Patents Examined by Alessandro Amari
  • Patent number: 8967786
    Abstract: Methods for curing ink printed on a print medium are disclosed. The methods comprise heating air to a temperature suitable for curing the ink, and blowing the air through a plurality of holes onto the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Inventors: Antonio Monclus Velasco, David Claramunt Morera, Raimon Castells De Monet, Fco Javier Pérez Gellida, Xavier Soler Pedemonte, Jesús Garcia Maza, Roger Bastardas Puigoriol, Mikel Zuza Irurueta, Elena Laso Plaza, Francisco Javier Rodriguez Escañuela
  • Patent number: 8960889
    Abstract: The application describes a method and apparatus for controlling surface finish in the printing of a substrate in a plurality of passes using a curable print material and an ink jet printer having a radiation source. A first set of passes is carried out, including depositing ink on the substrate and emitting radiation from a radiation source toward the deposited ink. The emitted radiation applies a dose of radiation in a first range. A second set of passes is then carried out to deposit ink on the substrate. Further radiation is emitted from a radiation source toward the deposited ink, the emitted radiation applying a dose of radiation in a second range different from the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Inca Digital Printers Limited
    Inventors: Paul Anthony Anderson, Roger Matthew Walkley
  • Patent number: 8955943
    Abstract: A seal member includes a communication hole that makes a holder flow path communicate with a connection flow path in a state of the seal member being nipped between a holder projection and a connection projection, a holder-side fitting recess that fits onto the outer circumferential surface of the holder projection and also fits to a leading end portion of the holder projection, a connection member-side fitting recess that fits onto the outer circumferential surface of the connection projection and also fits to a leading end portion of the connection projection, and a recessed groove that is hollowed in the bottom of the holder-side fitting recess or the bottom of the connection member-side fitting recess along the inner circumferential surface of the holder-side fitting recess or the connection member-side fitting recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunsuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8955938
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes: first and second pairs of rollers for conveying a sheet while nipping the sheet; and a recording head disposed between the first and seconds pairs of rollers. The recording head performs an image recording on the sheet by ejecting ink droplets onto the sheet when the sheet is stopped in an intermittent conveyance of the sheet. The recording head performs the image recording in accordance with a first image-recording data, before a trailing end of the sheet passes through the first pair of rollers that is disposed on an upstream side of the second pair of rollers. The recording head performs the image recording in accordance with a second image-recording data which is based on the first image-recording data and which has a higher image resolution than the first image-recording data, after the trailing end of the sheet passes through the first pair of rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8936347
    Abstract: A driving apparatus includes an endless belt supported by a drive pulley configured to be driven by a motor and an idler pulley, and a moving member configured to be coupled to the endless belt and moved by driving the drive pulley by the motor, wherein a first limit value of electric power to be supplied to the motor when the moving member is moved in a first direction approaching the drive pulley is set larger than a second limit value of electric power to be supplied to the motor when the moving member is moved in a second direction approaching the idler pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Sekino
  • Patent number: 8926044
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head which jets ink droplets, a head transporting mechanism which transports the recording head, and a control unit which controls the head transporting mechanism to reciprocate the recording head along a transporting path and controls the recording head to form an image on a sheet by jetting the ink droplets when the recording head passes over an image formation area within the transporting path. When the control unit controls the transporting mechanism to transport the recording head toward a turn-around point in the transporting path, the control unit decelerates the recording head in accordance with a first acceleration profile and a second acceleration profile which has a peak of deceleration higher than that of the first acceleration profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Iesaki
  • Patent number: 8919934
    Abstract: A voltage is applied between first and second deflecting electrodes from a deflecting voltage controller, whereby an electric field is formed between the first and second deflecting electrodes in a direction perpendicular to electrode surfaces. An electric line of force is generated from a direction perpendicular to the electrode surface of the first deflecting electrode and made perpendicularly incident on the electrode surface of the second deflecting electrode. Since the first and second deflecting electrodes are parallel to each other, a plurality of parallel electric lines of force are formed perpendicularly to the electrode surfaces of the first and second deflecting electrodes. Droplets after passing charged electrodes fly in a region where this deflecting electric field is formed, whereby charged droplets are deflected in a direction in which the charged droplets approach the second electrode having opposite charging polarity. The charged droplets form a printing pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Services Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Ikegawa, Eiji Ishii, Nobuhiro Harada, Tsuneaki Takagishi
  • Patent number: 8919935
    Abstract: A liquid supply (30, 130, 330) includes a lever (48, 348) that moves in response to expansion and contraction of a variable chamber (42, 342) within a liquid reservoir (56, 356). Movement of the lever (48, 348) moves a ball (52, 352) or sealing member (154, 354) to open or close an opening (60, 360) out of the liquid reservoir (56, 356).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ralph L. Stathem, Mark C. Donning, David Olsen
  • Patent number: 8915564
    Abstract: A method for producing small lots of printed plastic film is described, wherein in terms of the resolution and colors the print corresponds to the print generated by means of the intaglio printing method. The film (1) is printed by way of an array of print heads (2a, 2b) with an ink using the ink jet printing method, said ink containing the same dyes and/or pigments, and the property of the ink is adapted to the ink jet printing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Renolit SE
    Inventors: Hans Jürgen Aumüller, Heiko Usener, Lothar Held
  • Patent number: 8905529
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device including a line engine including a plurality of recording heads that are aligned in a main scanning direction, in which an arbitrary one of the plurality of recording heads is replaceable. Each of the plurality of recording heads includes a head tank attached on the corresponding one of the plurality of recording heads. The head tank includes a supply port and a discharge port for ink. The head tanks that are adjacent to each other are connected by the respective discharge ports and the supply ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Watanabe, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyoshi Komaba, Yoshiya Itoh
  • Patent number: 8905513
