Purging Without A Cap Patents (Class 347/35)
  • Publication number: 20150109367
    Abstract: A print head priming system comprises a vent closure section to close a vent, where the vent is to compensate backpressure in a print head. An inlet to receive pressurized gas from a source of pressurised gas is to provide the pressurized gas to the print head. A pressure relief valve is to open in response to pressure in the print head reaching or exceeding a predetermined value by the provision of gas to the print head by the source of pressurised gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Francesc Ros Cerro, Macia Sole Pons, David Ramirez Muela, Li Qian
  • Patent number: 9004630
    Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus which can perform stable ejection also in successive printing at high speed even in a case of performing printing in use of a print head provided with an ejection opening surface having hydrophilic properties. The inkjet printing apparatus comprises an inkjet print head wherein the control unit controls the print head such that, in a case where the ejection number of the ink ejected from the print head after removing the ink on the ejection opening surface by the ink removal unit is equal to or more than a threshold, a drive energy amount that is supplied for the preliminary ejection operation is larger than a drive energy amount that is supplied for the preliminary ejection operation in a case where the ejection number is less than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshikazu Nagatsuka, Shuichi Murakami, Keiji Tomizawa, Atsushi Omura, Etsuko Sawada, Hiroaki Mihara, Yohei Hamade
  • Patent number: 8998378
    Abstract: In an ink jet printing method, a recording medium is moved relative to a print head having a plurality of nozzles, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles onto the recording medium in a single pass in accordance with print data supplied to the print head. Spit pattern data is included in the print data A location of an expected ink dot ejected according to the spit pattern data is scanned, providing a scanned image, and such ink dot is searched for in the scanned image in order to determine an actual presence of the ink dot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: OCE-Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Sebastian P. R. C. De Smet, Jos De Jong
  • Patent number: 8998361
    Abstract: A recording apparatus is provided, including a recording head, a transport mechanism which has an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a spacing distance between recording media upstream from the recording head, a discharge control unit configured to control the recording head so that a liquid is discharged when discharge ports face the recording medium and configured to control the recording head so that at least one of discharge flushing and non-discharge flushing is performed when the discharge ports are positioned between the two recording media, and a measuring mechanism which is arranged upstream from the recording head to measure the spacing distance between the recording media. The adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust the next spacing distance between the recording media depending on the spacing distance between the recording media measured by the measuring mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyasu Yabuki
  • Patent number: 8985740
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a purge unit having a sheet member that purges ink deposited on an orifice face of a print head and a winding unit that winds the sheet member. By using the number of ink ejections executed between a first purge operation and a second purge operation, the amount of winding of the sheet member is controlled after the second purge operation is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ibe, Masaya Uetsuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Asako Tomida, Hiroaki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8985736
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ink jet head, having a pressure chamber, a flow path and a nozzle, which ejects ink in the pressure chamber through the nozzle, a first tank connected to the flow path, a supply unit which supplies ink in the first tank to the pressure chamber through the flow path, a second tank connected to the flow path, a discharge unit which moves ink in the pressure chamber to the second tank through the flow path, and a control section which activates the supply unit and the discharge unit so that ink in the pressure chamber is discharged to the second tank by the discharge unit, ink in the first tank is charged to the pressure chamber by the supply unit and the liquid surface of ink supplied to the pressure chamber is projected from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Akaba, Hideaki Nishida
  • Publication number: 20150077466
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus including a head 1 in which a plurality of ink chambers 11 are aligned in one or both of an X direction and a Y direction, liquid droplets are ejected from nozzles 12, and printing is carried out in a print region of a recording medium based on print data, wherein the ink contains a dispersion medium and solid particles having higher specific gravity than that of the dispersion medium, and the liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes a flushing device that performs a flushing operation when the head 1 is present in a non-print region in such a manner that an amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle 11b placed at an end portion in an alignment direction becomes larger than an amount of liquid droplets ejected from the nozzle 11a placed in a central portion in the alignment direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Ryohei KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8955945
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a drive transfer device that selectively transmits a driving force of a first drive source to one of liquid feed pumps, a suction part of a maintenance recovery device and an air-vent opening part. The air-vent opening part is arranged to have a maximum driving-force transmission path leading to the drive transfer device among the liquid feed pumps, the suction part and the air-vent opening part. The maintenance recovery device, the drive transfer device and the liquid feed pumps are arranged in order in a sheet transport direction. The suction part of the maintenance recovery device and the drive transfer device are arranged on opposite sides of a cap of the maintenance recovery device in the sheet transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Miwa, Tomohiro Sawai, Isamu Kubo
  • Patent number: 8931870
    Abstract: According to one example there is provided a method of printing an image on a substrate using a printing system having a printhead. The method comprises forming, using ink from the printing system, a spittoon on the substrate, printing the image on the substrate, and whilst printing the image, ejecting ink from a printhead into the formed spittoon during a printhead maintenance operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Ltd.
    Inventors: Liad Weissman, Ran Vilk
  • Patent number: 8926062
    Abstract: Printers and duplexers are described herein. An example duplexer for a printer includes a waste ink roller movable between a concealed region and a receiving region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel Fredrickson, Russell Yearout
  • Patent number: 8926061
    Abstract: An inkjet printer 1 includes an inkjet head 31 with nozzles for discharging ink, a pressurizer for pressurizing a route for ink supply to the inkjet head 31, a head driver 6 for driving the inkjet head 31, and a controller 8 operable for control the pressurizer to pressurize the route for a prescribed time to have fluxes of ink once spilt out of the nozzles and to render nozzles covered with spilt ink before use of the head driver 6 to drive the inkjet head 31 for discharge operation in a maintenance service to the inkjet head 31.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Bansyo, Asayo Nishimura, Hiroshi Sugitani
  • Patent number: 8915574
    Abstract: A printing device includes a head that has a plurality of nozzles, a reversing section for reversing a front surface and a back surface that are facing surfaces of a printing medium facing the head, and a control section for causing the head to execute an ejection operation of forming an image forming dot for printing an image designated as a print target and a flushing dot other than the image forming dot on the facing surface by moving either one of the printing medium and the head so as to relatively change the positions of the printing medium and the head and ejecting liquid from each of the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akito Sato
  • Patent number: 8911059
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device may include a liquid ejection head, a conveyor mechanism, a liquid discharging device, and a control device. The control device may be configured to determine a dimension of a recording medium, and determine one or more first ejection nozzles of the liquid discharging device, which correspond to an edge of the recording medium, based on the dimension. The control device may be further configured to control the liquid discharging device to perform a liquid discharging process after the liquid ejection head records an image onto the recording medium, wherein in the liquid discharging process, an amount of liquid discharged from each of the one or more first ejection nozzles is larger than an amount of liquid discharged from each of one or more second ejection nozzles, which correspond to a more inward area of the recording medium than an area corresponding to the one or more first ejection nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 8905517
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving print job data, rasterizing the print job data to generate image data for each page of the print job data to be printed, calculating a coverage per unit area for two or more color planes of each page of the image data and calculating a flushing mask to flush nozzles of the inkjet print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Kartheek Chandu, Larry Ernst
  • Patent number: 8888236
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a carriage which is movable in a forward direction from one end to the other end; a recording head provided in the carriage and having a plurality of nozzle groups from which the ink is discharged; an ink receiver provided at a side of the one end including a flushing position and configured to receive the ink discharged by a flushing operation; and a controller configured to control operations of the carriage and the recording head. In a case that the carriage is moved in the forward direction, the controller executes: an acceleration process for accelerating the carriage; a selecting process for selecting at least one nozzle group for which the flushing operation is performed; a flushing process for performing the flushing operation for the nozzle group selected in the selecting process during the acceleration process; and a recording process for recording the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8888220
    Abstract: A printing apparatus comprising: a first transport unit that transports a printing medium; a line head, having a nozzle row in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged, that ejects the liquid from the nozzles onto the printing medium; a second transport unit, disposed at a distance from the first transport unit downstream from the first transport unit, that further transports the printing medium transported by the first transport unit; and a control unit that causes the line head to execute a flushing operation for ejecting the liquid from the nozzles at a predetermined frequency, wherein when causing the line head to execute the flushing operation, the control unit provides a margin, where the liquid does not land, in a region corresponding to a predetermined distance from a leading end of the printing medium that is an end of the printing medium located toward the second transport unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akito Sato
  • Patent number: 8888231
    Abstract: A cleaning method of an ink supply path in a recording apparatus where ink is supplied from an ink cartridge, includes a first cleaning step of cleaning by supplying to the ink supply path a gas-liquid mixture of a cleaning liquid A provided with an ink cleaning action and gas, and a second cleaning step of cleaning by supplying to the ink supply path a cleaning liquid B provided with an air bubble suppressing action after the first cleaning step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoyama, Hitoshi Ohta
  • Patent number: 8882227
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising: a transportation unit that transports a medium; a head that includes a first nozzle array on which nozzles for discharging a first liquid are arrayed, and a second nozzle array on which nozzles for discharging a second liquid are arrayed; and a controller that controls the transportation unit and the head based on print data, wherein, in a case where the printing of the print data is designated to be performed without forming the printing dots of the first liquid on the medium, the controller causes the head to discharge the second liquid from the second nozzle array to form the printing dots of the second liquid on the medium, and causes the head to discharge the first liquid from the first nozzle array to form the flushing dots of the first liquid on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Sato, Satoshi Yamazaki, Keiko Yamada, Yuko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8882239
    Abstract: In a method for determining a maintenance performance of a maintenance unit of an inkjet printing system, the inkjet system comprises an inkjet print head having an orifice surface, the orifice surface comprising an orifice, which orifice is in fluid communication with an ink chamber. The method comprises operating the maintenance unit to perform a maintenance operation on the orifice surface of the inkjet print head and detecting the presence of a wiper element or amount of ink over the orifice by detecting a pressure wave in the ink chamber and analyzing the detected pressure wave to determine the maintenance performance of the maintenance unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Oce-Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Mark Miedema, Bastiaan J. H. Middelbos
  • Patent number: 8882240
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and a print head recovery method are provided according to which, in an environment in which dust (e.g., paper dust) is easily attached to the periphery of an ejection port of a print head, the print head is subjected to a recovery operation depending on the level of the attached dust. The inkjet printing apparatus has a cutter unit for cutting a print medium and a recovery unit for performing the recovery operation by wiping the ejection port formation portion at which the ejection port is formed of the print head while sucking the ejection port formation portion. When the passing number showing how many times the cut part of the print medium cut by the cutter passes the printing position is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the recovery means subjects the print head to the recovery operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Hirosawa, Hidehiko Kanda, Yutaka Kano, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 8864285
    Abstract: A system and a method for cleaning a printhead by providing from a first slit a laminar flow of cleaning fluid that flows through a pretensioned brush for brushing the nozzle plate and collecting debris. The cleaning fluid with the debris is drained by a first slit having a first under pressure and next by a second slit that has a second under pressure that is greater than the first under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventor: Luc De Roeck
  • Patent number: 8864258
    Abstract: A recording head that includes a pressure chamber filled with ink and a piezoelectric element changing pressure inside the pressure chamber, and that ejects ink from the nozzle according to the change in the pressure inside the pressure chamber. A control unit controls the piezoelectric element and performs ejection driving for ejecting the ink from the nozzle or micro-vibration driving for micro-vibrating a liquid surface inside the nozzle to an extent at which the ink is not ejected from the nozzle; and performs a flushing operation of an ejection amount according to a number of times of micro-vibration driving in a driving period, in a preparation period after the driving period has passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masako Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8833903
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus may include a recording unit, an ink receiver, and a control unit. The recording unit records an image on a sheet by causing a recording head including a plurality of nozzle arrays to reciprocate along a surface of the sheet in a direction in which the plurality of nozzle arrays is arranged. The ink receiver receives ink ejected outside the sheet in preliminary ejection from the recording head. Depending on a recording region on the sheet and which of the plurality of nozzle arrays is or are to be used for recording, the control unit determines a reversing position at which the recording head is reversed in direction of the reciprocation such that all of the plurality of nozzle arrays pass over the ink receiver in a single scan included in the reciprocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Sahara, Yasufumi Ogasawara, Takeaki Nakano
  • Patent number: 8833897
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes an inkjet head that is equipped with a nozzle to discharge ink, an ink flow path connected to this inkjet head, an adjustment unit that adjusts the pressure in the ink flow path, and a maintenance unit that wipes the nozzle of the inkjet head, and a control unit that executes a maintenance mode of the inkjet head by controlling the adjustment unit and the maintenance unit. The control unit controls the maintenance unit to wipe the nozzle after the adjustment unit adjusts the pressure inside the ink flow path to a first positive pressure, and then again, after the adjustment unit adjusts the pressure in the ink flow path to a first negative pressure. The control unit further controls the adjustment unit to adjust the pressure in the flow path to a second negative pressure that is smaller than the first negative pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murata, Masashi Hiroki
  • Patent number: 8827404
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a plurality of liquid ejecting heads configured to eject liquids of a plurality of colors respectively from a plurality of ejection nozzles; an image data storage device configured to store image data with respect to an image to be recorded on a recording medium; a mode receiving device which receives one image quality mode from at least two image quality modes including a low image quality mode and a high image quality mode, as an image quality mode with respect to an image quality of the image; a control device configured to control the plurality of ejecting heads and generate a plurality of preliminary ejection data related to preliminary ejections for recovering ejection performances of the plurality of liquid ejecting heads for the plurality of liquid ejecting heads respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8770710
    Abstract: Provided is a fluid ejecting apparatus including: a fluid ejecting head; a receiving member which is linear; a support member which supports the receiving member so as to extend in a linear shape; a support member movement unit which moves the support member between first and second positions so that the receiving member is located at a receiving position capable of receiving the fluid ejected from the nozzles at the first position, and the receiving member is located at a retreat position deviating from the receiving position at the second position; and a contact member which comes into contact with the receiving member while moving in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the receiving member relative to the receiving member when the support member movement unit moves the support member from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8770714
    Abstract: A printing head assembly with integrated purge mechanism is disclosed. The printing head assembly comprises: (a) a liquid dispensing head comprising one or more dispensing nozzles enclosed in a nozzle plate, driven by at least first and second pressures, and (b) a shielding mask including an opening in front of the one or more nozzles, wherein the opening being configured such that when printing liquid is dispensed from the head driven by the first pressure, the liquid being dispensed in pulses through the opening in the shielding mask, and (ii) when purge printing liquid is dispensed from the head driven by the second pressure the liquid being drawn to a capillary gap formed between the shielding mask and the nozzle plate thereby removing the purge printing liquid from the nearby nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Xjet Ltd.
