Patents Examined by Ahn T.N. Vo
  • Patent number: 10241456
    Abstract: System and method for adaptively switching a print mode from duplex to simplex. In one embodiment, a processor monitors memory to detect a duplex page followed by multiple contiguous simplex pages. The processor estimates a first time for the duplex sheet corresponding to the duplex page to traverse a duplex media path for switching from a duplex print mode to a simplex print mode. The processor also estimates a second time for simplex sheets corresponding to the multiple contiguous simplex pages to traverse the simplex media path in the simplex print mode, and estimates a third time for the simplex sheets to traverse the duplex media path in the duplex print mode. If the third time is less than a sum of the first time and the second time, the processor modifies the instructions to print the multiple contiguous simplex pages in the duplex print mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Allan A. Hren
  • Patent number: 10113889
    Abstract: A calibration system includes a channel block (102) having a plurality of channels (104) formed therein. The channels are configured to correspond to locations where treatment devices are inserted for treatment of a patient. The channels are dimensioned to restrict motion of the treatment devices. A tracking system (128) is configured to monitor a position of a treatment device (108) inserted in one or more of the channels. The tracking system is configured to generate tracking data for the at least one treatment device for comparison with an expected position for the treatment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Jochen Kruecker, Shyam Bharat, Cynthia Ming-Fu Kung
  • Patent number: 10093104
    Abstract: An ink cartridge for supplying the ink in an ink reserving chamber via an ink supply port into a recording head has a differential pressure valve mechanism disposed between an ink flow port and the ink supply port in the ink reserving chamber, whereby the ink is supplied an adequate amount to the recording head by opening or closing the differential pressure valve mechanism in accordance with an ink pressure of the recording head. As a result, it is possible to supply the ink at a substantially constant pressure to the recording head without regard to the variation in the amount of ink or the movement of the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Usui, Hisashi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 10072169
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an active ray-curable inkjet ink capable of further enhancing gloss uniformity, surface curability, and scratch resistance of a formed image. The purpose is achieved by an active ray-curable inkjet ink containing a polymerization initiator, a photopolymerizable compound, and a gelling agent, and that undergoes a reversible sol-gel phase transition by temperature change. The inkjet ink contains a polymerization initiator with a molecular weight of 360 or more, and a polyfunctional photopolymerizable compound. The inkjet ink contains 3.0 mass % or more and less than 8.0 mass % of the polymerization initiator with a molecular weight of 360 or more, 1.0 mass % or more and less than 5.0 mass % of the gelling agent, less than 0.1 mass % of the initiator with a molecular weight of 360 or more, and less than 5.0 mass % of the monofunctional photopolymerizable compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Masashi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10059133
    Abstract: A printer includes a printer body and a lid. The printer body includes a recording paper holder configured to accommodate a roll of recording paper and a projection provided on a bottom surface of the recording paper holder that contacts the recording paper. The lid is attached to the printer body to be opened and closed relative to the printer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU COMPONENTS LIMITED
    Inventors: Masafumi Chiba, Sumio Watanabe, Yoshinari Takabatake
  • Patent number: 10046560
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to control a heater associated with a printing nozzle are disclosed. A method comprising controlling a heater associated with a printing nozzle to reduce a heat output of the heater based on a determination that the printing nozzle is outside a print area and printing an image on a substrate using other printing nozzles while the heat output of the heater is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Wagner, Ronald Albert Askeland, Maria Magdalena Martinez Ferrandiz, Maria Dinares Argemi, Francisco Lopez Moral, Xavier Bruch, Chandrasekhar Nadimpalli, Xavier Gasso Puchal
  • Patent number: 10040291
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to selectively control ink evaporation in printhead nozzles are disclosed. An example printhead for use with a printer includes a plurality of nozzles (142) and a plurality of valves (144) positioned adjacent respective ones of the nozzles (142) to selectively control fluid flow through the respective nozzle (142).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Wagner, Maria Magdalena Martinez Ferrandiz, Ronald Albert Askeland, Marian Dinares Argemi, Chandrasekhar Nadimpalli
  • Patent number: 9969182
    Abstract: An image recording method including the steps of forming an image by applying an ink to an ink receiving member and applying a treatment liquid containing an ink-viscosity-increasing component to the ink receiving medium so as to overlap with at least a part of a region of the ink receiving medium to which the ink is applied. The treatment liquid contains a surfactant which lowers a surface tension of water to 25 mN/m or less when added into the water in an amount of 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Torisaka, Takashi Imai
  • Patent number: 9937728
    Abstract: A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heating elements disposed on the substrate; a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of heating elements; a connector disposed adjacent to the substrate and including a plurality of connector pins including connection portions, each of which is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of electrodes, and a housing containing the plurality of connector pins; and a covering member covering the connection portions on the substrate. The housing includes an opening facing away from the substrate. The covering member includes a first portion located on the substrate and a second portion located on the housing. The second portion includes a first protrusion protruding toward the opening in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Yousuke Iwamoto, Youichi Moto, Yuuna Ookubo, Arata Okayama
  • Patent number: 9914310
    Abstract: An ion writing unit includes a housing, an electrode assembly, and a heating mechanism. The housing includes a chamber at least partially containing an ion generator. The electrode assembly includes an array of electrode nozzles on one exposed exterior surface of the housing and aligned to receive and guide generated ions. The heating mechanism applies heat to at least one of the chamber and at least a portion of the array of electrode nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Napoleon J Leoni, Henryk Birecki, Richard Fotland, Omer Gila
  • Patent number: 9815290
