Patents by Inventor Yukitoshi Tajima

Yukitoshi Tajima 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: 9022521
    Abstract: Disclosed is a droplet discharge head including a nozzle substrate including a nozzle, an individual liquid chamber substrate including an individual liquid chamber, and a common liquid chamber substrate including a common liquid chamber, wherein the substrates are laminated, wherein a portion of a top surface of the common liquid chamber is flexible, wherein the top surface of the common liquid chamber is disposed at a side opposite to another side at which the nozzle plate is disposed, wherein the common liquid chamber has a shape such that one portion of the common liquid chamber is narrowed in a direction in which the substrates are laminated, wherein a height of a wall of the common liquid chamber in the direction in which the substrates are laminated is constant, and wherein the wall is substantially perpendicular to the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Sasaki, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Patent number: 9004641
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharge head includes a nozzle substrate having a nozzle hole; a liquid chamber substrate including a liquid chamber that is in communication with the nozzle hole and a liquid introduction path; an oscillation plate forming a part of the liquid chamber; an electromechanical conversion element that is arranged on the oscillation plate and is configured to be deformed by a voltage applied from the exterior to cause the oscillation plate to deform and the liquid chamber to generate pressure so that liquid within the liquid chamber is discharged from the nozzle hole; a common liquid chamber that is in communication with the liquid chamber via the liquid introduction path and is configured to supply liquid to the liquid chamber; and a common liquid chamber forming substrate that includes a single metal plate integrated with resin to form the common liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Patent number: 8899728
    Abstract: A droplet discharge head includes a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle opening which discharges an ink drop, an actuator substrate which forms a pressurized liquid chamber communicating with the nozzle opening, and is provided with a pressure generator changing a pressure in the pressured liquid chamber, and a common liquid chamber-forming substrate which forms a common liquid chamber to which ink which is supplied to the pressurized liquid chamber is supplied, the common liquid chamber-forming substrate includes a first plate made of a metal material, a second plate made of a resin material provided on one surface of the first plate, and a third plate made of a resin material provided on the other surface of the first plate, and the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate being integrally molded in a thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Yukitoshi Tajima, Takafumi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8708459
    Abstract: A droplet ejection head that is attachable to and removable from a droplet ejection apparatus, includes: a nozzle plate having multiple nozzle holes to eject droplets; an individual-channel substrate in which multiple individual-liquid-chambers to supply liquid to the nozzle holes are formed; a common-channel substrate to supply liquid to the individual-channel substrate; a base plate made of metal and including a first positioning part to be engaged with a part of the droplet ejection apparatus at a given position to perform positioning with respect to the droplet ejection apparatus in a direction along an opening surface of the nozzle plate at which the nozzle holes are opened; and a housing made of resin and including a second positioning part to perform positioning with respect to the droplet ejection apparatus in a direction intersecting with the opening surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Yukitoshi Tajima, Mitsuya Matsubara, Masaki Kato, Kiyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8684493
    Abstract: A droplet-discharging-head manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a droplet discharging head that includes a piezoelectric element formed by a laminated body of ferroelectric layers includes: a film forming unit that forms a ferroelectric precursor film on a silicon wafer having a conductive layer; a heating unit that heats and bakes the ferroelectric precursor layer to form the ferroelectric layer; a cooling unit that cools the ferroelectric layer; a conveying unit that conveys the silicon wafers one by one; and a control unit that controls the film forming unit, the heating unit, the cooling unit, and the conveying unit so as to repeat a series of processes including formation of the ferroelectric precursor layers by the film forming unit, heating of the ferroelectric precursor layers by the heating unit, and cooling of the ferroelectric layers by the cooling unit, for a predetermined number of times for each of the silicon wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Tajima, Keiji Ueda
  • Patent number: 8678545
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes an actuator substrate provided with a pressure generating chamber, a nozzle plate provided with multiple nozzle holes discharging liquid to form a nozzle surface opposite to a recording media, a common passage substrate provided with a common passage to supply liquid to the pressure generating chamber, and a cover member to cover a perimeter of the nozzle surface, with an opening to expose the nozzle holes. In a prescribed direction, a dimension of the opening of the cover Lc, an external dimension of the actuator substrate La, an external dimension of the nozzle plate Ln, and an external dimension of the common passage substrate Lm, satisfy inequalities, La?Lc<Ln?Lm. A supporting member is provided between the opposing surface of the nozzle surface and the surface of the common passage substrate facing to the nozzle plate, to support the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20140078221
    Abstract: Disclosed is a droplet discharge head including a nozzle substrate including a nozzle, an individual liquid chamber substrate including an individual liquid chamber, and a common liquid chamber substrate including a common liquid chamber, wherein the substrates are laminated, wherein a portion of a top surface of the common liquid chamber is flexible, wherein the top surface of the common liquid chamber is disposed at a side opposite to another side at which the nozzle plate is disposed, wherein the common liquid chamber has a shape such that one portion of the common liquid chamber is narrowed in a direction in which the substrates are laminated, wherein a height of a wall of the common liquid chamber in the direction in which the substrates are laminated is constant, and wherein the wall is substantially perpendicular to the top surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Sasaki, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20140071199
    Abstract: Disclosed is a composite component molding metal mold including a first metal mold for molding a first molded product, and a second metal mold for molding a second molded product. Each of the first and second metal molds includes a movable mold and a stationary mold. Each of the stationary molds includes a male mold and a female mold, and each of the movable molds includes a male mold and a female mold. A cavity for molding the first molded product is formed by a combination of the female mold of the stationary mold and the male mold of the movable mold, and another cavity for molding the second molded product is formed by another combination. A space which is in communication with the cavity and the other cavity is provided. When an insertion member is inserted into the space, the cavity and the other cavity are isolated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Tajima, Takafumi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8646870
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head; a carriage to which the recording head is detachably mounted; and a first head protection member that is arranged on the carriage; wherein the recording head is positioned with respect to the carriage in a relative movement direction by moving the recording head relative to the carriage until a first position reference plane of the recording head and a second position reference plane of the carriage come into contact; the first head protection member is arranged at both sides in the relative movement direction of a nozzle face of the recording head and protrudes further than the nozzle face; and the first head protection member is movable with respect to the carriage in the relative movement direction and moves along with the recording head when the recording head moves relative to the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Yukitoshi Tajima, Masaki Kato, Kiyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20140028756
    Abstract: A droplet discharge head includes a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle opening which discharges an ink drop, an actuator substrate which forms a pressurized liquid chamber communicating with the nozzle opening, and is provided with a pressure generator changing a pressure in the pressured liquid chamber, and a common liquid chamber-forming substrate which forms a common liquid chamber to which ink which is supplied to the pressurized liquid chamber is supplied, the common liquid chamber-forming substrate includes a first plate made of a metal material, a second plate made of a resin material provided on one surface of the first plate, and a third plate made of a resin material provided on the other surface of the first plate, and the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate being integrally molded in a thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Hideaki NISHIMURA, Yukitoshi TAJIMA, Takafumi SASAKI
  • Patent number: 8578877
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spin coater including a rotation table that rotatably holds the disc substrate, a spin-cup that surrounds the outer circumference of a disc substrate held on the rotation table, a dripping unit configured to drip an ultraviolet-curable resin composition onto the surface of the disc substrate, a rotating unit configured to rotate the disc substrate via the rotation table to spread the ultraviolet-curable resin composition over the surface of the disc substrate, a heating unit configured to heat the ultraviolet-curable resin composition on the disc substrate, and a temperature controlling unit configured to control a reaching temperature of the spin cup which is increased by the heating unit each time the ultraviolet-curable resin composition is spread, so as to be constant over multiple spin coating processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20130215188
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes an actuator substrate provided with a pressure generating chamber, a nozzle plate provided with multiple nozzle holes discharging liquid to form a nozzle surface opposite to a recording media, a common passage substrate provided with a common passage to supply liquid to the pressure generating chamber, and a cover member to cover a perimeter of the nozzle surface, with an opening to expose the nozzle holes. In a prescribed direction, a dimension of the opening of the cover Lc, an external dimension of the actuator substrate La, an external dimension of the nozzle plate Ln, and an external dimension of the common passage substrate Lm, satisfy inequalities, La?Lc<Ln?Lm. A supporting member is provided between the opposing surface of the nozzle surface and the surface of the common passage substrate facing to the nozzle plate, to support the nozzle plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Hideaki NISHIMURA, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20130176365
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharge head includes a nozzle substrate having a nozzle hole; a liquid chamber substrate including a liquid chamber that is in communication with the nozzle hole and a liquid introduction path; an oscillation plate forming a part of the liquid chamber; an electromechanical conversion element that is arranged on the oscillation plate and is configured to be deformed by a voltage applied from the exterior to cause the oscillation plate to deform and the liquid chamber to generate pressure so that liquid within the liquid chamber is discharged from the nozzle hole; a common liquid chamber that is in communication with the liquid chamber via the liquid introduction path and is configured to supply liquid to the liquid chamber; and a common liquid chamber forming substrate that includes a single metal plate integrated with resin to form the common liquid chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventor: Yukitoshi TAJIMA
  • Patent number: 8480208
    Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejection head includes a nozzle substrate, a chamber substrate, a liquid supply substrate, a frame substrate, a driving circuit member, and wire members. The nozzle substrate includes nozzles. The chamber substrate is formed on the nozzle substrate and includes liquid chambers, diaphragms, and electro-mechanical transducers. The liquid supply substrate is formed on the chamber substrate and includes liquid supply channels. The frame substrate is formed on a first face of the liquid supply substrate opposite a second face of the liquid supply substrate formed on the chamber substrate. The driving circuit member that drives the electro-mechanical transducers is mounted on the frame substrate. The wire members connect the electro-mechanical transducers to the driving circuit member. A voltage applied to the electro-mechanical transducers through the wire members deforms the electro-mechanical transducers and the diaphragms to generate pressure in the liquid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Takemoto, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20130070021
