Patents by Inventor Toshio Kumagai

Toshio Kumagai 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: 10226954
    Abstract: An ink jet apparatus includes a head, a circuit substrate, a cover frame, a heat sink, a fan, and a wall section. The cover frame supports the circuit substrate that has a drive circuit that drives the head inside of the cover frame and has a through hole. The heat sink that dissipates heat generated in the circuit substrate is disposed inside of the cover frame and has a part that is in direct or indirect contact with the circuit substrate. The fan generates air flow and is arranged such that the fan and the heat sink face to each other via the through hole. The wall section is disposed inside of the cover frame such that the air flow is not directly blown against the drive circuit and the air flow having changed a direction after blown against the heat sink is not blown against the drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kitazawa, Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20180257385
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu ARUGA, Toshio KUMAGAI, Hitoshi MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 10029483
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes ejecting an ultraviolet-ray curable ink of which a viscosity at 28° C. is 8 mPa·s or more from a head to a recording medium, and curing the ultraviolet-ray curable ink attached to the recording medium, wherein, in the ejecting of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink, the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is heated such that a temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink becomes 28° C. to 40° C., and a viscosity of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink at the temperature is 15 mPa·s or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Mizutaki, Toshio Kumagai, Masaaki Ando, Hiroaki Kida, Kaoru Koike, Mitsuaki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 10005288
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Aruga, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20180154658
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes ejecting an ultraviolet-ray curable ink of which a viscosity at 28° C. is 8 mPa·s or more from a head to a recording medium, and curing the ultraviolet-ray curable ink attached to the recording medium, wherein, in the ejecting of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink, the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is heated such that a temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink becomes 28° C. to 40° C., and a viscosity of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink at the temperature is 15 mPa·s or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Mizutaki, Toshio Kumagai, Masaaki Ando, Hiroaki Kida, Kaoru Koike, Mitsuaki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 9925790
    Abstract: A valve driving device including a primary liquid chamber, a secondary liquid chamber, a valve body that opens and closes a communication flow channel through which the primary liquid chamber and the secondary liquid chamber are in communication, a pressure receiving member that partitions the secondary liquid chamber and atmospheric air in a liquid tight manner, and an operation member that opens and closes the valve body by transmitting the reaction of the pressure receiving member to the valve body, in which the pressure receiving member includes a pressure receiving plate portion that operates the operation member, and a pressure receiving film portion that is provided in the periphery of the pressure receiving plate portion, the valve driving device including a pressing driving portion that removes pressing of the pressure receiving plate portion prior to that of the pressure receiving film portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hori, Toshio Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9925803
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: an ejection head that prints an image on a recording medium supported by a support member by ejecting liquid from a nozzle formed in a portion facing the support member; and an irradiation section that includes a housing which is open toward the support member, and a light emitting section housed in the housing and emitting light to cure the liquid, the irradiation section being configured such that light emitted from the light emitting section is irradiated onto the recording medium supported by the support member via the opening, wherein the housing includes an inclined section which extends from the opening toward the ejection head such that a distance from the inclined section to the support member decreases toward the ejection head, and the inclined section is provided so that ?2>?1 is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hori, Masaaki Ando, Toshio Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9884487
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes ejecting an ultraviolet-ray curable ink of which a viscosity at 28° C. is 8 mPa·s or more from a head to a recording medium, and curing the ultraviolet-ray curable ink attached to the recording medium, wherein, in the ejecting of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink, the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is heated such that a temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink becomes 28° C. to 40° C., and a viscosity of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink at the temperature is 15 mPa·s or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Mizutaki, Toshio Kumagai, Masaaki Ando, Hiroaki Kida, Kaoru Koike, Mitsuaki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 9878547
    Abstract: A cleaning liquid supplying apparatus includes a first storage section, a pressure-accumulating second storage section, a plurality of cleaning liquid ejecting sections, a liquid sending section, a plurality of individual flow channel opening/closing sections, and a control section. The first storage section stores cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid ejecting sections are connected to the second storage section via a plurality of individual flow channels having upstream ends located at positions where the upstream ends are open to a liquid reservoir when a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid is stored in the second storage section. The liquid sending section is provided midway along a first flow channel and sends the cleaning liquid in the first storage section to the second storage section. The individual flow channel opening/closing sections open/close the respective individual flow channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiko Hamamoto, Toshio Kumagai, Hiroshi Asawa
