Patents by Inventor Mitsuru Obata
Mitsuru Obata 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).
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Patent number: 9931860Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an ink tank, a print head, an ink flow passage, a degassing device, a circulation flow passage and a circulation pump. The print head discharges ink supplied from the ink tank through the ink flow passage. The degassing device is disposed midway in the ink flow passage and removes air from the ink. The circulation flow passage has two ends respectively connected to two sides of the degassing device. The circulation pump is disposed midway in the circulation flow passage and returns the ink flowing out of the degassing device to a position to flow in the degassing device. The ink flow passage between an outflow port from the circulation flow passage and an inflow port thereto and the circulation flow passage are formed such that the ink is movable at approximately a constant speed.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2015Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Hiroyuki Tokimatsu, Mitsuru Obata, Shinya Takahashi
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Publication number: 20170182788Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an ink tank, a print head, an ink flow passage, a degassing device, a circulation flow passage and a circulation pump. The print head discharges ink supplied from the ink tank through the ink flow passage. The degassing device is disposed midway in the ink flow passage and removes air from the ink. The circulation flow passage has two ends respectively connected to two sides of the degassing device. The circulation pump is disposed midway in the circulation flow passage and returns the ink flowing out of the degassing device to a position to flow in the degassing device. The ink flow passage between an outflow port from the circulation flow passage and an inflow port thereto and the circulation flow passage are formed such that the ink is movable at approximately a constant speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2015Publication date: June 29, 2017Inventors: Hiroyuki TOKIMATSU, Mitsuru OBATA, Shinya TAKAHASHI
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Patent number: 9498957Abstract: Inkjet recording apparatus includes recording head 241 having a plurality of nozzles N, first ink storage section 242, supply passage 301 connecting recording head 241 and section 242, electromagnetic valve 310 that opens or closes section 242, second ink storage section 243, pump P1 that supplies the ink in section 243 to section 242, an electromagnetic valve 312 that opens or closes the second storage ink section 243, recovery passage 302 that connects the recording head 241 and the second storage section 243, and electromagnetic valves 307 and 308 which open or close the recovery passage 302. Control unit 40 allows ink inside the recording head 241 to reflow to the second ink storage section 243 by operating the pump P1 in a state in which the electromagnetic valves 310 and 312 are closed and the electromagnetic valve 308 is opened.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2014Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Hiroyuki Tokimatsu, Mitsuru Obata, Shinya Takahashi
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Publication number: 20160279950Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming section which includes a recording head having nozzles and which forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from the nozzles, a scanning section which scans the image formed on one face of the recording medium, a conveying section which conveys the recording medium for the recording medium to pass by the image forming section and the scanning section with its one face facing them, and an inverting section which inverts the recording medium having the image formed on one face thereof and conveys the recording medium to the upstream of the image forming section. The scanning section is disposed downstream of the image forming section and upstream of the inverting section. The image includes a test chart as a pattern image for detection of nozzle clogging.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2014Publication date: September 29, 2016Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA INC.Inventors: Toyoaki SUGAYA, Mitsuru OBATA, Toshiyuki MIZUTANI, Takashi MURAMATSU
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Publication number: 20160101625Abstract: Inkjet recording apparatus includes recording head 241 having a plurality of nozzles N, first ink storage section 242, supply passage 301 connecting recording head 241 and section 242, electromagnetic valve 310 that opens or closes section 242, second ink storage section 243, pump P1 that supplies the ink in section 243 to section 242, an electromagnetic valve 312 that opens or closes the second storage ink section 243, recovery passage 302 that connects the recording head 241 and the second storage section 243, and electromagnetic valves 307 and 308 which open or close the recovery passage 302. Control unit 40 allows ink inside the recording head 241 to reflow to the second ink storage section 243 by operating the pump P1 in a state in which the electromagnetic valves 310 and 312 are closed and the electromagnetic valve 308 is opened.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2014Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Hiroyuki TOKIMATSU, Mitsuru OBATA, Shinya TAKAHASHI
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Patent number: 9296217Abstract: In order to perform recording head maintenance by discharge and reflux of ink with higher pressures without creating instability of the meniscus in the nozzle surface, this image forming device may be provided with a recording head having multiple nozzles, a first reservoir unit and a second reservoir unit which store the ink supplied to the recording head, a supply unit which is opened and closed by a solenoid valve and connects the recording head and the first reservoir unit, a pump which supplies the ink in the second reservoir unit to the first reservoir unit, a recovery passage which is opened and closed by solenoid valves and connects the recording head and the second reservoir unit, and a control unit which controls operation of the solenoid valves and the pump.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INCInventor: Mitsuru Obata