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head; a carriage to which the recording head is detachably mounted; and a first head protection member that is arranged on the carriage; wherein the recording head is positioned with respect to the carriage in a relative movement direction by moving the recording head relative to the carriage until a first position reference plane of the recording head and a second position reference plane of the carriage come into contact; the first head protection member is arranged at both sides in the relative movement direction of a nozzle face of the recording head and protrudes further than the nozzle face; and the first head protection member is movable with respect to the carriage in the relative movement direction and moves along with the recording head when the recording head moves relative to the carriage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Yukitoshi Tajima, Masaki Kato, Kiyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20130021412
    Abstract: A droplet ejection head that is attachable to and removable from a droplet ejection apparatus, includes: a nozzle plate having multiple nozzle holes to eject droplets; an individual-channel substrate in which multiple individual-liquid-chambers to supply liquid to the nozzle holes are formed; a common-channel substrate to supply liquid to the individual-channel substrate; a base plate made of metal and including a first positioning part to be engaged with a part of the droplet ejection apparatus at a given position to perform positioning with respect to the droplet ejection apparatus in a direction along an opening surface of the nozzle plate at which the nozzle holes are opened; and a housing made of resin and including a second positioning part to perform positioning with respect to the droplet ejection apparatus in a direction intersecting with the opening surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Hideaki NISHIMURA, Yukitoshi Tajima, Mitsuya Matsubara, Masaki Kato, Kiyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8292416
    Abstract: An inkjet printer head includes a nozzle plate having nozzles for jetting ink; a flow path plate having flow paths for communicating with the nozzles, each of the flow paths including a pressure chamber and a resistance part having a smaller cross-sectional area than the pressure chamber, wherein piezoelectric elements having smaller horizontal areas than the flow paths are laminated on the flow path plate; and a common liquid chamber configured to guide the ink from an opening to the pressure chamber. The common liquid chamber is formed by a first member and a second member. The first member forms a top part of the common liquid chamber, and the second member forms a side surface and a bottom surface of a bottom part of the common liquid chamber by adhering to an outer wall of the first member and to an ink jetting surface of the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takakazu Kihira, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20120236067
    Abstract: A droplet-discharging-head manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a droplet discharging head that includes a piezoelectric element formed by a laminated body of ferroelectric layers includes: a film forming unit that forms a ferroelectric precursor film on a silicon wafer having a conductive layer; a heating layer that heats and bakes the ferroelectric precursor layer to form the ferroelectric layer; a cooling unit that cools the ferroelectric layer; a conveying unit that conveys the silicon wafers one by one; and a control unit that controls the film forming unit, the heating unit, the cooling unit, and the conveying unit so as to repeat a series of processes including formation of the ferroelectric precursor layers by the film forming unit, heating of the ferroelectric precursor layers by the heating unit, and cooling of the ferroelectric layers by the cooling unit, for a predetermined number of times for each of the silicon wafers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukitoshi TAJIMA, Keiji Ueda
  • Publication number: 20110122199
    Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejection head includes a nozzle substrate, a chamber substrate, a liquid supply substrate, a frame substrate, a driving circuit member, and wire members. The nozzle substrate includes nozzles. The chamber substrate is formed on the nozzle substrate and includes liquid chambers, diaphragms, and electro-mechanical transducers. The liquid supply substrate is formed on the chamber substrate and includes liquid supply channels. The frame substrate is formed on a first face of the liquid supply substrate opposite a second face of the liquid supply substrate formed on the chamber substrate. The driving circuit member that drives the electro-mechanical transducers is mounted on the frame substrate. The wire members connect the electro-mechanical transducers to the driving circuit member. A voltage applied to the electro-mechanical transducers through the wire members deforms the electro-mechanical transducers and the diaphragms to generate pressure in the liquid chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi TAKEMOTO, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Publication number: 20100315471
    Abstract: An inkjet printer head includes a nozzle plate having nozzles for jetting ink; a flow path plate having flow paths for communicating with the nozzles, each of the flow paths including a pressure chamber and a resistance part having a smaller cross-sectional area than the pressure chamber, wherein piezoelectric elements having smaller horizontal areas than the flow paths are laminated on the flow path plate; and a common liquid chamber configured to guide the ink from an opening to the pressure chamber. The common liquid chamber is formed by a first member and a second member. The first member forms a top part of the common liquid chamber, and the second member forms a side surface and a bottom surface of a bottom part of the common liquid chamber by adhering to an outer wall of the first member and to an ink jetting surface of the nozzle plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Takakazu KIHIRA, Yukitoshi Tajima