Patents Examined by Erica Lin
  • Patent number: 9475329
    Abstract: A print medium surface treatment includes a first composition that includes a filler, and a polymer that is non-film forming until it is subjected to film forming conditions. The first composition has a charge density that is large enough to promote crashing of particulate colorants of an ink and low enough to avoid crashing of the filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gracy Apprisiani Wingkono, Xiaoqi Zhou, Christopher Cobbs
  • Patent number: 9475302
    Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus includes a print head configured to be able to eject an ink fed from an ink tank that contains the ink in a closed space so as to apply a negative pressure to the ink, a communication path configured to allow a liquid chamber in the print head to communicate with an outside of the liquid chamber, an opening and closing unit configured to open and close the communication path, and a control unit configured to open the communication path in accordance with a pressure in the print head via the opening and closing unit, to bring the liquid chamber and the outside into communication with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Finetech, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenro Yamaguchi, Takashi Sugai, Noritaka Ota
  • Patent number: 9457570
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of recording element substrates that each include an energy generating element generating energy utilized for ejecting a liquid and that each have a supply port through which the liquid is supplied to the energy generating element, a plurality of support members that each have a flow passage communicating with a corresponding one of the supply ports and that each support a corresponding one of the plurality of recording element substrates, a base substrate that supports the plurality of support members, and a heat insulating member disposed between the flow passages and the base substrate. In the liquid ejection head, a thermal conductivity of the support members is equal to or greater than a thermal conductivity of the recording element substrates, and a thermal conductivity of the heat insulating member is less than a thermal conductivity of the base substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 9446589
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle plate including a nozzle opening provided on a first surface of a flow path member with a flow path formed therein, and a protective member including a flexible portion that seals a portion of the flow path provided on the first surface of the flow path member. A position of a portion of the flow path member onto which the nozzle plate is attached and a position of a portion of the flow path member onto which the protective member is attached are different from one another in a discharge direction of a liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Watanabe, Katsumi Enomoto
  • Patent number: 9446613
    Abstract: A medium supporting device includes a flexible medium supporting section that supports a medium, a supporting base that supports the medium supporting section in contact with a first contact section and a second contact section, and a tension applying section that applies tension to the medium supporting section between the first contact section and the second contact section. The first contact section and the second contact section extend in a cross direction, intersecting with the tension applying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichiro Nakano, Osamu Hara, Eiji Kumai
  • Patent number: 9446990
    Abstract: Disclosed are compositions, such as inkjet inks or glazes, for jetting onto a ceramic substrate, and associated methods and systems. The compositions are configured to produce a blister relief effect, wherein the incorporation of inkjet technology provides precise control over the location and degree of blistering. The enhanced compositions are configured to form gas bubbles when exposed to the elevated temperatures of a firing cycle, wherein the formed gas is trapped within the glaze, causing an expansion or blistering of the glaze, which results in a raised relief.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Zavada, David Weber, Louis Fage, Matthew Tennis
  • Patent number: 9440445
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including a casing, a liquid consuming section, and a tank. The tank includes a box-shaped body having a light-transmitting property and having five walls and a partition wall; a film adhered to rear end portions of the walls; and a positioning section disposed at least on an outer surface of each of the upper and lower walls, or of each of the right and left walls. In a state that the liquid consuming apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the box-shaped body is positioned at a posture at which the positioning section is brought into contact with the casing to thereby allow the front wall to be exposed from a side surface of the casing which extends in a direction crossing the horizontal plane, and at which the rear end portions are located inside the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinori Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9434162
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a pressure chamber forming substrate that forms a pressure chamber filled with ink, a nozzle that ejects the ink in a Z direction along the pressure chamber forming substrate, and a communicating flow path that allows the pressure chamber to communicate with the nozzle, in which the communicating flow path includes a first flow path along a Y direction intersecting the Z direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinao Miyata, Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe, Yoichi Naganuma
  • Patent number: 9437806
    Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film is manufactured by sequentially executing: a step of coating a substrate by applying a coating solution containing an organic solvent and a piezoelectric thin film precursor to form a coating layer; a step of evaporating the organic solvent from the coating layer in a windless environment to obtain a dried coating layer containing the piezoelectric thin film precursor; and a step of heating the dried coating layer to form a piezoelectric thin film from the dried coating layer containing the piezoelectric thin film precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motokazu Kobayashi, Yoshinori Kotani, Naoyuki Koketsu
  • Patent number: 9434163
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid jetting apparatus, which is provided with: a flow passage formation member including a pressure chamber, and a piezoelectric actuator having a vibration film provided on the flow passage formation member, a piezoelectric film arranged on the vibration film to correspond to the pressure chamber, first and second electrodes arranged on different surfaces of the piezoelectric film, a first protective film covering the piezoelectric film, a wire connected to the second electrode, and a second protective film covering the wire, includes: forming a first protective film on the vibration film to cover the piezoelectric film and the second electrode; forming the wire and the second protective film to cover the wire with the first protective film covering the piezoelectric film and the second electrode; and removing a part, of the first protective film, that overlaps with the second electrode, after forming the second protective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keita Hirai
