Patents by Inventor Masaru Ohnishi

Masaru Ohnishi 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: 10696059
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided that prints a print target on a medium made of chemical fiber fabric. The printing apparatus includes inkjet heads which are chromatic color heads that eject inks having chromatic colors, and an inkjet head which is a black color head that ejects ink having black color. The inks ejected from these inkjet heads are allowed to dry by evaporation and each contain a solvent and a coloring material for expressing the ink color. The inks are dried by evaporating the solvents in the inks to be fixed to the medium. The chromatic color heads include at least six or more inkjet heads that respectively eject the inks having chromatic colors distinct from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10689761
    Abstract: A plating method includes a first mask forming step of ejecting a UV-curable ink in the form of ink droplets from an inkjet head so as to have the ejected ink droplets land on a plating target object and to form a first plating mask on the plating target object, a catalyst applying step of applying a catalyst for deposition of plating material to the plating target object on which the first plating mask is formed, a second mask forming step of having the ink droplets land on the first plating mask so as to form a second plating mask on the first plating mask, a plating step of performing electroless plating to the plating target object subsequent to the second mask forming step, and a mask removing step of removing the first plating mask and the second plating mask from the plating target object subsequent to the plating step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10618318
    Abstract: To suppress the risk of ink bleeding and thereby attain an improved printing quality, a printing apparatus is provided that carries out an inkjet printing operation for a medium. The printing apparatus includes inkjet heads that eject droplets of ink using inkjet technique; and ultraviolet light sources that radiate ultraviolet light. The ink ejected from the inkjet heads contains an ultraviolet absorbent that absorbs ultraviolet light, and a solvent that dissolves or disperses the ultraviolet absorbent. The ejected ink is adherable to the medium and fixable by evaporating the solvent. The ultraviolet light sources irradiate the ink adhered to the medium with ultraviolet light so as to volatilize and remove at least part of the solvent from the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20200094581
    Abstract: A printing apparatus that performs a printing through an inkjet method is provided and includes: an inkjet head, and a heater. An ink contains an energy ray absorber and a solvent. The energy ray absorber is a substance that generates heat by absorbing an energy ray. The heater evaporates at least a part of the solvent in the ink by irradiating the ink with the energy ray. The ink contains, as at least a part of the solvent, a main solvent which is a component of a liquid that accounts for greater than or equal to 30% by weight ratio with respect to an entire of the ink. The main solvent is one or more mixtures selected from an organic solvent of normal paraffins, an organic solvent of isoparaffins, an organic solvent of naphthenes, an organic solvent of alkylbenzenes, and an organic solvent of olefins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI
  • Publication number: 20200070544
    Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing method are provided. The printing apparatus that performs a printing through an inkjet method includes: a conveyor driver which is a medium conveyor device; a plurality of ink ejection portions arranged side by side along a conveyance direction; and a plurality of ultraviolet light sources which are a plurality of fixing devices. Each of the ink ejection portions includes a plurality of inkjet heads arranged side by side along the conveyance direction. Each of the plurality of ultraviolet light sources is disposed on a downstream side in the conveyance direction with respect to any one of the ink ejection portions. After the medium passes a position facing the plurality of inkjet heads in one of the ink ejection portions, the ink ejected by the one of the ink ejection portions is fixed to the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20200047533
    Abstract: A transfer method is provided and includes a disposing step of disposing a transfer sheet and a medium in an inside of a sealed space formed by using a pressure welding sheet having flexibility in at least one part; a pressure welding step of suctioning the inside of the sealed space by a negative pressure and pressure welding the pressure welding sheet and the medium by the negative pressure to closely attach the transfer sheet and the medium; an irradiating step of softening an adhesive layer of the transfer sheet by irradiation of a light ray in a state in which the transfer sheet is closely attached to the medium by the pressure welding sheet and adhering the adhesive layer to the medium by a pressure welding force from the pressure welding sheet; and a peeling step of peeling off the transfer sheet from the medium after the irradiating step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI
  • Publication number: 20200047524
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided and includes: a platen that supports a medium; an inkjet head provided to face the medium, the inkjet head ejecting an ink containing a charge controlling agent toward the medium by driving a drive element to land the charged ink droplet, which becomes a polarity of one of the positive polarity and the negative polarity, on the medium; and a voltage applying part that applies to at least one of the platen and the medium to have the other polarity of the positive polarity and the negative polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI
  • Publication number: 20200016821
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus, a liquid ejecting method and an ink are provided, so as to appropriately increase the strength of ink after fixing. The liquid ejecting apparatus is configured to eject an ink by an inkjet method, and includes an inkjet head configured to eject the ink. The inkjet head has a nozzle configured to eject the ink. The ink includes a resin particle having a size capable of passing through the nozzle. The resin particle contains a fibrous substance. The fibrous substance is, for example, fibers of cellulose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI
  • Patent number: 10532587
    Abstract: The printing apparatus performs inkjet printing and includes an inkjet head that ejects ink to a medium, and an ultraviolet irradiator that irradiates the ink on the medium with ultraviolet light so as to heat the ink. The ink contains solvents. The solvents include a low-boiling solvent and a high-boiling solvent having a higher boiling point than the other, and the ink contains 20 wt. % or more of the low-boiling solvent and 20 wt. % or more of the high-boiling solvent. In at least part of a duration of time until the solvents in the ink are completely evaporated, an energy line irradiator irradiates the ink on the medium with an energy line, so that a temperature of the ink on the medium increases to a degree higher than or equal to the boiling point of the low-boiling solvent and lower than the boiling point of the high-boiling solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20200009881
    Abstract: The disclosure is to more appropriately perform high-quality printing in a case of using ultraviolet curing ink in a serial type inkjet printer. In a printing apparatus for performing printing in an inkjet mode, an inkjet head for Y color, an inkjet head for M color, temporarily hardening light sources, an inkjet head, and an inkjet head are arranged such that their positions in the sub scan direction are deviated from each other. With respect to each position on a medium, after the inkjet head ejects ink drops, the temporarily hardening light sources hardens the ultraviolet curing ink of the Y color on the medium, to a temporarily hardened state, before the inkjet head ejects ink drops, and then the inkjet head ejects ink drops of the M color onto the area where the ultraviolet curing ink of the Y color has hardened to the temporarily hardened state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI
  • Patent number: 10526497
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plating method capable of easily performing various decorative plating processes. The plating method includes a bulge forming process of forming a bulge on an object to be plated by ejecting ink drops of first UV-curable ink from an inkjet head such that the ejected ink drops land on the object, and a plating process of plating the object having the bulge formed thereon, after the bulge forming process. Also, in the bulge forming process, the bulge is formed such that a second surface of the bulge to be plated has surface roughness different from that of a first surface of the object to be plated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Ohnishi, Toshiya Ito
  • Patent number: 10507675
    Abstract: A high-gloss, precise and vivid image is printed appropriately. The printing method performs a printing using a color ink on a medium, and includes: a color ink layer forming step of ejecting the color ink to a medium to form a layer of the color ink, that is, a colored ink layer on the medium; and a glossing step of performing a process for increasing a gloss of the colored ink layer. The color ink includes a colorant and a solvent and generates heat by radiation of an energy ray. In the color ink layer forming step, the energy ray is emitted to the color ink adhering to the medium to remove by evaporation at least a part of the solvent included in the color ink. In the glossing step, the gloss of the colored ink layer is increased after a part of the solvent is removed by evaporation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20190351684
    Abstract: Disclosed is a printing apparatus which performs printing on a medium in an inkjet mode. The printing apparatus includes inkjet heads and an ultraviolet irradiation section that is an energy ray irradiation section. In this printing apparatus, the ink is an ink containing a solvent and generating heat in accordance with ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet irradiation section applies the ultraviolet ray to the ink on the medium to evaporate at least a portion of the solvent in the ink. When 45% by volume or more of the solvent evaporates from an initial solvent amount, the viscosity of the ink is 50 mPa·sec or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10479112
    Abstract: There is provided a printing device that carries out printing with respect to a medium; the printing device including inkjet heads, which are ejection heads that eject an ink to the medium; and an infrared irradiating portion that irradiates an infrared light in which a wavelength is smaller than or equal to 3 ?m with respect to the ink on the medium; where the inkjet heads eject the ink containing a solvent that generates heat by absorbing the infrared light; and the infrared irradiating portion volatilizes and removes at least one part of the solvent in the ink by irradiating the infrared light with respect to the ink on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Ohnishi, Toshiya Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10464330
    Abstract: An efficiency of a liquid supply to an ejection head such as an inkjet head is improved. An ink supply apparatus is provided that supplies ink to an inkjet head of a printer which is an example of inkjet recording apparatuses. The ink supply apparatus includes a non-replaceable ink pack disposed at a position at which the ink stored inside is suppliable by a hydraulic head differential to the printer, and a replaceable pack holder that replaceably holds a replaceable ink pack provided apart from the non-replaceable ink pack. The ink to be supplied to the non-replaceable ink pack is containable in the replaceable ink pack at a position preceding the non-replaceable ink pack. The ink that the non-replaceable ink pack receives from the replaceable ink pack is supplied to the printer under a pressure generated by the hydraulic head differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10457078
    Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method that may improve the degree of freedom in designing and manufacturing a product in which a permeable medium is used. The manufacturing method may include: an image printing step of forming an image by inkjet printing on a permeable medium based on processing data (S102); a cutting step of cutting the permeable medium into parts in shapes based on the processing data after the image is printed on the permeable medium by inkjet printing in the image printing step (S104); and an assembling step of assembling the parts into a product (S105). The image printing step uses an ink for image printing that can be dried and fixed after a solvent is vaporized from the ink heated by ultraviolet irradiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10449784
    Abstract: To dry ink using a more appropriate method in a case of performing printing using an ink-jet printer of a line system and the like. A printing device that performs printing using an ink-jet system includes: a conveyance driving unit as a conveyance module that conveys a medium; ink-jet heads; and an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit as an energy irradiation module. A length of the ink-jet heads in a width direction of the medium is larger than a width of a region to be printed. Ink ejected from the ink-jet heads is ink that contains an energy ray absorber and a solvent, the ink being fixed to the medium by evaporating the solvent. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit irradiates the ink adhering onto the medium with ultraviolet rays to volatilize and remove at least part of the solvent contained in the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiya Otsuka, Masaru Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20190308424
    Abstract: A dye printing method and an ink capable of performing printing on more types of media than in the related art are shown. A dye printing method using ink 10 containing a solvent 11, and particles 12 of a thermoplastic resin dispersed in the solvent 11 and containing a dye 13 is characterized by including a printing process of performing a printing on a medium 20 with the ink 10, a particle fixing process of fixing the particles 12 to the medium 20 by drying the solvent 11 of the ink 10 ejected to the medium 20 by the printing process, and a resin fixing process of fixing the thermoplastic resin to the medium 20 by heating the particles 12 fixed to the medium 20 by the particle fixing process, at least at a glass-transition temperature or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI
  • Patent number: 10427419
    Abstract: Provided is a textile printing method that may effectively suppress the risk of ink smearing and that may allow a cured water-soluble, UV-curable resin to be adequately stripped off a fabric so as to dye the fabric in high quality color. A textile printing method includes a pretreatment step of discharging a treatment ink from an inkjet head for treatment toward a fabric to apply the treatment ink to the fabric; a dyeing step of discharging a textile printing ink from an inkjet head for textile printing toward the fabric to apply the textile printing ink to the fabric. In the dyeing step and the pretreatment step, the textile printing ink and the treatment ink are irradiated with ultraviolet light after a respective one of the inks is applied to the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20190283458
    Abstract: To perform high-quality printing more appropriately, a printing device that performs printing on a medium includes: an inkjet head as a head for pretreatment agent that ejects a pretreatment agent; inkjet heads as heads for color ink; and an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit as an energy ray irradiation unit. The pretreatment agent is a liquid that contains a solvent and generates heat in response to ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit emits ultraviolet rays to respective positions at which printing is performed on the medium after the inkjet head ejects the pretreatment agent, and evaporates at least part of the solvent in the pretreatment agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru OHNISHI