Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Yokouchi

Tsutomu Yokouchi 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: 20220388306
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid jetting structure and its applications. The liquid jetting structure includes: a nozzle substrate on which a nozzle for jetting a liquid is formed; and a flow passage substrate on which a liquid flow passage communicating with the nozzle is formed, in which a first layer, a second layer, and a liquid-repellent layer are provided in this order on a jetting surface of the nozzle substrate, the first layer and the second layer are provided in this order on an inner wall of the liquid flow passage, the first layer is a layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, and hafnium oxide, and the second layer is a layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of SiO2, SiC, SiN, SiCN, and SiON.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi KOMATSU, Tsutomu YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 8960848
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes: a nozzle plate formed with a nozzle aperture through which liquid is ejected; and a flow channel plate formed with at least a flow channel connected to the nozzle aperture, the flow channel plate being bonded to the nozzle plate with the flow channel aligned to the nozzle aperture in the nozzle plate, wherein the nozzle plate is provided with a detection element configured to detect a mechanical abnormality in the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8851623
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid ejection device and a maintenance method thereof which are capable of effectively removing, for example, a liquid in a gap between heads. The liquid ejection device includes: a line head which includes a plurality of heads connected to each other in a longitudinal direction and in which a liquid-repellent treatment is performed for a side surface of each head facing an adjacent head; a tube supporting member that is provided between adjacent heads on a side opposite to a liquid ejection surface of the head and supports a tube having one end inserted between the heads; and a gas supply unit that is connected to the other end of the tube and supplies gas between the heads from the one end of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8696088
    Abstract: A nozzle surface cleaning apparatus wipes a nozzle surface of a droplet ejection head. The apparatus includes: a wiping member which wipes the nozzle surface in which a nozzle aperture is formed; a head movement device which causes movement of the droplet ejection head in a head movement plane and in a head movement direction; and a fine vibration device which causes vibration of one of the wiping member and the droplet ejection head in a vibration plane and in a vibration direction, the vibration plane being parallel to the head movement plane, the vibration direction being different to the head movement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Norihisa Takada, Hiroshi Inoue, Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20130249997
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid ejection device and a maintenance method thereof which are capable of effectively removing, for example, a liquid in a gap between heads. The liquid ejection device includes: a line head which includes a plurality of heads connected to each other in a longitudinal direction and in which a liquid-repellent treatment is performed for a side surface of each head facing an adjacent head; a tube supporting member that is provided between adjacent heads on a side opposite to a liquid ejection surface of the head and supports a tube having one end inserted between the heads; and a gas supply unit that is connected to the other end of the tube and supplies gas between the heads from the one end of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 8413328
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flow channel substrate, includes the steps of: forming two uneven shapes on a substrate in such a manner that the two uneven shapes follow a liquid flow channel at perimeters of a location where the liquid flow channel is to be formed and the two uneven shapes are configured to prevent a dissolvable resin forming a sacrificial layer from spreading during a heat treatment; forming, between the two uneven shapes on the substrate, the sacrificial layer which is made of the dissolvable resin and has a shape of the liquid flow channel; applying, by the heat treatment, a rounded shape to a corner section of the sacrificial layer on a side which is not in contact with the substrate; forming a coating resin layer on the substrate and the sacrificial layer; patterning the coating resin layer; and dissolving the dissolvable resin forming the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20130070012
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes: a nozzle plate formed with a nozzle aperture through which liquid is ejected; and a flow channel plate formed with at least a flow channel connected to the nozzle aperture, the flow channel plate being bonded to the nozzle plate with the flow channel aligned to the nozzle aperture in the nozzle plate, wherein the nozzle plate is provided with a detection element configured to detect a mechanical abnormality in the nozzle plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 8371685