  • Publication number: 20180009248
    Abstract: An ink jet apparatus includes a head, a circuit substrate, a cover frame, a heat sink, a fan, and a wall section. The cover frame supports the circuit substrate that has a drive circuit that drives the head inside of the cover frame and has a through hole. The heat sink that dissipates heat generated in the circuit substrate is disposed inside of the cover frame and has a part that is in direct or indirect contact with the circuit substrate. The fan generates air flow and is arranged such that the fan and the heat sink face to each other via the through hole. The wall section is disposed inside of the cover frame such that the air flow is not directly blown against the drive circuit and the air flow having changed a direction after blown against the heat sink is not blown against the drive circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Koji Kitazawa, Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20170341409
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu ARUGA, Toshio KUMAGAI, Hitoshi MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170313100
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: an ejection head that prints an image on a recording medium supported by a support member by ejecting liquid from a nozzle formed in a portion facing the support member; and an irradiation section that includes a housing which is open toward the support member, and a light emitting section housed in the housing and emitting light to cure the liquid, the irradiation section being configured such that light emitted from the light emitting section is irradiated onto the recording medium supported by the support member via the opening, wherein the housing includes an inclined section which extends from the opening toward the ejection head such that a distance from the inclined section to the support member decreases toward the ejection head, and the inclined section is provided so that ?2>?1 is established.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhito HORI, Masaaki ANDO, Toshio KUMAGAI
  • Patent number: 9796199
    Abstract: An ink jet apparatus includes: a head that discharges liquid; a circuit substrate that has a drive circuit for driving the head; a heat sink which has a part that is in direct or indirect contact with the circuit substrate and is able to dissipate heat generated in the circuit substrate; and a fan that generates air flow capable of cooling the heat sink. The heat sink is configured such that the air flow is not directly blown against the drive circuit and such that the air flow having changed a direction after blown against the heat sink is not blown against the drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kitazawa, Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20170274660
    Abstract: A cleaning liquid supplying apparatus includes a first storage section, a pressure-accumulating second storage section, a plurality of cleaning liquid ejecting sections, a liquid sending section, a plurality of individual flow channel opening/closing sections, and a control section. The first storage section stores cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid ejecting sections are connected to the second storage section via a plurality of individual flow channels having upstream ends located at positions where the upstream ends are open to a liquid reservoir when a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid is stored in the second storage section. The liquid sending section is provided midway along a first flow channel and sends the cleaning liquid in the first storage section to the second storage section. The individual flow channel opening/closing sections open/close the respective individual flow channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Seiko HAMAMOTO, Toshio KUMAGAI, Hiroshi ASAWA
  • Patent number: 9770917
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Aruga, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170266979
    Abstract: A valve driving device including a primary liquid chamber, a secondary liquid chamber, a valve body that opens and closes a communication flow channel through which the primary liquid chamber and the secondary liquid chamber are in communication, a pressure receiving member that partitions the secondary liquid chamber and atmospheric air in a liquid tight manner, and an operation member that opens and closes the valve body by transmitting the reaction of the pressure receiving member to the valve body, in which the pressure receiving member includes a pressure receiving plate portion that operates the operation member, and a pressure receiving film portion that is provided in the periphery of the pressure receiving plate portion, the valve driving device including a pressing driving portion that removes pressing of the pressure receiving plate portion prior to that of the pressure receiving film portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhito HORI, Toshio KUMAGAI
  • Publication number: 20170157946
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu ARUGA, Toshio KUMAGAI, Hitoshi MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9616669
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Aruga, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9550362
    Abstract: A mist collection device capable of suctioning and recovering mist generated at the time of ejecting a liquid is disclosed. The mist collection device includes an exhaust duct having a suction portion which is installed to extend downwardly to suction external air. The suction portion is provided with a suction port extending in a vertical direction, and an upper end portion, which communicates with the exhaust duct, of the suction portion is installed to protrude in an annular shape from an inner bottom portion of the exhaust duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9498966
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Aruga, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto