Patents Assigned to Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
  • Publication number: 20240066880
    Abstract: A liquid supplying device includes a tank and a cartridge. The cartridge is configured to be detachably attached to the tank in an attachment-detachment direction crossing a vertical direction. The cartridge includes a first storage chamber. The tank includes a second storage chamber, a liquid passage, and a gas passage. The liquid passage has a first end, a second end, and a first extending portion. The second end is formed with a second opening open to an atmosphere. The first extending portion extends from the second opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The gas passage has a third end, a fourth end, and a second extending portion. The fourth end is formed with a fourth opening open to the atmosphere. The second extending portion extends from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The second opening is at a position different from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Yoshinori OSAKABE, Akinari ISHIBE, Tatsuya SHINDO, Masahiro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11912040
    Abstract: A replenishing-type liquid storage tank includes a tank body, and a backpressure application member. Liquid is replenishable in the tank body and the tank body is configured to store the liquid therein. The backpressure application member is accommodated in the tank body to apply backpressure to the liquid stored in the tank body. The backpressure application member has a portion positioned equal to or higher than a liquid level of a maximum tolerable amount of the liquid storable in the tank body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumio Nakazawa, Tsuyoshi Kuwayama, Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 11914323
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body housing; a developing cartridge attachable to and detachable from the main body housing; a drum cartridge attachable to and detachable from the main body housing; and a developing guide for guiding attachment and detachment of the developing cartridge to and from the main body housing. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller and a developing memory for storing information. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum. The developing guide is movable together with the developing cartridge between a first position where the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum and a second position where the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum. The developing guide includes a developing memory terminal configured to be in contact with the developing memory in a state where the developing cartridge is attached to the main body housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukamachi, Kazutoshi Nakamura, Masaaki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11914907
    Abstract: A printing device includes: a communication interface communicable with a server; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform: a communication status monitoring process to monitor a communication state with the server; a consumable determination process; and a transition process. The consumable determination process is to determine whether a particular consumable is included in one or more of consumables attached to the printing device, the particular consumable being a consumable that meets a prescribed condition required for transition to a specific printing state where specific printing under a contract with the server is allowed. The transition process is to execute the transition to the specific printing state in a case where: the communication state is determined to be communicable with the server in the communication status monitoring process; and the particular consumable is determined to be included in the one or more of consumables in the consumable determination process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takatsugu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11912019
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a plurality of conveyors configured to convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction; an image recording device configured to record an image on the recording medium; a divider disposed downstream of the conveyors and the image recording device in the conveyance direction, the divider being configured to perform a dividing process including dividing the recording medium into a plurality of pieces; and a controller configured to bring the divider into contact with the recording medium to perform the dividing process on the recording medium with holding an upstream side relative to a central position of the recording medium in the conveyance direction by at least two or more of the plurality of conveyors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11912885
    Abstract: There is provided a set including: a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including a dye and water; and a treatment agent including a cationic polymer emulsion which includes a cationic polymer including a urethane structure. There is provided a recording method for recording on a recording medium which is fabric or recording paper by using the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinpei Ito, Yasuhiro Taga
  • Patent number: 11915068
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor of a pretreatment information generation device that generates pretreatment information to be used in pretreatment on a recording medium by a pretreatment device. The computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform processes including receiving image data to be printed on the recording medium, and identifying the pretreatment information to perform the pretreatment with respect to the received image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuichi Tamaki, Takeshi Watanabe, Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 11917109
