Patents by Inventor Tomoyuki Kubo

Tomoyuki Kubo 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: 20090096842
    Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes: a liquid droplet jetting head which jets liquid droplets when an actuator is driven; and a wiring member via which a drive signal is outputted to a surface electrode formed in the actuator. The wiring member includes a substrate, a wire provided on the substrate, and a covering member having an insulating property and covering the wire. The wire has an electrode land which is stacked on the surface electrode to be connected to the surface electrode, and the covering member has a first covering layer in which a first opening to expose the electrode land therein is formed and a second covering layer having a second opening communicating with the first opening and covering the first covering layer. The surface electrode and the electrode land are connected in a state that an electroconductive material is interposed therebetween through the first and second openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Koji Imai
  • Patent number: 7500730
    Abstract: There is disclosed an inkjet recording apparatus which comprises a head having an actuator and at least one nozzle row each of which comprises a plurality of nozzles for ejecting an ink droplet therethrough onto a recording medium by driving of the actuator, a drive element which outputs to the actuator a drive signal for ejecting the ink droplet, an ink supply portion which is connected to the head so as to supply ink to the head, a heat radiating member which has a contact portion in contact with the drive element and an extending portion disposed alongside at least a part of the ink supply portion so as to release heat generated at the drive element, and a head holder which holds the head, the drive element, ink supply portion, and the heat radiating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsunori Nishida, Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080316255
    Abstract: A flexible wiring member which connects a device and an external signal source has a plurality of wire members in which a plurality of wires are formed on one surface of a substrate, and a plurality of wire members is stacked to face the device. A plurality of bumps for connecting with the device are provided to the wires on a surface, of the wirings, facing the device. Bumps of one of the wire members overlapping with the other of the wire members face the device via the through hole formed in the other of the wire members. Accordingly, it is possible to realize high densification of wires in the flexible wiring while suppressing a rise in a cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Hirofumi Kondo
  • Publication number: 20080284815
    Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a jetting head unit which has a nozzle which jets droplets of a liquid, and a heat generating section, a suction port which is formed in the jetting head unit, and which opens near the nozzle, and a suction device which sucks air around the nozzle from the suction port, and cools down the heat generating section of the jetting head unit by the air which is sucked. Since the heat generating portion is cooled down by the air sucked from the suction port by the suction device, it is possible to reduce a possibility of the heat of the heat generating section being transferred to the jetting head unit, and destabilizing an operation of the jetting head unit. Moreover, since the suction port opens near the nozzle, it is possible to suck fine liquid droplets together with air around the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Patent number: 7438377
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus, including nozzles each of which ejects a droplet of ink toward a recording sheet and which are arranged in one or more arrays in a first direction; pressure changing devices each of which changes a pressure of the ink to be supplied to a corresponding one of the nozzles so that the one nozzle ejects the droplet of ink, wherein the pressure changing devices are grouped into two groups arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; two flexible wiring cables which are electrically connected to the two groups of pressure changing devices, respectively, and which extend from the two groups of pressure changing devices in opposite directions, respectively, parallel to the second direction; two driver circuits which are provided on, and electrically connected to, the two wiring cables, respectively, and each of which outputs respective drive signals to drive the respective pressure changing devices of a corresponding one of the two groups; and a heat sink includ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080230268
    Abstract: A flexible wiring cable includes a first wiring assembly connected to a load, a second wiring assembly connected to the first wiring assembly and extending toward an external signal source, and a circuit element mounted on the first wiring assembly to drive the load. The second wiring assembly is connected to the first wiring assembly at a position between the mounted circuit element and a connection point with the load. Thus, the heat of the circuit element is also transferred to the second wiring assembly, so that the effect of the heat on the load is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080218546
