Patents Examined by Anh T. N. Vo
  • Patent number: 9969177
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M. Taff
  • Patent number: 9969188
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording portion capable of executing recording on a medium, a support portion that supports the medium and that is movable in a movement direction, and a movement operation portion that accepts a movement operation for moving the support portion to a desired position in the movement direction. Due to this construction, the support portion movable in the movement direction can be easily moved to any desired position in the movement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Mashima
  • Patent number: 9969179
    Abstract: Assemblies, systems, and methods for applying postage indicia to one or more sequential mailpiece on a high speed mail sorter are disclosed. In some aspects, a system for franking one or more sequential mailpiece using a postal security device (PSD) hub assembly on a high speed mail sorter includes a plurality of PSDs configured to generate a coded digital signature for the one or more sequential mailpiece during a latency period, a plurality of photo sensors configured to define the latency period, a PSD host configured to receive the generated coded digital signature, wherein the generated coded digital signature is encoded in a data matrix, and an indicia printer configured to receive printer control data and to print the printer control data on the one or more sequential mailpiece in an order in which the plurality of PSDs are tasked during the latency period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Fluence Automation LLC
    Inventors: Brian Bowers, Richard A. Yankloski
  • Patent number: 9962959
    Abstract: According to an example, an apparatus may include a controller and a non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored instructions. The instructions may cause the controller to predict that a user is to instruct a printing device to perform a printing operation, in which the printing device includes a dryer, identify the user in response to the prediction, to access a user profile corresponding to the identified user, in which the accessed profile identifies a type of document that the identified user typically prints, and to adjust a setting of the dryer according to the identified type of document in the accessed profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Yraceburu, Duane A. Koehler, Brooke Hoyer
  • Patent number: 9962927
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus configured to detect a position on a movement surface of a mounted object having the position detection apparatus mounted thereon, includes a moved amount detector configured to detect an amount of movement on the movement surface; a posture detector configured to detect at least a posture of the mounted object on the movement surface; and a position calculator configured to calculate the position of the mounted object, based on the amount of movement and the posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunari Harada, Jun Watanabe, Tetsuyoshi Nakata, Hiroki Tanaka, Toshiaki Hosokawa, Shunsuke Shitaoka
  • Patent number: 9956793
    Abstract: A printing device includes a printing unit, a pair of transporting rollers (a pair of rollers) that is disposed right before the printing unit and that transport a medium to the printing unit, and a transportation direction changing mechanism that is disposed on an upstream side of the pair of transporting rollers and that changes a transportation direction of the medium before the medium is nipped by the pair of transporting rollers. The transportation direction changing mechanism changes a transportation direction of a following medium such that a leading end portion of the following medium overlaps a preceding medium when the printing unit performs printing in a state where the preceding medium is nipped by the pair of transporting rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuji Yatsunami, Takashi Matsuki, Kazuhiro Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 9956800
    Abstract: A main body portion provided with a document stand on which a document is placed and a reading unit; a cover which opens and closes the document stand; and a near field communication unit on the inside of the cover, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Okazawa, Shintaro Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9961220
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a rotating body that opens and closes an apparatus main body which is provided with a recording portion that performs recording on a medium and rotates between a first posture that is a closed posture and a second posture that is an open posture, a biasing unit that biases the rotating body in an opening direction, and a biasing release unit that releases an action of a biasing force applied by the biasing unit to the rotating body in a range from a third posture, which is a posture between the first posture and the second posture, to the second posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Sasaki, Yosuke Nakano, Satoshi Yoshino
  • Patent number: 9944087
