Layers, Plates Patents (Class 347/71)
  • Patent number: 9649841
    Abstract: Provided are an inkjet head and an inkjet recording device that can effectively heat an ink near nozzles of a nozzle board or an ink inside a head chip. The inkjet head includes the head chip in which a nozzle board, an intermediate plate, a pressure chamber board, a spacer board, and a wiring board are joined in order, a common ink chamber forming member provided at a side of the wiring board of the head chip to form at least a part of a common ink chamber, and a heater provided to the common ink chamber forming member. The nozzle board is smaller than the intermediate plate when the head chip is viewed from the side of the nozzle board in plan view. A thermal conductive member being in contact with the heater and joined with the nozzle board and the wiring board across the head chip is provided. At least a part of the wiring board and a part of the common ink chamber forming member are joined through the thermal conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hironobu Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9593252
    Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus including: a base metal pigment ink composition; and a first nozzle that ejects the base metal pigment ink composition, in which the base metal pigment ink composition contains a flat base metal pigment of which a 50% average particle diameter D50 is in a range of 100 nm to 1 ?m, and an organic compound of which a surface tension at 20° C. is 35 mN/m or greater, and an ejection interval T1 after the base metal pigment ink composition is ejected from the first nozzle and before the base metal pigment ink composition is ejected again from the first nozzle is within 100 ?s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Toyoda, Masaru Terada
  • Patent number: 9566789
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus is provided, which comprises a channel substrate formed with a plurality of first and second pressure chambers disposed in a first direction, a plurality of first and second individual electrodes, a piezoelectric film, a common electrode, and first traces. The first traces are connected to exposed portions of the first individual electrodes exposed from the piezoelectric film, and each of the first traces passes from the exposed portion between the two second individual electrodes to extend to the one side in the second direction. A cutout, which is cut out from the one side in the second direction, is formed so that the cutout is not overlapped with the first trace between portions of the common electrode opposed to the two adjoining second individual electrodes. The first trace is formed continuously from the exposed portion to an upper surface of the piezoelectric film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyohei Naito, Jiro Yamamoto, Shohei Koide
  • Patent number: 9550359
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes: a substrate having a silicon layer; a nozzle plate disposed on the silicon layer; and embedded inkjet nozzle devices. Each inkjet nozzle device includes a nozzle chamber having a roof actuator; drive circuitry laterally disposed relative to the nozzle chamber; a connection arm extending parallel with the nozzle plate from the actuator towards the drive circuitry; and a metal via interconnecting each connection arm and the drive circuitry, the metal via extending perpendicularly to the nozzle plate. The drive circuitry is positioned proximal the nozzle plate relative to a plane of the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Limited
    Inventors: Ronan Padraig Sean O'Reilly, Gregory John McAvoy, Emma Rose Kerr, Vincent Patrick Lawlor, Misty Bagnat, Brian Kevin Donohoe, Eimear Ryan
  • Patent number: 9539809
    Abstract: An example provides a fluid ejection apparatus including a plurality of nozzles, a common fluid supply channel in fluid communication with the plurality of nozzles, and a compressible material forming, at least in part, a wall of the common fluid supply channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: James McKinnell, Tony S Cruz-Uribe
  • Patent number: 9533503
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of piezoelectric transducers that are configured to generate energy for respectively ejecting liquid from a plurality of ejection ports and arranged in line so as to constitute a plurality of columns and a common electrode connected to the plurality of piezoelectric transducers. The common electrode is provided with a plurality of first connection areas to which the plurality of piezoelectric transducers are connected commonly in units of columns and a second connection area that connects the plurality of first connection areas to one another. This liquid ejection head further includes a reinforcing wiring laminated on the second connection area and a wiring substrate including a drive wiring that is connected to the reinforcing wiring at at least one connection point and electrically connected to the common electrode via the connection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Netsu, Toshifumi Yoshioka, Masato Yajima
  • Patent number: 9537085
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an electromechanical transducer film includes applying a precursor solution on a support substrate, heating the substrate at a first temperature to form a ceramic thin-film in amorphous state, applying a sol-gel solution onto the ceramic thin-film, and heating the ceramic thin-film at a second temperature to form an electromechanical transducer thin-film in amorphous state. The method further includes heating the ceramic and transducer thin-films at a third temperature to thermally decompose an organic substance in the sol-gel solution and form a unitary thin-film, processing the unitary thin-film to form a patterned unitary thin-film, modifying an area on which the patterned film is not formed, discharging the sol-gel solution onto a surface of the patterned film by a liquid discharge head to apply the sol-gel solution to the surface of the patterned film, and heating the patterned film at a fourth temperature to crystallize the patterned film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Shimofuku, Atsushi Takeuchi, Osamu Machida
