Patents by Inventor Noritaka MITSUO

Noritaka MITSUO 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: 10875309
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a first liquid from a nozzle, a liquid receiving portion configured to receive, in a state where a second liquid is accommodated in the liquid receiving portion, for a purpose of maintenance of the liquid ejecting portion, the first liquid discharged from the nozzle, a maintenance portion that maintains a liquid surface of a liquid accommodated in the liquid receiving portion at an upper limit position, and a discharge portion configured to discharge, from a discharge port open to the liquid receiving portion, the liquid accommodated in the liquid receiving portion. The discharge port is positioned below the upper limit position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Arimura, Yuji Kanazawa, Masaaki Ando, Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Patent number: 10717283
    Abstract: A cap device is designed to form a space surrounding an opening of a nozzle of a liquid ejecting head when the cap device is in contact with the liquid ejecting head including the nozzle for ejecting a liquid, and includes a moisturizing chamber to which a moisturizing fluid for moisturizing the above space is supplied, and a partition wall having gas permeability and configured to partition the space and the moisturizing chamber, where part of the partition wall is formed of a flexible portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Shimizu, Toshio Nakata, Ryoji Fujimori, Shuhei Harada, Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Publication number: 20200070521
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a first liquid from a nozzle, a liquid receiving portion configured to receive, in a state where a second liquid is accommodated in the liquid receiving portion, for a purpose of maintenance of the liquid ejecting portion, the first liquid discharged from the nozzle, a maintenance portion that maintains a liquid surface of a liquid accommodated in the liquid receiving portion at an upper limit position, and a discharge portion configured to discharge, from a discharge port open to the liquid receiving portion, the liquid accommodated in the liquid receiving portion. The discharge port is positioned below the upper limit position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Toshio ARIMURA, Yuji KANAZAWA, Masaaki ANDO, Noritaka MITSUO
  • Patent number: 10252532
    Abstract: The printing apparatus includes a printing head that includes a plurality of nozzles including a first nozzle, a discharging controller that is capable of controlling discharging of liquid from the plurality of nozzles, a transportation section that relatively moves a recording medium and the printing head by transporting at least either or both of the recording medium and the printing head, and a suction section that includes a suction port which is positioned at an upstream side or a downstream side of the printing head in a relative moving direction of the printing head and the recording medium. The discharging controller controls the first nozzle to discharge mist type ink droplets at a timing of not discharging ink droplets for forming image from the first nozzle, and the suction section suctions the mist type ink droplets discharged from the first nozzle through the suction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Mitsuo, Kenji Otokita
  • Publication number: 20190061353
    Abstract: A cap device is designed to form a space surrounding an opening of a nozzle of a liquid ejecting head when the cap device is in contact with the liquid ejecting head including the nozzle for ejecting a liquid, and includes a moisturizing chamber to which a moisturizing fluid for moisturizing the above space is supplied, and a partition wall having gas permeability and configured to partition the space and the moisturizing chamber, where part of the partition wall is formed of a flexible portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kazutoshi SHIMIZU, Toshio NAKATA, Ryoji FUJIMORI, Shuhei HARADA, Noritaka MITSUO
  • Patent number: 10112406
    Abstract: A gear pump includes a pump casing and a gear assembly. The gear assembly includes a driving gear, a driven gear, a driving gear shaft, a driven gear shaft, and a bearing frame. The bearing frame includes a frame main body, a pair of driving side bearing portions, and a pair of driven side bearing portions. The frame main body has a pair of bearing support portions, in which the driving side bearing portion and the driven side bearing portion are provided, and a connecting portion which connects the bearing support portions. The bearing support portions and the connecting portion are integrated together as a one-piece member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Ando, Noritaka Mitsuo, Norihiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 10022977
    Abstract: To reduce frictional heat generated between a rotation shaft and a bearing portion in a gear pump in which the rotation shaft having a gear mounted thereon is received by the bearing portion and an image recording apparatus having the gear pump. Provided is a gear pump which has a rotation shaft, a bearing portion which receives the rotation shaft, and a gear which is mounted on the rotation shaft and rotates with the rotation shaft, in such a manner that the gear feeds liquid. Furthermore, at least either a concave portion or a convex portion is provided in at least either the rotation shaft or the bearing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka Mitsuo, Masaaki Ando
  • Patent number: 9962965
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an discharging head which discharges liquid on a printing medium mounted on an endless belt; a transport unit which transports the printing medium in a transport direction; a medium press portion which is provided on an upstream side of the discharging head in the transport direction and includes a medium pressing unit which compresses the printing medium; and a control portion which controls the medium press portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Publication number: 20180117916
    Abstract: The printing apparatus includes a printing head that includes a plurality of nozzles including a first nozzle, a discharging controller that is capable of controlling discharging of liquid from the plurality of nozzles, a transportation section that relatively moves a recording medium and the printing head by transporting at least either or both of the recording medium and the printing head, and a suction section that includes a suction port which is positioned at an upstream side or a downstream side of the printing head in a relative moving direction of the printing head and the recording medium. The discharging controller controls the first nozzle to discharge mist type ink droplets at a timing of not discharging ink droplets for forming image from the first nozzle, and the suction section suctions the mist type ink droplets discharged from the first nozzle through the suction port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Noritaka MITSUO, Kenji OTOKITA
  • Patent number: 9956794
