Patent Grant
9233544
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a head unit that is provided with a plurality of unit heads that eject a liquid from a nozzle, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
A liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that is provided with a liquid ejecting head that is capable of ejecting a liquid as liquid droplets from a nozzle, and that ejects various liquids from the liquid ejecting head. As a representative example of this kind of liquid ejecting apparatus, it is possible to include an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet type recording apparatus (printer) that is provided with an ink jet type recording head (hereinafter, referred to as a recording head) and performs recording by ejecting a liquid ink (in the form of ink droplets) from a nozzle of the recording head. Further, in addition to the above, liquid ejecting apparatuses are used in the ejecting of various types of liquid such as coloring materials that are used in color filters for liquid crystal displays and the like, organic materials that are used in organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, and electrode materials that are used in electrode formation. Further, liquid ink is ejected in recording heads for image recording apparatuses, and solutions of the respective color materials of R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) are ejected from color material ejecting heads for display manufacturing apparatuses. In addition, liquid electrode material is ejected from electrode material ejecting heads for electrode formation apparatuses, and solutions of living organic matter are ejected from living organic matter ejecting heads for chip production apparatuses.
In a printer such as that mentioned above, a single recording head that ejects ink is configured as a unit head, and there are printers in which a single head unit is configured by arraying a plurality of such unit heads (for example, refer to JP-A-2012-183758). Each unit head introduces ink from an ink supply source (such as an ink cartridge) into a pressure chamber (pressure generation chamber), generates a pressure variation in the ink inside the pressure chamber by operating pressure generation units such as a piezoelectric element or a heater element. Further, each unit head is configured to eject the ink inside the pressure chamber (in the form of ink droplets) from a nozzle (formed as an opening in a nozzle surface) using the pressure variation. In addition, a head unit such as that described above is provided with a transmission substrate that sends a drive signal to each of the pressure generation units.
In recent years, the miniaturization of head units has been progressing. For example, head units are being developed in which a plurality of unit heads (in which two nozzle rows are provided) are arrayed on both surface sides of a transmission substrate that forms a base of a wiring substrate. Each head unit is provided with a flexible cable, one end of which is connected to the transmission substrate. Further, a fluid channel that is in communication with each nozzle row is provided on both sides of the flexible cable with the flexible cable interposed therebetween. That is, a fluid channel that is on the transmission substrate side and a fluid channel that is on a side that is opposite thereto are provided in each unit head with the flexible cable interposed therebetween. If such a configuration is adopted, since the fluid channel that is on the transmission substrate side is disposed between the transmission substrate and the flexible cable, a contact portion of the transmission substrate and the flexible cable becomes an obstruction in cases in which the fluid channel on the transmission substrate side comes into contact with the fluid channel on the upstream side. In particular, since the width of the flexible cable with respect to the unit head becomes relatively larger if unit heads are miniaturized, the arrangement of a fluid channel that comes into contact between the fluid channel on the upstream side and the fluid channel of the unit head becomes complicated, and the connection of fluid channels is more difficult.
An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a head unit in which a unit head has a plurality of nozzle rows. The nozzle rows are arrayed on both surface sides of a transmission substrate without forming a complicated liquid fluid channel. Also described herein is a liquid ejecting apparatus that is provided with the head unit.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head unit, in which unit head rows are formed by arraying a plurality of unit heads. The unit head rows are respectively arranged in parallel on both surface sides of a thickness direction of a transmission substrate. The head until includes unit heads that have a nozzle surface, in which nozzle rows including a plurality of nozzles are formed, and pressure generation units that generate a pressure variation in pressure chambers that are in communication with the nozzles, and that eject a liquid from the nozzles by generating a pressure variation in the pressure chambers by operating the pressure generation units, a transmission substrate that is vertically arranged along a direction which intersects the nozzle surface, and that transmits a drive signal to the pressure generation units, and a liquid fluid channel member that has a liquid fluid channel that supplies a liquid to the unit heads. The liquid fluid channel has a first liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a first side of the thickness direction of the transmission substrate and a second liquid fluid channel that is disposed a second side of the thickness direction of the transmission substrate. The unit heads are provided with a flexible cable that is electrically connected to the pressure generation units and the transmission substrate, a first head fluid channel that sandwiches the flexible cable and is provided on a side that is opposite a transmission substrate side, and a second head fluid channel that, with respect to the first head fluid channel, sandwiches the flexible cable and is provided on the transmission substrate side. Among the first liquid fluid channel and the second liquid fluid channel, the first head fluid channel is in communication with a first liquid fluid channel on a surface side on which the unit heads are disposed, and among the first liquid fluid channel and the second liquid fluid channel, the second head fluid channel straddles the transmission substrate and is in communication with a second liquid fluid channel on a surface side that is positioned on a side that is opposite the unit heads.
