Patents Examined by Patrick King
  • Patent number: 9308728
    Abstract: A method of making inkjet print heads may include forming recesses in a first surface of a first wafer to define inkjet chambers. The method may also include forming openings extending from a second surface of the first wafer through to respective ones of the inkjet chambers to define inkjet orifices. The method may further include forming a second wafer including ink heaters, and joining the first and second wafers together so that the ink heaters are aligned within respective inkjet chambers to thereby define the inkjet print heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Murray J. Robinson, Kenneth J. Stewart
  • Patent number: 9289984
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a liquid discharge substrate configured to discharge liquid; a flow channel configured to supply the liquid to the liquid discharge substrate and including a first flow channel portion, a second flow channel portion communicating with the first flow channel portion and extending in a direction intersecting a predetermined direction in which the first flow channel portion extends, and a third flow channel portion provided on a downstream side of a position of communication between the first and second flow channel portion with respect to a flow of liquid flowing in the first flow channel portion and communicating with the first flow and second flow channel portion, the third flow channel portion including a first wall defining an end portion of a flow channel and a second wall having an inclined surface inclining toward a wall which defines the second flow channel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Shimizu, Takuya Iwano, Kenji Kitabatake
  • Patent number: 9292241
    Abstract: To provide a printing apparatus where printing is possible by easily and rapidly acquiring a desired image, a multi-functional tablet device is provided with an imaging section which acquires an image, a display section which displays the image, an designating section for designating using a fingertip with regard to the displayed image, a printing section which prints an imaging image on a medium, and a control section which creates the imaging image, which is based on the image, based on designation from the designating section and which prints the created imaging image in the printing section, where the control section determines the printing range with regard to the image which is captured by the imaging section based on the designation from the designating section, creates the imaging image by editing the image in the printing range, and determines a printing position where the imaging image is printed on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Sakai, Koichi Otsuki, Hideki Kato, Shinya Momose
  • Patent number: 9283745
    Abstract: Disclosed is a printing device includes a substrate fixing unit to a bottom of which a substrate is fixed. The device includes a solution discharge unit separately disposed in a bottom direction and spaced apart from the substrate fixing unit and to deliver a printing solution to the substrate by discharging printing solutions with various colors. The device includes a solution supply unit to supply the printing solution to the solution discharge unit. The device also includes a drive unit configured to control the substrate fixing unit to move with respect to the solution discharge unit or to control the solution discharge unit to move with respect to the substrate fixing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun-Ha Park, Dong-Hoon Lee, Haraguchi Kazuhiro
  • Patent number: 9283774
    Abstract: A print apparatus includes a print part configured to discharge a liquid onto a recording medium being conveyed, an irradiation part configured irradiate the recording medium, onto which the liquid has been discharged, with light, and a backup part provided to an opposite side of the irradiation part relative to the recording medium and having a regulating surface where a surface oriented toward the recording medium regulates movement of the recording medium in a direction of drawing away from the irradiation part, the regulating surface has an opening, and an irradiation area for the light irradiated from the irradiation part fits inside the opening as viewed in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidekatsu Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 9283760
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharge head comprising a discharge port-forming member having discharge ports for discharging a liquid and having a surface provided with a liquid-repellent film. The liquid-repellent film includes a layer containing a resin composition containing at least one of polyurethane and polyrotaxane disposed on the discharge port-forming member and a layer containing a fluorine compound and having a thickness of 10 nm or less disposed on the resin composition-containing layer. When a scratch-forming tool, a diamond tip having a tip diameter of 15 ?m, is pressed onto the liquid-repellent film with a load of 0.098 N (10 gf) and is reciprocated ten times, the depth of a scratch formed on the surface of the liquid-repellent film is smaller than the thickness of the fluorine compound-containing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Hamade, Etsuko Sawada, Satoshi Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 9278518
    Abstract: A printhead substrate comprising a plurality of printing portions and a plurality of ink supply ports, wherein the plurality of printing portions are divided into a plurality of groups, and the plurality of ink supply ports are arranged so as to correspond to the plurality of groups respectively, the printhead substrate also comprises a plurality of first voltage wiring portions provided in correspondence with the plurality of groups, and each first voltage wiring portion includes a first wiring pattern configured to connect the first terminals of the respective printing portions in the corresponding group with each other, and a second wiring pattern connected to the first wiring pattern and arranged between an ink supply port in the corresponding group and its neighboring ink supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunari Fujii, Masanobu Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9272521
    Abstract: A liquid housing container recycling method is provided for a liquid housing container with a liquid housing body that includes a liquid housing unit that is configured to house liquid, a supply member with a supply port that is configured to be connected to a liquid supply tube of a liquid consuming device, and a filter through which the liquid is configured to pass, with the liquid inside the liquid housing unit being supplied to the liquid consuming device by, after passing through the filter, flowing to the supply port along a supply flow path of the supply member. The liquid housing container recycling method includes forming a detour flow path in the liquid housing body such that the liquid inside the liquid housing unit flows to the supply port without passing through the filter in the detour flow path, and injecting the liquid inside the liquid housing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Aoki
  • Patent number: 9254677
    Abstract: Dots with metallic ink are formed in an arrangement in which an average of distances between dots with the metallic dots is shorter than an average of distances between dots with color ink. The “distance between dots with the color ink” indicates a distance from a color dot to be focused to one color dot at the closest position thereto. The same holds true for the metallic ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Kobashi
  • Patent number: 9254648
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head, a carriage having an opening on which the recording head is mounted in a state that the liquid ejection surface of the recording head faces the opening, the carriage being configured to reciprocate, a ground member that is mounted on the carriage so as to ground the recording head, and a sensor unit that is mounted on the carriage so as to perform sensing by using reciprocation of the carriage and has a ground mechanism which is connected to the ground member, wherein the ground member is disposed at a position in contact with the recording head mounted on the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa Harada, Satoshi Hamano
