Patents by Inventor Kenji Kitabatake

Kenji Kitabatake 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: 20060001716
    Abstract: A liquid container containing ink, which is detachably mountable to a carriage, the improvement residing in the provision of an optical medium to which information is writable using visible light and from which the information is readable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Kenji Kitabatake, Keisuke Matsuo, Hiromasa Anma, Hajime Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6976754
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording head in which a buffer chamber connected to a liquid supply path can be cleaned effectively. The ink jet recording head includes a recording head unit having a discharge portion for discharging ink, a tank holder unit to which an ink tank for containing the ink to be discharged at the recording head unit, and a liquid supply path formed between the tank holder unit and a flow path forming member joined to the tank holder unit in order to supply the ink contained in the ink tank to the recording head unit. A buffer chamber containing gas is connected to the liquid supply path and the buffer chamber is provided with an opening portion. The opening portion is closed by joining the recording head unit to the tank holder unit by joining the recording head unit to the flow path forming member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ohashi, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Publication number: 20050185034
    Abstract: A liquid container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet recording apparatus in a slot-like mounting configuration where the liquid container is supported between a pair of engaging portions that respectively engage with a corresponding pair of locking portions on the mounting portion of the recording apparatus. The liquid container is supported in an upright configuration and includes a display portion on an upper side thereof, and a light emitting portion which emits light for display by the display portion. Because the display portion is disposed on an upper side, a user can confirm the display despite the mounting arrangement of the liquid container in the recording apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromasa Anma, Haruyuki Matsumoto, Kenjiro Watanabe, Hajime Yamamoto, Yukuo Yamaguchi, Yasuo Kotaki, Keisuke Matsuo, Kenji Kitabatake, Eiichiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6921161
    Abstract: A liquid container which can precisely detects existence/absence of residual liquid at a low cost, a cartridge including the liquid container, and a printing apparatus using the cartridge. The lengthwise direction of a triangular prism provided on the bottom of the ink tank is along a direction of print medium conveyance in the printing apparatus, such that when an ink-jet head cartridge holding the ink tank is attached to the printing apparatus for performing printing, light emitted from an optical unit of the printing apparatus is precisely captured by the prism. Further, if two ink-jet head cartridges are mounted on the printing apparatus, the first and second ink-jet head cartridges are set in positions shifted from each other by a length shorter than the length in the lengthwise direction of the prism, such that the light emitted from the optical unit reaches the prisms provided in the ink tanks of the first and second ink-jet head cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Morita, Hiroshi Koshikawa, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Patent number: 6869158
    Abstract: A liquid container for containing liquid includes a reflection member having a plurality of roof mirror assemblies arranged in a predetermined direction, each of the roof mirror assemblies having at least two reflecting surfaces positioned with a predetermined angle therebetween; wherein the reflection member is effective to divide incident light into a plurality of light beams by the plurality of roof mirror assemblies and to condensing at a predetermined position the beams sequentially reflected by the at least two reflecting surfaces of the roof mirror assemblies; wherein the reflection member is effective to divide incident light into a plurality of light beams by the plurality of roof mirror assemblies and to condensing at a predetermined position the beams sequentially reflected by the at least two reflecting surfaces of the roof mirror assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kojima, Masanori Takenouchi, Hajime Yamamoto, Masahiko Igaki, Eiichiro Shimizu, Yasuo Kotaki, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Patent number: 6863762
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fiber aggregate formed by fiber having reforming surface comprises the steps of providing a fiber surface having thermoplastic resin at least on the surface layer thereof with a hydrophilic processing liquid containing polymer having a first portion with more hydrophilic group than the surface, and a second portion having interfacial energy different from that of the hydrophilic group, and interfacial energy substantially equal to the surface energy of the fiber; orientating the second portion toward the fiber surface, while orientating polymer to the side different from the surface of the first group; and forming a fiber absorber by heating the fiber having the reformed surface in the step of orientating polymer to thermally bond the contact points of fibers themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Sanada, Sadayuki Sugama, Shozo Hattori, Hajime Yamamoto, Eiichiro Shimizu, Hiroshi Koshikawa, Hiroki Hayashi, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Patent number: 6851798
    Abstract: A liquid container which is in detachably connectable to a supply tube which is in fluid communication with a liquid ejection recording head, the liquid container including a liquid accommodating portion for accommodating liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection recording head and a supply port for permitting supply of the liquid to the recording head from the liquid accommodating portion by connection of the liquid container to the liquid ejection recording head, the liquid container includes a capillary force generating member for generating a capillary force to absorb the recording liquid deposited on the surface of the supply tube and in the supply port into a space, other than the liquid accommodating portion, in the liquid container; wherein a capillary force A generated in an absorption region for absorbing the recording liquid remaining in the supply port adjacent the supply port of the capillary force generating member and a capillary force B in a storing region for storing the recording liquid a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Koshikawa, Shozo Hattori, Hajime Yamamoto, Eiichiro Shimizu, Hiroki Hayashi, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Publication number: 20040246317
    Abstract: A liquid container detachably mountable to a container holder, the container holder includes a container body for containing liquid and including a front side engaging portion and a rear side engaging portion for engagement with the container holder, the front side engaging portion and rear side engaging portion being disposed at a leading side and a trailing side, respectively with respect to an inserting direction of the container into the container holder; and a projection, provided on only one of lateral sides of the container body which extend parallel with the inserting direction, for being guided, when the container is mounted to the container holder, along an upper end of a guide wall provided in the container holder while the other lateral side is being limited by an inner surface of the container holder, and the container is being rotated substantially about the front side engaging portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Hayashi, Yasuo Kotaki, Keisuke Matsuo, Tetsuya Ohashi, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Patent number: 6827431
    Abstract: An ink tank comprises a housing and a cover member, providing a hollow containing portion when bonded together, and in this containing portion, ink absorbent formed by laminating fiber material is contained. On the cover member, a rib is provided to extrude into the containing portion. This rib comprises a first directional rib arranged diagonally to the fibrous lamination face of the ink absorbent, and a second directional rib that intersects with the first directional rib orthogonally. On the position surrounded by the first directional rib and the second directional rib, an atmosphere communication port is formed, and around the atmosphere communication, the communication port guide that extrudes into the containing portion is arranged. The height of the rib is larger than that of the communication port guide. The rib presses the ink absorbent without being buried in it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Kitabatake, Yasuo Kotaki, Keisuke Matsuo, Wataru Takahashi, Hiroki Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20040233259
    Abstract: An ink tank is provided which can apply an optimum negative pressure stably by a valve of a simple structure. To this end, the ink tank of this invention has a valve and a damper section installed in an ink flow path. The valve deforms when the negative pressure in the ink supply port is greater than a predetermined level, to temporarily open the ink flow path to introduce ink from the ink accommodation portion to the ink supply port. The damper section is installed between and communicates to the ink supply port and the valve in the ink flow path. The damper section is formed of a resilient member more easily deformed than the valve and applies a negative pressure to the interior of the ink supply port by an elastic recovery force of the resilient member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromasa Amma, Toshihiko Ujita, Yasuo Kotaki, Keisuke Matsuo, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Publication number: 20040233258
    Abstract: This invention provides an ink tank capable of a stable ink supply to a print head by using a simple valve construction. In one preferred example, an ink path is closed by a lip portion of a valve rubber engaging a flange, and an angle formed by an inner surface of an opening in the lip portion and an engagement surface of the flange is an acute angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Kitabatake, Yasuo Kotaki, Keisuke Matsuo, Toshihiko Ujita, Hiromasa Amma
  • Publication number: 20040227795
    Abstract: An ink tank in which an air communication passage and a pressure regulator valve passage are formed by covering grooves, etc., with a film is fabricated in a simple manufacturing process. Specifically, an atmosphere communication hole and a major part of an air communication passage are formed in the same surface on which a film for forming a valve passage is attached. By virtue of this, the process of attaching a major part of the air communication passage film and the process of attaching the valve film can be performed in a single process step. This simplifies the process of attaching the films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ujita, Keisuke Matsuo, Kenji Kitabatake, Hiromasa Amma
  • Patent number: 6805434
    Abstract: A liquid supplying system comprises a capillary force generating member accommodating container which stores therein a capillary force generating member for retaining liquid, and is provided with a liquid supply portion for supplying outward the liquid retained in the capillary force generating member, and an air vent through which the capillary force generating member is in fluid communication with ambience; and a liquid reservoir container which is provided with a liquid reservoir portion for storing therein the liquid to be supplied to the capillary force generating member accommodating container, and a communication path portion for supplying the liquid to the capillary force generating member accommodating container, and forms therein a virtually sealed space except for the presence of the communication path portion; wherein the capillary force generating member is provided with a layer in which the primary direction in which fiber strands therein are arranged is substantially horizontal, and this layer
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Hayashi, Shozo Hattori, Hajime Yamamoto, Eiichiro Shimizu, Yasuo Kotaki, Hiroshi Koshikawa, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Patent number: 6796645
    Abstract: A fiber body which exhibits sufficient ink supplying characteristics for keeping up with the trend toward diversification of ink and high printing speed while ensuring an easy and simple ink injection operation and a liquid container having the same. The ink tank has a PP fiber body (crosshatched area of the figures), as a negative pressure generating member for an ink jet head which ejects liquid to perform recording, arranged almost all over the interior thereof, so as to allow the fiber body to hold a liquid to be supplied to an ink jet head. On the top of the tank casing, provided is an atmosphere communication port. And as a PP fiber body, used is an assembly of intertwined PP fibers of which surface has been subjected to surface treatment of giving hydrophilic nature thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Hayashi, Sadayuki Sugama, Shozo Hattori, Hajime Yamamoto, Eiichiro Shimizu, Mikio Sanada, Hiroshi Koshikawa, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Publication number: 20040174412
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a card edge contact having a plurality of electrical contacts for transmission of a driving signal; a recording element substrate having a recording element for generating energy contributable to eject liquid onto a recording material in response to the driving signal; and an electrical flexible cable for electrical connection between the card edge contact and the recording element substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ohashi, Yasuo Kotaki, Hiroaki Mihara, Noriko Sato, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Publication number: 20040150705
    Abstract: A liquid container containing ink, which is detachably mountable to a carriage, the improvement residing in the provision of an optical medium to which information is writable using visible light and from which the information is readable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Kitabatake, Keisuke Matsuo, Hiromasa Anma, Hajime Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20040114003
    Abstract: An ink tank comprises an ink containing portion for containing ink, an ink lead-out portion for leading out ink in said ink containing portion to the outside, and an electrode inlet portion for inletting an electrode into said ink containing portion, said electrode inlet portion being different from said ink lead-out portion, wherein said ink lead-out portion and said electrode inlet portion are connected through a conductive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Kenji Kitabatake, Wataru Takahashi
  • Patent number: D493194
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ohashi, Kenji Kitabatake, Keisuke Matsuo, Hiroki Hayashi, Yasuo Kotaki
  • Patent number: D493820
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Matsuo, Hiroki Hayashi, Tetsuya Ohashi, Kenji Kitabatake, Yasuo Kotaki
  • Patent number: D493821
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Matsuo, Hiroki Hayashi, Tetsuya Ohashi, Kenji Kitabatake, Yasuo Kotaki