Patents Examined by Justin Seo
  • Patent number: 11932006
    Abstract: A recording device includes: a transport unit configured to transport a medium along a transport path, a recording unit configured to perform recording on the medium transported, a wrinkle forming mechanism configured to form wrinkles on a portion of the medium on the transport path before recording is performed, a detection unit configured to detect a state of the wrinkles, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a rigidity characteristic of the medium based on detection data of the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Aoki, Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11932008
    Abstract: A valve assembly for controlling airflow along sheet edges on a vacuum transport assembly including a platen including one or more holes arranged in rows in a cross process direction, and a belt displaceable with respect to the platen in a process direction, the valve assembly including a flexible plate, including a first end, a second end, a first top surface, and a first bottom surface, and a first actuator connected to the second end and operatively arranged to displace the flexible plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Carlos M. Terrero, Brian J. Dunham, Michael T. Leckinger
  • Patent number: 11919314
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a tank, a recording head, a cover, a monitor, a cover sensor, an operation panel, and a controller. The cover is movable to cover a plurality of injection inlets associated with a plurality of ink chambers and to expose the plurality of injection inlets. The cover sensor outputs signal depending on position of the cover. The controller controls the monitor to display one of inquiry information and notification on the monitor depending on receipt of the signal from the cover sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenta Horade, Mana Honoki
  • Patent number: 11912040
    Abstract: A replenishing-type liquid storage tank includes a tank body, and a backpressure application member. Liquid is replenishable in the tank body and the tank body is configured to store the liquid therein. The backpressure application member is accommodated in the tank body to apply backpressure to the liquid stored in the tank body. The backpressure application member has a portion positioned equal to or higher than a liquid level of a maximum tolerable amount of the liquid storable in the tank body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumio Nakazawa, Tsuyoshi Kuwayama, Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 11912015
    Abstract: An air knife assembly is provided to jet an air current to control the landing of sheet of print media during transfer between two adjacent conveyors in a printer. The air knife forming unit is configured for jetting an air curtain formed such that said air curtain and air currents resulting from it flow substantially perpendicular to a transport direction of the conveyors. Thereby, lifting and consequently wrinkling of the leading edge during transfer and landing may be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: CANON PRODUCTION PRINTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Peter G. La Vos, Adrianus A. Draad, Hendrikus G. M. Ramackers
  • Patent number: 11912047
    Abstract: A hybrid printing machine is described having both silk screening stations and a direct-to-garment digital printing station with a raster image processor to control a portion of a printing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: M&R Printing Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Hoffman, Jr., Geoff Baxter
  • Patent number: 11912048
    Abstract: The controller executes the first process once and then executes the second process. The first process is a process for back-feeding the continuous body, writing information to the RFID inlet, and then forward-feeding the continuous body until the RFID medium reaches the print start position. The second process is a process for stopping printing on the RFID medium halfway and writing information to the subsequent RFID medium following the RFID medium under printing when the RFID inlet of the subsequent RFID medium reaches the position allowing the communication with the antenna, and then resuming and completing printing on the RFID medium, printing on which was stopped halfway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidekazu Arai
  • Patent number: 11912023
    Abstract: An inkjet printer configured to control the temperature of ink discharged from nozzles of an inkjet head is proposed. The inkjet printer includes: an inkjet head including a plurality of nozzles configured to discharge ink, an ink reservoir configured to store ink supplied to the inkjet head, a supply channel configured to supply the ink in the ink reservoir to the inkjet head, a pressure control device connected to the ink reservoir through a pressure control tube and configured to maintain the meniscus of the ink injected into the inkjet head, and the ink temperature control unit configured to control temperature of the ink discharged from the inkjet head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GOSANTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaeryul Yu, Dongkyun Shin
  • Patent number: 11912046