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes: a pressure chamber; an actuator which expands and contracts volume of the pressure chamber; an ink supply flow channel; an individual supply flow channel having one end connected to the ink supply flow channel and another end connected to the pressure chamber, for guiding ink from the ink supply flow channel to the pressure chamber; a nozzle which ejects the ink; a nozzle flow channel having one end connected to the pressure chamber and another end connected to the nozzle, for guiding the ink from the pressure chamber to the nozzle; an ink recovery flow channel; an individual recovery flow channel having one end connected to the nozzle flow channel at a prescribed connection position set at an intermediate point of the nozzle flow channel and another end connected to the ink recovery flow channel, for guiding the ink from the nozzle flow channel to the ink recovery flow channel; an ink flow generation device which generates a flow of the ink from the nozzle flow channel toward the ind
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kusunoki, Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20120050394
    Abstract: A nozzle surface cleaning apparatus wipes a nozzle surface of a droplet ejection head. The apparatus includes: a wiping member which wipes the nozzle surface in which a nozzle aperture is formed; a head movement device which causes movement of the droplet ejection head in a head movement plane and in a head movement direction; and a fine vibration device which causes vibration of one of the wiping member and the droplet ejection head in a vibration plane and in a vibration direction, the vibration plane being parallel to the head movement plane, the vibration direction being different to the head movement direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Norihisa TAKADA, Hiroshi Inoue, Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8123334
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head has: a nozzle plate having a nozzle surface in which at least one nozzle for ejecting droplets of a liquid are formed; an anti-drying liquid supply port which supplies an anti-drying liquid to the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate; a flow channel portion which is formed in the nozzle surface and through which the anti-drying liquid supplied to the nozzle surface from the anti-drying liquid supply port flows; and an anti-drying liquid discharge port which suctions and discharges the anti-drying liquid flowing through the flow channel portion on the nozzle surface, from the nozzle surface, wherein, while the anti-drying liquid flows through the flow channel portion, the anti-drying liquid evaporates to increase humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Yokouchi, Yoshimitsu Arai
  • Publication number: 20110285789
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing at least one projecting section of a nozzle plate used in a liquid ejection head, includes: a partial lyophilic rendering step of rendering a lyophilic characteristic to a portion of a lyophobic film provided on an ejection surface side of a substrate in which a nozzle is formed, so as to form a lyophobic portion and a lyophilic portion on the ejection surface side of the substrate; a resin deposition step of depositing a curable resin on the lyophilic portion which has been rendered the lyophilic characteristic; and a curing step of curing the resin deposited on the lyophilic portion in such a manner that the cured resin forms the projecting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8038891
    Abstract: The method of manufacturing a nozzle plate includes: a lyophobic film forming step of preparing a nozzle plate having a recess-shaped counterbore section and a nozzle opened in a bottom surface of the counterbore section, and forming a lyophobic film on a surface of the nozzle plate including the bottom surface of the counterbore section of the nozzle plate and at least a portion of an inner wall of the nozzle; an abutting step of preparing a protective plate having a projecting section, and abutting a top surface of the projecting section of the protective plate against the bottom surface of the counterbore section of the nozzle plate in such a manner that the top surface of the projecting section of the protective plate makes tight contact with an opening edge of the nozzle on a liquid ejection side of the nozzle plate; a lyophobic film removing step of removing the lyophobic film from the inner wall of the nozzle of the nozzle plate by etching the nozzle plate from a liquid supply side which is opposite to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8012538
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing at least one projecting section of a nozzle plate used in a liquid ejection head, includes: a partial lyophilic rendering step of rendering a lyophilic characteristic to a portion of a lyophobic film provided on an ejection surface side of a substrate in which a nozzle is formed, so as to form a lyophobic portion and a lyophilic portion on the ejection surface side of the substrate; a resin deposition step of depositing a curable resin on the lyophilic portion which has been rendered the lyophilic characteristic; and a curing step of curing the resin deposited on the lyophilic portion in such a manner that the cured resin forms the projecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7963634
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes: an ejection port through which liquid is ejected; a liquid chamber which is connected to the ejection port, the liquid chamber being filled with the liquid; a pressurization device which is arranged on a wall of the liquid chamber, the pressurization device pressurizing the liquid in the liquid chamber; and a movable member which has a free end on a side of the ejection port and a fixed end on a side opposite to the ejection port, the free end being arranged at a prescribed distance from the wall of the liquid chamber so as to face the wall of the liquid chamber, the movable member including a first layer that is an internal layer, and second and third layers that are respectively arranged on both surfaces of the first layer, the second and third layers having a stress lower than the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7814657
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flow channel substrate for a liquid ejection head, includes at least the steps of: forming, on a substrate, a sacrificial layer which is made of a dissolvable resin and has a liquid flow channel shape; forming a lyophobic film on the substrate and the sacrificial layer; applying, by heat treatment, a rounded shape to a corner section of the sacrificial layer on a side which is not in contact with the substrate; removing the lyophobic film after the heat treatment; forming a coating resin layer on the substrate and the sacrificial layer after the lyophobic film is removed; patterning the coating resin layer; and dissolving the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20100214334
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes: a pressure chamber; an actuator which expands and contracts volume of the pressure chamber; an ink supply flow channel; an individual supply flow channel having one end connected to the ink supply flow channel and another end connected to the pressure chamber, for guiding ink from the ink supply flow channel to the pressure chamber; a nozzle which ejects the ink; a nozzle flow channel having one end connected to the pressure chamber and another end connected to the nozzle, for guiding the ink from the pressure chamber to the nozzle; an ink recovery flow channel; an individual recovery flow channel having one end connected to the nozzle flow channel at a prescribed connection position set at an intermediate point of the nozzle flow channel and another end connected to the ink recovery flow channel, for guiding the ink from the nozzle flow channel to the ink recovery flow channel; an ink flow generation device which generates a flow of the ink from the nozzle flow channel toward the ind
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kusunoki, Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7744194
    Abstract: The liquid ejection head comprises: ejection elements which include a plurality of ejection holes through which liquid is ejected, a plurality of pressure chambers in communication with the plurality of ejection holes, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements each of which deforms each of the pressure chambers and is provided on a side of the plurality of pressure chambers opposite from a side on which the ejection holes are formed; a common liquid chamber which supplies the liquid to the plurality of pressure chambers and is provided on a side of the pressure chambers opposite from the side on which the ejection holes are formed; a plurality of wiring members each of which is formed in such a manner that at least a portion of the wiring member rises upward from each of the piezoelectric elements or a vicinity of each of the piezoelectric elements through the common liquid chamber in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface on which the piezoelectric elements are disposed, each of the wiring memb
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7713429
    Abstract: The method of manufacturing a nozzle plate comprises the steps of: applying a protective sheet to a first surface of a nozzle plate in which nozzles are to be formed; forming holes which pass through the nozzle plate and have bottoms inside the protective sheet, from a side of a second surface of the nozzle plate reverse to the first surface; filling a filling material into the holes, from the side of the second surface; peeling away the protective sheet after the filling step; forming a liquid-repelling film on the first surface of the nozzle plate after the peeling step; and removing the filling material after the liquid-repelling film forming step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20100101087
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flow channel substrate for a liquid ejection head, includes at least the steps of: forming, on a substrate, a sacrificial layer which is made of a dissolvable resin and has a liquid flow channel shape; forming a lyophobic film on the substrate and the sacrificial layer; applying, by heat treatment, a rounded shape to a corner section of the sacrificial layer on a side which is not in contact with the substrate; removing the lyophobic film after the heat treatment; forming a coating resin layer on the substrate and the sacrificial layer after the lyophobic film is removed; patterning the coating resin layer; and dissolving the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventor: Tsutomu YOKOUCHI
  • Publication number: 20100066787
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head has: a nozzle plate having a nozzle surface in which at least one nozzle for ejecting droplets of a liquid are formed; an anti-drying liquid supply port which supplies an anti-drying liquid to the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate; a flow channel portion which is formed in the nozzle surface and through which the anti-drying liquid supplied to the nozzle surface from the anti-drying liquid supply port flows; and an anti-drying liquid discharge port which suctions and discharges the anti-drying liquid flowing through the flow channel portion on the nozzle surface, from the nozzle surface, wherein, while the anti-drying liquid flows through the flow channel portion, the anti-drying liquid evaporates to increase humidity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu YOKOUCHI, Yoshimitsu Arai