  • Patent number: 9431597
    Abstract: A piezoelectric laminate including a base and a first piezoelectric layer formed above the base and including potassium sodium niobate. The first piezoelectric layer is shown by a compositional formula (KaNa1-a)xNbO3, “a” and “x” in the compositional formula being respectively 0.1<a<1 and 1?x?1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mayumi Ueno, Takamitsu Higuchi, Takeshi Kijima
  • Patent number: 9427961
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a microfluidic jetting device having a piezoelectric member positioned above a displaceable membrane. A voltage is applied across the piezoelectric member causing deformation of the piezoelectric member. The deformation of the piezoelectric member results in a displacement of the membrane, which is formed above a cavity. Displacement of the membrane creates pressure to jet or eject liquid from the cavity and suction liquid into the cavity through ports or apertures formed in the in membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Michele Palmieri
  • Patent number: 9427965
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting head which includes a head main body which ejects ink from a liquid ejection surface and has a plurality of manifolds which store the ink, and a flow-path member in which a first distribution flow path and a second distribution flow path is provided to supply ink to the head main body, in which the plurality of manifolds are arranged on the same plane and the plurality of manifolds, the first distribution flow path, and the second distribution flow path are not disposed in the same plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Isamu Togashi
  • Patent number: 9415597
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes: a pressure chamber to be filled with ink formed in a pressure chamber structure, the pressure chamber in which an etching limiter made of a material different from a material of the pressure chamber structure is formed on an inner wall surface of the pressure chamber; a nozzle plate comprising a nozzle that leading to the pressure chamber and a movable range fitted to the etching limiter; and a flat driver comprising a piezoelectric body to operate the movable range and arranged on the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawakubo, Kazuhide Abe, Yasushi Tomizawa, Ryuichi Arai, Ryutaro Kusunoki, Osamu Takagi
  • Patent number: 9415593
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes: a vibration plates having a plurality of openings of a first diameter; ink pressure chambers, each arranged on one surface of the corresponding vibration plate; first electrodes, each formed on the other surface of the vibration plate; a plurality of piezoelectric layers, each portion of which is formed on a first electrode such that it surrounds the opening and that, when a driving voltage is applied, deforms the vibration plate to expand or contract the ink pressure chamber; second electrodes formed on each piezoelectric layer; a protective layer which is at least formed on the vibration plate and the second electrode and has a nozzle for ejecting the ink having a diameter smaller than the first diameter extending therethrough and through the opening; and an ink-feeding mechanism that feeds the ink into the ink pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei Yokoyama, Ryutaro Kusunoki, Chiaki Tanuma, Ryuichi Arai
  • Patent number: 9403361
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus is provided with an actuator substrate on which a piezoelectric actuator that generates a pressure change in a pressure generation chamber, which is in communication with a nozzle opening that ejects a liquid, is provided. The liquid ejecting head is provided with lead-out wiring that is led out from the piezoelectric actuator to the top of the actuator substrate, the lead-out wiring is provided with an adhesive layer that is provided on an actuator substrate side, and a conductive layer that is provided on a side of the adhesive layer which is opposite the actuator substrate, and the adhesive layer has a width that is narrower than the conductive layer in at least a parallel arrangement direction of the lead-out wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Motoki Takabe
  • Patent number: 9403364
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a liquid discharge head capable of reducing the possibility that ink intrudes into the interior thereof. The liquid discharge head includes a head body which has a plurality of discharge holes, a plurality of pressurizing chambers communicating with the discharge holes, and piezoelectric bodies disposed correspondingly to the pressurizing chambers, a flexible wiring board electrically connected to the piezoelectric bodies, a first member having a hole disposed on the head body, and a second member disposed on the first member. A part of the second member is disposed so as to cover the hole in a plan view. The flexible wiring board is passed through the hole and is led out from between the first member and the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Takaaki Ichizono
  • Patent number: 9403363
    Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes: a nozzle plate formed with a nozzle; a first flow passage formation body stacked on the nozzle plate and formed with a liquid flow passage including a pressure chamber in communication with the nozzle; a piezoelectric element arranged on a surface of the first flow passage formation body on the side opposite to the nozzle plate and configured to apply a pressure to a liquid in the pressure chamber; and a second flow passage formation body arranged on the side opposite to the nozzle plate with respect to the first flow passage formation body so as not to hinder driving of the piezoelectric element. The second flow passage formation body is formed with a liquid storing chamber and a throttle flow passage configured to restrict an amount of the liquid flowing from the liquid storing chamber into the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Kakiuchi, Atsushi Ito
  • Patent number: 9393809
    Abstract: An inkjet printing method for printing on a non-porous media includes pre-coating a smooth non-porous media with toner resin particles in a half-tone pattern to create a patterned toner coated media; applying inkjet ink to said half-tone patterned toner coated media to provide an image on said half-tone patterned toner coated media; wherein a tone value of the half-tone pattern is a pre-determined function of an image-wise lay-down of the inkjet image generated by a data processing system; and fusing said image on said toner coated media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Kevin D. Lofftus
  • Patent number: 9385299
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric element comprising a first electrode; a piezoelectric body layer provided on the first electrode, the piezoelectric body layer including 50 mol % or more of at least bismuth and iron, and the piezoelectric body layer having a current density-time curve obtained by applying a voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode including a plurality of inflection points; and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric body layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Yonemura, Masahisa Nawano, Akio Konishi