Patents by Inventor Makoto Sawadaishi

Makoto Sawadaishi 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: 20230202189
    Abstract: A flow path switching unit includes a rotary valve configured to rotate, a housing including a contact surface with which the rotary valve comes into contact, and a pressing member configured to press the rotary valve against the contact surface. The housing includes a first flow path that opens to the contact surface, a second flow path that opens to the contact surface, and a third flow path that opens to the contact surface. The rotary valve includes an elastic portion configured to come into contact with the contact surface and including a recessed portion facing the contact surface. The rotary valve is configured to switch between a state in which the recessed portion faces the first flow path and the second flow path, and a state in which the recessed portion faces the first flow path and the third flow path by rotation of the rotary valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventor: Makoto SAWADAISHI
  • Patent number: 11376852
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid to a medium transported in a transport direction on a transport path, a liquid container that includes a containing chamber for containing liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head and an inlet for pouring the liquid into the containing chamber, a carriage movable in a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction in a state where the liquid ejection head and the liquid container loaded on the carriage, and a mounting portion on which a waste liquid container that contains liquid as waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head is detachably mounted. When the liquid ejection head is located outside the transport path in the scanning direction, the carriage is disposed at a position that overlaps the mounting portion in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Makoto Sawadaishi
  • Patent number: 11312147
    Abstract: A liquid storage container which includes a liquid storage chamber that includes a bottom surface, an upper surface facing the bottom surface, a first side surface orthogonal to the bottom surface and the upper surface, and a second side surface orthogonal to the bottom surface and the upper surface and facing the first side surface, and, in which the first side surface is provided with a visual recognition surface configured such that the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber is visually recognized, the bottom surface is provided with a prism for detecting the liquid, and the liquid storage chamber is provided with a wall surface closer to the upper surface than the prism and closer to the bottom surface than an end of the visual recognition surface, which is on a side of the upper surface, in a first direction from the upper surface toward the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Sawadaishi, Naomi Kimura, Yusuke Hirasawa, Shoma Kudo
  • Patent number: 11148425
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a carriage, a liquid container, a housing, and a cover. The liquid ejecting head ejects liquid toward a medium transported in a transport direction. The carriage mounts the liquid ejecting head and moves in a main scanning direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium. The liquid container is mounted on the carriage. The liquid container has a containing chamber which contains the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head and a liquid inlet through which the liquid is poured from a replenishment container into the containing chamber. The housing houses the liquid ejecting head, the liquid container, and the carriage. The cover covers the housing. The housing includes a movement unit that causes the liquid inlet to be exposed to the outside when the movement unit is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Sawadaishi
  • Publication number: 20210107290
    Abstract: A liquid storage container which includes a liquid storage chamber that includes a bottom surface, an upper surface facing the bottom surface, a first side surface orthogonal to the bottom surface and the upper surface, and a second side surface orthogonal to the bottom surface and the upper surface and facing the first side surface, and, in which the first side surface is provided with a visual recognition surface configured such that the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber is visually recognized, the bottom surface is provided with a prism for detecting the liquid, and the liquid storage chamber is provided with a wall surface closer to the upper surface than the prism and closer to the bottom surface than an end of the visual recognition surface, which is on a side of the upper surface, in a first direction from the upper surface toward the bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto SAWADAISHI, Naomi KIMURA, Yusuke HIRASAWA, Shoma KUDO
  • Publication number: 20210016573
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid to a medium transported in a transport direction on a transport path, a liquid container that includes a containing chamber for containing liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head and an inlet for pouring the liquid into the containing chamber, a carriage movable in a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction in a state where the liquid ejection head and the liquid container loaded on the carriage, and a mounting portion on which a waste liquid container that contains liquid as waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head is detachably mounted. When the liquid ejection head is located outside the transport path in the scanning direction, the carriage is disposed at a position that overlaps the mounting portion in the vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Naomi KIMURA, Makoto SAWADAISHI
  • Patent number: 10814636
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejection apparatus configured to suppress the occurrence of an inconvenience caused by waves in a liquid. The liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head; a liquid container configured to supply the liquid to the liquid ejection head; and a carriage that is for arranging the liquid ejection head and the liquid container and is configured to perform a reciprocal movement. The liquid container includes: a liquid containing chamber that is configured to contain the liquid; an atmospheric air introduction port that introduces atmospheric air into the liquid containing chamber from outside. The atmospheric air introduction port is arranged at a position higher than the highest level of a wave that occurs due to the reciprocal movement in a full state in which the liquid containing chamber is filled with liquid to the highest level in a predetermined containing range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Makoto Sawadaishi
  • Publication number: 20200079095
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a carriage, a liquid container, a housing, and a cover. The liquid ejecting head ejects liquid toward a medium transported in a transport direction. The carriage mounts the liquid ejecting head and moves in a main scanning direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium. The liquid container is mounted on the carriage. The liquid container has a containing chamber which contains the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head and a liquid inlet through which the liquid is poured from a replenishment container into the containing chamber. The housing houses the liquid ejecting head, the liquid container, and the carriage. The cover covers the housing. The housing includes a movement unit that causes the liquid inlet to be exposed to the outside when the movement unit is moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto SAWADAISHI
  • Patent number: 10500867
    Abstract: Provided is a technique for reducing the likelihood of air bubbles flowing to a liquid ejection head, in a liquid tank mounted on a carriage. The liquid tank mounted on the carriage movable in a Y direction includes a liquid chamber, a liquid inlet port, an atmospheric air introduction portion, a liquid outlet, and a division wall arranged in the liquid chamber. The division wall has first division walls perpendicular to the Y direction in a mounted state on the carriage, and the liquid chamber includes a plurality of small liquid chambers partitioned by the first division walls, an upper communication portion allowing the small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other, and a lower communication portion positioned below the upper communication, and allowing the small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Sawadaishi, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo
  • Publication number: 20190299622
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejection apparatus configured to suppress the occurrence of an inconvenience caused by waves in a liquid. The liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head; a liquid container configured to supply the liquid to the liquid ejection head; and a carriage that is for arranging the liquid ejection head and the liquid container and is configured to perform a reciprocal movement. The liquid container includes: a liquid containing chamber that is configured to contain the liquid; an atmospheric air introduction port that introduces atmospheric air into the liquid containing chamber from outside. The atmospheric air introduction port is arranged at a position higher than the highest level of a wave that occurs due to the reciprocal movement in a full state in which the liquid containing chamber is filled with liquid to the highest level in a predetermined containing range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naomi KIMURA, Makoto SAWADAISHI
  • Publication number: 20190061363
    Abstract: Provided is a technique for reducing the likelihood of air bubbles flowing to a liquid ejection head, in a liquid tank mounted on a carriage. The liquid tank mounted on the carriage movable in a Y direction includes a liquid chamber, a liquid inlet port, an atmospheric air introduction portion, a liquid outlet, and a division wall arranged in the liquid chamber. The division wall has first division walls perpendicular to the Y direction in a mounted state on the carriage, and the liquid chamber includes a plurality of small liquid chambers partitioned by the first division walls, an upper communication portion allowing the small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other, and a lower communication portion positioned below the upper communication, and allowing the small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Sawadaishi, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo