Patents Examined by Patrick King
  • Patent number: 9649865
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique that simplifies operations for making appropriate print settings. Accordingly, a terminal apparatus serving as an information processing apparatus according to the present invention acquires, from a printing apparatus, information indicating the sheet type and size of the sheets set in each paper feed tray. Then, the terminal apparatus determines whether the acquired information includes a sheet type that matches a sheet type suitable for an attribute of information selected by a user as a print target. If it is determined that the information includes a sheet type that matches the suitable sheet type, the terminal apparatus generates print data including information designating a paper feed tray containing sheets of the matching sheet type, and transmits the generated print data to the printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Mitsuru Konji
  • Patent number: 9630406
    Abstract: The present invention improves rigidity in a joining portion between a substrate and piezoelectric element, and provides a liquid discharging device having improved vibration properties. A liquid discharging device includes a pressure chamber made up of a space surrounded by a pair of side walls, a floor wall, and a ceiling wall; a substrate configured to make up at least one of the floor wall or ceiling wall; a liquid supplying unit configured to fill the pressure chamber with liquid; and an electrode having a pair of side walls made of piezoelectric elements, configured to apply voltage to the piezoelectric elements in order to shrink the volume of the pressure chamber by deforming the piezoelectric elements and to discharge liquid from the pressure chamber; wherein the tip side face portion of the piezoelectric element is restrained as to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youichi Fukaya, Hidehiko Fujimura, Norihiko Ochi
  • Patent number: 9623687
    Abstract: In a rewind operation in which a supply motor rotates a paper roll to take up slack in the recording paper, movement of a movable member that is pushed in the direction applying tension to the recording paper and moves according to variation in the tension on the recording paper is detected, the supply motor is controlled according to movement of the movable member, and the time required to take up slack in the roll paper is shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasumichi Okuda
  • Patent number: 9623657
    Abstract: A fluid dispenser is disclosed herein. An example of such a fluid dispenser includes a member configured to define a plurality of orifices through which a fluid is ejected and a manifold including a plurality of fluid passageways each of which is configured to have a different angle relative to the member. This example of a fluid dispenser additionally includes a plurality of slots each of which is coupled to a different one of the fluid passageways of the manifold to conduct the fluid from the fluid passageways towards the orifices. Additional features and modifications of this fluid dispenser are disclosed herein, as are other examples of fluid dispensers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Silam J. Choy, Garrett E. Clark, Rio Rivas, Ed Friesen, Kelly Ronk
  • Patent number: 9616667
    Abstract: An inkjet head including a substrate configured to discharge ink including a supporting surface formed of a resin material and configured to support the substrate, the supporting substrate including a portion continuing to a surface intersecting the supporting surface and forming a corner portion, the portion forming the corner portion including a non surface treated area which is not surface treated, the supporting surface including a portion adjacent to the non surface treated area being surface treated areas which is surface treated, wherein the substrate and the supporting surface are bonded via an adhesive agent disposed in the non surface treated area and the surface treated area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kyosuke Toda
  • Patent number: 9610772
    Abstract: A printhead assembly is provided, the printhead assembly including a printhead die, a black fluid slot formed in the printhead die to deliver black printing fluid, and a color fluid slot formed in the printhead die to deliver color printing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: David Maxfield, Sean P. McClelland
  • Patent number: 9597879
    Abstract: A wiper for a maintenance station of an imaging device, including a foundational body that attaches to the maintenance station and a blade on top of the foundational body for scraping fluid and debris from a printhead of the imaging device, the blade being formed of a flexible material having two terminal sections and a central section defining a longitudinal extent of the blade, wherein each of the two terminal sections connects to the foundational body with a thicker expanse of the flexible material compared to the central section that connects to the body with a thinner expanse of the flexible material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Randal S. Williamson, Gregory L. Hutchison, Jonathan A. Wharton, Lane T. Butler, Brian M. Langness
  • Patent number: 9597877
    Abstract: The ink jet recording apparatus comprises a recording head provided with a nozzle forming surface provided with nozzles which discharge an ink composition containing inorganic pigments, and a liquid repelling film which is provided on the nozzle forming surface; a maintenance unit for preserving the recording head; and a movement section which is arranged at a position which faces the nozzle forming surface and the maintenance unit and which relatively moves the nozzle forming surface and the maintenance unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kajimoto, Shoki Kasahara
  • Patent number: 9592669
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a recording head which performs recording on a recording medium, a support section which is displaced between a support position which faces the recording head and supports the recording medium, and a position which is retreated from the support position, a capping unit which carries out maintenance on the recording head at a facing position which faces the recording head by switching the support section, and a movement mechanism which moves the capping unit between the facing position and the position which is retreated from the facing position, and when the capping unit comes close to the facing position, or separates from the facing position, the movement mechanism moves the capping unit in a direction which is orthogonal to a head surface of the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Tanjo
  • Patent number: 9592663
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head unit includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid through a nozzle formed in a nozzle surface, and a holding member to which the liquid ejecting head is attached. Further, in the liquid ejecting head unit, the holding member includes a holder that supports the liquid ejecting head in a predetermine direction which is different from a direction of the nozzle surface of the liquid ejecting head, and a base portion that sticks out from the holder to a side which is parallel to the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishii, Hiroshige Owaki, Katsuhiro Okubo, Hiroyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 9592691
    Abstract: A method for correcting image plane registration errors for a multi-channel printing system that prints documents of a particular document-type classification having a variable number of pages. An image plane registration error database stores image plane registration error information characterizing image plane registration errors as a function of page number for each of a plurality of different page-count classifications. A page-count classification is determined for a document to be printed, and image plane registration correction values are determined for each page based on the stored image plane registration error information associated with the determined page-count classification, wherein the image plane registration correction values for each page are determined based on the stored image plane registration error information for the corresponding page number. The image data for each document page of the document is then printed responsive to the corresponding image plane registration correction values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthias H. Regelsberger, Christopher B. Liston
  • Patent number: 9586401
    Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film element includes a substrate, a vibration plate provided on the substrate, a lower electrode provided on the vibration plate, the lower electrode including at least a platinum metal film or an iridium metal film, a piezoelectric film provided on the lower electrode, the piezoelectric film including a polycrystalline body, and an upper electrode provided on the piezoelectric film, the lower electrode being provided on an upper portion of a titanium oxide film formed on the vibration plate, the lower electrode including a platinum metal film or an iridium metal film formed on the titanium oxide film and conductive oxide formed on the platinum metal film or the iridium metal film, and the platinum metal film or the iridium metal film being a precise film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Shinkai, Masahiro Ishimori, Toshiaki Masuda
  • Patent number: 9573377
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a tank for holding a fluid for delivery to a printhead, the tank being open to the atmosphere. A manifold enables the fluid to flow from the tank to the printhead, a height of the manifold being lower than a level of the fluid in the tank when the fluid is flowing from the tank to the printhead. A siphon has a lower end of the siphon that is connectable to the manifold. An upper end of the siphon extends above the level of the fluid and is openable to the atmosphere. A height of a segment of the siphon between the upper end and the lower end is lower than the height of the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing LTD.
