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: 20200361205
    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: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shinichiro HIDA
  • Patent number: 10814616
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a head substrate, a printed board, and a plurality of flexible substrates connected in parallel to each other between the head substrate and the printed board. The head substrate includes a plurality of ink jet elements, and a common wire extending from an edge of the head substrate and electrically connected to the ink jet elements in common. The printed board includes a reference potential wire through which a reference potential is set to the ink jet head. A first one of the flexible substrates at a first end of an arrangement of the flexible substrates and a second one of the flexible substrates at a second end of the arrangement of the flexible substrates opposite to the first end each has a common connection wire electrically connected between the common wire and the reference potential wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20200307190
    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: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200307187
    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: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200307188
    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: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200307189
    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: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Patent number: 10780693
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet head includes a pressure chamber connected to a nozzle, an actuator corresponding to the pressure chamber and configured to change a volume of the pressure chamber, and a drive circuit configured to drive the actuator causing two or more ink droplets to be consecutively discharged from the nozzle. The drive circuit applies in sequence a first drive waveform for expanding the pressure chamber, a second drive waveform having a first pulse width, a third drive waveform for releasing the pressure chamber from an expanded state, a fourth drive waveform having a second pulse width, and a fifth drive waveform for contracting the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20200276809
    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: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Publication number: 20200276810
    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: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Patent number: 10654263
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes an actuator communicating with a nozzle, configured to eject liquid from the nozzle, a drive circuit configured to drive the actuator, a wiring connector having a plurality of terminals spaced from each other along a first direction, a first temperature sensor connected to a first terminal in the plurality of terminals, the first terminal being on a first end side of the wiring connector in the first direction, and a second temperature sensor connected to a second terminal of the plurality of terminals, the second terminal being on a second end side of the wiring connector, the second end side being opposite to the first end side in the first direction. The drive circuit is connected to a third terminal line of the plurality of terminals, the third terminal being between the first end side and the second end side in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 10618281
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a head substrate, a flexible substrate, and a relay substrate. The head substrate includes ink jet elements and a common wiring that extends from an edge of the head substrate and electrically connects in common to the ink jet elements. The flexible substrate is coupled to the head substrate at a first edge and includes a drive circuit, a common connection wiring that extends between the first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge and is electrically connected to the common wiring, and a first reference potential wiring electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal of the drive circuit and disposed separately from the common connection wiring. The flexible substrate includes an output monitor wiring extending from an output terminal of the driver circuit to the second edge through a region between the common connection wiring and the first reference potential wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 10611148
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a head substrate, a flexible substrate, and a relay substrate. The head substrate includes ink jet elements and a common wiring that extends from an edge of the head substrate and electrically connects in common to the ink jet elements. The flexible substrate is coupled to the head substrate at a first edge and includes a drive circuit, a common connection wiring that extends between the first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge and is electrically connected to the common wiring, and a first reference potential wiring electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal of the drive circuit and disposed separately from the common connection wiring. The flexible substrate includes an output monitor wiring extending from an output terminal of the driver circuit to the second edge through a region between the common connection wiring and the first reference potential wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shinichiro Hida
  • Publication number: 20200070505
    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: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20200070506
    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: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Publication number: 20200070507
    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: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventor: Noboru NITTA
  • Patent number: 10513112
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes an actuator communicating with a nozzle, configured to eject liquid from the nozzle, a drive circuit configured to drive the actuator, a wiring connector having a plurality of terminals spaced from each other along a first direction, a first temperature sensor connected to a first terminal in the plurality of terminals, the first terminal being on a first end side of the wiring connector in the first direction, and a second temperature sensor connected to a second terminal of the plurality of terminals, the second terminal being on a second end side of the wiring connector, the second end side being opposite to the first end side in the first direction. The drive circuit is connected to a third terminal line of the plurality of terminals, the third terminal being between the first end side and the second end side in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 10500847
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes an actuator communicating with a nozzle, configured to eject liquid from the nozzle, a drive circuit on a circuit board configured to drive the actuator, a flow path of liquid circulating, a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature on a surface on the circuit board proximate to the drive circuit, and a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a liquid on the flow path of liquid circulating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Ryutaro Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 10500844
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a waveform generating device includes a head driver configured to apply a driving signal to an actuator to discharge ink from a pressure chamber connected to a nozzle, the driving signal including a first portion for reducing an ink pressure in the pressure chamber and a second portion for increasing the ink pressure in the pressure chamber. The second portion is increased in potential by a first potential increase when ink pressure in the pressure chamber is at a maxima and the second portion is further increased in potential by a second potential increase when the ink pressure of the pressure chamber is at a negative value after the first potential increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Watanabe, Jun Takamura, Noboru Nitta
  • Publication number: 20190255841
    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: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shinichiro HIDA
  • Publication number: 20190255851
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a head substrate, a flexible substrate, and a relay substrate. The head substrate includes ink jet elements and a common wiring that extends from an edge of the head substrate and electrically connects in common to the ink jet elements. The flexible substrate is coupled to the head substrate at a first edge and includes a drive circuit, a common connection wiring that extends between the first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge and is electrically connected to the common wiring, and a first reference potential wiring electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal of the drive circuit and disposed separately from the common connection wiring. The flexible substrate includes an output monitor wiring extending from an output terminal of the driver circuit to the second edge through a region between the common connection wiring and the first reference potential wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shinichiro HIDA