Patents by Inventor Tatsuya Seshimo

Tatsuya Seshimo 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: 9254662
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. The recording head is moved in a direction to be separated from the support surface when sucking the ink inside the nozzle. The suction unit is moved to a suction position facing the ink ejection surface of the recording head. The suction unit is moved below the recording head when wiping the ink ejection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Hanaoka, Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Patent number: 9085160
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. At least one of the suction unit and the wiping unit is provided on a farther downstream side of the recording medium in a transportation direction than the recording head and a gap between the one and the support surface is wider than a gap between the ink ejection surface and the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Hanaoka, Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Patent number: 8888230
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a fluid ejecting head which includes nozzle rows each having a plurality of nozzles and ejects a fluid onto a medium, the fluid ejecting apparatus being capable of performing a flushing operation in which the fluid is ejected to an absorbing member used to absorb the fluid ejected from the nozzles, wherein the absorbing member is a linear member which extends along the nozzle row and is capable of relatively moving to a position retracted from a flying path of the fluid ejected from the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Publication number: 20140285572
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. The recording head is moved in a direction to be separated from the support surface when sucking the ink inside the nozzle. The suction unit is moved to a suction position facing the ink ejection surface of the recording head. The suction unit is moved below the recording head when wiping the ink ejection surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiro HANAOKA, Tatsuya SESHIMO
  • Publication number: 20140285571
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. At least one of the suction unit and the wiping unit is provided on a farther downstream side of the recording medium in a transportation direction than the recording head and a gap between the one and the support surface is wider than a gap between the ink ejection surface and the support surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiro HANAOKA, Tatsuya SESHIMO
  • Publication number: 20110080447
    Abstract: Provided is a fluid ejecting apparatus including: a fluid ejecting head which includes a nozzle row formed of a plurality of nozzles ejecting a fluid; a linear fluid absorbing member which extends along the nozzle row, and is movable between a position of receiving the fluid ejected from the nozzles and a position retreating from a flying path of the fluid; and a vibration suppressing member which damps vibration of the fluid absorbing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya SESHIMO
  • Patent number: 7914124
    Abstract: A valve unit supplies ink supplied from a plurality of ink cartridges to a recording head. The recording head includes a plurality of nozzle rows respectively corresponding to the plurality of ink cartridges. The valve unit includes a plurality of liquid supply passages and at least one flow passage formation body. Each liquid supply passage supplies the ink supplied from the corresponding ink cartridge to the corresponding nozzle row. Each liquid supply passage includes a common portion functionally in common with another liquid supply passage. The common structure of the plurality of liquid supply passages is formed in the same flow passage formation body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seshimo, Takeshi Fujishiro
  • Publication number: 20100118084
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a fluid ejecting head which includes nozzle rows each having a plurality of nozzles and ejects a fluid onto a medium, the fluid ejecting apparatus being capable of performing a flushing operation in which the fluid is ejected to an absorbing member used to absorb the fluid ejected from the nozzles, wherein the absorbing member is a linear member which extends along the nozzle row and is capable of relatively moving to a position retracted from a flying path of the fluid ejected from the nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya SESHIMO
  • Patent number: 7654657
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a carriage carrying the liquid ejecting head, a plurality of subtanks carried on the carriage, a main tank disposed on a body of the apparatus, and a feed pipe. The carriage is moved back and forth in a main scanning direction. Each subtank contains a highly concentrated color ink which corresponds to one of the respective ink colors. The main tank contains a diluent containing no coloring component and/or a colorless ink. The diluent and/or the colorless ink is supplied from the main tank to the carriage through the feed pipe. The liquid ejecting head is supplied with the respective color inks and ejects the inks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Patent number: 7513590
    Abstract: An ink cartridge of the present invention has a storage element, in which plural pieces of specific information relating to an ink cartridge are stored at specific addresses having predetermined data lengths. For example, a piece of information on the year of manufacture is registered in a data length of 7 bits, a piece of information on the month of manufacture is registered in a data length of 4 bits, and a piece of information on the date of manufacture is registered in a data length of 5 bits. A piece of information on the time (hour) of manufacture is registered in a data length of 5 bits, and a piece of information on the time (minute) of manufacture is registered in a data length of 6 bits. The technique of the present invention determines whether the storage element incorporated in the ink cartridge is normal or abnormal, based on the piece of information on the month of manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihisa Saruta, Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Publication number: 20080297568
    Abstract: A liquid supply system including a main tank, a feed pump, a subtank, a negative pressure maintenance mechanism, and a directional control valve. The main tank stores liquid. The feed pump sucks the liquid held in the main tank through a pump suction opening and discharges the liquid through a pump discharge opening. The subtank holds the liquid discharged from the pump discharge opening and supplies the liquid to the liquid ejecting head. The negative pressure maintenance mechanism monitors a supply channel from the subtank to the liquid ejecting head so that the supply channel is opened only when the pressure of a channel to the liquid ejecting head is lower than a predetermined pressure. The directional control valve restrains liquid from flowing from the pump discharge opening to the pump suction opening when the pressure of the pump discharge opening is less than a predetermined pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya SESHIMO
  • Patent number: 7374272
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head member having a nozzle and a liquid-ejecting unit; a main controlling part that drives the liquid-ejecting unit based on ejecting data; a capping member relatively movable between a position away from the head member and a position in contact with the head member; a suction way communicated with an inside of the capping member; and a built-in slide-rotator type of positive displacement pump provided in the suction way. A state-quantity recognizing part recognizes a state quantity related to a dry state in an inside of the positive displacement pump. A judging part judges whether the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry, by comparing the state quantity with a standard state quantity. A preliminary-operation carrying-out part carries out a preliminary operation for wetting the inside of the positive displacement pump, when the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seshimo, Mitsutaka Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7367668
    Abstract: A fixed material transportation apparatus having a reciprocating stage, plural sucking holes, a decompression chamber connecting to the plural sucking holes, and a sucking device sucking air in the decompression chamber set at a discharging side of the fixed material. The fixed material is fed on the fixed material transportation surface of the sucking device by the delivering device, and is stuck on the fixed material transportation surface through the sucking holes by the sucking device. The fixed material is transported gradually to a downstream side from an upstream side by the delivering device on the fixed material transportation surface. The fixed material then separates from a surface of the fixed material transportation surface and rises slightly by blowing air from the sucking holes so as to move to discharging direction, that is, the downstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Ishii, Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Publication number: 20070228188
    Abstract: A valve unit incorporated in a printer supplies ink from an ink cartridge to a recording head. The valve unit forms a pressurizing chamber with a seal film arranged on the valve unit to temporarily store ink. A valve is arranged at an ink inlet of the pressurizing chamber. An actuation lever is arranged between the seal film and the valve in the pressurizing chamber. An electromagnet is arranged outside the pressurizing chamber at a position facing the actuation lever with the seal film located between the electromagnet and the actuation lever. The electromagnet moves the actuation lever with magnetic force without contacting the actuation lever in a manner that the actuation lever restricts movement of the seal film based on negative pressure that is generated when ink is discharged from the pressurizing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Publication number: 20070222834
    Abstract: A valve unit supplies ink supplied from a plurality of ink cartridges to a recording head. The recording head includes a plurality of nozzle rows respectively corresponding to the plurality of ink cartridges. The valve unit includes a plurality of liquid supply passages and at least one flow passage formation body. Each liquid supply passage supplies the ink supplied from the corresponding ink cartridge to the corresponding nozzle row. Each liquid supply passage includes a common portion functionally in common with another liquid supply passage. The common structure of the plurality of liquid supply passages is formed in the same flow passage formation body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seshimo, Takeshi Fujishiro
  • Publication number: 20070176984
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a carriage carrying the liquid ejecting head, a plurality of subtanks carried on the carriage, a main tank disposed on a body of the apparatus, and a feed pipe. The carriage is moved back and forth in a main scanning direction. Each subtank contains a highly concentrated color ink which corresponds to one of the respective ink colors. The main tank contains a diluent containing no coloring component and/or a colorless ink. The diluent and/or the colorless ink is supplied from the main tank to the carriage through the feed pipe. The liquid ejecting head is supplied with the respective color inks and ejects the inks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Patent number: 7093931
    Abstract: The present invention involves a sucking device having a fixed material transportation surface including plural sucking holes, a decompression chamber connecting to the plural sucking holes, and a sucking device sucking air in the decompression chamber. The fixed material is fed on the fixed material transportation surface of the sucking device by the delivering device, and is stuck on the fixed material transportation surface through the sucking holes by the sucking device. The fixed material is fixed by a fixing head at the state of being stuck and is transported gradually to a downstream side by the delivering device on the fixed material transportation surface. When fixing is finished, the fixed material separates from the surface of the fixed material transportation surface and rises slightly by blowing air from the sucking holes by a blowing device so as to move to a discharging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Ishii, Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Patent number: 6995861
    Abstract: An ink cartridge of the present invention has a storage element, in which plural pieces of specific information relating to an ink cartridge are stored at specific addresses having predetermined data lengths. For example, a piece of information on the year of manufacture is registered in a data length of 7 bits, a piece of information on the month of manufacture is registered in a data length of 4 bits, and a piece of information on the date of manufacture is registered in a data length of 5 bits. A piece of information on the time (hour) of manufacture is registered in a data length of 5 bits, and a piece of information on the time (minute) of manufacture is registered in a data length of 6 bits. The technique of the present invention determines whether the storage element incorporated in the ink cartridge is normal or abnormal, based on the piece of information on the month of manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihisa Saruta, Tatsuya Seshimo
  • Publication number: 20050275682
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head member having a nozzle and a liquid-ejecting unit; a main controlling part that drives the liquid-ejecting unit based on ejecting data; a capping member relatively movable between a position away from the head member and a position in contact with the head member; a suction way communicated with an inside of the capping member; and a built-in slide-rotator type of positive displacement pump provided in the suction way. A state-quantity recognizing part recognizes a state quantity related to a dry state in an inside of the positive displacement pump. A judging part judges whether the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry, by comparing the state quantity with a standard state quantity. A preliminary-operation carrying-out part carries out a preliminary operation for wetting the inside of the positive displacement pump, when the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seshimo, Mitsutaka Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 6971732
    Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus comprising an ink jet recording head 3 for receiving supply of ink from an ink cartridge 4 provided with a storage device 7 storing data for determining compatibility to a recording apparatus, and a print controller 10 for determining compatibility of ink based on the data in the storage device 7 and executing the print operation, when an ink cartridge 4 is mounted, if compatibility to the ink cartridge 4 cannot be confirmed, a caution is given and the recording apparatus awaits an input of a continuation instruction by a user to execute a subsequent operation. Even if a cartridge whose compatibility cannot be confirmed is mounted, printing is enabled as much as possible without incurring damage to the recording apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seshimo, Takahiro Naka, Satoshi Shinada, Yukihiro Uchiyama