    Abstract: A system for stretching a surface of a shoe for digitally printing onto the surface by an external device, the system comprising an apparatus and a controller in electrical communication, the system having: a main plate to receive and support the shoe; a side arm to traverse longitudinally along an edge of a medial portion of the main plate and to engage with at least a portion of the tongue of the shoe; and a driver causing the longitudinal traversal of the side arm, having: an end bearing and an end connector; a rotary band; an end bracket opposite the end bearing and beneath the main plate; a driving screw between the end bracket and the end bearing, and associated with the side arm; and a motor adapted to receive an electrical signal from the controller selectively causing a rotation of a rotary shaft of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventors: Said Canales, Victor Pena
  • Patent number: 11904603
    Abstract: An example printer including: a platen roller; a bushing connected to the platen roller, the bushing having a wing extending radially from the bushing; and a lower frame including: a channel to receive the platen roller in an operational position in which the platen roller is configured to feed media for a print head of the printer; an end piece defining an end of the channel, the end piece having an opening to receive the bushing when the platen roller is in the operational position; and a tab on the end piece, the tab positioned to interface with the wing of the bushing to secure the bushing in the opening such that the platen roller is maintained in the operational position within the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Randal Mun Hon Wong, Shu-Hsun Chiang, Kuan-Ying Lu, Chia-Wen Chang, Hsinghan Tsai
  • Patent number: 11904601
    Abstract: In an example, an apparatus includes an air treatment part to reduce the amount of a component comprised in air in the air treatment part and to supply treated air to a curing part, the air treatment part comprising a catalytic oxidizer to oxidize the component. The apparatus also includes the curing part to receive treated air from the air treatment part and to expose an item printed with a printing fluid comprising the component to the received treated air. The apparatus includes an air circulation system to cause the treated air to flow from the air treatment part into the curing part and to cause air from the curing part to flow into the air treatment part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Macia Sole, Xavier Gasso, Francesc Tarrida
  • Patent number: 11910537
    Abstract: Pattern transfer printing (PTP) systems and methods are provided to improve the quality, accuracy and throughput of pattern transfer printing. PTP systems comprise a tape handling unit for handling a tape with pattern transfer sheets sections and for controllably delivering the pattern transfer sheets one-by-one for paste filling and consecutively for pattern transfer, with the tape moving from an unwinder roll to a re-winding roll. PTP systems further comprise a paste filling unit which enables continuous paste filling using a supporting counter roll opposite to the paste filling head, a wafer handling unit controllably delivering wafers for the pattern transfer in a parallelized manner that increases throughput, a paste transfer unit with enhanced accuracy and efficiency due to exact monitoring and wafer alignment, as well as a print quality control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Wuhan DR Laser Technology Corp,. LTD
    Inventors: Gad Igra, Eyal Cohen, Eran Yunger, Moshe Finarov, Tao Xu, Jing Shi, Weiguo Tong, Zhigang Li
  • Patent number: 11904620
    Abstract: A laser marking system for marking a product comprising a laser source for providing a laser beam, a marking head for projecting the laser beam on to the product, a housing comprising an extraction device configured to generate a flow of extraction fluid for extracting matter generated by an interaction between the laser beam and the product, and a controller for controlling the laser source and the marking head. The laser marking system further comprises an umbilical assembly connecting the housing to the marking head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ALLTEC ANGEWANDTE LASERLICHT TECHNOLOGIE GMBH
    Inventor: Peter J. Kueckendahl
  • Patent number: 11897267
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing having a liquid storage chamber; a first wall; a second wall; and an air communication passage. The first wall is positioned upward relative to the liquid storage chamber. The second wall is positioned upward relative to the first wall. The air communication passage has a first communication hole in communication with the liquid storage chamber and a communication opening open to an atmosphere. The air communication passage includes: an air chamber defined by the first wall and the second wall and in communication with the liquid storage chamber through the first communication hole; a second communication hole formed in the second wall; and a labyrinth path. The labyrinth path is positioned upward relative to the air chamber, and has one end in communication with the second communication hole and another end in communication with the communication opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Fumio Nakazawa, Naoya Okazaki, Akihito Ono, Kosuke Nukui, Hiroshi Taira, Toyonori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11902489
