Patents Examined by Tracey M McMillion
  • Patent number: 11697296
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a print fluid deposition assembly, a media transport device, and an air flow control system. The print fluid deposition assembly comprises a carrier plate and a printhead arranged to eject a print fluid through an opening of the carrier plate to a deposition region. The media transport device comprises a movable support surface to transport a print medium along a process direction through the deposition region, the media transport device holding the print medium against the movable support surface by vacuum suction. The air flow control system is arranged to selectively flow air through the opening of the carrier plate between the carrier plate and the printhead based on a location of a print medium transported by the media transport device relative to the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas K. Herrmann, Linn C. Hoover, Patrick Jun Howe, Joseph C. Sheflin, Robert Jian Zhang, John Patrick Baker, Brian M. Balthasar, Glenn Batchelor, Anthony Salvatore Condello, Ali R. Dergham, Timothy P. Foley, Richard A. Kalb, Peter John Knausdorf, Jason M. LeFevre, Jack T. Lestrange, Chu-Heng Liu, Paul J. McConville, Seemit Praharaj, Palghat S. Ramesh, Erwin Ruiz, Emmett James Spence, Rachel Lynn Tanchak, Kareem Tawil, Carlos M. Terrero, Megan Zielenski
  • Patent number: 11685164
    Abstract: A printer housing with an upper portion and a lower portion with a cavity there between and wherein the upper portion and lower portion are connected by one or more hinges such that the housing opens about the hinged connection between the upper portion and the lower portion to expose the cavity there between. The hinged connection allows the upper portion to be lifted up with respect to the lower portion to expose one or more printer components for access through the cavity. One or more hinges secure the upper portion to the lower portion and wherein the one or more hinges are positioned on a same perimeter side of the housing such that the housing opens about one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: PRIMERA TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Erick Hagstrom
  • Patent number: 11673413
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head, an ink tank that is disposed above the recording head, a carriage on which the recording head and the ink tank are mounted, a scanner unit that is attached to the upper portion of the casing via a pivot shaft so as to pivot with respect to the casing and that reads a document placed on the document table, and a panel unit in which the scanner unit is attached to an end portion disposed on the opposite side to the pivot shaft and is configured to tilt between a first orientation and a second orientation closer to the document table than the first orientation, and by pivoting the scanner unit with respect to the casing to expose the ink tank, ink is injected from the refill container into the ink tank and the remaining amount of liquid is viewed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Nagai, Yoshiyuki Okazawa, Kazunori Takabayashi, Hisayuki Akahane, Kensuke Tamai, Shintaro Miyamoto, Katsumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 11673412
    Abstract: An image forming device with a collapsible paper guide is provided. The image forming device includes a casing, a first tray structure and a paper guide. A medium gateway opening is formed on the casing. The first tray structure is disposed on the casing and adjacent to the medium gateway opening. The paper guide includes a first base disposed on the first tray structure and a first guiding component pivotally connected to the first base. The paper guide is switchable relative to the first tray structure between a used position and a stored position. A first included angle included between the first guiding component and the first base is less than 90 degrees when the paper guide is located at the used position, so that the first guiding component can be interfered and driven to pivotally fold for preventing the paper guide from being broken or damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: AVISION INC.
    Inventors: Wei-Lun Tsai, Min-Hao Chang
  • Patent number: 11661294
    Abstract: A recording device includes a first transportation path along which a medium is transported, a recording unit configured to record on the medium on the first transportation path, a second transportation path branching from the first transportation path, a flap located at the junction and configured to be moved to a first position to open the first transportation path and to a second position to close the first transportation path, and a driving section. After the medium passes the junction, the flap is positioned at the second position to come in contact with the medium traveling upstream along the first transportation path and guide the medium to the second transportation path. The flap is moved to the first position by a driving force of the driving section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Waki, Yuki Komatsu, Kenji Oshima
  • Patent number: 11660888
    Abstract: A printing system comprises printheads to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen. The vacuum platen comprises platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. An airflow control system comprises airflow zones, each comprising a group of the platen holes, a duct, and a valve, the duct and the valve being arranged to selectively control vacuum suction through the group of the platen holes. For each of the printheads, at least one of the airflow zones is located under the respective printhead. Thus, airflow through platen holes under the printheads can be selectively controlled by selectively controlling the vacuum suction in the airflow zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan B. Hunter, Jeffrey John Bradway, Joseph M. Ferrara, Jr., Frank Berkelys Tamarez Gomez
  • Patent number: 11660889
    Abstract: A printing apparatus including a roll paper accommodating unit configured to accommodate roll paper, a single sheet paper accommodating unit configured to accommodate single sheet paper, a printing unit configured to perform printing on the roll paper fed from the roll paper accommodating unit, and to perform printing on the single sheet paper fed from the single sheet paper accommodating unit, and a main body frame that supports the single sheet paper accommodating unit and the roll paper accommodating unit, in which the roll paper accommodating unit and the single sheet paper accommodating unit are located in ranges, in a front-back direction of the printing apparatus, overlapping a range in which the printing unit is present, and are located downward of the printing unit with respect to a vertical direction, and the roll paper accommodating unit and the single sheet paper accommodating unit are movable frontward of the printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takei, Yasushi Yajima
  • Patent number: 11648784
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a print fluid deposition assembly, a media transport device, and an air flow control system. The print fluid deposition assembly comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid through an opening of a carrier plate to a deposition region. The media transport device holds a print medium against the movable support surface by vacuum suction and transports the print medium through the deposition region. The air flow control system comprises an air supply unit to selectively flow air through the opening based on a location of a print medium relative to the printhead. The air supply unit comprises an air guide structure comprising an air outlet portion extending into the opening of the carrier plate between the printhead and the carrier plate, the air outlet portion terminating in an end wall that is angled obliquely relative to the movable support surface towards a reverse-process direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Chu-Heng Liu, Paul J. McConville, Seemit Praharaj
  • Patent number: 11642899
    Abstract: A printer includes a recording unit, a glue belt, a feeding unit, a suction unit, and a duct unit. The recording unit performs recording on a medium. The glue belt includes a support face capable of supporting the medium. The feeding unit feeds air toward the support face. The suction unit sucks air flowing from the support face. Air discharged from the suction unit flows through the duct unit. The duct unit is provided with an opening portion that adjusts a pressure difference between a pressure inside the duct unit and a pressure outside the duct unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Washio
  • Patent number: 11623458
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a print fluid deposition assembly, a media transport device, and an air flow control system. The print fluid deposition assembly comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid through an opening of a carrier plate to a deposition region. The media transport device holds a print medium against the movable support surface by vacuum suction and transports the print medium through the deposition region. The air flow control system is to flow air through the carrier plate to the movable support surface via a port through the carrier plate on an inboard side the carrier plate and to control a flow rate of the air flowed through the port based on a size of a print medium transported by the media transport device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Linn C. Hoover, Erwin Ruiz, Rachel Lynn Tanchak, Kareem Tawil, Carlos M. Terrero
  • Patent number: 11597206
    Abstract: In some examples a printing system includes purging manifolds. The printing system includes a fluid ejection device to dispense a fluid and a first reservoir to house a fluid. The system further includes a purging manifold to fluidically couple to the fluid ejection device, and the purging manifold to fluidically couple to the first reservoir. The purging manifold includes a second reservoir. The purging manifold further includes a supply port; a fluid inlet port; and a purging outlet port. The purging outlet port is disposed above the supply port to convey fluid to the first reservoir. The printing system also includes a fluid interface connector to fluidically connect to the supply port and fluidically connect to the fluid ejection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher John Arnold, Paul Allan Osborne
  • Patent number: 11590772
    Abstract: A heating device heats a sheet to which a liquid discharge unit discharges a liquid. The heating device includes a first heater to heat the sheet that has passed through the liquid discharge unit, a vacuum conveyor to convey the sheet that has passed through the first heater while sucking the sheet, a second heater to heat the sheet being conveyed by the vacuum conveyor, and circuitry that cause the first heater to heat the sheet when sheet data regarding the sheet satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironori Numata
  • Patent number: 11584145
    Abstract: In example implementations, a printing device is provided. The printing device includes a printer module, a first driver roller, and a second drive roller. The printer module includes a single set of print bars. A first side of the single set of print bars is to print on a first side of a continuous web of print media and a second side of the single set of print bars is to print on a second side of the continuous web of print media. The continuous web of print media travels over a common set of idler rollers. The first driver roller is to control an amount of tension of the continuous web of print media on a first side. The second drive roller is to control an amount of tension of the continuous web of print media on a second side. The amount of tension of the continuous web of print media on the second side is greater than the amount of tension of the continuous web of print media on the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Ronald R. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11571913
    Abstract: The techniques described herein relate generally to reconfigurable support pads for fabric image transfers. Specifically, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, reconfigurable support pads are provided for fabric image transfers (e.g., silk screening, heat transfer, direct-to-garment printing, etc.). In particular, the techniques herein provide for various adjustable configurations of portions of the fabric substrate support, which may be changed for different thicknesses of garments, and more particularly, that allow for varied thicknesses found on the same garment. For example, by configuring the support in a first “flat” configuration, a plain tee shirt may lay flat, and then configuring the support in a second “two-tiered” configuration, with one portion lower (or higher) than the other, allows for a hoodie with a thicker pocket portion at the “belly” of the garment to also lay flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: 240 Tech LLC
    Inventors: Kris Otto Friedrich, Blair Kristine Dorsey
  • Patent number: 11571916
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit configured to form an ink image by discharging ink on a medium, and a heating unit configured to heat the ink image on the medium. The heating unit includes a heat generating unit configured to generate radiant heat, a reflecting unit that includes a reflecting surface configured to reflect the radiant heat of the heat generating unit, and a cooling unit configured to cool the reflecting surface by supplying a gas to the reflecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Sato, Yusuke Nakaya
  • Patent number: 11571911
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a robotic printing system for printing images on the surface of an object. One exemplary system includes a printing module carried by a motion platform to directly eject printing materials on a surface. One aspect of this disclosure provides methods for accurately controlling the motion of the motion platform, generating accurate triggering signals for printing heads, and properly aligning adjacent swaths of an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: MACDONALD, DETTWILER AND ASSOCIATES INC.
    Inventors: Mingfeng Zhang, Michel Bondy, Piotr Jasiobedzki, Darrell Gaudette, Ho-Kong Ng, Timothy John Reedman
  • Patent number: 11559992
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a print head that ejects ink, a waste ink tank having an absorber that absorbs ink discharged from the print head. The inkjet printing apparatus further includes a counting unit that counts a waste ink amount discharged to the waste ink tank, a timer that measures an elapsed time from installation of the waste ink tank in the apparatus, an acquiring unit that acquires a waste ink retention amount by obtaining an evaporation amount from evaporation of waste ink retained in the waste ink tank based on the elapsed time and subtracting the evaporation amount from the waste ink amount, a notifying unit that notifies that the waste ink retention amount exceeds a threshold; and a setting unit that sets the threshold based on a waste ink evaporation rate calculated by using the evaporation amount and the waste ink amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Nakagawa, Takatoshi Nakano, Atsushi Takahashi, Takuya Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 11554599
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a printing unit which performs printing on a medium, a main body; a conveyer which conveys the medium; a post-processing unit which performs a post-processing for the medium on which the printing has been performed by the printing unit; a first cover rotatably supported by the main body and in which at least the post-processing part is installed; a second cover arranged to be adjacent to the first cover and supported by the main body such that the second cover is rotatable coaxially with the first cover; and an engaging mechanism which changes a state of the first cover and the second cover between an engaged state and a non-engaged state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsugi Tanaka, Akito Uekihara
  • Patent number: 11548301
    Abstract: A printing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a biasing member that applies a force in a ?Y direction, a motor supporting member including a reference surface and an inclined surface inclined so that a distance between the reference surface and the inclined surface gradually decreases in the ?Y direction, and a motor including an abutting member configured to abut on the reference surface and the inclined surface. By applying the force in the ?Y direction from the biasing member to the motor, the abutting member abuts on the reference surface and the inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Hiruma
  • Patent number: 11541667
    Abstract: An example printing fluid circulation circuit for a printing system comprises a first circuit port to supply printing fluid to, or receive printing fluid from, a first fluid port of a printhead and a second circuit port to supply printing fluid to, or receive printing fluid from, a second fluid port of a printhead. The printing fluid circulation circuit is to operate in a first mode to concurrently supply printing fluid from the first reservoir to the first circuit port and from the second circuit port to a second reservoir, and in a second mode to concurrently supply printing fluid from the first reservoir to the second circuit port and from the first circuit port to the second reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Butinya Teixido, Albert Crespi Serrano, Marta Coma Vives