Patents Examined by Patrick King
  • Patent number: 9776420
    Abstract: According to embodiments, an inkjet recording apparatus includes an ink tank which contains ink, a printing head which is connected to the ink tank through an ink channel and ejects the ink from a nozzle surface, and a channel member which is provided in the ink channel and has a clearance gap that connects the ink channel to the outside. The channel member is provided in a part of the ink channel, which has a positive pressure with respect to the atmospheric pressure at least during a period in which the printing head is capable of printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 9773077
    Abstract: A simplified tool is provided for simultaneous prediction of dent resistance and snap-through buckling resistance of roof panels including the effect of roof bow placement, curvatures of the roof panel, thickness of the roof, and steel grade. In one embodiment, a method of predicting snap-through buckling resistance of a sheet metal panel to an applied load under localized loading conditions is provided, wherein the sheet panel has certain defined geometries. The method includes the steps of: identifying first and second principal radii of curvature of the panel; identifying a thickness of the panel; identifying the distance of a portion of the panel between structural supports; creating a mathematical function to determine load deflection behavior for snap-through buckling; and determining the likelihood of the panel to display snap-through buckling characteristics under various localized applied loads by inputting the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: ArcelorMittal Investigacion y Desarrollo, S.L.
    Inventors: Sriram Sadagopan, Oscar Lanzi
  • Patent number: 9764573
    Abstract: A method for printing at least one section of a flat or preferably curved surface of an object includes using a relative movement between an inkjet head and the object to move the inkjet head along a first path and print a first track in the process and to move the inkjet head along a second path and print a second track in the process. A first track edge of the first track and a second track edge of the second track meet at a point and enclose an angle between about 1° and about 179° at the point. The method permits the curved surface to be printed without perceptible track connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Heiner Pitz, Matthias Schloerholz
  • Patent number: 9764568
    Abstract: In an inkjet printer, a controller is configured to calculate, during movement of a carriage in a scanning direction, a signal level difference between a first detection signal in a mountain peak zone including an assumed mountain peak position and the first detection signal in a valley bottom zone including an assumed valley bottom position identified, based on information stored in a storage, and alternately execute, during the movement of the carriage, an ejection process of ejecting ink drops, and a conveying process of conveying the sheet by a predetermined line feed width. In the printing process, the printing head and the conveyor are driven according to a first condition when the signal level difference is equal to or larger than a threshold value, while driven according to a second condition when the signal level difference is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 9757949
    Abstract: A liquid container includes a coupling part that is configured to engage with a refill liquid container. The coupling part includes a pipe unit that, when the liquid container is in use, is projected upward in a vertical direction of the liquid container. The coupling part also includes a plane part that is disposed around the pipe unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomichi Yoshida, Akira Miyao, Takehiko Matsushita
  • Patent number: 9751317
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head, a supply tank connected to the liquid ejection head via a first flow path, a recovery tank connected to the liquid ejection head via a second flow path, a circulation pump arranged in a third flow path, a pressure pump arranged in a fourth flow path configured to connect the recovery tank and the liquid ejection head to each other, and a control portion configured to switch between liquid ejection operation in which liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection head while the liquid is circulated along the first to third flow paths and pressurizing recovery operation in which the liquid pressurized by the pressure pump is supplied to the liquid ejection head via the fourth flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nakamura, Yasuyuki Tamura
  • Patent number: 9744766
    Abstract: A method of making an inkjet print head may include forming, by sawing with a rotary saw blade, continuous slotted recesses in a first surface of a wafer. The continuous slotted recesses may be arranged in parallel, spaced apart relation, and each continuous slotted recess may extend continuously across the first surface. The method may further include forming discontinuous slotted recesses in a second surface of the wafer to be aligned and coupled in communication with the continuous slotted recesses to define alternating through-wafer channels and slotted recess portions. The method may further include selectively filling the residual slotted recess portions to define through-wafer ink channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Stewart
  • Patent number: 9738093
    Abstract: Apparatus related to marking a metal surface are provided. The solution comprises receiving (600) control data comprising information on the marking of a pattern on the metal surface; controlling (604, 606) a temperature control unit and a gas unit to produce a temperature and atmosphere in space under a cover on the basis of the control data; controlling (602) the focus and bandwidth of a laser marking unit on the basis of the control data to produce the pattern defined in the control data on the metal surface; and controlling (608) a coating unit on the basis of the control data to produce a coating on the metal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: CAJO TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Tomi Karsikas, Niko Karsikas
  • Patent number: 9738075
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head provided with a member having discharge ports formed configured to discharge liquid thereon, wherein a discharge port surface of the member having discharge ports arrayed thereon includes fumed silica.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Ohsumi, Kenji Fujii, Junichi Kobayashi, Ken Ikegame, Nobuhisa Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 9740136
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus according to one aspect of this invention includes a light source that outputs a light beam having a light power based on a supplied driving current, a detection unit that detects the light power of the light beam, and a voltage holding unit that holds a charged voltage used to control the driving current. The optical scanning apparatus further includes a control unit that controls a charging unit so that the voltage holding unit is charged in a state where the driving current is not supplied to the light source, and controls the charging unit based on a detection result of the detection unit so that the voltage held in the voltage holding unit is controlled from the voltage of the voltage holding unit charged in the state where the driving current is not supplied to the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuhide Koga
  • Patent number: 9724925
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit which includes a liquid ejecting head which includes a nozzle surface provided with nozzles, the nozzle surface being on a plane defined by two directions including a first and a second directions intersecting each other, a wiping unit comprising a wiper parallel to the first direction and configured to perform relative movement in the second direction between the wiper and the nozzle surface to wipe the nozzle surface, a recess defined by an edge provided along the first direction on the nozzle surface, and a controller for filling the recess with a liquid which spills from at least one nozzle among the nozzles, and for wiping the nozzle surface after wiping the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahisa Nawano, Hiroaki Okui, Yasuyuki Kudo
  • Patent number: 9724930
    Abstract: A liquid storage unit for collecting a liquid supplied to an ejecting head is provided. The liquid is supplied to a plurality of ejecting heads via a pressure regulating valve, and the liquid is suctioned from the plurality of ejecting heads by a circulation pump, and then is discharged to the liquid storage unit. In this way, since the liquid is suctioned from each of the ejecting heads, the passage resistance is decreased, so that the ink can be appropriately circulated. In addition, since the ejecting head is supplied with the liquid at an appropriate pressure from the liquid storage unit via the pressure adjusting valve, the liquid can be appropriately ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Enomoto, Toshio Arimura, Yoshihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9718291
    Abstract: A printing assembly comprises a medium support surface, a guide assembly and a carriage support structure for moveably supporting a print head carriage on the guide assembly. The guide assembly is arranged to move the print head carriage in a carriage plane, which carriage plane is parallel to the medium support surface. The guide assembly comprises a guide beam; and a guide rail arranged on the guide beam. The guide rail and the guide beam each extend in a scanning direction. The printer carriage support structure comprises a guide frame arranged on the guide rail and the guide frame is moveable in the scanning direction and extends in the scanning direction between a first support position and a second support position. The guide frame is supported on the guide rail at said first support position and at said second support position. A carriage frame is moveably supported on the guide rail through the guide frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: OCE-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventor: Maarten J. H. Elferink
  • Patent number: 9701117
    Abstract: A liquid-jet head includes: a passage member including a plurality of individual passages and a manifold communicating commonly with the individual passages, the individual passages each having a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle orifice that ejects liquid, the pressure generating chambers being formed on one surface side of the passage member on an opposite side from the nozzle orifices, the individual passages and the manifold communicating with each other through communicating paths, and each adjacent two of the individual passages communicating with each other through the corresponding communicating path; and reinforcement walls each provided between the communicating paths in a parallel direction of the individual passages, the reinforcement walls defining the communicating paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Nakao, Takaaki Koizumi
  • Patent number: 9703228
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple light emitting elements (LDs) as a light source, controls the light source such that laser beams emitted from LD1 and LDN are sequentially incident on a BD sensor in a non-image-forming period, and measures a time interval between two BD signals output sequentially from the BD sensor. When image formation is performed subsequent to the non-image-forming period, the image forming apparatus controls the light source such that a laser beam from the LD1 is incident on the BD sensor. Furthermore, using a single BD signal output from the BD sensor as a reference, the image forming apparatus controls timings at which the LDs emit laser beams based on the image data, according to the measurement value of the time intervals between the BD signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotaka Seki
  • Patent number: 9701133
    Abstract: A mount for a light emitting diode print bar removably installable in a printer including an open end having a first curved mounting surface and a closed end oppositely disposed relative to the open end and including an opening, the opening having a second curved mounting surface. A projection of the first curved mounting surface substantially coincides with the second curved mounting surface and the light emitting diode print bar is arranged to pivot about the first and second curved mounting surfaces within the mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael John Wilsher, Richard David Emms, Chistopher Pearce, Vinoth Kumar Ganesan
  • Patent number: 9689907
    Abstract: A method and device for measuring a variation of a capacitance, the device includes: a capacitance having a voltage across its terminals; a charging element and a discharging element; a comparison element; control elements activating the charging element or the discharging element as a function of the value of the voltage across the terminals of the capacitance and of which an output voltage has a high value during the charging and a low value during the discharging; a counter measuring a time representative of a predetermined number of charging and discharging cycles of the capacitance; and an additional capacitance electrically connected to the output voltage and to the capacitance, able to be charged and discharged simultaneously with the charging and discharging of the capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Xavier Hourne
  • Patent number: 9676191
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method is provided in which an ink jet head having a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array which is arranged along the first nozzle array, in which the distance between the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array is 15 mm or greater and a nozzle density of the first nozzle array and a nozzle density of the second nozzle array are 600 dpi or greater is used, and while varying the relative position of the ink jet head in a direction intersecting an array direction of the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array with respect to a recording medium, an ink composition is adhered to the recording medium by performing a scanning which discharges the ink composition at a frequency of 12 kHz or greater from nozzles in the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masakazu Ohashi, Toru Saito, Tomoki Shinoda, Masashi Kamibayashi, Yoshihiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9671715
    Abstract: An optical writing device performing optical writing onto a photoreceptor, including: a light-emitting unit including a plurality of light-emitting elements that form a plurality of element rows spaced from one another in a sub scanning direction, each of the light-emitting elements having a main scanning direction position differing from a main scanning direction position of any other one of the light-emitting elements; a plurality of signal output units, one for each element row, each outputting a light amount signal for each light-emitting element in a corresponding element row, each light amount signal indicating an amount of light to be emitted by a corresponding light-emitting element; and a plurality of drive units, one for each light-emitting element, each, when receiving a light amount signal for a corresponding light-emitting element, supplying a drive current in accordance with the light amount signal to the corresponding light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: So Yano, Yasushi Nagasaka, Masayuki Iijima, Takahiro Matsuo, Takaki Uemura
  • Patent number: 9658559
    Abstract: A determination unit determines a bias current caused to flow through at least plurality of light-emitting portions regardless of image data during an image period by determining a first drive current for setting a light quantity of a light beam incident on a light reception unit during the non-image period to a first target light quantity, and determining a second drive current for setting a light quantity of a light beam incident on the light receiving unit to a second target light quantity that is different from the first target light quantity. The determination unit determines a drive current for performing switch-driving of the plurality of light-emitting portions, based on image data, the drive current corresponding to the first drive current and the bias current upon the image data being generated in a second section of a non-image period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Akagi