Ink Jet Patents (Class 347/1)
  • Patent number: 8389601
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a metal ink composition for ink-jet and more particularly, a metal ink composition which causes no formation of cracks on a PCB substrate, allows a low curing temperature, and provides improved adhesive strength even after coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-Hoon Kim, Dong-Hoon Kim, Byung-Ho Jun, Joon-Rak Choi, Young-Kwan Seo, Young-Il Lee
  • Patent number: 8389600
    Abstract: Provided are an ink jet ink set, an ink jet recording method, and an ink jet recording apparatus each of which can reduce the graininess of an image to be recorded and improve the water fastness of the image even in a recording medium such as plain paper. The ink jet ink set has a first ink and a second ink independently, and is used so that the first and second inks overlap each other at least partly upon application of the inks to a recording medium. The first ink contains at least a pigment and a silicone oil. The second ink contains at least a pigment and a graft polymer that includes at least a nonionic unit represented by the general formula (I) and a unit having a polysiloxane structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Suzuki, Katsuhiro Shirota, Hirofumi Ichinose, Masashi Tsujimura, Hiromitsu Kishi, Takashi Saito, Sayoko Nagashima, Fumihiko Mukae, Yoshihisa Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8384944
    Abstract: Provided is a print position control method whereby displacement of a print position in a wide range can be corrected very accurately, without reducing a printing speed or increasing a manufacturing cost. Thus, a printing apparatus includes: a first correction unit, for correcting a print position at accuracy equal to the resolution of the printing apparatus; and a second correction unit, for correcting the print position at accuracy higher than the resolution and in the range of an area that corresponds to one pixel of the resolution. With this arrangement, the print position displacement in a wide range equal to or greater than one pixel can be corrected by the first correction unit, and a print position displacement smaller than one pixel can be corrected by the second correction unit. Therefore, correction of a print position displacement in a wide range is enabled at a higher accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norihiro Kawatoko, Yuji Hamasaki, Atsushi Sakamoto, Aya Hayashi, Hidehiko Kanda, Toshiyuki Chikuma, Jiro Moriyama
  • Publication number: 20130033532
    Abstract: A printer includes an energy storage device and a charger for charging the energy storage device and for providing a first DC voltage. The printer includes a first DC-to-DC voltage converter for converting the first DC voltage to a second DC voltage. The printer includes first printer electronics powered by the second DC voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Yu Zhao, Tong Nam Samuel Low
  • Patent number: 8366229
    Abstract: A printing system for indicating print media quality to printer users includes a printing assembly configured to route print media along a pathway for printing. In an example, the system includes, but is not limited to, a thermal printer having a thermal print head for printing onto paper. The system also includes a light meter configured to detect light reflected from the print media, such as the paper. The light meter also measures a characteristic of the detected light. An indicator is coupled to the light meter, and configured to present a quality level of the print media to a user based on the measured characteristic of the detected light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Kuczynski, Hye S. Makley, Melissa K. Miller, Heidi D. Williams, Jing Zhang
  • Publication number: 20130022761
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a silver complex obtained by reacting at least one silver compound represented by the formula 2 below with at least one ammonium carbamate compound or ammonium carbonate compound represented by the formula 3, 4 or 5 below:
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Inktec Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang-Choon Chung, Hyun-Nam Cho, Myoung-Seon Gong, Yi-Sup Han, Jeong-Bin Park, Dong-Hun Nam, Seong-Yong Uhm, Young-Kwan Seo
  • Publication number: 20130011633
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wall panel for a caravan, the wall panel having a first face and a second face, comprises printing a first design onto the first face of the wall panel for example using a first direct-to-substrate printer. A second design may be printed onto the second face of the wall panel, for example using a second direct-to-substrate printer (which may be the same printer as, or a different printer to, the first printer). Alternatively, the first design may be printed onto a first skin for the wall panel. The second design may be printed onto a second skin for the wall panel. The first and second skins, with the designs printed thereon, may then be assembled into a wall panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventor: Steven James Perry
  • Patent number: 8349405
    Abstract: A liquid discharge method is a method for depositing liquid on a plurality of target discharge partitioned areas formed on a substrate as the liquid is selectively discharged from a plurality of discharge nozzles while the substrate and the discharge nozzles are moved relative to each other. The liquid discharge method includes setting an arrangement pattern according to shapes and positions of the target discharge partitioned areas so that a number of the discharge nozzles selected to be used among the discharge nozzles capable of depositing the liquid in the target discharge partitioned areas is the same in each discharge timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Ito, Kazumi Aruga, Satoru Katagami, Sadaharu Komori
  • Patent number: 8344045
    Abstract: An ink composition is provided that includes (A) a polymerizable silicone compound having an ethylenically unsaturated group and a silicone chain, (B) tetrahydrofurfuryl (meth)acrylate, and (C) a radical polymerization initiator. There are also provided an inkjet recording method that includes (a1) a step of discharging onto a recording medium the ink composition and (b1) a step of curing the ink composition by irradiating the discharged ink composition with actinic radiation, a printed material obtained by the inkjet recording method, and a process for producing a formed printed material that includes (a2) a step of forming an image on a support by discharging the ink composition by an inkjet method, (b2) a step of obtaining a printed material having a cured image on the support by irradiating the obtained image with actinic radiation so as to cure the ink composition, and (c2) a step of molding the printed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Ohnishi, Kazuhiro Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8335978
    Abstract: In a semiconductor storage device 10 included in a liquid container 20, on reception of an encoding request for encoding readout data, a write-read controller 140 changes over the position of a switch 141 to output encoded readout data, which is obtained by an encoding operation in a data encoding circuit 150, to a data signal terminal SDAT. In the case of no reception of the encoding request for encoding the readout data, on the other hand, the write-read controller 140 changes over the position of the switch 141 to output raw data read out from a memory array 100 to the data signal terminal SDAT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shuichi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8328303
    Abstract: The process enables surfaces of wood-based flat elements (10) to be printed, and comprises a preliminary step of graphic composition by means of an electronic processor and relative software, and a printing step. To print the wood-based flat elements an ink-jet printer (12) is used controlled by the electronic processor, said flat element moving relative to the printer (12) during the printing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Inventor: Dante Frati
  • Patent number: 8325352
    Abstract: A method and a system for producing a window shade having a real natural material printed image coated thereon. A real natural material is scanned and the data of the image is stored in a computer which generates an image of the scanned real natural material. That image is duplicated a plurality of times by the use of the computer and the images are assembled in a predetermined arrangement to produce a composite image which is then enhanced using photo-enhancing software. The enhanced composite image is then printed by the use of a colored ink printing machine on material to form the window shade. Preferably, but not exclusively, the material is constituted by slats of a louvered blind or a fabric of a roller blind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Inventors: Carmine Franco, Sandro Franco
  • Patent number: 8324293
    Abstract: An aqueous ink comprising a polymer having hydroxyl groups and a pigment, which can provide images excellent in scratch resistance and highlighter resistance and can inhibit the seeping out phenomenon of the polymer and the deterioration of ejection characteristics even when it is stored for a long period of time. The aqueous ink comprises a polymer having hydroxyl groups, a pigment and a water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent comprises a poor medium for a polymer that is not adsorbed on the pigment (out of the polymer having hydroxyl groups), and wherein when the segment constituting the polymer that is not adsorbed on the pigment (out of the polymer having hydroxyl groups) is comprised of a segment A having hydroxyl groups and a segment B having no hydroxyl group, at least one of the poor medium is a good medium for either one of the segment A and the Segment B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Imai, Shinichi Hakamada, Kenji Moribe, Masako Udagawa
  • Patent number: 8317310
    Abstract: An ink-jet head is disclosed. The ink-jet head can include: a chamber for holding ink, an actuator coupled to one side of the chamber to provide pressure to the chamber, a damper portion connected with the other side of the chamber, an accelerator portion extending from a lateral surface of the damper portion, and a nozzle formed at an end of the accelerator portion. Certain embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the speed at which ink is ejected and improve the straightness of the ejection path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju-Hwan Yang, Jae-Woo Joung, Young-Seuck Yoo, Boum-Seock Kim
  • Publication number: 20120288689
    Abstract: A process for the manufacturing of surface elements is provided herein. The surface elements can include a decorative upper layer and a supporting core. A supporting core with a desired format is manufactured and provided with an upper side and a lower side. The upper side of the supporting core is provided with a décor, by for example printing, which décor is positioned after a predetermined fixed point on the supporting core. The upper side of the supporting core is provided with a protecting, at least partly translucent, wear layer by for example spray coating, roller coating, curtain coating and immersion coating or by being provided with one or more sheets of a-cellulose impregnated with thermosetting resin or lacquer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: PERGO (EUROPE) AB
    Inventors: Krister Hansson, Johan Lundgren, Hakan Wernersson
  • Publication number: 20120274681
    Abstract: Apparatus, articles of manufacture, and image forming apparatus for capturing aerosols are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a corona wire, and an excitation source to provide to the corona wire a composite signal having a direct current component and an alternating current component, the alternating current component having a cycle, a first portion of the cycle being sufficient to cause the composite signal to exceed an inception voltage at which ions are generated by the corona wire and a second portion to cause the composite signal to fall beneath the inception voltage, the excitation source to avoid causing the corona wire to substantially charge a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Napoleon Leoni, Omer Gila
  • Patent number: 8299142
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink composition having excellent ink ejection stability and stretching property, curable with a high sensitivity by irradiation of radiation rays, and capable of forming an image excellent in rubfastness and blocking resistance, an inkjet recording method using the ink composition, and a printed article. The ink composition includes (a) a polymer having a siloxane structure and a polymerizable group on a side chain thereof, (b) a polymerizable compound, and (c) a photopolymerization initiator, and the inkjet recording method includes a step of ejecting the ink composition onto a recording medium to be recorded with an inkjet recording apparatus and a step of curing the ink composition by irradiating active radiation rays on the ejected ink composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20120249623
    Abstract: Ink compositions and methods of using the same are disclosed. An example ink composition includes an inkjet vehicle, from about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % of colorants, from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % of anti-kogation agents, and from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % of dispersed resin beads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Sundar Vasudevan, Qin Liu, James P. Shields
  • Patent number: 8274695
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a determining unit that determines based on a print job whether an image is to be recorded by ejecting a treatment liquid, a generating unit that based on image data generates print data by converting portions of each of the color data that are capable of being replaced by using black ink droplets into black data at a predetermined ratio, and a ratio setting unit that sets the ratio of the generating unit when the determining unit determines that the image is to be recorded by ejecting the treatment liquid so that the ratio is higher than that in other cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naosuke Ino, Daisuke Tatsumi
  • Publication number: 20120238691
    Abstract: Provided is an ink composition capable of forming images having excellent water resistance, excellent solvent resistance and excellent adhesiveness to base materials, the ink composition including (Component A) a polymer containing a repeating unit (a1) having at least one of an aromatic ketone structure and an aliphatic 1,2-diketone structure, a repeating unit (a2) having at least one of a tertiary amine structure and a thiol structure, and a repeating unit (a3) having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, and (Component B) a coloring material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji HIRONAKA
  • Publication number: 20120229533
    Abstract: According to an embodiments, a power supply device includes: a first voltage generator that operates to output a first voltage; a second voltage generator that operates to output a second voltage higher than the first voltage; a third voltage generator that, from the second voltage generated by the second voltage generator, operates to generate a third voltage equal to the first voltage and to output the third voltage therefrom; and a selector that operates to select as an output whichever has a higher voltage from the output of the first generator and the output of the second generator, wherein each of the output of the second voltage generator and the output selected by the selector are supplied to a load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventor: Tomokazu KANZAWA
  • Patent number: 8253997
    Abstract: A correction information creation device including: a recording head; a rotating body; a first detector that detects a period of a pulse signal generated in accordance with rotation of the rotating body; a first calculation section that calculates a period of a clock signal; a second detector that detects a space between corrective images that are formed synchronously with a period of the clock signal, while the rotating body is being rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, by two sets of image formation elements of the recording head; a second calculation section that calculates a distance between a measurement position of a peripheral surface of the rotating body and the axial center of the rotating body; and a memory that stores the calculated distance to serve as information for correcting the period of the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Nishida, Susumu Kibayashi, Hiroaki Satoh, Takeshi Zengo, Tatsumi Komura
  • Patent number: 8247474
    Abstract: A base layer is formed on the surface of metal plate, metal pipe, unbaked ceramic sheet, laminated ceramic green sheet, etc., the base layer causing a gelling reaction with inkjet-ink. The base layer improves ink acceptability for low viscosity inks such as inkjet-ink, and prevents oozing, draining, uneven thickness of an ink pattern and a resist pattern. Thus, the present invention enables to use an ink jet process for providing resist patterns for etching, etc., which has to fulfill stringent high precision requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Nakao, Yukihiro Shimasaki, Atsushi Iwase, Koji Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 8240838
    Abstract: An ink composition for inkjet recording is provided. The ink composition contains (a) a monomer containing a fluorinated alkylene group and two or more polymerizable groups, (b) a photo initiator, and (c) a polymerizable monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yokoi, Taiji Katsumata
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8230205
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has first through n-th pluralities of programs which, when executed by a computer processor, perform respectively first through n-th functions of the image processing apparatus, where n denotes an integer more than 1, and starts up, on a function-by-function basis, the first through n-th pluralities of programs respectively corresponding to the first through n-th functions. The image processing apparatus starts up, in a predetermined sequence, respective programs included in any one plurality of programs among the first through n-th pluralities of programs to a state in which the plurality of programs performs a corresponding function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryouji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8222318
    Abstract: The present invention relates to (1) a process for producing a water dispersion for ink-jet printing containing colorant-containing polymer particles which includes a step I of obtaining a dispersion of colorant-containing polymer particles; a step II of obtaining a water dispersion of the colorant-containing polymer particles from the dispersion obtained in the step I; a step III of mixing the water dispersion obtained in the step II with an organic solvent (B) to suitably control a relative dielectric constant of a mixed solvent in the resultant dispersion, thereby precipitating the colorant-containing polymer particles; and a step IV of separating precipitates obtained in the step III from the dispersion and re-dispersing the precipitates in a water-based solvent; (2) a water-based ink for ink-jet printing which is excellent in ejection stability and optical density; (3) a process for purifying a water dispersion for ink-jet printing; and (4) a process for producing a dispersion containing groups of fine p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuma Mizushima, Nobuyuki Takizawa
  • Patent number: 8217097
    Abstract: The invention provides an aqueous ink comprising a polymer having hydroxyl groups and a pigment, which can provide images excellent in scratch resistance and highlighter resistance and can inhibit the seeping out phenomenon of the polymer and the deterioration of storage stability and ejection characteristics even when it is stored for a long period of time. The aqueous ink comprises a polymer having hydroxyl groups and a pigment, wherein a proportion of a content of a polymer that is not adsorbed on the pigment out of the polymer having hydroxyl groups to the content of the pigment in the ink is 2.0 mass % or more, and a content (mass %) of the polymer that is not adsorbed on the pigment out of the polymer having hydroxyl groups is 0.20 mass % or less based on the total mass of the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masako Udagawa, Shinichi Hakamada, Takashi Imai, Kenji Moribe
  • Patent number: 8199284
    Abstract: An ink composition for a color filter includes about 100 parts by weight of a pigment dispersion, about 7 parts by weight to about 65 parts by weight of a thermosetting resin having hydroxyl group at a side chain of the thermosetting resin, about 0.015 part by weight to about 1.5 parts by weight of a thermal initiator, about 0.8 part by weight to about 15 parts by weight of an epoxy-based resin containing fluorine, and about 15 parts by weight to about 165 parts by weight of a solvent. A color filter substrate is manufactured using the ink composition for color filter. The ink composition for the color filter improves straightness of ink jetting through an ink-jetting nozzle and prevents the ink composition from spreading to neighboring pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoon-Ho Kang, Byoung-Joo Kim, Jang-Sub Kim, Seong-Gyu Kwon
