Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Kusakari

Tsutomu Kusakari 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: 10035345
    Abstract: A control method for an inkjet recording apparatus includes: a head housing step of housing in a head housing part an inkjet head having a nozzle surface on which nozzles configured to eject an ink are formed; a humidity acquiring step of acquiring a relative humidity of the nozzle surface of the inkjet head housed in the head housing part; and a temperature and humidity regulating step of performing at least one of a humidification process and a dehumidification process according to the relative humidity of the nozzle surface acquired in by the humidity acquiring step to set the relative humidity of the nozzle surface to 37% RH or more and 65% RH or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa Hattori, Yuichi Ozaki, Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 9895890
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that can correct bending of an ink jet head with a compact structure. First supporting frames 122 that support ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K and second supporting frames 170 that support a part of ink supply sections supplying ink to the ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K are mounted on a mount 300. The first supporting frames 122 are mounted on the mount 300 while both end portions of the first supporting frames 122 in a longitudinal direction are supported. Each of the second supporting frames 170 is provided with a bending correction mechanism 340 that applies a pressing force to the first supporting frame 122 to correct the bending of the first supporting frame 122.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko Koga, Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Publication number: 20170368827
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that can correct bending of an ink jet head with a compact structure. First supporting frames 122 that support ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K and second supporting frames 170 that support a part of ink supply sections supplying ink to the ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K are mounted on a mount 300. The first supporting frames 122 are mounted on the mount 300 while both end portions of the first supporting frames 122 in a longitudinal direction are supported. Each of the second supporting frames 170 is provided with a bending correction mechanism 340 that applies a pressing force to the first supporting frame 122 to correct the bending of the first supporting frame 122.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko KOGA, Tsutomu KUSAKARI
  • Publication number: 20170266964
    Abstract: A control method for an inkjet recording apparatus includes: a head housing step of housing in a head housing part an inkjet head having a nozzle surface on which nozzles configured to eject an ink are formed; a humidity acquiring step of acquiring a relative humidity of the nozzle surface of the inkjet head housed in the head housing part; and a temperature and humidity regulating step of performing at least one of a humidification process and a dehumidification process according to the relative humidity of the nozzle surface acquired in by the humidity acquiring step to set the relative humidity of the nozzle surface to 37% RH or more and 65% RH or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa HATTORI, Yuichi OZAKI, Tsutomu KUSAKARI
  • Patent number: 9233534
    Abstract: Provided are a droplet-discharging head, a droplet-discharging device, and a method for positioning head modules of the droplet-discharging head in which the job of adjusting head module installation positions can be easily performed. In an ink jet head (200) configured by linking multiple head modules (210) together, each head modules (210) is mounted on a base frame (212) supported by a head module support unit provided on the base frame (212). The mounting positions of the head modules (210) in an X-direction mounted on the base frame (212) are individually adjusted by X-directional mounting position adjustment unit. The amounts of displacement of the head modules (210) here are detected by displacement detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko Koga, Tsutomu Kusakari, Makoto Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20150202867
    Abstract: Provided are a droplet-discharging head, a droplet-discharging device, and a method for positioning head modules of the droplet-discharging head in which the job of adjusting head module installation positions can be easily performed. In an ink jet head (200) configured by linking multiple head modules (210) together, each head modules (210) is mounted on a base frame (212) supported by a head module support unit provided on the base frame (212). The mounting positions of the head modules (210) in an X-direction mounted on the base frame (212) are individually adjusted by X-directional mounting position adjustment unit. The amounts of displacement of the head modules (210) here are detected by displacement detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko KOGA, Tsutomu KUSAKARI, Makoto TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 8746844
    Abstract: A fluid ejection apparatus includes a printhead having a substrate. The substrate includes a nozzle face having a width direction and a length direction. The nozzle face includes a set of four columns of nozzles oriented in a column direction substantially along the width direction of the nozzle face, and the nozzles in each column are positioned on a straight line along the column. A spacing between two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns is different than a spacing between another two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns. In some implementations, a controller can control timing of ejection of fluid droplets from the nozzles to deposit lines of fluid droplets on a medium, and the medium can travel relative to the nozzle face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kusakari, Kevin von Essen, Paul A. Hoisington
  • Patent number: 8672433
