With Means To Remove And/or Accommodate Bubbles In The Fluid Patents (Class 347/92)
  • Publication number: 20100283822
    Abstract: An apparatus for purging air from a fluid conveying tube includes a housing member comprising an inner bore having an inlet and an outlet (115); and a vented piston member slidably disposed within the inner bore, the vented piston member comprising a filter element and at least one air vent. The filter element is configured to allow air to pass through the vented piston member to the at least one air vent and to prevent fluid from passing through the vented piston member to the at least one air vent. A method of purging accumulated air from a fluid conveying tube includes providing a vented piston member slidably disposed within a housing member; displacing air from the fluid conveying tube through a filter element disposed within the piston member using pressurized fluid; and displacing the piston member with the pressurized fluid; wherein the displacement of the piston member exposes an outlet for the pressurized fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Arnold, Gregory K. Justice
  • Patent number: 7828425
    Abstract: An ink circulation system, an inkjet recording apparatus having the ink circulation system, and an ink circulating method thereof. The ink circulation system includes an ink tank including an ink outlet and an ink inlet, a head assembly including a head chip through which an ink is discharged, and a filter, a supply path which supplies the ink of the ink tank to the head assembly, a first feed line through which ink of the head assembly at the upstream of the filter is conveyed into the ink tank, a second feed line through which the ink of the head assembly at the downstream of the filter is conveyed to the ink tank, and a pump which is provided at the ink inlet of the ink tank to provide the first and the second feed lines with a negative pressure to circulate the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Sung-wook Kang, Kazuo Haida
  • Publication number: 20100277558
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead that has an array of ink chambers arranged to remove air bubbles entrained in the ink supply flow. Each of the ink chambers has a nozzle and a thermal actuator respectively, the array of ink chambers defined by sidewalls extending between a nozzle plate and an underlying wafer substrate. The printhead also has ink inlets extending through the underlying wafer substrate. Each of the ink inlets has an ink permeable trap and a vent sized such that the surface tension of an ink meniscus across the vent prevents ink leakage. The ink permeable trap has columns extending from the underlying wafer substrate to the vent to direct gas bubbles entrained in a flow of ink through the ink inlet towards the vent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7824023
    Abstract: It is desirable that the entire ink to be furnished to the nozzle head be deaerated efficiently, the entire ink including a portion of ink recovered from the purge section. Accordingly, an ink furnishing unit in an ink jet recorder is provided, which comprises a back pressure tank 15 connected to a nozzle head 2 via an ink supply passage, a main tank 9 connected to the back pressure tank via a main supply passage 16 provided with a main ink pump 18 therein, a recovery tank 7 connected to the main tank via a return passage provided with an ink pump 22 therein, and a purge cap 5 connected to the recovery tank via a recovery passage 8 provided with a purge pump 6 therein, the purge cap being opposed to the nozzle head when purging, wherein a deaerator 17 is disposed in the main supply passage connecting the main tank and the back pressure tank and the back pressure tank is connected to an upstream of the purge pump in the recovery passage via a three way directional control valve 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Miyakoshi Printing Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Izawa, Takao Namiki, Akira Ishikawa, Junichi Setoyama
  • Patent number: 7824020
    Abstract: A liquid feed tube for feeding a liquid from a liquid tank disposed on a liquid jetting device body side to a jetting head mounted on a reciprocating carriage, including: a long elastic member and a film member connected in an airtight state to the elastic member along a longitudinal direction of the elastic member; and a space part formed by the elastic member and the film member and used as a liquid feed passage, wherein the elastic member is made of a specific resin composition. Thus, the bending rigidity of the liquid feed tube can be lowered, and the resistance to moisture permeability and the gas barrier property thereof can be realized at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation, Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Youkou Saito, Tadashi Utsunomiya, Toshio Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Masanori Takemura, Kazuyuki Saito, Yasushi Soya
  • Patent number: 7819514
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first flow path for supplying liquid, a second flow path that communicates with the first flow path, a filter disposed to face communication holes of the first and second flow paths, and an air bubble locking section that locks an air bubble in the communication hole of the second flow path at a time when the air bubble is discharged from the second flow path through the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Haruhisa Uezawa
  • Patent number: 7819511
