherein R1 represents an alkyl group containing one to eight carbon atoms and R2 and R3 represent a methyl group or an ethyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ito Maki, Akihito Sao, Kazumasa Tomura, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Patent number: 9199469
    Abstract: A maintenance method of an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording of images on a recording medium using a non-aqueous ink, in which the ink jet recording apparatus includes a nozzle forming surface in which nozzles that discharge the non-aqueous ink are provided; and a wiping member with liquid absorbency, the method including wiping the nozzle forming surface with the wiping member using an impregnating solution, and in which the impregnating solution contains at least one organic solvent selected from a group consisting of compounds represented by the following General Formula (I), esters, and dibasic acid esters. R1—O—(R2—O)n—R3??(I) (in General Formula (I) shown above, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an aryl group, or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkylene group with 2 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 represents an aryl group or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of 1 to 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Ito, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota, Naoki Koike, Shigeki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20150328897
    Abstract: A maintenance method of an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording of images on a recording medium using a non-aqueous ink, in which the ink jet recording apparatus includes a nozzle forming surface in which nozzles that discharge the non-aqueous ink are provided; and a wiping member with liquid absorbency, the method including wiping the nozzle forming surface with the wiping member using an impregnating solution, and in which the impregnating solution contains at least one organic solvent selected from a group consisting of compounds represented by the following General Formula (I), esters, and dibasic acid esters. R1—O—(R2—O)n—R3??(I) (in General Formula (I) shown above, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an aryl group, or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkylene group with 2 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 represents an aryl group or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of 1 to 9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Ito, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota, Naoki Koike, Shigeki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20150247046
    Abstract: A non-aqueous ink jet ink composition according to the invention contains a coloring material; a glycol ether-based solvent; and 10% by mass to 40% by mass of a carbonate-based solvent. It is preferable that the carbonate-based solvent is a compound represented by the general formula (2). (In the general formula (2), R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted and has 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Numakura, Akihito Sao, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20150231880
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method according to the invention includes: ejecting droplets of non-water-based ink, which contains an organic solvent, a color material, and resin, from nozzles of a recording head and causing the droplets to adhere to a recording medium to form an image; and preliminarily ejecting the droplets of the non-water-based-ink from the nozzles of the recording head not for forming the image. In the preliminary ejecting of the droplets, a time interval at which the preliminary ejecting is performed by a predetermined nozzle is equal to or greater than two seconds and equal to or less than twenty five seconds. The organic solvent contains a first solvent which is at least one kind selected from a hydrocarbon-based solvent, an alcohol-based solvent, and an ester-based solvent. Content of the first solvent is equal to or greater than 40% by mass with respect to entire content of the non-water-based ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Nagase, Akihito Sao, Kenichiro Kubota, Jun Ito, Naoki Koike
  • Patent number: 9102842
    Abstract: Disclosed is ink composition used in a recording apparatus provided with a pressure regulation valve which performs opening and closing operations to adjust a pressure in a recording head and is covered with an elastic member. The ink composition includes a slip agent and a lactone system medium. The slip agent is preferably at least one kind selected from a group consisting of a silicon system compound, a hydrocarbon system compound, a fluorine system compound, an amide system compound, and acrylic compound. In addition, the content of the slip agent is preferably not more than 1% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Shinoda, Akihito Sao, Keiji Iida, Makoto Nagase, Miho Nakamura, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20150210878
    Abstract: A non-aqueous ink composition for ink jet recording includes a pigment, a compound represented by General formula 1 below, and a phthalocyanine derivative provided with a polar group not having an amine structure, as a pigment dispersant for dispersing the pigment. The pigment is carbon black. The composition further includes an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether: (wherein R1 indicates an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 each independently indicate a methyl group or an ethyl group).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Iida, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota, Akihito Sao
  • Patent number: 9028055
    Abstract: The nonaqueous ink composition for ink jet printing contains a compound represented by General Formula (1) below, and a heterocyclic compound selected from lactones and lactams. (In Formula (1), R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 represent a methyl group or an ethyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Kubota, Makoto Nagase, Maki Ito, Keiji Iida, Akihito Sao
  • Patent number: 8991996
    Abstract: The ink composition for ink jet recording according to the invention includes a coloring material, a cyclic ester, a first organic solvent having a flash point of 70° C. or less and represented by Formula (I): R1—O—(R2—O)2—R3??(I) (wherein, R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R2 represents an ethylene group or a propylene group; and R3 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms), and a second organic solvent having a flash point of 90° C. or more. The cyclic ester has a content “a” (% by mass) of 6% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. The content “a” (% by mass) of the cyclic ester, the content “b” (% by mass) of the first organic solvent, and the content “c” (% by mass) of the second organic solvent satisfy a relationship represented by Expressions (1) and (2): a<b??(1) c<(a+b)/2??(2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Nagase, Akihito Sao, Kenichiro Kubota, Kenichi Numakura, Jun Ito
