Patents by Inventor Takumi ATAKE

Takumi ATAKE 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: 11780230
    Abstract: A wiper for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from the nozzle is provided. The wiper comprises a plurality of layers including at least a first layer, and the first layer has a surface that contacts the nozzle surface. The surface that contacts the nozzle surface has a maximum height of waviness Wz of from 100 to 600 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takumi Atake, Yohta Sakon, Hiroko Ohkura
  • Publication number: 20230114406
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle surface of a discharging head configured to discharge a liquid composition from nozzles formed on the nozzle surface. The wiping member contains fiber with projections present in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the fiber and continuous in a direction of the axis of the fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi ATAKE, Yohta Sakon
  • Publication number: 20230001696
    Abstract: A wiping method for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head includes the step of relatively moving the liquid discharge head and a wiper impregnated with a cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid contains a lactone compound in an amount of 5% by mass or more. The wiper includes a first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface and one or more layers other than the first layer. The first layer has a thickness of t1, the one or more layers other than the first layer have a total thickness of t2, and t1 is smaller than t2. A void ratio of the first layer is smaller than a void ratio of at least one of the one or more layers other than the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ichiroh FUJII, Takumi ATAKE, Yohta SAKON, Akira IZUTANI, Hiroko OHKURA
  • Publication number: 20220389254
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: an ink composition containing 2-pyrrolidone and an alcohol having a main chain having 6 or less carbon atoms; a liquid discharge unit configured to discharge the ink composition from a nozzle formed in a nozzle surface; and a wiping unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface. The wiping unit includes a wiping member including protrusion-shape fibers. Each of the protrusion-shape fibers has a protruded portion in a cross-section orthogonal to a fiber axis thereof. The protruded portion is continuous in a direction along the fiber axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Ayaka TANAKA, Takumi ATAKE, Yohta SAKON
  • Publication number: 20220379619
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: an ink composition containing a resin in an amount of 6.0% by mass or more; a liquid discharge unit configured to discharge the ink composition from a nozzle formed in a nozzle surface; and a wiping unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface. The wiping unit includes a wiping member including protrusion-shape fibers. Each of the protrusion-shape fibers has a protruded portion in a cross-section orthogonal to a fiber axis thereof. The protruded portion is continuous in a direction along the fiber axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Ayaka TANAKA, Takumi ATAKE, Yohta SAKON
  • Publication number: 20220009233
    Abstract: A wiper for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from the nozzle is provided. The wiper comprises a plurality of layers including at least a first layer, and the first layer has a surface that contacts the nozzle surface. The surface that contacts the nozzle surface has a maximum height of waviness Wz of from 100 to 600 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Takumi ATAKE, Yohta SAKON, Hiroko OHKURA
  • Patent number: 11179940
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a liquid discharging head including a nozzle and having a nozzle forming surface, the liquid discharging head configured to discharge a liquid through the nozzle, a wiping member configured to wipe the nozzle forming surface, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, wherein the static surface tension of the cleaning liquid is greater than the static surface tension of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akiko Bannai, Takumi Atake, Yohta Sakon, Hiroko Ohkura
  • Patent number: 11130343
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, the cleaning liquid containing a compound represented by the following Chemical formula 1 and a glycol ether compound, where R1 represents an alkyl group having one to four carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akiko Bannai, Takumi Atake, Yohta Sakon, Hiroko Ohkura
  • Patent number: 11059295
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer is provided. The ink-jet printer includes: an ink container containing an ink, where the ink being a clear ink containing a resin; a discharge head having a nozzle configured to discharge the ink to a printing material; a heater configured to heat the printing material; and a cleaner including a wiper configured to wipe a nozzle formation surface of the discharge head. The ink-jet printer has a matte gloss printing mode imparting a matte gloss and a glossy gloss printing mode imparting a glossy gloss, and the ink-jet printer satisfies a formula below: Tmatte>Tgloss where Tmatte represents a temperature (° C.) of the heater during printing in the matte gloss printing mode; and Tgloss represents the temperature (° C.) of the heater during printing in the glossy gloss printing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mio Akima, Hiroaki Takahashi, Takumi Atake
  • Publication number: 20210016327
    Abstract: A wiping member to wipe a nozzle surface of a liquid discharging head includes a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle surface and one or more other layers, wherein the following relation is satisfied: t1<t2, where t1 represents the thickness of the first layer and t2 represents the thickness of the one or more other layers, wherein the porosity of the first layer is smaller than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Takumi ATAKE, Akira IZUTANI, Yohta SAKON, Hiroko OHKURA, Yuusuke FUJITA
  • Patent number: 10889119
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member containing fabric; and a pressing member configured to press the wiping member to the liquid discharging head, wherein the wiping member satisfies the following relationship 1: 0.8<(Sb/Ss)<1.2, relationship 1, where, at 60 seconds after a coloring liquid containing a coloring material and distilled water is dripped onto a surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Ss represents a spreading area of the coloring material on the surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Sb represents a spreading area of the coloring material on a surface of the wiping member not in contact with the nozzle forming surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohta Sakon, Hiroko Ohkura, Takumi Atake, Akira Izutani
  • Patent number: 10759173
    Abstract: A wiping member that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharging head, includes a first region having an average porosity P1, a second region disposed on the first region, having an average porosity P2 greater than P1, and a third region disposed on the second region having an average porosity P3 greater than P2, wherein the wiping member has a thickness t in the direction perpendicular to the surface that contacts the nozzle surface and each of the first region, the second region, and the third region has a thickness of t/3 in the direction, wherein P2/P1 is from 1.1 to 1.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Ohkura, Yohta Sakon, Akira Izutani, Takumi Atake
  • Publication number: 20200254472
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a liquid comprising two or more types of alcohols, a liquid discharging head configured to discharge the liquid from a nozzle, and a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of the liquid discharging head, wherein the wiping member comprises two or more layers, wherein a first layer of the two or more layers that is in contact with the nozzle forming surface has a porosity smaller than a porosity of at least one layer of the two or more layers other than the first layer, wherein the first layer has a thickness thinner than the total thickness of the two or more layers other than the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Ayaka Tanaka, Akira Izutani, Takumi Atake
  • Patent number: 10723131
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a liquid discharging head including a nozzle surface and multiple nozzles, the liquid discharging head to discharge liquid through the nozzles, a wiping member to wipe the nozzle surface of the liquid discharging head, and a pressing member to press the wiping member against the nozzle surface when the wiping member wipes the nozzle surface, wherein the wiping member satisfies the following conditions 1 and 2 when the wiping member is pressed against the nozzle surface by the pressing member during wiping: the contact ratio of the wiping member with the nozzle surface is from 60 to 95 percent Condition 1, the porous volume per unit area represented by V×T/100 is from 0.1 to 0.7 (mm3/mm2), where V (percent) represents a porosity and T (mm) represents a thickness of the wiping member Condition 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takumi Atake
  • Publication number: 20200207096
    Abstract: A printer is provided. The printer includes a discharger and a wiper. The discharger has a nozzle surface and contains an ink comprising an organic solvent in an amount of more than 60% by mass of the ink. The discharger is configured to discharge the ink from the nozzle. The wiper is configured to wipe the nozzle surface. The wiper comprises a laminated body including a plurality of layers including a first layer that contacts the nozzle surface. A thickness t1 of the first layer and a total thickness t2 of one or more of the layers other than the first layer satisfy the following relation t1<t2. The first layer has a void ratio smaller than a void ratio of at least one of the layers other than the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shunsuke Horie, Takumi Atake, Akira Izutani
  • Publication number: 20200207099
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member containing fabric; and a pressing member configured to press the wiping member to the liquid discharging head, wherein the wiping member satisfies the following relationship 1: 0.8<(Sb/Ss)<1.2, relationship 1, where, at 60 seconds after a coloring liquid containing a coloring material and distilled water is dripped onto a surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Ss represents a spreading area of the coloring material on the surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Sb represents a spreading area of the coloring material on a surface of the wiping member not in contact with the nozzle forming surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Yohta SAKON, Hiroko OHKURA, Takumi ATAKE, Akira IZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20200171832
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer is provided. The ink-jet printer includes: an ink container containing an ink, where the ink being a clear ink containing a resin; a discharge head having a nozzle configured to discharge the ink to a printing material; a heater configured to heat the printing material; and a cleaner including a wiper configured to wipe a nozzle formation surface of the discharge head. The ink-jet printer has a matte gloss printing mode imparting a matte gloss and a glossy gloss printing mode imparting a glossy gloss, and the ink-jet printer satisfies a formula below: Tmatte>Tgloss where Tmatte represents a temperature (° C.) of the heater during printing in the matte gloss printing mode; and Tgloss represents the temperature (° C.) of the heater during printing in the glossy gloss printing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Mio AKIMA, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Takumi ATAKE
  • Publication number: 20200164652
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a liquid discharging head including a nozzle and having a nozzle forming surface, the liquid discharging head configured to discharge a liquid through the nozzle, a wiping member configured to wipe the nozzle forming surface, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, wherein the static surface tension of the cleaning liquid is greater than the static surface tension of the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Akiko BANNAI, Takumi ATAKE, Yohta SAKON, Hiroko OHKURA
  • Publication number: 20200164650
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, the cleaning liquid containing a compound represented by the following Chemical formula 1 and a glycol ether compound, where R1 represents an alkyl group having one to four carbon atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Akiko BANNAI, Takumi ATAKE, Yohta SAKON, Hiroko OHKURA
  • Publication number: 20190366721
    Abstract: A wiping member that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharging head, includes a first region having an average porosity P1, a second region disposed on the first region, having an average porosity P2 greater than P1, and a third region disposed on the second region having an average porosity P3 greater than P2, wherein the wiping member has a thickness t in the direction perpendicular to the surface that contacts the nozzle surface and each of the first region, the second region, and the third region has a thickness of t/3 in the direction, wherein P2/P1 is from 1.1 to 1.4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroko OHKURA, Yohta SAKON, Akira IZUTANI, Takumi ATAKE