Patents by Inventor Tomomi Igawa

Tomomi Igawa 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: 20200198353
    Abstract: An ejection nozzle cleaning device includes: a gripping portion held by a user; a horn protruding from one end of the gripping portion and extending away therefrom; a reservoir disposed on one side of the horn in an extending direction in which the horn is extending; and an ultrasonic generator disposed on another side of the horn in the extending direction. The reservoir is a tubular member with a closed bottom and an opening in a part thereof that faces the ink ejection face. The reservoir has a storage space where a cleaning liquid is containable. The reservoir has a through cavity allowing the horn to be at least partly inserted and located in the storage space. A peripheral wall surrounding the opening of the reservoir is formed to a height, which allows one side of a vibration transmitter of the horn to be located in the storage space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Patent number: 9802430
    Abstract: The ink discharge unit includes a biasing member. The biasing member is fixed to a fixing member immovably fitted to a carriage body that moves relative to a recording medium. The biasing member, while being thus fixed, biases an inkjet head in a direction illustrated with an arrow and in a direction illustrated with another arrow for position alignment of the inkjet head relative to the fixing member. The inkjet head, while being biased by the biasing member, is fixed to the fixing member. The fixing member has curved portions that regulate movements of the inkjet head in the directions illustrated with the arrows by way of contacts with the inkjet head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Patent number: 9643402
    Abstract: In a method for printing a metal-tone printed matter, a metallic ink which includes metal particles dispersed in a solvent is applied onto a smooth printing surface of a printing medium to provide a metallic ink layer containing a metal layer having the metal particles accumulated on a printing surface side closer to the smooth printing surface in the metallic ink layer. The printing medium is reversed to transfer the metallic ink layer onto a material to be transferred while making a smooth surface of the metal layer as a display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Publication number: 20170050453
    Abstract: The ink discharge unit includes a biasing member. The biasing member is fixed to a fixing member immovably fitted to a carriage body that moves relative to a recording medium. The biasing member, while being thus fixed, biases an ink jet head in a direction illustrated with an arrow and in a direction illustrated with another arrow for position alignment of the ink jet head relative to the fixing member. The ink jet head, while being biased by the biasing member, is fixed to the fixing member. The fixing member has curved portions that regulate movements of the ink jet head in the directions illustrated with the arrows by way of contacts with the ink jet head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Patent number: 9266343
    Abstract: Ultraviolet curable ink contained in an ink pack is prevented from curing during storage. The second resin layer, the metal layer, and the protective layer in the upper film of the surface portion of the ink pack extend from the base layer (extended portion). The metal layer has a light-shielding property, and the extended portion is folded back and attached to the surface of the lower film of the side-surface portion. The metal layer having a light-shielding property thus covers the base layers exposed at the end surface of the joint portion, and can prevent external ultraviolet rays from reaching the ink through the base layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Publication number: 20150151537
    Abstract: To provide an inkjet recording apparatus which is compact and is configured to reduce a volatile organic compound generated at the time of printing. As a solving means, an inkjet recording apparatus 100 is the inkjet recording apparatus 100 including a head 1 configured to eject the ink containing the volatile organic compound onto a medium 20, and configured to perform printing on the medium 20 by moving the positions of the head and the medium 20, and includes a decomposition device 4 configured to at least decompose the volatile organic compound in the mist ink generated when the ink is ejected from the heads 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Masaru Ohnishi, Tomomi Igawa
  • Patent number: 8979243
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus, a clogged nozzle recovering method, and a clogged nozzle recovery program are provided. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a head, a tank, a first pump, a cap, a second pump and a control means. The head is provided with a nozzle face and a plurality of nozzles. The tank is connected with the head through a tube. The first pump is connected with the tank and maintains the tank at a constant negative pressure. The cap for suction covers a part of the nozzles on the nozzle face of the head. The second pump is connected with the cap for sucking an inside of the cap. The control means controls to lower the negative pressure of the tank that is maintained by the first pump when the inside of the cap is sucked by the second pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Patent number: 8939564
    Abstract: A sub tank configured to supply ink supplied from a main tank to a print head while suppressing a pressure fluctuation is formed with an ink storage chamber in which the ink is stored, and includes a filter configured to allow passage of the ink while suppressing passage of the fine particles when the fine particles of the ink are precipitated, an ink introducing portion configured to introduce the ink supplied from the outside into the ink storage chamber, and an ink discharging portion configured to discharge the ink in the ink storage chamber to the outside. The filter divides the ink storage chamber into an introducing-side storage chamber communicating with the ink introducing portion, and a discharging-side storage chamber communicating with the ink discharging portion, and the discharging-side storage chamber is arranged on an upper side of the introducing-side storage chamber in the perpendicular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomomi Igawa
  • Patent number: 8919918
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus in which aggregate or the like clogged in a nozzle is sucked to recover the clogged nozzle and provides a clogged nozzle recovering method. The inkjet printing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a cap which is structured to cover some of plural nozzles formed in a nozzle face of a head of an inkjet printer, a pressure sensor which acquires a pressure in an inside of the cap in a state that the some of the plural nozzles are covered by the cap, a suction means which sucks the inside of the cap with a pressure lower than a negative pressure at which a meniscus of a nozzle that is not covered with the cap is broken, and a nozzle recovery judgment means which judges recovery of a nozzle by comparing a reference pressure value, which is obtained when nozzles without being clogged are covered by the cap and sucked and is stored beforehand, with a pressure value which is outputted from the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Igawa, Seiichi Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20140132665
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus, a clogged nozzle recovering method, and a clogged nozzle recovery program are provided. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a head, a tank, a first pump, a cap, a second pump and a control means. The head is provided with a nozzle face and a plurality of nozzles. The tank is connected with the head through a tube. The first pump is connected with the tank and maintains the tank at a constant negative pressure. The cap for suction covers a part of the nozzles on the nozzle face of the head. The second pump is connected with the cap for sucking an inside of the cap. The control means controls to lower the negative pressure of the tank that is maintained by the first pump when the inside of the cap is sucked by the second pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: TOMOMI IGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140132679
    Abstract: Ultraviolet curable ink contained in an ink pack is prevented from curing during storage. The second resin layer, the metal layer, and the protective layer in the upper film of the surface portion of the ink pack extend from the base layer (extended portion). The metal layer has a light-shielding property, and the extended portion is folded back and attached to the surface of the lower film of the side-surface portion. The metal layer having a light-shielding property thus covers the base layers exposed at the end surface of the joint portion, and can prevent external ultraviolet rays from reaching the ink through the base layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: TOMOMI IGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140132664
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus in which aggregate or the like clogged in a nozzle is sucked to recover the clogged nozzle and provides a clogged nozzle recovering method. The inkjet printing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a cap which is structured to cover some of plural nozzles formed in a nozzle face of a head of an inkjet printer, a pressure sensor which acquires a pressure in an inside of the cap in a state that the some of the plural nozzles are covered by the cap, a suction means which sucks the inside of the cap with a pressure lower than a negative pressure at which a meniscus of a nozzle that is not covered with the cap is broken, and a nozzle recovery judgment means which judges recovery of a nozzle by comparing a reference pressure value, which is obtained when nozzles without being clogged are covered by the cap and sucked and is stored beforehand, with a pressure value which is outputted from the pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomomi IGAWA, Seiichi YOKOYAMA
  • Patent number: 8721060