  • Patent number: 8992678
    Abstract: An ink set for ink jet recording is provided, the ink set containing a first ink which contains a first pigment and a second ink which contains a second pigment, wherein each of the first and second inks contains polyester-modified polydialkylsiloxane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Sao, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20150035895
    Abstract: A colorant, lactone having a content in a range of 5% by mass to 40% by mass, a first solvent having a water vapor pressure of 2 hPa or more and a content in a range of 5% by mass to 18% by mass at 20° C., and a second solvent having a water vapor pressure of 0.9 hPa or more and a content in a range of 2% by mass to 80% by mass at 20° C. are contained, a sum of the content of the first solvent and the content of the second solvent is 20% by mass or more, and the second solvent is at least one solvent selected from a group consisting of (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether and (poly)alkylene glycol dialkyl ether.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Kubota, Akihito Sao, Makoto Nagase, Jun Ito
  • Patent number: 8939559
    Abstract: A non-aqueous cleaning liquid which is used for cleaning an ink flow path, through which a non-aqueous ink is circulated, in an ink jet recording apparatus including the ink flow path and with which a container composed of polyolefin is filled, includes a pigment and an organic solvent. In the non-aqueous cleaning liquid, a content of the pigment is 0.001% by mass to 0.5% by mass and an average particle size (d50) of the pigment is 10 nm to 500 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Iida, Kenichiro Kubota, Akihito Sao, Makoto Nagase, Maki Ito
  • Publication number: 20140333696
    Abstract: The ink composition for ink jet recording according to the invention includes a coloring material, a cyclic ester, a first organic solvent having a flash point of 70° C. or less and represented by Formula (I): R1—O—(R2—O)2—R3??(I) (wherein, R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R2 represents an ethylene group or a propylene group; and R3 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms), and a second organic solvent having a flash point of 90° C. or more. The cyclic ester has a content “a” (% by mass) of 6% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. The content “a” (% by mass) of the cyclic ester, the content “b” (% by mass) of the first organic solvent, and the content “c” (% by mass) of the second organic solvent satisfy a relationship represented by Expressions (1) and (2): a<b??(1) c<(a+b)/2??(2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Nagase, Akihito Sao, Kenichiro Kubota, Kenichi Numakura, Jun Ito
  • Patent number: 8858696
    Abstract: The nonaqueous ink composition for ink jet recording according to the invention includes a compound represented by the General Formula (1) below; and a compound represented by the General Formula (2A) or the General Formula (2B) below. In the General Formula (1), R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 represent a methyl group or an ethyl group; in the General Formula (2A), R4A represents an alkyl group having 5 to 9 carbon atoms, and R5A represents a methyl group or an ethyl group; in the General Formula (2B), R4B represents an alkylene group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and R5B and R6B each independently represent alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Sao, Maki Nariai, Makoto Nagase, Keiji Iida, Tomoki Shinoda, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Patent number: 8840233
    Abstract: An ink jet recording-targeted non-aqueous ink composition contains pigment, polyvinyl chloride, and a solvent represented by the formula 1, wherein R1 represents an alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 each represent any one of a methyl group and an ethyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Sao, Kenichiro Kubota, Ito Maki
  • Publication number: 20140107007
    Abstract: An ink jet cleaning solution is provided for washing off a non-aqueous ink and an aqueous ink. The cleaning solution contains an organic solvent and water. The organic solvent has an SP value between the weighted average S1 of the SP values of the organic solvents in the non-aqueous ink and the weighted average S2 of the SP values of the organic solvents in the aqueous ink. Also, the weighted average of the SP values of the organic solvent and the water in the cleaning solution is in the range between S1 and S2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihito Sao, Makoto Nagase, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20130293643
    Abstract: Disclosed is ink composition used in a recording apparatus provided with a pressure regulation valve which performs opening and closing operations to adjust a pressure in a recording head and is covered with an elastic member. The ink composition includes a slip agent and a lactone system medium. The slip agent is preferably at least one kind selected from a group consisting of a silicon system compound, a hydrocarbon system compound, a fluorine system compound, an amide system compound, and acrylic compound. In addition, the content of the slip agent is preferably not more than 1% by mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki SHINODA, Akihito SAO, Keiji IIDA, Makoto NAGASE, Miho NAKAMURA, Kenichiro KUBOTA
  • Publication number: 20130286117
    Abstract: An ink set for ink jet recording is provided, the ink set containing a first ink which contains a first pigment and a second ink which contains a second pigment, wherein each of the first and second inks contains polyester-modified polydialkylsiloxane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito SAO, Makoto NAGASE, Kenichiro KUBOTA
  • Publication number: 20120249666
    Abstract: A nonaqueous ink composition for ink jet recording contains a glitter pigment and a solvent represented by the following formula: wherein R1 represents an alkyl group containing one to eight carbon atoms and R2 and R3 represent a methyl group or an ethyl group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ito Maki, Akihito Sao, Kazumasa Tomura, Kenichiro Kubota
  • Publication number: 20120056929
    Abstract: An ink jet recording-targeted non-aqueous ink composition contains pigment, polyvinyl chloride, and a solvent represented by the formula 1, wherein R1 represents an alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 each represent any one of a methyl group and an ethyl group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Akihito Sao, Kenichiro Kubota, Ito Maki