  • Patent number: 9527283
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a vibration portion that serves as a wall of a pressure chamber having a shape extending in a first direction; at least one piezoelectric element that is disposed on the vibration portion at an opposite side to the pressure chamber; and an extracting portion that electrically connects the piezoelectric element to external wiring. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric material layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. In a plan view, the first electrode has a planar shape that is included in shapes of the second electrode and the pressure chamber, and the extracting portion protrudes from a peripheral edge of the first electrode so as to cross a long side of an inner peripheral edge extending in the first direction of the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Toshiaki Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9505211
    Abstract: A semiconductor device for a liquid discharge head is provided. The device includes first and second electrodes, discharge elements configured to give energy to a liquid, first switching elements configured to electrically connect first terminals of discharge elements to the first electrode, and including one or more first switching elements each connected to two or more discharge elements, and second switching elements configured to electrically connect second terminals of the plurality of discharge elements to the second electrode, and including one or more second switching element each connected to two or more discharge elements. Two or more discharge elements connected to a same second switching element are connected to different first switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazunari Fujii, Masanobu Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9493003
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a substrate having plural ink inlet holes arranged along a first direction and plural ink outlet holes arranged generally along the first direction such that adjacent ink outlet holes are offset along the first direction, a plurality of partitioning walls made of piezoelectric material that define pressure chambers therebetween, each of the partitioning walls disposed on the substrate and generally extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction between the ink inlet holes and the ink outlet holes, and a nozzle plate disposed on the partitioning walls and having a plurality of nozzles, each of the nozzles being arranged on one of the pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuaki Murochi
  • Patent number: 9469104
    Abstract: A drive signal includes a first drive pulse that causes liquid droplets to be ejected from nozzles and a second drive pulse that causes liquid droplets of a different size from those of the first drive pulse to be ejected from the nozzles. The drive pulses have expansion elements that expand a pressure chamber, contraction elements that contract a pressure chamber, and vibration control elements. An initiation potential of the contraction element of the first drive pulse and an initiation potential of the contraction element of the second drive pulse are the same. The differential voltage between the standard potential and the contraction potential is set to between 40% 50% or less of the potential between the initiation potential of the contraction element and the contraction potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9457567
    Abstract: Piezoelectric elements constituted by lower electrodes, piezoelectric layers, and an upper electrode are extended from positions corresponding to openings of pressure chambers to outer positions beyond opening edges of the pressure chambers. The piezoelectric layers have exposure portions on the extended portions and the exposure portions of the piezoelectric layers are covered by an adhesive between an actuator unit and a sealing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuro Torimoto, Takahiro Kamijo, Motoki Takabe, Shiro Yazaki
  • Patent number: 9446589
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle plate including a nozzle opening provided on a first surface of a flow path member with a flow path formed therein, and a protective member including a flexible portion that seals a portion of the flow path provided on the first surface of the flow path member. A position of a portion of the flow path member onto which the nozzle plate is attached and a position of a portion of the flow path member onto which the protective member is attached are different from one another in a discharge direction of a liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Watanabe, Katsumi Enomoto
  • Patent number: 9440439
    Abstract: The inkjet head for discharging a water-based ink for inkjet recording is disclosed, the inkjet head including two or more types of metal members used at portions to be brought in contact with the water-based ink, wherein at least two of the two or more types of the metal members are electrically connected, and the two or more types of the electrically connected metal members have spontaneous potentials each of which is measured with a reference electrode Ag/AgCl in the water-based ink and which provide an absolute value of a maximum difference therebetween, the absolute value being not more than 60 mV. An ink jet head is provided, in which any corrosion of a metal member is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Taga, Masaya Fujioka
  • Patent number: 9427956
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a drive method for an ink jet head comprising: a drive pulse, applying a first pulse for increasing and then restoring the volume of a pressure chamber and giving pressure vibration to the chamber in which ink are accommodated, and then a second pulse for reducing and then restoring the volume of the pressure chamber to an actuator arranged corresponding to the pressure chamber; wherein the second pulse is turned on at first point of time causing the pressure vibration amplitude at second point of time to be the same with that of generated by the first pulse when the first pulse is turned on, wherein the second point of time is the time when flow velocity of the ink nearby the nozzle inside the pressure chamber becomes 0 after the first point of time, and the second pulse is turned off at the second point of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Takashi Norigoe
  • Patent number: 9403361
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus is provided with an actuator substrate on which a piezoelectric actuator that generates a pressure change in a pressure generation chamber, which is in communication with a nozzle opening that ejects a liquid, is provided. The liquid ejecting head is provided with lead-out wiring that is led out from the piezoelectric actuator to the top of the actuator substrate, the lead-out wiring is provided with an adhesive layer that is provided on an actuator substrate side, and a conductive layer that is provided on a side of the adhesive layer which is opposite the actuator substrate, and the adhesive layer has a width that is narrower than the conductive layer in at least a parallel arrangement direction of the lead-out wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 9393784
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a vibration plate that has a first region that is allowed to flexurally deform and a second region that is at an outer side of the first region and that is inhibited from flexurally deforming, a piezoelectric element main body in which a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric material layer, and an upper electrode layer are stacked in that order on the first region of the vibration plate, and a common metal layer stacked on the upper electrode layer, with a common close adherence layer interposed therebetween. A portion of the piezoelectric element main body extends into the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Naganuma, Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe, Yuma Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 9387673
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a piezoelectric element having a first electrode on a vibration plate, a piezoelectric layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the piezoelectric material layer. The piezoelectric layer has functional portions sandwiched between the first and second electrodes; the second electrode configures a common electrode provided continuously across a plurality of the functional portions; the piezoelectric layer extends to an outer side of an end of the first electrode; the vibration plate has a first region opposing the first electrode, a second region opposing an area of the piezoelectric layer extending further toward an outer side than the first electrode, and a third region further toward the outer side than the piezoelectric layer; the second region has a thickness substantially equal to or greater than the thickness of the first region; and the third region is thinner than the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideto Izumi, Hideki Hahiro
  • Patent number: 9386707
    Abstract: With a nozzle being moved in one direction to a substrate unit, conductive ink is discharged out of a slit of the nozzle in a belt-like manner to the substrate unit. The conductive ink is discharged in a belt-like manner to the substrate unit on which a liquid-repellent region having a liquid repellency to the conductive ink and a lyophilic region having a lyophilic property to the conductive ink and having the same form as a desired circuit pattern are formed. Thereby, the conductive ink is applied to the lyophilic region, while the conductive ink is repelled at the remaining liquid-repellent region and flows into the lyophilic region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: TORAY ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Iwade, Shinya Izumida, Kazuyuki Shishino, Kiyohito Yamamoto, Shigeru Tohno
  • Patent number: 9375921
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a vibrating plate which is formed of a first region in which a flexural deformation is allowed, and a second region in which the flexural deformation is inhibited. A piezoelectric element main body includes a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a higher electrode layer on the first region of the vibrating plate. A common metal layer is stacked on the higher electrode layer. A part of the piezoelectric element main body is extended to the second region, and an end portion of the piezoelectric layer is extended to the outside of an end portion of the higher electrode layer on the same side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Naganuma, Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe, Yuma Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 9352579
    Abstract: In a passage unit of a recording head, a first ink introduction port of a first reservoir and a second ink introduction port of a second reservoir are formed between the first and second reservoirs. The first and second ink introduction ports are formed at different positions in a nozzle line direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction and are formed to overlap each other in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Haruki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9346267
    Abstract: A liquid jet head includes a piezoeletric body substrate and an opaque substrate bonded to the piezoelectric body substrate. The piezoeletric body substrate has ejection grooves arrayed with an identical pitch P in a reference direction and non-ejection grooves arrayed alternately with the ejection grooves while shifted from the ejection grooves by a half pitch (P/2). The opaque substrate has through holes arrayed in the reference direction. The through holes include a row of through holes corresponding in number to and communicating with the respective ejection grooves, a first through hole arranged outside of one end side of the row of through holes so that it does not communicate with any of the ejection grooves, and a second through hole arranged outside of another end side of the row of through holes so that it does not communicate with any of the ejection grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: SII PRINTEK INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 9315025
    Abstract: In a liquid ejecting head that includes a pressure generating element which generates pressure fluctuations in a liquid inside a pressure chamber by applying a voltage to an electrode and a wiring member which has a wiring terminal electrically connected to the electrode, and that ejects the liquid through a nozzle by applying the voltage to the electrode and driving the pressure generating element, the liquid ejecting head includes an electrode terminal that is connected to the electrode and is formed in a series over at least a partial region in a bonding region to which the wiring terminal is bonded. The wiring terminal has multiple terminals which are formed by being spaced apart from one another in the bonding region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Okui, Shunsuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9302480
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a liquid discharge unit with a pressure generating chamber group which communicates with a nozzle disposed on a nozzle surface and is formed from pressure generating chambers disposed in a first direction, and a case member which communicates with the pressure generating chamber group and holds a liquid. The case member has a liquid inlet on the side opposite to the liquid discharge direction and at a position between the pressure generating chambers at both ends in the first direction. First and second liquid discharge units are arranged at positions where the first directions of the first and second liquid discharge units are parallel to each other in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and positions of the liquid inlets of the case member respectively corresponding to the first and second liquid discharge units do not overlap in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Enomoto, Shunsuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9293688
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a substrate, and at least a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric film represented by a general formula of (NaxKyLiz)NbO3 (0?x?1, 0?y?1, 0?z?0.2, x+y+z=1); and an upper electrode layer successively formed on the substrate. The piezoelectric film has a crystal structure of pseudo-cubic crystal, tetragonal crystal, orthorhombic crystal, monoclinic crystal or rhombohedral crystal, or has a state that at least two of the crystal structures coexist. The piezoelectric film is preferentially oriented to certain specific axes that are not more than two axes of crystal axes in the crystal structures. At least one of domain crystal component of a c-axis orientation domain crystal component and an a-axis orientation domain crystal component exists as the components of the crystal axes oriented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazufumi Suenaga, Kenji Shibata, Kazutoshi Watanabe, Akira Nomoto, Fumimasa Horikiri
  • Patent number: 9283761
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording head includes a plurality of recording element substrates each having an ejection pressure generating element configured to generate pressure for ejecting ink from an ink discharge port. The plurality of recording element substrates each include a first surface on which the corresponding ejection pressure generating element is disposed and a second surface, serving as an end surface intersecting with the first surface, being at least partially formed by etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9283757
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head which includes a piezoelectric element which includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer which is provided on the first electrode, and on which a plurality of piezoelectric films are laminated, a second electrode which is provided on the piezoelectric layer, and a plurality of active units which are interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a pressure generating chamber which communicates with nozzle openings which eject liquid, and in which a pressure fluctuation is generated by the piezoelectric element, in which a plurality of grooves with inner faces facing the first electrode side are formed on a side surface of the piezoelectric layer on each interface of each of the piezoelectric films along a first direction and a second direction which cross a third direction which goes from the first electrode to the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Furuya, Masao Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9266327
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a pressure chamber forming substrate in which a plurality of spaces to be pressure chambers in communication with nozzles are provided side by side in a nozzle column direction, in which in a region corresponding to the pressure chamber, a lower electrode film is formed with a width of 50% or more and 80% or less of a width of the pressure chamber in the nozzle column direction and the piezoelectric body layer covers the lower electrode film in the nozzle column direction and is formed with a width of 90% or less of the width of the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Shiro Yazaki, Motoki Takabe, Yuma Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 9238371
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus configured to jet liquid, including: a channel structure in which liquid channels including a plurality of nozzles are formed, and in one surface of which a plurality of supply ports are formed to communicate with the liquid channels; and a plurality of filters attached on the one surface of the channel structure to cover the plurality of supply ports. One of the plurality of filters is arranged to overlap partially with another filter of the plurality of filters which is located adjacent to the one of the plurality of filters, at an area between the plurality of supply ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Mizutani, Atsushi Ito