    Abstract: According to the liquid ejection head and the liquid ejection apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reduce wasted nozzles in a joint section by reducing the total number of nozzles NA included in a joint section between head units that are positioned and fixed with high accuracy, while diminishing discontinuity of liquid ejection in joint sections between head units and joint sections between intermediate units, and furthermore, it is possible to make the replacement of each intermediate unit easy and hence to reduce the work involved in replacing intermediate units by further increasing the total number of nozzles NB included in joint sections between intermediate units which are fixed with less strict positioning accuracy than the head units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 8591003
    Abstract: A fluid ejection apparatus includes a printhead having a substrate. The substrate includes a nozzle face having a width direction and a length direction. The nozzle face includes a set of four columns of nozzles oriented in a column direction substantially along the width direction of the nozzle face, and the nozzles in each column are positioned on a straight line along the column. A spacing between two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns is different than a spacing between another two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns. In some implementations, a controller can control timing of ejection of fluid droplets from the nozzles to deposit lines of fluid droplets on a medium, and the medium can travel relative to the nozzle face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kusakari, Kevin Von Essen, Paul A. Hoisington
  • Publication number: 20130050315
    Abstract: According to the liquid ejection head and the liquid ejection apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reduce wasted nozzles in a joint section by reducing the total number of nozzles NA included in a joint section between head units that are positioned and fixed with high accuracy, while diminishing discontinuity of liquid ejection in joint sections between head units and joint sections between intermediate units, and furthermore, it is possible to make the replacement of each intermediate unit easy and hence to reduce the work involved in replacing intermediate units by further increasing the total number of nozzles NB included in joint sections between intermediate units which are fixed with less strict positioning accuracy than the head units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventor: Tsutomu KUSAKARI
  • Publication number: 20120162316
    Abstract: A fluid ejection apparatus includes a printhead having a substrate. The substrate includes a nozzle face having a width direction and a length direction. The nozzle face includes a set of four columns of nozzles oriented in a column direction substantially along the width direction of the nozzle face, and the nozzles in each column are positioned on a straight line along the column. A spacing between two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns is different than a spacing between another two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns. In some implementations, a controller can control timing of ejection of fluid droplets from the nozzles to deposit lines of fluid droplets on a medium, and the medium can travel relative to the nozzle face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kusakari, Kevin Von Essen, Paul A. Hoisington
  • Publication number: 20110187773
    Abstract: A fluid ejection apparatus includes a printhead having a substrate. The substrate includes a nozzle face having a width direction and a length direction. The nozzle face includes a set of four columns of nozzles oriented in a column direction substantially along the width direction of the nozzle face, and the nozzles in each column are positioned on a straight line along the column. A spacing between two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns is different than a spacing between another two adjacent columns of the four adjacent columns. In some implementations, a controller can control timing of ejection of fluid droplets from the nozzles to deposit lines of fluid droplets on a medium, and the medium can travel relative to the nozzle face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kusakari, Kevin Von Essen, Paul A. Hoisington
  • Patent number: 7971981
    Abstract: A liquid circulation apparatus includes: a plurality of liquid ejection elements each of which includes a nozzle, a pressure chamber which is connected to the nozzle and accommodates liquid, and a piezoelectric element which displaces a wall of the pressure chamber to eject the liquid in the pressure chamber through the nozzle; a plurality of individual supply channels which are respectively connected to the liquid ejection elements; a common supply channel which is connected to the individual supply channels, the liquid being supplied from the common supply channel to the liquid ejection elements through the individual supply channels; a plurality of individual circulation channels which are respectively connected to the liquid ejection elements; a common circulation channel which is connected to the individual circulation channels, the liquid being circulated from the liquid ejection elements to the common circulation channel through the individual circulation channels; and a control device which controls a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventors: Kanji Nagashima, Tadashi Kyoso, Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 7775624
    Abstract: The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles which are disposed in a planar nozzle surface and from which liquid is ejected, includes: a first suction cap which covers a partial region of the planar nozzle surface and which has a contact portion being constituted by an elastic body and making contact with the planar nozzle surface, the partial region being smaller than area of the planar nozzle surface in which the nozzles are disposed and being larger than cross-sectional area of one of the nozzles; a suction cap movement device which moves the first suction cap in parallel with the planar nozzle surface while causing the contact portion of the first suction cap to make contact with the planar nozzle surface; a nozzle abnormality detection device which detects an abnormal nozzle suffering an abnormality, in the nozzles; and a suction control device which causes the first suction cap to suction the liquid in the abnormal nozzle detected by the nozzle abnormality
