Patents by Inventor Tadahiro Mizutani

Tadahiro Mizutani 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: 20170113464
    Abstract: A cartridge 4 has liquid supply ports 407b, 407c, 407y and 407m formed on a bottom wall 422 of a casing 420 and configured to be in contact with corresponding liquid introducing parts 710b, 710c, 710y and 710m of a carriage 8, and a circuit substrate 410 provided on a second wall surface portion 423b of a first end wall 423 intersecting with the bottom wall 422 and configured to be in electrically contact with an electrode assembly 810 of the carriage 8. In a plan view of the bottom wall 422 of the cartridge 4 in a first direction toward the bottom wall 422, the distance between a second end wall 424 and a first wall surface portion 423a of the first end wall 423 is set to be greater than the distance between the second end wall 424 and the second wall surface portion 423b. This configuration allows for downsizing of the entire liquid supply unit such as cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Atsushi Kobayashi, Yoshinao Miyata, Shun Oya
  • Publication number: 20170057237
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage including a recording head that performs recording on a medium, the carriage being movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a control portion that controls the recording head and the carriage. The carriage has a first disposal section in which a first cartridge that supplies a liquid to the recording head is disposed and a second disposal section in which a second cartridge that does not supply a liquid to the recording head is disposed. The first cartridge includes a first information holder that holds information about the first cartridge. The second cartridge includes a second information holder that holds information about the second cartridge. The control portion executes a control of performing recording by using only the liquid contained in the first cartridge on the basis of the information held by the second information holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroshi SHIROTORI, Tadahiro MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 9579900
    Abstract: A cartridge 5 is mounted on a carriage 8. The carriage 8 includes liquid introducing parts 710m, 710c and 710y and a guide projection 723. The guide projection 723 is extended from between the liquid introducing parts 710m and 710c toward the liquid introducing part 710y. The cartridge 5 includes an ink supply port 507m connectable with the liquid introducing part 710m to supply magenta ink to the liquid introducing part 710m, an ink supply port 507c connectable with the liquid introducing part 710c to supply cyan ink to the liquid introducing part 710c, an ink supply port 507y connectable with the liquid introducing part 710y to supply yellow ink to the liquid introducing part 710y, and a first groove 580. The first groove 580 is extended from between the ink supply port 507m and the ink supply port 507c toward the ink supply port 507y to allow for insertion of the guide projection 723. This configuration suppresses diffusion of ink leaked from any of the liquid supply ports of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Oya, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9566794
    Abstract: A cartridge 4 has liquid supply ports 407b, 407c, 407y and 407m formed on a bottom wall 422 of a casing 420 and configured to be in contact with corresponding liquid introducing parts 710b, 710c, 710y and 710m of a carriage 8, and a circuit substrate 410 provided on a second wall surface portion 423b of a first end wall 423 intersecting with the bottom wall 422 and configured to be in electrically contact with an electrode assembly 810 of the carriage 8. In a plan view of the bottom wall 422 of the cartridge 4 in a first direction toward the bottom wall 422, the distance between a second end wall 424 and a first wall surface portion 423a of the first end wall 423 is set to be greater than the distance between the second end wall 424 and the second wall surface portion 423b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Atsushi Kobayashi, Yoshinao Miyata, Shun Oya
  • Publication number: 20170036449
    Abstract: A liquid supply unit is provided with a first liquid housing chamber having a liquid supply part, a second liquid housing chamber, and a liquid communication part bringing the first liquid housing chamber and the second liquid housing chamber into communication, and a gap which receives a partition wall is formed between a first outer wall that defines the first liquid housing chamber and a second outer wall that defines the second liquid housing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventor: Tadahiro MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 9561664
    Abstract: A liquid storage container is provided with a liquid storage part capable of storing a liquid, and a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the outside. The liquid supply part has a porous member containing holes for circulating the liquid, and a biasing member which is disposed between the porous member and the liquid storage part and which biases the porous member from the liquid storage part towards the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakamura, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Izumi Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20160375688
    Abstract: A printing material supply system 10 includes a printer 50 equipped with a holder 600 and cartridges 20 that are detachably attached to the holder 600. The holder 600 has a first apparatus-side locking element 810 and a lever 800. The first apparatus-side locking element 810 is formed as part of the lever 800. The cartridge 20 has a first cartridge-side locking element 210 that includes a first locking surface 211 to engage with the first apparatus-side locking element 810. The first cartridge-side locking element 210 has an extended surface 219 that prevents a negative Z-axis end 818 of the lever 800 from running on the first locking surface 211.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kodama, Izumi Nozawa, Tadahiro Mizutani, Kazutoshi Matsuzaki, Kazumasa Harada, Satoshi Nakata, Hidetaka Kawata
  • Patent number: 9511594
    Abstract: A technique of enhancing attachment of a liquid supply unit to a liquid ejection device is provided. A first cartridge 100a and a second cartridge 100b are attached to a carriage 27 of a printing device 27 via a holder structure 200. The holder structure 200 has a lever member 230 rotated and moved to engage with a main engagement part 120 of each of the first and the second cartridges 100a and 100b. Each of the first and the second cartridges 100a and 100b has a first side wall portion 125 and a second side wall portion 126 configured to press the lever member 230 and rotate and move the lever member 230 forward in the course of attachment of the first or the second cartridge 100a or 100b to the holder structure 200. A rotation axis RX of the lever member 230 is located at a position closer to an ink supply port 110 or 110a than the first side wall portion 125 and the second side wall portion 126 in the course of attachment of the first or the second cartridge 100a or 100b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiota, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 9498964
    Abstract: A liquid accommodating container in which a fiber member and a liquid are accommodated has a fiber ratio of the fiber member is 5% or more to 30% or less, a fiber diameter of the fiber member is 10 ?m or more to 50 ?m or less, a volume average particle diameter (D50) of a pigment included in the liquid satisfies a condition of 50 nm<D50<150 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryosuke Teramoto, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya, Akio Ito, Hideo Shimamura
  • Patent number: 9475294
    Abstract: An injection method includes closing a communication port of a cartridge by a plug unit of an injection kit, and injecting a printing material into a printing material containing chamber of the cartridge through a printing material exit by an injection unit of the injection kit after closing the communication port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Izumi Nozawa, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Hidetoshi Kodama, Hiroyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9475301
    Abstract: There is provided a protection member configured to protect a liquid supply unit air-tightly. A cartridge 100 has an ink supply port 112 formed in a bottom surface 101 and an air hole 128 formed in a top surface 102. A protection member 200 is configured to be attachable to the cartridge 100. The protection member 200 includes a film member 201 configured to seal the air hole 128, and a cap section 220 configured to seal the ink supply port 112. The cap section 220 has a columnar support portion 232 having an upper end surface 235 which the film member 201 is joined with. The columnar support portion 232 is provided in an area opposed to a left side surface 105 of the cartridge 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Yamada, Noriaki Okazawa, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9452610
    Abstract: A technique of enhancing attachment of a liquid supply unit to a liquid ejection device is provided. A first cartridge 100a and a second cartridge 100b are attached to a carriage 27 of a printing device 27 via a holder structure 200. The holder structure 200 has a lever member 230 rotated and moved to engage with a main engagement part 120 of each of the first and the second cartridges 100a and 100b. Each of the first and the second cartridges 100a and 100b has a first side wall portion 125 and a second side wall portion 126 configured to press the lever member 230 and rotate and move the lever member 230 forward in the course of attachment of the first or the second cartridge 100a or 100b to the holder structure 200. A rotation axis RX of the lever member 230 is located at a position closer to an ink supply port 110 or 110a than the first side wall portion 125 and the second side wall portion 126 in the course of attachment of the first or the second cartridge 100a or 100b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiota, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 9434173
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a cartridge, and a wiring cable which can transmit an electrical signal to the cartridge. The carriage is provided with a connector unit and a wiring board in a holder unit on which the cartridge is mounted. First and second electrode portions, and a connector unit are arranged on a first face of the wiring board. The wiring board is arranged at a position of being overlapped with the cartridge in a direction which goes along an arrow Y. A width of the wiring board in an arrow X direction is the same as a width of a cartridge arranging region in the holder unit, or is smaller than that.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoo Kubota, Takayuki Shiota, Noriyuki Koyanagi, I, Atsushi Kobayashi, Kazuhiro Nishiwake, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20160243842
    Abstract: A technique of enhancing attachment of a liquid supply unit to a liquid ejection device is provided. A first cartridge 100a and a second cartridge 100b are attached to a carriage 27 of a printing device 27 via a holder structure 200. The holder structure 200 has a lever member 230 rotated and moved to engage with a main engagement part 120 of each of the first and the second cartridges 100a and 100b. Each of the first and the second cartridges 100a and 100b has a first side wall portion 125 and a second side wall portion 126 configured to press the lever member 230 and rotate and move the lever member 230 forward in the course of attachment of the first or the second cartridge 100a or 100b to the holder structure 200. A rotation axis RX of the lever member 230 is located at a position closer to an ink supply port 110 or 110a than the first side wall portion 125 and the second side wall portion 126 in the course of attachment of the first or the second cartridge 100a or 100b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiota, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya
  • Publication number: 20160229193
    Abstract: A cartridge 5 is mounted on a carriage 8. The carriage 8 includes liquid introducing parts 710m, 710c and 710y and a guide projection 723. The guide projection 723 is extended from between the liquid introducing parts 710m and 710c toward the liquid introducing part 710y. The cartridge 5 includes an ink supply port 507m connectable with the liquid introducing part 710m to supply magenta ink to the liquid introducing part 710m, an ink supply port 507c connectable with the liquid introducing part 710c to supply cyan ink to the liquid introducing part 710c, an ink supply port 507y connectable with the liquid introducing part 710y to supply yellow ink to the liquid introducing part 710y, and a first groove 580. The first groove 580 is extended from between the ink supply port 507m and the ink supply port 507c toward the ink supply port 507y to allow for insertion of the guide projection 723. This configuration suppresses diffusion of ink leaked from any of the liquid supply ports of the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Shun Oya, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20160214390
    Abstract: A cartridge that is configured and arranged to be mounted on a printer that has a first ink supply pipe and a second ink supply pipe-includes a bottom wall, a plurality of printing material supply ports, a single main chamber, and a plurality of flow paths. The plurality of the printing material supply ports are provided on the bottom wall. The plurality of the printing material supply ports protrude from the bottom wall in a ?Z axial direction and are aligned in a Y axial direction perpendicular to the ?Z axial direction. The single main chamber is configured and arranged to contain a printing material. The plurality of the flow paths communicate with the single main chamber and the plurality of the printing material supply ports, respectively, and the plurality of the flow paths are aligned in the Y axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Izumi NOZAWA, Atsushi KOBAYASHI, Tadahiro MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: D762769
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Oya, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: D762770
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Oya, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: D762771
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Oya, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: D769966
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Koichi Toba, Atsushi Kobayashi