  • Patent number: 9211709
    Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus configured to jet liquid droplets, includes: a channel structure; an energy applying device including a plurality of first contact points; a wiring board arranged to face the surface of the energy applying device and connected to the energy applying device. The wiring board includes second contact points electrically connected to the first contact points, respectively and signal wiring lines connected to the second contact points, respectively. Further, the liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a sealing material arranged, between the wiring board and the energy applying device, to surround at least a part of an area in which the first and second contact points are arranged, and a recess-protrusion portion formed in an area, of the wiring board, which is positioned between the sealing material and the second contact points, and which is other than an area in which the second contact points are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Yamashita, Tomoyuki Kubo, Yasuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 9174441
    Abstract: A flow channel substrate has pressure chambers, and the pressure chambers communicate with nozzle openings configured to eject liquid. Each of piezoelectric elements on the flow channel substrate has a piezoelectric layer, a pair of electrodes, and a wiring layer coupled to the electrodes. The wiring layer has a first layer on the flow channel substrate side and a second layer on the first layer. The first layer contains palladium and is formed by pretreatment, whereas the second layer contains nickel and is formed by electroless plating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Furuya
  • Patent number: 9174444
    Abstract: Piezoelectric elements each have a configuration in which a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric body layer, and an upper electrode film are stacked in order from a side relatively near to a displacement portion that defines a pressure chamber by tightly closing a portion of a pressure chamber space that forms the pressure chamber. The lower electrode film is provided individually for each pressure chamber. The upper electrode film covers the lower electrode film and the piezoelectric body layer, and is common to the piezoelectric elements. The ratio of a length (L) of a displacement portion-side opening of each pressure chamber space in a direction orthogonal to a pressure chamber space juxtaposition direction to a width (W) of the displacement portion-side opening in the pressure chamber space juxtaposition direction is greater than or equal to 4.3 and less than or equal to 6.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Yoshinao Miyata, Yuma Fukuzawa, Motoki Takabe, Yue Gao, Shiro Yazaki
  • Patent number: 9166147
    Abstract: A ferroelectric device includes a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode, and a ferroelectric element arranged between the first and second electrodes. The ferroelectric element has a plurality of quasistatic strain configurations that are selectable by the application of an electric field and the device has selectable electromechanical displacement by the application of the electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Gregory P. Carman, Kang-Lung Wang, Tao Wu, Alexandre Bur, Pedram Khalili Amiri
  • Patent number: 9150017
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head which discharges a liquid from a nozzle opening including a piezoelectric body layer and a piezoelectric element possessing an electrode which is arranged on the piezoelectric body layer, wherein the piezoelectric body layer consists of a complex oxide having a perovskite structure, and when 2? is fixed within the range of 21.9° to 22.7° to scan in the direction of the ?-axis, the piezoelectric body layer has a peak in the range of 4.75° to 28.3° and when 2? is fixed within the range of 31.1° to 32.6° to scan in the direction of the ?-axis, the piezoelectric body layer has a peak in the range of 24.8° to 40.75°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 9144972
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejecting head including: a flow path formation substrate on which a pressure generation chamber communicating with nozzle openings for discharging liquid is provided; and a piezoelectric element which is provided on the flow path formation substrate and includes a piezoelectric layer, an electrode, and a wiring layer connected to the electrode, in which the wiring layer includes an adhesion layer which is provided on the electrode side and contains at least titanium and tungsten, and a conductive layer containing copper which is provided on a side of the adhesion layer opposite the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Furuya
  • Patent number: 9085146
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a piezoelectric element, which is provided above a zirconium oxide layer having a piezoelectric layer and an electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer, in which the zirconium oxide layer is formed through a liquid-phase method and preferentially oriented with a (111) plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9067413
    Abstract: A liquid jet head is provided with laminated head chips forming a laminated structure. Each of the head chips has an actuator portion and a nozzle plate bonded to a first end face of the actuator portion. The actuator portion of each head chip has a filter, a first liquid chamber communicating to a downstream side of the filter, a channel communicating to the first liquid chamber for inducing pressure on liquid therein, and an electrode terminal for transmitting a drive signal to the channel. The nozzle plate has a nozzle communicating to the channel of the actuator portion. The surfaces of the nozzle plates of the respective head chips are flush with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: SII PRINTEK INC.