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for regulating air pressure in an ink tank (14). The apparatus includes a vacuum pump (12) configured for providing a pressure below atmospheric pressure in the ink tank. A first regulating unit (16), a second regulating unit (18), and a third regulating unit (20) are disposed between the vacuum pump and the ink tank, and in communication with each other. The first regulating unit and the third regulating unit each include a pressure regulating valve and a buffer tank connected with the pressure regulating valve, and the second regulating unit includes a closed-loop pressure regulating valve (180) and a buffer tank (182) connected with the closed-loop pressure regulating valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hsing Cheng, Tsung-Yu Hung
  • Patent number: 7819515
    Abstract: A printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having an ink inlet, an ink outlet and a plurality of nozzles; a priming system for priming the printhead, the priming system comprising: an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an upstream ink line; an air pump having a pump outlet communicating with a headspace above the ink in the chamber; a sensor positioned for sensing ink in a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet, the sensor cooperating with the pump such that the pump is shut off when the sensor senses any ink; and means for minimizing phantom sensing of ink caused by ink bubbles in the downstream ink line, wherein, in a priming configuration, the pump is configured to positively pressurize the headspace until the sensor senses ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, David Jeremy Low
  • Patent number: 7815281
    Abstract: An image forming device comprises an ink reservoir that contains a reservoir ink. The ink reservoir is arranged to provide the reservoir ink to an included print element by means of an included ink supply channel. A print element ink thus is supplied to the print element. When a fault condition is detected that indicates a likelihood of a freezing of the print element ink, the print element is de-primed by forcing the print element ink to evacuate, discharge, withdraw or flow from the print element by means of the ink supply channel. The fault condition comprises any of a loss of power, a power-down process or a print element temperature being less than or equal to a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew W Hays, James C Diehl
  • Patent number: 7810898
    Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head having a nozzle forming surface formed with nozzles from which a first liquid is ejected; a wiping processing device which carries out a wiping process of the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejection head; and a movement device which causes relative movement between the liquid ejection head and the wiping processing device, wherein the wiping processing device includes: a wiping member which wipes the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejection head; and a second liquid supply device which supplies a second liquid which has undergone a deaeration process, to a vicinity of a contact region between the wiping member and the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejection head, on a side of forward travel of the wiping member, in the wiping process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Gentaro Furukawa, Toshiya Kojima
  • Publication number: 20100253754
    Abstract: An ink cartridge (10) having an ink reservoir which delimits in a first chamber (17) a free-ink volume (16) and in a second chamber (18) a capillary volume (15), the two chambers (17, 18) being in fluidic connection with one another, and there being an ink outlet (21) associated with the chamber (18) delimiting the capillary volume (15). A bubble generator is provided in the form of a dip tube (29) which dips into the free-ink volume (16) and is connectible to the external environment and at the distal end of which there is formed at least one opening (30) for the introduction of air bubbles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: PELIKAN HARDCOPY PRODUCTION AG
    Inventors: Daniel Sulser, René Butty
  • Patent number: 7806520
    Abstract: An ink supply apparatus for supplying ink from an ink tank to a recording head includes an atmosphere communication chamber that is connected to the ink tank, a first hollow tube that connects the atmosphere communication chamber to the outside air wherein one end is extended into the atmosphere communication chamber, and a second hollow tube that connects the atmosphere communication chamber to the outside air wherein one end is extended into the atmosphere communication chamber. The length of extension of the second hollow tube is different from the length of extension of the first hollow tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20100245453
    Abstract: A fluid reservoir for use in a printing device includes a housing that, at least partially, forms at least one chamber therein. The chamber is configured to hold a fluid. A bubble port leads through housing into a first region of chamber and fluidically couples chamber to atmospheric gas external to housing. A bubble director arranged within chamber is configured to direct at least one bubble of gas from first region to a second region of chamber. The bubble is formed within fluid within first region upon gas entering chamber through bubble port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Ralph L. Stathem, David N. Olsen, Mark A. Smith, Marjan S. Amesbury, Greg K. Justice
  • Publication number: 20100231668
