Patents by Inventor Masataka Sakurai

Masataka Sakurai 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: 8147039
    Abstract: A head substrate is capable of integrating driver transistors while keeping the size small even at high nozzle density, while integrating a functional circuit such as a temperature sensor or energy adjustment circuit. An ink supply port, a heater array which is arrayed along the longitudinal direction of the ink supply port and includes a plurality of heaters, a transistor array which is arrayed along the arrayed direction of the heater array and includes a plurality of transistors for driving a plurality of heaters, and a logic circuit which drives the transistor array are arranged on the head substrate. The logic circuit is arranged between the heater array and the transistor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoko Kurokawa, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Masataka Sakurai, Ryo Kasai
  • Publication number: 20120056940
    Abstract: A power supply-heater wiring and a heater-driving circuit wiring for a heater located on the right side of a supply port can be laid out utilizing a beam portion configured to separate supply ports from each other. Furthermore, a plurality of supply ports are provided to supply ink to channels and pressure chambers and separated from one another by beam portions. Thus, an ejection structure such as an ejection opening can be located on both sides of each of the supply ports. Even if the ejection structures are relatively densely arranged, the heaters and the like can have necessary and sufficient sizes and locations without being restricted by the arrangement. A wiring connecting the heater to the power supply wiring or driving circuit is also laid out on the beam portion serving as a partition wall for the supply ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Sakurai, Ken Tsuchii
  • Patent number: 8083325
    Abstract: A liquid ejection recording head includes an element substrate having plural ejection energy generating elements, an ejection outlet array of plural ejection outlets, and bubble generation chambers. The element substrate includes a first liquid supply port provided along an arrangement direction of the ejection outlets, and plural second ink supply ports disposed between a lateral end of the substrate and the chambers. Each bubble generation chamber communicates with the first and second liquid supply ports through first and second liquid supply passages, respectively. The element substrate has a thermal resistance against heat flowing from the ejection energy generating elements along a direction perpendicular to the array direction and parallel to a surface of the substrate. The thermal resistance, per unit length with respect to the array direction, at both end portions of the array is larger than that at a central portion of the ejection outlet array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Inoue, Ken Tsuchii, Masataka Sakurai, Akiko Saito
  • Patent number: 8083318
    Abstract: A print head that ejects ink supplied through an ink supply port can prevent the size of satellites from being reduced while inhibiting an increase in resistance to an ink flow. In the print head, ink supply ports are arranged on both sides of a plurality of channels. A predetermined number of ink supply ports are arranged at least at one side of the ink channel all over the range of the arrangement of the channels. One side of each of the plurality of channels is connected via the common liquid chamber to the liquid supply port located so as to extend in a direction in which the channels are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Masataka Sakurai, Tomoyuki Inoue, Akiko Saito
  • Patent number: 8075103
    Abstract: An ink jet print head substrate is provided which can prevent voltage drop variations during driving, no matter in what way the ejection energy generation elements are driven, and which can also apply a stable energy to the ejection energy generation elements at all times. The ink jet print head substrate of this invention has a plurality of kinds of ejection energy generation elements to generate different magnitudes of ink ejection energy and wiring portions. The print head substrate also has a plurality of wiring layers arranged to at least partly overlap one another. The wiring portions connected to the different kinds of ejection energy generation elements are provided at least partly in different wiring portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuo Furukawa, Masataka Sakurai, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Ryo Kasai, Tomoko Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 8038238
    Abstract: A detector circuit for detecting a malfunction of a circuit due to a low third power supply voltage that has the same amplitude and potential as an input signal is provided. Based on an output signal of the detector circuit, whether an output of a second power supply voltage generation circuit for activating a heater driving circuit is allowed or not is determined. When the third power supply voltage is low and the heater driving circuit operates improperly, no power supply voltage is supplied from the second power supply voltage generation circuit. Since no power supply voltage is supplied to the heater driving circuit, the heater driving circuit does not drive a corresponding heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masataka Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20110141201
    Abstract: The present invention provides a print head that ejects ink supplied through an ink supply port so as to prevent the size of satellites from being reduced while inhibiting an increase in resistance to an ink flow. In the print head, ink supply ports are arranged on both sides of a plurality of channels. A predetermined number of ink supply ports are arranged at least one side of the ink channel all over the range of the arrangement of the channels. One side of each of the plurality of channels is connected via the common liquid chamber to the liquid supply port located so as to extend in a direction in which the channels are arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Masataka Sakurai, Tomoyuki Inoue, Akiko Saito
  • Patent number: 7959243
    Abstract: A printhead that minimizes increased size and cost of an apparatus by reducing a number of input pads, while making use of the advantages of employing a differential input circuit. This printhead has an input pad to which a differential signal obtained by superimposing two or more logic signals is input. The differential input circuit includes a circuit that disassembles the differential signal input via the input pad into separate logic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Kasai, Masataka Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20110134192
    Abstract: An ink jet print head substrate is provided which can prevent voltage drop variations during driving, no matter in what way the ejection energy generation elements are driven, and which can also apply a stable energy to the ejection energy generation elements at all times. The ink jet print head substrate of this invention has a plurality of kinds of ejection energy generation elements to generate different magnitudes of ink ejection energy and wiring portions. The print head substrate also has a plurality of wiring layers arranged to at least partly overlap one another. The wiring portions connected to the different kinds of ejection energy generation elements are provided at least partly in different wiring portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuo Furukawa, Masataka Sakurai, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Ryo Kasai, Tomoko Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7918538
