Patents by Inventor Norio Sakurai

Norio 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).

  • Publication number: 20240131848
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head to eject liquid, a recovery unit, a housing, a discharge unit, a casing including the discharge unit and the housing, and a liquid receptacle. The recovery unit maintains liquid ejecting performance of the liquid ejection head. The housing houses a container that accommodates liquid received by the recovery unit. The discharge unit discharges the liquid received by the recovery unit to the container. The liquid receptacle is disposed below the discharge unit in a direction of gravity in the casing and includes a first groove extending in a first direction crossing the direction of gravity and a second groove extending in a second direction crossing the direction of gravity and the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: HIROMASA TSUTSUMI, HIDEAKI MATSUMURA, TSUYOSHI SAEKI, NORIO SAKURAI, DAIJU TAKEDA, SHOTA ASADA, TAIJI MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240109330
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a liquid tank unit, a printing head, and a supply tube unit. The liquid tank unit includes first and second liquid tanks that store liquid and are arranged in parallel to each other. The printing head ejects liquid from the first and second tanks while moving in a main scanning direction. The supply tube unit includes a first supply tube connecting the first liquid tank to the printing head and includes a second supply tube coupled in parallel to the first supply tube and connecting the second liquid tank to the printing head. The second supply tube transitions from a connected tube state in which the second and first supply tubes are coupled in parallel to a single tube state by being separated from the first supply tube, passes across the first supply tube, and is connected to a connection port of the second liquid tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Dauu TAKEDA, Hideaki MATSUMURA, Tsuyoshi SAEKI, Norio SAKURAI, Hiromasa TSUTSUMI, Shota ASADA, Taiji MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240109333
    Abstract: A liquid storage container includes a storage portion configured to store liquid, an opening portion provided on a first surface and configured to allow injection of the liquid into the storage portion, a receiving portion consisting of the first surface and a wall disposed around the opening portion on the first surface, and a liquid holding unit configured to hold the liquid guided by a guiding portion from the liquid receiving portion to outside of the liquid receiving portion. The liquid holding unit includes a second surface different from the first surface of the liquid storage container and a flexible member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: TAIJI MARUYAMA, HIDEAKI MATSUMURA, TSUYOSHI SAEKI, NORIO SAKURAI, DAIJU TAKEDA, SHOTA ASADA, HIROMASA TSUTSUMI
  • Publication number: 20240100862
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that enables proper sorting of discharged print media by suppressing curling of each of the print media sufficiently. A determining unit determines a curling suppressing operation to be executed such that in a case where sorting operation is executed, the suppressing operation having a higher effect of suppressing curling is executed than in a case where the sorting operation is executed. Then, a print control unit controls a print head to perform printing on print media while executing the suppressing operation determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Kentaro Muro
  • Publication number: 20230415504
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a belt passed around a drive pulley and a driven pulley, a support member configured to support a recording head and fixed to the belt, a holder member, having a claw part, configured to hold the driven pulley, and a frame having a first opening for the claw part to penetrate. The holder member is attached to the frame such as to be movable relative to the drive pulley. The first opening has an enlarged opening portion allowing the claw part to pass through without engaging with the frame on one side closer to the drive pulley. At least a portion of the claw part is positioned within a part of the first opening excluding the enlarged opening portion in a state where the holder member is positioned in a predetermined location closer to the drive pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: TAKASHI ABE, YASUYUKI TAKANAKA, NORIO SAKURAI, ATSUSHI KOHNOTOH, TAIJI MARUYAMA, YUSUKE NARATANI, SHUHEI YAMAGUCHI, KOUSUKE TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11845263
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that enables proper sorting of discharged print media by suppressing curling of each of the print media sufficiently. A determining unit determines a curling suppressing operation to be executed such that in a case where sorting operation is executed, the suppressing operation having a higher effect of suppressing curling is executed than in a case where the sorting operation is executed. Then, a print control unit controls a print head to perform printing on print media while executing the suppressing operation determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Kentaro Muro
  • Publication number: 20230364915
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a suction unit configured to suction liquid from an ejection port; a valve provided at a first position in a supply passage and configured to be switchable between an open state in which the supply passage communicates and a closed state in which the supply passage is blocked; and a control unit configured to perform control of first suction in which the valve is set to the open state and the suction unit performs the suction such that the liquid reaches the first position or a second position downstream of the first position, after the first suction, perform control of second suction in which the valve is set to the closed state and the suction unit performs the suction, and after the second suction, perform control of setting the valve to the open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventor: NORIO SAKURAI
  • Publication number: 20230322004
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a printing apparatus including: a printing head that includes a nozzle ejecting ink for printing on a printing medium conveyed in a conveyance direction; a carriage on which the printing head is mounted and that reciprocally moves in a main scanning direction; a sliding member attached to the carriage such that the carriage can change a position in a vertical direction; and a guide member that includes a first surface with which the sliding member is brought into contact and a second surface as a back surface of the first surface and guides the movement of the main scanning direction of the carriage, in which the sliding member includes a first regulation unit facing the second surface in a position away from the second surface at a predetermined distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: KOUSUKE TANAKA, NORIO SAKURAI, ATSUSHI KOHNOTOH, TAKASHI ABE, YASUYUKI TAKANAKA, TAIJI MARUYAMA, YUSUKE NARATANI, SHUHEI YAMAGUCHI, SHIMPEI FUJISAKI
  • Patent number: 11667139
    Abstract: A printing apparatus can prevent a print medium from buckling during discharging. In a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is higher than or equal to a specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to a discharging tray at the print conveyance speed, and in a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is lower than the specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to the discharging tray at the specified speed increased from the print conveyance speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Sakurai, Kosuke Yamamoto, Yuki Emoto, Toshiaki Somano
  • Publication number: 20230115030
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a carriage, a recording head, a frame, and a guide member. The conveyance unit conveys a sheet in a conveyance direction. The carriage moves in a scanning direction crossing the conveyance direction and has a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion higher in position than the first abutment portion. The recording head is mounted on the carriage, arranged to face a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit, and ejects a liquid onto the conveyed sheet to record an image. The frame has a first sliding portion in abutment with the first abutment portion and has a second sliding portion in abutment with the second abutment portion. The guide member supports the carriage and is fixed to the frame at a position separated from the first sliding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Taiji Maruyama, Atsushi Kohnotoh, Yasuyuki Takanaka, Norio Sakurai, Takashi Abe, Kousuke Tanaka, Yusuke Naratani, Shuhei Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20220258487
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a container for a liquid configured to contain a liquid to be supplied to a print head configured to eject the liquid, the container including an injection port configured to enable a user to inject the liquid; a supply channel used to supply the liquid from the container to the print head; and an on-off valve mechanism disposed at the supply channel and configured to be switched between an open state to establish communication of the supply channel and a closed state not to establish communication of the supply channel. The on-off valve mechanism is configured to be switched by any of an automatic operation and a manual operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Tomohisa Jonouchi, Norio Sakurai
  • Patent number: 11254537
    Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus comprising: a discharging unit configured to convey and discharge print media; a tray configured to receive print media discharged in a first direction from the discharging unit; and a drive unit configured to move the tray in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In discharging print media, the tray is moved in the second direction to thereby receive the discharged print media at a plurality of different positions on the tray. The tray is movable to a take-out position being a position closer in the second direction to a take-out side where print media are taken out than any of the positions at which the tray receives the print media discharged from the discharging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Emoto, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Toshiaki Somano
  • Publication number: 20210402812
    Abstract: A printing apparatus can prevent a print medium from buckling during discharging. In a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is higher than or equal to a specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to a discharging tray at the print conveyance speed, and in a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is lower than the specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to the discharging tray at the specified speed increased from the print conveyance speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Norio Sakurai, Kosuke Yamamoto, Yuki Emoto, Toshiaki Somano
  • Patent number: 11142001
    Abstract: A printing apparatus can prevent a print medium from buckling during discharging. In a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is higher than or equal to a specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to a discharging tray at the print conveyance speed, and in a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is lower than the specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to the discharging tray at the specified speed increased from the print conveyance speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Sakurai, Kosuke Yamamoto, Yuki Emoto, Toshiaki Somano
  • Patent number: 11090954
    Abstract: An image printing apparatus has a first side plate and a second side plate that are part of a frame body housing an image printing unit and face each other in a widthwise direction crossing a discharging direction. The image printing apparatus also has a movable tray that is movable between the first side plate and the second side plate and receive a discharged print medium a support member that supports the movable tray in a movable manner. Further, the image printing apparatus has a drive unit that moves the movable tray and a frame that is fixed so as to couple the first side plate and the second side plate together in the widthwise direction, the support member and the drive unit being provided on the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Emoto, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Toshiaki Somano
  • Publication number: 20210245527
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that enables proper sorting of discharged print media by suppressing curling of each of the print media sufficiently. A determining unit determines a curling suppressing operation to be executed such that in a case where sorting operation is executed, the suppressing operation having a higher effect of suppressing curling is executed than in a case where the sorting operation is executed. Then, a print control unit controls a print head to perform printing on print media while executing the suppressing operation determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Kentaro Muro
  • Patent number: 11020988
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that enables proper sorting of discharged print media by suppressing curling of each of the print media sufficiently. A determining unit determines a curling suppressing operation to be executed such that in a case where sorting operation is executed, the suppressing operation having a higher effect of suppressing curling is executed than in a case where the sorting operation is executed. Then, a print control unit controls a print head to perform printing on print media while executing the suppressing operation determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Kentaro Muro
  • Patent number: 10988333
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a displacement member configured to be in contact with discharged print media and be displaced according to the amount of a stack of the print media, and detects the stack amount based on the displacement of the displacement member. The apparatus performs a first or second detection operation based on the detected stack amount. In the first detection operation, after a specified number of print media are discharged with the displacement member positioned at the evacuation position where it does not come into contact with a print medium, the displacement member is brought into contact with the print media to detect the stack amount. In the second detection operation, the stack amount is detected with the displacement member in contact with the print media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto
  • Patent number: 10843493
    Abstract: An image printing apparatus includes a print unit, a tray moving unit that moves a tray for receiving a print medium discharged in a first direction, in a second direction crossing the first direction, a lever moving unit that moves a lever that contacts to the print medium stacked on the tray and is rotatable according to an amount of stacking between a first position at which the lever is contactable to the stacked print medium and a second position at which the lever is separated from the stacked print medium. A control unit causes the tray moving unit to move the tray in the second direction in a state in which the control unit has caused the lever moving unit to move the lever to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto, Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20200262666
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a displacement member configured to be in contact with discharged print media and be displaced according to the amount of a stack of the print media, and detects the stack amount based on the displacement of the displacement member. The apparatus performs a first or second detection operation based on the detected stack amount. In the first detection operation, after a specified number of print media are discharged with the displacement member positioned at the evacuation position where it does not come into contact with a print medium, the displacement member is brought into contact with the print media to detect the stack amount. In the second detection operation, the stack amount is detected with the displacement member in contact with the print media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Toshiaki Somano, Kosuke Yamamoto, Norio Sakurai, Yuki Emoto