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pressure-regulating mechanism which is provided in a liquid supply path in which it is possible to supply liquid to a liquid ejecting unit, and includes a liquid accommodation part which can accommodate the liquid internally, and in which a volume of the liquid accommodation part is changed depending on displacing of a diaphragm section, in which the diaphragm section includes an annular corrugated portion formed in a sectional waveform shape which is deformed when the diaphragm section receives pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Sato, Keiji Matsumoto, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9944085
    Abstract: A tank includes: a wall separating a liquid storage chamber, which stores a liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming part, from an outside; an inlet penetrating the wall; and a liquid outflow part which allows the liquid to flow to the outside of the liquid storage chamber. The wall includes a view wall, which extends upward and downward and allows a user to visually check a liquid level in the liquid storage chamber, and a bottom wall, which defines an inner bottom surface of the liquid storage chamber by being connected to the view wall. The inner bottom surface of the bottom wall includes an inclined part which extends from at least a part of the view wall to incline downward in a direction away from the view wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taichi Shirono
  • Patent number: 9937724
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid, a subsidiary tank connected to the liquid ejecting head, and a main tank capable of supplying the liquid to the subsidiary tank. The subsidiary tank is provided with a liquid introducing portion that receives the liquid from the main tank. The liquid introducing portion includes a receiving member that receives the liquid from the main tank. The receiving member is a porous member that seals the pressure chamber by being impregnated with the liquid. The main tank includes a reservoir portion in which the liquid is stored and a connecting flow path that extends from the reservoir portion. The connecting flow path includes a terminal portion that is connectable to and disconnectable from the liquid introducing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 9931839
    Abstract: In some examples, a printhead drop detector comprises a plurality of drop detection units to detect any drops passing through a sampling volume between the radiation source and the radiation detector. A radiation detector of a first drop detection unit and a radiation source of a second drop detection unit is arranged on a first side of the sampling volume and a radiation source of the first drop detection unit and a radiation detector of the second drop detection unit is arranged on the second side of the sampling volume. The distance between the first drop detection unit and the second drop detection unit is based on an angle of a beam producible by the first radiation source such that the beam is wide enough to cross into a portion of the sampling volume corresponding with the second drop detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jose Francisco Bravo de Vega, Francisco Gomez, Jordi Bas, Alejandro Mielgo
  • Patent number: 9931846
    Abstract: A print device includes a head, a cap, a suction portion, an absorption member, and a plate-shaped member. The head has an ejection surface. The ejection surface has a plurality of nozzles formed in the ejection surface and is directed in a predetermined direction. The cap has a frame-shaped wall portion and a suction opening. The suction portion is connected to the inside of the cap via the suction opening. The absorption member is arranged in a position surrounded by the frame-shaped wall portion and is configured to absorb liquid. The plate-shaped member is surrounded by the frame-shaped wall portion and is arranged in a position facing the absorption member. The plate-shaped member is extending along an inner end surface of the frame-shaped wall portion and has a hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsunori Nishida
  • Patent number: 9931848
    Abstract: A digital printing machine includes a printing material transport device, an inkjet print head having a nozzle plate, and a capping element. The inkjet print head is adjustable into a first print head position relative to the capping element and the capping element is adjustable into a capping position relative to the inkjet print head. The capping element temporarily covers the nozzle plate when the inkjet print head is in the first print head position and the capping element is simultaneously in the capping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Mueller, Jochen Renner, Matthias Zapf, Ralf Steinmetz, Michael Oestreicher, Burkhard Wolf, Manfred Haeussler, David Ehrbar
  • Patent number: 9931870