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a communication interface, a memory, a touch panel, a printer, and a controller. The printer prints an image on a recording medium. The controller is configured to: receive a print job through the communication interface and store the print job in the memory; control the touch panel to display a list including one or more job touch keys and a function touch key, the one or more job touch keys being for individually selecting one or more print jobs stored in the memory, the function touch key being for selecting all of the one or more job touch keys included in the list, the list being scrollable along a particular direction; and in response to receiving a scroll operation of the list, controlling the touch panel to cause the list to scroll along the particular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuqing Liu, Kosuke Mori, Katsunori Enomoto, Toyoshi Adachi
  • Patent number: 11912033
    Abstract: There is provided a line head assembly including: a line head having a first head, a second head and a third head arranged in a first direction, a tank positioned at a location above the line head. Each of the first head, the second head and the third head includes a first intra-head channel including a first pressure chamber and a first nozzle, a first supply port, and a first discharge port. The tank includes: a first supply channel connected to the first supply port of the first head, the first supply port of the second head and the first supply port of the third head, and a first discharge channel connected to the first discharge port of the first head, the first discharge port of the second head and the first discharge port of the third head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Hirotoshi Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 11917479
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus and a communication terminal can carry out first wireless communication and second wireless communication. The first wireless communication is established when a distance between the information processing apparatus and the communication terminal is equal to or less than a first distance. The information processing apparatus determines whether data communication is to be carried out over the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication. When the data communication is to be carried out over the first wireless communication, the information processing apparatus carries out the data communication over the first wireless communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sadaaki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11917512
    Abstract: A communication device may include a first type of interface and a second type of interface. The communication device may execute the communication of object data with a mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to a communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state. Also, the communication device may execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanobu Suzuki, Hirotaka Asakura, Munehisa Matsuda, Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11912038
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a housing including first and second protrusions; and a circuit board including an electrode. The first protrusion is positioned rearward but the second protrusion is positioned forward relative to the circuit board. When viewed in a width direction crossing a gravitational direction, an outline of the liquid cartridge between a first point and a second point is lower than an imaginary line. The imaginary line passes through the first point on the first protrusion and the second point on the second protrusion. A distance between a front edge of the electrode and the first point is smaller than a distance between the front edge and the second point. A dimension between a front end and a rear end of the second protrusion is greater than a distance between a frontmost end of the housing and the front end of the second protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinari Ishibe
  • Patent number: 11914324
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a casing having an opening; a cover for opening and closing the opening; a cartridge attachable to the casing through the opening; and a controller. The casing includes a first memory. The cartridge includes a second memory storing consumption state information representing a consumption state of the cartridge. The controller performs: determining whether the cartridge attached to the casing is unused; storing, when the attached cartridge is unused, the consumption state information acquired from the second memory in the first memory; determining, when the image forming apparatus is powered on or the cover is closed, whether the consumption state information in the first memory and the consumption state information in the second memory match; permitting use of the cartridge when the two sets of consumption state information match; and prohibiting use of the cartridge when the two set of consumption state information does not match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Fukusada
  • Patent number: 11915073
    Abstract: A terminal device may generate a first label file based on a specific label file. The specific label file may include one or more object regions in which a print target object is to be placed and first text information written in a first object region of the one or more object regions. The first label file may include the one or more object regions and does not include the first text information. The terminal device may generate a first database file associated with the first label file. The first database file may store a first field name corresponding to the first object region and a first text obtained by using the first text information in association with each other. The terminal device may generate first print data by using the first label file and the first database file, and send the first print data to a label printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryoji Ban
  • Patent number: 11912029