    Abstract: A liquid circulation system includes an inkjet head formed with a common ink flow passage, an ink cartridge, a supply flow passage through which ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to an inlet of the common ink flow passage, a return flow passage through which the ink is returned from the outlet of the common ink flow passage to the ink cartridge, a tube pump sending the ink in the supply flow passage, a tube pump sending the ink in the return flow passage, a pressurization bellows unit pressurizing the ink in the supply flow passage, a pressure reduction bellows unit depressurizing the ink in the return flow passage, a pressurization regulator maintaining the inlet being a center value “+?” of a designated head value, and a differential pressure regulator by which a differential pressure of the ink between the inlet and the outlet is maintained to be “2?”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Yokoyama, Tomomi Igawa
  • Publication number: 20140125745
    Abstract: A sub tank configured to supply ink supplied from a main tank to a print head while suppressing a pressure fluctuation is formed with an ink storage chamber in which the ink is stored, and includes a filter configured to allow passage of the ink while suppressing passage of the fine particles when the fine particles of the ink are precipitated, an ink introducing portion configured to introduce the ink supplied from the outside into the ink storage chamber, and an ink discharging portion configured to discharge the ink in the ink storage chamber to the outside. The filter divides the ink storage chamber into an introducing-side storage chamber communicating with the ink introducing portion, and a discharging-side storage chamber communicating with the ink discharging portion, and the discharging-side storage chamber is arranged on an upper side of the introducing-side storage chamber in the perpendicular direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: TOMOMI IGAWA
  • Patent number: 8608300
    Abstract: An ink circulation system includes: an ink-jet head in which a shared ink flowing route is formed, an ink tank, a supply flowing route for supplying ink from the ink tank to the shared ink flowing route, a reflux flowing route for refluxing the ink from the shared ink flowing route to the ink tank, and a differential pressure generating unit for generating a differential pressure in the ink tank. The differential pressure generating unit is equipped with an impeller placed inside the ink tank, and a drive unit placed outside the ink tank. Then, the drive unit operates to turn the impeller, by means of remote driving, for generating a differential pressure between a supply port of the supply flowing route and a reflux port of the reflux flowing route so as to circulate the ink through the ink flowing route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Igawa, Seiichi Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20130314470
    Abstract: In a method for printing a metal-tone printed matter, a metallic ink which includes metal particles dispersed in a solvent is applied onto a smooth printing surface of a printing medium to provide a metallic ink layer containing a metal layer having the metal particles accumulated on a printing surface side closer to the smooth printing surface in the metallic ink layer. The printing medium is reversed to transfer the metallic ink layer onto a material to be transferred while making a smooth surface of the metal layer as a display surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomomi IGAWA
  • Publication number: 20130021416
    Abstract: Liquid is appropriately circulated with a low cost and thereby precipitation of fine particles in the liquid is prevented and bubbles in the liquid flow passage are removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Seiichi Yokoyama, Tomomi Igawa
  • Publication number: 20130010037
    Abstract: A liquid circulation system includes an inkjet head formed with a common ink flow passage, an ink cartridge, a supply flow passage through which ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to an inlet of the common ink flow passage, a return flow passage through which the ink is returned from the outlet of the common ink flow passage to the ink cartridge, a tube pump sending the ink in the supply flow passage, a tube pump sending the ink in the return flow passage, a pressurization bellows unit pressurizing the ink in the supply flow passage, a pressure reduction bellows unit depressurizing the ink in the return flow passage, a pressurization regulator maintaining the inlet being a center value “+?” of a designated head value, and a differential pressure regulator by which a differential pressure of the ink between the inlet and the outlet is maintained to be “2?”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichi Yokoyama, Tomomi Igawa
  • Publication number: 20120200649
    Abstract: An ink circulation system includes: an ink-jet head in which a shared ink flowing route is formed, an ink tank, a supply flowing route for supplying ink from the ink tank to the shared ink flowing route, a reflux flowing rout for refluxing the ink from the shared ink flowing route to the ink tank, and a differential pressure generating unit for generating a differential pressure in the ink tank. The differential pressure generating unit is equipped with an impeller placed inside the ink tank, and a drive unit placed outside the ink tank. Then, the drive unit operates to turn the impeller, by means of remote driving, for generating a differential pressure between a supply port of the supply flowing route and a reflux port of the reflux flowing route so as to circulate the ink through the ink flowing route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomomi Igawa, Seiichi Yokoyama