Patents Examined by Julian Huffman
  • Patent number: 9815281
    Abstract: An image forming agent storage member capable of being resupplied with an image forming agent is disclosed. The image forming agent storage member includes a housing, an image forming agent entry, and a fluid-discharge mechanism. The housing is for carrying the image forming agent. The image forming agent entry is disposed at one end of the housing. The fluid-discharge mechanism is disposed on a surface of the housing. When the image forming agent is injected into the housing via the image forming agent entry, a fluid inside the housing is discharged via the fluid-discharge mechanism. A digital machine includes the said image forming agent storage member is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Chia-Hsin Lin
  • Patent number: 9815287
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a recording element board having a first face on which multiple recording elements are provided, and discharge orifices for the recording elements, where pressure chambers are formed for each recording element and liquid is discharged from discharge orifices. A liquid supply channel and a liquid recovery channel are provided in common to the plurality of recording elements, in a second face opposite to the recording element board from the first face. The pressure chambers are each made to communicate with the liquid supply channel and the liquid recovery channel by the supply ports and recovery ports respectively, and a flow from the liquid supply channel through the pressure chambers to the liquid recovery channel is generated. A composited flow resistance of the liquid recovery channel and recovery ports is greater than a composited flow resistance of the liquid supply channel and supply ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuto Moriguchi, Seiichiro Karita, Yumi Komamiya, Shingo Okushima, Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 9810741
    Abstract: Sampling for arc-fault detection, ground-fault detection, and grounded-neutral fault detection uses a single analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The arc-fault and ground-fault sampling occurs at regular sampling periods that are relatively short com pared to the time between them, thus allowing grounded-neutral fault sampling to occur before and/or after one of these sampling periods. A predefined event may be used to ensure the grounded-neutral fault sampling occurs immediately before and/or after one of the periodic sampling periods. The predefined event may be the expiration of a timer or the time for a sinusoidal signal in a ground fault sense circuit to make a predefined number of zero-crossings. This avoids interference between the arc-fault sampling, the ground-fault sampling and grounded-neutral fault sampling, allowing a single ADC to perform all samplings concurrently. The timing of the predefined event may be periodically reset to compensate for any changes due to temperature and/or over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Issa Vignon Dramé, Randall James Gass
  • Patent number: 9802419
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes a first surface and a second surface facing a particular direction, with a liquid outlet through the first surface. A circuit board is mounted on the second surface, and a liquid detection mechanism including a light access portion extends above the second surface further than the circuit board in the particular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya Okazaki, Tetsuro Kobayshi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Kosuke Nukui, Akihito Ono, Mikio Hirano, Suguru Tomoguchi, Yutao Wang, Tomohiro Kanbe
  • Patent number: 9796188
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device including a liquid discharging head with nozzles, a carriage, and a controller is provided. When a position of the end of a sheet is on an inner side of an outmost contact part among a plurality of contact parts along a scanning direction, the controller determines discharging timings to discharge liquid from the nozzles based on first gap information, which is related to a gap between the sheet and the liquid discharging surface and is stored in a gap information storage. When the position of the end of the sheet is on the inner side of the outmost contact part, the controller determines the discharging timings based on the first gap information stored in the gap information storage and on second gap information generated in a gap information generating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Kenji Kawamoto, Tsuyoshi Kuwayama
  • Patent number: 9796183
    Abstract: An electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing device, including: a support part; a jet printing module; a substrate bearing and moving module; and a roll-to-roll thin film conveying module. The jet printing module is disposed on the support part and includes a nozzle for ejecting printing fluid onto a substrate for pattern printing. The substrate bearing and moving module is disposed on the support part, and fixedly bears a rigid substrate as the substrate for pattern printing, and drives the rigid substrate to move with respect to the jet printing module. The roll-to-roll thin film conveying module is disposed on the support part, and transfers a flexible thin film as the substrate for pattern printing, and drives the flexible film to move with respect to the jet printing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yongan Huang, Zhouping Yin, Ningbin Bu, Jiankui Chen, Yanqiao Pan, Yajiang Ding, Yongqing Duan