  • Patent number: 9248670
    Abstract: A conveyor device is disposed opposite to a recording head. The conveyor device includes a conveyor belt and a suction section. The suction section sucks on a recording medium through the conveyor belt. The suction section includes an air flow chamber and a guide member. The air flow chamber is disposed opposite to one surface of the conveyor belt, and negative pressure for sucking the recording medium onto another surface of the conveyor belt is created in the air flow chamber. The guide member covers the air flow chamber and supports the conveyor belt. The air flow chamber includes a partition wall dividing the air flow chamber into first and second spaces. The first space includes a third space overlapping with the recording head with the conveyor belt and the guide member therebetween. Pressure in the first space is less negative than pressure in the second space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masami Fujihara, Takeshi Watanabe, Hidenori Takenaka, Tomohisa Soda, Jumpei Hobo
  • Patent number: 9248656
    Abstract: A printing material supply system includes a printing device and a cartridge. The printing device has a cartridge mounting structure. The cartridge is removably attached to the cartridge mounting structure. The cartridge mounting structure has a device-side terminal, a lever, a first device-side locking element and a second device-side locking element. The device-side terminal is configured to contact with a cartridge-side terminal. The first device-side locking element is configured as part of the lever. The second device-side locking element is configured to engage with a second locking surface of a second cartridge-side locking element. The cartridge-side terminal has a cartridge-side contact portion configured to be in contact with the device-side terminal. The cartridge-side contact portion is provided on the negative Z-axis side of the second locking surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Izumi Nozawa, Hidetoshi Kodama, Tadahiro Mizutani, Kazutoshi Matsuzaki, Kazumasa Harada, Satoshi Nakata, Hidetaka Kawata
  • Patent number: 9238364
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus, including: a channel structure in which a liquid channel including a nozzle and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle is formed; a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric body and an electrode; a driving device; and a cover member joined to the surface of the channel structure. A first wiring section connected to the electrode is formed on the surface of the channel structure, and the cover member includes a cover body section and a wiring connection section. A second wiring section is formed in the cover member. The wiring connection section is joined to the surface of the channel structure in a state that the second wiring section is electrically conductive with the first wiring section. A thickness, of the wiring connection section is thinner than a thickness of the cover body section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 9227410
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a liquid jetting head having a liquid jetting surface in which a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row are formed, each of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles aligned in a predetermined direction, a cap member configured to be in a close contact with the liquid jetting surface to cover the first and second nozzle rows, a liquid discharge section connected to the cap member, a liquid guiding member accommodated in the cap member, and a control unit configured to control the liquid jetting head to jet a liquid from each of the first and second nozzle rows. First and second liquid receiving grooves extending in the predetermined direction are formed in a facing surface of the liquid guiding member configured to face the liquid jetting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Shindo, Masayuki Takata
  • Patent number: 9227443
    Abstract: A recording head is configured to selectively eject ink droplets from nozzles. A head board is configured to control the recording head to operate based on a high-frequency signal outputted from a control board. A carriage is configured to move in a reciprocating manner, with the recording head and the head board mounted thereon. A belt-like cable connects the control board and the head board so that the high-frequency signal can be transmitted therebetween. The cable has such flexibility that the cable can change a posture following reciprocating movement of the carriage. The cable has a first surface facing in a thickness direction of the cable. The cable has a reflective layer at a part of each of both end portions of the first surface with respect to a longitudinal direction of the first surface. The reflective layer is configured to reflect an electromagnetic wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichi Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 9216587
    Abstract: A liquid circulation part has a recovery path where a liquid flows into a retaining part from a first head and a second head. The recovery path has a first merging point where the liquid flowing from the first head and the liquid flowing from the second head are merged, a first recovery path part where the liquid flowing from the first head flows into the first merging point, and a second recovery path part where the liquid flows from the first merging point. The cross-sectional area of the second recovery path part, orthogonal to a direction of flow of the liquid in the second recovery path part, is greater than the cross-sectional area of the first recovery path part, orthogonal to the direction of flow of the liquid in the first recovery path part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Ando, Kaoru Koike
  • Patent number: 9216594
    Abstract: A conveyor device is installed opposite to a recording head in a recording apparatus. The conveyor device includes a conveyor belt that conveys a recording medium. The conveyor device further includes a suction section. The suction section includes a guide member having through holes and an air escape channel. The guide member is located opposite to the recording head with the conveyor belt therebetween. The suction section sucks on the recording medium through the conveyor belt and the guide member. The guide member has a surface having grooves therein. The surface faces the recording head with the conveyor belt therebetween. The surface has a recess located outside of a region where the grooves are located. The recess constitutes a part of the air escape channel. The air escape channel is in communication with one or more of the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohisa Soda, Hidenori Takenaka, Jumpei Hobo, Masami Fujihara, Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9211713
    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: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Silam J. Choy, Garrett E. Clark, Rio Rivas, Ed Friesen, Kelly Ronk
  • Patent number: 9211709
    Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus configured to jet liquid droplets, includes: a channel structure; an energy applying device including a plurality of first contact points; a wiring board arranged to face the surface of the energy applying device and connected to the energy applying device. The wiring board includes second contact points electrically connected to the first contact points, respectively and signal wiring lines connected to the second contact points, respectively. Further, the liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a sealing material arranged, between the wiring board and the energy applying device, to surround at least a part of an area in which the first and second contact points are arranged, and a recess-protrusion portion formed in an area, of the wiring board, which is positioned between the sealing material and the second contact points, and which is other than an area in which the second contact points are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Yamashita, Tomoyuki Kubo, Yasuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 9193152
    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 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd W. Miller