Patents by Inventor Ran Kudo

Ran Kudo 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: 20260200228
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium. The cleaning apparatus includes a liquid application head configured to apply a liquid to a nozzle formation surface of the recording head and a liquid removal unit configured to remove the liquid from the nozzle formation surface, wherein the liquid application head has a liquid application member having flexibility and having a first surface on an upstream side in a liquid application direction, a second surface crossing the first surface, and a third surface on a downstream side in the liquid application direction, the first surface and the second surface contacting the nozzle formation surface, the third surface and the nozzle formation surface having a gap therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2026
    Publication date: July 16, 2026
    Inventors: RYOSUKE ARAKI, SEIJI SUZUKI, TAKAYA SATO, RAN KUDO, TAKUYA HANE, TAKATOSHI NAKANO, TSUKASA SANO
  • Patent number: 12611867
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium, including a liquid application head to apply a liquid to a nozzle formation surface of the recording head and a liquid removal unit to remove the liquid from the nozzle formation surface. The liquid application head has a liquid application member having flexibility and a first surface on an upstream side in a liquid application direction, a second surface crossing the first surface, and a third surface on a downstream side in the liquid application direction, the first an second surfaces contacting the nozzle formation surface, the third surface and the nozzle formation surface having a gap therebetween, and a liquid supply member having a supply flow path to supply the liquid to the nozzle formation surface. A liquid application width of the liquid application head is narrower than a width of the nozzle formation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Araki, Seiji Suzuki, Takaya Sato, Ran Kudo, Takuya Hane, Takatoshi Nakano, Tsukasa Sano
  • Publication number: 20260054487
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes: a recording head to eject ink; a storage tank to store the ink to be supplied to the recording head; a first flow path through which the ink flows from the storage tank to the recording head; a second flow path through which the ink from the recording head flows; a discharge flow path branched from a circulation flow path including the first and second flow paths and through which the ink is circulated; a waste liquid tank to store liquid discharged from the circulation flow path through the discharge flow path; a discharge unit to discharge the ink from the circulation flow path to the waste liquid tank; and a control unit to control recording by the recording head and discharge by the discharge unit. The control unit causes the discharge unit to perform the discharge during the recording of the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2025
    Publication date: February 26, 2026
    Inventors: KENTARO MURO, SATOSHI AZUMA, YOSHIAKI MURAYAMA, JUN YASUTANI, SEIJI SUZUKI, TAKUTO MORIGUCHI, OSAMU YOSHITAKE, RAN KUDO
  • Publication number: 20260042296
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a moving unit configured to relatively move a print medium and a discharging unit including an orifice configured to discharge a liquid to the print medium, a blowing unit configured to blow air to the orifice, and a detection unit configured to detect a humidity of the air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2025
    Publication date: February 12, 2026
    Inventors: KENTARO MURO, SATOSHI AZUMA, YOSHIAKI MURAYAMA, JUN YASUTANI, TAKUTO MORIGUCHI, OSAMU YOSHITAKE, RAN KUDO
  • Publication number: 20260021660
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus that can suppress occurrence of condensation in a printing head without causing an increase in size of the apparatus is provided. To this end, a first air flow generation structure is arranged in a position that is not in a conveyance direction with respect to the printing head and arranged so as to be able to blow an air flow to an ejection port surface of the printing head. In addition, a heat source is provided between a first air flow generation unit and the printing head to increase a temperature of the air flow from the first air flow generation structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2025
    Publication date: January 22, 2026
    Inventors: TSUKASA SANO, YOSHIAKI MURAYAMA, YUHEI OIKAWA, RAN KUDO, YASUHIKO OSAKI, EIKOU MORI, YU MITSUZUMI
  • Publication number: 20250033363
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a holding unit configured to hold a tray on which a container configured to contain liquid to be supplied to an ejection head is detachably mounted, a first restriction unit configured to be movable to a restriction position where the first restriction unit restricts pulling the tray out of the holding unit and to a non-restriction position where the first restriction unit does not restrict pulling the tray out of the holding unit, a connector configured to be in contact with a substrate of the container, and a second restriction unit configured to, in a case where the substrate is in contact with the connector and the first restriction unit is at the restriction position, restrict movement of the first restriction unit to the non-restriction position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: TAKAYA SATO, RAN KUDO, MAIKO SHIINA
  • Publication number: 20240424792
    Abstract: A printing apparatus has a maintenance unit configured to perform maintenance on a plurality of printheads configured to eject liquid and detachable units provided in correspondence to the plurality of printheads and each including a negative pressure tank used for suction by the maintenance unit and a pump for generating negative pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: RAN KUDO, TETSUJI SUZUKI, RYOSUKE ARAKI, YOSHIYUKI INAMOTO, SHU KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20240424798
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes an ejection head, a conveyance unit, an air delivery unit, and an intake unit. The ejection head ejects a liquid from an ejection portion to a first surface of an ejection target medium. The conveyance unit faces the ejection portion and conveys the ejection target medium in a first direction. The air delivery unit is arranged downstream of the ejection head in the first direction and delivers air to the conveyance unit. The intake unit faces the air delivery unit and intakes at least a portion of the air delivered by the air delivery unit. The intake unit includes a mist collection portion that collects mist generated by the ejection of the liquid from the ejection portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: MAIKO SHIINA, TAKAYA SATO, TETSUJI SUZUKI, RAN KUDO
  • Publication number: 20240308223
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning apparatus for a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium, the cleaning apparatus including: a liquid application head for applying liquid to a nozzle formation surface; and a liquid removal unit for removing the liquid, wherein the liquid application head has a liquid application member having flexibility and having three surfaces, the first surface and the second surface contacting the nozzle formation surface, the third surface and the nozzle formation surface having a gap therebetween, a liquid supply member having a supply flow path for supplying the liquid to the nozzle formation surface, and wherein a liquid application width is narrower than a width of the nozzle formation surface, and a liquid removal width is wider than the liquid application width of the liquid application head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: RYOSUKE ARAKI, SEIJI SUZUKI, TAKAYA SATO, RAN KUDO, TAKUYA HANE, TAKATOSHI NAKANO, TSUKASA SANO
  • Publication number: 20240181777
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a recording element substrate configured with a liquid ejection port, the liquid ejection head including: a first positioning member configured with a first positioning part including a recess portion opening in a direction of liquid ejection; and a second positioning member configured with a second positioning part, which includes a groove portion opening in the direction of liquid ejection and extending towards the first positioning member, and a third positioning part, which includes a flat plane portion substantially parallel to the recording element substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: YASUHIKO OSAKI, SATOSHI KIMURA, SHUZO IWANAGA, SHINGO OKUSHIMA, HIROMASA AMMA, SEIJI SUZUKI, TAKAYA SATO, RAN KUDO, RYOSUKE ARAKI
  • Publication number: 20240010015
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a conveyance roller configured to convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction, and a moving portion configured to move a recording head between a positioning position and a non-positioning position, the moving portion having a first supporting portion that supports the recording head at the non-positioning position. The first supporting portion does not support the recording head at the positioning position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: RAN KUDO, SEIJI SUZUKI, TAKAYA SATO, RYOSUKE ARAKI, TAKUYA HANE, TAKAYUKI OKAMOTO, SATOSHI KIMURA, SHINGO OKUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20230398797
    Abstract: In a recording apparatus including a recording head having an ejection port surface in which an ejection port that ejects a liquid is provided and a supporting portion configured to support the recording head to move the recording head between a recording position and a non-recording position, the supporting portion can be in a first state where an angle change of the ejection port surface is regulated and a second state where the angle change of the ejection port surface is not regulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: SEIJI SUZUKI, RAN KUDO, TAKAYA SATO, RYOSUKE ARAKI, TAKUYA HANE, TAKAYUKI OKAMOTO, SATOSHI KIMURA, SHINGO OKUSHIMA
  • Patent number: 10365590
    Abstract: The belt conveyance device includes an endless belt member, and a steering roller that stretches the belt member and has a tiltable rotation axis. The steering roller includes a roller that slides on the belt member and rubbing members that rub against the belt member at both ends of the roller. One or a plurality of recessed portions is formed in the surface of each rubbing member in an area where the surface of the rubbing member is opposed to an inner surface of the belt member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ran Kudo
  • Patent number: 10338501
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a guiding portion that acts on a shutter member to open and close the shutter member when a unit, including the shutter member, is mounted to and dismounted from a main assembly. The guiding portion includes an opening operating portion that moves the shutter member from the closing position to the opening position in interrelation with an inserting operation of the unit, a closing operating portion that moves the shutter member from the opening position to the closing position in interrelation with an extracting operation of the unit, and a shutter closing portion contacted to the shutter member at a position upstream of the opening operating portion and the closing operating portion, with respect to an inserting direction of the unit relative to the guiding portion, to move the shutter member from the opening position to the closing position in interrelation with the inserting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ran Kudo, Fukashi Hatano
  • Publication number: 20190094762
    Abstract: The belt conveyance device includes an endless belt member, and a steering roller that stretches the belt member and has a tiltable rotation axis. The steering roller includes a roller that slides on the belt member and rubbing members that rub against the belt member at both ends of the roller. One or a plurality of recessed portions is formed in the surface of each rubbing member in an area where the surface of the rubbing member is opposed to an inner surface of the belt member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventor: Ran Kudo
  • Publication number: 20190033753
    Abstract: A mounting portion to and from which a unit provided with a belt cleaning device is inserted and extracted includes an opening operating portion for contacting a shutter member to move a shutter member from a closing position to an opening position in interrelation with, a closing operating portion for contacting the shutter member to move the shutter member from the opening position to the closing position in interrelation with an extracting operation, and a shutter closing portion for contacting the shutter member at a position upstream of the shutter opening and closing portions in the inserting direction to move said shutter member from the opening position to the closing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Ran Kudo, Fukashi Hatano
  • Publication number: 20180217529
    Abstract: A stretching roller for stretching an intermediate transfer belt is tiltably disposed, and includes a sliding ring unrotatably disposed at both axial ends of a roller portion. The intermediate transfer belt winds and slidably rotates around the sliding ring. The sliding ring has a tapered portion inclined so that the outer diameter increases toward the axial end side of the stretching roller. The tapered portion is formed so that the inclination angle with respect to the central axis of the stretching roller differs at least in part in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Masataka Fumoto, Dai Kanai, Ran Kudo
  • Patent number: 9753413
    Abstract: A belt unit including a steering mechanism employing a belt auto alignment method includes a restricting portion configured to enable a steering roller to rotate about a steering axis line for correcting the deviation of the position of the belt in the width-wise direction, while restricting the inclination of the steering roller due to the rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ran Kudo
  • Publication number: 20160216648
    Abstract: A belt unit including a steering mechanism employing a belt auto alignment method includes a restricting portion configured to enable a steering roller to rotate about a steering axis line for correcting the deviation of the position of the belt in the width-wise direction, while restricting the inclination of the steering roller due to the rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: Ran Kudo
  • Patent number: 9335671
    Abstract: A belt unit including a steering mechanism employing a belt auto alignment method includes a restricting portion configured to enable a steering roller to rotate about a steering axis line for correcting the deviation of the position of the belt in the width-wise direction, while restricting the inclination of the steering roller due to the rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ran Kudo