  • Patent number: 9789705
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method in which an image is formed by applying onto a recording medium a reaction liquid, an aqueous pigment ink containing an anionic polymer aggregatable by the reaction liquid and a resin-containing aqueous liquid containing an anionic polymer aggregatable by the reaction liquid to form an image, the method including the steps of applying the reaction liquid to the recording medium; applying the aqueous pigment ink to a surface of the recording medium to which the reaction liquid is applied by an ink jet method to form an image; and applying the resin-containing aqueous liquid to the image formed on the recording medium by the ink jet method. The surface tension of the resin-containing aqueous liquid is higher than the surface tension of the aqueous pigment ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiichirou Takeuchi, Koichiro Nakazawa, Fumihiro Goto, Eisuke Nishitani, Kanako Soma, Takumi Otani
  • Patent number: 9789713
    Abstract: A tape cartridge includes a tape-shaped member having a plurality of label portions along a length direction of the tape-shaped member and a plurality of detection target portions corresponding to the plurality of label portions on one side thereof projecting in the tape width direction, and a cartridge case in which the tape-shaped member is accommodated. The cartridge case has an exposed area, in which the detection target portions are exposed to detect passage of the detection target portions and a tape delivery port that is formed to eject the tape-shaped member to an outside of the cartridge case. A distance between the tape delivery port and an upstream end of the exposed area is shorter than a distance between an end on a paying-out tip-end side of the detection target portion and an end on a paying-out terminal-end side of another of the label portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Taishi Sasaki, Kenichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9789715
    Abstract: Gas bearing systems, print gap control systems, and methods of print gap control are provided. The gas bearing systems can accommodate one or more print module packages. The systems and methods can be used for inkjet and/or thermal printing applications such as manufacturing organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Gas bearing systems can employ one or more of pressurized gas and vacuum. For oxygen-sensitive applications, an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, can be employed as the pressurized gas. Fluid channels and apertures of the gas bearing systems can be varied in terms of size and relative position to one another. Fluid channels and apertures can be grouped and paired with one or more manifolds and ultimately a pressurized gas and/or vacuum source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert B. Lowrance, Michael Miller, Sass Somekh, Conor F. Madigan, Eliyahu Vronsky, Manoocher Birang
  • Patent number: 9789694
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method comprising ejecting an ink from a recording head to record an image on a recording medium using an ink jet recording apparatus. The ink jet recording apparatus includes a main tank, a sub tank, and a recording head. The ratio of the maximum ink storage amount of the main tank to the maximum ink storage amount of the sub tank is 3.0 or more to 50.0 or less. The ink contains a pigment and a particular water-soluble organic solvent. The ratio of the water-soluble organic solvent content to the pigment content is 2.0 or more to 10.0 or less. The ink has a temperature at which the ratio of the viscosity of the ink in the recording head to the viscosity of the ink at a temperature of 25° C. is 0.8 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Yamamoto, Tomohiro Yamashita, Soichi Nagai
  • Patent number: 9787116
    Abstract: A charging circuit including a transformer, a storage element, a switch element, a first resistor, and a current detection unit is provided. The transformer includes a primary coil and a secondary coil. The storage element is coupled to the secondary coil. The switch element is coupled to the primary coil. The first resistor is coupled to the primary coil. The current detection unit detects current flowing through the first resistor. When the current reaches a set current, the current detection unit sends a full signal to de-activate the switch unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Cheng-Tao Li
  • Patent number: 9781989
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus includes a drawing unit for drawing on a nail of an object which is a finger or a toe by applying ink, an object suppression unit for applying a suppression force to suppress a motion of the object to the object, and a nail region detection unit for detecting a region of the nail. The drawing apparatus sets the suppression force to a first suppression force in at least one of a first period of the drawing unit drawing on the nail and a second period of the nail region detection unit detecting the region of the nail, and sets the suppression force to a second suppression force which is weaker than the first suppression force or sets the motion of the object to be not suppressed in a third period of the ink applied to the nail being dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuichi Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9776392
