Patents Examined by Bradley W Thies
  • Patent number: 10882332
    Abstract: A mobile image forming apparatus includes a body, a recording device supported by the body and configured to form an image on a recording medium, a roller provided to the body and configured to rotate on the recording medium while the body is moved in a scanning direction for image formation. The mobile image forming apparatus further includes a switching device configured to switch a state of the mobile image forming apparatus during image formation between a roller contact state in which the roller is in contact with the recording medium and a roller contactless state in which the roller is contactless with the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshikane Nishii, Hiroshi Ishii, Kunihiko Nishioka, Mitsutaka Nakamura, Akiyoshi Tanaka, Yasunari Harada
  • Patent number: 10882313
    Abstract: A print head control circuit controls an operation of a print head including a diagnosis circuit that diagnoses whether or not normal discharge of a liquid is possible. The print head control circuit includes a first cable including a first diagnosis signal propagation wiring for propagating a first diagnosis signal and a first driving signal propagation wiring for propagating a driving signal. A shortest distance between the first driving signal propagation wiring and the diagnosis circuit is longer than a shortest distance between the first diagnosis signal propagation wiring and the diagnosis circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10875322
    Abstract: A device for deposition of particles on a target from a transparent slide having a film formed by a fluid containing suspended particles, by locally exciting the film using a laser, includes means for observing the local excitation region. The observation means comprise a sensor and a light source, the optical axes of which are substantially shared in a space between an optical splitter and the film. The optical beam of the imaging system and the optical beam of the laser are coaxially arranged in the space between the controlled optical deflection means and the film. The device comprises a first focusing optical unit arranged between the controlled optical deflection means and the film. The device comprises a second image-combining optical unit positioned between the sensor and the splitter, the sensor being positioned in the focal plane of the second optical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignees: Universite de Bordeaux, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
    Inventors: Bertrand Viellerobe, Romain Vaucelle, Fabien Guillemot
  • Patent number: 10870301
    Abstract: Provided is a combination of a thermal transfer sheet and a seal-type printing sheet, the combination being capable of preventing occurrence of wrinkles in a print. In a combination of a thermal transfer sheet including a substrate and a colorant layer provided on one surface of the substrate and a seal-type printing sheet including a releasing substrate and a printing paper sheet with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer provided on a portion of one surface of the releasing substrate, the difference between the dynamic friction coefficient between the colorant layer in the thermal transfer sheet and the printing paper sheet with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer in the seal-type printing sheet and the dynamic friction coefficient between the colorant layer in the thermal transfer sheet and the releasing substrate in the seal-type printing sheet is 1.0 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadahiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 10870278
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: a support structure having a plurality of printhead chips mounted thereto; and a shield plate bonded to the support structure, the shield plate having a slot aligned with the printhead chips, the slot having a perimeter edge. A sealant is disposed on all exposed portions of the support structure adjacent the perimeter edge of each slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Inventors: Elmer Dimaculangan Perez, Nicholas Chin, Miao Wang, See-Huat Tan, Jason Thelander, David Burke, Andrew Thomas, Mahes Rajaratnam
  • Patent number: 10870295
    Abstract: A printer includes support members having a convex portion and a support hole as two support portions, and a shaft that includes, in both end portions thereof, a concave portion and a projection portion as supported portions engaging with the support members, respectively, and supports an ink ribbon, the convex portion is rotatable, the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion, the convex portion includes a portion having a pentagonal truncated pyramid liked shape extending in an axis direction, the concave portion includes an inner circumference surface having a polygonal liked shape corresponding to the number of corners of the portion having the truncated pyramid liked shape, and includes a coil spring that elastically displaces the shaft in which the concave portion is formed in a withdrawing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Mori, Katsutoshi Mukaijima
  • Patent number: 10850522
    Abstract: An ink cartridge storing ink inside the ink cartridge including an ink flow path extending from the inside where the ink is stored to outside of the ink cartridge, wherein the ink flow path includes a first opening that opens toward the outside, a second opening that opens to an opposite side of the first opening, a first valve configured to seal the first opening, a second valve configured to seal the second opening, and a biasing member connected to the first and second valves and configured to bias the first and second valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeho Miyashita, Yasuo Kotaki, Tetsuya Ohashi, Ryoji Inoue, Takashi Fukushima, Hironori Murakami, Kyosuke Nagaoka, Kenichi Kanno
  • Patent number: 10850528
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including: a tank having a liquid storing chamber, an erected wall through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank, and an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall and via which the liquid is poured into the liquid storage chamber; a liquid consuming section which consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storing chamber; and a cover. A transmitting section and a checking section are formed in an upper surface, of the cover, under a condition that the cover is in the exposure position, the transmitting section configured to transmit information optically to a user of the liquid consuming apparatus and the checking section configured to prevent the liquid moving on a particular surface of the cover from arriving at the transmitting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tomohisa Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10850508
    Abstract: A print assembly includes: a printhead having a plurality of inkjet nozzle devices; and an array of synthetic jet devices configured to provide a jet flow in a vicinity of ink droplets ejected by the inkjet nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Inventor: Samuel George Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10843459
    Abstract: A test circuit to determine the capacitance of an actuator element in an actuator element array, wherein the test circuit comprises: a controller; a source to generate test inputs; measurement circuitry to measure one or more test values on a test path between the test circuit and the actuator element; wherein the controller is configured to, for a test period: control a first switch associated with the actuator element to connect the actuator element to the test path; control the source to generate a first test input; and determine a total capacitance of the actuator element from a first test value generated in response to the first test input; and determine the capacitance of the actuator element (CACT) from the total capacitance (CPAR+CACT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: XAAR TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil Christopher Bird, Mujahid-ul Islam
  • Patent number: 10836167
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides supports for a microfluidic die and one or more additional die including, but not limited to, microfluidic die, ASICs, MEMS devices, and sensors. This includes semi-flexible supports that allow a microfluidic die to be at a 90 degree angle with respect to another die and rigid supports that allow a microfluidic and another die to be in close proximity to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Simon Dodd
  • Patent number: 10836184
    Abstract: A printing method includes determining the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged based on a color saturation suppression upper limit, and at least one of an overflowing suppression upper limit, a bleeding suppression upper limit, and an aggregation suppression upper limit. The determining of the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged includes setting in advance priorities among the suppressing of the color saturation of the ink and at least one of the overflowing of the ink, the bleeding of the ink, and the aggregation of the ink, and determining the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged based on the priorities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshio Okumura
  • Patent number: 10838666
    Abstract: In an existing service points granting method, service points are changed according to whether the ink ejection amount is corrected. However, changing the service points according to a user's purchases or purchase frequency for components or services has not been considered. A display unit displays products or services relevant to an ink jet recording apparatus, points corresponding to the products or services, and cumulative points possessed by each customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kawano, Nobuhiro Harada, Takahiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10836158
    Abstract: A method for compensating for position-dependent density fluctuations in an inkjet printing machine includes the steps of assigning, by using a look-up table, specific halftone patterns to specific gray values of a color separation to be screened of an image in the course of the calibration of a raster image processor of the inkjet printing machine, using the halftone patterns in the image screening process by using the computer and printing the halftone image on the inkjet printing machine. The look-up table contains the position of every printing nozzle of the print heads in the inkjet printing machine as an additional variable and the computer enters a complete set of gray values with associated adapted halftone patterns into the look-up table for every position of a printing nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Bernd Stritzel
  • Patent number: 10828890
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention, even though there is a print shift due to a gap between a nozzle in an upstream side and a nozzle in a downstream side of a printhead, a printing apparatus capable of precisely adjusting a slant of a printhead with respect to a conveyance direction in a nozzle surface of the printhead is provided. According to the embodiment, two adjustment patterns are printed at two different carriage speeds, respectively, and a print shift due to a slant of the nozzle surface of the printhead with respect to a conveyance direction of a print medium is adjusted based on these two print results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daigo Kuronuma, Masakazu Nagashima, Ryohei Maruyama, Tomohito Abe, Noriyuki Aoki, Naoaki Wada, Toshiaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10828896
    Abstract: Disclosed is an induced electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing apparatus including: a nozzle configured to discharge a fed solution to an opposite substrate; a main electrode contactlessly isolated from the solution inside the nozzle by an insulator; and a voltage supplier configured to apply voltage to the main electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: ENJET CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Do Young Byun, Vu Dat Nguyen, Yong Hee Jang
  • Patent number: 10828889
    Abstract: It is often desirable to apply graphic output to surfaces that are large, irregular, and/or contoured. Application of graphic output on large or complex surfaces may be accomplished by projecting a pattern onto the surface using a projector disposed at a fixed location with respect to the surface. The graphic output is mapped to the projected pattern, by precisely positioning the print head with respect to the projected pattern using a robotic or similar actuated articulated positioning device, graphic output portions may be disposed in each of a plurality of defined locations to form a seamless, large scale graphic output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: William C. Flannigan, Glynn R. Bartlett, Cody E. Bressler
  • Patent number: 10807387
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a line head including a region of nozzles that are formed in an intersecting direction intersecting a transport direction of a recording medium and eject an ink, the region covering a printing region of the recording medium in the intersecting direction, a drying unit that dries the recording medium, a transport unit that transports the recording medium, and a control unit. The ink contains colloidal silica, and the control unit controls the drying unit and the transport unit such that drying of the ink is started within 0.4 second after the ink is attached to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Yamazaki, Shunsuke Uchizono, Hiroaki Kumeta
  • Patent number: 10800189
    Abstract: A printing apparatus capable of performing jam processing includes a movable platen. For this purpose, once support of a platen supporting member is released, the platen will automatically turn to a predetermined angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuki Matsuo, Seiji Ogasawara, Takaaki Ishida, Shuichi Tokuda, Masakazu Tsukuda, Masaaki Matsuura
  • Patent number: 10800183
    Abstract: A method for reducing the effect of defective printing nozzles in a multicolor printing process on an inkjet printing machine. A computer creates a color transformation table that, for every process color of the inkjet printing machine, includes a replacement combination of the respective other process colors with a minimum color distance to the process color in question. The color transformation table is used to compensate for a defective printing nozzle. The color transformation table is created by printing and measuring a test chart with all process colors and interpolated by the computer. The color transformation table is then optimized to avoid undesired transitions between supporting points of the color transformation table and the resultant color transformation table accordingly contains process color combinations with minimum sensitivity to defective printing nozzles and the optimized table is used to carry out the multicolor printing operation on the inkjet printing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Helmut Siegeritz