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer including: an ink-jet head in which are disposed a plurality of nozzles that are divided into a plurality of nozzle groups; a plurality of actuators which are provided to respectively correspond to the plurality of nozzles and which are divided into a plurality of actuator groups respectively corresponding to the plurality of nozzle groups; a plurality of drive circuits which are provided respectively for the plurality of nozzle groups and each of which outputs a drive signal used for ejecting an ink, to the plurality of actuators of a corresponding one of the plurality of actuator groups; a controller which controls the ink-jet printer to perform printing such that, by driving any of the plurality of actuators which are determined on the basis of print data, the ink is ejected, toward a recording medium, from any of the plurality of nozzles that correspond to said any of the plurality of actuators; and an adjusting portion which adjusts the drive signal to be outputted from each of the plu
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Shuhei Hiwada, Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080211883
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator has a first ceramic layer covering openings of pressure chambers, a first electrode provided over the plurality of pressure chambers, a second ceramic layer, a second electrode, a third ceramic layer and a third electrode in this order from the side of the pressure chambers. By measuring insulation resistance between a cavity unit and the first electrode in the state where ink is filled into the pressure chambers, a defect in the ceramic layer is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Toru Yamashita, Yoshitsugu Morita, Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080202797
    Abstract: A plurality of first output terminals is provided along one side of a circuit element, and a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of second output terminals are provided adjacently along the other opposite side thereof. Leads include a first output lead extending from the first output terminal to an output connection electrode, and a second output lead extending from the second output terminal to the output connection electrode. The second output lead is extended from the other side of the circuit element to one side of the circuit element through a surface of a flexible wiring cable opposite the circuit element and further extended in parallel with the first output lead and connected to the output connection electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KIAHSA
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080174628
    Abstract: A recording head where an actuator, a cavity portion and a flexible flat cable are placed one on another is provided in a head holder of a carriage. A drive IC chip is mounted on the flexible flat cable. A bottom plate portion of a first heat sink is in contact with the drive IC chip so as to be thermally conductable, and a side plate portion thereof is disposed in a standing condition. A base end of a second heat sink is in contact, so as to be thermally conductable, with a wiring pattern formed portion of the flexible flat cable between the drive IC chip and the actuator, and a heat dissipating portion of the second heat sink is extended below the bottom plate portion, and a part of the heat dissipating portion is exposed to the outside of the head holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Hirofumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 7390070
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer including: an ink-jet head in which are disposed a plurality of nozzles that are divided into a plurality of nozzle groups; a plurality of actuators which are provided to respectively correspond to the plurality of nozzles and which are divided into a plurality of actuator groups respectively corresponding to the plurality of nozzle groups; a plurality of drive circuits which are provided respectively for the plurality of nozzle groups and each of which outputs a drive signal used for ejecting an ink, to the plurality of actuators of a corresponding one of the plurality of actuator groups; a controller which controls the ink-jet printer to perform printing such that, by driving any of the plurality of actuators which are determined on the basis of print data, the ink is ejected, toward a recording medium, from any of the plurality of nozzles that correspond to said any of the plurality of actuators; and an adjusting portion which adjusts the drive signal to be outputted from each of the plu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuhei Hiwada, Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Patent number: 7347522
    Abstract: An ink-jet head which includes: a flow passage unit having plural nozzles and pressure chambers respectively communicating with the nozzles, the pressure chambers being arranged along a planar surface; an energy transfer unit which is fixed to the planar surface and transfers ejection energy to ink in the pressure chambers; a driver IC which generates a driving signal supplied to the energy transfer unit; a flat flexible cable in which the driver IC is mounted and plural wirings that make connection between the driver IC and the energy transfer unit are formed; and a heat transfer body which sandwiches at least a part of the energy transfer unit between the heat transfer body and the planar surface of the flow passage unit, the heat transfer body having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the planar surface, the thickness decreasing in a direction away from the driver IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080030548
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes: an actuator including: a plurality of energy generators; and a plurality of terminals arranged in arrays; and a wiring material superimposed on a surface of the actuator, and including a plurality of lands which are arranged in arrays; and a plurality of wiring patterns which are connected to the plurality of lands respectively and are led out in a lead out direction, wherein: lands of the plurality of lands in adjacent arrays are arranged staggered with respect to each other; a distance between at least two adjacent land arrays on a led out side is greater than a distance between adjacent ones of the other arrays of lands; and the wiring pattern has a bend portion, which extended at an angle to the led out direction, at a position between two adjacent discrete lands in the at least two adjacent land arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080000073
