Patents by Inventor Tatsuya Shindo

Tatsuya Shindo 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: 20190381800
    Abstract: A liquid supplying device includes a tank and a cartridge. The cartridge is configured to be detachably attached to the tank in an attachment-detachment direction crossing a vertical direction. The cartridge includes a first storage chamber. The tank includes a second storage chamber, a liquid passage, and a gas passage. The liquid passage has a first end, a second end, and a first extending portion. The second end is formed with a second opening open to an atmosphere. The first extending portion extends from the second opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The gas passage has a third end, a fourth end, and a second extending portion. The fourth end is formed with a fourth opening open to the atmosphere. The second extending portion extends from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The second opening is at a position different from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Yoshinori OSAKABE, Akinari ISHIBE, Tatsuya SHINDO, Masahiro HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20190375211
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a head including a nozzle configured to eject pigment ink supplied from a tank during a print operation and during a purge operation and a purge mechanism. A controller configured to determine whether to control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation for discharging the pigment ink from the nozzle and, when determining to control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation, determine a remaining amount of the pigment ink remaining in the tank. The controller is configured to determine a discharge amount to be discharged from the nozzle when performing the purge operation based on the remaining amount of the pigment ink remaining in the tank and control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation based on the discharge amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 10434780
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet printer including: a tank storing a pigment ink; a head; a purge mechanism; and a controller controlling the head and the purge mechanism. The controller executes: obtaining sedimentation information regarding a sedimentation amount of a pigment inside the tank, and judging whether or not the sedimentation amount of the pigment inside the tank is not less than a predetermined amount, based on the obtained sedimentation information. Further, the controller executes a first purge operation as an initial introduction purge processing for initially introducing the pigment ink from the tank to the head. Furthermore, the controller executes, as the initial introduction purge processing, a second purge processing capable of jetting, from the nozzles, the pigment ink in a larger amount than that in the first purge processing, in a case that the controller judges that the sedimentation amount is not less than the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 10427409
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a head including a nozzle configured to eject pigment ink supplied from a tank during a print operation and during a purge operation and a purge mechanism. A controller configured to determine whether to control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation for discharging the pigment ink from the nozzle and, when determining to control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation, determine a remaining amount of the pigment ink remaining in the tank. The controller is configured to determine a discharge amount to be discharged from the nozzle when performing the purge operation based on the remaining amount of the pigment ink remaining in the tank and control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation based on the discharge amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kyogo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 10343407
    Abstract: The controller obtains temperature data based on a temperature sensor when the controller is in an energized state and stores temperature history information of the obtained temperature data in a storage. The controller determines whether there occurs a non-energized state after a previous purge operation, estimates the temperature data in the non-energized state based on the temperature history information when the non-energized state exists after previous execution of the purge operation, and sets a purge condition of a next purge operation based on an elapsed time from previous execution of the purge operation and the temperature history information stored in the storage, sets the purge condition based on the estimated temperature data in the non-energized state in addition to the elapsed time and the temperature history information when there exists the non-energized state after the previous execution of the purge operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Takagi, Tatsuya Shindo
  • Publication number: 20180272716
    Abstract: The controller obtains temperature data based on a temperature sensor when the controller is in an energized state and stores temperature history information of the obtained temperature data in a storage. The controller determines whether there occurs a non-energized state after a previous purge operation, estimates the temperature data in the non-energized state based on the temperature history information when the non-energized state exists after previous execution of the purge operation, and sets a purge condition of a next purge operation based on an elapsed time from previous execution of the purge operation and the temperature history information stored in the storage, sets the purge condition based on the estimated temperature data in the non-energized state in addition to the elapsed time and the temperature history information when there exists the non-energized state after the previous execution of the purge operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAGI, Tatsuya SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20180072060