    Abstract: A method removes bubbles from a liquid in a liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid storing chamber that stores a liquid and a first pressure control chamber adjacent to the liquid storing chamber with a first partition wall portion having flexibility and gas permeability interposed therebetween. A pressure control valve opens or seals an inlet of the liquid storing chamber in response to displacement of the first partition wall portion. A switching valve connects to the first pressure control chamber. A depressurizing pump is connected to the switching valve. An ejection port on the downstream side of the liquid storing chamber ejects the liquid. The method includes communicating the first pressure control chamber with the depressurizing pump by controlling the switching valve, depressurizing the first pressure control chamber by driving the depressurizing pump, and sealing the first pressure control chamber by controlling the switching valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20100231669
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid, including: a depressurizing pump: a liquid storing chamber which includes an inlet for the liquid and stores the liquid; a first partition wall portion which has flexibility and gas permeability; a first pressure control chamber which is adjacent to the liquid storing chamber with the first partition wall portion interposed therebetween; a pressure control valve which opens or seals the inlet in response to displacement of the first partition wall portion; and a switching valve which is connected to the first pressure control chamber and the depressurizing pump and selects an arbitrary state among a first communication state where the first pressure control chamber communicates with an atmosphere, a second communication state where the first pressure control chamber communicates with the depressurizing pump, and a sealed state where the first pressure control chamber is sealed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20100231667
    Abstract: A liquid container includes an air introduction portion configured to introduce air into a liquid chamber. The air introduction portion includes an air communication passage, and a blocking member positioned in the air communication passage and configured to block the air communication passage. The air introduction portion also includes a movable member positioned in the air communication passage and configured to move toward the blocking member, such that blockage of the air communication passage by the blocking member is released. The movable member includes an air passage formed therethrough, and the air passage is in fluid communication with the air communication passage. The air introduction portion further includes a gas-permeable film positioned on the movable member and closing the air passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiro Kanbe
  • Patent number: 7794068
    Abstract: A method of regulating a hydrostatic pressure of ink supplied to an inkjet printhead is provided. The method comprises withdrawing a volume of ink from an ink chamber and simultaneously bubbling air bubbles into the chamber via a bubble outlet to balance the withdrawn volume of ink. Each air bubble is defined by an air cavity trapped inside a film or a body of ink. The bubble outlet is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of the air bubbles, thereby regulating a hydrostatic pressure of the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: John Douglas Peter Morgan, Miao Wang, Patrick John McAuliffe, David John Worboys, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7784925
    Abstract: An ink cartridge suitable for regulating a hydrostatic pressure of ink supplied to an inkjet printhead is provided. The cartridge comprises an ink chamber having an ink outlet for fluid communication with the printhead via an ink line; an air inlet open to atmosphere; a bubble outlet for bubbling air bubbles into the chamber, each air bubble comprising an air cavity trapped inside a film or a body of ink; and an air channel connecting the air inlet and the bubble outlet. The bubble outlet is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn into the chamber as result of supplying ink to the printhead, thereby regulating a hydrostatic pressure of the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: John Douglas Peter Morgan, Miao Wang, Patrick John McAuliffe, David John Worboys, Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20100201766
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead and an ink pressure regulator connected to the printhead via an ink line. The ink pressure regulator includes: an ink chamber having an ink outlet connected to the ink line; an air inlet open to atmosphere; and an air channel connected to the air inlet. The air channel has a constriction defining a bubble outlet, with the bubble outlet being configured as a slot positioned for bubbling air into ink contained in the chamber. A width dimension of the slot is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn into the ink as result of supplying ink to the printhead, and thereby regulates a hydrostatic pressure of the ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: John Douglas Peter Morgan, Miao Wang, Patrick John McAuliffe, David John Worboys, Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20100201765
    Abstract: An objective of the invention is to provide an improved ink storage apparatus and an inkjet print head including the ink storage apparatus. Furthermore, an effective elimination of the air bubbles flowed into or generated in the print head is realized by an ink storage apparatus and an inkjet print head including the ink storage apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: CANON FINETECH INC.
    Inventors: Chonsun Paku, Kayo Mukai, Yuichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7771034
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluidic arrangement for a printer. The arrangement includes an ink tank for storing ink, and an ink distribution assembly in fluid communication with the ink tank for supplying printhead integrated circuits (ICs) positioned thereon with ink from the ink tank. The arrangement also includes a valve arranged in an ink line between the ink distribution assembly and the ink tank, said valve configured to isolate ink in the ink tank from the printhead ICs whenever the printer is powered down. Further included is a pump located downstream from the ink distribution assembly, and a sump arranged in fluid communication with the pump for receiving excess ink from the ink distribution assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Brian Robert Brown, Norman Micheal Berry, Garry Raymond Jackson, Paul Timothy Sharp, John Douglas Peter Morgan, Kia Silverbrook, Akira Nakazawa, Michael John Hudson, Christopher Hibbard, Samuel George Mallinson, Paul Justin Reichl
  • Patent number: 7771035
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reservoir assembly for a pagewidth printhead cartridge. The cartridge has a fluid distribution molding with priming inlets in fluid communication with fluid channels for supplying printing fluid to a plurality of printhead integrated circuits. The reservoir assembly includes a reservoir compartment arranged in fluid communication with the fluid channels via a fluid outlet. The reservoir includes a porous absorbent material located inside the compartment to absorb printing fluid delivered via the priming inlets. The reservoir assembly also includes a bypass fluid path arranging the fluid outlet and a well region of the compartment in fluid communication, said bypass fluid path having a bypass valve to facilitate priming the reservoir compartment with printing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Akira Nakazawa, Christopher Hibbard, Paul Ian Mackey, Norman Micheal Berry, Garry Raymond Jackson
  • Patent number: 7770990
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a circulation flow channel connected to nozzle flow channels and via which ink from pressure chambers is circulated; actuators which changes pressure in the pressure chambers to eject the ink from the nozzles; and a circulating flow generation device which generates a circulating ink flow from an ink supply port side to a circulation flow channel side. A control apparatus applies ink ejection signals to the actuators for the pressure chambers in which the ink is ejected, the control apparatus also applies, to the actuators for the pressure chambers in which the ink is not ejected, continuous meniscus shaking signals causing the ink in the nozzles to shake to an extent which does not lead the ink to be ejected, wherein the control apparatus thins out the meniscus shaking signals at a plurality of different cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Kanji Nagashima
  • Publication number: 20100182387
    Abstract: A fluid reservoir assembly for supplying fluid to a printhead is provided. The assembly has a reservoir compartment in fluid communication with fluid channels for supplying the fluid to the printhead via a fluid outlet, the reservoir compartment having an air vent and a bypass fluid path interconnecting the fluid outlet and a well region within the compartment, and a valve in the bypass fluid path for priming the reservoir compartment with fluid via the bypass fluid path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Akira Nakazawa, Christopher Hibbard, Paul Ian Mackey, Norman Micheal Berry, Garry Raymond Jackson
  • Patent number: 7758176
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a recording head which discharges droplets of liquid onto a recording medium; a dissolved gas amount estimating device which estimates an amount of dissolved gas contained in the liquid inside the recording head; and a liquid restoring device which carries out restoration processing of the liquid inside the recording head, if an estimated value of the amount of the dissolved gas estimated by the dissolved gas amount estimating device exceeds a prescribed reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiya Kojima
  • Patent number: 7753496
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead with multiple actuators in respective ink chambers, where a plurality of the actuators activate simultaneously from the same drive signal. By replacing a single relatively large chamber with two or more smaller chambers, such that the separate actuators are in the same driver circuit (either in series or parallel), each nozzle ejects drops of smaller volume, and having different misdirections. Smaller drops with differing misdirections are less likely to create any visible artefacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7744195
