Patents by Inventor Toru Kakiuchi

Toru Kakiuchi 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: 12246534
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting device includes a channel member and an actuator. The channel member has a channel. The channel includes a nozzle and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle. The actuator is on the channel member and configured to apply a pressure to a liquid in the pressure chamber. A diameter of the nozzle and a natural frequency of the channel are parameters of the liquid droplet ejecting device to satisfy that (1) the actuator has a threshold drive frequency of 100 kHz or more, (2) the nozzle ejects a liquid droplet having a volume of 1.8 pl or more, and (3) the Ohnesorge number is 0.2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Yoshino, Toru Kakiuchi, Taisuke Mizuno
  • Patent number: 12172439
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharging head includes a channel unit having nozzles and pressure chambers in respective communication with the nozzles, and a piezoelectric element having a vibration plate arranged on an upper surface of the channel unit to cover the pressure chambers and a piezoelectric layer arranged on an upper surface of the vibration plate. The pressure chambers have a length L longer than its width, and the channel unit has the nozzles and the pressure chambers aligned at a density of 300 dpi or higher in a conveyance direction. The length L of the pressure chambers and the diameter D of nozzle holes of the nozzles satisfy this relation or condition: 35?L/D?50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Kakiuchi, Taisuke Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20240391237
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejecting head including a flow channel member and a piezoelectric element. The flow channel member includes a flow channel including a nozzle and a pressure chamber connected to the nozzle. The piezoelectric element is fixed to the flow channel member that applies pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber and causes droplets to be ejected from the nozzle. The natural frequency Fr of the flow channel is 120 kHz or higher. The diameter D [?m] of the nozzle and the taper angle ? [° ] of the nozzle satisfy the relationships: ??2.1×D?36.4, D>22 ?m, and ?<45°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TAKAAKI YOSHINO, TORU KAKIUCHI, TAISUKE MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20240359463
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet ejecting head including: a channel member having a plurality of individual channels and a first common channel communicating with an inlet port of each of the plurality of individual channels; and a piezoelectric element arranged on the channel member. Each of the plurality of individual channels includes a nozzle, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle and a first communicating channel having an end which is the inlet port and the other end which communicates with the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric element is configured to apply a pressure to a liquid inside the pressure chamber to cause a liquid droplet of the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle. A channel resistance R1 [N s/m5] of the first communicating channel satisfies a first relational expression: 3.48×1013?R1?6.98×1013.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TAISUKE MIZUNO, TORU KAKIUCHI, TAKAAKI YOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20240359462
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet ejecting head including: a channel member having a channel which includes a nozzle and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle; and a piezoelectric element arranged on the channel member and configured to apply a pressure to a liquid inside the pressure chamber to eject a liquid droplet of the liquid from the nozzle. A diameter D [?m] of the nozzle and a natural frequency Fr [kHz] of the channel satisfy Expressions 1 and 2 as follows: Expression 1: D??2.25×10?8×Fr4+2.11×10?5×Fr3?7.60×10?3×Fr2+1.32×Fr?62.9, Expression 2: D?0.050×Fr+8.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TAKAAKI YOSHINO, TORU KAKIUCHI, TAISUKE MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20240294010
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharging head includes: a channel member having a channel including a nozzle and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle; and a piezoelectric element fixed to the channel member and configured to apply pressure to liquid inside the pressure chamber to discharge liquid droplets of the liquid from the nozzle. A natural frequency Fr of the channel is not less than 250 kHz; and a diameter D [?m] of the nozzle has a relationship of the following expression (1) with the natural frequency Fr [kHz]: 0.0446×Fr+7.5?0.0446×Fr+13.5 . . . (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2023
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TAKAAKI YOSHINO, TORU KAKIUCHI, TAISUKE MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20240278557
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharging apparatus includes: a channel member having a nozzle and a pressure chamber; an actuator which applies pressure to liquid inside the pressure chamber; and a controller which applies a driving signal to the actuator. Within one discharging cycle, the driving signal includes: a main pulse for causing a liquid droplet to be discharged from the nozzle; and a cancel pulse which is applied to the actuator after the main pulse. In a case that a driving frequency of the driving signal is f (unit: kHz), a time from an end point of the main pulse to a start point of the cancel pulse is Tw (unit: ?sec) and a width of the cancel pulse is Tc (unit: ?sec), the following expressions (1) and (2) hold: 50?f??11.3×(Tw+Tc)+120 . . . (1); and Tw+Tc?5.2 . . . (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TAKAAKI YOSHINO, TORU KAKIUCHI
  • Patent number: 12059895
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes a channel member which has a plurality of individual channels, each of the plurality of individual channels having a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle, and a piezoelectric actuator which is configured to make the liquid discharge from the nozzle by causing a change in a pressure on a liquid inside the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric actuator has a thin-film piezoelectric element, and when a Helmholtz natural frequency of the pressure chamber is let to be Fr (kHz) and a diameter of the nozzle is let to be D (?m), a relationship D<?0.0313×Fr+25.62 (provided that, 100 kHz?Fr) is satisfied, and a viscosity of the liquid discharged from the nozzle is not higher than 5 mPa·s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Kakiuchi
  • Publication number: 20240246335
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting device includes a channel member and an actuator. The channel member has a channel. The channel includes a nozzle and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle. The actuator is on the channel member and configured to apply a pressure to a liquid in the pressure chamber. A diameter of the nozzle and a natural frequency of the channel are parameters of the liquid droplet ejecting device to satisfy that (1) the actuator has a threshold drive frequency of 100 kHz or more, (2) the nozzle ejects a liquid droplet having a volume of 1.8 pl or more, and (3) the Ohnesorge number is 0.2 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki YOSHINO, Toru KAKIUCHI, Taisuke MIZUNO
  • Patent number: 11833828
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes: nozzles aligned on a nozzle surface; a supply manifold configured that a liquid is supplied therein from the outside of the liquid discharge head; a return manifold which is arranged between the nozzle surface and the supply manifold in a first direction, which is configured that the liquid is flown out therefrom to the outside of the liquid discharge head, and which is provided with a return damper part; and individual flow channels each of which corresponds to one of the nozzles. Each of the individual flow channels has a return throttle channel communicating the corresponding nozzle with the return manifold and being arranged between the return manifold and the nozzle surface in the first direction. The return manifold has a compliance larger than a compliance of the supply manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Yoshino, Toru Kakiuchi, Jiro Yamamoto, Taisuke Mizuno, Shotaro Kanzaki
  • Patent number: 11712893
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head is provided, the liquid discharge head comprising a plurality of individual channels, a first manifold connected to the plurality of individual channels, a second manifold connected to the plurality of individual channels, and a bypass channel connecting the first manifold and the second manifold and being distinct from the individual channels. A flow channel resistance Rct brought about by the plurality of individual channels, a flow channel resistance Rbp of the bypass channel, a bending loss ?P provided when the liquid flows from the first manifold via the bypass channel to the second manifold, and a flow rate Q of the liquid flowing through the bypass channel fulfill a relationship of: 0.5<[Rct/(Rbp+(?P/Q))]<2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shotaro Kanzaki, Toru Kakiuchi, Takaaki Yoshino, Taisuke Mizuno, Jiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11679586
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head including: a plurality of first individual channels; a first supply manifold; a first return manifold; a plurality of second individual channels; a second supply manifold; a second return manifold; and a first bypass channel communicating the first supply manifold and the second return manifold. The first bypass channel includes: a first supply connecting channel, a first return connecting channel, and a first connecting channel. Channel resistance in one of the first supply connecting channel and the first return connecting channel is greater than channel resistance in the first connecting channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shotaro Kanzaki, Toru Kakiuchi, Takaaki Yoshino, Taisuke Mizuno, Jiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11679588
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes: a first common channel, a second common channel; and individual channels. The individual channels have: nozzles aligned in a first direction; pressure chambers; descenders formed in a channel substrate arranged between a nozzle plate and a pressure chamber plate in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a connecting channel. The connecting channel has: a first channel part formed in the nozzle plate, and a second channel part formed in the channel substrate, connected to the first channel part and having a length in the second direction which is shorter than that of the second common channel. The second common channel is formed in the channel substrate, overlaps with the descenders in a third direction orthogonal to both of the first direction and the second direction, and is partitioned from the descenders by a partition wall formed by the channel substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 11654679
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: liquid discharging modules which are arranged in a first direction along a predetermined plane; and a wiring member commonly joined to the liquid discharging modules. The wiring member includes: first parts joined to the liquid discharging modules, respectively, in a state that the first parts are arranged side by side in the first direction along the predetermined plane; second parts; and a sixth part. The second parts include: third parts extending from the first parts, respectively, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and along the predetermined plane, fourth parts extending in a third direction away from the predetermined plane, and fifth parts connected to the third parts and the fourth parts, respectively. Width in the first direction of each of the second parts is smaller than width in the first direction of the sixth part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 11548279