    Abstract: A printer can suppress paper lifting away from the platen surface even when conveying strong paper (regardless of paper strength) (a printer that can suppress paper uplift from the platen and is not easily affected by the type of paper). A printer 40 in which the platen surface 42a is on the inkjet head 21 side of a plane C through position A where paper 11 is held by a conveyance roller 36, and position B where the paper is held by a discharge roller, has: on the printhead 21 side of the plane C between the platen 42 and conveyance roller 36, at least one entry angle control unit 44 that contacts the paper 11 conveyed toward the platen surface 42a, and controls the entry angle of the paper 11 to the platen surface 42a; and on the printhead 21 side of the plane C between the platen 42 and the discharge roller 37, at least one exit angle control unit 46 that contacts the paper 11 conveyed in the direction away from the platen surface 42a, and controls the exit angle of the paper 11 from the platen surface 42a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Kurotobi, Nobuhiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 9931833
    Abstract: A printing system includes an identification module to identify a number of the encoder pulses generated by an encoder at a rate corresponding to a speed of a media during a time interval. The printing system also includes an alignment module to at least one of change the number of encoder pulses or scale the encoder pulses generated by the encoder based on an amount of variation between the number of encoder pulses detected and the number of encoder pulses to maintain the number of encoder pulses constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David C Collins, Matthew J Gelhaus, Carlos Millan-Lorman, Bruce A Stephens
  • Patent number: 9931847
    Abstract: A printer is disclosed herein. The printer has a printhead having a plurality of ink nozzles for ejecting ink, a servicing mechanism for capturing the ejected ink from the ink nozzles, to service the printhead, and a control device coupled to the printhead and the servicing mechanism for regulating the servicing. As part of the regulation, the control device continues feeding a substrate towards the printhead during an idle period. The idle period of the printhead can be a duration when printing on the substrate is suspended. Further, the control device regulates ejection of ink from the ink nozzles towards the substrate during the idle period and operates the servicing mechanism during the idle period. In an example, the servicing mechanism captures the ink before the ink reaches the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Wagner, Thomas M Sabo, Ronald A Askeland, Gonzalo Gaston Llado, Alyssa Michelle Siegman, Lawrence H White, Alex Andrea Tallada, Brian J Keefe, Maria Magdalena Martinez Ferrandiz, Daniel Vincent Keane, Yi Hong Tor, Marian Dinares Argemi, Francisco Lopez Moral, Xavier Bruch, Chandrasekhar Nadimpalli
  • Patent number: 9925799
    Abstract: A universal gripper of objects includes two elastomer membranes separating a bed of rounded tipped nails that allow for object conformation. The object is pushed into a membrane that contacts the object with a known air pressure behind an inner membrane inside the gripper. The air pressure provides conformance and maximum resolution of object curvature to the bed of nails. At least one pin guide and locking plate having flexure fingers is actuated causing a small displacement which clamps each nail in its deformed position. The air pressure on the inner membrane is now removed and afterwards, a vacuum blower is turned ON causing the object to be gripped for removal from a staging platen and moved to a position to receive an image from a printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M Fromm, Jeffrey J Bradway, Erwin Ruiz, Linn C Hoover
  • Patent number: 9919529
    Abstract: Provided is a cap unit that can prevent or suppress collision between the drive gear and intermittent gear when the drive gear and intermittent gear begin to mesh. A cap unit 25 has a moving mechanism 28 that moves a cap 26. The moving mechanism 28 has an intermittent cam gear 36 with a cam channel 43; a drive gear 35; and a cap holder 45. The cap holder 45 includes a holding member 48 that holds the cap 26; a cam follower pin 49; a pin support mechanism 50 that supports the cam follower pin 49; and a coil spring 51 that urges the cam follower pin 49 toward the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. A slope 57 is disposed to the bottom 43a of the cam channel 43. The cam follower pin 49 is on the slope 57 when meshing of the intermittent cam gear 36 and drive gear 35 is disengaged, and the intermittent cam gear 36 turns in conjunction with the cam follower pin 49 moving on the slope 57 due to the urging force of the coil spring 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazushi Arafuka
  • Patent number: 9919540
    Abstract: A media processing device includes a cavity configured to receive a supply of media; a media exit; a fixed media guide configured to guide the media along a media feed path from the cavity to the media exit; a platen roller configured to move the media along the media feed path from the supply toward the media exit; and a movable media guide extending laterally across the media feed path at a position between the platen roller and the cavity. The movable media guide is biased toward the media feed path and is configured to apply a force to the media. The movable media guide is convexly curved toward the media feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ZIH Corp.
    Inventors: Randal Wong Mun Hon, Petrica Dorinel Balcan, Kuan-Ying Lu, Lawrence E. Smolenski, David L. Garbe