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).

  • Publication number: 20140253633
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus which includes a discharge head that includes a nozzle forming surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed; a wiping member that performs wiping by relatively moving on the nozzle forming surface while abutting on the nozzle forming surface; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid provided for the wiping; and a control unit that performs reciprocating wiping control which performs the wiping by causing the wiping member for holding the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit to perform a reciprocating operation in which, after relative movement is performed in a first direction along the nozzle forming surface, relative movement is performed in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro KOBAYASHI, Toshio KUMAGAI, Norihiro MASUDA, Katsuyoshi ONODERA
  • Publication number: 20140253634
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus which includes: a discharge head that includes a nozzle forming surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed; a wiping member that performs wiping by relatively moving on the nozzle forming surface in a state in which a wiping surface abuts on the nozzle forming surface; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to a liquid supplied surface which is a different surface from the nozzle forming surface and with which the wiping surface can come into contact; and a control unit that causes the wiping surface to abut on the liquid supplied surface to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and then causes the wiping surface to relatively move on the nozzle forming surface in a state in which the wiping surface abuts on the nozzle forming surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro KOBAYASHI, Toshio KUMAGAI, Katsuyoshi ONODERA, Kazutoshi SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20140247313
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a main tank configured to agitate a liquid accommodated in the main tank; a sub tank configured to receive the liquid supplied from the main tank; heads that eject the liquid supplied from the sub tank; and a liquid supply tube having connector tubes that branch off to the heads respectively; a pump that sucks liquid from the main tank and discharges such liquid to the sub tank; and a valve separated from the pump that operates to allow or restrict flow of the liquid between the main tank and the sub tank. The main ink tank may include a drawer assembly, a portion of which is manually movable to agitate the liquid. The main tank may have a capacity that is greater than that of the sub tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20140225959
    Abstract: A printing apparatus which performs printing by ejecting liquid onto a printing medium includes a gas flow generating section that generates a gas flow to collect and exhaust liquid not used for printing, and a gas-liquid separation cyclone that swirls the gas flow so that the liquid is centrifugally separated from a gas which moves along the gas flow, wherein the gas flow generating section exhausts the gas along the gas flow after the liquid is separated from the gas by the gas-liquid separation cyclone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro KOBAYASHI, Toshio KUMAGAI, Norihiro MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20140210909
    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: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiharu ARUGA, Toshio KUMAGAI, Hitoshi MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 8783826
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle that ejects fluid; a transporting section that transports in a direction of transportation a medium on which the fluid lands; and a mist sucking section that sucks air including a mist portion when the nozzle ejects the fluid, so as to move the mist portion from a route that extends from the nozzle to the spot on the medium where the fluid lands. The mist portion is a portion of mist, which is part of the fluid ejected by the nozzle that does not land on the medium and is floating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Koike, Toshio Kumagai, Hiroki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8764140
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid storage unit that stores a liquid; a tank having a liquid capacity greater than that of the liquid storage unit; a liquid supply unit supplying the liquid in the liquid storage unit to the tank; an agitation device that agitates the liquid accommodated in the tank; and a liquid ejection unit that ejects the liquid from the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20140168296
    Abstract: When filling a printing head with ink, ink in a sub-tank is circulated through a forward path port, a forward path, the printing head, a return path, a return path port, and the sub-tank by pumping ink from the forward path port side to the printing head side by a circulation pump in a state where a plurality of nozzles is sealed by bringing a contact member of a capping device into contact with a nozzle formation surface. Thereafter, sealing of the plurality of nozzles by the capping device is released while pressurizing the sub-tank by a pressure adjusting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaoru KOIKE, Toshio KUMAGAI
  • Patent number: 8727490
    Abstract: A fluid discharging apparatus includes: a nozzle for discharging fluid onto a medium; and a rotating body that has a holding region for holding the medium and a non-holding region on its peripheral surface and that rotates while facing the peripheral surface toward the nozzle. The rotating body includes a receiving member for receiving fluid discharged from the nozzle for flushing when the non-holding region faces the nozzle and a removing member for removing the fluid, received by the receiving member, from the receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Kumagai, Kaoru Koike
  • Patent number: 8727514
    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: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Aruga, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8708467
    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: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Aruga, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8690301
    Abstract: When filling a printing head with ink, ink in a sub-tank is circulated through a forward path port, a forward path, the printing head, a return path, a return path port, and the sub-tank by pumping ink from the forward path port side to the printing head side by a circulation pump in a state where a plurality of nozzles is sealed by bringing a contact member of a capping device into contact with a nozzle formation surface. Thereafter, sealing of the plurality of nozzles by the capping device is released while pressurizing the sub-tank by a pressure adjusting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Koike, Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20140071214
    Abstract: A filter unit includes: a space portion, through which a liquid passes, whose outer cross-sectional shape when cut along the direction orthogonal to the axial direction is circular or polygonal; a filter provided at the surface on one end side of the space portion in the axial direction thereof; a protruding member, provided at the surface on the other end side of the space portion in the axial direction thereof, that protrudes toward a center area of the surface on the one end side of the space portion; an inflow channel that allows the liquid to flow into the space portion from a direction tangential to the side circumferential surface of the space portion; and an outflow channel that allows the liquid to pass through the filter and flow out from the space portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaoru KOIKE, Toshio KUMAGAI, Masaaki ANDO, Haruhisa UEZAWA
  • Publication number: 20140055538
    Abstract: There is provided an ink cartridge which is formed from an ink-filled ink pack and a hermetic outer shell case for housing the ink pack and which supplies ink to a recording head by means of application of air pressure to a space between the outer shell case and the ink pack. The outer shell case is formed by coupling an upper case and a lower case together. The ink-filled ink pack is housed in the lower case, and the upper case is laid on the lower case from above. The upper and lower cases are hermetically sealed by vibratory welding or heat welding, thus constituting the ink cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taku ISHIZAWA, Toshio KUMAGAI, Masanori KAMIJYO
  • Patent number: 8657415
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a common liquid chamber which is common to each pressure chamber and stores ink, a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber which communicate with the common liquid chamber, a first nozzle which communicates with the first pressure chamber and a second nozzle which communicates with the second pressure chamber, a first piezoelectric vibrator which causes pressure fluctuation in ink in the first pressure chamber and a second piezoelectric vibrator which causes pressure fluctuation in ink in the second pressure chamber, and a communication flow path which makes the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber communicate with each other, wherein the flow of ink is generated in the communication flow path by driving the first piezoelectric vibrator and the second piezoelectric vibrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20140043415
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid storage unit that stores a liquid; a tank having a liquid capacity greater than that of the liquid storage unit; a liquid supply unit supplying the liquid in the liquid storage unit to the tank; an agitation device that agitates the liquid accommodated in the tank; and a liquid ejection unit that ejects the liquid from the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Toshio Kumagai
  • Patent number: 8636347
    Abstract: There is provided an ink cartridge which is formed from an ink-filled ink pack and a hermetic outer shell case for housing the ink pack and which supplies ink to a recording head by means of application of air pressure to a space between the outer shell case and the ink pack. The outer shell case is formed by coupling an upper case and a lower case together. The ink-filled ink pack is housed in the lower case, and the upper case is laid on the lower case from above. The upper and lower cases are hermetically sealed by vibratory welding or heat welding, thus constituting the ink cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Taku Ishizawa, Toshio Kumagai, Masanori Kamijyo
  • Publication number: 20140002543
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle that ejects fluid; a transporting section that transports in a direction of transportation a medium on which the fluid lands; and a mist sucking section that sucks air including a mist portion when the nozzle ejects the fluid, so as to move the mist portion from a route that extends from the nozzle to the spot on the medium where the fluid lands. The mist portion is a portion of mist, which is part of the fluid ejected by the nozzle that does not land on the medium and is floating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru KOIKE, Toshio KUMAGAI, Hiroki MATSUOKA
  • Patent number: 8608269
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a drum that rotates while holding a medium on its outer periphery, a head that ejects a fluid on to the medium held on the periphery of the drum, a fixing section that fixes the fluid ejected on to the medium by the head, a measuring section that measures a diameter of the drum, and a controller that varies an ejection timing of the fluid ejected from the head in accordance with variation in the diameter of the drum measured by the measuring section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Usuda, Hideo Noro, Toshio Kumagai, Shinichi Kamoshida
  • Patent number: 8596775
    Abstract: A filter unit includes: a space portion, through which a liquid passes, whose outer cross-sectional shape when cut along the direction orthogonal to the axial direction is circular or polygonal; a filter provided at the surface on one end side of the space portion in the axial direction thereof; a protruding member, provided at the surface on the other end side of the space portion in the axial direction thereof, that protrudes toward a center area of the surface on the one end side of the space portion; an inflow channel that allows the liquid to flow into the space portion from a direction tangential to the side circumferential surface of the space portion; and an outflow channel that allows the liquid to pass through the filter and flow out from the space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Koike, Toshio Kumagai, Masaaki Ando, Haruhisa Uezawa