Patents by Inventor Yuhei Chiwata

Yuhei Chiwata 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: 9815272
    Abstract: The ink jet recording apparatus includes: transport means that transports paper having a recording surface, on which an image is formed using an aqueous ink, along a transport path; heating means that is provided along the transport path; guide means that is provided along the transport path and supports the paper using a guide surface having suction holes; and suction means that suctions the paper through the suction holes of the guide surface, a suction region and a non-suction region are set when the paper is transported, the suction region in which the paper is suctioned by the suction means is set upstream of a first position of the transport path, the non-suction region is set downstream of the first position, and the first position is set at a position in which a residual water content in the paper is 1.0 g/m2 to 3.0 g/m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Publication number: 20170129258
    Abstract: The ink jet recording apparatus includes: transport means that transports paper having a recording surface, on which an image is formed using an aqueous ink, along a transport path; heating means that is provided along the transport path; guide means that is provided along the transport path and supports the paper using a guide surface having suction holes; and suction means that suctions the paper through the suction holes of the guide surface, a suction region and a non-suction region are set when the paper is transported, the suction region in which the paper is suctioned by the suction means is set upstream of a first position of the transport path, the non-suction region is set downstream of the first position, and the first position is set at a position in which a residual water content in the paper is 1.0 g/m2 to 3.0 g/m2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei CHIWATA
  • Patent number: 9630794
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device (77) is provided with a sheet discharge platform (76) on which image forming sheets (P), which have been subjected to heating and drying processing after images are formed using ink, are stacked; and a nozzle (162) that blows air to a side surface of a sheet bundle in a horizontal direction. Air is blown to the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet discharge platform (76) while the height of the sheet discharge platform (76) is adjusted by a sheet discharge platform raising and lowering device (100) so that a gap is formed between the sheets in the vertically middle portion of the sheet bundle. According to the sheet stacking device (77), a plurality of image forming sheets (P) can be efficiently cooled on the sheet discharge platform. Accordingly, the occurrence of blocking can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Chiwata, Takayuki Nakamura, Koji Furukawa, Shintaro Anzai
  • Publication number: 20160167411
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device (77) is provided with a sheet discharge platform (76) on which image forming sheets (P), which have been subjected to heating and drying processing after images are formed using ink, are stacked; and a nozzle (162) that blows air to a side surface of a sheet bundle in a horizontal direction. Air is blown to the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet discharge platform (76) while the height of the sheet discharge platform (76) is adjusted by a sheet discharge platform raising and lowering device (100) so that a gap is formed between the sheets in the vertically middle portion of the sheet bundle. According to the sheet stacking device (77), a plurality of image forming sheets (P) can be efficiently cooled on the sheet discharge platform. Accordingly, the occurrence of blocking can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Yuhei CHIWATA, Takayuki NAKAMURA, Koji FURUKAWA, Shintaro ANZAI
  • Patent number: 9163876
    Abstract: There is provided a drying device including: an airflow path extending in a direction intersecting with a conveyance path of a recording medium; an external air intake section that introduces external air into the airflow path; and a heating and blowing section provided to the airflow path that heats external air introduced into the airflow path and blows drying air onto a front face of the recording medium being conveyed on the conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Chiwata, Masahiro Ohba, Masataka Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8840219
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: at least two guide members; a drying section; an ink curing section that illuminates light onto a front surface of the recording medium that has been dried by the drying section and cures the ink; a single liquid coolant circulation device that circulates liquid coolant to respectively formed circulation flow paths between the liquid coolant circulation device and a plurality of cooling targets for which cooling is required due to heat of the drying section or heat of the ink curing section, that cools one of the cooling targets with intermittent circulation of liquid coolant, and that cools another of the cooling targets with continuous circulation of liquid coolant; and an opening and closing portion that opens and closes one of the circulation flow paths to intermittently circulate the liquid coolant of the one cooling target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Chiwata, Masuharu Inui
  • Patent number: 8746830