    Abstract: In a printhead having a plurality of element substrates, the effects of the rise in element substrate temperature and current noise are not manifested in a biased manner in only one of the element substrates. The printhead includes a plurality of printing elements and is provided with first and second element substrates having the plurality of printing elements and a second element substrate in such a manner that the first element substrate and second element substrate are spaced apart, with the first element substrate having a first function circuit electrically connected to the second element substrate and having processing functions used for driving the printing elements of the second element substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masataka Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7909432
    Abstract: A print head that ejects ink supplied through an ink supply port can prevent the size of satellites from being reduced while inhibiting an increase in resistance to an ink flow. In the print head, ink supply ports are arranged on both sides of a plurality of channels. A predetermined number of ink supply ports are arranged at least at one side of the ink channel all over the range of the arrangement of the channels. One side of each of the plurality of channels is connected via the common liquid chamber to the liquid supply port located so as to extend in a direction in which the channels are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Masataka Sakurai, Tomoyuki Inoue, Akiko Saito
  • Patent number: 7896474
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of ejection outlets for ejecting a liquid droplet; a plurality of flow paths communicating with the ejection outlets; an ink supply port for supplying liquid to the flow paths; and a plurality of heat generating elements provided correspondingly to the ejection outlets, for generating thermal energy for ejecting liquid present inside the flow paths. The plurality of heat generating elements is arranged in a staggered fashion with predetermined intervals with respect to a direction of a long side of the ink supply port. Adjacent staggered heat generating elements are connected to a common wiring line and are connected to individual wiring lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Kasai, Mineo Kaneko, Masataka Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20110012950
    Abstract: In a printhead element board including a plurality of printing elements which align in a predetermined direction, driving circuits which drive the printing elements, and an element selection circuit which selects printing elements within each group for each group having a predetermined number of adjacent printing elements, a plurality of element selection circuits are laid out adjacent to the driving circuits of the respective groups. With this layout, even if the number of printing elements increases, only the length in the printing element array direction increases without increasing the length in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hirayama, Ryo Kasai, Masataka Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7866798
    Abstract: The following arrangement is added to a head substrate including a plurality of electrothermal transducers, a plurality of switching elements which drive the plurality of electrothermal transducers, and a logic circuit which drives the plurality of switching elements. That is, the head substrate includes a plurality of level converters which correspond to the respective switching elements, and apply a voltage obtained by boosting a logic voltage. Further, the head substrate includes a bias circuit which applies a bias voltage lower than the boosted voltage to the plurality of level converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masataka Sakurai, Ryo Kasai
  • Publication number: 20100315455
    Abstract: A detector circuit for detecting a malfunction of a circuit due to a low third power supply voltage that has the same amplitude and potential as an input signal is provided. Based on an output signal of the detector circuit, whether an output of a second power supply voltage generation circuit for activating a heater driving circuit is allowed or not is determined. When the third power supply voltage is low and the heater driving circuit operates improperly, no power supply voltage is supplied from the second power supply voltage generation circuit. Since no power supply voltage is supplied to the heater driving circuit, the heater driving circuit does not drive a corresponding heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masataka Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7850262
    Abstract: This invention is directed to: a printhead substrate which employs a constant current driving method and can suppress power consumption in a standby state, prevent an increase in printhead temperature, and stably discharge ink; a printhead using the printhead substrate; a head cartridge incorporating the printhead; and a printing apparatus using the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hirayama, Masataka Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7819493
    Abstract: In a printhead element board including a plurality of printing elements which align in a predetermined direction, driving circuits which drive the printing elements, and an element selection circuit which selects printing elements within each group for each group having a predetermined number of adjacent printing elements, a plurality of element selection circuits are laid out adjacent to the driving circuits of the respective groups. With this layout, even if the number of printing elements increases, only the length in the printing element array direction increases without increasing the length in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hirayama, Ryo Kasai, Masataka Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7815272
    Abstract: A stable voltage can be supplied from a voltage converter circuit and an increase in the area of the entire element body can be suppressed even if the number of recording elements increases and the element body becomes longer. An element body for a recording head includes a plurality of arrayed recording elements, and a voltage converter circuit which converts an externally input voltage. The voltage converter circuit includes a reference voltage generating section and a voltage converter section, and the voltage converter section is formed from a plurality of distributedly arranged voltage converter elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Kasai, Tatsuo Furukawa, Masataka Sakurai, Nobuyuki Hirayama
  • Patent number: 7806496
    Abstract: A detector circuit for detecting a malfunction of a circuit due to a low third power supply voltage that has the same amplitude and potential as an input signal is provided. Based on an output signal of the detector circuit, whether an output of a second power supply voltage generation circuit for activating a heater driving circuit is allowed or not is determined. When the third power supply voltage is low and the heater driving circuit operates improperly, no power supply voltage is supplied from the second power supply voltage generation circuit. Since no power supply voltage is supplied to the heater driving circuit, the heater driving circuit does not drive a corresponding heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masataka Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20100208010
    Abstract: A liquid jet recording head includes liquid discharge ports, pressure chambers, and a substrate which has the discharge energy generating element, a liquid chamber for storing a liquid supplied to the pressure chamber, a pair of paths which are separated from the liquid chamber, and a liquid supply port communicating with the liquid chamber. A liquid inlet port communicating with one path of the pair of paths and a liquid outlet port communicating with the other path of the pair of paths are opened on one surface of the substrate. A liquid flow path for discharging the liquid from the liquid chamber to the pressure chamber via the liquid supply port, and a liquid flow path for circulating the liquid from the one path to each pressure chamber via the liquid inlet port, and further from each pressure chamber to the other path via the liquid outlet port are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Inoue, Ken Tsuchii, Masataka Sakurai, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Akiko Saito