Patents Examined by An H. Do
  • Patent number: 11351796
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head which ejects a first liquid, and a liquid supply unit. The liquid ejection head includes a plurality of liquid discharge holes with individual passages and a common passage for supplying the first liquid to the individual passages. The liquid supply unit includes a pressure chamber, a first supply passage communicating with the pressure chamber, and a second supply passage that makes an upstream side of a common passage communicate with the pressure chamber, a liquid drain path that makes a downstream side of the common passage communicate with the second supply passage, and a pump mechanism. The pump mechanism supplies the first liquid to the upstream side and the downstream side of the common passage through the second supply passage and the liquid drain path, and discharges the second liquid, which is filled in advance, from the liquid discharge hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Eto
  • Patent number: 11345163
    Abstract: An ink delivery system for at least one printing module comprising a closed-loop ink recirculation circuit and a vacuum discharge circuit, which is configured to produce a vacuum condition in the at least one printing module. A method for delivering ink to the at least one printing module is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SICPA HOLDING SA
    Inventors: Silvano Tori, Alessandro Scardovi, Tazio Sandri, Marco Sarti
  • Patent number: 11345152
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a head unit having a support portion configured to support a plurality of heads capable of discharging a droplet in a discharge direction, and a carriage on which the head unit is removably mounted from upstream in the discharge direction, wherein the carriage has a bottom formed with an opening from which a nozzle surface of the head for discharging the droplet is exposed, the support portion is provided with at least one protruding portion protruding from a bottom surface of the support portion in the discharge direction, and the bottom is provided with an insertion hole through which the at least one protruding portion is inserted, and a biasing member biasing the support portion in an intersecting direction intersecting with the discharge direction in a state where the at least one protruding portion is inserted through the insertion hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji Takahashi, Osamu Murayama, Daiki Tatsuta
  • Patent number: 11338586
    Abstract: This disclosure describes integrated circuits which may be provided in logic circuitry packages and/or replaceable print apparatus components with print material reservoirs. An integrated circuit or logic circuitry package for a replaceable print apparatus component comprises an interface to communicate with a print apparatus logic circuit and at least one logic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Anthony D. Studer, Quinton B. Weaver, David N. Olsen, James Michael Gardner, James William Ring, David Owen Roethig, Christopher Hans Bakker
  • Patent number: 11331904
    Abstract: An example of an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a feeder tank to provide print fluid to a nozzle. The feeder tank is disposed below the nozzle to maintain a backpressure. The apparatus also includes a vent port to vent the feeder tank to atmosphere. The apparatus further includes an overflow chamber in fluidic communication with the feeder tank. The overflow chamber is disposed below the nozzle. In addition, the apparatus includes a return channel disposed on the overflow chamber to allow print fluid in the overflow chamber to return to the feeder tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: William Scott Osborne, David D. Welter, John James Cantrell
  • Patent number: 11331917
    Abstract: the nozzle channel includes a first portion that extends in the first direction and communicates with the first communication channel and a second portion that extends in a third direction crossing the first direction and orthogonal to the second direction and communicates with the first portion, and an angle formed between the first direction and the third direction is larger than 0° and smaller than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Naganuma, Yuma Fukuzawa, Shotaro Tamai
  • Patent number: 11325395
    Abstract: There is provided a printer including: a casing defining an internal space; a conveyor; a head; a tank, a first channel communicating the tank and the head with each other; a first pressure gauge; a first pump; a second channel communicating the tank and the head with each other; a second pressure gauge; and a second pump. The internal space includes a first space defined between a first virtual surface and a second virtual surface which are parallel to a conveyance direction and an up-down direction 7, and a second space which is different from the first space; the head is positioned in the first space; and the tank, the first pressure gauge, the first pump, the second pressure gauge, and the second pump are positioned in the second space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11318762
    Abstract: A page of a print job is to be compiled by a printing device upon printing. It is determined that at time of compiling, the page will include print fluid, greater than a threshold, at locations corresponding to the compiling paddles. Drying of the page is responsively increased upon the device printing the page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alan Shibata, Stephen Thomas Rohman, Lorraine T. Golob
  • Patent number: 11312136
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a piezoelectric element that is driven in a d33 mode, a pressure generation chamber in which a pressure is generated by the piezoelectric element, and an individual ink supply flow passage that through which the ink is supplied to the pressure generation chamber. The ink jet head includes an individual ink discharge flow passage that through which the ink is discharged from the pressure generation chamber, and a nozzle that ejects the ink from the pressure generation chamber. In a cross-sectional view in a direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction of the nozzle, inner diameters of the pressure generation chamber, the individual ink supply flow passage, and the individual ink discharge flow passage are shorter on a part close to the nozzle than a part close to the piezoelectric element side. Accordingly, an ink jet head capable of ejecting high-viscosity ink can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunobu Irie, Hidehiro Yoshida, Shuhei Nakatani, Futoshi Ohtsuka, Yousuke Toyofuku
  • Patent number: 11312151
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid extraction system is described. The fluid extraction system includes an interface to fluidically and electrically couple a removable extraction reservoir to a printing device. A supply line of the fluid extraction system transports fluid from the interface to a reservoir of the printing device. A return line of the fluid extraction system is coupled to the reservoir and supply line and transports fluid from the reservoir to the interface. The fluid extraction system also includes a switch to, responsive to removal of the removable extraction reservoir from the printing device, activate a fill pump to draw fluid through the supply line away from the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher John Arnold, Paul Allan Osborne, Devin Michael Knowles
  • Patent number: 11298941
    Abstract: A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving at least one actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with at least one respective actuating element and at least one respective nozzle, each at least one actuating element being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in said ejection direction through the corresponding at least one of said nozzles, each row extending in a row direction; an inlet manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows of fluid chambers and being located adjacent said mount; at least one inlet port, each inlet port opening into the inlet manifold chamber at the first end thereof; and a plurality of fluid guides disposed within the inlet manifold chamber, each fluid guide extending from a respective first end to a respective second end, the fi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Xaar Technology Limited
    Inventors: Sebastien Roger Gabriel Degraeve, Gareth Paul Neal
  • Patent number: 11292267
    Abstract: The ink I is circulated along the circulation channel We at the low-speed flow rate Vl lower than that during the execution of the print mode when the print mode is stopped (Steps S107, S110). By circulatingly supplying the ink I to the discharge heads H in this way, the deterioration of the ink I can be also suppressed while the drying of the ink I is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tadayoshi Suyama, Koji Furuichi
  • Patent number: 11292266
    Abstract: Certain examples relate to mixing and/or supply cartridges for printing apparatus. One example implementation includes a reservoir to receive printing material from a printing apparatus and to return the received printing material to the printing apparatus. A storage medium stores a reservoir printing material level parameter indicative of the amount of printing material in the reservoir; a recirculation cycle counter indicative of the number of recirculation events experienced by the cartridge; a maximum recirculation cycle parameter indicative of the maximum number of recirculation events that may be experienced by the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Miquel Boleda Busquets, Jorge Castano Aspas, Albert Crespi Serrano, Tuomo Eljas Kaikkonen, David Butinya Teixido
  • Patent number: 11285729
    Abstract: A print material level sensor includes a power node to receive electrical power and a series of print material level sensing devices to receive electrical power from the power node. The print material level sensing devices are disposed at intervals to detect the presence of a print material at successive depth zones in a container. Each print material level sensing device includes a heater to emit heat at its depth zone and a sensor to sense heat at the depth zone. The sensor has control circuitry to turn on the heater of a first print material level sensing device at a first depth zone for a first time duration during the sensing of the first depth zone and to turn on the heater of a second print material level sensing device at a second depth zone for a second time duration during the sensing of the second depth zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: James Michael Gardner, Daryl E Anderson, Evan Clay Dagg
  • Patent number: 11279146
    Abstract: A container body decorator (10) has a controller (300) with a software stored in a memory. A plurality of ink-jet printing heads (108) is in communication with the controller (300). A segmented image transfer blanket (116) has a circumferential configuration with an inner surface opposite a printing surface. A printing site (124) is located along the segmented image transfer blanket (116). A container body handling module (200) delivers container bodies to the printing site (124).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BALL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adam P. S. Stowitts, Dean C. Ellefson
  • Patent number: 11281262
    Abstract: An electronic device that can be worn on a limb of a user can include a processing device and one or more position sensing devices operatively connected to the processing device. The processing device can be adapted to determine which limb of the user is wearing the electronic device based on one or more signals received from at least one position sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Sorin V. Dusan
  • Patent number: 11279138
    Abstract: A printing material container is detachably attachable to a printing apparatus having a plurality of apparatus-side terminals. The printing material container comprises a first device, a second device, and a terminal group that includes a plurality of first terminals, at least one second terminal and at least one third terminal. The plurality of first terminals are connected to the first device and respectively include a first contact portion for contacting a corresponding terminal among the plurality of apparatus-side terminals. The at least one second terminal is connected to the second device and includes a second contact portion for contacting a corresponding terminal among the plurality of apparatus-side terminals. The at least one third terminal is for the detection of shorting between the at least one second terminal and the at least one third terminal and includes a third contact portion for contacting a corresponding terminal among the plurality of apparatus-side terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noboru Asauchi
  • Patent number: 11273638
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a substrate, pressure chambers, a pressure generating element, a discharge port, and a liquid channel. First and second communication supply channels and first and second communication collecting channels are formed in the substrate. A central axis of a first communication supply opening is located closer to the corresponding pressure chamber than a central axis of a first common supply opening, or a central axis of a second communication supply opening is located closer to the corresponding pressure chamber than a central axis of a second common supply opening, or a central axis of a first communication collecting opening is located closer to the corresponding pressure chamber than a central axis of a first common collecting opening, or a central axis of a second communication collecting opening is located closer to the corresponding pressure chamber than a central axis of a second common collecting opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11267245
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes: a substrate; pressure chambers provided on a surface of the substrate and through which a first liquid and a second liquid flow; a pressure generating element configured to pressurize the first liquid; and a discharge port communicating with at least one pressure chamber and through which the second liquid is discharged. First and second supply channels, first and second collecting channels, third and fourth supply channels, and third and fourth collecting channels are formed on the substrate. A common channel is formed between a first pressure chamber row and a second pressure chamber row. The common channel communicates with the first supply channel and the third supply channel, or communicates with the second supply channel and the fourth supply channel, or communicates with the first collecting channel and the third collecting channel, or communicates with the second collecting channel and the fourth collecting channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11267254
    Abstract: An extraction pump of a printing device fluidically connected to a reservoir of the printing device is set to a specified rotational velocity. A pulse-width modulation (PWM) value of the extraction pump correspondingly increases until the extraction pump rotates at the specified rotational velocity. While the power of the extraction pump is monitored, a power of a supply pump of the printing device fluidically connected between the extraction pump and the reservoir is continually increased; the power of the extraction pump correspondingly decreases to maintain rotation of the extraction pump at the specified rotational velocity. Responsive to the power of the extraction pump decreasing to a characterized value for the specified rotational velocity, the power of the supply pump ceases being increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Russell Sterling Sauer, Kenneth Williams, Wesley R. Schalk, Christopher John Arnold