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming member that jets liquid droplets onto a recording medium and forms an image on a front face of the recording medium, a tension imparting member that induces tension of 100 N/m to 1000 N/m in the recording medium image-formed on the recording medium front face by the image forming member, and a drying member that dries the image formed on the front face of the recording medium when tension induced in the recording medium by the tension imparting member to a residual moisture level of 3 g/m2 or less in the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8746871
    Abstract: An image formation device includes an inkjet head that ejects ink onto a sheet, IR heaters that dry the ink ejected on the sheet, and warm air heaters between the IR heaters. At the IR heaters, a peak wavelength of infrared rays is set to be less than or equal to 1.2 ?m. By adjusting temperature of the IR heaters and temperature and wind speed of the warm air heaters, during an initial stage of drying in which a moisture content derived from ink at the sheet is greater than or equal to 4.0 g/m2, heating is carried out under a condition that a paper surface temperature of the sheet becomes less than or equal to 100° C., and, after the moisture content derived from ink at the sheet becomes lower than 4.0 g/m2, heating is carried out such that the paper surface temperature of the sheet exceeds 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8714728
    Abstract: An inkjet recording method comprising a jetting step using a paper sheet, wherein a decay rate of ultrasonic transmittance through the paper sheet after five seconds with respect to ultrasonic transmittance through the paper sheet immediately after immersion of the paper sheet in pure water is from 4% to 26%, and jetting aqueous ultraviolet-curable ink onto a front surface of the paper sheet with an inkjet recording head; a conveyance step of conveying the paper sheet to an exposure section such that an amount of time from the jetting step until exposing the aqueous ultraviolet-curable ink on the paper sheet to ultraviolet light is from 1 second to 8 seconds; and an exposure step of exposing the aqueous ultraviolet-curable ink on the paper sheet to ultraviolet light to thereby cure the aqueous ultraviolet-curable ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8672316
    Abstract: A paper sheet seasoning apparatus includes a mount on which a plurality of sheet-like recording media are loaded. A central portion of the mount is curved in a convex shape when seen in a first direction. The apparatus also includes a blowing member that blows air in the first direction onto end portions of the recording media loaded on the mount. The apparatus further includes a pair of side panels that support both end portions in a direction that intersects the first direction of the recording media on the mount, and a top panel disposed with a gap in a vertical direction between the top panel and the uppermost recording medium on the mount. On at least one of the side panels, there is disposed an approaching surface that approaches the opposing side panel as the approaching surface heads upward in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Publication number: 20140071197
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: at least two guide members; a drying section; an ink curing section that illuminates light onto a front surface of the recording medium that has been dried by the drying section and cures the ink; a single liquid coolant circulation device that circulates liquid coolant to respectively formed circulation flow paths between the liquid coolant circulation device and a plurality of cooling targets for which cooling is required due to heat of the drying section or heat of the ink curing section, that cools one of the cooling targets with intermittent circulation of liquid coolant, and that cools another of the cooling targets with continuous circulation of liquid coolant; and an opening and closing portion that opens and closes one of the circulation flow paths to intermittently circulate the liquid coolant of the one cooling target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuhei CHIWATA, Masaharu INUI
  • Patent number: 8529052
    Abstract: The present invention provides a paper seasoning apparatus, a paper seasoning method, and an inkjet recording apparatus, that may improve seasoning achieved by blowing air against a paper stack. A paper seasoning apparatus includes, an upwards protruding shaped mounting surface on which a paper stack is mounted, and first air blowing devices and second air blowing devices that blow air against a side face of the paper stack mounted on the mounting surface. The second air blowing devices are disposed in the vicinity of a maximum height position and at a height of a position where air outlets of the second air blowing devices include the mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8529051
    Abstract: The present invention provides a paper seasoning apparatus and an inkjet recording apparatus including a paper seasoning apparatus, capable of seasoning paper configured in a paper stack, and separating the paper stacks by introducing separation plates between sheets of the paper. Namely, separation plates for separating paper into specific numbers of sheets are introduced from a plate feeding apparatus into a housing of a paper seasoning apparatus. A separation plate lowering device lowers the separation plate that is supporting a paper stack. Seasoning is performed by blowing air from an air blowing device against the paper stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Fujikura, Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8465018