    Abstract: A drawing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a storage, a generator, and a drawing section. The storage stores a conversion table that describes a correspondence relationship between gradation values in a leuco color space and output setting values of light sources. The generator generates, on the basis of leuco image data described in the leuco color space and the conversion table, the output setting values corresponding to the leuco image data. The drawing section performs drawing on a recording medium on the basis of the output setting values generated by the generator, the recording medium including a plurality of recording layers, the plurality of recording layers each including a leuco dye and a photothermal conversion agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Asuka Tejima
  • Patent number: 11890859
    Abstract: A sheet heater includes a first conveyance belt configured to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been discharged in a conveyance direction, a heating unit facing the first conveyance belt, the heating unit configured to heat the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance belt, and a second conveyance belt disposed upstream of the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction, the second conveyance belt configured to convey the sheet to the first conveyance belt. A surface temperature of the second conveyance belt is lower than a surface temperature of the first conveyance belt when the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohki Asada, Kazuaki Kamihara, Masato Ogawa, Hiroshi Sawase, Yoshihiro Takahashi, Ryusaku Hida, Kenji Nozawa, Genichiroh Kawamichi
  • Patent number: 11890867
    Abstract: The subject matter discloses a printing enhancement system, comprising one or more printing enhancement modules configured to perform a printing enhancement operation on a substrate, a drum configured to carry the substrate, said drum is connected to a drum actuation mechanism configured to move the drum at a rotational movement, a processing module coupled to the drum actuation mechanism and to the one or more printing enhancement modules, wherein the processing module sends commands to the drum actuation mechanism to move the drum and sends commands to the one or more printing enhancement modules to dispense the materials according to a printing enhancement task, wherein the one or more printing enhancement modules are arranged around a circumference of the drum, wherein the rotational movement enables to bring the substrate closer to a selected printing enhancement module of the one or more printing enhancement modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SCODIX LTD.
    Inventor: Benji Ruhm
  • Patent number: 11890880
    Abstract: A printer includes a support structure the is fixed in use, and in which a receptacle is formed for receiving a roll of paper tape. The printer also includes a cover hinged to a rotation axis substantially parallel to the unwinding axis of the roll of paper tape, and which is oscillatable between a closed position and an open position in which it covers and uncovers the receptacle, respectively. The printer also includes a printing device carried by the support structure, and a transport roller for paper tape unwound from the roll of paper tape, cooperating with the printing device. The cover includes a control member arranged on a flank of the cover and operable manually to disable a latching system and unlock the cover from the closed position. A control member is connected to the operating element, which may be rotated according to the opening direction of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: K.F.I. S.R.L.
    Inventor: Antonino Giovanni Fallica
  • Patent number: 11890863
    Abstract: A printing system comprises an ink deposition assembly and a media transport device. The ink deposition assembly comprises printheads to deposit a print fluid, such as ink, on print media, such as paper. The media transport device holds the print media against a movable support surface, such as a belt, by vacuum suction platen and transports the print media though a deposition region. The vacuum suction is communicated to the movable through platen holes and platen channels in a vacuum platen. At least some of the platen channels have a high impedance region that has a reduced open cross-sectional area as compared to another region of the platen channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Salvatore Condello, Peter John Knausdorf, Jack T. Lestrange, Palghat S. Ramesh, Joseph C. Sheflin
  • Patent number: 11884061
    Abstract: Provided is a printer including: a platen having a plurality of suction ports for sucking a recording medium, a suction fan, a suction duct configured to couple the plurality of suction ports and the suction fan to each other, and a motor, wherein the suction duct includes a cover member covering a portion of the motor, a gap is formed between the cover member and the motor, and an opening is formed in the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuki Awanohara