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead with planar thermal actuators, with contacts directly deposited onto the CMOS electrodes and suspended heater element, which avoids hotspots caused by vertical or inclined surfaces so that the contacts can be much smaller structures without acceptable increases in resistive losses. Low resistive losses preserves the efficient operation of a suspended heater element and the small contact size is convenient for close nozzle packing on the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7735987
    Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head having an ejection opening from which a droplet of a liquid is ejected, a first tank in which a liquid storing chamber storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head and a gas chamber storing a gas are formed, a second tank storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid storing chamber, a gas-permeable film which closes a communication portion at which the gas chamber and liquid storing chamber communicate with each other, separates the gas chamber and liquid storing chamber from each other, and allows the gas to pass therethrough but does not allow the liquid to pass therethrough, a suction passage in communication with the gas chamber, a sucking device sucking the gas from the gas chamber through the suction passage, and a pressure control device disposed in the suction passage and communicating an internal space of the suction passage with an external space of the suction passage when an internal pressure of the suction pa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaichiro Umeda
  • Publication number: 20100141721
    Abstract: To simplify a head-chip is provided with an actuator including grooves and a cover plate bonded onto the one surface of the actuator and including an opening portion including an ink chamber having an aperture plane being open on an upper end surface and slits extending from the ink chamber to be in communication with the grooves, and an flow path for bringing the upper end surface and one end surface extending in a thickness direction into communication with each other, the opening portion and the flow path being provided independently of each other. In the head-chip, foreign substance removal filter for removing a foreign substance is provided at a position at which the aperture plane of the ink chamber is substantially closed, and a filter for allowing passage of air bubbles, is provided at a position at which an opening of the flow path is substantially closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventor: Osamu Koseki
  • Publication number: 20100141722
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has: a recording head having a liquid chamber and nozzles; a tank that stores the liquid which is supplied to the recording head; a liquid supply path that supplies the liquid from the tank to the liquid chamber; a supply pump provided on the liquid supply path; a liquid return path that returns the liquid from the liquid chamber to the tank; a return pump provided on the liquid return path; and a control unit that controls the supply pump and the return pump, wherein when the liquid is initially filled into the liquid chamber, the control unit drives the return pump so as to set the liquid chamber into a negative pressure state and subsequently drives the supply pump. The recording apparatus which can fill the liquid at a high speed without raising a pressure of a flow path can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Riichi Saito, Noribumi Koitabashi, Osamu Sato, Nobuyuki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 7731344
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a liquid vessel including a liquid containing body having a discharge port for discharging liquid, and a liquid residual amount detection device having a liquid inflow port connected to the discharge port, a liquid lead-out portion for supplying the liquid and a vibration detection portion for applying vibration to a flow path between the liquid inflow port and the liquid lead-out portion and detecting a residual amount of liquid in the liquid containing body, the method including: connecting the liquid inflow port of the liquid residual amount detection device to the discharge port of the liquid containing body in which the liquid has been stored in advance and injecting the liquid from the liquid containing body into the liquid residual amount detection device to obtain a state in which the flow path is charged with the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Iwamuro, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20100134576
    Abstract: A flotation apparatus F includes a tank 1 for receiving a liquid raw material, and introduces air into the tank 1 to generate bubbles for adsorbing print ink in the liquid raw material to the bubbles, thereby floating and separating the print ink. The flotation apparatus F includes a circulating device for circulating the liquid raw material by raising and then lowering the liquid raw material in the tank 1, an air supply tube 4 for supplying air into the tank 1, and an agitating member 5 provided in the tank 1 for taking the air from the air supply tube 4 and agitating the air for forming the air into fine bubbles. The agitating member 5 has a rotary shaft 51 held horizontally and a plurality of members 52 horizontally separately provided around an outer periphery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicants: NIPPON PAPER INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., AIKAWA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Ishida, Masami Kashibo, Munetaka Sonoda, Tomoaki Koyanagi, Tatsumi Hosaka, Yoshihiko Aikawa