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head, including: a pressure chamber connected to a nozzle from which a liquid is discharged; an actuator configured to apply discharge pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber; a first supply channel which is connected to the pressure chamber, and through which a first liquid is supplied to the pressure chamber; a second supply channel, different from the first channel, which is connected to the pressure chamber, and through which a second liquid different from the first liquid is supplied to the pressure chamber; a first valve which is disposed in the first supply channel, and by which the first supply channel is opened and closed; and a second valve which is disposed in the second supply channel, and by which the second supply channel is opened and closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Katayama, Toru Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 11535033
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a common flow channel extending along a first direction, and individual flow channels arranged along the first direction. Each individual flow channel includes a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber arranged along the first direction, each of which communicates with the common flow channel, a nozzle located away from the first and second pressure chambers in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a connection flow channel connecting the first pressure chamber, the second pressure chamber, and the nozzle with each other. One end of the connection flow channel in the second direction communicates with the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber, and the other end thereof in the second direction communicates with the nozzle. The connection flow channel extends along the second direction from the one end to the other end thereof in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taiki Tanaka, Toru Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 11515464
    Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric actuator, including: a vibration plate; a first piezoelectric body; a second piezoelectric body; a first electrode disposed on a first surface of the first piezoelectric body; a second electrode disposed on a second surface of the second piezoelectric body; an intermediate electrode disposed on an intermediate surface of the first piezoelectric body and overlapping with the first and second electrodes; an intermediate trace connected to the intermediate electrode on the intermediate surface and drawn out to one side in a first direction beyond the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body; a first trace overlapping with the intermediate trace in the thickness direction and being conducted with the intermediate trace; and a second trace overlapping with the intermediate trace in the thickness direction and being conducted with the intermediate trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Kakiuchi
  • Publication number: 20220314616
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes a channel member which has a plurality of individual channels, each of the plurality of individual channels having a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle, and a piezoelectric actuator which is configured to make the liquid discharge from the nozzle by causing a change in a pressure on a liquid inside the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric actuator has a thin-film piezoelectric element, and when a Helmholtz natural frequency of the pressure chamber is let to be Fr (kHz) and a diameter of the nozzle is let to be D (?m), a relationship D<?0.0313×Fr+25.62 (provided that, 100 kHz?Fr) is satisfied, and a viscosity of the liquid discharged from the nozzle is not higher than 5 mPa·s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventor: Toru Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 11420439
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head, including: a plurality of inlet parts provided corresponding to a plurality of kinds of liquids; a plurality of pressure chambers in which discharge pressure is applied to the liquids; a plurality of individual outlet parts through which the liquids are supplied to the plurality of pressure chambers; and a manifold which communicates with the plurality of inlet parts, and through which the liquids from the plurality of inlet parts are supplied to the plurality of individual outlet parts. The manifold includes: a plurality of upstream-side portions in each of which a channel corresponding to one of the plurality of inlet parts is defined, and a downstream-side portion which communicates with the plurality of upstream-side portions, and in which a channel communicating with the plurality of individual outlet parts is defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Katayama, Toru Kakiuchi
  • Publication number: 20220203682
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head is provided, the liquid discharge head comprising a plurality of individual channels, a first manifold connected to the plurality of individual channels, a second manifold connected to the plurality of individual channels, and a bypass channel connecting the first manifold and the second manifold and being distinct from the individual channels. A flow channel resistance Rct brought about by the plurality of individual channels, a flow channel resistance Rbp of the bypass channel, a bending loss ?P provided when the liquid flows from the first manifold via the bypass channel to the second manifold, and a flow rate Q of the liquid flowing through the bypass channel fulfill a relationship of: 0.5<[Rct/(Rbp+(?P/Q))]<2.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Shotaro KANZAKI, Toru KAKIUCHI, Takaaki YOSHINO, Taisuke MIZUNO, Jiro YAMAMOTO