According to this configuration, since there is no longer interference between the flexible cable and the communication fluid channels that connect the head fluid channels and the liquid fluid channels, it becomes possible to array unit heads that have a plurality of nozzle rows on both surface sides of a transmission substrate without forming a complicated liquid fluid channel.
In the abovementioned configuration, it is desirable that the head unit be further provided with a fixing member that is fixed to the liquid fluid channel member on one side, and fixed to the unit heads on the other side, the fixing member have a first communication fluid channel that is in communication with the first head fluid channel and the first liquid fluid channel and a second communication fluid channel that is in communication with the second head fluid channel and the second liquid fluid channel for each unit head, and the second communication fluid channel straddle the transmission substrate and extend toward the second liquid fluid channel from the second head fluid channel.
In addition, in the abovementioned configuration, it is desirable that the liquid fluid channel member have a valve that controls the influx of the liquid from the liquid fluid channel to a head fluid channel side.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned configuration, it is desirable that the transmission substrate be configured by a single substrate.
In addition, it is desirable that, among the two surfaces of the transmission substrate, the flexible cable that the unit heads are provided with be connected to a surface on a side on which the unit heads are disposed.
According to this configuration, the connection of the flexible cable is made easy. In addition, since it becomes possible to superimpose a flexible cable that is connected to a first surface side of the transmission substrate and a flexible cable that is connected to a second surface side of the transmission substrate in a plate thickness direction of the transmission substrate, miniaturization of the head unit becomes possible.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned configuration, it is desirable that the head unit be further provided with a metal plate that extends along a surface direction of the transmission substrate on at least one of the surface sides of the transmission substrate, and the metal plate be provided with a hole section that faces a connection portion of the transmission substrate and the flexible cable, and into which it is possible to insert the flexible cable.
According to this configuration, it is possible to make the head unit rigid. For example, it is possible to prevent a circumstance in which the head unit itself becomes deformed due to heat when the flexible cable is attached to the transmission substrate using thermocompression bonding. In addition, it is possible to block the noise of electromagnetic waves that move toward the transmission substrate from outside the head unit.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes the head unit of the abovementioned configurations.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
Hereinafter, forms for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Additionally, in the embodiments that are described below, various limitations are given as preferred specific examples of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects unless a feature that limits the present invention is specifically stated in the following description. In addition, in the following description, an ink jet type printer (hereinafter, referred to as a printer 1) is used as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention. In printer 1, there are mounted a plurality of ink jet recording heads (hereinafter, referred to as unit heads), which are a type of liquid ejecting head.
The paper supply roller 4 is arranged upstream of the transport mechanism 5, and is configured by an upper and lower pair of rollers 4a, 4b that are capable of synchronous rotation in mutually opposing directions so as to sandwich and grasp recording paper 6 that is supplied from a paper supply section (not shown in the drawings). The paper supply roller 4 is driven by power from a paper supply motor 9, and supplies the recording paper 6 to a transport mechanism 5 side after correcting a tilt of the recording paper with respect to the transport direction and after shifting of the direction that is orthogonal to the transport direction of the recording paper 6 by causing collaborative interaction of skew correction rollers (not shown in the drawings).
The transport mechanism 5 is provided with a transport belt 11, a transport motor 12, a drive roller 13, a driven roller 14, a tension roller 15 and a pressure contact roller 16. The transport motor 12 is a drive source of the transport mechanism 5, and conveys power to the drive roller 13. The transport belt 11 is an endless belt, and is stretched tightly between the drive roller 13 and the driven roller 14. The tension roller 15 is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the transport belt 11 between the drive roller 13 and the driven roller 14, and applies a tensile force to the transport belt 11 using a biasing force of a biasing member such as a spring. The pressure contact roller 16 is arranged directly above the driven roller 14 with the transport belt 11 interposed therebetween, and presses the recording paper 6 on the transport belt 11.
