Patents by Inventor Toru Nakakubo

Toru Nakakubo 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: 20200207082
    Abstract: A driving method is provided which enables a liquid feeding apparatus using a driving element in a membrane shape to feed a liquid at high liquid feeding accuracy. To this end, a voltage applied to the driving element is controlled in such a way as to repeat a first period in which a first voltage is applied and a second period which is a longer period than the first period and used to effect a change between the first voltage and a second voltage lower than the first voltage, and in such a way as to switch between application and non-application of the first voltage during the first period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Rei Kurashima, Akihisa Iio, Takahiro Akiyama, Toru Nakakubo, Noriyuki Kaifu
  • Publication number: 20200198335
    Abstract: An object is to make it possible to stably eject a liquid from an ejection port by mitigating thickening of the liquid by evaporation from the ejection port. One embodiment of the present invention is a liquid ejection head that has: a support substrate; a liquid chamber arranged on the support substrate and provided with an energy generating element for generating energy necessary for ejection of a liquid and an ejection port from which the liquid is ejected; and a circulation flow path of the liquid that passes through the liquid chamber, and the liquid ejection head further has: a first circulating element that forms a first circulatory flow in the circulation flow path; and a second circulating element that forms a second circulatory flow inside the liquid chamber and a driving frequency of the first circulating element is lower than a driving frequency of the second circulating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Takuro Yamazaki, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Toru Nakakubo, Kazuhiro Yamada, Ryo Kasai
  • Publication number: 20200198342
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid ejection head, a liquid ejection apparatus, and a liquid ejection method capable of sufficiently suppressing the thickening of a liquid in an ejection orifice. To achieve the object, a liquid ejection head comprises: a pressure chamber; a channel in which a liquid is caused to flow through the pressure chamber; an ejection orifice communicating with the pressure chamber; and an ejection energy generation element configured to eject the liquid in the pressure chamber from the ejection orifice. The ejection orifice is such that a meniscus of the liquid is formed at an end portion of the ejection orifice communicating with the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Kazuhiro Yamada, Takuro Yamazaki, Toru Nakakubo, Ryo Kasai
  • Publication number: 20200198346
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, to improve a layout efficiency of an element substrate to be integrated in a printhead and reduce a production cost of the element substrate, a driving method and a size of a first driver transistor used for driving a first heater for ink circulation and a driving method and a size of a second driver transistor used for driving a second heater for discharging ink to print are optimized, respectively. More specifically, the first driver transistor and the second driver transistor have multi-finger configurations, gate widths of the multi-finger configurations are equal to each other, and the number of fingers forming each first driver transistor is different from the number of fingers forming each second driver transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Ryo Kasai, Kazuhiro Yamada, Takuro Yamazaki, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Toru Nakakubo
  • Patent number: 10682863
    Abstract: In a configuration having a circulation flow path in association with an ejection element, a liquid ejecting apparatus is capable of circulating liquid suitably and maintaining stable ejection operation while reducing liquid vaporization, a power supply capacity, and the effect of noise. For this purpose, in a configuration in which liquid delivery mechanisms that facilitate a flow in a flow path are prepared in association with pressure chambers, the liquid delivery mechanisms are divided into a plurality of blocks and the liquid delivery mechanisms included in each of the blocks are driven at different timings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuro Yamazaki, Toru Nakakubo, Kazuhiro Yamada, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Akiko Hammura
  • Patent number: 10668736
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head has a laminated flow path member on which a supply flow path for individually supplying a plurality of liquids to an element substrate and a collection flow path for individually collecting the liquids are formed. The supply flow path includes first and second common supply flow paths for horizontally leading first and second liquids to positions corresponding to a plurality of element substrates. The first and second common supply flow paths are formed in the same layer of the laminated flow path member. The collection flow path includes a first common collection flow path for horizontally collecting the first liquid and a second common collection flow path for horizontally collecting the second liquid from positions corresponding to the plurality of element substrates. The first and second common collection flow paths are formed in the same layer of the laminated flow path member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamada, Toru Nakakubo, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Shingo Okushima
  • Patent number: 10661565
    Abstract: In a circulating system which circulates liquid within a liquid ejecting head, thickening of liquid in the vicinity of an ejection port section can be more securely suppressed. The ejection port section includes a first ejection port disposed at an upstream side with respect to an ejecting direction of ink and a second ejection port disposed at a downstream side with respect to the ejecting direction. The second ejection port includes an enlarged diameter portion whose diameter is enlarged in a radially outward manner from at least a part of an opening edge portion of the first ejection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Takuro Yamazaki, Kazuhiro Yamada, Toru Nakakubo
  • Publication number: 20200147957
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a recording element substrate that ejects a liquid, a flow passage member provided with a flow passage that supplies the liquid to the recording element substrate, an elastic member having elasticity disposed between the recording element substrate and the flow passage member, and a fixing member that fixes the recording element substrate and the flow passage member. In the liquid ejection head, an area between the recording element substrate and the flow passage member through which the liquid flows is sealed by having the elastic member be deformed with the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Akio Saito, Toru Nakakubo, Yohei Nakamura, Zentaro Tamenaga
  • Publication number: 20200122476
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a recording element substrate. The recording element substrate includes a discharge aperture forming member defining a discharge aperture from which a liquid is discharged and a substrate having a pressure generating element that pressurizes the liquid so as to discharge the liquid. The liquid discharge head also includes a cover member that defines an opening through which the discharge aperture is exposed. The cover member is disposed on a side of the recording element substrate on which the discharge aperture is formed. In the liquid discharge head, the recording element substrate further includes an electrode disposed on a side of the substrate on which the discharge aperture forming member is formed and an insulation member that covers the electrode. In addition, the insulation member is covered by the cover member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Yohei Nakamura, Akio Saito, Zentaro Tamenaga, Toru Nakakubo
  • Publication number: 20200101759
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head is provided with a recording element substrate, and the recording element substrate includes an ejection port member, an electric wiring layer including a pressure generating element array and electric connection portions, and a silicon substrate including the ejection port member and the electric wiring layer on a front surface. The silicon substrate includes a first through hole and a second through hole that protrude the electric connection portions. The rear surface of the silicon substrate is a (100) surface. An extension line of a side extending along the [110] direction, out of sides of the opening of the first trough hole and an extension line of a side extending along the [110] direction, out of sides of the opening of the second through hole are displaced from each other in a direction orthogonal to the [110] direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Masataka Kato, Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Masaya Uyama, Toru Nakakubo, Tomohiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10589536
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid ejecting module capable of performing stable ejection operation while circulating and supplying fresh ink to the vicinity of ejection ports arranged in high density. To achieve this, a liquid ejecting module includes an element arranged face in which a plurality of ejecting elements are arranged, a circulation flow path including a supply flow path which supplies liquid to a pressure chamber and a collection flow path which collects liquid from the pressure chamber, and a liquid delivery mechanism provided in the circulation flow path for circulating liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid delivery mechanism is located lower than the element arranged face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Nakakubo, Takuro Yamazaki, Kazuhiro Yamada, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20200001604
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an ejection port member that includes an ejection port that ejects a liquid, an energy generating element that generates energy for ejecting the liquid from the ejection port, a terminal electrically connected to the energy generating element, and a substrate portion that supports the ejection port member, the energy generating element, and the terminal. The terminal is connected to a wire member that supplies electric power that drives the energy generating element to the energy generating element, the substrate portion includes a hole portion formed from a surface of the substrate portion on a side opposite to a surface of the substrate portion on which the terminal is provided to a surface where the terminal is exposed, and an area of the surface where the terminal is exposed is smaller than an area of an opening of the hole portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Souta Takeuchi, Takuya Hatsui, Masataka Kato, Masaya Uyama, Toru Nakakubo, Tomohiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200001605
    Abstract: A semiconductor element includes an insulation layer and a pad portion for electrical connection to an external portion by wire bonding. The insulation layer includes a plurality of projections projecting from a main surface of the insulation layer. The pad portion is disposed on an upper surface of each of the projections without extending beyond the upper surface of the projection on which the pad portion is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Masaya Uyama, Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Masataka Kato, Toru Nakakubo, Tomohiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20190366713
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including an element substrate including an ejection port, an energy generating element generating energy to eject a liquid from the ejection port, and a terminal electrically connected to the energy generating element, and an electric connection member connected to the terminal and that supplies electric power to the energy generating element. The element substrate includes a hole portion drilled from a surface of the element substrate opposite a surface of the element substrate in which the ejection port is provided to the terminal. A sealing member is provided inside the hole portion, the sealing member covering a connection portion. The liquid ejection head further includes a fixing member in contact with the surface of the element substrate in which the ejection port is formed, the fixing member being provided at a position corresponding to the hole portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Masataka Kato, Masaya Uyama, Toru Nakakubo, Tomohiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10493750
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a supply control section that controls the supply and stop of a liquid to pressure chambers communicating with ejection ports to eject the liquid, and a negative pressure generating section that generates a negative pressure. The liquid ejection apparatus also includes a negative pressure control unit using the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating section to adjust the pressure of the liquid flowing through a collection channel. To stop a flow of the liquid, the supply control section stops the supply of the liquid, and then the negative pressure generating section is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakamura, Kazuhiro Yamada, Toru Nakakubo, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Naozumi Nabeshima
  • Publication number: 20190344567
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejection head whose resolution may be enhanced without narrowing a wiring pitch, and a manufacturing method thereof. To that end, integrated circuits are arranged on a same substrate as that of piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Yohei Nakamura, Toru Nakakubo
  • Publication number: 20190315123
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate in which an ejection port for ejecting liquid is formed, a pressure chamber to house the liquid to be ejected from the ejection port and apply pressure to the liquid in the ejection, and a flow passage connected to the pressure chamber and configured to cause the liquid in the pressure chamber to circulate along the substrate. The ejection port has a non-circular shape, and the substrate is provided with a groove portion extending in a direction of the circulation and connected to the ejection port. According to the above-described configuration, the liquid ejection head can sufficiently extend a liquid circulation effect to a position near a meniscus while suppressing mixing of bubbles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventor: Toru Nakakubo
  • Patent number: 10442203
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus capable of maintaining high reliability include a first cover member including an aperture and covering a surface of a flow path member facing a print medium of the liquid ejection head, a second cover member covering a side surface of the liquid ejection head, and a displacement absorption part that absorbs the displacement between the first cover member and the second cover member. Furthermore, the space between the aperture and the flow path member is sealed with a sealing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Nakakubo, Satoshi Kimura, Shingo Okushima
  • Patent number: 10421287
    Abstract: A plurality of pressure chambers are formed in a circulation channel for liquid in order to array ejection ports in a high density in association with the circulation channel. The circulation channel is connected to a penetration supply path and a penetration recovery path that penetrate a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuro Yamazaki, Toru Nakakubo, Kazuhiro Yamada, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Hamada, Koichi Ishida, Shingo Okushima
  • Publication number: 20190232675
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid ejecting module capable of performing stable ejection operation while circulating and supplying fresh ink to the vicinity of ejection ports arranged in high density. To achieve this, a liquid ejecting module includes an element arranged face in which a plurality of ejecting elements are arranged, a circulation flow path including a supply flow path which supplies liquid to a pressure chamber and a collection flow path which collects liquid from the pressure chamber, and a liquid delivery mechanism provided in the circulation flow path for circulating liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid delivery mechanism is located lower than the element arranged face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Toru Nakakubo, Takuro Yamazaki, Kazuhiro Yamada, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa