Patents Examined by Bradley Thies
  • Patent number: 9604471
    Abstract: An aqueous inkjet printer coats media with a material prior to printing without having to dry the material on the media. The printer includes a coating applicator for applying the material to the surface of a rotating member and a dryer for evaporating water from the material to raise its viscosity to a gel-like state. The coating is transferred to media in a nip formed between the rotating member and a roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Chu-heng Liu
  • Patent number: 9597898
    Abstract: A printing device (200) and method for controlling the curing of ink are described. An example printing apparatus has a printing module (230) with at least one printhead for printing a swath of a printed image and a print controller (220) arranged to generate image and print control data for a plurality of swaths. A curing module (270) is arranged to receive, for each of the plurality of one or more swaths, image and print control data and to control, before a printed region of the print medium (250) corresponding to a particular one or more swaths arrives, one or more operating parameters of the curing module (270) based on data values within said image data and printing parameters within said print control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Antonio Gracia Verdugo, Oriol Borrell Avila, Ana Maria Cardells Tormo
  • Patent number: 9586406
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid storing body that makes it possible to prevent a liquid containing a sedimentous component whose concentration is higher than a proper range from being supplied to a liquid jetting apparatus. An ink pack 1 is provided with a flexible ink storage bag 2 capable of storing pigment ink containing a sedimentous component, an ink supply part 3 provided at an upper portion of the ink storage bag 2, and a flow path member 4 that connects the interior of the ink storage bag 2 and the ink supply part 3. The flow path member 4 is provided with a vertical tube part 41 extending downward from the ink supply part 3, a lateral tube part 42 extending horizontally from the lower end of the vertical tube part 41, and a vertical tube part 43 extending upward from the end of the lateral tube part 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keigo Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9579892
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting head includes a vibrating plate on which a first terminal group having first and second terminals and a second terminal group having third and fourth terminals are formed, a reservoir forming substrate which has a first wiring forming portion having first and second inclined surfaces and a second wiring forming portion having third and fourth inclined surfaces, a first wiring which is formed on the first inclined surface and is electrically connected to the first terminal, a second wiring which is formed on the second inclined surface and is electrically connected to the second terminal, a third wiring which is formed on the third inclined surface and is electrically connected to the third terminal, and a fourth wiring which is formed on the fourth inclined surface and is electrically connected to the fourth terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Yoda
  • Patent number: 9579917
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an erasing apparatus stores a first feeder unit and an erasing device. A casing of the erasing apparatus supports the first sheet stack and the erasing device slidably in a direction perpendicular to a direction of supplying a sheet from the first sheet stack to the erasing device. The first sheet stack and the erasing device are movable into and out of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao Yahata, Ken Iguchi, Naofumi Soga
  • Patent number: 9573395
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a case; a recording head that performs recording by ejecting liquid to a medium provided in the case; a base portion provided in a position that faces the recording head and has a medium supporting portion that supports the medium; a protruding portion that is provided in any one of an area facing a bottom portion of the case in the medium supporting portion or an area facing the base portion in the bottom portion in the case, protrudes to the other one, and extends in a first direction intersecting a transportation direction of the medium; and a receiving portion that is provided in any one of an area facing the bottom portion of the case in the medium supporting portion and an area facing the medium supporting portion in the bottom portion of the case, and receives the protruding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Anami, Kazuhiko Tsuyama
  • Patent number: 9566795
    Abstract: A pinch valve includes first and second pinch arms pivotally mounted about respective pivot axes. A spring interconnects the first and second pinch arms to mutually bias the pinch arms towards each other and provide a pinching force for pinching respective first and second conduits. A cam engages with each of the pinch arms and provides an unpinching force for either one of the pinch arms against the bias of the sprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: MEMJET TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Geoffrey Philip Dyer, Rommel Balala, Paul Charles Knight, Kianoush Mir Sanaei, Saminda Jayatileke
  • Patent number: 9566794
    Abstract: A cartridge 4 has liquid supply ports 407b, 407c, 407y and 407m formed on a bottom wall 422 of a casing 420 and configured to be in contact with corresponding liquid introducing parts 710b, 710c, 710y and 710m of a carriage 8, and a circuit substrate 410 provided on a second wall surface portion 423b of a first end wall 423 intersecting with the bottom wall 422 and configured to be in electrically contact with an electrode assembly 810 of the carriage 8. In a plan view of the bottom wall 422 of the cartridge 4 in a first direction toward the bottom wall 422, the distance between a second end wall 424 and a first wall surface portion 423a of the first end wall 423 is set to be greater than the distance between the second end wall 424 and the second wall surface portion 423b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tadahiro Mizutani, Atsushi Kobayashi, Yoshinao Miyata, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 9555654
    Abstract: A tape cartridge includes a tape roll around which a printing medium is wound, a platen roller that has a first fitting portion to be fitted to a drive shaft when the tape cartridge is mounted on a mounting section of a tape printer, and a second fitting portion that is disposed at a center of a tape roll in an axial direction of the tape roll and is fitted to an identification portion when the tape cartridge is mounted on the mounting section of the tape printer. In the tape cartridge, when the tape cartridge is mounted on the mounting section of the tape printer, the second fitting portion is disposed in a depressed portion facing the mounting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Sakano
  • Patent number: 9550356
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: an integrated circuit device that includes a modulation portion which generates a modulation signal by pulse-modulating a source signal; a feedback circuit; a transistor that generates an amplified modulation signal which is obtained by amplifying the modulation signal; a low-pass filter that generates a drive signal by demodulating the amplified modulation signal; and a piezoelectric element that is displaced by applying the drive signal, wherein the feedback circuit generates a feedback signal on the basis of the drive signal, and feeds back the feedback signal to the modulation portion through a feedback terminal, the modulation portion includes a first circuit block and a second circuit block, and the integrated circuit device is configured to separate the first circuit block from the second circuit block by a triple-well structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichi Shima
  • Patent number: 9551969
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a bracket connected to a frame, where the bracket connects a light source to the frame. The frame supports a photoreceptor that has a planar surface. Also, the bracket positions the light source at a set distance from the photoreceptor. Further, the bracket comprises an adjustment device that moves the light source along a plane that is parallel to the planar surface of the photoreceptor, and that maintains the light source at the set distance from the photoreceptor as the light source moves within the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Atwood
  • Patent number: 9546070
    Abstract: According to the present invention a sheet handling apparatus is provided which comprises a rotary drum with openings at its peripheral wall. A strip with perforations formed therein spirals circumferentially over an outer surface of the drum in a circumferential spiralling direction, such that a screen is formed over the drum. A suction system controls a flow of air through the perforations thereby to attract sheets towards the drum. The strip is biased by means of a tensioning assembly, which exerts a tensioning force on the strip substantially parallel to the circumferential spiralling direction of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: OCÉ-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Peter J. Hollands, Erik E. M. Nolting
  • Patent number: 9538825
    Abstract: A drawing apparatus, including a placement section including a placement surface on which a printing target object having a printing target surface that curved along one direction is placed, a drawing head in which at least one drawing tool having a tip portion at one end thereof is loaded and performs drawing by making the tip portion contact with a drawing position of the printing target surface, the tip portion having a shape including a first axis as a central axis; and a control unit which tilts the first axis of the tip portion to one of a first tilt direction and a second tilt direction selectively according to the drawing position of the printing target surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuichi Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9541445
    Abstract: An optical sensor enables a level of reflective fluid to be detected. The optical sensor includes a prism mounted at one end of a housing. The prism has an exterior surface that is parallel to the end of the housing and a width that corresponds to a width of the end of the housing. A photoemitter and a photodetector are mounted at another end of the housing to enable light emitted by the photoemitter to be reflected by the prism when the prism contacts reflective fluid and to enable light emitted by the photoemitter to pass out of the sensor when the prism is in contact with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Tence, Matthew D. Savoy, David B. Tait
  • Patent number: 9533491
    Abstract: A print strategy periodically inserts sacrificial print media, such as a small number of sacrificial sheets of paper into a print job to exercise underused print head jets and prevent nozzle dry-up and/or degraded jetting integrity. This can be implemented with sacrificial sheets out of a tray used by a current print job or from another paper tray housing, for example, the widest stock currently installed in the image forming device. Jets that need to be exercised can be determined by using Feed-Forward image content from the Image Path, and those jets are exercised to print ink on the sacrificial sheet(s). The sacrificial sheet may be diverted to a bypass tray as scrap. Without the need for a purge cycle, or a cycle-down, the image forming device can continue seamlessly to the next print job without performance loss from using the previously under-used print head jets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jason M. LeFevre, Michael J. Levy, David A. Mantell
  • Patent number: 9527325
    Abstract: A media alignment method includes printing a calibration pattern on a media in a print one by a printhead including forming a first corner identification marker at a first corner of a reference edge of the media, a second corner identification marker at a second corner of the reference edge, and a linear identification marker. The method also includes capturing the calibration pattern by an image capturing unit. The method also includes determining a printhead axis based on the linear identification marker, determining a default printhead origin based on the printhead axis and the linear identification marker, and determining a media origin based on the printhead axis, the first corner identification marker, and the second corner identification marker. The method also includes determining an offset compensation parameter by the determination module corresponding to a distance between the default printhead origin and the media origin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Bo Yuan Sun
  • Patent number: 9527329
    Abstract: A sheet erasing apparatus according to an embodiment includes an erasing unit, a scanning unit, and first, second and third sheet cassettes. A processing unit determines a number of times of reuse, and whether the sheet is reusable. When the sheet is determined to be reusable and the number of times reuse is less than a predetermined number, the sheet is conveyed to the first sheet cassette. When the sheet is determined to be reusable and the number of times of reuse is equal to a predetermined number, the sheet is conveyed to the second sheet cassette. When the sheet is determined to not be reusable, the sheet is conveyed to the third sheet cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiki Takeishi
  • Patent number: 9527695
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit which performs recording on a sheet which is transported along a transport path, a printer unit which accommodates the recording unit, a medium discharging port from which the sheet on which recording is performed by the recording unit is discharged, and a placing table which is located at a higher part of the recording unit, receives and supports the sheet which is discharged by the medium discharging port, and is provided in an openable-closable manner with respect to the printer unit. In addition, an access path through which it is possible to access the recording unit from the higher part by causing the placing table to be opened is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshikazu Kotaka, Toru Tanjo
  • Patent number: 9527302
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting section that includes a nozzle that ejects a liquid; a supplying path that is capable of supplying the liquid accommodated in a liquid accommodating section to the liquid ejecting section; a pressure adjusting valve that is disposed in the supplying path, and includes a pressure chamber which is capable of storing the liquid, the pressure chamber being is provided with an outlet that draws out the stored liquid to the liquid ejecting section, and when a pressure in the internal portion of the pressure chamber decrease, the pressure adjusting valve being opened to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting section; a discharging path that connects to a communicating port which communicates with the pressure chamber in a separate position different from a position of the outlet; and a switching valve that is provided in the discharging path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kamei, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9517629
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus, including: a liquid discharge head; a wiper; a wiper cleaner cleaning a liquid adhering to a first surface of the wiper and including a first contact part, which makes contact with the first surface of the wiper, and a second contact part, which is disposed to face the first contact part and makes contact with the second surface of the wiper; a movement mechanism moving the wiper and the wiper cleaner relative to each other, and a space expansion part expanding a space between the first contact part and the second contact part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kuno, Rie Higuchi