  • Publication number: 20100134577
    Abstract: An inkjet printer that has a printhead with an array of ink ejection nozzles, an upstream ink line for connecting the printhead to an ink supply, a downstream ink line for connecting the printhead to a sump, a pump in the downstream ink line for drawing fluid out of the printhead, a gas inlet in communication with the printhead, the gas inlet being configured to open to atmosphere during a printhead de-priming operation, and close to atmosphere during a printhead priming operation and, an accumulator positioned in the upstream ink line for generating a positive pressure pulse for priming the printhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: John Douglas Peter Morgan, Kia Silverbrook, Vesa Karppinen, David John Worboys, Patrick John McAuliffe, Norman Micheal Berry, David William Jensen
  • Publication number: 20100134539
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes an ink jet head having a pressure chamber facing a nozzle, and an upstream port and a downstream port connected to the pressure chamber, a main tank connected to the ink jet head via the upstream port and capable of storing ink therein, and a sub-tank connected to the ink jet head via the downstream port and capable of storing ink, wherein at least when printing by ejecting ink from the nozzle, the relation between ph, r, R and Q is held to satisfy ph?{QRĂ—(1/(1+r))}=Pn (Pn being a constant representing a proper pressure in the nozzle), where ph represents a potential pressure in the main tank as viewed from a surface of an orifice plate where the nozzle of the ink jet head is formed, R represents a total flow path resistance from the main tank to the sub-tank via the ink jet head, a ratio of a flow path resistance from the main tank to the nozzle and a flow path resistance from the nozzle to the sub-tank is expressed by 1:r, a
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Masashi Shimosato, Hideaki Nishida, Isao Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20100123765
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes a liquid jetting head; a liquid supply channel which supplies the liquid to the liquid jetting head; an air discharge mechanism which discharges air existing in the liquid, the air discharge mechanism including an air storage portion, an air discharge passage, a valve, and a flexible member. When a negative pressure is generated in the air discharge passage, the flexible member is deformed to open the valve, and to discharge the air inside the air storage portion via the air discharge passage. Accordingly, the size of the apparatus can be made small while making it possible to discharge the air accumulated in the head unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Takata
  • Patent number: 7715183
    Abstract: An air damping shockproof structure disposed between a hard disk and a system for damping or buffering a shocking or a vibration to the hard disk in the system. The air damping shockproof structure includes a top portion, a side portion, and a bottom portion, and an air chamber array disposed in the top portion. The air chamber array includes a plurality of air chambers, and a plurality of air outlets disposed corresponding to each air chamber respectively. The cross-sectional area of each air outlet is smaller than a cross-sectional area of each air chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Han-Ting Chen, Yu-Hsiang Fang
  • Patent number: 7712884
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead with an array of nozzles and corresponding actuators for ejecting ink through the nozzles, the nozzles being arranged in rows such that the nozzle centres are collinear; wherein, the nozzle pitch along each row is greater than 1000 nozzles per inch. By configuring the components of the unit cell (the repeating chamber, nozzle and actuator unit) such that the overall width of the unit is reduced, the same number of nozzles can be arranged into a single row instead of two staggered and opposing rows without sacrificing any print resolution (d.p.i.). One row of drive circuitry simplifies the CMOS. fabrication and connection to a print engine controller for receiving print data. Alternatively, the unit cell configuration used in the present invention can be arranged into opposing rows that are staggered with respect to each other to effectively double the print resolution—in the case of the preferred embodiment, to 3200 d.p.i.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20100110124
    Abstract: A method of ejection from nozzles of a printhead is provided. Each nozzle has a chamber having an ejection port and heater element which has a bubble nucleation section of a smaller cross section than the rest of that heater element. In the method, for each nozzle, actuation energy of less than 500 nJ is applied to the heater element so that the temperature of the bubble nucleation section is heated to above a boiling point of printing fluid within the chamber before the rest of the heater element thereby forming a gas bubble in the printing fluid which causes ejection of printing fluid from the ejection port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7709060
    Abstract: The present invention aims at making it possible to easily fill liquid into a droplet spraying and applying head module, while saving work. The droplet spraying and applying head module includes a droplet spraying and applying head and a tank. The droplet spraying and applying head includes a liquid chamber for containing liquid and a plurality of nozzles communicating with the liquid chamber, and sprays droplets through the nozzles The tank contains liquid to be supplied to the liquid chamber, and communicates with the liquid chamber. The droplet spraying and applying head and the tank are coupled to each other with a coupling member. A revolute joint is interposed between the coupling member and the droplet spraying and applying head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shuichi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20100103233
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid container which contains a liquid; a liquid ejecting unit which ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid container; a cavitation generator which generates cavitation in the liquid; and a gas discharging port which discharges a gas separated from the liquid by the cavitation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi AKATSUKA, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Patent number: 7699449
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus comprises a liquid cartridge for storing a liquid, a liquid ejection head for ejecting the liquid toward a target, a liquid supply path for guiding the liquid to the liquid ejection head from the liquid cartridge, and a capping device for drawing the liquid from the liquid ejection head. The liquid supply path comprises a plurality of wall surfaces, and a part of the wall surface is formed of a flexible member that is flexed by the inside-and-outside pressure difference of the liquid supply path. A pressure pump for adjusting the pressure of a fluid within the liquid supply path in the upstream side of the flexible member is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichiro Yoshino, Toshio Kumagai, Takeo Seino, Koji Morikoshi
  • Publication number: 20100085405
    Abstract: A method of degassing ink in a printer having an ink storage tank containing a body of ink having an ink surface is described. The method comprises causing the body of ink to move in the storage tank, so as to increase the surface area of the ink surface in comparison with a flat ink surface that an equivalent stationary body of ink would have in the storage tank, and extracting gas from the ink body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Dennis Indorsky, Arnon Gani, Gil Fisher
  • Patent number: 7690776
    Abstract: A method of monitoring gaseous accumulation within an ink flow path in fluid communication with a printhead comprising: (a) supplying a first printhead with ink using a first ink flow path; (b) mounting a first ink filter in fluid communication with the first printhead; and (c) sensing downstream from the first ink filter for gaseous components within the first ink flow path. In addition, the invention provides a printing device comprising: (a) a first printhead that includes a first set of nozzles, a first ink filter, and a first conduit between the first ink filter and the first set of nozzles for delivering filtered ink to the first set of nozzles; and (b) a sensor operative to detect at least one of bubble formation and bubble growth within the first conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wayne DeVore, Gina Marie Johns
  • Patent number: 7690769
    Abstract: A recording head for use in an inkjet recording device, the recording head including a cavity unit having a plurality of nozzles each of which ejects a droplet of an ink, a plurality of communication holes which communicate with the plurality of nozzles, respectively, and a common ink chamber which communicate with each of the communication holes and which temporarily stores the ink to be supplied to the each of the nozzles via a corresponding one of the communication holes. The cavity unit has at least one inner wall surface which defines the common ink chamber and has respective open ends of the communication holes. The at least one inner wall surface further has a plurality of grooves each of which is connected, at one end thereof, to the open end of a corresponding one of the communication holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Katayama
  • Patent number: 7690741
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for introducing ink into an ink cartridge includes introducing ink into an ink holding chamber through ink ejection nozzles and, simultaneously with introducing ink into the ink holding chamber through the ink ejection nozzles, introducing ink into the ink holding chamber through an opening other than the ink ejection nozzles or applying a negative pressure at a first opening to the ink holding chamber and applying a positive pressure at a second opening to the ink holding chamber. In another embodiment, a method includes performing a primary operation on an ink holding chamber by introducing ink into the ink holding chamber through ink ejection nozzles and performing a secondary operation on the ink holding chamber to increase the flow of ink to a distal part of the ink holding chamber relative to the flow of ink to a proximal part of the ink holding chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David A. Tyvoll, Winthrop D. Childers
  • Publication number: 20100079566
    Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet recording method wherein an image is formed on a recording medium by spraying an ink containing at least a photopolymerizable compound onto the recording medium through a nozzle of an inkjet head. This inkjet recording method enables to perform a stable image recording by suppressing formation of a precipitate in the head. This inkjet recording method is characterized in that in an inkjet head, which is used for forming an image on a recording medium by spraying an inkjet ink containing at least a photopolymerizable compound through a nozzle, the surface of at least a part of metals constituting the internal member of the inkjet head which is in contact with the inkjet ink is subjected to a passivation treatment or an insulation coating treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA MEDICAL & GRAPHIC, INC.
    Inventor: Wataru Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20100079567
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid containing chamber that contains liquid; a depressurizing unit that brings the liquid contained in the liquid containing chamber to a boil at reduced pressure; and an air open valve that opens an inner chamber space of the liquid containing chamber to air after the boiling of the liquid at reduced pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi AKATSUKA, Hitotoshi KIMURA
  • Patent number: 7686442
    Abstract: A liquid container includes, in a container body 3, an ink containing portion 5, an ink supply portion 7, an ink leading path 9 for leading an ink stored in the ink containing portion 5 to the ink supply portion 7, and an atmosphere communication port 4, and an ink end sensor 11 for detecting an inflow of a gas to the ink leading path 9, thereby detecting that a residual amount of the ink in the ink containing portion 5 is zero is provided in the middle of the ink leading path 9, and furthermore, an air bubble trap passage 13 for catching air bubbles mixed in the ink is provided in the ink leading path 9 between a detecting position of the ink end sensor 11 and the ink containing portion 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Katsumura
  • Publication number: 20100073445
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a printhead integrated circuit (IC) with an array of nozzles for ejecting ink on to print media; an ink supply reservoir for storing ink; an ink supply line defining a flow path from the ink supply reservoir to the printhead IC; a valve in the ink supply line proximate the printhead IC selectively closing the flow path to the printhead IC; an ink purge actuator for forcing a volume of ink out of the printhead under pressure; a printhead maintenance system having a collection roller for rotating such that the collection roller surface collects ink purged from the printhead and draws the ink away; and a pressure regulator provided in the ink supply reservoir downstream from the ink supply reservoir. The pressure regulator is normally biased shut, and operable to open upon a threshold pressure difference between ink upstream of the pressure regulator and ink downstream of the pressure regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Akira Nakazawa, Jonathan Mark Bulman, Vesa Karppinen
  • Patent number: 7682008
    Abstract: A printhead reservoir assembly has at least one reservoir to hold ink. The assembly includes an outlet plate having siphon vents to allow air to exit an ink path, a manifold plate having at least one manifold to channel ink and manifold outlets to corresponding to the siphon vents, a jet stack having an array of jets to transfer ink out of the printhead reservoir assembly to a printing substrate and jet stack outlets corresponding to the siphon vents, and a circuit board between the jet stack and the manifold plate to operate the jet stack, the circuit board having outlets corresponding to the siphon vents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David P. Platt, Sharon S. Berger, Jonathan R. Brick