Patents by Inventor Takahiro MIYAO

Takahiro MIYAO 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: 20200156382
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction and attached thereto in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes: a housing; a sealing member; a circuit board; and a support member. The housing includes: a liquid chamber; and a liquid passage. The sealing member is disposed in the liquid passage. The circuit board is positioned rearward in the insertion direction relative to the sealing member in the upright posture. The circuit board includes: a contact; and a memory. The contact of the cartridge is electrically connectable to a contact of the device. The memory is electrically connected to the contact of the cartridge. The support member supports the circuit board. The circuit board supported by the support member is resiliently movable upward and downward relative to the housing in the upright posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Kosuke NUKUI, Takahiro MIYAO
  • Publication number: 20200062001
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction includes a casing, and a lever supported by the casing. The lever is pivotable about a pivot axis between a first position and a second position. The lever includes a light-blocking portion configured to block or attenuate light traveling in a widthwise direction crossing the insertion direction and a gravitational direction, and a force-receiving portion positioned closer to a front wall of the casing than the light-blocking portion is to the front wall in the insertion direction. The light-blocking portion is positioned lower at the second position than at the first position. The pivot axis is positioned frontward of the light-blocking portion and rearward of the force-receiving portion in the insertion direction. The lever pivots from the second position to the first position upon application of an external force to the force-receiving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Takahiro MIYAO, Akihito ONO, Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Kosuke NUKUI
  • Patent number: 10532576
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a head which jets liquid supplied from a liquid tank; a memory which stores pieces of reference data; and a controller which estimates viscosity of the liquid in the liquid tank every time a predefined time passes. The controller acquires a total supply amount or cumulative supply amount of the liquid supplied from the liquid tank and a supply amount of the liquid per unit time within the predefined time, estimates a viscosity change amount of the liquid in the liquid tank based on the cumulative supply amount acquired, the supply amount per unit time acquired, and the pieces of reference data, and estimates the viscosity of the liquid in the liquid tank based on the viscosity change amount estimated and the viscosity of the liquid in the liquid tank at an initial timing point or a most-recent estimation timing point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Ogawa, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 10525715
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached to the attachment portion in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber storing liquid therein, a liquid passage extending forward in the insertion direction from the liquid chamber, a substrate, a contact and a memory electrically connected to the contact. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface includes: a first region facing upward; and a second region lower than the first region in the upright posture. The contact is formed on the first region and is electrically connectable to a contact of the printing device. The memory is mounted on the substrate at a position lower than the contact of the cartridge in the upright posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Takahiro Miyao, Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200001614
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a printing-fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached thereto in a first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes a front surface, a rear surface, a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply port, an upper surface, an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface, and a locking surface. The printing-fluid cartridge inserted in the printing-fluid consuming apparatus is pivotable between the first posture and a second posture. The electrical interface is positioned closer to the supply port than the locking surface is to the supply port in the insertion direction. The electrical interface is positioned rearward relative to the pivot center in the insertion direction. The locking surface is positioned upward relative to the storage chamber and closer to a rearmost point of the printing-fluid cartridge than to the electrical interface in the insertion direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumio NAKAZAWA, Suguru TOMOGUCHI, Kosuke NUKUI, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Akihito ONO, Takahiro MIYAO
  • Publication number: 20200001611
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a prescribed insertion space of a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction to be attached thereto in an attached posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes: a housing including a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply hole, an electrical interface disposed at an upper surface of the housing, and an interfering surface. The interfering surface is positioned upward of the storage chamber and extends in a widthwise direction of the housing. The interfering surface is positioned downward and frontward relative to the electrical interface and is configured to abut against a projection provided at another insertion space different from the prescribed insertion space of the cartridge-attachment section during an insertion of the printing-fluid cartridge into the another insertion space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke NUKUI, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Suguru TOMOGUCHI, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Akihito ONO, Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Takahiro MIYAO
  • Patent number: 10513124
