Patents by Inventor Naomi Kimura

Naomi Kimura 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: 11938739
    Abstract: An ink refill container includes a container main body including an ink storage chamber, an ink outlet-forming portion provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion is closer to the container main body than the valve is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Ryoichi Tanaka, Manabu Akahane, Makoto Kobayashi, Naomi Kimura, Hideki Okumura, Shoma Kudo, Tetsuya Takamoto, Hiroaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 11926162
    Abstract: An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Noriyuki Fukasawa, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Manabu Akahane
  • Publication number: 20230311524
    Abstract: An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Taku ISHIZAWA, Noriyuki FUKASAWA, Naomi KIMURA, Shoma KUDO, Manabu AKAHANE
  • Publication number: 20230219349
    Abstract: An ink refill container includes a container main body including an ink storage chamber, an ink outlet-forming portion provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion is closer to the container main body than the valve is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Ryoichi TANAKA, Manabu AKAHANE, Makoto KOBAYASHI, Naomi KIMURA, Hideki OKUMURA, Shoma KUDO, Tetsuya TAKAMOTO, Hiroaki SAKAI
  • Patent number: 11667123
    Abstract: An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Noriyuki Fukasawa, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Manabu Akahane
  • Patent number: 11639060
    Abstract: An ink refill container includes a container main body including an ink storage chamber, an ink outlet-forming portion provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion is closer to the container main body than the valve is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Ryoichi Tanaka, Manabu Akahane, Makoto Kobayashi, Naomi Kimura, Hideki Okumura, Shoma Kudo, Tetsuya Takamoto, Hiroaki Sakai
  • Publication number: 20230016176
    Abstract: An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Taku ISHIZAWA, Noriyuki FUKASAWA, Naomi KIMURA, Shoma KUDO, Manabu AKAHANE
  • Patent number: 11541662
    Abstract: An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Noriyuki Fukasawa, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Manabu Akahane
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20220032638
    Abstract: An ink refill container includes a container main body including an ink storage chamber, an ink outlet-forming portion provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion is closer to the container main body than the valve is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Ryoichi TANAKA, Manabu AKAHANE, Makoto KOBAYASHI, Naomi KIMURA, Hideki OKUMURA, Shoma KUDO, Tetsuya TAKAMOTO, Hiroaki SAKAI
  • Patent number: 11225083
    Abstract: A lever provided in a liquid storage apparatus that includes a liquid filling port, the lever including a first member that is pivotable relative to an apparatus body of the liquid storage apparatus, a second member that is pivotable relative to the first member, and a flexible sealing plug that seals the liquid filling port, the first member including a lever body on which the sealing plug is mounted, a first attaching portion provided on a first end of the lever body, the first attaching portion configured to pivotably engage with the apparatus body, and a second attaching portion provided on a second end of the lever body, the second attaching portion configured to pivotably engage with the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shoma Kudo, Naomi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11179944
    Abstract: An ink refill container includes a container main body including an ink storage chamber, an ink outlet-forming portion provided on an end portion of the container main body forming an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out from the ink storage chamber, and a valve provided in the ink outlet-forming portion configured to openably seal the ink outlet, in which the ink outlet-forming portion includes a positioning portion on an outer side of the ink outlet-forming portion. in which the positioning portion is closer to the container main body than the valve is to the container main body in a central axis direction of the ink outlet, and in which the positioning portion partially abuts against an ink tank when the valve is opened for refilling the ink to the ink tank, to thereby position the valve relative to the ink tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Ryoichi Tanaka, Manabu Akahane, Makoto Kobayashi, Naomi Kimura, Hideki Okumura, Shoma Kudo, Tetsuya Takamoto, Hiroaki Sakai
  • Publication number: 20210237456
    Abstract: An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro MIZUTANI, Taku ISHIZAWA, Noriyuki FUKASAWA, Naomi KIMURA, Shoma KUDO, Manabu AKAHANE
  • Patent number: 11072180
    Abstract: An ink tank that communicates with an ink ejecting head, includes: an ink chamber configured to house ink; an ink inlet portion that communicates with the ink chamber and that receives ink supplied from an ink supply container; and an ink viewing portion that is a portion of a wall that defines the ink chamber and that enables the ink in the ink chamber to be viewed from an outside, the ink chamber having an ink guide wall for guiding the ink from the ink inlet portion toward the ink viewing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Noriyuki Fukasawa, Hideki Okumura, Naomi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11007787
    Abstract: There are provided an ink refill container configured to appropriately refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system including such an ink refill container. An ink refill container 63 includes a container main body 64 provided to include an ink chamber 76; an ink outlet forming portion 66 provided at an edge of the container main body to include an ink outlet 65 configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve 74 provided in the ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to the ink tank when the valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface 84 that is located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and that is extended in a direction intersecting with a center axis 85 of the ink outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Taku Ishizawa, Noriyuki Fukasawa, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Manabu Akahane
  • Publication number: 20210129546
    Abstract: A lever provided in a liquid storage apparatus that includes a liquid filling port, the lever including a first member that is pivotable relative to an apparatus body of the liquid storage apparatus, a second member that is pivotable relative to the first member, and a flexible sealing plug that seals the liquid filling port, the first member including a lever body on which the sealing plug is mounted, a first attaching portion provided on a first end of the lever body, the first attaching portion configured to pivotably engage with the apparatus body, and a second attaching portion provided on a second end of the lever body, the second attaching portion configured to pivotably engage with the second member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shoma KUDO, Naomi KIMURA
  • Patent number: 10987957
    Abstract: A liquid container includes a first liquid accommodating chamber 31, a filter 50, a filter chamber 42 in which the filter is disposed, and a partition wall 47 that divides the first liquid accommodating chamber and the filter chamber. The filter chamber is disposed on the ?Z side of the first liquid accommodating chamber, which is vertically below the first liquid accommodating chamber. The partition wall has a flow-out path 51, which has an outlet 106 covered by the filter and through which the liquid having passed through the filter flows to the liquid ejecting head, a first communication path 48 having a first communication port 111, and a second communication path 49 having a second communication port 112. The communication paths are provided at positions different from the position of the flow-out path and communicate with the first liquid accommodating chamber and the filter chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shoma Kudo, Naomi Kimura
  • Patent number: 10981390
    Abstract: The liquid container comprises: a first chamber that is surrounded by a plurality of walls and is configured to contain a liquid; a liquid inlet port for pouring the liquid into the first chamber; an air opening port that is opened to air; a liquid lead-out port that leads the liquid out of the first chamber; an air lead-in port that is formed in, out of the plurality of walls surrounding the first chamber, a first wall different from the wall constituting a top surface; and an air communication path that allows the air opening port and the air lead-in port to communicate with each other. The air lead-in port is separated from a corner portion where the first wall crosses with another wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenao Suzuki, Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Takanori Matsuda, Koji Kawai
  • Patent number: D962941
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naomi Kimura, Shoma Kudo, Hidenao Suzuki, Munehide Kanaya