    Inventors: Eli Krichtman, Ronen Mimon, Hanan Gothait
  • Publication number: 20140176642
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a carriage which is movable in a forward direction from one end to the other end; a recording head provided in the carriage and having a plurality of nozzle groups from which the ink is discharged; an ink receiver provided at a side of the one end including a flushing position and configured to receive the ink discharged by a flushing operation; and a controller configured to control operations of the carriage and the recording head. In a case that the carriage is moved in the forward direction, the controller executes: an acceleration process for accelerating the carriage; a selecting process for selecting at least one nozzle group for which the flushing operation is performed; a flushing process for performing the flushing operation for the nozzle group selected in the selecting process during the acceleration process; and a recording process for recording the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Isao KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8727490
    Abstract: A fluid discharging apparatus includes: a nozzle for discharging fluid onto a medium; and a rotating body that has a holding region for holding the medium and a non-holding region on its peripheral surface and that rotates while facing the peripheral surface toward the nozzle. The rotating body includes a receiving member for receiving fluid discharged from the nozzle for flushing when the non-holding region faces the nozzle and a removing member for removing the fluid, received by the receiving member, from the receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Kumagai, Kaoru Koike
  • Patent number: 8727491
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a fluid ejecting head that has a nozzle formation surface and ejects fluid from a nozzle formed as a hole through the nozzle formation surface. A fluid catching unit has an opening that faces the nozzle formation surface of the fluid ejecting head at the time of flushing, as waste fluid is ejected from the nozzle of the fluid ejecting head. The fluid catching unit receives the waste fluid ejected from the nozzle through the opening. A cover mechanism includes a cover member that moves between cover retracted positions. At the cover position, the cover member can close the opening of the fluid catching unit. At the retracted position, the cover member cannot close the opening during the flushing. Negative pressure is generated inside the fluid catching unit when the cover member is positioned at the cover position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8727489
    Abstract: A flushing method for a fluid ejecting apparatus that includes a pressure chamber filled with fluid, a pressure generating element on a surface of the pressure chamber that deforms the surface to change the pressure in the pressure chamber, and a nozzle in fluid communication with the pressure chamber that ejects the fluid, the method including repeatedly performing first flushing process a first period; and repeatedly performing a second flushing process with a second period. The flushing processes include causing the pressure chamber to expand into an expanded state, maintaining the expanded state, and contracting the pressure chamber from the expanded state, causing the fluid to be ejected from the nozzle. The amount of fluid ejected from the nozzle in the second flushing process is larger than the amount ejected in the first flushing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Sayuri Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20140132669
    Abstract: A system and a method for cleaning a printhead by providing from a first slit a laminar flow of cleaning fluid that flows through a pretensioned brush for brushing the nozzle plate and collecting debris. The cleaning fluid with the debris is drained by a first slit having a first under pressure and next by a second slit that has a second under pressure that is greater than the first under pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventor: Luc De Roeck
  • Patent number: 8721039
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a print head, including nozzle heads, configured to discharge ink droplets upward and movable between an image forming area in which images are formed on a recording medium and an idle discharge area in which idle discharge of the ink droplets is performed to clean the nozzles; an endless belt ink receiving member, disposed above the print head in the idle discharge area in which the print head performs idle discharge and configured to hold the idly-discharged ink; an ink receiving member driver operatively connected to the ink receiving member to circularly drive the ink receiving member; and a cleaner disposed downstream of the idle discharge area in the direction of rotation of the ink receiving member and configured to remove the ink from the ink receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Honriku Jo
  • Patent number: 8702189
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus including: a head having an ejection face having ejection openings for ejecting liquid onto a recording medium; a convey belt that has a support region for supporting the recording medium and a preliminary ejection region onto which the liquid is ejected in preliminary ejection and that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction, wherein the preliminary ejection is ejection not contributing to image recording; and a controller which controls the head and the convey belt based on preliminary ejection data such that, until a specific length of time has passed from the ejection of the liquid onto the preliminary ejection region, liquid is landed on a position in the preliminary ejection region in current ejection, which position does not overlap at least one position of the liquid landed after the ejection of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8696086
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet printer including: an ink supply source; an ink-jet head in which a plurality of nozzle groups corresponding to a plurality of color inks are formed; a maintenance mechanism; a controller which controls the ink-jet head and the maintenance mechanism; and a filling liquid filled in the ink-jet head in a state before the ink-jet printer is used for the first time, wherein, in the state before the ink-jet printer is used for the first time, the controller controls the maintenance mechanism and the ink-jet head to perform an initial discharge operation; and an amount of a liquid discharged from the ink-jet head during the initial discharge operation is adjusted based on a color difference between one of the plurality of color inks and a replaced-ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumio Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 8690293
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ink-ejecting unit, a region dividing unit, and a preparatory ejection unit. The ink-ejecting unit has a recording head aligned in a width direction which is substantially perpendicular to a transport direction of a recording sheet, and ejects ink onto the recording sheet through plural orifices of the recording head in accordance with print data to be printed in response to a print instruction, thereby printing an image. The region dividing unit divides, in the width direction of the recording sheet, a print region of the recording sheet into a user region and a print control region. The preparatory ejection unit preparatorily ejects ink onto the recording sheet through the plural orifices so that an amount of ink ejected through an orifice for the print control region is smaller than an amount of ink ejected through an orifice for the user region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisao Komazawa, Nobuhide Kawabata
  • Patent number: 8690279
    Abstract: A resonance pulse is a voltage waveform substantially containing an expansion element for varying a voltage to expand a pressure chamber, an expansion sustaining element generated following with the expansion element, and sustaining a maximum voltage at a predetermined value, and a contraction element generated following with the expansion sustaining element, and varying the voltage to contract the pressure chamber. A time span from a front end of the expansion element to a front end of the contraction element is set as ½ of an inherent vibration cycle of ink in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junhua Zhang, Toshihisa Saruta
  • Patent number: 8668325
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes first liquid ejecting nozzles that eject first liquid; a second liquid ejecting nozzle that ejects second liquid which is different from the first liquid; and a control unit which performs control of ejection of the first liquid from the first liquid ejecting nozzles and ejection of the second liquid from the second liquid ejecting nozzles. The control unit has a first mode of performing control to form flushing dots by ejection from the first liquid ejecting nozzles on a recording medium, the ejection not being based on image data, form background dots by ejection from the second liquid ejecting nozzle on the flushing dots, the ejection being based on the image data, and form image dots by ejection from the first liquid ejecting nozzles on the background dots, the ejection being based on the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Usuda, Seiya Sato, Shinichi Kamoshida, Koichiro Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20140063093
    Abstract: According to one example there is provided a method of printing an image on a substrate using a printing system having a printhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Liad WEISSMAN, Ran VILK
  • Patent number: 8662635
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device comprising: a first mid-recording flushing unit for ejecting fluid from the plurality of nozzles and carrying out flushing under a first fluid ejection condition during a recording process in accordance with the recording data; and a second mid-recording flushing unit for ejecting the fluid from the nozzles on the head part and carrying out flushing under a second fluid ejection condition in which at least one of the ejection frequency and quantity of the droplets of fluid ejected from the nozzles is greater than with the first fluid ejection condition when the head part is in a recording initiation part of an image that is formed on the recording medium during the recording process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yuda, Ryoichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8646872
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet head to horizontally eject ink droplets to print on a recording medium and an ink receiving assembly to receive ink droplets ejected for dummy ejection from the inkjet head. The ink receiving assembly includes a non-porous ink receiving plate and a collection tank. The ink receiving plate has a hydrophilic receiving face broader than an ejection range of the ink droplets ejected for dummy ejection. The receiving face is substantially vertically disposed to receive the ink droplets ejected for dummy ejection. The collection tank is disposed below the ink receiving plate to collect ink droplets received by and dropped from the ink receiving plate. Ad/stance between the inkjet head and the receiving face of the ink receiving plate is set to be shorter than a distance in which the ink droplets ejected from the inkjet head for dummy ejection turn into mist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Honriku Jo
  • Patent number: 8646873
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus including: first cleaning which performs non-recording ejection of ink for ink jet recording to an ink receiving medium and cleans a nozzle and a nozzle surface of a print head; second cleaning which moves the print head to the ink receiving medium, performs non-recording ejection of the ink for ink jet recording from the print head to the ink receiving medium under a condition that the amount of the ink for ink jet recording is smaller than an amount of the ink ejected in the non-recording ejection by the first cleaning and an execution frequency is higher than that in the first cleaning, and cleans the nozzle of the print head; and a wiping mechanism which wipes the nozzle surface by using a wiping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masako Fukuda, Tomohiro Sayama, Nagatoshi Kasahara, Hironori Sato
  • Publication number: 20140009534
    Abstract: A controller in the example of this invention operates to perform flushing by ejecting three types in size of ink droplets, i.e., smaller, middle and larger ink droplets, from each of nozzles. Then the controller operates an ink-droplet detector to perform an ejection test to detect ejection conditions. Thereafter, the controller operates an ink supply section to perform cleaning in accordance with results of the test. A combination in size of unejected ink droplets indicates a defective condition of the nozzle. Consequently, varying the degree of cleaning the nozzles in accordance with the size of the unejected ink droplets may achieve cleaning in a shorter time of period. As a result, time for cleaning the nozzle can be suppressed. This leads to a decreased proportion of maintenance to a starting time in an apparatus and increased availability of the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaharu Yamamoto, Ryoichi Naoe, Katsuaki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8622514
    Abstract: A head cleaning method of wiping and cleaning a nozzle surface of a head with a band-shaped liquid absorbing body by, while pressing and abutting a pressing member on which the liquid absorbing body that travels is wrapped against the nozzle surface of the head, sliding the pressing member over the nozzle surface of the head, includes: a first cleaning step of wiping and cleaning the nozzle surface of the head with a non-wet region of the liquid absorbing body; a wet region forming step of forming a wet region on the liquid absorbing body; and a second cleaning step of wiping and cleaning the nozzle surface of the head with the wet region of the liquid absorbing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8616679
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided. The inkjet printer includes: an inkjet head which ejects ink toward a surface of a recording medium; a platen provided opposed to the inkjet head to support the recording medium from an opposite side of the inkjet head; and an absorber provided opposed to the inkjet head at the same side as the platen with respect to the recording medium supported by the platen. The absorber includes a plurality of regions different in absorption rate from one another in a plan view observed from a normal direction of the recording medium supported by the platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisaki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8550592
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a rotating body which rotates while holding a medium at its circumferential surface; a fluid ejecting section which ejects fluid toward the medium such that a margin is not formed at an end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in an axial direction of the rotating body; an absorber which absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in the axial direction, out of fluid ejected from the fluid ejecting section, at a position further outside than the end portion; and a rotating body driving mechanism for rotating the rotating body, which drives the rotating body such that driving force by the rotating body driving mechanism is not transmitted to the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Usuda, Shinichi Kamoshida, Kaoru Koike
  • Publication number: 20130257980
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a purge unit having a sheet member that purges ink deposited on an orifice face of a print head and a winding unit that winds the sheet member. By using the number of ink ejections executed between a first purge operation and a second purge operation, the amount of winding of the sheet member is controlled after the second purge operation is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ibe, Masaya Uetsuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Asako Tomida, Hiroaki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8540361
    Abstract: A printing system that has a print zone, a drive roller positioned at an input side of the print zone, a vacuum platen assembly positioned under the print zone, a printhead assembly overlaying and spanning the print zone and a vacuum belt assembly configured to receive media from the print zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Zamtec Ltd
    Inventors: Robert Rosati, David Petch, David Burney, Jim Sykora, Kenneth A Regas, Andy Bound, Neil Doherty, Scott Dennis, Ben Jones, Oksana Buyda, Locson Tonthat, Andrew Buyda, Patrick Kirk, Loren Hunt, Jason Dewey, Jim Trinchera, Bill Cressman, Ron Zech
  • Patent number: 8540342
    Abstract: Positions of flushing candidate pixels are provided in standard areas S formed from pixels arranged in a matrix pattern. A reference area formation section forms a reference area Ref by arranging two standard areas S adjacently to each other in both a main scan direction and a conveyance direction. In a range where there are overlaps with virtual pixel rows 84 not associated with image dots for a virtual flushing area F virtually arranged at a randomly-determined position in the reference area Ref, an extraction section extracts pixels overlapping flushing candidate pixels in the reference area Ref. A head control section controls inkjet heads such that image dots and flushing dots corresponding to the extracted pixels are formed on a sheet P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Kanzaki
  • Patent number: 8523314
    Abstract: Suitable preliminary discharge conditions are set for a recording head using reaction liquid in bidirectional recording. While the recording head makes a reciprocating motion and scans a recording medium, a preliminary discharge of the reaction liquid is executed after recording on the recording medium from discharge ports on the rear side in a direction in which the recording head travels and a preliminary discharge of ink is executed when a preliminary discharge of the reaction liquid is not executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sato, Kazuo Suzuki, Taku Yokozawa, Yosuke Ishii