Patents by Inventor Noboru Nitta

Noboru Nitta 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: 20240066862
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ink jet head includes a piezoelectric member to drive a pressure chamber, an electrode pair to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric member, and a common waveform generation circuit to generate a common waveform. The common waveform alternately includes an element of a first output waveform and an element of a second output waveform at a predetermined period. A switch is connected between a first electrode of the electrode pair and the common waveform generation circuit. A timing controller supplies a control signal to turn the switch on and off at the predetermined period such that the first or second output waveform can be selectively applied to the piezoelectric member to drive the pressure chamber to eject a liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Ryutaro KUSUNOKI, Noboru NITTA
  • Publication number: 20240066866
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a liquid dispensing head includes a nozzle plate with a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of pressure chambers respectively communicating with the nozzles. A vibration plate is on a side of the pressure chambers opposite the nozzle plate. A supply-side flow path for liquid to be dispensed from the nozzle is on an inlet side of the plurality of pressure chambers. A discharge-side flow path for the liquid is on an outlet side of the pressure chambers. Piezoelectric elements are positioned to vibrate the vibration plate to change a volume of the pressure chambers for ejecting (dispensing) the liquid from the plurality of nozzles. The supply-side flow path is set to have a flow path resistance that is the same as a flow path resistance of the discharge-side flow-path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Taiki GOTO, Masashi SHIMOSATO, Noboru NITTA
  • Publication number: 20230264470
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes actuators spaced along a first direction between a first edge and a second edge of a substrate in a second direction. Individual wirings are connected to a first terminal of an actuator and has a terminal portion at the first edge of the substrate. A common wiring has a first portion and a plurality of second portions. Each second portion is branched from the first portion in the second direction and individually connects to a second terminal of an actuator. The first portion extends along the first direction on the substrate and has a first end terminal and a second end terminal spaced from each other. A monitor terminal is at a position between the first and second end terminals. The monitor terminal extends in the second direction from the first edge of the substrate toward the first portion to which it is electrically connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Patent number: 11648768
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit with a plurality of nozzles and a corresponding plurality of actuators. A drive waveform generation circuit is configured to generate drive waveforms having different drive timings. An actuator drive circuit is configured to apply a first drive waveform to a first actuator in a liquid ejection operation and a second drive waveform to a second actuator in the liquid ejection operation during which the first and second actuators are to be driven at a same nominal time. The first driving waveform is different from the second drive waveform, and the first actuator is at a position electrically closer along a predetermined direction to a power supply electrode than is the second actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20230087927
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plate with a plurality of nozzles arranged along a first direction through which liquid is ejected. A substrate is on the plate and includes a hole extending along the first direction by which the liquid is supplied. An actuator is on the substrate along the hole, The actuator has a plurality of pressure chambers, from which the liquid from the hole is ejected by the nozzles, and a plurality of air chambers. Each air chamber is between two of the pressure chambers that are adjacent to each other. A plurality of individual electrodes is formed on the substrate and each is connected to a corresponding one of the pressure chambers. A common electrode is formed on the substrate and an inner peripheral surface of the hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Takashi TOZUKA, Minoru KOYATA, Tsubasa KONISHI, Noboru NITTA
  • Patent number: 11565520
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 11331912
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 11331913
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a liquid ejecting device, such as an inkjet print head or the like, includes a load detection circuit to generate load number information corresponding to the number of actuators to be concurrently driven for an intended liquid ejection. A signal processing circuit is configured to compare a common drive waveform to a target common drive waveform, and then generate a common drive signal to drive the actuators based on the load number information and the comparison of the common drive waveform and the target common drive waveform. A switching circuit is configured to selectively apply portions the generated common drive signal to an actuator according to intended output of the liquid ejection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20220118761
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Patent number: 11123982
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit for a liquid discharge apparatus includes an output switch and a waveform selector circuit. The output switch includes a first transistor configured to supply a first voltage to an actuator when on and a second transistor configured to supply a second voltage higher than the first voltage to the actuator when on. The waveform selector circuit is configured to select, from a plurality of waveforms stored in a waveform memory, a first waveform that causes the output switch to transition to a first state in which the first transistor is on and the second transistor is off, and a second waveform that causes the output switch to transition to a second state in which the first transistor is off and the second transistor is on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Publication number: 20210276325
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit with a plurality of nozzles and a corresponding plurality of capacitance-type actuators. A common electrode is connected to a first terminal of each capacitance-type actuator. Individual electrodes are respectively connected second terminals of each capacitance-type actuator. An actuator drive circuit is configured to discharge the capacitance of a first capacitance-type actuator during a period in which the capacitance of a second capacitance-type actuator is being charged. The second capacitance-type actuator is positioned electrically close to the first capacitance-type actuator on the common electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Publication number: 20210276323