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Patent number: 9090080Abstract: Image formation device having: an image formation drum (50) for rotationally conveying a recording medium while holding the recording medium; a supply means (22) for supplying the recording medium (P) to the drum; a recording head (71) for forming an image on the recording medium on the drum; and a conveyance mechanism (80) for receiving the recording medium from the drum at a reception position (m2) on the downstream side in a conveyance direction from the recording head and distributing the recording medium to a paper discharge path or an inversion path. The conveyance mechanism returns the recording medium to the drum at a return position (m9) on the downstream side in the conveyance direction from the reception position (m2) after the front and back surfaces thereof are inverted, and a drum heating means (94) for heating the surface drum is provided between the reception position and the return position.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2013Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignees: KONICA MINOLTA, INC., KOMORI CORPORATIONInventors: Toyoaki Sugaya, Mitsuru Obata, Hiroyuki Suda, Satoshi Murakami
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Publication number: 20150124029Abstract: Image formation device having: an image formation drum (50) for rotationally conveying a recording medium while holding the recording medium; a supply means (22) for supplying the recording medium (P) to the drum; a recording head (71) for forming an image on the recording medium on the drum; and a conveyance mechanism (80) for receiving the recording medium from the drum at a reception position (m2) on the downstream side in a conveyance direction from the recording head and distributing the recording medium to a paper discharge path or an inversion path. The conveyance mechanism returns the recording medium to the drum at a return position (m9) on the downstream side in the conveyance direction from the reception position (m2) after the front and back surfaces thereof are inverted, and a drum heating means (94) for heating the surface drum is provided between the reception position and the return position.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2013Publication date: May 7, 2015Applicants: KONICA MINOLTA, INC., KOMORI CORPORATIONInventors: Toyoaki Sugaya, Mitsuru Obata, Hiroyuki Suda, Satoshi Murakami
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Publication number: 20150035901Abstract: In order to perform recording head maintenance by discharge and reflux of ink with higher pressures without creating instability of the meniscus in the nozzle surface, this image forming device may be provided with a recording head having multiple nozzles, a first reservoir unit and a second reservoir unit which store the ink supplied to the recording head, a supply unit which is opened and closed by a solenoid valve and connects the recording head and the first reservoir unit, a pump which supplies the ink in the second reservoir unit to the first reservoir unit, a recovery passage which is opened and closed by solenoid valves and connects the recording head and the second reservoir unit, and a control unit which controls operation of the solenoid valves and the pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2013Publication date: February 5, 2015Applicant: Konica Minolta, IncInventor: Mitsuru Obata
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Patent number: 8814347Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes an image forming drum, a recording medium supplying section, a recording head which ejects ink onto a recording medium, a first heating unit which heats the recording medium held on the drum before image recording, a second heating unit which heats the drum downstream of the position at which the recording medium is outputted after image recording and upstream of the supplying section, a heating-unit temperature detector, a drum temperature detector, and a heating control section. The heating control section performs heat control of the first heating unit such that the temperature detected by the heating-unit temperature detector falls within a predetermined set temperature range, and performs heat control of the second heating unit such that the temperature detected by the drum temperature detector falls within a predetermined set temperature range.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Toyoaki Sugaya, Mitsuru Obata, Hiroya Kimoto, Takashi Muramatsu, Masakazu Date, Akio Maeda
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Publication number: 20130265359Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes an image forming drum, a recording medium supplying section, a recording head which ejects ink onto a recording medium, a first heating unit which heats the recording medium held on the drum before image recording, a second heating unit which heats the drum downstream of the position at which the recording medium is outputted after image recording and upstream of the supplying section, a heating-unit temperature detector, a drum temperature detector, and a heating control section. The heating control section performs heat control of the first heating unit such that the temperature detected by the heating-unit temperature detector falls within a predetermined set temperature range, and performs heat control of the second heating unit such that the temperature detected by the drum temperature detector falls within a predetermined set temperature range.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2011Publication date: October 10, 2013Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Toyoaki Sugaya, Mitsuru Obata, Hiroya Kimoto, Takashi Muramatsu, Masakazu Date, Akio Maeda