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a discharging head which discharges liquid on a printing medium mounted on an endless belt; a medium transport portion as a transport unit which transports the printing medium; an input device as an input unit to which printing condition is input; and a fluff cutter portion which is provided on an upstream side of the discharging head in the transport direction and which cuts fluff of the printing medium in a predetermined height according to the printing condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Publication number: 20170334212
    Abstract: A gear pump includes a pump casing and a gear assembly. The gear assembly includes a driving gear, a driven gear, a driving gear shaft, a driven gear shaft, and a bearing frame. The bearing frame includes a frame main body, a pair of driving side bearing portions, and a pair of driven side bearing portions. The frame main body has a pair of bearing support potions, in which the driving side bearing portion and the driven side bearing portion are provided, and a connecting portion which connects the bearing support portions. The bearing support portions and the connecting portion are integrated together as a one-piece member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Masaaki ANDO, Noritaka MITSUO, Norihiro MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 9751321
    Abstract: A gear pump for transporting a fluid includes a pump casing; and a gear assembly which is accommodated in the pump casing. The gear assembly includes a driving gear, a driven gear that mashes with the driving gear, a driving gear shaft to which the driving gear is attached, a driven gear shaft to which the driven gear is attached, and a bearing frame that rotatably supports the driving gear shaft and rotatably supports the driven gear shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Ando, Noritaka Mitsuo, Norihiro Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20170210150
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an discharging head which discharges liquid on a printing medium mounted on an endless belt; a transport unit which transports the printing medium in a transport direction; a medium press portion which is provided on an upstream side of the discharging head in the transport direction and includes a medium pressing unit which compresses the printing medium; and a control portion which controls the medium press portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventor: Noritaka MITSUO
  • Publication number: 20170197441
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a discharging head which discharges liquid on a printing medium mounted on an endless belt; a medium transport portion as a transport unit which transports the printing medium; an input device as an input unit to which printing condition is input; and a fluff cutter portion which is provided on an upstream side of the discharging head in the transport direction and which cuts fluff of the printing medium in a predetermined height according to the printing condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventor: Noritaka MITSUO
  • Publication number: 20170015106
    Abstract: To reduce frictional heat generated between a rotation shaft and a bearing portion in a gear pump in which the rotation shaft having a gear mounted thereon is received by the bearing portion and an image recording apparatus having the gear pump. Provided is a gear pump which has a rotation shaft, a bearing portion which receives the rotation shaft, and a gear which is mounted on the rotation shaft and rotates with the rotation shaft, in such a manner that the gear feeds liquid. Furthermore, at least either a concave portion or a convex portion is provided in at least either the rotation shaft or the bearing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka MITSUO, Masaaki ANDO
  • Publication number: 20160303864
    Abstract: A gear pump for transporting a fluid includes a pump casing; and a gear assembly which is accommodated in the pump casing. The gear assembly includes a driving gear, a driven gear that mashes with the driving gear, a driving gear shaft to which the driving gear is attached, a driven gear shaft to which the driven gear is attached, and a bearing frame that rotatably supports the driving gear shaft and rotatably supports the driven gear shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Masaaki ANDO, Noritaka MITSUO, Norihiro MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 9180672
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a head that discharges liquid having a component which settles down; a storage section that stores the liquid; a supply path that supplies the liquid from the storage section to the head through a path which extends in a horizontal direction; and an acceleration section that accelerates a part of the supply path which includes at least the path with acceleration having a downward acceleration component in the vertical direction. The supply path may include a upstream part which is connected to the storage section, a first connection part which is connected to the upstream part, a horizontal part which is connected to the first connection part and which extends in the horizontal direction, a second connection part which is connected to the horizontal part, and a downstream part which is connected to the second connection part and the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Patent number: 9139010
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head configured and arranged to discharge a liquid including a sedimentary substance, and a liquid supply path configured and arranged to supply the liquid from a liquid tank where the liquid is retained to the head. The liquid supply path has a region with differences in elevation of a predetermined length or more in a vertical direction. The liquid supply path has at least one convex section formed by folding at each of one side and another side in a direction which intersects the vertical direction in the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nakashima, Noritaka Mitsuo, Jun Shimazaki
  • Patent number: 9139009
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head configured and arranged to discharge a liquid including a sedimentary substance, and a liquid supply path for supplying the liquid from a liquid tank where the liquid is retained to the head. The liquid supply path has differences in elevation of a predetermined length or more in a vertical direction. The liquid supply path has a portion formed into a stepped shape and an angle formed by a width portion and a height portion in the portion formed into the stepped shape is 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nakashima, Jun Shimazaki, Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Patent number: 9132646
    Abstract: A liquid dispensing apparatus includes a head that dispenses a liquid containing a sedimentary substance, a liquid tank for storing the liquid, a liquid supply path through which the liquid is supplied from the ink tank to the head via a section having a level difference larger than a predetermined distance in a vertical direction, the section including one or more bent portions including a bent portion of a first type where a downward flow of the liquid is turned to an upward flow, and a bent shape conversion unit configured to change a shape of the section with the level difference, so as to convert the bent portion of the first type in the section with the level difference before the shape conversion into a bent portion of a second type where an upward flow of the liquid is turned to a downward flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noritaka Mitsuo