    Abstract: An air blowing apparatus includes: a paper stack accommodating section which forms a paper stack accommodating space for accommodating a stack of paper; and an air blowing device which blows air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper accommodated in the paper stack accommodating space, wherein the paper stack accommodating section includes a curved surface which faces a paper surface of the stack of paper, and the curved surface extends in an air blowing direction of the air blowing device and has a curvature in a direction perpendicular to the air blowing direction of the air blowing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Fujikura, Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8464438
    Abstract: A seasoning apparatus includes: a table on which a stack of paper sheets is loaded; a ceiling plate which is arranged above the table to cover an upper side of the paper stack on the table; a front side plate and a rear side plate which are arranged to oppose to each other at front and rear sides of the paper stack on the table, at least one of the front and rear side plates being advanceable and retractable relatively to each other; a right-hand side plate and a left-hand side plate which are arranged to oppose to each other at a right-hand side and a left-hand side of the paper stack on the table, at least one of the right-hand and left-hand side plates being advanceable and retractable relatively to each other; and an air blowing device which blows air horizontally toward the paper stack on the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Fujikura, Yuhei Chiwata, Masahiko Kondou, Hiroyuki Asakura
  • Patent number: 8388126
    Abstract: A printing paper seasoning apparatus includes: a loading table on which a plurality of sheets of printing paper are stacked and loaded; a ceiling plate which is disposed above the loading table so as to oppose the loading table for covering over an upper side of a stack of the printing paper loaded on the loading table; an air blowing device which blows air from a side face side into a paper accommodating region formed between the loading table and the ceiling plate which are arranged so as to oppose each other; a side plate arranged in a side face portion of the paper accommodating region; and an exhaust section including openings formed in the side plate, wherein an opening ratio of the exhaust section varies in a vertical direction of the paper accommodating region in such a manner that the opening ratio on a lower side of the exhaust section is smaller than the opening ratio on an upper side of the exhaust section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Publication number: 20130044170
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming member that jets liquid droplets onto a recording medium and forms an image on a front face of the recording medium, a tension imparting member that induces tension of 100N/m to 1000N/m in the recording medium image-formed on the recording medium front face by the image forming member, and a drying member that dries the image formed on the front face of the recording medium when tension induced in the recording medium by the tension imparting member to a residual moisture level of 3 g/m2 or less in the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuhei CHIWATA
  • Publication number: 20130044169
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming member; a conveying member that retains with a retaining member a leading end portion of the recording medium and conveys the recording medium; a suction-attachment plate that is disposed with a separation to the conveying member, the suction-attachment plate suction-attaching the back face of the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying member while the leading end portion of the recording medium is retained by the retaining member and including a suction-attachment face at a temperature of from 30° C. to 70° C. for suction-attaching the recording medium; and a heating member that is disposed on the opposite side of the conveyed recording medium to the suction-attachment plate side and heats and dries the recording medium such that the front face of the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying member is imparted with heat energy of from 1.0 J/cm2 to 5.0 J/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuhei CHIWATA
  • Patent number: 8297748
    Abstract: The printed matter seasoning apparatus includes: a table on which a plurality of sheets of printed paper are placed in a stack, ink having been deposited on at least one surface of each sheet of the printed paper; and an air blowing device which blows air toward at least one of end sides of the stack on the table to supply the air simultaneously between the respective sheets in the stack. The air blowing device blows the air at an air flow volume of at least 0.02 m3/(min·m) per sheet of the printed paper and per unit length of the printed paper in a width direction thereof perpendicular to a direction from the air blowing device to the stack on the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8272732
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, which includes applying a treatment liquid onto a recording medium that has a coated layer and has an area of 1,250 cm2 or more, applying an ink composition including a pigment and resin particles having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 100° C. or higher onto the recording medium onto which the treatment liquid has been applied and which is conveyed at a conveyance speed of 200 mm/s or higher, heating and drying the applied treatment liquid and ink composition, cooling the recording medium that has been subjected to the heating and drying, to a temperature of 35° C. or lower, and accumulating the recording medium that has been subjected to the cooling, into an accumulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Terukazu Yanagi, Kaoru Tojo, Yuhei Chiwata