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a recording apparatus which includes an actuator, a flexible flat cable connected to the actuator, and a circuit element mounted on the flexible flat cable, the method including: applying a conductive material for connection to the actuator and the circuit element, on terminal electrodes formed on one surface of the flexible flat cable; and forming bumps for joining the actuator to the terminal electrodes while joining the circuit element to the terminal electrodes. This makes it possible to mount the circuit element for preventing a malfunction of the recording apparatus, without any great increase in the number of manufacturing processes of the recording apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20070296763
    Abstract: A circuit element which ensures an operation of a driving IC chip and a recording element, is mounted between a power supply and the driving IC chip of a flexible flat cable. Since the circuit element is arranged so as to avoid a bending portion of the flexible flat cable, even in a case of mounting the circuit element near the driving IC chip, it is possible to prevent the circuit elements from being peeled off, and to let the driving IC chip and the heat sink make a close contact assuredly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Shigeru Suzuki, Yasuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 7311372
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus including an ink jet recording head which ejects a droplet of an ink toward a recording medium, a driver circuit device which applies an electric voltage to the ink jet recording head so that the ink jet recording head ejects the droplet of the ink toward the recording medium, a carriage on which the ink jet recording head and the driver circuit device are mounted, and a first heat sink and a second heat sink which are mounted on the carriage such that the first and second heat sinks cooperate with each other to sandwich the driver circuit device and define an inner space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Patent number: 7264326
    Abstract: There is disclosed an inkjet printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having an actuator and a plurality of nozzle rows each consisting of a plurality of nozzles through each of which a droplet of ink is ejected onto a recording medium by driving of the actuator; an IC chip having a drive circuit for outputting a drive signal to the actuator based on print data so that the ink droplet is ejected from the each nozzle in accordance with the drive signal; and a temperature-difference-responsive controller which increases a period of time taken for completing printing of a first amount when a difference in temperature between two places at least one of which is on the printhead exceeds a reference value, the temperature-difference-responsive controller not increasing the period of time when the difference does not exceed the reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Katsunori Nishida
  • Publication number: 20070182787
    Abstract: An ink jet head, includes: an actuator including a plurality of terminals; a wiring material including a base made of a flexible resin film on which a plurality of lands are arranged in arrays corresponding to the plurality of terminals, the wiring material of which one end is superimposed on a surface of the actuator, and which is extended in a direction parallel to the surface of the actuator; and a drive circuit for driving the actuator, wherein: the wiring material includes a small width portion, of which a width in a direction, perpendicular to an extended direction is smaller than that of the one end superimposed on the actuator, arranged on an extended portion; and the drive circuit is mounted on the extended portion; and wiring patterns are formed on the wiring material, for connecting the drive circuit and the plurality of lands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Seiji Shimizu, Hiroo Ogawa, Hiromitsu Mizutani, Atsushi Ito
  • Patent number: 7188922
    Abstract: A recording apparatus having: (a) a head unit including an actuator which generates energy required for recording predetermined patterns of image on a recording medium; (b) a circuit board including a driver element which drives the actuator of the head unit; and (c) a heatsink disposed in thermally conductive communication with the driver element. The heatsink has a void portion which is opposed to the head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20070017694
    Abstract: A wiring board is provided, where in the case where the wiring board and a piezoelectric element are connected via solder, the strength of connection in the peripheral region of the wiring board can be increased, and it is difficult for a connection defect to occur in the step of connecting the wiring board to the piezoelectric element. In addition, a manufacturing method for this wiring board is provided. The area of attaching portions 27b provided in the peripheral region of an insulating film 20 is made greater than that of attaching portions 27a provided in the inward region. In addition, the thickness of solder bumps 25b which are formed by providing solder to attaching portions 27b is made substantially the same as the thickness of solder bumps 25a which are formed by providing solder to attaching portions 27a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo