Patents by Inventor Shuichi Tamaki

Shuichi Tamaki 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: 10035349
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes an ejection head, a cap configured to cover the nozzle, a first liquid receiver including a first receiving surface and a discharge portion connected to the first receiving surface. The liquid ejection device includes a second liquid receiver including a second receiving surface positioned under the discharge portion. One of the first liquid receiver and the second liquid receiver has an engagement portion, and the other of the first liquid receiver and the second liquid receiver has an engaged portion. A play between the engagement portion and the engaged portion is smaller than a distance between both ends of the second receiving surface in the direction parallel to the second receiving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 10029468
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes an ejection head with at least one nozzle on an ejection surface, a cap, and a liquid receiver having a first side in a first direction parallel to the ejection surface and a second side opposite to the first side in the first direction. The liquid ejection device includes a movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the cap and the ejection head between states where the cap covers the ejection head and where the cap does not cover the ejection head. In the state that the cap is separated from the ejection head, the support structure supports the liquid receiver to be inclined such that the first side is positioned lower than the second side in the second direction. The liquid receiver includes an outlet disposed on the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9975342
    Abstract: A controller executes a regular maintenance process each time when a time elapsed from completion of a previous regular maintenance process reaches a first time. the regular maintenance process included a purge operation for discharging liquid from an ejection port to the inner space of a cap member and a first discharge operation for discharging liquid in a recess portion of the cap member to a waste liquid tank without discharging liquid after the purge operation. The controller executes a second liquid discharge operation for discharging liquid in a first connection channel to the waste liquid tank without discharging liquid from the ejection port when the time elapsed from the completion of the previous regular maintenance process reaches a second time being shorter than the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20170225466
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes an ejection head with at least one nozzle on an ejection surface, a cap, and a liquid receiver having a first side in a first direction parallel to the ejection surface and a second side opposite to the first side in the first direction. The liquid ejection device includes a movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the cap and the ejection head between states where the cap covers the ejection head and where the cap does not cover the ejection head. In the state that the cap is separated from the ejection head, the support structure supports the liquid receiver to be inclined such that the first side is positioned lower than the second side in the second direction. The liquid receiver includes an outlet disposed on the first side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20170225465
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes an ejection head, a cap configured to cover the nozzle, a first liquid receiver including a first receiving surface and a discharge portion connected to the first receiving surface. The liquid ejection device includes a second liquid receiver including a second receiving surface positioned under the discharge portion. One of the first liquid receiver and the second liquid receiver has an engagement portion, and the other of the first liquid receiver and the second liquid receiver has an engaged portion. A play between the engagement portion and the engaged portion is smaller than a distance between both ends of the second receiving surface in the direction parallel to the second receiving surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9656471
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20160303859
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi TAMAKI
  • Publication number: 20160288506
    Abstract: A controller executes a regular maintenance process each time when a time elapsed from completion of a previous regular maintenance process reaches a first time. the regular maintenance process included a purge operation for discharging liquid from an ejection port to the inner space of a cap member and a first discharge operation for discharging liquid in a recess portion of the cap member to a waste liquid tank without discharging liquid after the purge operation. The controller executes a second liquid discharge operation for discharging liquid in a first connection channel to the waste liquid tank without discharging liquid from the ejection port when the time elapsed from the completion of the previous regular maintenance process reaches a second time being shorter than the first time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi TAMAKI
  • Patent number: 9415599
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9381749
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9302488
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a tank for storing a liquid; a liquid ejecting head including an inner passage having an inlet, an outlet and individual liquid channels; a supply passage connecting the tank and inlet; a return passage connecting the tank and outlet; a supply device to forcibly supply the liquid in the tank to the inner passage; a restrictor valve to restrict a liquid amount flowing through the return passage; and a controller to drive the supply device while placing the restrictor valve in an open state, where the liquid in the tank returns back thereto via the supply passage, the inner passage, and the return passage, in order, and to drive the supply device to keep circulation and control the restrictor valve to restrict, during the circulation, the amount of the liquid that flows through the return passage, for discharging the liquid from the ejection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20150336390
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi TAMAKI
  • Patent number: 9156264
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: (a) a head assembly including (a-1) recording heads having respective nozzle opening surfaces and (a-2) a head frame supporting the recording heads; (b) annular protrusions each of which is to be brought into contact with the head assembly, so as to surround the plurality of nozzles opening in the corresponding nozzle opening surface; (c) a supporting tray elongated in a supporting-tray longitudinal direction and supporting the annular protrusions; (d) a movement mechanism configured to move the head assembly and/or the supporting tray, and (e) a positioning pin projecting from a pin-located portion of the supporting tray. The pin-located portion is outside the annular protrusions, and is located in a center of the supporting tray in the supporting-tray longitudinal direction. The head frame has a positioning hole, into which the positioning pin is to be introduced upon contact of each annular protrusion with the head assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Taira, Tadanobu Chikamoto, Shuichi Tamaki, Akira Shinoda
  • Patent number: 9126413
    Abstract: A plurality of second tanks is connected to at least one first-tank mount section so that each of the plurality of second tanks is supplied with liquid stored in a corresponding one of at least one first tank in a state where at least one first tank is mounted on the at least one first-tank mount section. One of the at least one liquid ejecting head is connected to at least two of the plurality of second tanks so that liquid stored in each of the at least two of the plurality of second tanks is supplied to the one of the at least one liquid ejecting head. At least two of the second tanks connected to the one of the at least one liquid ejecting head are arranged such that there is at least one second tank at each side of the liquid ejecting head in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9114648
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a conveyor, a recording controller, and a flashing controller. The conveyor conveys a recording medium along a conveyance path. The recording controller causes the conveyor to convey a recording medium, and controls liquid ejection from the liquid ejection head to form an image on the recording medium based on image data. The flashing controller causes the conveyor to temporarily stop conveyance of the recording medium, and causes liquid ejection from the liquid ejection head based on drive data which is unrelated to image formation. The flashing controller determines timing for executing a subsequent flashing control so that, within a print enforceable period between one flashing control and the subsequent flashing control, the number of pages subjected to image formation based on image data increases with a decrease in time interval between image formation on one page and on another page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9108407
    Abstract: A controller is configured to regularly select one of (i) a moisturization operation with which air moisturized by a moisturization mechanism is moved to an ejection space by a ventilator while a capping mechanism is maintained to be in a capped state and (ii) a liquid discharge operation with which liquid is discharged through ejection openings by a discharger and conduct the selected operation while a recording command is not received. The controller is configured to conduct the liquid discharge operation after the moisturization operation while the recording command is not received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9108421
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9090073
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a recording unit which ejects liquid to record an image, a tank having a storage chamber which stores liquid for the recording unit and a communication port which allows the liquid storage chamber to communicate with atmosphere, a first housing, and a second housing which holds the recording unit and the tank and is rotatable about an axis line relative to the first housing between a close position where the recording unit comes close to the first housing and a separate position where the recording unit is separated from the first housing. An upper surface of the storage chamber has two regions divided by an imaginary plane to have same area, which is parallel with the axis line and intersects with the upper surface, and the communication port is provided in a region of the two regions, which is away from the axis line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Publication number: 20150151546
    Abstract: A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi TAMAKI
  • Patent number: 9028040
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus including: a liquid ejection head and ejection openings; a tank; an air communication device; a supply channel; a return channel; a supply device; an adjusting device; and a controller, wherein the controller performs a liquid circulation control by controlling: the adjusting device such that a channel resistance value of the return channel is less than a predetermined maximum value; and the supply device to supply the liquid into the inside channel, wherein, when the liquid is circulated by the liquid circulation control, the controller starts a liquid discharge control for discharging the liquid by making the channel resistance value larger than that in the liquid circulation control, and wherein the controller controls the air communication device such that an inside of the tank is interrupted from the ambient air in at least a part of a period of the liquid circulation control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Tamaki, Hiroshi Taira, Akira Shinoda