Patents Assigned to Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
  • Patent number: 11964501
    Abstract: A printing device includes a housing, a head arranged inside the housing and configured to eject a liquid, a fan arranged inside the housing, a humidifier configured to supply humidified air to a supply port arranged at an exhaust port side of the fan, and a filter arranged at a fan side of the supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawakita, Hisaaki Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 11966192
    Abstract: A first side frame is apart from a second side frame in a first direction. A photosensitive drum is rotatable about a drum axis extending in the first direction. The photosensitive drum is rotatably supported between the first side frame and the second side frame. A grip portion extends in the first direction. A first connector extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first connector connects the first side frame and a first end portion of the grip portion. The second connector extends in the second direction. The second connector connects the second side frame and a second end portion of the grip portion. A scanner unit is configured to expose the photosensitive drum to light. The scanner unit is located between the photosensitive drum and the grip portion as viewed in a third direction which is perpendicular to the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 11964494
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a cartridge detachably attached to the image forming apparatus and including a first compartment configured to store a colorant, a container configured to be connected with the cartridge and including a second compartment configured to store the colorant flowing from the cartridge, and a display configured to display a first object indicating a first remainder amount and a second object indicating a second remainder amount in a single screen, is provided. The first remainder amount is a remainder amount of the colorant stored in the first compartment, and the second remainder amount is a remainder amount of the colorant stored in the second compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Minamikawa, Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 11966365
    Abstract: A terminal device may, in a case where a first association instruction is acquired, store a first association between a label file and a first database file, and, in a case where a second association instruction is acquired, store a second association between a first object area and a first field name. The terminal device may, in a case where a first print instruction is acquired, create N pieces of first print data and send the N pieces of first print data to a label printer. The terminal device may, in a case where a disassociation instruction is acquired under the state where the first association and the second association are stored, disassociate the first association between the label file and the first database file without disassociating the second association between the first object area and the first field name.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryoji Ban
  • Patent number: 11968336
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is configured to operate based on a contract concluded with a contractor related to a consumable for the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes a mounting unit configured to receive the consumable, a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium using the mounted consumable, and a controller configured to execute acquisition processing of acquiring arrival time information of a first consumable delivered for the printing apparatus based on the contract, prediction processing of predicting a usable amount of the mounted consumable at an arrival time indicated by the arrival time information acquired in the acquisition processing, and decision processing of deciding an execution mode of maintenance save processing for weakening given maintenance processing of the printing apparatus based on the usable amount predicted in the prediction processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ayako Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11966651
    Abstract: A communication system comprising: a communication device; a server; and a terminal device. The communication device sends first history information indicating usage history of the communication device to the server and sends second history information indicating usage history of the communication device to the terminal device. In a case where the first history information is received from the communication device, the server sends first notification information related to the first history information to the terminal device. In a case where the first notification information is received from the server, the terminal device displays the first notification information on the display unit and in a case where the second history information is received from the communication device, the terminal device displays second notification information related to the second history information on the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Megumi Hata
  • Patent number: 11964476
    Abstract: A print device includes a supply unit, a print unit, a conveyer, a tensioner, and a rotor. The conveyer is configured to nip and to convey, with a pair of rollers, a long medium in a conveyance direction. The tensioner is configured to contact a second surface of the medium to cause the medium to bend. The tensioner is pivotably supported at a position upstream of the conveyer in the conveyance direction. The rotor is rotatably supported at a position upstream of the conveyer in the conveyance direction, and positioned downstream, in the conveyance direction, of an upstream end portion, in the conveyance direction, of the tensioner. The rotor is positioned such that an upper end of the rotor and a nipped point are at a same height. The rotor is configured to contact the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiya Tomatsu, Mitsugi Tanaka, Yoji Tsujishita, Masayuki Okumura
  • Publication number: 20240126488
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a consumer receptacle and a controller to determine whether the processing apparatus is in a contracted status where a delivery contract for consumables is concluded or in an uncontracted status before the delivery contract is concluded. The consumable receptacle is configured to hold any of an exclusive consumable that is unusable when the processing apparatus is in the uncontracted status and a non-exclusive consumable different from the exclusive consumable. When the processing apparatus is in the contracted status, and the non-exclusive consumable is held in the consumable receptacle, the controller determines whether a specific condition for execution of a first particular process in which the non-exclusive consumable is consumed is satisfied. The controller allows the execution of the first particular process when the specific condition is satisfied, whereas restricting the execution of the first particular process when the specific condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taichiro KIMOTO, Shunsuke MINAMIKAWA, Koichi TSUGIMURA, Yushi DEURA, Yuki KITAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20240124254
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, having a conveyer including a pair of conveyer rollers, a recorder, a first sensor, and a controller, is provided. The controller, after a part of an image is recorded on a sheet-formed medium, within a period between a point before the first sensor detects an upstream end of the sheet-formed medium and a point after the first sensor detects the upstream end of the sheet-formed medium, controls the conveyer to convey the sheet-formed medium in a plurality of segmented actions, corrects a conveyance amount to convey the sheet-formed medium after the first sensor detects the upstream end of the sheet-formed medium to a third conveyance amount, which is smaller than the conveyance amount, and after the sheet-formed medium is conveyed by the third conveyance amount, controls the recorder to record another part of the image on the sheet-formed medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Gakuro KANAZAWA
  • Patent number: 11960948
    Abstract: In a printing device, a head ejects ink on each of a plurality of printing media. Each of the plurality of printing media is classified into one of a plurality of media types. A control device acquires image data, and performs a halftone process to convert the image data to print data for controlling the head to eject the ink. The control device controls the head to eject the ink to print the image on the basis of the print data. Before the controlling, the control device acquires media information indicating, as an indicated media type, a media type from among the plurality of media types; and performs a decision process to decide a target conversion method from among a plurality of conversion methods on the basis of the indicated media type. The halftone process converts the image data to the print data according to the target conversion method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shota Morikawa, Kodai Mizuno, Hitomi Miwa
  • Patent number: 11958285
    Abstract: A printer includes a platen roller, a substrate, a heating element, a first defining part, and a second defining part. The platen roller conveys a medium in a conveyance direction. The substrate has a front surface which faces the platen roller in a facing direction intersecting an axis direction of the platen roller and the conveyance direction. The heating element is provided on the front surface of the substrate. The heat sink is in contact with a back surface of the substrate. The first defining part and the second defining part define the conveyance path. The first defining part is provided on a further upstream side than the heating element in the conveyance direction. The second defining part is provided at the heat sink on a further downstream side than the substrate in the conveyance direction. and has a contact surface with which the medium comes into contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koshiro Shimoda
  • Patent number: 11962735
    Abstract: A printing system controls a printing member to perform printing based on a print job for which a charged fee is already settled. The printing system receives a first instruction to suspend the printing started by the printing member and suspends the printing started by the printing member in response to reception of the first instruction. The printing system receives a second instruction as to a post suspending process to be executed after the printing is suspended. The printing system performs one of a post fee-settlement process and a restart process, as the post suspending process. The post fee-settlement process is related to provision of a benefit corresponding to refunding at least part of the charged fee. The restart process is to restart the suspended printing to complete the print job after a reason that the first instruction is made is resolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ayaka Hotta, Shunsuke Minamikawa, Tetsuya Okuno, Haruka Azechi, Yushi Deura
  • Patent number: 11958290
    Abstract: There is provided droplet discharging apparatus including: nozzle configured to discharge liquid by energy generating element; first signal generator configured to generate, based on first and second data representing first and second driving waveforms, first time division multiplex signal; first separator configured to separate first or second driving waveform signal representing the first or second driving waveform from the first time division multiplex signal; second signal generator configured to generate, based on third and fourth data representing third and fourth driving waveforms, second time division multiplex signal; and second separator configured to separate third or fourth driving waveform signal representing the third or fourth driving waveform from the second time division multiplex signal. The energy generating element is driven by the first or second driving waveform signal separated by the first separator, or by the third or fourth driving waveform signal separated by the second separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11960780
    Abstract: A communication device may receive a specific signal from a first external device; after the specific signal has been received from the first external device, cause an output unit of the communication device to output specific information obtained by using a public key; after the specific information has been outputted, receive an authentication request in which the public key is used from the first external device; in a case where the authentication request is received from the first external device, send an authentication response to the first external device; after the authentication response has been sent to the first external device, receive connection information from the first external device; and in a case where the connection information is received from the first external device, establish, by using the connection information, a wireless connection between the communication device and a second external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 11962740
    Abstract: In an image processing device a controller is configured to perform: a first display operation; and a second display operation to display at least one of a target color and a non-target color in a manner different from the at least one of the target color and the non-target color in a printing target image displayed by the first display operation. The target color is a color targeted for color calibration and included in a color calibration space. The color calibration space is defined by a predetermined number of first grid points and a plurality of second grid points. The first grid points define a first polyhedron with a minimum volume enclosing the specified color. The second grid points define a plurality of second polyhedra with the minimum volume together with the first grid points. The color calibration space is a space enclosed by the second grid points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Kanzaki
  • Publication number: 20240118656
    Abstract: A drum cartridge includes a frame on which a toner cartridge is attachable, a photosensitive drum, and a drum memory. The drum cartridge relays information stored in the toner memory to the image forming apparatus when the toner cartridge is attached to the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyasu YABUKI, Takashi SUZUKI, Tadao KYOTANI
  • Patent number: 11951747
    Abstract: A tank includes: a tank body defining a storage chamber; a recessed portion provided at the tank body; a slider positioned in the recessed portion; a fitting portion provided at the slider; and a sealing member. The recessed portion has an injection opening in communication with the storage chamber, and a connection opening through which a liquid container is connectable. The slider includes a nozzle extending toward the connection opening in an extending direction and having a communication opening communicable with the injection opening. The slider is movable toward and away from the connection opening in the extending direction while rotating relative to the recessed portion. The fitting portion can be fitted with the liquid container. The sealing member can provide a liquid tight sealing to a gap between the slider and the recessed portion, and allow liquid flow between the communication opening and the injection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Naoya Okazaki, Satoru Oki, Nanami Abe
  • Patent number: 11951752
    Abstract: A controller includes a print controller configured to cause the print execution engine to convey the print medium in a conveying direction and execute a plurality of partial printings. The print controller causes the print execution engine to execute first and second partial printings. On a print medium, first and second target ranges on which printing is to be performed by the first and second partial printings, respectively, form an overlapping range. The first and second target ranges include first and second non-overlapping ranges, respectively, that do not overlap the second and first target ranges, respectively. The print controller generates print data based on non-overlapping range data and overlapping range data. The generating the print data includes increasing a density of at least a portion of the image to be printed in the overlapping range as compared with a density of the images to be printed in the non-overlapping ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 11952691
    Abstract: A controller acquires sewing data for sewing an applique piece on a sewing target material, the applique piece having a shape having a hole, the hole being a closed area surrounded by at least part of the applique piece, identifies a contour of the applique piece while distinguishing an inner contour and an outer contour, the inner contour being the contour defining the hole of the applique piece, the outer contour being the contour other than the inner contour, determines, based on the acquired sewing data, whether an inner stitch and an outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than a particular distance or at positions overlapping each other, and outputs an error notification in response to determining that the inner stitch and the outer stitch are arranged at positions closer to each other than the particular distance or at positions overlapping each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Tokura
  • Patent number: 11953849
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a main body casing; a fixing unit which fixes a developer to a sheet by means of heating and pressurization; a fan which is provided to discharge air inside the main body casing to outside of the main body casing; and a controller. The fixing unit includes a heating unit which heats the sheet; and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the heating unit. When the fixing unit is fixing the developer to the sheet, the controller is configured to: determine a heating unit temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; stop the fan in a case of determining that the heating unit temperature is not less than a threshold value; and drive the fan in a case of determining that the heating unit temperature is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Koyama