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and accommodated in the cartridge-attachment section in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes a casing, a movable member movably supported by the casing, and a circuit board provided at the movable member and facing upward in the upright posture. The movable member includes a receiving portion providing a receiving space that is open in the insertion direction and in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the insertion direction and the gravitational direction for receiving a protruding portion of the cartridge-attachment section in the insertion direction and in the widthwise direction. The receiving portion has a contact surface defining the receiving space and facing downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Fumio Nakazawa, Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 10507665
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction and attached thereto in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes: a housing; a sealing member; a circuit board; and a support member. The housing includes: a liquid chamber; and a liquid passage. The sealing member is disposed in the liquid passage. The circuit board is positioned rearward in the insertion direction relative to the sealing member in the upright posture. The circuit board includes: a contact; and a memory. The contact of the cartridge is electrically connectable to a contact of the device. The memory is electrically connected to the contact of the cartridge. The support member supports the circuit board. The circuit board supported by the support member is resiliently movable upward and downward relative to the housing in the upright posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Kosuke Nukui, Takahiro Miyao
  • Publication number: 20190366726
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is configured to be inserted into a cartridge-attachment section including a casing, a movable member, and an urging member. The casing includes a liquid chamber storing liquid therein; a liquid passage extending in a first direction in an upright posture, and a top surface. The top surface faces upward in the upright posture and formed with a recess. The movable member has a light blocking portion. The light blocking portion in the upright posture is configured to move between a first position and a second position. At least a part of the light blocking portion in the first position is positioned above the top surface in the upright posture. The urging member is configured to urge the movable member toward the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro MIYAO, Akihito ONO, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Kosuke NUKUI
  • Patent number: 10493767
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached to the attachment portion in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber, a liquid passage, a substrate, a contact, and a memory electrically connected to the contact. The liquid passage extends forward in the insertion direction from the liquid chamber. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface includes: a first region facing upward in the upright posture; and a second region aligned with the first region in the insertion direction in the upright posture. The second region has flexibility. The contact is formed on the first region of the substrate. The memory is mounted on the second surface or on the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Takahiro Miyao, Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10493765
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing having a liquid storage chamber; a first wall; a second wall; and an air communication passage. The first wall is positioned upward relative to the liquid storage chamber. The second wall is positioned upward relative to the first wall. The air communication passage has a first communication hole in communication with the liquid storage chamber and a communication opening open to an atmosphere. The air communication passage includes: an air chamber defined by the first wall and the second wall and in communication with the liquid storage chamber through the first communication hole; a second communication hole formed in the second wall; and a labyrinth path. The labyrinth path is positioned upward relative to the air chamber, and has one end in communication with the second communication hole and another end in communication with the communication opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Fumio Nakazawa, Naoya Okazaki, Akihito Ono, Kosuke Nukui, Hiroshi Taira, Toyonori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10479095
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a liquid chamber; a liquid supply portion having a front end part of a liquid supply hole; a front wall and a rear wall away from the front wall in a rearward direction; a bottom wall extending between the front and the rear walls; a sub front wall; and a sub bottom wall extending between the front wall and the sub front wall. The sub front wall faces frontward and is positioned closer to the front wall than to the rear wall. The sub bottom wall is positioned upward relative to the liquid supply portion. The front wall is positioned frontward relative to the front end part of the liquid supply hole. The front wall has a length in an upward direction longer than a length of the sub front wall in the upward direction in an upright posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Fumio Nakazawa, Hiroaki Takahashi, Akihito Ono, Takahiro Miyao, Suguru Tomoguchi, Kosuke Nukui, Naoya Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20190337297
    Abstract: A printing fluid cartridge a printing fluid cartridge is configured to be inserted into a printing fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction. The printing fluid cartridge includes: a storage chamber, a supply portion, a rear surface, an upper surface, an electrical interface, a locking surface, one protrusion, and another protrusion. The storage chamber is configured to store printing fluid. The one protrusion and the another protrusion define a plurality of imaginary planes each of which passes through the one protrusion and the another protrusion. The plurality of imaginary planes includes a specific imaginary plane. The specific imaginary plane is positioned higher than any other imaginary plane between the one protrusion and the another protrusion. The electrical interface is positioned downward relative to the specific imaginary plane in the gravitational direction in the attached posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro MIYAO
  • Patent number: 10449771