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a recording head having a nozzle to discharge droplets; a reciprocally moving carriage on which the recording head is mounted; a rotary conveyance body disposed opposite the recording head and configured to convey a recording medium; a maintenance unit to maintain an optimal state of the recording head; and a drive transmission unit to transmit rotation of the rotary conveyance body to the maintenance unit. The drive transmission unit includes a drive transmission gear to drive the maintenance unit; and a gear moving unit. The gear moving unit includes moving means to move the drive transmission gear at the connection position; and a retainer to retain a state in which the drive transmission gear is moved to the connection position, even though the carriage is moved toward a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Ichinowatari
  • Patent number: 8905506
    Abstract: A CPU serving as a counting unit counts the cumulative number of times a driving pulse is applied to a piezoelectric vibrator. A driving signal generation unit is able to generate an aging driving pulse set by a driving parameter to the extent that ink is not ejected from a nozzle and performs an aging process of driving the piezoelectric vibrator using the aging driving pulse set by a driving parameter in accordance with a cumulative number of applications in a region outside an ejection region on a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masako Fukuda, Satoshi Kimura, Tomohiro Sayama
  • Patent number: 8905538
    Abstract: A surface has a vacuum and a vacuum relief.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Geoffrey F. Schmid, Kevin T. Kersey
  • Patent number: 8899724
    Abstract: A liquid-ejecting head includes a nozzle plate having a nozzle opening that serves for liquid ejection; a channel-forming substrate including pressure-generating chambers that are in communication with the nozzle opening; a pressure generator that serves to generate pressure change in a liquid in the pressure-generating chambers; and a communication plate provided between the nozzle plate and the channel-forming substrate, the communication plate having a communication channel that forms a communication between the pressure-generating chambers and the nozzle opening. The communication plate has a circulation channel that is in communication with a common liquid chamber through the communication channel, the common liquid chamber being in communication with a plurality of the pressure-generating chambers in common.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Fujio Akahane, Tomoaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8899712
    Abstract: A method performed by a printing system is described herein. A request is provided to a user to enter data related to print quality of a mark or marks printed on a portion of a background region. The background region includes an area or areas treated with a fixer fluid applied by a printhead. A user input is received associated to the request. A misalignment of the printhead is estimated in accordance with the user input. A printing system and a tangible machine readable storage medium are also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Marc Serra Vall, Maria Elizabeth Zapata, Eduardo Amela Conesa, Jacint Humet Pous, Jaime Fernández del Rio
  • Patent number: 8899713
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a first nozzle row in which first nozzles ejecting a first liquid are arranged in a predetermined direction; a second nozzle row in which second nozzles ejecting a second liquid are arranged in the predetermined direction; a movement mechanism moving the first and second nozzle rows in a movement direction intersecting the predetermined direction relative to a medium; a transport mechanism transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows; and a control unit repeating an image forming operation of ejecting the liquids from the first and second nozzles while moving the first and second nozzle rows in the movement direction by the movement mechanism and a transport operation of transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows by the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Bunji Ishimoto, Yumiko Takeda
  • Patent number: 8899706
    Abstract: A recording apparatus, including: a tank mount on which a tank is mountable; a first casing; a second casing provided with the tank mount, connected to the first casing with a shaft, and pivotable between a close position and a distant position about the shaft; a judging section configured to judge whether a tank mount state is a middle-of-mounting state; a limitation portion configured to establish a limitation state for limiting the pivotal movement of the second casing at the close position and a release state for allowing the pivotal movement at the close position; and a limitation control section configured to control the limitation portion to establish the limitation state when the tank is in the middle-of-mounting state, and control the limitation portion to establish the release state when the tank is not in the middle-of-mounting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyasu Yabuki
  • Patent number: 8894173
    Abstract: A method including acquiring a first deviation value of ink landing positions in each position in a first range from a first pattern printed over the first range of a recording sheet in a scanning direction at a first moving velocity of an inkjet head, acquiring variation information representing a variation in the scanning direction of the first deviation value, acquiring from the variation information a first representative value representing the first deviation value in the first range, acquiring a second deviation value from a second pattern printed over a second range included in the first range at a second moving velocity of the inkjet head, acquiring a second representative value representing a deviation value in the first range at the second moving velocity, based on the second deviation value and a difference between the first representative value and the first deviation value in the second range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 8894189
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet jetting apparatus including: a channel unit, a piezoelectric actuator disposed on the channel unit, and a drive unit. The piezoelectric actuator includes first and second piezoelectric layers, an inner electrode disposed between the first and second piezoelectric layers, a first outer electrode disposed in an area facing the inner electrode, of a surface of the first piezoelectric layer, a second outer electrode disposed in an area facing the inner electrode, of a surface of the second piezoelectric layer, a first low-permittivity portion having a permittivity lower than a permittivity of the first piezoelectric layer, and a second low-permittivity portion having a permittivity lower than a permittivity of the second piezoelectric layer. The drive unit generates a predetermined electric potential difference between the inner electrode and the first outer electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Sugahara
  • Patent number: 8888228
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes forming a first image by applying by an ink jet method a glitter ink in which a glitter pigment is dispersed to a first region of a recording medium in which the glitter first image is to be formed, and forming a second image by applying by an ink jet method a color ink containing a coloring material to a second region of the recording medium in which the colored second image is to be formed, the amount per unit area of the glitter ink ejected in an overlapping region in which the first region overlaps the second region being smaller than the amount per unit area of the glitter ink ejected in the first region excluding the overlapping region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shiki Hirata, Tsuyoshi Sano, Takayoshi Kagata