  • Patent number: 8192097
    Abstract: A printer apparatus includes a first device and a second device. The first device includes a first carriage movable in a scanning direction along a guide rail and a first working device to perform a first predetermined work on an object medium. The second device includes a second carriage movable in the scanning direction along the guide rail and a second working device to perform a second predetermined work on the object medium. A first device holding mechanism is capable of holding the first device. A second device holding mechanism is capable of holding the second device. A vertically retreat mechanism is configured to move the second device holding mechanism and the second device along a vertical direction to be located below a medium supporter to support the object medium when the first working device is moved in the scanning direction to perform the first predetermined work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Ikeda, Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8187686
    Abstract: An elastic member for an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a material containing 100 parts by weight of a block copolymer having a crystalline polyolefin block and an amorphous polyolefin block, 3 to 40 parts by weight of a polyolefin resin and 40 to 250 parts by weight of a softening agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Horasawa, Dai Igarashi, Nagamitsu Takashima, Shinzo Saito
  • Patent number: 8188159
    Abstract: An inkjet ink comprising polymeric fluoro-polymeric additives providing enhanced pen and print quality performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kai-Kong Iu, Dennis P. Parazak, James M. Pingel
  • Publication number: 20120103211
    Abstract: A method of printing an image that diffracts radiation is disclosed. The method includes assembling an ordered periodic array of particles on a substrate, wherein the array of particles diffracts radiation in a wavelength band dependent on viewing angle; printing an imaging composition onto a portion of the array in a configuration of an image; shifting the wavelength band of radiation diffracted and changing the refractive index by the printed portion of the array so that the printed portion diffracts radiation at a different wavelength band and reflectivity intensity from a remaining portion of the array; and fixing the printed portion of the array, such that the printed portion of the array diffracts radiation and exhibits the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Purdy, Jessica M. Williamson
  • Patent number: 8168694
    Abstract: An ink composition is provided and includes: a dye; and at least one polymer of an oxidation-resistant polymer having a weight-average molecula weight of 3,000 or more, an association-accelerating polymer and an amidic polymer. An image printed with the ink composition has an ozone degradation rate of 1/5 or less of that of an image printed with an ink composition free of the at least one polymer. The ink composition has an extremely high image durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Taguchi, Sachiko Arai
  • Publication number: 20120098878
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a medium, which includes a recording material one side of which is a recording layer for an image and the other side of which is an adhesive layer and also includes a separating material covering the adhesive layer, along a transport path using a plurality of transport rollers; a recording unit that records an image on the medium; and a heating unit that fixes the image recorded on the medium. In the image recording apparatus, there are sequentially provided two units of the transport rollers in the transport path, the two transport rollers respectively make contact with different surfaces of the medium, and the outer diameter of one of the transport rollers is different in size from the outer diameter of the other of the transport rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahito SANEKATA
  • Patent number: 8163817
    Abstract: An aqueous ink to be used together with a pigment ink containing a pigment and a polymer, wherein the aqueous ink contains a reactive component for destabilizing the dispersion state of the pigment, the dynamic surface tension of the aqueous ink at a lifetime of 30 milliseconds is 41 mN/m or more, and the dynamic surface tension of the aqueous ink at a lifetime of 500 milliseconds is from 28 mN/m or more to 38 mN/m or less as determined by a maximum bubble pressure method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuuki Nishino, Hiroyuki Takuhara, Mikio Sanada, Daiji Okamura, Kenji Moribe, Satoshi Kudo
  • Patent number: 8163816
    Abstract: A process for producing a liquid composition including a pigment and a stimuli-responsive dispersant, the pigment being contained in the liquid composition in a dispersed state, the process including (1) obtaining a solution dissolving the pigment in a first solvent and (2) mixing the solution with a second solvent, wherein the stimuli-responsive dispersant is contained in at least one solvent of the first and second solvents. The first solvent is an aprotic solvent. The second solvent is water or an aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumichi Nakahama, Takayuki Teshima, Yukio Hanyu
  • Patent number: 8153195
    Abstract: The present invention provides a printing method for printing radiation-curable ink jet ink printing comprising a clear coat primer composition comprising: a low surface tension monofunctional alkyl acrylate monomer with a surface tension in the range of 23 to 31 dynes/cm in which the alkyl group has at least 8 carbon atoms; a photoinitiator; and other UV curable monomers and oligomers. The clear coat primer composition is applied first onto a substrate and cured with actinic radiation or cationic curable ink jet ink is printed on the surface of the clear coat primer coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics For Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Matt Tennis, Joshua Samuel, Paul A. Edwards
  • Publication number: 20120081420
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing system, which comprises: a data receiving and processing unit connected with the electronic device, for receiving a printing signal from the electronic device and processing the printing signal into a data signal; and an ink-jet head module including a control chip and an ink-jet heating chip. The control chip includes a wireless transmission module and a control circuit, wherein the wireless transmission module includes an antenna, a front-end processing unit, an instruction unit, a clock transmission unit, and a modulation and demodulation unit. Besides, the control circuit includes a control processing unit, a coding and decoding processing unit, and a memory device, to receive the data signal processed by the wireless transmission module and transform the processed data signal into a control signal. In addition, the ink-jet heating chip is connected with the control circuit for executing the ink-jet printing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Rong Ho YU, Wen Hsiung Liao, Hsien Chung Tai, Cheng Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 8147020
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording method is provided. The ink-jet recording method includes (i) supplying an aqueous treatment liquid containing a fixing agent for fixing the components contained in an aqueous ink, on an art paper or a coat paper, in an amount of from ?50% to +30% with respect to the value of ?V [ml/m2] determined by the following formula (I), and (ii) recording an image by ejecting an aqueous ink containing a colorant, resin particles, an aqueous organic solvent and water, on the art paper or coat paper by an ink-jet method. In Formula (I), Vr represents a roughness index of the art paper or coat paper obtained from a measurement of liquid absorbability according to the Bristow method, and Vi represents an amount of transfer at the inflection point where the value of the absorption coefficient of the art paper or coat paper changes in the measurement of liquid absorbability according to the Bristow method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiro Kariya
  • Patent number: 8148447
    Abstract: There is provided an ink composition which can yield images having silver salt photograph-like gloss and is also excellent in fixation, lightfastness, and gasfastness of recorded images. The ink composition comprises: a resin produced by emulsion polymerization of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer in the presence of a reactive emulsifier containing a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic group and a radical reactive group; water; and a pigment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Koganehira, Hironori Sato, Kenji Ishizuki, Takashi Mori, Keiichi Bessho
  • Publication number: 20120056920
    Abstract: A mounting detection circuit of a printing apparatus outputs a first mounting inspection signal to one of first terminals and outputs a second mounting inspection signal to one of second terminals thereby performing a mounting inspection for determining whether or not printing materials are mounted depending on whether or not second mounting response signal is received, and examines at least one of whether or not the second mounting response signal is influenced by the first mounting inspection signal and whether or not a first mounting response signal is influenced by the second mounting inspection signal thereby performing a leakage inspection for determining whether or not there is a leakage between the first and second terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Asauchi
  • Publication number: 20120056921
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a holder in which a printing material cartridge set is mounted; and a mounting detection circuit for detecting mounted states of printing material cartridges in the holder. Each of the N printing material cartridges includes a storage device for storing information regarding a printing material which is contained, an electric device for mounting detection, a terminal for the storage device, and a terminal for the electric device. The electric devices of the N printing material cartridges are configured so that a detection voltage becomes equal to or greater than a threshold voltage set in advance when the N printing material cartridges are all mounted in the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Nakano, Yasuhiko Kosugi
  • Patent number: 8129448