    Inventors: Semion Gengrinovich, Ran Vilk, Lev Superfin
  • Patent number: 9555648
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a recorded matter including applying a first ink including a volatile first liquid to an intermediate transfer medium having ultraviolet transmittance; applying, using an ink jet method, second ink including a coloring agent and a polymerizable compound polymerized by irradiation of ultraviolet to locations on the intermediate transfer medium where first ink is applied; partially polymerizing the polymerizable compound by irradiating surface side of the intermediate transfer medium to which the second ink is applied with ultraviolet rays from the opposite side surface; transferring the second ink irradiated by ultraviolet in the polymerizing of the polymerizable compound to a recording medium; and curing the polymerizable compound configuring the second ink transferred to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyohiko Takemoto
  • Patent number: 9550369
    Abstract: A recording device includes a base body, an air current generator that is disposed in the base body, and a duct that has an opening and configures an air current flow path formed from the opening to the air current generator. The duct is attachable to and detachable from the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Nakata
  • Patent number: 9545805
    Abstract: A printing system includes a printer head with an airflow management system. The airflow management system includes an air splitter on the leading edge of the printer head and side members that extend the length of the printer head. The air splitter and members are positioned so that a gap is formed between the printer head and the air splitter and members. A vacuum fan positioned within a duct on top of the printer head can draw air through the gap at the leading edge of the printer head and return the air on the trailing side of the printer head. The airflow management system can permit increased printing distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd W. Miller
  • Patent number: 9527312
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes a discharge unit that is capable of discharging a liquid, a medium support unit in which an opening portion is provided, and which supports a medium onto which the liquid is discharged, a heater that is capable of applying heat to the medium, a sensor that detects an energy in a detectable region, a control unit that is capable of changing an output of the heater on the basis of the energy, and a detectable portion whose energy is detected by the sensor, and which is provided in a position that is within the opening portion and is within the detectable region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Hara, Shuichiro Nakano, Eiji Kumai
  • Patent number: 9527281
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a first recording element substrate, a second recording element substrate, and an electric wiring substrate. The first and second recording element substrates each includes an energy generating element that generates energy for ejecting a liquid, and an electroconductive protective film that is disposed so as to cover at least the energy generating element. The electric wiring substrate includes wiring for supplying electric power to the first and second recording element substrates. The electroconductive protective film of the first recording element substrate and the electroconductive protective film of the second recording element substrate are electrically connected to each other through the electric wiring substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Yabe, Yasuhiko Osaki
  • Patent number: 9527319
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead assembly includes a rail assembly and a removable jetting module. The rail assembly includes a beam and a rod attached to the beam. A printhead module includes the jetting module and a mounting assembly. The jetting module includes an array of nozzles, a first alignment tab having a first alignment datum and a second alignment datum, a second alignment tab having a third alignment datum and a fourth alignment datum, a rotational alignment feature including a fifth alignment datum, and a cross-track alignment feature including a sixth alignment datum. The mounting assembly includes a similar set of alignment features. Portions of the alignment tabs of the jetting module and the mounting assembly are adapted to fit within corresponding notches in the beam and engage with the rod. A jetting module clamping mechanism applies a force to the jetting module causing it to engage with the rail assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: John Charles Brazas, Jr., Charles D. Rike, Michael J. Piatt, Scott F. Roberts, David F. Tunmore
  • Patent number: 9517642
    Abstract: A decision is made for each page as to whether to allow image printing on that page, by comparing the remaining sheet length DL with a length of an image about to be printed, IL. A length of a non-printed, rear-end cut sheet is also checked to determine whether the non-printed cut sheet needs to be further cut into smaller sheets. This arrangement can prevent a complete image to be printed in one page from being broken and only partly printed in the last portion of a paper roll, ensure that printed cut sheets and non-printed cut sheets are stably conveyed and discharged and enable the non-printed cut sheets to be almost equal in size so that they can be properly accommodated in the associated tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kengo Nieda, Masato Izumi, Masashi Kurihara, Hiroyuki Kakishima