Patents Examined by Erica Lin
  • Patent number: 10233343
    Abstract: An aqueous ink for use in an ink jet recording method in which ink is thermally ejected from a recording head to record an image on a recording medium. The aqueous ink includes zirconium oxide; a pigment; a resin dispersant for the pigment; and a first and a second urethane resin. The content (ppm) of the zirconium oxide in terms of zirconium is 0.5-20.0 ppm based on the total mass of the ink. The pigment is at least one of phthalocyanine, quinacridone, diketopyrrolopyrrole, dioxazine, perinone, perylene and anthraquinone pigments. Each of the first and second urethane resins has a unit derived from a polyether polyol. The ratio of the weight-average molecular weight Mw1 of the first urethane resin to the weight-average molecular weight Mw2 of the second urethane resin is 0.20-0.80 times. The second urethane resin has a weight-average molecular weight Mw2 of 20,000-70,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Takebayashi, Shuichi Okazaki, Minako Kawabe, Yuko Nishiwaki, Hiroshi Kakikawa, Eriko Kawakita
  • Patent number: 10232612
    Abstract: A liquid jetting device includes a plurality of nozzles from which a liquid can be ejected, a plurality of pressure chambers, each being in fluid communication with an associated nozzle in the plurality of nozzles, actuators associated with each pressure chamber and configured to cause a pressure change in an associated pressure chamber in the plurality of pressure chambers, a heat-conductive chassis to which the plurality of nozzles, the plurality of pressure chambers, and the actuators are mounted, an integrated circuit held inside the chassis and configured to drive the actuators to eject liquid from the plurality of nozzles, a circuit board electrically connected to the integrated circuit and configured supply an electrical signal to integrated circuit, and a heat-conductive support to which the circuit board is mounted, the heat-conductive support held by the heat-conductive chassis to contact the integrated circuit and an inner surface of the heat-conductive chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomomi Iijima, Tomoki Hoshino, Keizaburou Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10233345
    Abstract: An ink set includes an ink A including water, a first organic solvent, and a first pigment and an ink B including water, a second organic solvent, a second pigment, and a urethane resin particle. The first organic solvent includes at least one of N,N-dimethyl-?-buthoxy propionamide, N,N-dimethyl-?-methoxy propionamide, and 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyl oxetane and has a mixing solubility parameter A of 10.00 to less than 13.00 and the second organic solvent has a mixing solubility parameter B of 13.00 to 16.00.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Yokohama, Hiroshi Gotou, Kaori Toyama, Masayuki Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 10220629
    Abstract: The liquid cartridge includes: a front surface facing in an insertion direction intersecting a gravitational direction; a rear surface spaced apart from the front surface in the insertion direction; an upper surface facing upward; a liquid supply portion disposed at the front surface; an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface; and a movable member including a detection portion. The movable member is movable between a first position and a second position. The movable member at the second position is positioned upstream in the insertion direction relative to the electrical interface. The movable member at the first position has a portion whose widthwise position is coincident with the electrical interface in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the insertion direction and the gravitational direction. The portion of the movable member at the first position is located downstream in the insertion direction or upward relative to the electrical interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Kosuke Nukui, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Akihito Ono, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 10196532
    Abstract: Provided is an ink containing a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant represented by the following general formula (1), and having a viscosity at 25° C. of 5 mPa·s or more. The ink has a static surface tension of 27.1 mN/m or more and 35.0 mN/m or less, which is measured at 25° C. by a Wilhelmy method. The ink also has a dynamic surface tension at a bubble life time of 150 msec of 30.5 mN/m or more and 37.0 mN/m or less, which is measured at 25° C. by a maximum bubble pressure method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kawamura, Masahiro Terada, Akihiro Taya, Yohei Masada, Masanobu Ootsuka, Takaharu Aotani, Yutaka Yoshimasa, Shoji Koike
  • Patent number: 10197453
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first signal generator configured to generate a plurality of first signals and a second signal generator configured to generate a plurality of second signals. One of the plurality of first signals varies in one of a plurality of temperature sections. One of the plurality of second signals is substantially constant in one of the plurality of temperature sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignees: SK HYNIX INC., SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jae-Hoon Kim, Dae-Yong Shim, Suhwan Kim
  • Patent number: 10190010
