Patents by Inventor Tomohiro YODA

Tomohiro YODA 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: 11141997
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes a heating unit configured to heat a medium transported in a state where liquid adheres to the medium, and a control unit configured to control the heating unit. The control unit determines whether the medium is wound downstream, in a transport direction, from an area heated by the heating unit. When the control unit determines that the medium is wound, the control unit controls the heating unit at a first heating set temperature, and, when the control unit determines that the medium is not wound, the control unit controls the heating unit at a second heating set temperature that is lower than the first heating set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Publication number: 20210300032
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit capable of ejecting ink, which is a liquid, onto a medium and capable of reciprocating in a width direction (X-axis direction) of the medium, a medium support unit that supports the medium on a support face, a medium width detection unit that detects a width of the medium supported on the support face, a plurality of heating units that are provided along the width direction of the medium and heat the medium support unit, and a control unit capable of individually controlling the plurality of heating units. The control unit controls an output of each of the heating units in accordance with the width of the medium detected by the medium width detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Publication number: 20210260897
    Abstract: A heating device includes a support member including a support face, a first heating unit heating the support face, a second heating unit heating the support face, and a control unit independently controlling an output of the first heating unit and an output of the second heating unit. A second heated region is positioned adjacent to a first heated region. The first heating unit and the second heating unit are arranged, in order, from a center, in the width direction, of the support face toward an end thereof. A second detection unit detecting a temperature of the support face is provided in the second heated region, at a location further to an opposite side from the first heating unit than a center, in the width direction, of the second heated region. The control unit controls an output of the second heating unit based on detection of the second detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Patent number: 11097557
    Abstract: A drying device dries a medium being transported, the drying device including a support unit configured to support the medium, and a non-contact heater facing the support unit. The support unit includes a first support unit and a second support unit located at a position different from a position of the first support unit in a transport direction of the medium being transported, the medium bends along the second support unit, the first support unit is composed of an aluminum material, and the second support unit is composed of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than a thermal expansion coefficient of the aluminum material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 11040552
    Abstract: A heating device configured to heat a medium on which a liquid for printing is impinged includes a heating element configured to face a processing surface, the processing surface being a surface on which the liquid is impinged, a blower configured to blow gas to a heating region between the heating element and the processing surface from the heating element side of the medium, and a control unit configured to control an output of the heating element and a driving amount of the blower. The control unit changes the driving amount of the blower in accordance with a type of the medium while maintaining the output of the heating element constant regardless of the type of the medium. The decrease in the drying efficiency of the medium is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Publication number: 20210146704
    Abstract: A blowing device includes a housing including a blowing path, a fan, a first flow path member being fixed downstream of the fan, and including a first and a second air outlet that are arranged in a width direction, and a second flow path member being fixed downstream of the fan, and including a third and a fourth air outlet that are arranged in the width direction. The first and the second flow path member are fixed in a state of being arranged in the width direction, a fifth air outlet is formed between the first and the second flow path member that are fixed, and a part of an opening edge of the fifth air outlet is the first flow path member, and a part of the opening edge of the fifth air outlet is the second flow path member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Patent number: 10899143
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a support surface configured to support the medium and positioned downstream than the recording unit in a transporting direction in which a medium to which a liquid impinged by the recording unit is transported, a heating unit configured to heat the medium supported by the support surface, a flow channel including an inlet and an outlet opening toward the support surface, and a blower disposed in the flow channel and configured to allow a gas entering via the inlet to be blown out from the outlet. The inlet opens to allow at least some of the gas blown from the outlet to enter. The outlet is nearer to the recording unit than the inlet is, and its blowing direction goes toward at least an inlet side in a direction along the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 10759196
    Abstract: A recording device includes a carriage including a recording head configured to discharge liquid onto a medium and being movable in an intersecting direction, the intersecting direction intersecting a transport direction of the medium, a suction platen facing the recording head and being configured to suck the medium, a transport mechanism provided upstream from the suction platen in the transport direction and configured to transport the medium downstream in the transport direction, a drying unit located downstream from the recording head in the transport direction, a medium suction mechanism configured to suck the medium fed to the drying unit, and a controller configured to control the transport mechanism. The controller is configured to form a curved portion by curving between the drying unit and the suction platen in the transport direction, a part of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichiro Nakano, Tomohiro Yoda, Katsuya Asamoto
  • Publication number: 20200269608
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes a heating unit configured to heat a medium transported in a state where liquid adheres to the medium, and a control unit configured to control the heating unit. The control unit determines whether the medium is wound downstream, in a transport direction, from an area heated by the heating unit. When the control unit determines that the medium is wound, the control unit controls the heating unit at a first heating set temperature, and, when the control unit determines that the medium is not wound, the control unit controls the heating unit at a second heating set temperature that is lower than the first heating set temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Patent number: 10737511
    Abstract: A drying apparatus includes a heating mechanism arranged so as to heat a medium supported by a support surface, an air sending path that includes an air intake port through which outside air is introduced and an air outlet port that opens to the support surface, and an air blower arranged so as to flow gas in the air sending path toward the air outlet port. The air sending path may include an inside layer that can suppress ventilation and a heat insulating layer that is arranged superimposed on an outside of the inside layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Publication number: 20200247144
