Patents by Inventor Ryoji Inoue

Ryoji Inoue 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: 20030030702
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head utilizing ink bubbling by heating of an exothermic resistor to thereby eject ink and a method manufacturing the same, including the steps of: preparing a substrate provided with the exothermic resistor; applying such first resin on the substrate as to provide a first mold shape for forming the nozzle channel and the movable member; forming the first mold shape using the first resin; applying, on the substrate, second resin over the first mold shape for forming the nozzle channel and the movable member; and removing the first mold shape. By this method, the movable member is formed in the nozzle channel between the ink inlet and the exothermic resistor to thereby provide a high-density, high-accuracy ink jet recording head which can improve a frequency response while maintaining proper discharge performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Hirokazu Komuro, Masashi Miyagawa, Yoshinori Misumi, Masahiko Kubota, Hiroyuki Sugiyama, Ryoji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6497475
    Abstract: A liquid discharging method for a liquid discharge head having a plurality of discharge ports and a plurality of liquid flow paths communicated always with each of the discharge ports at one end, each having a bubble generating area, a bubble generating unit, a plurality of liquid supply ports, and a movable member supported with a minute gap to the liquid supply port on the liquid flow path side, and provided with a free end. The area of the movable member is surrounded at least by the free end portion and both sides continued therefrom are made larger than the opening area of the liquid supply port facing the liquid flow path. A period for the movable member is set to close and essentially cut off the opening area during the period from the application of the driving voltage to the bubble generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Hiroshi Sugitani, Masanori Takenouchi, Masami Ikeda, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Ryoji Inoue, Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 6474788
    Abstract: A substrate for use of an ink jet head that constitutes an ink jet head includes a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid, a plurality of liquid flow paths communicated with the plurality of discharge ports, and first and second heat generating device arranged serially in the liquid flow paths in the flow path direction of the liquid flow paths for generating thermal energy which is utilized for discharging liquid in the liquid flow paths from the discharge ports, the first and second heat generating device being formed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ichiro Saito, Masanori Takenouchi, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Osamu Iwasaki, Shin Ishimatsu, Ryoji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6471337
    Abstract: By effectively executing ejection recovery and aging process of an ink-jet printing head having a plurality of electrothermal transducers in an ink passage, ejecting characteristics including the ejecting speed and ejecting quantity of ink are more stably kept under the printing operation for ejecting the ink by driving the electrothermal transducers. For that purpose, shift values of application timings of driving pulses to be applied to heaters in the ink passage of the ink-jet printing head are changed under the ejection recovery after the ink-jet printing head is set to a printing apparatus and/or the aging process when the ink-jet printing head is fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryoji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20020154181
    Abstract: There is disclosed a solid semiconductor element which very efficiently detects information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchanges the information with the outside. The solid semiconductor element is disposed in a liquid container, and includes at least energy converting unit, information acquiring unit, and information communicating unit. The energy converting unit converts an electromotive force from the outside to a power, and operates the information acquiring unit and information communicating unit. The information acquiring unit acquires the information about the liquid in which the solid semiconductor element is disposed from the liquid, and the information communicating unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Sadayuki Sugama, Ichiro Saito, Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Muga Mochizuki, Ryoji Inoue, Maki Nishida, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6464345
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes a discharge port and a liquid passage provided with bubble-generating means and a movable member. The liquid passage has one side which is closed, and one side which communicates with the discharge port and with a liquid supply port. The movable member has a free end on the closed side of the liquid passage and a fulcrum on the other side. The bubble-generating means is disposed on a wall of the liquid passage facing the free end of the movable member and facing a wall in which the liquid supply port is provided. The movable member is separated from the discharge port by a gap in the liquid passage corresponding to the bubble-generating means. The projected area of the movable member on the liquid supply port is larger than the opening area of the liquid supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Masanori Takenouchi, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Ryoji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6435670
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head having a plurality of discharge ports to discharge a liquid, a plurality of liquid flow paths, in which an end part permanently communicates with the respective discharge ports, having a bubble generating area to generate a bubble in the liquid, bubble generating unit to generate energy to generate and grow the bubble, a plurality of liquid supply ports arranged in the plurality of liquid flow paths and communicating with a common liquid supply chamber, and a movable member, having a free end, supported with a very small gap by at least part of the liquid flow path side of the liquid supply port, the area surrounded by at least the free end part of the movable member and both side parts continuing thereto being larger than an opening area prepared in the liquid flow path of the liquid supply port, in which in a status of the movable member at rest, the part of the discharge port side of the movable member contacts with a member for forming the liquid supply port and a very small gap is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoji Inoue, Masanori Takenouchi, Masahiko Kubota, Kiyomitsu Kudo