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing a polymer modified pigment comprising the steps of, combining, in any order, a modified pigment comprising a pigment having attached at least one reactive group, a polymer comprising at least one functional group, and a non-reactive diluent, to form a reaction mixture, reacting the polymer and the modified pigment in the reaction mixture to form a mixture comprising the polymer modified pigment and the non-reactive diluent; and removing the non-reactive diluent from the mixture to form the polymer modified pigment. Also disclosed are the resulting polymer modified pigments and inkjet ink compositions comprising them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventors: Sze-Ming Lee, Elizabeth G. Burns, Sarah A. Mandeville, Robert J. Nick, Dave S. Pope
  • Publication number: 20120050355
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium by discharging liquid from a discharge head, wherein a carriage on which the discharge head is mounted is made to be able to reciprocate, and in a case where agitation of liquid is required, control is performed such that operation areas of a plurality of places set within a movable range of the carriage are changed over and the carriage then reciprocates within the operation area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Murahashi, Kazuya Yoshikaie
  • Publication number: 20120050354
    Abstract: A power supply device supplying power to a device via a power line is provided, where the power supply device includes a first voltage generation unit configured to generate and supply a first direct voltage to the power line, a second voltage generation unit configured to generate and supply a second direct voltage lower than the first direct voltage to the power line, a measurement unit configured to measure a voltage of the power line, a control unit configured to control supply of the first direct voltage with the first voltage generation unit after starting supply of the second direct voltage with the second voltage generation unit, and a determination unit configured to determine a state of the power supply device based on the measured voltage and a first threshold value after starting the supply of the second direct voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsumi Taguchi, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20120043751
    Abstract: The present invention enables creating authenticable multi-ink luminescent continuous tone color halftone images offering means of verifying their authenticity. The invented luminescent color halftone image synthesizing techniques enable increasing the attractiveness and aesthetics of color images. The invention relies on daylight luminescent inks, color prediction models for daylight luminescent halftones, color gamuts of luminescent and non-luminescent inks, color separation into luminescent and non-luminescent ink layers, mapping of input gamuts into a luminescent target gamuts by gamut reduction and/or expansion strategies, and luminescent color halftone image generation. The basic authentication is performed by examining the excitation trace image of the synthesized luminescent color halftone image under an illuminant active within its excitation wavelength range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), L
    Inventors: Roger D. Hersch, Romain Rossier
  • Publication number: 20120043512
    Abstract: A conductive ink composition comprising organic-stabilized silver nanoparticles and a solvent, and a polyvinyl alcohol derivative resin of Formula (1) wherein R1 is a chemical bond or a divalent hydrocarbon linkage having from about 1 to about 20 carbons; R2 and R3 are independently an alkyl, an aromatic or substituted aromatic group having from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; x, y and z represent the proportion of the corresponding repeat units respectively expressed as a weight percent, wherein each repeat unit is randomly distributed along polymer chain, and the sum of x, y and z is about 100 weight percent, and wherein the polyvinyl alcohol derivative resin is present in an amount of from 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of the ink composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ping Liu, Yiliang Wu, Nan-Xing Hu
  • Patent number: 8094165
    Abstract: An evaluation apparatus includes an image reproduction section, which obtains a reproduction image by reproducing an original image with a plurality of color elements visually mixed for defining colors, and which obtains a plurality of reproduction images respectively corresponding to twelve types of color element groups having different types of color elements and/or different numbers of color elements from one another. The apparatus also includes a calculation section which calculates a level of a difference between colors of each of the plurality of reproduction images and colors of the original image; and a display section which displays the level of the difference calculated by the difference calculation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kondo
  • Patent number: 8093311
    Abstract: A pigment ink for ink-jet recording which is excellent in freezing resistance and fixability includes a pigment, an aqueous resin emulsion, polyethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. This ink satisfies the following formulae (1), (2) and (3): A<15??(1) A+B>10??(2) 30?A×?+B?64??(3) wherein: A is the content of polyethylene glycol (%); B is the content of diethylene glycol (%); and ? is the molecular weight ratio of polyethylene glycol to diethylene glycol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Noguchi, Takashi Kawaguchi