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a page wide array (PWA) printer (20) particularly but not exclusively for performing print jobs while maximizing print bar performance uniformity within the printer. The PWA printer includes a print bar which can be moved laterally and a controller which causes the print bar to laterally move from a first to a second position and causes the nozzles within the print bar to print an image while the print bar is in the second position without modifying the lateral alignment of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Jordi Sender Beleta, Joshua A. Mann, Isabel Borell Bayona
  • Patent number: 9781305
    Abstract: A replaceable item for a host device, such as a print substance cartridge for a printing device, stores multiple identities. For each identity, the replaceable item stores multiple authentication values, or passwords. The replaceable item selects an identity, and in response to a request for an authentication value from the host device, sends the requested authentication value for the selected identity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Erik D. Ness, Stephen D. Panshin, Jefferson P. Ward
  • Patent number: 9778289
    Abstract: A sample and hold circuit takes a sample of the current flowing through an inductor of a buck switched-mode power supply (SMPS) at substantially the middle of the low side portion (50 percent point during low side switch ON) of the pulse width modulation (PWM) period. This sample of the current through the SMPS inductor during the low side ON 50% point may be considered as the “average” or “DC output” current of the SMPS, and taken every time at precisely the same low side ON 50%. A constant current source and sink are used to charge and discharge a timing capacitor whose voltage charge is monitored by a high speed voltage comparator to provide precise sample timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Scott Dearborn, Cliff Ellison
  • Patent number: 9776422
    Abstract: Systems and methods for degassing fluid are disclosed. An example fluid ejection device including a channel having an entrance and an exit; a supply slot in communication with the channel; a vent; a first bubble impeding structure at the entrance of the channel; and a second bubble impeding structure at an exit of the channel, the first and second bubble impeding structures to retain a bubble within the channel to enable the bubble to be vented through a vent and to deter the bubble from entering the ink supply slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Alexander Govyadinov
  • Patent number: 9770925
    Abstract: A printer includes a transportation unit that transports roll paper, a winding unit that winds up the transported roll paper, and a controller that controls the transportation unit and the winding unit. The controller switches between thresholds for a torque limit of the winding unit on the basis of inertia of the winding unit and a speed at which the roll paper is transported when the winding unit winds up the roll paper in synchronization with a transportation operation of the transportation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryo Hamano
  • Patent number: 9770902
    Abstract: A head drive IC includes: a first waveform input part to which a first waveform signal being used for generation of drive signals is inputted; a second waveform input part to which a second waveform signal different from the first waveform signal and being used for generation of the drive signals is inputted; a switching signal input part to which a switching signal is inputted; and an input switching circuit which performs switching between a state in which both of the input of the first waveform signal and the input of the second waveform signal are allowed, and a state in which the input of the first waveform signal is allowed and the input of the second waveform signal is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9770915
    Abstract: A replaceable item for a host device includes a non-volatile memory and logic. The non-volatile memory stores passwords or authentication values, and/or a cryptographic key. The logic satisfactorily responds to requests for passwords a maximum permitted number of times to authenticate the replaceable item within the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Erik D. Ness, Stephen D. Panshin, Jefferson P. Ward
  • Patent number: 9764546
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus, including: a drive element configured to apply discharge energy to the liquid to discharge the liquid; signal generators configured to generate a plurality of types of drive signals having mutually different waveforms to drive the drive element; and drive switches electrically located between the signal generators and the drive element to correspond to the plurality of types of drive signals respectively. The drive switches include a first drive switch and a second drive switch which are different in ON-resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Hayashi, Shuhei Hiwada, Takahiko Watari, Jie Chen