    Abstract: Provided is an ink containing a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant, and having a viscosity at 25° C. of 5 mPa·s or more. The ink has a static surface tension of 30.5 mN/m or more to 35.0 mN/m or less, which is measured at 25° C. by a Wilhelmy method. The ink also has a dynamic surface tension at a bubble life time of 150 msec of 30.5 mN/m or more to 37.0 mN/m or less, which is measured at 25° C. by a maximum bubble pressure method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kawamura, Masahiro Terada, Akihiro Taya, Yohei Masada, Masanobu Ootsuka, Takaharu Aotani, Yutaka Yoshimasa, Shoji Koike
  • Patent number: 10179469
    Abstract: A method of inkjet printing a color image including a metallic or pearlescent color includes the steps of applying on part of an ink receiver a layer containing a pearlescent or metallic pigment having a volume mean particle size of at least 3.0 ?m as measured by laser diffraction; and inkjet printing on part of the layer containing the pearlescent or metallic pigment a layer with a white inkjet ink containing a white pigment having an average particle size between 250 and 400 nm as measured by differential centrifugal sedimentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: AGFA NV
    Inventor: Roel De Mondt
  • Patent number: 10173424
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting head including: a first substrate in which a space serving as a flow path is formed in a state of having an opening on a surface of one side thereof; and a second substrate which seals the opening from the surface on the one side of the first substrate, divides the flow path, and is made of resin, in which the first substrate and the second substrate adhere to each other via a first adhesive layer which is laminated on the surface on the one side of the first substrate and which is made of a silicone-based adhesive and a second adhesive layer which is laminated on the first adhesive layer and which is made of an epoxy-based adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhide Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10173433
    Abstract: There is provided a tank including: first and second chambers; a liquid inlet port; a first communicating port; a communicating channel; a second communicating port; an atmosphere open port; a gas-liquid separating membrane provided in the communicating channel; and a liquid outflow port. In a state that a first wall constructing a first end of the tank in a usable posture constructs an upper portion of the tank and that a second wall constructing a second end, of the tank in the usable posture, which is away in a horizontal direction from the first end constructs a lower portion of the tank and under a condition that a maximum amount, of the liquid, storable in the tank in the usable posture, is stored in the first and second chambers, the gas-liquid separating membrane is located at a position above the liquid surface of the maximum amount of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taichi Shirono, Masako Kawagoe, Yoshinori Osakabe, Masahiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10173449
    Abstract: A method of inkjet printing a color image including a metallic or pearlescent color includes the steps of applying on part of an ink receiver a layer containing a pearlescent or metallic pigment having a volume mean particle size of at least 4.0 ?m as measured by laser diffraction; and inkjet printing on part of the layer containing the pearlescent or metallic pigment a layer with an opaque color inkjet ink containing a chromatic color pigment and a white pigment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: AGFA NV
    Inventor: Roel De Mondt
  • Patent number: 10166793
    Abstract: A serial-type recording apparatus includes a controller configured to execute continuous recording processing in which, before completion of image recording on a first sheet fed before a second sheet, the second sheet is fed from a feed tray, wherein the controller is configured to: set a first current limit value in a first motor and drive the first motor having the first current limit value to feed the second sheet from the feed tray; and set a second current limit value in the first motor and drive the first motor having the second current limit value to refeed the second sheet from the feed tray, on condition that driving of a second motor has completed a last intermittent conveyance of the first sheet and feed failure of the second sheet has been determined based on a detection signal from a sheet sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Jimbo, Hidenobu Kondo
  • Patent number: 10160208
    Abstract: An electromechanical-transducing electronic component includes at least one element array of electromechanical transducer elements. A piezoelectric material of each transducer element is made of a composite oxide having a perovskite structure preferentially oriented to at least one of (100) and (001) planes and has a drop of diffraction intensity in a rocking curve corresponding to at least one of (200) and (002) planes measured at a position (2?=?max) of a diffraction peak intensity P where the diffraction intensity is largest in a diffraction intensity peak corresponding to the at least one of the (200) and (002) planes out of diffraction intensity peaks measured by an X-ray diffraction ?-2? method. ?P/PAVE is 20% or less where PAVE represents an average of the intensity P in the element array in the piezoelectric material of each transducer element and ?P represents a maximum difference of the intensity P in the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Mizukami
  • Patent number: 10160221