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 7645017
    Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus comprises: a liquid ejection head having a plurality of ejection ports which eject droplets of liquid; a light emitting device which emits a determination light beam intersecting with flight paths of the droplets ejected from at least two of the ejection ports to be examined; a light receiving device which receives the determination light beam having passed through the flight paths of the droplets and outputs a determination signal corresponding to an amount of received light; an ejection port selection device which selects the at least two of the ejection ports to be examined so that the at least two of the ejection ports are disposed on a line parallel to an optical axis of the determination light beam, and that a distance between the at least two of the ejection ports along the optical axis of the determination light beam is smaller than a prescribed specific distance; an ejection control device which performs ejection driving to eject the droplets at substantially same time f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kusakari, Tsutomu Takatsuka
  • Patent number: 7643667
    Abstract: The image recording apparatus comprises: a recording device having a plurality of recording elements which record an image onto a recording medium; an extraction device which extracts a region satisfying a prescribed extraction condition according to information of the image recorded on the recording medium by the recording device; a reading device which reads in the image recorded on the recording medium and accordingly outputs read information; and a recording element abnormality determination device which determines abnormalities of the recording elements corresponding to the image in the extracted region extracted by the extraction device according to the read information of the region extracted by the extraction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 7611221
    Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus comprises: a liquid ejection head having a plurality of ejection ports which eject droplets of liquid; a light emitting device which emits a determination light beam intersecting with flight paths of the droplets ejected from at least two of the ejection ports to be examined; a light receiving device which receives the determination light beam having passed through the flight paths of the droplets and outputs a determination signal corresponding to an amount of received light; an ejection port selection device which selects the at least two of the ejection ports to be examined so that the at least two of the ejection ports are disposed on a line parallel to an optical axis of the determination light beam, and that a distance between the at least two of the ejection ports along the optical axis of the determination light beam is smaller than a prescribed specific distance; an ejection control device which performs ejection driving to eject the droplets at substantially same time f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kusakari, Tsutomu Takatsuka
  • Patent number: 7524040
    Abstract: The liquid ejection head comprises: an ejection hole which ejects liquid; a pressure chamber which accommodates the liquid to be ejected from the ejection hole; an ejection force generating element which applies an ejection force to the liquid inside the pressure chamber; and a pressure measurement device including a capacitance-type pressure measurement element which measures pressure generated in the pressure chamber, the pressure measurement device having a resistance and a capacitance whereby frequency f and cut-off frequency fC of a measurement signal obtained from the pressure measurement element in accordance with the pressure generated in the pressure chamber satisfy a relationship of f<fC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corp.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 7461913
    Abstract: The liquid droplet ejection apparatus comprises: a liquid droplet ejection head which includes a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with a plurality of nozzles through which droplets of liquid is ejected toward a recording medium; a plurality of resistance elements which determine pressure inside the pressure chambers, the resistance elements presenting in a number of equal to or less than a number of nozzles; and a determination circuit in which a bridge circuit is configured with a group of four of the resistance elements and determines a state of droplet ejection of each of the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Publication number: 20080238980
    Abstract: A liquid circulation apparatus includes: a plurality of liquid ejection elements each of which includes a nozzle, a pressure chamber which is connected to the nozzle and accommodates liquid, and a piezoelectric element which displaces a wall of the pressure chamber to eject the liquid in the pressure chamber through the nozzle; a plurality of individual supply channels which are respectively connected to the liquid ejection elements; a common supply channel which is connected to the individual supply channels, the liquid being supplied from the common supply channel to the liquid ejection elements through the individual supply channels; a plurality of individual circulation channels which are respectively connected to the liquid ejection elements; a common circulation channel which is connected to the individual circulation channels, the liquid being circulated from the liquid ejection elements to the common circulation channel through the individual circulation channels; and a control device which controls a
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Kanji NAGASHIMA, Tadashi Kyoso, Tsutomu Kusakari