  • Patent number: 6435661
    Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid discharge head comprises a discharge port for discharging a liquid, a liquid flow path with one end constantly communicating with the discharge port and with a bubble generating area for generating a bubble in the liquid, a liquid supply port disposed in the liquid flow path and connected to a common liquid supply chamber for storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid flow path, a plurality of bubble generating means, disposed in the liquid flow path, for generating the bubble in the liquid, and a plate-like movable member disposed in the liquid flow path with the side of the discharge port supported as a free end at a gap of 10 &mgr;m or less with respect to the liquid supply port on the side of the liquid flow path, and provided with a projection area larger than an opening area of the liquid supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoji Inoue, Hiroshi Sugitani, Masanori Takenouchi, Masami Ikeda, Masahiko Kubota, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 6402311
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head comprising a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink droplets, a plurality of ink flow paths communicated with the respective discharge ports, a common liquid chamber communicated with said ink flow paths and adapted to hold ink to be introduced into said ink flow paths, electro-thermal converting portions disposed in said ink flow paths and adapted to generate heat for bubbling the ink, and bubble trapping portions disposed at communicating portion between said ink flow paths and said common liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoji Inoue, Masanori Takenouchi, Akio Saito, Shin Ishimatsu
  • Publication number: 20020063756
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head that is capable of avoiding damages due to cavitation of an electrothermal converting element and thus extending its life is provided. The ink jet recording head comprises a plurality of ink discharge ports for discharging ink; a plurality of electrothermal converting elements provided to be associated with each of the ink discharge ports, respectively, for bubbling and discharging the ink; a plurality of pressure chambers for containing the electrothermal converting elements and providing spaces for heating and bubbling the ink; a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to the plurality of pressure chambers; and a plurality of ink flow paths for communicating the pressure chambers with the common liquid chamber. The ink flow paths are arranged such that central lines in a direction of ink supply to the pressure chambers are positioned offset from central lines of the electrothermal converting elements in the same direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Ken Tsuchii, Mineo Kaneko, Masaki Oikawa, Ryoji Inoue, Kenji Yabe
  • Patent number: 6382768
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording method for recording on a recording medium, includes the steps of preparing an ink-jet recording head which has a plurality of electro-thermal conversion elements that can be independently driven in an ink channel communicating with an ejection orifice, and ejects ink from the ejection orifice by bubbling the ink upon driving the electro-thermal conversion elements and ejecting the ink from the ejection orifice by relatively shifting the bubbling timings defined upon driving of at least two electro-thermal conversion elements within the range in which the ejection characteristics of the ink do not deteriorate as compared to those obtained when the ink is bubbled by simultaneously driving the at least two electro-thermal conversion elements, when the ink is bubbled by driving the at least two electro-thermal conversion elements. Also, an ink-jet recording head using the ink-jet recording method, and an ink-jet recording apparatus using the ink-jet recording head are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noribumi Koitabashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Ryoji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20020033855
    Abstract: There is disclosed a solid semiconductor element which very efficiently detects information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchanges the information with the outside. The solid semiconductor element is disposed in a liquid container, and includes at least energy converting unit, information acquiring unit, and information communicating unit. The energy converting unit converts an electromotive force from the outside to a power, and operates the information acquiring unit and information communicating unit. The information acquiring unit acquires the information about the liquid in which the solid semiconductor element is disposed from the liquid, and the information communicating unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Sadayuki Sugama, Ichiro Saito, Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Muga Mochizuki, Ryoji Inoue, Maki Nishida, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20020030710
    Abstract: An ink tank is provided which can efficiently perform detection of information in an ink tank such as an ink residual amount in the ink tank with a simple configuration in which it is unnecessary to set wiring or the like. A solid semiconductor element, which is provided with an acquiring unit for acquiring environmental information of the outside, an information storing unit, a discriminating unit for comparing acquired information and stored information to make a determination, and an information communicating unit for displaying the acquired information or communicating the acquired information to the outside, is embedded in an outer wall of an ink tank such that the solid semiconductor element is exposed to an internal side and an external side of the ink tank from the outer wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Muga Mochizuki, Ichiro Saito, Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Masahiko Kubota, Ryoji Inoue, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20020008724
    Abstract: A solid type semiconductor device comprises energy converting means for converting energy from outside, and operating means operated by energy converted by the energy converting means. The energy converting means converts the electromotive force supplied from the outside to the device in non-contact into electric power. The operating means comprises information acquiring means actuated by electric power obtained by energy converting means; discriminating means; information accumulating means; and information communicating means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Sadayuki Sugama, Ichiro Saito, Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Muga Mochizuki, Ryoji Inoue, Kenji Kitabatake, Maki Nishida, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20020008722
    Abstract: To supply electromotive force to a solid semiconductor element in an ink tank in a non-contact and stable manner. An electromagnetic apparatus (a standstill electromotive force supply unit) is placed at a home position HP. When a carriage is at a standstill at this home position HP, if the electromagnetic apparatus is AC-driven, magnetic properties of both ends (magnetic poles) continue to change mutually and penetrate a solid semiconductor element in the ink tank on the carriage so that a constantly changing magnetic flux is generated. Electromotive force is generated by electromagnetic induction on a coil of the solid semiconductor element. In addition, if the carriage reciprocates during printing operation, the coil L of the solid semiconductor element crosses inside the magnetic flux due to a plurality of permanent magnets (a movement time electromotive force supply unit) arranged on a carrier path (range of movement), and so the electromotive force is generated on the coil by electromagnetic induction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Ichiro Saito, Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Masahiko Kubota, Muga Mochizuki, Ryoji Inoue, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20020006350
    Abstract: Disclosed is an Fe—Ni alloy consisting of, by mass, 30 to 50% of Ni (or 27 to 47% Ni and not more than 22% Co), 0.005 to 0.1% of Nb, less than 0.01% of C, 0.002 to 0.02% of N, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein the equation “0.000013≦(% Nb)×(% N)≦0.002”, is fulfilled. In the alloy, preferably, the maximum grain size of compounds primarily containing Nb and nitrogen and other compounds primarily containing Nb and C is less than 0.5 &mgr;m, which can be observed at an fractional section of metal structure, and a total number of the compounds is not less than 50,000/mm2 at an fractional section. An average grain size of the alloy structure is not less than 10 by the crystal grain size number as defined in JIS G0551. The alloy may applied to shadow masks for the Braun tube and lead frames for semiconductor elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Junichi Nishida, Ryoji Inoue, Takehisa Seo
  • Publication number: 20010043255
    Abstract: A first gap formation member and a fixed portion are provided on an element substrate, a movable member is formed on the first gap formation member and the fixing member, and a second gap formation member is formed thereon. The first gap formation member is removed, a wall material is coated and exposed at a pattern mask. The wall material is patterned to form the liquid flow path walls and the liquid supply ports altogether, and removing the second gap formation member, hence making it easier to form the side stopper that supports the movable member stably in a state where the displacement of the movable member is regulated to close the liquid supply port, as well as the minute gap between the movable member and the side stopper in higher precision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Masanori Takenouchi, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Ryoji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20010020966
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head, comprises a discharge port for discharging liquid, a liquid passage provided with bubble-generating means for generating bubbles in the liquid supplied via a liquid supply port, and in communication with the discharge port at its one end, and a movable member arranged apart from the discharge port by a gap in the liquid passage corresponding to the bubble-generating means, wherein the projected area of said movable member on said liquid supply port is larger than the opening area of said liquid supply port, said bubble-generating means is arranged on a wall, via the movable member, facing a wall to which the liquid supply port in the liquid passage is open, said movable member is on the one end of said liquid passage as the fulcrum and its free end is arranged on the closed side of said liquid passage, said bubble- generating means is arranged to face the free end of the movable member in the same direction; and said liquid supply port is open to the liquid passage on the side of th
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Inventors: Masahiko Kubota, Masanori Takenouchi, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Ryoji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6227645
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a liquid jet recording head assembly method comprises the steps of assembling a pressing member with a reference member to which an element substrate is fixed, charging a forcing spring provided for the pressing member to obtain a gap through which a grooved top plate can be inserted, assembling, by means of the gap, the grooved top plate with the element, and releasing the charging of the forcing spring and using the force exerted by the forcing spring to press the grooved top plate against the element substrate, so as to secure the grooved top plate to the element substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Takahashi, Masaki Inaba, Ken Hosaka, Hisashi Fukai, Shin Ishimatsu, Ryoji Inoue, Shigeki Fukui, Yohei Sato, Yoshihiko Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 6179411
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head comprises a discharge port for discharging ink, two electrothermal converting elements for generating thermal energy utilized for discharging the ink, and an ink flow path provided with the two electrothermal converting elements, at the same time, being conductively connected with the discharge port, and this head has a first discharge mode for discharging liquid droplets from the discharge port when the electrothermal converting element on the side nearer to the discharge port, of the two electrothermal converting elements, receives driving signals to generate the thermal energy, and also, a second discharge mode for discharging liquid droplets from the discharge port in the larger discharge amount than that of the first mode when both of the two electrothermal converting elements receive driving signals to generate the thermal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideo Saikawa, Ryoji Inoue