Patents by Inventor Yuzuru KURAMOCHI

Yuzuru KURAMOCHI 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: 20230382124
    Abstract: A head unit includes a liquid discharge head and circuitry. The liquid discharge head includes a nozzle plate having a nozzle, a liquid chamber to store a liquid to be discharged from the nozzle, a valve body in the liquid chamber, a valve body coupler coupled to the valve body, and a driver to drive the valve body coupler to move the valve body. The valve body is movable between a contact position at which the valve body contacts the nozzle plate to close the nozzle and a separated position at which the valve body is separated from the nozzle plate to open the nozzle. The circuitry moves the valve body between the contact position and the separated position to open and close the nozzle in a first operation, and applies vibration to the valve body while the valve body is temporarily held at the separated position in a second operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventor: Yuzuru KURAMOCHI
  • Patent number: 11097544
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharging head including: a membranous member including a discharging port through which a liquid is discharged; and a displacement member disposed at membranous member's one side at which the liquid to be discharged through the discharging port is provided and configured to displace a position of the membranous member to cause the liquid to be discharged through the discharging port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Muramatsu, Takahiko Matsumoto, Shinnosuke Koshizuka, Satoshi Okano, Satoshi Nakazawa, Yuzuru Kuramochi, Ryuya Mashiko, Takeshi Akai, Daisuke Takagi, Tomoaki Nakayama, Hidekazu Yaginuma, Hiroshi Fujie, Manabu Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11007774
    Abstract: A droplet forming device is provided. The droplet forming device includes a liquid holder configured to hold a liquid, a film having a discharge hole, two or more vibration generators configured to vibrate the film, and a driver configured to apply a driving signal to the vibration generators. One or more of the vibration generators are disposed in each region on the film where a polarity of bending moment differs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Kuramochi, Daisuke Takagi, Satoshi Okano, Takahiko Matsumoto, Koichi Muramatsu, Satoshi Nakazawa, Ryuya Mashiko, Manabu Seo, Hidekazu Yaginuma, Mayuko Murano
  • Patent number: 10647111
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid droplet forming device including: a liquid container capable of containing a liquid; a membranous member disposed at a bottom of the liquid container and including a discharging hole; a deforming unit capable of deforming the membranous member; and a driving unit configured to drive the deforming unit by outputting a discharging signal for deforming the membranous member to discharge the liquid or a suppressing signal for suppressing residual vibration of the membranous member, wherein the suppressing signal is a signal based on natural vibration period T0 of the membranous member, wherein an amplitude of the suppressing signal is lower than or equal to an amplitude of the discharging signal, and wherein interval time Ti from when outputting of the discharging signal is ended until when outputting of the suppressing signal is started satisfies a formula: Ti=(m?½)×T0, where m represents a positive integer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Kuramochi, Daisuke Takagi, Satoshi Okano, Takahiko Matsumoto, Koichi Muramatsu, Satoshi Nakazawa, Ryuya Mashiko
  • Publication number: 20200139704
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharging head including: a membranous member including a discharging port through which a liquid is discharged; and a displacement member disposed at membranous member's one side at which the liquid to be discharged through the discharging port is provided and configured to displace a position of the membranous member to cause the liquid to be discharged through the discharging port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Koichi Muramatsu, Takahiko Matsumoto, Shinnosuke Koshizuka, Satoshi Okano, Satoshi Nakazawa, Yuzuru Kuramochi, Ryuya Mashiko, Takeshi Akai, Daisuke Takagi, Tomoaki Nakayama, Hidekazu Yaginuma, Hiroshi Fujie, Manabu Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20200023328
    Abstract: A droplet forming device is provided. The droplet forming device includes a liquid holder configured to hold a liquid, a film having a discharge hole, two or more vibration generators configured to vibrate the film, and a driver configured to apply a driving signal to the vibration generators. One or more of the vibration generators are disposed in each region on the film where a polarity of bending moment differs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Yuzuru KURAMOCHI, Daisuke TAKAGI, Satoshi OKANO, Takahiko MATSUMOTO, Koichi MURAMATSU, Satoshi NAKAZAWA, Ryuya MASHIKO, Manabu SEO, Hidekazu YAGINUMA, Mayuko MURANO
  • Publication number: 20190283402
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid droplet forming device including: a liquid container capable of containing a liquid; a membranous member disposed at a bottom of the liquid container and including a discharging hole; a deforming unit capable of deforming the membranous member; and a driving unit configured to drive the deforming unit by outputting a discharging signal for deforming the membranous member to discharge the liquid or a suppressing signal for suppressing residual vibration of the membranous member, wherein the suppressing signal is a signal based on natural vibration period T0 of the membranous member, wherein an amplitude of the suppressing signal is lower than or equal to an amplitude of the discharging signal, and wherein interval time Ti from when outputting of the discharging signal is ended until when outputting of the suppressing signal is started satisfies a formula: Ti=(m?½)×T0, where m represents a positive integer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Yuzuru KURAMOCHI, Daisuke Takagi, Satoshi Okano, Takahiko Matsumoto, Koichi Muramatsu, Satoshi Nakazawa, Ryuya Mashiko
  • Patent number: 10029251
    Abstract: A droplet forming apparatus includes a liquid retaining portion that retains cell suspension containing cells; a membrane member, provided with a nozzle, that discharges the cell suspension retained in the liquid retaining portion from the nozzle as a droplet by oscillation; and an open portion that opens the liquid retaining portion to atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Seo, Yoshio Uchikata, Daisuke Takagi, Yuzuru Kuramochi
  • Patent number: 9919533
    Abstract: A liquid droplet forming apparatus includes a liquid retention unit configured to retain particle suspension liquid in which precipitated particles are suspended; a membrane member, in which a nozzle is formed, configured to discharge the particle suspension liquid retained in the liquid retention unit, as a liquid droplet, by vibration from the nozzle; and a particle state detection unit configured to detect, from a side of the liquid retention unit, a particle state of the precipitated particle around the nozzle in the particle suspension liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Seo, Satoshi Nakazawa, Yuzuru Kuramochi, Daisuke Takagi, Takahiko Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170120604
    Abstract: A liquid droplet forming apparatus includes a liquid retention unit configured to retain particle suspension liquid in which precipitated particles are suspended; a membrane member, in which a nozzle is formed, configured to discharge the particle suspension liquid retained in the liquid retention unit, as a liquid droplet, by vibration from the nozzle; and a particle state detection unit configured to detect, from a side of the liquid retention unit, a particle state of the precipitated particle around the nozzle in the particle suspension liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Manabu SEO, Satoshi NAKAZAWA, Yuzuru KURAMOCHI, Daisuke TAKAGI, Takahiko MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9517622
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet forming apparatus comprising: a liquid holding part configured to hold a liquid including precipitating particles; a film member configured to be vibrated so as to eject the liquid held in the liquid holding unit, wherein a nozzle is formed in the film member and the liquid is ejected as a droplet from the nozzle; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate the film member; and a driving unit configured to selectively apply an ejection waveform and a stirring waveform to the vibrating unit, wherein the film member is vibrated to form the droplet in response to applying the ejection waveform and the film member is vibrated without forming the droplet in response to applying the stirring waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Kuramochi, Yoshio Uchikata, Daisuke Takagi, Manabu Seo
  • Publication number: 20160176191
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet forming apparatus comprising: a liquid holding part configured to hold a liquid including precipitating particles; a film member configured to be vibrated so as to eject the liquid held in the liquid holding unit, wherein a nozzle is formed in the film member and the liquid is ejected as a droplet from the nozzle; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate the film member; and a driving unit configured to selectively apply an ejection waveform and a stirring waveform to the vibrating unit, wherein the film member is vibrated to form the droplet in response to applying the ejection waveform and the film member is vibrated without forming the droplet in response to applying the stirring waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuzuru KURAMOCHI, Yoshio UCHIKATA, Daisuke TAKAGI, Manabu SEO
  • Publication number: 20160175834
    Abstract: A droplet forming apparatus includes a liquid retaining portion that retains cell suspension containing cells; a membrane member, provided with a nozzle, that discharges the cell suspension retained in the liquid retaining portion from the nozzle as a droplet by oscillation; and an open portion that opens the liquid retaining portion to atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu SEO, Yoshio UCHIKATA, Daisuke TAKAGI, Yuzuru KURAMOCHI