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a front surface facing frontward, a rear surface spaced apart from the front surface, an upper surface facing upward and is disposed between the front surface and the rear surface, a liquid supply portion provided at the front surface, a detection portion, an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface, and an engaging surface. The detection portion includes a light-receiving portion configured to receive incident light thereon. The light-receiving portion is positioned upward relative to the upper surface and configured to change a state of the light depending on a state of the liquid cartridge. The engaging surface faces rearward and configured to be engaged with an external member such that the engagement between the engaging surface and the external member restricts the liquid cartridge from moving rearward. The electrical interface and the engaging surface are positioned frontward relative to the light-receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Tomoguchi
  • Patent number: 10155392
    Abstract: A sealing member for an ink container includes a main body portion and a protruding portion. The ink container includes a refill port. The main body portion is configured to seal the refill port. The protruding portion is disposed on an upper surface of the main body portion and protrudes from the upper surface of the main body portion. The protruding portion extends at least through a central axis of the main body portion. A center of gravity of the protruding portion is offset from the central axis of the main body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masataka Kamiya
  • Patent number: 10150880
    Abstract: Provided is an ink set including: a first ink that is white and contains water, hollow resin particles, and at least one organic solvent; and a second ink that contains water and at least one organic solvent and is to be applied on a first image formed with the first ink to form a second image, wherein an average thickness difference (A?B) between an average thickness (A) of the first image before the second ink is applied and an average thickness (B) of a white region in the first image after the second image is formed is 1 ?m or greater but 3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Katsuragi
  • Patent number: 10144218
    Abstract: A flow path member includes a plurality of flow paths including a first flow path, a filter chamber which communicates with the first flow path and is provided with a filter, and a second flow path which communicates with the filter chamber, in which the filter is disposed so that a direction including a direction where liquid of the first flow path or the second flow path flows is a surface direction, and in which a plurality of filter chambers are disposed at positions where at least the filter chambers partially overlap each other in a normal direction with respect to the surface direction of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Fumiya Takino
  • Patent number: 10124594
    Abstract: A tank is configured to be installed in a liquid consuming apparatus having a liquid consuming unit. The tank includes: a casing having a first partition wall defining a first storage chamber configured to store liquid and a second partition wall defining a second storage chamber configured to store the liquid. The casing is formed with: an inlet provided to inject the liquid into the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber; a communication port communicating the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber; an atmosphere opening port communicating the second storage chamber and the outside of the tank; and a liquid outflow port through which the liquid stored in the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber flows out toward the liquid consuming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Taichi Shirono, Masako Kawagoe, Yoshinori Osakabe, Masataka Kamiya
  • Patent number: 10125283
    Abstract: An aqueous ink containing a self-dispersible pigment for use in an ink jet recording method using a recording head that ejects an ink by an action of thermal energy. The aqueous ink contains a compound represented by General Formula (I): where in General Formula (I) R1's are independently of each other, a sulfonic acid group, a carboxylic acid group, a phosphoric acid group or a phosphonic acid group, R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and n is an integer of 1 to 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yojiro Kojima, Yuko Negishi, Yoshihisa Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10112402
    Abstract: There is provided a tank including: a casing; a liquid chamber including first and second chambers; a communicating channel configured by first, second, and third communicating channels; a liquid inlet port; a first communicating port; a second communicating port; an atmosphere open port; a liquid outflow port; and a gas-liquid separating membrane provided in the third communicating channel and blocking flowing (distribution, circulation) of liquid in the third communicating channel. A first end of the second communicating channel is communicated with the second chamber, and a second end of the second communicating channel is communicated with an end of the first communicating channel. A first end of the third communicating channel is communicated with the second end of the second communicating channel, and a second end of the third communicating channel is communicated with the atmosphere open port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Taichi Shirono, Masako Kawagoe, Yoshinori Osakabe