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit with a plurality of nozzles and a corresponding plurality of actuators. A drive waveform generation circuit is configured to generate drive waveforms having different drive timings. An actuator drive circuit is configured to apply a first drive waveform to a first actuator in a liquid ejection operation and a second drive waveform to a second actuator in the liquid ejection operation during which the first and second actuators are to be driven at a same nominal time. The first driving waveform is different from the second drive waveform, and the first actuator is at a position electrically closer along a predetermined direction to a power supply electrode than is the second actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Patent number: 11077657
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator and a drive circuit. The actuator is configured to cause liquid to be discharged from a nozzle corresponding thereto. The drive circuit is configured to apply a wake waveform to the actuator such that a voltage of the actuator increases to a first voltage and then is maintained at the first voltage without discharge of liquid from the nozzle. A drive waveform is then applied to the actuator for each of one or more discharge cycles such that liquid is discharged from the nozzle for each of the discharge cycles. A time from when the wave waveform starts to be applied to the actuator to when the drive waveform starts to be applied to the actuator is equal to or longer than a period of time of two discharge cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 11059288
    Abstract: A drive circuit of a liquid ejecting device includes a first switch, a second switch, and a signal processing circuit. The first switch is connected between a first potential and an output terminal through which a drive signal is transmitted to an actuator of a liquid ejecting device. The second switch is connected between the output terminal and a second potential lower than the first potential. The signal processing circuit is configured to detect a difference between a waveform of a target drive signal and the drive signal waveform output at the output terminal, and to cause the first switch and the second switch to be off when an absolute value of the difference is less than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 11059287
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator and a drive circuit. The actuator is configured to cause liquid to be discharged from a nozzle. The drive circuit is configured to apply a waveform to the actuator during a discharge cycle in accordance with a discharge trigger and to cause a voltage of the actuator to be maintained at a value from an end of the discharge cycle until reception of a subsequent discharge trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 10953652
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of ink jet elements, and a drive circuit. The ink jet elements are configured to cause ink to be ejected from a plurality of nozzles. The drive circuit is provided on the first or second substrate and configured to drive the plurality of ink jet elements. The first substrate includes a first wiring. The second substrate is coupled to the first substrate, and includes a second wiring overlaid on the first wiring at a connection region. A thickness of the first wiring is less than a thickness of the second wiring at the connection region. A width of the first wiring at the connection region is greater than a width of the second wiring at the connection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shinichiro Hida
  • Patent number: 10953653
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of ink jet elements, and a drive circuit. The ink jet elements are configured to cause ink to be ejected from a plurality of nozzles. The drive circuit is provided on the first or second substrate and configured to drive the plurality of ink jet elements. The first substrate includes a first wiring. The second substrate is coupled to the first substrate, and includes a second wiring overlaid on the first wiring at a connection region. A thickness of the first wiring is less than a thickness of the second wiring at the connection region. A width of the first wiring at the connection region is greater than a width of the second wiring at the connection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shinichiro Hida
  • Patent number: 10933630
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid ejection device includes a nozzle plate, an actuator, a liquid supply unit, a waveform generation circuit, a waveform allocation circuit, and a drive signal output circuit. A plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid is arranged in the nozzle plate. The actuator is provided in each of the nozzles. The waveform generation circuit generates plural kinds of drive waveforms with different generation start timings. The waveform allocation circuit can set the drive waveform among plural kinds of drive waveforms and the actuator of the nozzle to be allocated. The drive signal output circuit drives the actuator with the allocated drive waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 10906297
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid ejection device includes a nozzle plate in which nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged, an actuator, a liquid supply unit, and a drive control unit. The actuator is provided in each of the nozzles. The liquid supply unit communicates with the nozzles. When one of a plurality of nozzles is given attention, the drive control unit gives drive signals to actuators of nozzles adjacent in an X direction and a Y direction, to drive the actuators at a timing shifted by a predetermined amount, such as half of a drive period, from a timing of an actuator of the nozzle given attention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 10882312
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a nozzle plate and a drive controller. The nozzle plate includes an array of nozzles arranged in a first direction and a plurality of actuators corresponding to the nozzles, respectively. The array includes first, second, and third nozzles arranged in the first direction. The actuators include first, second, and third actuators corresponding to the first, second, and third nozzles, respectively. The drive controller is configured to apply a drive signal to the first, second, third actuators during a drive cycle. The drive signal is applied to the first actuator at a timing different from a timing at which the drive signal is applied to the third actuator by an odd number multiple of a half of an inherent vibration cycle of the liquid discharge apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta