Patents Examined by Erika J. Villaluna
  • Patent number: 11086253
    Abstract: During a print cycle of a print apparatus, a liquid print agent including a carrier fluid is applied to a photoconductive surface. A proportion of the carrier fluid in the liquid print agent on the photoconductive surface is reduced at a first location by removably collecting a portion of the carrier fluid from the liquid print agent applied to the photoconductive surface. During a non-print cycle of the print apparatus, the removably collected portion of the carrier fluid is added to the photoconductive surface at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Asaf Anufa, Ronen Bitan, Doron Schlumm, Shmuel Borenstain
  • Patent number: 11079363
    Abstract: The systems and methods of this disclosure enable evaluation, verification, and testing of toxic gas sensors without the need for a target gas cylinder. The systems and methods for testing toxic gas sensors over a broad range of frequencies facilitates evaluation and diagnosis of mechanisms underlying sensor performance. The systems and methods of this disclosure may be incorporated into portable gas sensing equipment for in field diagnostics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Industrial Scientific Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan Eric Dinsmore
  • Patent number: 11079711
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable cylindrical component to be cleaned, and a bar brush having a base substrate and bristles. The base substrate of the bar brush is located at a fixed position relative to the component to be cleaned. The bristles extend from the base substrate to contact the component to be cleaned. The bristles have free ends that form a tip end surface of the bar brush. The tip end surface has a curved shape that conforms with a surface of the component, when the bristles are not in contact with the surface to be cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Koji Miyake, Satoru Furuya, Kensuke Nakajima, Shun Ikeura
  • Patent number: 11073793
    Abstract: An example device includes a conveyor to convey a printed medium along a path from a print engine towards a printed media output. The device further includes a housing to hold the conveyor. The housing defines an air intake, an exhaust port, and a conveyor volume to contain the conveyor. The air intake provides air to the conveyor volume to dry the printed medium. The device further includes a tortuous exhaust passage extending from the conveyor volume to the exhaust port to exhaust air from the conveyor volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kevin Lo, Matthew Raisanen, Alan Shibata
  • Patent number: 11060892
    Abstract: In this vortex flowmeter provided with a vortex generator and a flow rate measuring unit the flow rate measurement unit includes a piezoelectric element and a piezoelectric element case. The piezoelectric element case includes: a fitted part fitted in the body case; a pressure receiving part protruding out from a distal end face of the fitted part and placed in a body passage; a hollow portion formed along the axial direction of the piezoelectric element case in the fitted part to separate the fitted part and the pressure receiving part; and a slit formed inside of the pressure receiving part and configured to accommodate the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CKD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Ohshima, Yuki Sakaki, Takaharu Matsuura, Ryo Eguchi
  • Patent number: 11054766
    Abstract: A fixing device in an image forming apparatus includes a partition member providing a partition between a pressure roller and a housing. The partition member is disposed against the pressure roller along a rotation-axis direction X of the pressure roller. The partition member has a first side face against the pressure roller. The first side face is provided with a thermal insulation member thereon. The thermal insulation member is separated from the pressure roller by a prescribed distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsunori Mitsuoka
  • Patent number: 11054768
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotating member, a heater, a fixing pad, a pressurizing member, a lubricant, and a surface layer. The fixing rotating member is configured to fix a toner image on a recording medium and is heated by the heater. The fixing pad is positioned on an inner circumferential side of the fixing rotating member, and presses the fixing rotating member from the inner circumferential side. The pressurizing member faces an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotating member, and forms a nip for fixing between the pressurizing member and the fixing rotating member. The lubricant is applied to the fixing rotating member. The surface layer is disposed in a vicinity of an end portion of a pressurizing surface of the fixing pad and returns the lubricant to a longitudinal central side of the pressurizing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsushi Yamazoe
  • Patent number: 11035751
    Abstract: A positioning device for arrangement of a basin false bottom in ocean engineering comprises a laser transmitting system, a rotating platform system, and a control and calculation system. The laser transmitting system comprises a laser transmitter used for providing laser beams. The rotating platform system comprises a two-degree-of-freedom rotating platform used for carrying the laser transmitter and making the laser beams have spatially arbitrary directivity. The control and calculation system is used for calculating, according to given coordinates, the angle by which the two-degree-of-freedom rotating platform needs to rotate, controlling rotation of the two-degree-of-freedom rotating platform, and making the laser beams transmitted by the laser transmitter accurately indicate the given coordinates at the basin false bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Inventors: Jianmin Yang, Xinliang Tian, Xiaoxian Guo, Longfei Xiao, Tao Peng
  • Patent number: 11035767
    Abstract: An apparatus to determine the swollen cross-link density of a polymeric specimen. The apparatus includes a support structure, a fluid-holding structure to hold a solvent, a first gripping assembly engaged with a weight scale and adapted to grip a specimen and a second gripping assembly adapted to grip the specimen. The fluid-holding structure is attached to a multi-stage device attached to the support structure and displaceable upward or downward. A mechanism supported by the support structure and engaged with the multi-stage device and configured to displace the multi-stage device in fine gradations. When a specimen is gripped by the gripping assemblies and submerged in the solvent and the mechanism displaces the multi-stage device downward, a tensile force is exerted on the specimen. The tensile force is measured by a displacement gauge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: The United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: William F. Bryant, Jr., John N. Kelley
  • Patent number: 11022936
    Abstract: In a developing cartridge, a first supporting member is attached to a housing and has a first developing supporting portion and a driving-force-receiving-member supporting portion, the first developing supporting portion being configured to rotatably support a first part of a rotational shaft, the driving-force-receiving-member supporting portion being configured to rotatably support a driving-force-receiving member. The second supporting member is attached to the housing and has a second developing supporting portion and a detection-rotational-body supporting portion, the second developing supporting portion being configured to rotatably support a second part of the rotational shaft, the detection-rotational-body supporting portion being configured to rotatably support a detection rotational body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nao Itabashi, Hideshi Nishiyama, Yasuo Fukamachi
  • Patent number: 11016432
    Abstract: A sensor holder includes a holder body that accommodates a sensor, a first snap fit that presses the sensor from a rear surface of the sensor, and two second snap fits that fix the holder body to the housing at at least two points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shota Makita, Takashi Akaike, Yosuke Kuwata
  • Patent number: 11016438
    Abstract: A cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a rotatable member capable of carrying developer, the rotatable member being rotatable about a rotational axis thereof. The cartridge also includes a coupling member provided at one end portion of the cartridge with respect to a rotational axis direction of the rotatable member, the coupling member including at least one projection and being configured to transmit a rotational force to the rotatable member. A holding member holds the coupling member, and two pins support the holding member, with each of the two pins including a shaft portion elongated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable member and the two pins being disposed substantially parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigemi Kamoshida, Takuya Kawakami, Hiroki Ogino, Kazuhiko Kanno
  • Patent number: 11003129
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a rotatable member, a rotatable rotational force receiving member, a preventing member including an accommodating portion, a rotatable coupling member including a free end portion which includes a rotational force receiving portion and including a connecting portion connected with the preventing portion to be partly accommodated in the accommodating portion so that a rotational axis of the coupling member permits tilting thereof relative to a rotational axis of the rotational force receiving member, a shaft portion. The preventing member includes a supporting portion for supporting ends of the shaft portion so as to prevent the shaft portion from moving in a rotational direction of the rotatable member to transmit the rotational force received from the shaft portion via the supporting portion to the rotational force receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Uratani, Yu Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 10996616
    Abstract: An operating mechanism for an image forming apparatus includes a translating member, a rotating member, and a rib. The translating member defines a first engagement surface. The translating member moves along an axis that extends in a first direction. The rotating member is coupled to the translating member such that the translating member is both (a) movable relative to the rotating member along the axis and (b) rotatable relative to the rotating member about the axis. The rotating member defines a second engagement surface configured to engage the first engagement surface to regulate movement of the translating member such that a rotational displacement of the translating member about the axis has a corresponding linear displacement of the translating member along the axis. The rib is coupled to the rotating member and configured to reinforce the rotating member in order to resist deformation of the rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Kojima
  • Patent number: 10969307
    Abstract: An extractive system, such as SPME, has an adsorptive phase in the form of a porous coating that has essentially vertical, mutually supporting, columnar structures with nanospaces at the boundaries of the grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Moxtek, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew R. Linford, Anubhav Diwan, Bhupinder Singh
  • Patent number: 10969707
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive body, a light source, a lens, a light housing, a first fulcrum, a second fulcrum, a stay, and a repositioning mechanism. The lens is positioned to focus light emitted from the light source at a focal position. The light housing holds the light source and the lens. The fulcrums are positioned such that a surface of the photoconductive body is positioned at the focal position when the light housing engages the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum. The stay is positioned to support the light housing at two or more points between the fulcrums. The repositioning mechanism is coupled to the stay. The light housing presses against the fulcrums when the repositioning mechanism is in a first orientation and is spaced from the fulcrums when the repositioning mechanism is in a second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Kodo
  • Patent number: 10959800
    Abstract: A force sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of sensing elements, a seal, and a cover plate. The substrate includes a proximal surface and a distal surface, with the plurality of sensing elements coupled to the distal surface of the substrate. The seal includes a base wall and a flange extending proximally from the base wall. The flange is positioned against the distal surface of the substrate to define a cavity between the base wall of the seal and the distal surface of the substrate within which the plurality of sensing elements are disposed. The cover plate is positioned over the seal and fixed to the substrate. The cover plate applies a closure force on the seal to inhibit the ingress of fluids into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventor: Ramiro Cabrera
  • Patent number: 10955791
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a first photosensitive drum, a first developing roller, a first shifting member movable between a contacting position and a separating position, a motor, a first joint, a first clutch operable in one of a transmittable condition and a discontinuing condition, a first shifting cam rotatable between a first position, in which the first shifting cam locates the first shifting member at the contacting position, and a second position, in which the first shifting cam locates the first shifting member at the separating position, and a first switching cam rotatable between a third position, in which the first switching cam places the first clutch in the transmittable condition, and a fourth position, in which the first switching cam places the first clutch in the discontinuing condition, alongside the first shifting cam rotating between the first position and the second position, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakano, Masahito Saeki, Kotaro Haruta
  • Patent number: 10935911
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10928770
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a top cover configured to cover a part of an opening of a housing; a front cover configured to cover a part of the remaining of the opening; a toner cartridge; and a drum cartridge, wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the opened position, the drum cartridge having the toner cartridge mounted thereto is mountable and demountable to and from the housing, whereas the drum cartridge is prevented from being mounted and demounted to and from the housing in a state where the front cover is located at the closed position, wherein when the top cover is located at the opened position, the toner cartridge is mountable and demountable to and from the drum cartridge, and wherein when the top cover is located at the closed position, the toner cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Abe