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a head including a nozzle configured to eject pigment ink supplied from a tank during a print operation and during a purge operation and a purge mechanism. A controller configured to determine whether to control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation for discharging the pigment ink from the nozzle and, when determining to control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation, determine a remaining amount of the pigment ink remaining in the tank. The controller is configured to determine a discharge amount to be discharged from the nozzle when performing the purge operation based on the remaining amount of the pigment ink remaining in the tank and control the purge mechanism to perform the purge operation based on the discharge amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Publication number: 20180072062
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet printer including: a tank storing a pigment ink; a head; a purge mechanism; and a controller controlling the head and the purge mechanism. The controller executes: obtaining sedimentation information regarding a sedimentation amount of a pigment inside the tank, and judging whether or not the sedimentation amount of the pigment inside the tank is not less than a predetermined amount, based on the obtained sedimentation information. Further, the controller executes a first purge operation as an initial introduction purge processing for initially introducing the pigment ink from the tank to the head. Furthermore, the controller executes, as the initial introduction purge processing, a second purge processing capable of jetting, from the nozzles, the pigment ink in a larger amount than that in the first purge processing, in a case that the controller judges that the sedimentation amount is not less than the predetermined amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Tatsuya SHINDO
  • Patent number: 9498958
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus including: a liquid jetting head including first and second nozzles from which the first and second liquids are jetted, respectively; a head driving unit; a flushing receiving part including first and second landing positions; and a controller. The controller causes the first and second liquids to be jetted from the first and second nozzles such that the first and second liquids land on the first and second landing positions respectively, in a case that a flushing process is performed in a state that a liquid-jetting process is performed. The controller controls the liquid jetting head to move during a period between jetting of the first and liquids land on the second landing position, in the case that the flushing process is performed in a state that the liquid-jetting process is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 9421778
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a liquid jet head having a liquid jet surface with a plurality of nozzles formed therein to jet a liquid, and being configured to move in a scanning direction; a head movement unit supplying the liquid jet head with a power for moving the liquid jet head in the scanning direction; a wiper configured to wipe off the liquid adhering to the liquid jet surface of the liquid jet head by moving relative to the liquid jet head; and a cleaning member formed of a material capable of absorbing the liquid, provided within a range for the liquid jet head to move in the scanning direction, and configured to contact with the liquid adhering to a lateral surface of the liquid jet head by a movement of the liquid jet head in the scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Publication number: 20160089887
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus including: a liquid jetting head including first and second nozzles from which the first and second liquids are jetted, respectively; a head driving unit; a flushing receiving part including first and second landing positions; and a controller. The controller causes the first and second liquids to be jetted from the first and second nozzles such that the first and second liquids land on the first and second landing positions respectively, in a case that a flushing process is performed in a state that a liquid-jetting process is performed. The controller controls the liquid jetting head to move during a period between jetting of the first and liquids land on the second landing position, in the case that the flushing process is performed in a state that the liquid-jetting process is not performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya SHINDO
  • Patent number: 9227410
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a liquid jetting head having a liquid jetting surface in which a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row are formed, each of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles aligned in a predetermined direction, a cap member configured to be in a close contact with the liquid jetting surface to cover the first and second nozzle rows, a liquid discharge section connected to the cap member, a liquid guiding member accommodated in the cap member, and a control unit configured to control the liquid jetting head to jet a liquid from each of the first and second nozzle rows. First and second liquid receiving grooves extending in the predetermined direction are formed in a facing surface of the liquid guiding member configured to face the liquid jetting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Shindo, Masayuki Takata
  • Publication number: 20150273838
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a liquid jet head having a liquid jet surface with a plurality of nozzles formed therein to jet a liquid, and being configured to move in a scanning direction; a head movement unit supplying the liquid jet head with a power for moving the liquid jet head in the scanning direction; a wiper configured to wipe off the liquid adhering to the liquid jet surface of the liquid jet head by moving relative to the liquid jet head; and a cleaning member formed of a material capable of absorbing the liquid, provided within a range for the liquid jet head to move in the scanning direction, and configured to contact with the liquid adhering to a lateral surface of the liquid jet head by a movement of the liquid jet head in the scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventor: Tatsuya SHINDO
  • Patent number: 9108411
    Abstract: A maintenance method which is used for a liquid jetting apparatus provided with a jetting head which has a nozzle surface formed with nozzle holes and which jets a liquid from the nozzle holes and a cap which covers the nozzle surface, includes: detecting a temperature in the liquid jetting apparatus; discharging the liquid in the jetting head from the nozzle holes into the cap in a state that the nozzle surface of the jetting head is covered with the cap; sucking the liquid discharged into the cap via a discharge hole provided at a bottom portion of the cap in a state that the cap is separated from the jetting head; and determining a suction amount for sucking the liquid discharged into the cap per a predetermined period of time based on the detected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 8985722
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a liquid discharge head which includes a nozzle which discharges a liquid, and a discharge energy applying section which applies a discharge energy to the liquid to be discharged from the nozzle; a drive section which drives the discharge energy applying section; and a controller which controls the drive section based on a parameter about a usage amount of the discharge energy applying section; and when one dot is formed on a printing medium by discharging the liquid, if a predetermined threshold value is not exceeded by the parameter, the controller controls the drive section to drive the discharge energy applying section so that a first discharge energy is applied to the liquid, and otherwise, the controller controls the drive section to drive the discharge energy applying section so that a second discharge energy lower than the first discharge energy is applied to the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Publication number: 20140240395
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a liquid jetting head having a liquid jetting surface in which a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row are formed, each of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles aligned in a predetermined direction, a cap member configured to be in a close contact with the liquid jetting surface to cover the first and second nozzle rows, a liquid discharge section connected to the cap member, a liquid guiding member accommodated in the cap member, and a control unit configured to control the liquid jetting head to jet a liquid from each of the first and second nozzle rows. First and second liquid receiving grooves extending in the predetermined direction are formed in a facing surface of the liquid guiding member configured to face the liquid jetting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TATSUYA SHINDO, MASAYUKI TAKATA
  • Patent number: 8807675
    Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes: a liquid droplet jetting head; a liquid kind detecting section detecting whether a liquid, used in the liquid droplet jetting head, is a first liquid having a conductivity of not less than a predetermined value or a second liquid having a conductivity of less than the predetermined value; a discharge mechanism discharging the liquid inside the liquid droplet jetting head therefrom; a waste liquid recovery device recovering the liquid discharged by the discharge mechanism, and including: a waste liquid case, an absorbing body accommodated in the waste liquid case, and a waste liquid detection mechanism measuring an electric current value in the absorbing body and thereby detecting whether or not the liquid arrives at a full-liquid detection position of the absorbing body; and a waste liquid absorb amount estimating section estimating an amount of the waste liquid absorbed in the absorbing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 8690284
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a liquid discharge head having a plurality of nozzles; a common chamber; a liquid chamber; a liquid supply port; and a communication channel; and a discharge control mechanism which controls the liquid discharge head to perform a discharge operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzles to the medium. The discharge control mechanism controls the liquid discharge head to perform a flushing operation, as the discharge operation, so that the liquid is discharged from a first nozzle group in a discharge mode, which is different from a discharge mode of a second nozzle group, to generate a flow of the liquid in the communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Takata, Tatsuya Shindo
  • Patent number: 8485636
    Abstract: A maintenance method for a liquid jetting apparatus provided with a jetting head which has a nozzle surface formed with nozzle holes and which discharges a liquid from the nozzle holes, and a cap which covers the nozzle surface includes discharging the liquid in the jetting head from the nozzle holes into the cap in a state that the nozzle surface of the jetting head is covered with the cap; and sucking the liquid discharged into the cap via a discharge hole provided at a bottom portion of the cap in a state that the cap is separated from the jetting head; and the liquid, which is discharged into the cap, is sucked in first and second suction modes in which suction amounts per a predetermined period of time are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Shindo, Katsunori Nishida
  • Patent number: 8360570
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided. The inkjet printer includes inkjet head for ejecting ink; a positioning unit which positions a recording medium at a recording position to which the ink is ejected from the inkjet head; a platen which supports the recording medium positioned at the recording position from an opposite side of the inkjet head; a heater which heats the platen at a position corresponding to at least an end portion of the recording medium positioned at the recording position; and a control unit which controls the heater to turn on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shindo