    Inventor: Osamu Koseki
  • Patent number: 9050804
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle plate provided with nozzle openings; an actuator unit including a flow channel formation substrate in which pressure generation chambers are provided and piezoelectric actuators that cause a change in the pressure of the liquid within respective pressure generation chambers; a communication substrate in which communication channels that communicate between the pressure generation chambers and corresponding nozzle openings are provided; a first case member that is a frame member affixed to the communication substrate so that the actuator unit is disposed within the first case member and that, along with the actuator unit, forms a manifold that holds the liquid to be supplied to the pressure generation chambers; and a second case member that is affixed to the first case member and in which is formed an introduction channel that sends the liquid from the exterior to the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinao Miyata
  • Patent number: 9044955
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a liquid jetting section having a liquid jetting surface in which a plurality of nozzles are formed, and configured to jet a liquid from the plurality of nozzles; and a liquid supply section provided on the liquid jetting section on a side opposite to the liquid jetting surface with respect to a direction intersecting the liquid jetting surface, and configured to supply the liquid to the liquid jetting section. The liquid jetting section includes: two nozzle groups arranged apart in a predetermined scanning direction, each nozzle group including a plurality of nozzles aligned in a nozzle arrangement direction which intersects the scanning direction; and two common liquid chambers arranged apart in the scanning direction, each common liquid chamber extending in the nozzle arrangement direction and communicating with one of the two nozzle groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Hirai, Shohei Koide, Taisuke Mizuno, Hiromitsu Mizutani, Yusuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9028038
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head has a substrate having an inorganic material layer, an organic material layer, and an intermediate layer contacting the inorganic material layer and the organic material layer between the inorganic material layer and the organic material layer, in which the intermediate layer contains a resin having three or more cyclohexene oxide skeletons in the molecules, a photocationic polymerization initiator, a thermal cationic polymerization initiator, and an onium salt containing a cation portion structure represented by (d1) and an anion portion structure represented by (d2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyosuke Nagaoka, Masako Shimomura
  • Patent number: 9028719
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a phosphor that is combined with a blue LED to achieve white light at a low color temperature as if singly, has a broad fluorescence spectrum for excellent color rendering properties, has a high luminous efficiency, is thermally and chemically stable like conventional nitride-based phosphors, and has a small decrease in luminance at high temperatures. Another object of the present invention is to provide a light emitting device using such a phosphor. The present invention relates to a ?-sialon that is expressed by the general formula, Si6-zAlzOzN8-z:Eu (0<z<4.2). In the ?-sialon, P2/P1 is not lower than 0.5 and not higher than 1000 (P1 representing the height of an absorption line appearing in the region where g is 2.00±0.02 in a first derivative spectrum obtained by an electron spin resonance technique at 25° C., P2 representing the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value in a spectrum on the lower magnetic field side of P1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Emoto, Toshiaki Nagumo
  • Patent number: 9022529
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a pressure chamber substrate formed of silicon where a pressure chamber is formed, and a communication plate penetrated by communication holes in a plate thickness direction, in which the pressure chamber partitioned by partition walls formed of crystal orientation planes being formed in the recording head through etching. Acute angle portions are formed, by the partition walls intersecting with each other at an acute angle, in both end portions of the pressure chamber in a first direction, and a first step is disposed in the middle of each of the acute angle portions in an etching direction. Parts of the communication holes are arranged at positions superimposed on the acute angle portions in a bonding surface and remaining parts of the communication holes are arranged on outer sides in the first direction with respect to the acute angle portions such that a second step is formed in a communication portion between the pressure chamber and the communication holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaai, Yuma Fukuzawa, Yoichi Naganuma
  • Patent number: 9022534
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material having high Curie temperature, high insulation property, and high piezoelectric performance, the piezoelectric material including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-zBi(M0.5Ti0.5)O3, where M represents at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ni, and Zn, x represents a value satisfying 0.25?x?0.75, y represents a value satisfying 0.15?y?0.73, and z represents a value satisfying 0.02?z?0.60, provided that x+y+z=1 is satisfied in which the perovskite-type metal oxide contains V, and content of the V is 0.0005 mol or larger and 0.0050 mol or smaller with respect to 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide. In addition, provided are a piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device, which use the piezoelectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisato Yabuta, Takayuki Watanabe, Makoto Kubota, Jumpei Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20150109375