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing having a liquid storage chamber defined by a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall; and a liquid supply portion; a top wall; and an accessed member. The liquid supply portion has a liquid supply hole extending from the liquid storage chamber to the outside in a frontward direction. The front, rear, first side, and second side walls are formed of a material permitting the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to be visually recognized from the outside. Each of the front, rear, first side, and second side walls includes a portion forming an outer wall of the cartridge casing exposed to the outside of the cartridge casing. The accessed member is disposed upward relative to the liquid storage chamber and accessed from the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Nukui, Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Fumio Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20190299637
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached to the attachment portion in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber storing liquid therein, a liquid passage extending forward in the insertion direction from the liquid chamber, a substrate, a contact and a memory electrically connected to the contact. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface includes: a first region facing upward; and a second region lower than the first region in the upright posture. The contact is formed on the first region and is electrically connectable to a contact of the printing device. The memory is mounted on the substrate at a position lower than the contact of the cartridge in the upright posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Takahiro MIYAO, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190299634
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction and attached thereto in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes: a housing; a sealing member; a circuit board; and a support member. The housing includes: a liquid chamber; and a liquid passage. The sealing member is disposed in the liquid passage. The circuit board is positioned rearward in the insertion direction relative to the sealing member in the upright posture. The circuit board includes: a contact; and a memory. The contact of the cartridge is electrically connectable to a contact of the device. The memory is electrically connected to the contact of the cartridge. The support member supports the circuit board. The circuit board supported by the support member is resiliently movable upward and downward relative to the housing in the upright posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Kosuke NUKUI, Takahiro MIYAO
  • Publication number: 20190299627
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached to the attachment portion in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber, a liquid passage, a substrate, a contact, and a memory electrically connected to the contact. The liquid passage extends forward in the insertion direction from the liquid chamber. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface includes: a first region facing upward in the upright posture; and a second region aligned with the first region in the insertion direction in the upright posture. The second region has flexibility. The contact is formed on the first region of the substrate. The memory is mounted on the second surface or on the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Takahiro MIYAO, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190299628
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge is insertable into an attachment portion of a printing device in an insertion direction and attached thereto in an upright posture. The liquid cartridge includes: a housing defining a liquid chamber; a substrate; a contact; and a memory electrically connected to the contact. The substrate in the upright posture defines a sloped surface facing upward and sloping relative to a first imaginary plane extending in the insertion direction and a widthwise direction orthogonal to the insertion direction and a gravitational direction. The contact is formed on the sloped surface. An acute angle formed between the sloped surface and the first imaginary plane is greater than an acute angle formed between the first imaginary plane and a second imaginary plane passing through: a contact point between the contact and a contact of the device; and a lower end of a wall constituting a holder of the attachment portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro MIYAO, Akihito ONO, Kosuke NUKUI, Fumio NAKAZAWA, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Tetsuro KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10421284
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction includes a casing, and a lever supported by the casing. The lever is pivotable about a pivot axis between a first position and a second position. The lever includes a light-blocking portion configured to block or attenuate light traveling in a widthwise direction crossing the insertion direction and a gravitational direction, and a force-receiving portion positioned closer to a front wall of the casing than the light-blocking portion is to the front wall in the insertion direction. The light-blocking portion is positioned lower at the second position than at the first position. The pivot axis is positioned frontward of the light-blocking portion and rearward of the force-receiving portion in the insertion direction. The lever pivots from the second position to the first position upon application of an external force to the force-receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Fumio Nakazawa, Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 10391777
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a prescribed insertion space of a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction to be attached thereto in an attached posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes: a housing including a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply hole, an electrical interface disposed at an upper surface of the housing, and an interfering surface. The interfering surface is positioned upward of the storage chamber and extends in a widthwise direction of the housing. The interfering surface is positioned downward and frontward relative to the electrical interface and is configured to abut against a projection provided at another insertion space different from the prescribed insertion space of the cartridge-attachment section during an insertion of the printing-fluid cartridge into the another insertion space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Nukui, Fumio Nakazawa, Suguru Tomoguchi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Takahiro Miyao