    Abstract: There is provided liquid discharging head having unit heads. Each of the unit heads includes: first piezoelectric layer, driving electrodes arranged on surface of the first piezoelectric layer and to each of which one of first and second potentials is to be applied, and common electrode. The common electrode includes: potential receiving part configured to receive one of the first and second potentials; and extending part extending in extending direction orthogonal to the first direction, so as to overlap with the driving electrodes in the first direction. The unit heads are arranged so that the common electrodes of the plurality of unit heads are adjacent to each other in second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The extending directions of two of the common electrodes adjacent to each other in the second direction are opposite to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Aiba
  • Patent number: 11912039
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus, having a head, a reservoir section including a liquid reservoir chamber and an atmosphere communication path, a liquid flow path connecting the head with the liquid reservoir chamber, a switching assembly to switch states of the atmosphere communication path between a connecting state and a disconnecting state, and a controller, is provided. The controller is configured to control the switching assembly to switch the states of the atmosphere communication path from the connecting state to the disconnecting state; after switching the states of the atmosphere communication path, control the head to discharge the liquid; and after switching the states of the atmosphere communication path, and in response to a predetermined connection condition being satisfied, control the switching assembly to switch the states of the atmosphere communication path from the disconnecting state to the connecting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumio Nakazawa, Yoshinori Osakabe, Taichi Shirono, Sosuke Kuroyanagi
  • Patent number: 11914317
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing device configured to supply toner onto the photosensitive drum, a transfer device configured to transfer the toner supplied onto the photosensitive drum onto a sheet, a spraying device configured to spray a fixing liquid toward the sheet onto which the toner has been transferred, the spraying device including a housing configured to accommodate the fixing liquid and nozzles configured to spray the fixing liquid inside the housing, and a collecting device configured to collect the fixing liquid sprayed from the nozzles and did not adhere to the sheet. The collecting device includes a collection tray configured to accommodate the fixing liquid, a collection pipe connected to the collection tray and configured to allow the fixing liquid in the collection tray to pass therethrough, and a collection pump configured to send the fixing liquid in the collection pipe toward the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Kamiya, Yutaka Kakigahara, Satoshi Murata, Takashi Shimizu, Koya Morimoto, Masamitsu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20240061374
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing in which an exhaust port is formed, a fan, a duct extending in an exhausting direction and configured to accommodate the fan, the duct including a downstream end in the exhausting direction, and an exhaust filter disposed between the duct and the exhaust port in the exhausting direction, the exhaust filter including a first surface facing the exhaust port and a second surface facing the duct. Dimensions of the duct each orthogonal to the exhausting direction are smaller than dimensions of the exhaust filter each orthogonal to the exhausting directions. A perimeter of the downstream end of the duct in the exhausting direction is in contact with the second surface of the exhaust filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke ISHIZUKA, Takuya TSUJI, Yasuhiro SUZUKI, Kazuma HINOUE, Hotaka KAKUTANI, Masafumi INOUE, Haruka KIZU
  • Publication number: 20240061372
    Abstract: A drum unit includes: a frame; a first photosensitive drum; a second photosensitive drum; a charger; and a storage medium. The frame includes: a first frame plate; a second frame plate spaced apart from the first frame plate in a first direction; a third frame plate connecting one end of the first frame plate to one end of the second frame plate; and a fourth frame plate connecting another end of the first frame plate to another end of the second frame plate. The first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum are rotatably supported by the frame. The second photosensitive drum is spaced apart from the first photosensitive drum and positioned closer to the third frame plate than the first photosensitive drum to the third frame plate in a second direction. The storage medium has an electrical contact surface positioned at an outer surface of the third frame plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao KISHI, Nao ITABASHI, Yohei HASHIMOTO, Kouji WATANABE, Makoto SOUDA
  • Publication number: 20240064258
    Abstract: In a consuming device, a controller is configured to perform, when an operating mode is set to a non-billing mode: executing. The executing executes, in response to receiving an execution instruction, a prescribed operation consuming a consumable. The prescribed operation is executed while consuming the consumable irrespective of a permitted consumption quantity without decreasing the permitted consumption quantity. The controller is configured to perform: when the operating mode is set to a billing mode: acquiring; and executing. The acquiring acquires the permitted consumption quantity including a newly purchased consumption quantity paid for by a user. The executing executes, in response to receiving the execution instruction, the prescribed operation. The prescribed operation is executed while consuming the consumable and decreasing the permitted consumption quantity acquired in the acquiring until the decreased permitted consumption quantity reaches a predetermined quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke MINAMIKAWA, Koichi TSUGIMURA, Taichiro KIMOTO, Yushi DEURA, Yuki KITAHASHI