Patents Examined by Sharon A. Polk
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Patent number: 11678561Abstract: An ink printing process employs per-nozzle droplet volume measurement and processing software that plans droplet combinations to reach specific aggregate ink fills per target region, guaranteeing compliance with minimum and maximum ink fills set by specification. In various embodiments, different droplet combinations are produced through different print head/substrate scan offsets, offsets between print heads, the use of different nozzle drive waveforms, and/or other techniques. Optionally, patterns of fill variation can be introduced so as to mitigate observable line effects in a finished display device. The disclosed techniques have many other possible applications.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Lucas D. Barkley, Christopher R. Hauf, Eliyahu Vronsky, Conor F. Madigan
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Patent number: 11673393Abstract: A method of operating a printer supplies an ink solvent or mixture of ink solvents to porous members positioned adjacent printheads. The ink solvent or solvent mixture evaporates from the porous members to provide a solvent vapor environment in the vicinity of the nozzle plates of the printheads. The solvent vapor environment attenuates the evaporation of ink solvent from ink drops on the nozzle plates or from the ink in the nozzles of the printheads. Thus, the ink on the nozzle plates and in the nozzles does not dry out and the operational status of the inkjets is preserved.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Varun Sambhy, Seemit Praharaj, Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Chu-Heng Liu, Linn C. Hoover
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Patent number: 11673394Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a flushing determination unit, and a storage unit, wherein the flushing determination unit is configured to: calculate a temporary return position, a temporary reciprocating movement time that is necessary when the carriage is returned at the temporary return position, and a threshold value that is a longest non-ejection time during which printing can be performed in a stable manner at an environmental temperature measured by a thermometer, based on print data to be printed in reciprocating movement of the carriage; and determine whether the temporary reciprocating movement time exceeds the threshold value, wherein when the temporary reciprocating movement time exceeds the threshold value, the flushing determination unit sets a position at which the one reciprocating movement time becomes longer than the temporary reciprocating movement time as a return position in the reciprocating movement, and determines to perform the flushing in a return path.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Duc Hoang
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Patent number: 11667136Abstract: A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen to transport the print media through the deposition region. The vacuum platen has platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. Multiple vacuum plenums are provided to supply the vacuum suction to different groups of the platen holes. A first vacuum plenum is fluidically coupled to a first group of the platen holes located at least partially in the deposition region, and to a second group of platen holes located upstream of the first group. A second vacuum plenum is fluidically coupled to a third group of the platen holes comprising at least some platen holes located between the first and second groups of platen holes.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Chu-Heng Liu, Paul J. McConville, Seemit Praharaj
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Patent number: 11667121Abstract: A maintenance device includes a plurality of heads that discharges liquid for printing. A cleaner selectively cleans the heads. A cleaning controller controls the cleaner. A determiner determines a cleaning time when the cleaner cleans one of the heads. An interruption-resumption controller controls the heads to interrupt printing at the cleaning time and resume printing when the cleaner finishes cleaning the one of the heads. The cleaning controller controls the cleaner to clean the one of the heads whenever the interruption-resumption controller controls the heads to interrupt printing at the cleaning time.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Yuki Nagatsuka
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Patent number: 11660869Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit, an acquisition unit, and a controller. The liquid ejecting unit includes a nozzle through which a liquid is to be discharged and an ejection surface on which the nozzle opens. The acquisition unit obtains distance information that indicates a distance between the ejection surface and a surface of a medium on which the liquid discharged through the nozzle is to land. The controller varies a flushing amount in accordance with the distance information obtained, the flushing amount being an amount of the liquid discharged during a flushing operation in which the liquid ejecting unit discharges the liquid through the nozzle as a maintenance operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Inventor: Hironori Sato
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Patent number: 11654684Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having nozzles; a conveyor configured to convey a recording medium; and a controller. The controller executes: a recording processing of conveying the recording medium by the conveyor and ejecting liquid from the nozzles with respect to the recording medium based on image data; a flushing processing of discharging the liquid from the nozzles with respect to a flushing area, based on flushing data different from the image data; and a first determining processing of determining, based on the image data, whether a time interval after completion of a first recording processing and until start of a second recording processing exceeds a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Satoru Arakane
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Patent number: 11642888Abstract: One example of a fluid ejection system includes a plurality of fluid ejection devices, a corresponding plurality of indicators, an operator interface, and a controller. Each indicator is on a corresponding fluid ejection device. The operator interface is to select a fluid ejection device. The controller is to turn on the corresponding indicator for the selected fluid ejection device.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2017Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, James R Przybyla
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Patent number: 11623445Abstract: In some examples, a printing press includes a printing unit with at least four nozzle bars, each including a print head. At least one nozzle bar has a printing position and at least one service position. For instance, in a first service position, the at least one nozzle bar has a first distance to the transport path of a printing substrate, and in a second service position the at least one nozzle bar has a second distance to the transport path. The printing unit includes at least one cleaning device and/or cleaning system that is selectively arranged in an area between the at least one nozzle bar and the transport path. The at least one service position may be arranged in vertical direction above the printing position, and the second distance of the second service position of the nozzle bar may be less than in the first service position.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2020Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AGInventors: Christian Arnold, Joachim Keupp, Wolfgang Reder, Karl Schäfer
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Patent number: 11618251Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a controller configured to perform: causing a voltage application circuit to apply a voltage between a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles and an electrode; driving the liquid ejection head for causing a certain nozzle to eject liquid toward a cap in a state where the plurality of nozzles face the cap; receiving a signal from a signal output circuit; determining, based on the received signal, whether the certain nozzle has ejected liquid normally; determining, based on the received signal, whether a leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode; and specifying the certain nozzle as a leakage nozzle if the leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2021Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayoshi Hayashi, Isao Kubo, Yuta Toda, Ryuji Horata
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Patent number: 11613123Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a casing; a holder for rotatably supporting a sheet roll including a continuous sheet; a power transmission mechanism positioned beside the holder for transmitting a rotational driving force thereto; a cartridge attachment portion for receiving a cartridge; a conveying mechanism for conveying the continuous sheet to a discharge opening on a front surface of the casing; a head; and a maintenance unit. The holder supporting the sheet roll is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a leftward/rightward direction. The cartridge and the holder are detachably attachable to the casing through an opening thereof. The cartridge attachment portion and the power transmission mechanism are positioned at the same side of the holder in the leftward/rightward direction. An occupying range of the maintenance unit is across respective occupying ranges of the cartridge attachment portion and the power transmission mechanism in the leftward/rightward direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Keita Sugiura
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Patent number: 11607894Abstract: An inkjet printing machine for printing individual sheets comprises at least one printing station and a transport system defining a transport track (101) for transporting the individual sheets through the printing station, along a transport direction. The transport system comprises a plurality of gripper conveyors (150) running along the transport track (101) for holding the individual sheets during a printing process in the printing station. At least one of the plurality of gripper conveyors (150) comprises a gripper mechanism (175) for gripping a leading edge of one of the individual sheets and at least one of the plurality of gripper conveyors comprises a gripper mechanism (175) for gripping a trailing edge of the individual sheet. The transport system further comprises a linear motor (116, 165) being controllable in such a way that movement of each of the gripper conveyors (150) along the transport track (101) is individually controllable.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2018Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: MOUVENT AGInventors: David Pousaz, Olivier Freymond, Romain Bersier, Jean-Philippe Besson, Pierino Pierantozzi, Francisco Javier Perez Gellida, Nicolas Mosetti, Patrick Wittwer
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Patent number: 11607879Abstract: A cap device includes a cap, an accommodation member, and a cover. The cap covers a nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head. The accommodation member is accommodated in the cap and is fixed to the cap. The accommodation member has a conductivity and receives a voltage that generates a potential difference between the liquid ejection head and the accommodation member. The accommodation member includes a first portion and a second portion connected with each other. The cover covers the second portion of the accommodation member, and has a surface that is co-planar with a surface of the first portion. The cover has a conductivity and receives a voltage that generates a potential difference between the liquid ejection head and the cover.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2021Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Toshiro Ueda
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Patent number: 11607890Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an electronic device comprising a controller. The controller to determine a volume of print fluid in a first tank of the electronic device, monitor current printing conditions of the electronic device disposing print fluid on a substrate, determine, based on the volume of print fluid and the current printing conditions, whether an adverse printing condition exists, responsive to the volume of print fluid being less than a threshold and the adverse printing condition not existing, control a pump to refill the first tank from a second tank at a flow rate determined at least partially according to the determined volume, and responsive to the volume of print fluid being less than the threshold and the adverse printing condition existing, control the pump to refill the first tank from the second tank at a default flow rate determined independent of the determined volume.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Antonio Gracia Verdugo, Ana Oropesa Fisica, Dorkaitz Alain Vazquez Fernandez, Josep Ortiz Mompel
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Patent number: 11597211Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to identifying an amount of remaining supply of a print material, selecting one of a plurality of threshold ranges associated with the amount of remaining print material, and updating a visual indicator indicative of the selected one of the plurality of threshold ranges.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2018Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Andrew Chick, Pratik Shah, Kenneth K Smith, Adam L Hornstein, Dustin C Rosing, Richard Motzkus
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Patent number: 11597220Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a plurality of medium containing units that is provided along a vertical direction and contains a medium before recording; a liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting liquid toward the medium; and at least one liquid containing unit that contains the liquid; wherein the plurality of medium containing units includes a first medium containing unit located at an uppermost position, and a second medium containing unit located below the first medium containing unit, a size of the first medium containing unit in a medium feeding-out direction, in which the medium is fed out, is smaller than a size of the second medium containing unit in the medium feeding-out direction, and the at least one liquid containing unit is provided above the second medium containing unit in such a way as to overlap with the first medium containing unit in the vertical direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2021Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takamasa Ikagawa, Akinobu Nakahata
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Patent number: 11597218Abstract: A recording device has: at least one medium storage section that stores a medium on which to perform recording; a recording section positioned vertically above the medium storage section, the recording section performing recording on the medium; and a reversing path by which the medium that passed through a position at which the medium faces the recording section is reversed in a direction including a vertically upward component by being transported in a transport direction including a vertically downward component and being made to pass through a curved reversing path curved so as to be convex downward. When only one medium storage section is provided, an overlap is found between at least part of the one medium storage section and at least part of the curved reversing path when viewed horizontally.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2021Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Yuji Misawa, Toshihiro Imae
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Patent number: 11584129Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a housing, a cap unit, a protrusion and a guide part. The recording head has an ink ejecting port on a lower face. The housing supports the recording head. The cap unit includes a cap. The cap unit is inserted into a space below the recording head in a predetermined direction to be attached to the housing and to cover the lower face of the recording head with the cap. The protrusion is protruded from a lower portion of the housing on a rear side in the predetermined direction more downward than the lower face of the recording head. The guide part is formed in an upper portion of the cap unit on the rear side in the predetermined direction and comes into contact with the protrusion so as to guide insertion and removal of the cap unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Yasuyuki Fukunaga, Yuzo Onishi
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Patent number: 11577525Abstract: There is provided a printer including: a head including head chips; a conveyor; and a controller. The head chips are arranged in an intersecting direction that intersects with a conveyance direction, and two head chips adjacent to each other in the intersecting direction are shifted from each other in the conveyance direction. The controller is configured to execute: print a bar code having a first portion and a second portion; determine based on the printing data whether a seam between the two head chips is positioned in the first portion; and adjust a printing position of the bar code with respect to the head so that the seam is positioned in the second portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2021Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kazunari Matsuura
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Patent number: 11577518Abstract: A printer includes a head, an electrode, a moving unit, a voltage application circuit, and a controller. The head has an ejection surface having a nozzle. The head is configured to eject liquid from the nozzle. The moving unit is configured to move at least one of the electrode or the head. The voltage application circuit is configured to apply a certain voltage between the head and the electrode. The controller is configured to: drive the moving unit such that the ejection surface faces the electrode; drive the voltage application circuit to apply the certain voltage between the head and the electrode; compare a level of an output signal input to the controller from the electrode with a particular threshold; and based on the comparison result, determine that liquid is present between the ejection surface and the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2021Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayoshi Hayashi, Yuta Toda, Ryuji Horata