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a plurality of pressure generators each including a first electrode individually provided therefor, the first electrode being located on a face of the flow path plate so as to correspond to one of the pressure chambers, a piezoelectric layer provided on the first electrode, and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer; a lead electrode electrically connected to the first electrode; and a conductive layer provided in a section where the first electrode is partially exposed, the section being located in a region where the second electrode is not provided and the piezoelectric layer is exposed, at least a part of the conductive layer being in contact with the first electrode. The lead electrode is connected to the first electrode via the conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Yue GAO, Yoshinao MIYATA, Yuma FUKUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20150109374
    Abstract: A liquid jet head includes: a piezoelectric substrate which includes ejection grooves formed in an upper surface of the piezoelectric substrate and arranged in a reference direction, and a side flow path formed in a first side surface of the piezoelectric substrate and communicating with the plurality of ejection grooves; cover plate bonded to the upper surface; and a nozzle plate bonded to the first side surface and including nozzles communicating with the ejection grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Satoshi HORIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9009973
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid discharging head, the method including forming a plurality of nozzles that discharge liquid droplets, forming a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate pressure for discharging liquid droplets from the respective nozzles; and performing a repolarization process on the piezoelectric elements to set non-uniformity of the droplet discharging characteristics of the nozzles to be in a predetermined range by combining adjustment of a polarization sensitivity and adjustment of a polarization voltage for each of the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Tomohiko Koda, Hitoshi Kida
  • Patent number: 9003620
    Abstract: A process for producing a liquid ejection head having a piezoelectric body provided with an ejection orifice for ejecting liquid and a pressure chamber communicating therewith for retaining the liquid, wherein an electrode is formed on an inner wall surface of the pressure chamber to deform the pressure chamber by piezoelectric action caused by applying voltage to the electrode to eject the liquid, comprising providing the piezoelectric body in which a surface thereof having the ejection orifice has an arithmetic mean roughness of 0.1-1 ?m, forming a dry film resist pattern on the surface of the piezoelectric body so as to expose the ejection orifice and a linear region connected thereto, and forming a metal thin film pattern being connected to the electrode on the inner wall surface and continuously extending from the inner wall surface to the linear region by using the dry film resist pattern as a mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinan Wang, Toru Nakakubo, Hirotaka Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20150097898
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a vibration plate; a lower electrode; a piezoelectric film; and an upper electrode, which are laminated in the stated order. An electric field is applied to the piezoelectric film by the lower electrode and the upper electrode. A shape of the piezoelectric film near a boundary face between the piezoelectric film and the upper electrode as viewed from a lamination direction of the piezoelectric film and the upper electrode, is substantially the same as a shape of the upper electrode. A width of the piezoelectric film precipitously extends from an end of the boundary face. A thickness of the piezoelectric film in an area in the width of the piezoelectric film where the upper electrode is not formed, is formed to be proportionate to the precipitous extension of the width of the piezoelectric film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Keisuke HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8998387
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of working a small recess portion. In the method, prior to press-forming small recess portions arrayed in a row by pressing a predetermined number of pieces of aligned male dies to a metal base plate, the metal base plate is previously formed with a highly rigid portion at a predetermined portion at a vicinity of an imaginary line extending in a row direction along end portions of predicted press portions to which the respective male dies are pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Ogawa, Koichi Saito, Nagamitsu Takashima, Katsunori Ono
  • Patent number: 8998380
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle plate, a flow path forming substrate, and a communication plate between the nozzle plate and the substrate and having a communication hole connecting a nozzle and a first opening of a pressure chamber. The first opening extends in a direction perpendicular to an arrangement direction of the pressure chambers. The first opening has a narrowed portion close to the communication hole. The communication hole has at least three edge lines which extend in a penetration direction. The communication plate is bonded to the substrate such that the ends of the edge lines at a surface close to the substrate are covered with the substrate that defines the narrowed portion on a surface close to the communication plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuma Fukuzawa, Hiroshige Owaki