Transfer Of Fluid To Another Record Medium Patents (Class 347/103)
  • Publication number: 20130050371
    Abstract: A customized cover for a handheld electronic device. A back of the cover is opposite the first side, and substantially covers the back of the handheld electronic device. The backside or second side of the cover is flat along substantially its entire length, and the cover is substantially white for receiving and displaying a color image that is customized for the user of the handheld electronic device. The cover may comprise a polymer that permits permanent imaging by infusion of specialty inks to the polymer. A digital image is printed on an intermediate transfer substrate. The image is transferred under heat and pressure to the back or second side of the cover, so that the customized image appears on the cover. The invention may employ tools to secure the case during the printing process, and additional tools during a post-imprinting cooling and image stabilization phase, to prevent heat distortion of the cover during imaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: MARVELPRESS, LLC
    Inventor: Paul Hirst
  • Publication number: 20130050363
    Abstract: Disclosed is an aqueous ink composition, including an aqueous solvent, a coloring agent dissolved or dispersed in the aqueous solvent, an ABA-type amphipathic polymer including a hydrophobic segment A and a hydrophilic segment B, and an anionic surfactant configured to dissolve or disperse the ABA-type amphipathic polymer in the aqueous solvent, wherein a viscosity of the aqueous ink composition is changed depending on a pH thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventors: Yuuma Usui, Takeo Tsukamoto, Aino Hasegawa, Hideomi Sakuma, Manabu Seo, Hiroyuki Yamashita, Ryota Suzuki, Hisayoshi Ohshima, Takahiko Matsumoto, Shigeo Takeuchi, Takeshi Hihara
  • Patent number: 8376498
    Abstract: A method of operating a printer produces duplex images with improved throughput. The method monitors the position of an area of pressure roller that carries release agent and synchronizes a media transport to insert a media sheet into a nip formed with the pressure roller so the release agent on the pressure roller exits the nip as the leading edge of the media sheet enters the nip. The circumference of the pressure roller is an integral number times the length of the media sheet plus inter-document gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Barry P. Mandel, Paul J. McConville, Injae Choi
  • Publication number: 20130004742
    Abstract: A novel method of transfer printing onto articles, particularly dark articles, is disclosed. A design, preferably in color, is printed onto a transfer sheet in sublimation dye using a commercially-available printer. White toner is then printed over at least a portion of the design using an electrostatic printing device. Heat and pressure are applied to transfer the design and the white toner to an article. In some preferred embodiments, the transfer sheet is a self-weeding transfer paper. In some preferred embodiments, the same printer is used to print both the sublimation dye design and the white toner. In some preferred embodiments, the color palette of the image is inverted prior to printing with white toner. The invention is particularly well suited to the transfer printing of dark textile articles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventor: Alfred W. La Costa
  • Patent number: 8342672
    Abstract: A recording apparatus including: an intermediate transfer member; an image forming composition layer formation unit that supplies an image forming composition to the intermediate transfer member, the image forming composition containing a curable material that cures upon application of an external stimulus; an ink application unit that applies ink to the image forming composition layer that has been formed on the intermediate transfer member; a transfer unit that transfers the image forming composition layer from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium by contacting the image forming composition layer onto which the ink has been applied with the recording medium; and a first stimulus application unit that applies a stimulus to the image forming composition layer that cures the image forming composition layer, the stimulus being applied at least one of immediately before the image forming composition layer comes into contact with the recording medium, or during the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunichi Yamashita, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kentaro Ageishi, Yoshiro Yamashita, Ken Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8337009
    Abstract: A method of forming a nip with a skewed transfix roll includes positioning a first axis of rotation of a transfix roll at a skewed angle with respect to a second axis of rotation of an image drum, forming a nip with the skewed transfix roll and the image drum, and operating the printer with the nip formed with the skewed transfix roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan James Roof, Laurence Lynd
  • Patent number: 8337008
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus has: an inkjet head which ejects ink so as to record an image on a recording surface of a recording medium; a drum-shaped member which includes a drum, holds an edge of the recording medium, and conveys the recording medium in close contact with a circumferential surface of the drum; an intermediate conveyance body which holds an edge of the recording medium while moving the recording medium in rotation, and transfers the recording medium to the drum-shaped member; and a conveyance guide which guides a non-recording surface of the recording medium which is moved in rotation by the intermediate conveyance body, wherein the conveyance guide has a back tension application device which produces a force to act on the recording medium in an opposite direction to a direction of movement of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Kachi
  • Patent number: 8333464
    Abstract: A liquid application apparatus includes: an application member which applies a first liquid to a recording medium; and a liquid holding member which abuts against the application member so as to form a liquid holding space in which the first liquid is held in such a manner that the first liquid held in the liquid holding space is applied to the recording medium via the application member by rotating the application member, wherein a supply port for supplying the first liquid in the liquid holding space and a recovery port for recovering the first liquid from the liquid holding space are provided in the liquid holding member, and the supply port and the recovery port are located in different positions in terms of vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Hirato
  • Publication number: 20120314013
    Abstract: A sheet-fed duplex printing press includes a front-surface printing unit having a first impression cylinder that can carry cut paper by rotating while holding the cut paper a first blanket cylinder that contacts the first impression cylinder and can transfer heatset ink onto a front surface of the cut paper, and a first ink jet head that can supply the heatset ink to the first blanket cylinder, and a rear-surface printing unit having a second impression cylinder that can carry the cut paper by rotating while holding the cut paper, a second blanket cylinder that contacts the second impression cylinder and can transfer heatset ink onto a rear surface of the cut paper, and a second ink jet head that can supply the heatset ink to the second blanket cylinder, in which the first impression cylinder and the second impression cylinder directly contact each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichi Takemoto, Shinichiro Senoo, Masahiro Taketsugu, Minoru Sato
  • Patent number: 8328349
    Abstract: Methods for controlling application of a substance to a substrate involve the use of a gating agent that blocks the substance from the substrate. The methods may utilize ink jet technology to apply the gating agent directly to the substrate or to an intermediate surface. The gating agent composition includes a nonionic surfactant, and water. The gating agent composition does not contain a discernable amount of dye, pigment or other colorant agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Moore Wallace North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Hook, Theodore F. Cyman, Jr., Lawrence Pilon, Jeffrey Zaloom
  • Patent number: 8328307
    Abstract: A method of operating an inkjet imaging device more thoroughly cleans residual ink from an intermediate imaging member and disrupts any ghosted images that may have formed in the release agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David Alan VanKouwenberg, Paul McConville
  • Patent number: 8322842
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a controller configured to operate the printer in a gel maintenance cycle to clean residual ink and other material from an image receiving member in the printer to maintain image quality in the printer. The controller operates the image receiving member and a drum maintenance unit in the printer to flood the image receiving member with release agent that is removed from the member by wipers in the drum maintenance unit. The removed release agent is removed from a sump, filtered, and returned to an applicator for use in printing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Cameron Gordon, Joseph Benjamin Gault
  • Patent number: 8317313
    Abstract: Printing systems, printing apparatuses and methods of forming images on media are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Barry P. Mandel
  • Patent number: 8317314
    Abstract: A printer is configured with a controller that transforms operation of the printer to increase throughput. The printer includes an image receiving member, a printhead configured to eject ink drops onto the image receiving member to form an ink image, a transfix roller configured to move towards and away from the image receiving member to form a transfixing nip with the image receiving member selectively, a release agent applicator configured to engage the image receiving member selectively to apply release agent to the rotatable imaging member, and a controller configured to generate firing signals that operate the printhead from image data and to transform operation of the printer from a first printing process sequence to a second printing process sequence in response to a coverage parameter for image data to be printed being less than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Kohne, Brent R. Jones, Michael E. Jones, Daniel Clark Park, Michael C. Gordon, Joseph B. Gault
  • Patent number: 8305637
    Abstract: A multicolor image forming apparatus includes an exposure unit to direct optical beams for optically writing different single-color images on image carriers, respectively, a pattern forming unit to form a positioning pattern on a transport member, a pattern detector to detect the positioning pattern, disposed above the transport member, a positional data detector disposed on a scanning line to detect positional data in a sub-scanning direction of the optical beams, an adjustment unit, and a storage unit. The adjustment unit detects positional deviations among the different single-color images based on detection results generated by both the pattern detector and the positional data detector, respectively, and then corrects the positional deviations. The storage unit stores as reference data the positional data in the sub-scanning direction of the optical beams detected when the positional deviations are corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tadashi Shinohara
  • Patent number: 8302555
    Abstract: A liquid coating apparatus has: a coating roller which has a coating surface; a liquid holding unit which abuts against the coating surface of the coating roller so as to form a liquid holding space; a medium support member which faces the coating surface in such a manner that the medium support member and the coating roller nip and support the medium; an abutment pressure-varying device which adjusts at least one of a first abutment pressure between the coating surface of the coating roller and the liquid holding unit and a second abutment pressure between the coating surface of the coating roller and the medium; and a control device which controls the abutment pressure-varying device according to a relative position of the medium with respect to the coating roller, wherein the coating roller rotates while the medium is sandwiched by the medium support member and the coating roller in such a manner that the liquid is fed to the coating surface from the liquid holding unit and the liquid is transferred to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakazawa, Toshiyuki Makuta
  • Patent number: 8303103
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a substantially continuous web of media, and a web transport system configured to transport the continuous web along a web path. A print station is positioned along the web path and is configured to apply ink to the continuous web. A temperature leveling ink spreader is disposed along the web path downstream from the print station. The temperature leveling ink spreader includes a leveler roller including a heater configured to generate thermal energy to heat the leveler roller to a spreading temperature. The leveler roller is positioned to be partially wrapped by the continuous web to generate a predetermined dwell time between the continuous web and the leveler roller as the continuous web is being transported to equalize the temperatures of the web and ink on the web to within a predetermined range about the spreading temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Matthew LeFevre, Paul John McConville, Michael Jon Levy
  • Patent number: 8303102
    Abstract: A drum maintenance system for use in an imaging device includes a reservoir having a supply of release agent. An applicator is configured to receive release agent from the reservoir and to apply the release agent to an imaging surface of an imaging device. A metering blade is positioned to meter the release agent on the imaging surface applied by the applicator. The metering blade is arranged in doctor mode with respect to the imaging surface and includes a tip positioned adjacent the imaging surface. The tip has a square portion positioned proximate the imaging surface and a beveled portion opposite the imaging surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander J. Fioravanti, Paul John McConville
  • Publication number: 20120262525
    Abstract: A printing method and a printing system are provided in which a fast printing speed is achieved, a variety of ultraviolet curable inks can be used, and excellent transfer properties to a printing object can be achieved. First, print processing is performed, thereby printing an image on a transfer pad, next, provisional curing processing is performed, thereby provisionally curing an ultraviolet curable ink applied to the transfer pad, next, transfer processing is performed, thereby transferring the ultraviolet curable ink landed on the transfer pad to a printing object, and next, final curing processing is performed, thereby performing final curing of the ultraviolet curable ink transferred to the printing object. In this way, transfer printing of an image to the printing object can be performed by a single transfer. In addition, if the transfer printing is finished, cleaning processing is performed, thereby cleaning the transfer pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8287117
    Abstract: A recording device includes: an intermediate transfer member; a layer forming unit that forms a curable solution layer on the intermediate transfer member, the curable solution layer including a liquid-absorbing component, a curable material that is cured by irradiation of UV rays, and a surfactant having an HLB value of from 8 to 18; an ink supply unit that supplies ink droplets to the curable solution layer formed on the intermediate transfer member; a transfer unit that transfers the curable solution layer, to which the ink droplets have been applied, from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium; and a UV irradiation unit that irradiates UV rays onto the recording medium, to which the curable solution layer has been transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kentaro Ageishi
  • Publication number: 20120256994
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device including an image support member in which a temperature-sensitive polymer layer is formed on the surface thereof; an ink discharge head which discharges, on the image support member, an ink obtained by dispersing a pigment into a water-based medium so as to form an image; a transfer roller which makes contact with the image support member; a second heating roller which heats the temperature-sensitive polymer layer; a water absorption roller that absorbs and removes water on the surface of the temperature-sensitive polymer layer. Thus, the bleeding of ink on a recording medium is reduced, and the efficiency of transfer of an image from the image support member to the recording medium is enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Taiya Munenaka
  • Publication number: 20120256993
    Abstract: A method for performing duplex printing with improved throughput has been developed. The method includes forming an image of a back side of a first duplex page and an image of a front side of a second duplex page on an image receiving member. Two recording media sheets are serially passed through a nip to transfer the image of the first duplex page back side to a bare side of a recording media sheet that also bears the image of the front side of the first duplex page on an obverse side and to transfer the image of the second duplex page to a bare side of a recording media sheet that has not been previously printed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Clark Park, Brent E. Fleming, Michael E. Jones, Zhikui Ren
  • Patent number: 8277037
    Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing a heat shrinkable flattened plastics tubing or other elongate printable medium, the apparatus comprising: means for feeding at least one printable medium over a printer head; and a control means to control the sequence of printing operations on the medium, wherein the apparatus further comprises a return feed assembly to return the printable medium printed on a first face thereof inverted into the printing apparatus and off-set, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventor: Nicholas David Michaelson
  • Patent number: 8277028
    Abstract: A print assembly is disclosed. The print assembly includes a printhead for printing on a printing medium having encoded positional data thereon, a media feed assembly for feeding the medium past the printhead, a capper assembly movable between a capped position covering the printhead and an uncapped position exposing the printhead, and a print controller having a reader configured to operatively read the positional data to provide the print controller with a signal indicative of a position of the medium relative to the printhead. The controller is configured to derive a feed speed of the medium from the signal, and to correlate printing of the printhead with such feed speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Publication number: 20120236099
    Abstract: An ink-jet transfer system is disclosed, as well as a transfer printed product which is highly wash-resistant, colour-fast and environment-friendly, and a process for producing the same and its use in a printing process by means of the disclosed ink-jet transfer system. The disclosed ink-jet transfer system has a substrate, a hot-melt layer applied on the substrate and at least one ink-absorbing layer which comprises a mixture of a highly porous pigment and a binder. The molecules of the pigment and if required of the binder and hot-melt layer can form chemical bonds with the dyeing molecules of the ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Arkwright Advanced Coating, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulf Bamberg, Peter Kummer, Ilona Stiburek
  • Patent number: 8262216
    Abstract: Even if a liquid is attached and solidified on a peripheral surface of a coating roller, application of the liquid on a medium is uniformly performed. At least a part of contacting member is separated from the coating roller and the coating roller is rotated in a second direction as a reverse direction to a first direction to pull out the liquid from a liquid retaining space onto the coating roller. Next, by interrupting the above separation and rotating the coating roller in the first direction, a liquid reservoir is formed in the periphery of a contacting portion between the coating roller and the contacting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsu Hamano, Junichi Yoshikawa, Tsuyoshi Saeki
  • Patent number: 8262217
    Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes: an inkjet head which forms an image on a recording surface of a recording medium by ejecting ink to be deposited to the recording surface; a roller member which rotates in contact with the recording surface of the recording medium on which the image has been formed; an oil supply device which supplies oil to the roller member, the oil suppressing adherence of the ink to the roller member; a medium holding device which has a medium holding surface on which the recording medium is held while the roller member on which the oil has been deposited is making contact with the recording surface of the recording medium; and a cleaning sheet supply device which supplies a cleaning sheet to the medium holding device when a size of the recording medium is changed and an image is to be formed on a recording surface of the recording medium of large size compared to a size of the recording medium used before the change of size, the cleaning sheet removing the oil adhering to the medi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8251469
    Abstract: A printhead provides selective heating to a supply of molten ink within an ink flow channel. The printhead is adapted to be in electrical communication with a controller and programmed to determine ink required by a print job. Based on the determined ink required by the print job, the controller accordingly provides selective heating to the printhead. The printhead includes an ink inlet, a nozzle in fluid communication with the ink inlet, and an ink flow channel having a length and extending between the ink inlet and the nozzle. A molten ink supply from a solid ink supply retaining device is received by the ink inlet and ejected from the nozzle on a print medium. A plurality of heating zones is also disposed along the length and adjacent to the ink flow channel to provide heating to the molten ink supply adjacent to each of the plurality of heating zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventor: William Henry Reed
  • Publication number: 20120212524
    Abstract: The stamp-type printer includes: a stamp-type printer comprising: a receiving section for receiving image, data including character information; a transfer member; a print head for printing an image on a portion of the transfer member with ink based on the received image data; and a transport member for transporting the printed portion of the transfer member to a contact transfer position, wherein a stamping operation is performed by causing the printed portion to come in contact with a desired recording medium at the contact transfer position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventor: Masanobu DEGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8248631
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit for forming a plurality of images on sheets; a receiving unit for receiving job information including identification information for identifying types of the plurality of images and determination information for determining timing of forming the plurality of images on the sheets, from an external instrument; and a control unit for identifying the types of the plurality of images based on the identification information received by the receiving unit, determining the timing of forming the plurality of images on the sheets based on the determination information received by the receiving unit, and allowing the image forming unit to form the plurality of images based on the identified types of the images and on the determined timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Shouichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8246158
    Abstract: An image recording composition including water-absorbing resin particles and a curable material that is cured upon application of an external stimulus, a volume average particle diameter of the water-absorbing resin particles being from about 0.5 ?m to about 5.0 ?m, and a content of the water-absorbing resin particles in the image recording composition being from about 5% by weight to about 50% by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentaro Ageishi, Yoshiro Yamashita, Ken Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8243291
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: a recording head which has a plurality of recording elements; an intermediate transfer medium on which an image is recorded temporarily by the recording head while the intermediate transfer medium implements relative movement with respect to the recording head; an image defect determination device which is disposed on a downstream side of the recording head in terms of a direction of the relative movement of the intermediate transfer medium and which determines whether the image recorded on the intermediate transfer medium includes an image defect or not; a transfer device which is disposed on a downstream side of the image defect determination device in terms of the direction of the relative movement of the intermediate transfer medium and which transfers the image recorded on the intermediate transfer medium, to a recording medium; and an image correction device which creates correction data according to information about the image defect if the image defect determinati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiya Kojima
  • Publication number: 20120188319
    Abstract: A system has a print head to dispense ink onto a print surface to form a printed image, a molding surface to contact the ink to form an informational image in at least the surface of the ink, and a radiation source to solidify the ink into the printed and informational images. A method includes dispensing ink onto a print medium to form a printed image, pressing a molding surface onto the printed image to transfer an informational image onto the printed image, and solidify the ink into the printed and informational images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jurgen H. Daniel, Steven E. Ready
  • Patent number: 8226225
    Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus has: an ink droplet ejection device which ejects a droplet of an ink containing a coloring material; a treatment liquid deposition device which deposits a treatment liquid that causes the coloring material contained in the ink to aggregate so as to create a coloring material aggregate; and an absorbing body which absorbs a solvent of a mixed liquid including the ink ejected as the droplet by the ink droplet ejection device and the treatment liquid deposited by the treatment liquid deposition device, wherein solvent absorption holes having an opening diameter larger than a spreading width of the coloring material aggregate in the mixed liquid on a surface of a recording body are formed in a surface of the absorbing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Yamanobe
  • Patent number: 8220411
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid applying apparatus that enables the viscosity of a liquid to be applied and the condition of supply of the liquid to be detected using conventional mechanisms and without the need for a viscometer or the like, thus allowing prevention of improper application of the liquid to a medium and mitigation of wear of an applying roller or the like, the apparatus having an inexpensive configuration. Thus, according to the present invention, a driving load on an applying roller driving motor is detected when an applying roller is driven. If the driving load is equal to or more than a preset threshold, an operation of re-supplying the liquid is performed by a pump, or an operation of the roller driving motor is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshino, Hideaki Nagahara, Tetsuyo Ohashi, Takeshi Sekino, Keisei Hakamata
  • Patent number: 8220389
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed in which printing material is printed upon a tray surface and transferred to a sheet supported by the tray surface. A cleaning device removes residual printing material from the tray surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: John A. Dangelewicz, Dale D. Timm
  • Patent number: 8220918
    Abstract: A spreader module for use in an imaging device includes a housing configured for insertion and removal from a docking position of an imaging device frame, a spreader drum operably supported by the housing, and a pressure roller operably supported by the housing adjacent the spreader drum to define a spreading nip through which a web of media is fed. The spreader module includes a release agent application system supported by the housing for applying a first release agent to the spreader drum. A docking slot is positioned adjacent the pressure roll that is configured to releasably secure a release agent sub-module to the housing, the release agent sub-module for applying a second release agent to the surface of the pressure roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: James Michael Chappell, Jason Matthew LeFevre, Paul John McConville