    Abstract: A replaceable tri-color ink cartridge, comprising three chambers for different colors ink; a headland having headland slots each fluidically connected to a respective chamber; and a printhead die attached to the headland, the die including (i) nozzle arrays having a length of at least 14.3 millimeters, and (ii) feed slots that fluidically connect the headland slots to the respective nozzle arrays, wherein each headland slot is longer than the corresponding feed slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Aidan O'Reilly, Mark Walsh, Garry Rooney, Tommy O'Connor, John Oliver, Brendan Hall, Willie Sheehan, Stephen Byrne, Michael Dineen
  • Patent number: 9682564
    Abstract: A printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a storage chamber, a first communicating portion through which an ink tank communicates with the storage chamber, a second communicating portion through which a printhead is communicates with the storage chamber, and side walls arranged facing each other so as to form a channel in which ink flows from a side of the first communicating portion to a side of the second communicating portion in the storage chamber. The storage chamber includes a first space, and a second space located closer to the side of the second communicating portion than the first space, in which a distance between the side walls is set larger than in the first space. The apparatus includes a detecting unit arranged in the second space and detecting a liquid surface of ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Saeki, Noboru Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 9522555
    Abstract: A control system includes: a motor; a driving unit including a driving target and displacing the driving target in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction by transmitting power from the motor to the driving target; a detection unit detecting a position of the driving target; and a controller controlling the motor. The controller is configured to execute: a displacement control process to displace the driving target in the first direction and the second direction; a determination process to determine a holding current value holding the driving target at a target stop position; and a holding control process to hold the driving target, which has been disposed at the target stop position in the displacement control process, at the target stop position based on the holding current value determined by the determination process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 9475286
    Abstract: A method of cross-talk suppression and a system therein are disclosed. The method may include receiving a print pulse to simultaneously fire ink from an array of adjacent nozzles of an inkjet printhead; and actuating groups of three or more adjacent nozzles of said array of nozzles with a time delay between actuations of said three or more nozzles of the groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD INDUSTRIAL PRINTING LTD
    Inventors: Ron Tuttnauer, Dan Bavli, Etgar Marcus, Mark Ripenbein
  • Patent number: 9440444
    Abstract: A liquid management system for supplying or receiving liquid at a controlled pressure, comprising: a closed reservoir having an inlet for receiving liquid from a first remote location and an outlet for supplying liquid to a second remote location; and a pumped outlet disposed in the reservoir and arranged to remove liquid and gas contained within the reservoir, the pumped outlet being disposed such that the level of liquid in the reservoir can be maintained at a constant height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLC
    Inventors: Stuart Hatfield, Peter James Brown, Andrew Victor Polijanczuk
  • Patent number: 9272546
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a tray storing a sheet and detachably mounted on an apparatus body; a rotatable arm; a roller, provided on the arm, configured to pick up the sheet on the tray; a sensor, provided on the arm, configured to detect a physical property; and a determination unit configured to determine, based on detection by the sensor, at least any of a mounting state of the tray on the apparatus body and at least one of states of the sheet on the tray selected from the group consisting of the presence or absence of the sheet, a remaining amount of the sheet, a type of the sheet, front and back sides of the sheet, and a size of the sheet stored on the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Kohnotoh, Haruo Uchida
  • Patent number: 9180672
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a head that discharges liquid having a component which settles down; a storage section that stores the liquid; a supply path that supplies the liquid from the storage section to the head through a path which extends in a horizontal direction; and an acceleration section that accelerates a part of the supply path which includes at least the path with acceleration having a downward acceleration component in the vertical direction. The supply path may include a upstream part which is connected to the storage section, a first connection part which is connected to the upstream part, a horizontal part which is connected to the first connection part and which extends in the horizontal direction, a second connection part which is connected to the horizontal part, and a downstream part which is connected to the second connection part and the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noritaka Mitsuo
  • Patent number: 9126416
    Abstract: In one example, a fluid cartridge for an inkjet type liquid dispensing device includes a housing having a chamber therein for holding a liquid, a vent through which air may enter the chamber, and an outlet through which liquid may pass from the chamber out of the housing. A capillary material is disposed in the chamber between the vent and the outlet so that, when the capillary material is sufficiently depleted of liquid, the capillary material forms an airway from the vent to the outlet. The outlet configured to cause an abrupt break in a liquid connection in the outlet as air enters the outlet through the capillary material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Bryan Murphy, William Jon Rittgers, Coilin Hegarty, Eduardo Macias, Odhran Hendley, Michael Mulloy
  • Patent number: 9044972
    Abstract: A printing material holding container is equipped with a case which is equipped with a front surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, a fourth side surface, and a back surface, with a printing material holding unit being provided on the inside of the case. A first insertion hole is provided on the front surface. A printing material injection port is provided on the case, communicating with the printing material holding portion. A recess is provided in a corner portion at which the front surface and the first side surface intersect each other. The device side terminal unit is inserted into the recess in the mounted state. The recess includes an opening which is an entrance when the device side terminal unit is inserted into the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Aoki, Masahiro Karasawa
  • Patent number: 8998404
    Abstract: A transportation device includes a transportation unit that transports continuous paper, and an image capturing unit that has a light irradiator capable of irradiating the continuous paper which is transported by the transportation unit with light and detects a transportation amount of the continuous paper based on reflected light of the light irradiated onto the continuous paper by the light irradiator. The light irradiator is arranged so as to irradiate the continuous paper with light obliquely with respect to the detection region of the continuous paper from the width direction side of the continuous paper, which is orthogonal to the transportation direction of the continuous paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Abe, Mitsutaka Ide