A linear scale 18 is arranged over the entire circumference of the belt on an outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 11. The linear scale 18 is configured by arraying a plurality of slit-shaped patterns for detection at regular intervals (for example, 360 per linear inch) in a transport direction of the transport belt 11. The patterns for detection of the linear scale 18 are detected optically by a detection head 19, and detected signals are output as encoder signals to a control unit (not shown in the drawings) of the printer 1. Therefore, based on the encoder signal, the control unit can ascertain the amount that the recording paper 6 has been transported using the transport mechanism 5 (the transport belt 11). In addition, the encoder signal defines a generation timing of the drive signal for driving a piezoelectric element 65 (to be described later) of the unit heads 7.
Next, the head unit 2 will be described using the drawings.
The head unit 2 in the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of unit heads 7 (refer to
The transmission substrate 22 is a single substrate that transmits a drive signal that is sent from the control unit to the piezoelectric element 65 of each unit head 7. As shown in
As shown in
The valve unit 23 stably supplies ink that is introduced from the ink tank 3 to the unit heads 7, and an on-off valve 31 (also referred to as a self-sealing valve, and which corresponds to a valve in the present invention) is provided partway through an internal fluid channel thereof. As shown in
In addition, an end of a first connection fluid channel (not shown in the drawings) (the other end of which is in communication with the second liquid fluid channel 32b of the second surface side (the filter chamber 35 side)) is open at a position that is different from that of the internal fluid channel 36. Ink that has passed through the on-off valve 31 flows into the second liquid fluid channel 32b through the first connection fluid channel. The second liquid fluid channel 32b extends downward along the surface direction of the transmission substrate 22, and is open at the bottom end section of the valve unit 23. The second liquid fluid channel 32b of the present embodiment branches into two forks partway therealong and among the two unit head rows 27a, 27b, ink is supplied to unit heads 7 that are disposed in the first unit head row 27a and unit heads 7 that are disposed in the second unit head row 27b through communication fluid channels 44 of the case 25 that will be described later. More specifically, as shown in
The first liquid fluid channel 32a extends downward along the surface direction of the transmission substrate 22 in the same manner as the second liquid fluid channel 32b, and is open at the bottom end section of the valve unit 23. The first liquid fluid channel 32a of the present embodiment branches into two forks partway therealong and among the two unit head rows 27a, 27b, ink is supplied to unit heads 7 that are disposed in the first unit head row 27a and unit heads 7 that are disposed in the second unit head row 27b. More specifically, as shown in
The case 25 is a member that is formed from a resin or the like. The upper surface (a surface that is on a side that is opposite the unit head 7 side) of the case 25 is fixed to the transmission substrate 22, the metal plate 24 and the valve unit 23. The case 25 of the present embodiment is formed so as to be longer than the transmission substrate 22 in the longitudinal direction of the head unit 2. Head fixing hollow sections 41 (that are concave from the lower surface thereof to partway into the upper portion thereof) are provided on a lower surface side of the case 25 at positions that correspond to the unit heads 7, and the unit heads 7 are fixed into the inside of the head fixing hollow sections 41. That is, five head fixing hollow sections 41 are lined up to correspond to the unit head row 27a that is arrayed on a first side of the transmission substrate 22, and five head fixing hollow sections 41 are lined up to correspond to the unit head row 27b that is arrayed on a second side of the transmission substrate 22 shifted by a distance of the lining-up pitch of the unit heads 7. In other words, the head fixing hollow sections 41 are alternately arrayed along a longitudinal direction of the case 25 on the first side and the second side of the transmission substrate 22 with the transmission substrate 22 interposed therebetween. In addition, cable insertion hollow sections 42 (into which the flexible cable 79 of the unit heads 7 are inserted) are provided in the upper portion of the head fixing hollow sections 41 by penetrating in a plate thickness direction (a vertical direction in
As shown in
In addition, a second communication fluid channel 44 that sandwiches the cable insertion hollow section 42 straddles the lower portion of the transmission substrate 22 and extends diagonally at the inner side (a transmission substrate 22 side) of the cable insertion hollow section 42. On a side that is opposite the first communication fluid channel along the width of the case 25, the lower end of the second communication fluid channel 44 is open to the cable insertion hollow section 42 inside the head fixing hollow section 41. Furthermore, the lower end of the second communication fluid channel 44 is in liquid-tight communication with the upper end of a second head fluid channel 82b (an ink introduction path 75) that will be described later. More specifically, the lower end of a second communication fluid channel 44b (the upper end of which is open on the second surface side (the unit head row 27b side) among the two surface sides of the transmission substrate 22) is in communication with a second head fluid channel 82b of the unit heads 7 that are disposed in the unit head row 27a. Likewise, the lower end of a second communication fluid channel 44a (the upper end of which is open on the first surface side (the unit head row 27a side) among the two surface sides of the transmission substrate 22) is in communication with a second head fluid channel 82b of the unit heads 7 that are disposed in the unit head row 27b. Further, in the same manner as the first communication fluid channel 43, the upper ends of the second communication fluid channels 44a, 44b are in liquid-tight communication with either the first liquid fluid channel 32a or the second liquid fluid channel 32b, respectively. That is, as shown in
In summary, the lower end of the first communication fluid channel 43 (a communication fluid channel 43 that is perpendicular with the outer side) and the lower end of the second communication fluid channel 44 (a communication fluid channel 44 that is inclined downward from the outer side toward the inner side) respectively sandwich the cable insertion hollow sections 42 and are open at the head fixing hollow section 41. Further, since the first liquid fluid channel 32a or the second liquid fluid channel 32b is positioned directly above the first communication fluid channel 43, the first communication fluid channel 43 extends in the vertical direction and is in communication with the liquid fluid channel 32. Meanwhile, if an attempt is made to extend the second communication fluid channel 44 in the vertical direction and connect the second communication fluid channel 44 to the upper liquid fluid channel 32 in the same manner as the first communication fluid channel 43, the cable insertion hollow sections 42 or the flexible cable 79 become obstacles, and it becomes difficult to communicate with the liquid fluid channel 32. However, since the two unit head rows 27a, 27b are disposed shifted by a distance of the lining-up pitch thereof in the head unit 2, the flexible cable 79 (cable insertion hollow sections 42) of unit heads 7 that belong to other unit head rows 27 are not disposed on an opposite side (other unit head row 27 sides that are different from the unit head row 27 that belongs to the unit heads 7 with which the second communication fluid channel 44 is in communication) that sandwiches the transmission substrate 22. Therefore, it is possible for the second communication fluid channel 44 to straddle the lower portion of the transmission substrate 22 and be in communication with the first liquid fluid channel 32a or the second liquid fluid channel 32b that are positioned on an opposite side (a side that is opposite the unit head row 27 that belongs to the unit heads 7 with which the second communication fluid channel 44 is in communication) that sandwiches the transmission substrate 22.
Next, the unit heads 7 will be described.
As shown in
Furthermore, an ink introduction path 75 is formed in the head case 56. The ink introduction path 75 is a fluid channel that configures the upstream side of the head fluid channels 82. Furthermore, as shown in
The fluid channel unit 51 has a nozzle plate 52 and a communication substrate 53. The communication substrate 53 is a plate material in which the common liquid fluid channel 62, an individual communication opening 72 and the like are formed. The common liquid fluid channel 62 is a fluid channel that is common to each pressure chamber 61, the upstream side of which is connected to the ink introduction path 75, and is formed in two rows to correspond to the pressure chambers 61 (or the nozzles 57) that are formed in two rows. The common liquid fluid channel 62 is in communication with each pressure chamber 61 through the individual communication opening 72. The nozzle plate 52 is a plate material (that is made from a silicon substrate or the like) in which a plurality of nozzles 57 are provided in an open manner in row form at a pitch that corresponds to a dot formation density. This plurality of lined-up nozzles 57 configure a nozzle row 49 (a type of nozzles group) by providing from one end side of nozzles 57 to another end side of nozzles 57 at regular intervals. In the present embodiment, two nozzle rows 49 are formed in the nozzle plate 52. Additionally, the lower surface of the nozzle plate 52 corresponds to the nozzle surface 58.