  • Patent number: 8220917
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first, second, and third applying units, as well as a transferring portion. The first applying unit applies a first liquid to an intermediate transfer medium. The first liquid may be a liquid for increasing the wettability of the surface the intermediate transfer medium or a surfactant. The second applying unit applies a second liquid to intermediate transfer medium. The second liquid may be a liquid for decreasing the flowability of ink to the intermediate transfer medium, or a liquid for aggregating a color material, or a liquid which reacts with an ink. The third applying unit applies ink to the intermediate transfer medium, to which liquids have been applied. The ink is applied from an ink-jet head to form an image on the intermediate transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Taniuchi, Akihiro Mouri
  • Patent number: 8215762
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including: an intermediate transfer body; a forming unit that forms an ink receiving layer on the intermediate transfer body, the ink receiving layer including a first solution layer containing a curable material that cures when irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, and a second solution layer, on the first solution layer, containing a curable material that cures when irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, and a liquid absorbing component, and in the case in which the first solution layer contains a liquid absorbing component, the content of the liquid absorbing component in the second solution layer being larger than the content of the liquid absorbing component in the first solution layer; an ink supplying unit that supplies ink droplets onto the ink receiving layer; a transferring unit that transfers the ink receiving layer from the intermediate transfer body to a recording medium; and an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates the recording medium with ultravi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kentaro Ageishi
  • Patent number: 8210637
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus and a recording apparatus capable of reducing wear of a roller for application, even if liquid (for example, application liquid) is insufficient in a case where liquid is applied to recording media. In an embodiment of the present invention, in a case where it is determined that the application liquid is sufficient in a storage tank, the application liquid is filled in a liquid retention space, the application liquid is applied to the recording medium, and thus recording is performed. In a case where it is determined that the liquid application is insufficient in the storage tank, recording with application is prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhiko Masuyama, Osamu Iwasaki, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Naomi Oshio
  • Publication number: 20120162332
    Abstract: Thermal inkjet printer sublimation inks are provided having high melting point suspended particles such that the ink does not clog thermal ink jet print heads. Low-cost thermal ink jet printers are used to create thermal transfer images from the inks which are used in conventional thermal transfer processes. An ink set having at least three ink colors includes an aqueous medium of 30-95 weight percent having particles of 50 nm to 1000 nm suspended therein in an amount of 1-10 weight percent. The suspended particles include a sublimation dye and have a melting point of at least a surface of the particle greater than or equal to 200° C. The particles may have a core-shell structure with a sublimation dye core. The ink includes one or more cosolvents from 4-40 weight percent, a surfactant of 0.01 to 5 weight percent, and a biocide of 0.01-5 weight percent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Dennis McKean, Francis Chee-Shuen LEE
  • Patent number: 8205982
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid application device, an inkjet recording apparatus and a recording apparatus, which are capable of performing an adequate application initial operation according to the length of waiting time and power-off time, as well as a method of controlling the liquid application device. In the present invention, information on an end time of the previous processing for collecting liquid is read from a nonvolatile memory, current time information indicating the current time is obtained, and information on a lapse of time from the end time of the previous collection to a start time of the current application. Thereafter, the number of preliminary rotations R of an application roller is decided based on the information on the lapse of time with reference to a look-up table. Sequentially, the application roller is rotated by the decided number of preliminary rotations R to perform preprocessing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhiko Masuyama, Osamu Iwasaki, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Naomi Oshio, Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20120154497
    Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a movable body, a particle feeding portion, a liquid feeding portion, a stimulus giving portion, and a nip portion. The movable body includes a circumferential face capable of rotating. The particle feeding portion feeds solid particles transparent to visible light to the circumferential face of the movable body. The liquid feeding portion feeds a hardenable liquid, in a form of a layer, on the circumferential face of the movable body supplied with the solid particles. The hardenable liquid is hardened by a stimulus given to the hardenable liquid. The stimulus giving portion gives the stimulus to the hardenable liquid fed on the circumferential face. The nip portion nips the hardenable liquid between the movable body and a recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoharu NAKAO, Hiroshi IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20120147111
    Abstract: A printing machine for transferring a phase change ink onto a print medium includes a component for applying a phase change ink in an image, an imaging member for accepting the image and transferring the image from the imaging member to the print medium and a pressure member positioned in association with the imaging member to form a nip through which the print medium passes. The pressure member includes an outer layer with a tailored electrical conductivity to eliminate ghosting in duplex printing modes. The outer layer comprises a composite of a polymer and carbon nanotubes and/or graphenes. A similar outer layer may be implemented on a pressure roller in a direct-to-paper printing machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Santokh S. Badesha, Paul John McConville, James Edward Williams, Kock-Yee Law
  • Patent number: 8197057
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a rotating drum that holds a recording medium on a cylindrical outer peripheral surface thereof and rotates around a rotating shaft, and a printing head that is disposed opposite to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum and ejects ink onto the recording medium held on the rotating drum to perform a printing operation. The rotating drum holds a first recording medium and a second recording medium arranged in a rotating direction. A distance between a rotating direction downstream end of the first recording medium and a rotating direction upstream end of the second recording medium is larger than a distance between a rotating direction downstream end of the second recording medium and a rotating direction upstream end of the first recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 8197054
    Abstract: To provide a method for fixing an image, wherein the image has a high fastness even immediately after being recorded, and is free from inconveniences such as thermal influence or unfavorable curing inherent to the conventional fixing device, as well as safety problems. To achieve such an object, in a method for fixing an image recorded on a recording medium with a recording material containing a component curable by a plasma processing, the image is fixed on the recording medium by the plasma processing at a normal pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Taniuchi, Akihiro Mouri
  • Publication number: 20120140009
    Abstract: A transfer type inkjet recording method uses an aggregation liquid, in which the aggregation liquid contains a polymer compound having either one of a polysaccharide having an amino group or a polysaccharide salt having an amino group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichiro Kanasugi, Shinsuke Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8192005
    Abstract: A printer for transferring a phase-change ink onto a substrate includes components for conveying the substrate along a path through the printing machine, a printing station including a plurality of printheads disposed along the path and configured to transfer the phase-change solid ink onto the substrate as it is conveyed along the path, a plurality of metal backing rollers facing the plurality of printheads and arranged to support to the substrate passing between the backing rollers and the printheads, and a spreader station receiving the substrate from the printing station and configured to spread the phase-change solid ink on the substrate, the spreader station including a spreader roller and a metal pressure roller opposing the spreader roller. Each of the non-oiled metal rollers includes a coating that is oleophobic that has low adhesion toward the solid ink image but sufficient lateral friction as to not slide against the ink or paper web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Kock-Yee Law, Paul John McConville, James Edward Williams
  • Patent number: 8191503
    Abstract: A liquid application apparatus includes: an application roller having an application surface for applying a liquid to a medium, at least the application surface of the application roller being constituted by an elastic body; a liquid holding unit including an abutting part which abuts against a circumferential surface of the application roller so as to form a liquid holding space, the abutting part including a measuring roller which has a projection-recess surface capable of holding a specific amount of the liquid; and a drive control device which rotates the application roller and the measuring roller in such a manner that the liquid is transferred from the application surface to the medium while the liquid is supplied to the application surface from the liquid holding unit, and which halts rotation of the measuring roller while rotating the application roller after an end of application of the liquid to the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20120133717
    Abstract: A transferred medium is provided. In one exemplary embodiment a transferred medium includes a projection part projected in a transferring direction of the transferred medium from a front end part of the medium such that the projection part traverses the front end part of the medium. The thickness of a part of the projection part can be configured to be greater than the thickness of the front end part, the width of the projection part in a direction perpendicular to the transferring direction can be narrower than the width of the front part in that same direction, and the urging force by the urging member can act on the projection part and the front end part during transfer of the transferred medium. A recording apparatus system that includes a transferred medium is also provided, as arc other embodiments of a transferred medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Sanshiro TAKESHITA