    Abstract: A drying device dries a medium being transported, the drying device including a support unit configured to support the medium, and a non-contact heater facing the support unit. The support unit includes a first support unit and a second support unit located at a position different from a position of the first support unit in a transport direction of the medium being transported, the medium bends along the second support unit, the first support unit is composed of an aluminum material, and the second support unit is composed of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than a thermal expansion coefficient of the aluminum material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Publication number: 20200247145
    Abstract: A medium heating device is provided, which is configured to heat a medium that is conveyed in a state where liquid is ejected onto the medium, and which includes: a support unit configured to support the medium that is conveyed in a state where the liquid is ejected onto the medium; a first heater configured to heat a first surface, of the medium, onto which the liquid ejected; and a second heater configured to heat a second surface of the medium opposite from the first surface. A region heated by the second heater includes a region downstream from a region facing the first heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Patent number: 10599078
    Abstract: Provided is a medium processing apparatus, comprising: transport unit configured to transport a medium, a drying device configured to heat the medium, a temperature sensor configured to detect a surface temperature of the medium in a heated area, the heated area being heated by the drying device, and a control unit configured to control the drying device based on the surface temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The control unit start a warm-up operation controlling the heating unit to increase the surface temperature of the medium to a predefined temperature range, and controls transport of the medium during the warm-up operation so that the medium is within a predefined range where the medium is located in a detection area of the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Miho Ota, Tomohiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 10493776
    Abstract: An adjustment method of a printing apparatus capable of properly drying a medium is provided. An adjustment method of a printing apparatus is provided and the adjustment method includes printing on a medium a plurality of patches having different amounts of liquid discharged from a printing unit, and adjusting a heating temperature of a drying unit configured to heat the medium by referring to correspondence data indicating a correspondence relationship between the heating temperature of the drying unit and an amount of evaporation of the liquid caused by the drying unit, based on a dry condition of the patch that have been subjected to drying by the drying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Publication number: 20190291472
    Abstract: A recording device includes a carriage including a recording head configured to discharge liquid onto a medium and being movable in an intersecting direction, the intersecting direction intersecting a transport direction of the medium, a suction platen facing the recording head and being configured to suck the medium, a transport mechanism provided upstream from the suction platen in the transport direction and configured to transport the medium downstream in the transport direction, a drying unit located downstream from the recording head in the transport direction, a medium suction mechanism configured to suck the medium fed to the drying unit, and a controller configured to control the transport mechanism. The controller is configured to form a curved portion by curving between the drying unit and the suction platen in the transport direction, a part of the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichiro Nakano, Tomohiro Yoda, Katsuya Asamoto
  • Publication number: 20190275813
    Abstract: A heating device configured to heat a medium on which a liquid for printing is impinged includes a heating element configured to face a processing surface, the processing surface being a surface on which the liquid is impinged, a blower configured to blow gas to a heating region between the heating element and the processing surface from the heating element side of the medium, and a control unit configured to control an output of the heating element and a driving amount of the blower. The control unit changes the driving amount of the blower in accordance with a type of the medium while maintaining the output of the heating element constant regardless of the type of the medium. The decrease in the drying efficiency of the medium is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA
  • Patent number: 10357980
    Abstract: A printing apparatus capable of properly drying a medium includes a printing mechanism configured to print an image on the medium with a desired number of passes, a medium transporter configured to intermittently transport the medium by a transportation amount based on the desired number of passes of the printing mechanism, and a dryer configured to heat the medium on which printing has been performed by discharging a liquid from the printing mechanism. The plurality of patches with a different amount of liquid discharged from the printing mechanism are printable on the medium. The plurality of patches include a reference patch and a pseudo patch. The reference patch includes a first amount of liquid, and the pseudo patch includes a second amount of liquid that is determined with reference to the first amount of liquid, based on numbers of passes settable in the printing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Publication number: 20190184717
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a third support surface configured to support a medium downstream from a recording unit in a transport direction, the transport direction being a direction in which the medium to be printed by the recording unit putting a liquid on the medium is transported, a heating unit facing the third support surface and including a heating element configured to heat the medium supported by the third support surface, a first outlet opening toward the support surface, and a blower configured to blow out gas from the first outlet, wherein the first outlet is located closer to the recording unit than the heating unit is located, and is configured such that the gas blown out from the first outlet is directed along the third support surface and is directed away from the recording unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Akina TSUJI, Tomohiro YODA
  • Publication number: 20190171135
    Abstract: Provided is a medium processing apparatus, comprising: transport unit configured to transport a medium, a drying device configured to heat the medium, a temperature sensor configured to detect a surface temperature of the medium in a heated area, the heated area being heated by the drying device, and a control unit configured to control the drying device based on the surface temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The control unit start a warm-up operation controlling the heating unit to increase the surface temperature of the medium to a predefined temperature range, and controls transport of the medium during the warm-up operation so that the medium is within a predefined range where the medium is located in a detection area of the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Miho OTA, Tomohiro YODA
  • Publication number: 20190100034
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a support surface configured to support the medium and positioned downstream than the recording unit in a transporting direction in which a medium to which a liquid impinged by the recording unit is transported, a heating unit configured to heat the medium supported by the support surface, a flow channel including an inlet and an outlet opening toward the support surface, and a blower disposed in the flow channel and configured to allow a gas entering via the inlet to be blown out from the outlet. The inlet opens to allow at least some of the gas blown from the outlet to enter. The outlet is nearer to the recording unit than the inlet is, and its blowing direction goes toward at least an inlet side in a direction along the support surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventor: Tomohiro YODA