The pressure generation unit 50 is positioned in the lower section of the of the head case 56 in a state in which a pressure chamber formation substrate 59 (a type of pressure chamber formation member) in which the pressure chamber 61 is formed, an elastic film 60, a so-called deflection vibration type piezoelectric element 65 (corresponds to a pressure generation units in the present invention) and a protecting substrate 54 are laminated and unitized. Electrode wiring sections (not shown in the drawings) respectively extend to the penetrating hollow section 74 side from each piezoelectric element 65, and a terminal of one end side of the flexible cable 79 is connected to the electrode wiring sections. In addition, each pressure chamber 61 is respectively in communication with the nozzles 57 on a side that is opposite the individual communication opening 72 through the nozzle communication paths 66 that are formed in the communication substrate 53.
Further, the head fluid channels 82 are configured by a series of fluid channels that is formed from the ink introduction path 75, the common liquid fluid channel 62, the individual communication opening 72, the pressure chamber 61, the nozzle communication paths 66 and the nozzles 57. In the present embodiment, two head fluid channels 82 are provided with the flexible cable 79 interposed therebetween, and respectively correspond to the first head fluid channel 82a and the second head fluid channel 82b. More specifically, in a state in which the unit heads 7 are fixed to the case 25, a head fluid channel (that is disposed on the outer side (a side that is opposite the transmission substrate 22 with respect to the flexible cable 79)) corresponds to the first head fluid channel 82a. Further, in the state in which the unit heads 7 are fixed to the case 25, an ink introduction path 75 (that is disposed on the inner side (a transmission substrate 22 side with respect to the flexible cable 79)) corresponds to the second head fluid channel 82b.
In a head unit 2 with such a configuration, ink from the ink tank 3 is supplied to each valve unit 23 through the ink supply tube 8. The ink that is supplied to the valve unit 23 branches into the first liquid fluid channel 32a and the second liquid fluid channel 32b after passing through the on-off valve 31, further branches downstream of the liquid fluid channels 32a, 32b, and is introduced into four head fluid channels 82 through the communication fluid channels 43a, 43b, 44a, 44b. That is, ink is supplied to two unit heads 7 that are on both sides of the transmission substrate 22 in the thickness direction thereof from a single valve unit 23. If described in more detail, as shown in
Further, in a state in which each head fluid channels 82 is filled with ink, the piezoelectric element 65 is bent by supplying a drive signal from the control unit to the piezoelectric element 65 through the transmission substrate 22 and the flexible cable 79. As a result of this configuration, a pressure variation is generated inside the pressure chamber 61, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles 57 by using the pressure variation.
In this manner, since, among the first liquid fluid channel 32a and the second liquid fluid channel 32b, the first head fluid channel 82a is in communication with a first liquid fluid channel 32 of the surface side on which the unit heads 7 are disposed, and among the first liquid fluid channel 32a and the second liquid fluid channel 32b, the second head fluid channel 82b straddles the transmission substrate 22 and is in communication with a second liquid fluid channel 32 of the surface side (an opposite surface side) that is positioned opposite the unit heads 7, it becomes possible to array the unit heads 7 that have a plurality of nozzle rows 49 on both surface sides of the transmission substrate 22 without forming a complicated liquid fluid channel. In addition, since it is not necessary to from a complicated liquid fluid channel, the piping arrangement workability of the liquid fluid channel is improved. Furthermore, since, among the two surfaces of the transmission substrate 22 that is configured by one plate, the flexible cable 79 that the unit heads 7 are provided with is connected to a surface of a side on which the unit heads 7 are disposed, connection of the flexible cable 79 is more easily made. In addition, since it becomes possible to superimpose the flexible cable 79 that is connected to a first surface side of the transmission substrate 22 and a flexible cable 79 that is connected to a second surface side thereof in a plate thickness direction of the transmission substrate 22, it is possible to reduce the lining-up pitch of the unit head rows 27 and miniaturization of the head unit becomes possible. Furthermore, since the head unit is provided with a metal plate 24 that extends along a surface direction of the transmission substrate 22 on at least one of the surface sides of the transmission substrate 22, and the metal plate 24 is provided with a hole section 29 so as to face a connection portion of the transmission substrate 22 and the flexible cable 79, and into which it is possible to insert the flexible cable 79, it is possible to make the head unit 2 rigid. For example, it is possible to prevent a circumstance in which the case 25 (or the head unit 2 itself) becomes deformed due to heat when the flexible cable 79 is attached to the transmission substrate 22 using thermocompression bonding. In addition, it is possible to block the noise of electromagnetic waves that move toward the transmission substrate 22 from outside the head unit 2.
Incidentally, in the abovementioned embodiment, a single unit head row 27 is configured by five unit heads 7, but it is possible to configure a single unit head row 27 using a plurality of unit heads without being limited to this configuration. In addition, two nozzle rows 49 are provided in the nozzle surface 58 of the unit heads 7, but it is possible to provide a plurality of nozzle rows without being limited to this configuration. In addition, the nozzle rows are not limited to nozzle rows in which the nozzles are lined up in a straight line. For example, nozzle rows are possible in which are arrayed diagonally with respect to a lining-up direction (a paper width direction of the recording paper) of the unit heads, or so-called two-dimensional arrangement type nozzle rows (nozzles groups) which are arrayed along the paper width direction of the recording paper, and in which adjacent nozzles are alternately shifted with respect to the transport direction of the recording paper (a direction that is orthogonal to the paper width direction of the recording paper). In brief, provided nozzle rows (nozzle groups) are respectively disposed on both sides of a flexible cable of the unit heads with the flexible cable interposed therebetween, and fluid channels that supply ink to the nozzle rows (nozzle groups) are respectively formed on both sides of a flexible cable with the flexible cable interposed therebetween, the configuration is included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, in the abovementioned embodiment, two plates of the metal plate 24 are provided to sandwich the transmission substrate 22, but the metal plate may be provided on at least one surface side of the transmission substrate without being limited to this configuration. In addition, in the abovementioned embodiment, a so-called deflection vibration type piezoelectric element 65 was exemplified as the pressure generation units, but for example, it is possible to adopt a so-called longitudinal vibration type piezoelectric element or heater element without being limited to this configuration.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned embodiment, ink was supplied to four head fluid channels 82 (two unit heads 7) through the communication fluid channels 43a, 43b, 44a, 44b from a single valve unit 23, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a valve unit that has an on-off valve and a first liquid fluid channel may be disposed on one side of the thickness direction of the transmission substrate, and a valve unit that has an on-off valve and a second liquid fluid channel may be disposed on the other side thereof. That is, it is possible to configure such that ink is supplied to two head fluid channels from a single valve unit through the communication fluid channels. In a case in which ink is supplied to two head fluid channels from a single valve unit, since an ink flow amount inside the valve unit decreases relatively in comparison with a case in which ink is supplied to four head fluid channels from a single valve unit, pressure loss inside the fluid channels decreases, and it is easier to supply ink to the inside of head fluid channels. However, in a case in which ink is supplied to four head fluid channels from a single valve unit in the manner of the abovementioned embodiment, since one on-off valve is used for four head fluid channels, miniaturization is possible. Additionally, in a case in which valve units are respectively disposed on both sides of the thickness direction of the transmission substrate, two valve units sandwich the transmission substrate and form a pair correspond to the liquid fluid channel member in the present invention.
Further, in the abovementioned embodiment, ink jet recording heads that are mounted in an ink jet type printer are exemplified, but it is possible to apply the invention to apparatuses that eject liquids other than ink. For example, it is also possible to apply the present invention to a color material ejecting head that is used in the production of color filters such as liquid crystal displays, electrode material ejecting heads that are used in the electrode formation such as organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, and FED (field emission displays), and living organic matter ejecting heads that are used in the production of biochips.
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No: 2013-061426, filed Mar. 25, 2013 is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-061426 | Mar 2013 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060044355 | Ito | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20070070103 | Akune et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20090295867 | Oguchi | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20100110136 | Drury et al. | May 2010 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1705018 | Sep 2006 | EP |
| 2012-183758 | Sep 2012 | JP |
| Entry |
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| European Search Report for Application No. 14160685.5 dated Jul. 3, 2014. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140285574 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |
