Patents Examined by Hoan H. Tran
  • Patent number: 11896338
    Abstract: A medical device drive system can include a rotational input, a coupling member engaged with the rotational input, a first gear having an engagement feature sized and shaped to engage with the coupling member, and a second gear coupled with the first gear, the second gear coupled to a movable element. The system can have a first system state and a second system state. In the first system state the coupling member is not engaged with the engagement feature and the first gear rotates without moving the coupling member. In the second system state the coupling member is engaged with the engagement feature of the first gear and rotation of the rotational input turns the coupling member, the first gear, and the second gear to move the movable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas H. Ragosta, Matthew A. Wixey
  • Patent number: 11892798
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a housing; drum cartridge attachable to the housing; a toner cartridge attachable to the drum cartridge at an attachment position; and a contacting portion positioned at a side wall of the housing positioned at one end thereof in a first direction. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum frame. The toner cartridge includes a toner casing, a toner memory, a memory holder holding the toner memory, and a memory holder cover movably holding the memory holder. The memory holder cover has a protrusion protruding in a direction crossing the first direction. In a case where the drum cartridge is to be attached to the housing while the toner cartridge is lifted up from the drum frame than the attachment position, the protrusion is configured to contact the contacting portion to move the toner cartridge to the attachment position from the lifted-up position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryuji Noda, Keita Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11886140
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus can communicate with an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet. The information processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire error information about an error that has occurred in the image forming apparatus, and maintenance information about maintenance work performed on the image forming apparatus; a memory configured to store a plurality of pieces of error information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a controller. The controller is configured to: determine, from the plurality of pieces of error information stored in the memory, based on the maintenance information, first error information about an error that has occurred during the maintenance work; and determine an error part of the image forming apparatus based on second error information obtained by excluding the first error information from the plurality of pieces of error information stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11886143
    Abstract: A sheet laminator laminates a two-ply sheet and a sheet-shaped medium inserted in the two-ply sheet. The sheet laminator includes a sheet feeder, a multi-feeding detector, a fixing device, an ejection device, a purging portion, a passage switcher, and circuitry. The sheet feeder feeds the two-ply sheet. The multi-feeding detector detects multiple feeding of the two-ply sheet. The fixing device fixes the two-ply sheet by application of heat and pressure. The ejection device ejects the two-ply sheet that has been fixed by the fixing device. The purging portion is disposed at a position different from the ejection device. The passage switcher switches a conveyance passage of the two-ply sheet to the fixing device or to the purging portion. The circuitry conveys the two-ply sheet to the purging portion and retries sheet feeding with another two-ply sheet, in response to detection of multiple feeding of the two-ply sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Sugiyama, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Wataru Takahashi, Ruki Midorikawa, Shinya Monma, Sho Asano
  • Patent number: 11880158
    Abstract: A drawer is moveable between an inner position and an outer position through an opening when a cover is located at an opening position. A waste toner conveying tube is movable in a second direction between a first connection position and a first disconnection position when a drum cartridge is attached to a drawer and the drawer is at the inner position. When the cover moves from a closing position toward the opening position, the waste toner conveying tube moves from the first connection position toward the first disconnection position in conjunction with the movement of the cover. The drawer is movable from the inner position toward to the outer position when the drum cartridge is attached to the drawer, the drawer is at the inner position, and the waste toner conveying tube is at the first disconnection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Masato Makino
  • Patent number: 11872821
    Abstract: A printable liquid supply cartridge includes a printable liquid reservoir extending between a first side and a second side, and between a front end and a rear end. The front end includes a printable liquid outlet to receive a first fluid pen and a gas inlet, above the printable liquid outlet, to receive a second fluid pen. The front end also includes an interface support at the first side, the support having an I2C data interface that includes electrical connection pads exposed on an interior side of the support to face from the first side towards the second side, the electrical connection pads being arranged vertically and to make contact with the printer data interface at least partially inserted into the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Anthony D. Studer, David Olsen
  • Patent number: 11868081
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main frame; a developing cartridge including a casing, a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, and developing roller; a photosensitive drum contactable with the developing roller; an electrical connector contactable with the electrical contact surface; a separation mechanism; and a controller configured to communicate with the storage medium via the electrical connector. The separation mechanism is configured to move the casing relative to the main frame in a separating direction in which the developing roller separates from the photosensitive drum. The controller is configured to perform: moving, by controlling the separation mechanism, the casing relative to the main frame in the separating direction; determining, in response to performing the moving, whether communication with the storage medium is established; and outputting, when determining in the determining that the communication with the storage medium is not established, an error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadao Kyotani, Nao Itabashi
  • Patent number: 11860559
    Abstract: There are provided a temperature sensor that has following capability to a temperature measurement object and has excellent responsiveness, and a temperature detection device and an image forming apparatus each including the temperature sensor. A temperature sensor used in contact with a temperature measurement object, includes: a thermosensitive element configured to detect a temperature of the temperature measurement object; a heat collection member including an abutting portion configured to abut on the temperature measurement object, and configured to be thermally joined with the thermosensitive element; and a holding member including a housing portion configured to house the heat collection member. The heat collection member is swingably held by the holding member, to maintain a state where the abutting portion abuts on the temperature measurement object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHIBAURA ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Miyazaki, Morihisa Hamada, Yuki Ishii, Yuri Okada, Ryota Murakoshi
  • Patent number: 11853003
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided. The process cartridge is detachably mounted in an image formation apparatus configured with a power output unit that is swingable, an outer circumference of the power output unit contains a recessed portion. The process cartridge includes: a power receiving unit, comprising a wheel hub and a power receiving member connected with the wheel hub, the power receiving member being engaged with the power output unit to receive a driving force; where the wheel hub comprises a hollow cylinder portion accommodating the power output unit; where the power receiving member includes a fixing protrusion, the fixing protrusion is engaged with the recessed portion of the power output unit to receive the driving force; where the power receiving unit further comprises a bias part, the bias part applies a bias force to drive the power output unit to move to engage with the fixing protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NINESTAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Likun Zeng, Lai Luo, Qijie Liang
  • Patent number: 11852996
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods of fluid delivery for liquid electrophotography printing. A fluid delivery apparatus includes a charged ink source, a supplemental fluid source, a working suspension tank in fluid communication with the charged ink source and the supplemental fluid source, a sensor, and an optical density control unit. The charged ink source is to store a charged ink mixture including charge directors and toner particles. The supplemental fluid source is to store a supplemental fluid including imaging oil. The working suspension tank is to store a working suspension mixture including the charge directors, the toner particles, and the imaging oil. The sensor is to monitor an optical density of print output of the liquid electrophotography printing apparatus. The optical density control unit is to determine whether to supply an uncharged ink mixture to the working suspension tank in response to the monitored optical density indicating electrical fatigue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eyal Bachar, Gil Bar-Haim, Albert Teishev
  • Patent number: 11852989
    Abstract: A developing device includes first and second chambers, a partition wall, first and second feeding screws, a developing roller, a supplying roller, a first magnet including a first magnetic pole, a second magnet including second to fourth magnetic poles, and a guiding portion. With respect to a supplying roller rotational direction, in a position downstream of the third magnetic pole, a magnetic flux density of the fourth magnetic pole in a normal direction is 20% of a maximum value thereof is a first position positioned downstream of a second position where a line connecting a lowermost end of the guiding portion and a supplying roller center crosses an outer peripheral surface of the supplying roller, and upstream of a third position where a line connecting an uppermost end of the first feeding screw and the supplying roller center crosses the outer peripheral surface of the supplying roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Osamu Ariizumi
  • Patent number: 11852987
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposing unit to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing the surface of the photosensitive member charged by the charging member to light and, a developing member to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner. A controller controls so that a predetermined charging voltage is charged and the light is emitted by a low light quantity to a first non-print area, which is a non-print area provided in a region including the print area and the first non-print area with respect to a main scanning direction, and controls so that a charging voltage lower than the predetermined voltage is charged and exposure is not performed on a second non-print area, which is provided in a region including only the non-print area with respect to the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isamu Takeda, Takanori Mitani, Satoshi Nishida, Takao Kume
  • Patent number: 11841672
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a detachable body that is able to be attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus body in a depth direction and is movable from a first position to a second position; an operation unit that is operated in a direction approaching the image forming apparatus body to position the detachable body from the first position to the second position; and a pressing member that presses the detachable body toward the second position with a pressing surface in contact with the detachable body in a state in which an operation of the operation unit is completed and moves the detachable body from the first position to the second position with a slope surface forming an obtuse angle with respect to the pressing surface in contact with the detachable body in accordance with the operation of the operation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kaneko, Toshio Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 11842858
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a power device. The power device includes a circuit board provided to intersect a horizontal plane. The power device includes an electrolytic capacitor, an electric element, and a plate-shaped member that is provided between the electrolytic capacitor and the electric element in a vertical direction and including a first surface extending in a second direction intersecting the vertical direction. The plate-shaped member includes a cutout or a hole, and a position of at least part of an area where the cutout or the hole is formed is farther in the first direction from the mounting surface of the circuit board than a position of the electric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junya Kobayashi, Masaki Inagaki
  • Patent number: 11835906
    Abstract: In a foil transfer device for transferring a transfer layer from a foil film onto a sheet laid on the foil film, the foil film is wound on a supply reel, and taken up on a take-up reel. A heating member heats the foil film, and a pressure member is provided to press the foil film and the sheet between the pressure member and the heating member. A separator changes a traveling direction of the foil film having passed through between the heating member and the pressure member into a direction different from a direction of conveyance of the sheet, to thereby separate the foil film from the sheet. A first fan blows air toward the foil film positioned between the heating member and the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Mori, Ryosuke Sakai, Ayaka Ohira, Tomoya Yamamoto, Seiji Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 11822263
    Abstract: A consumable chip applied to a consumable includes a memory and a controller. The memory is used to store information of a consumable product of an image formation device. The controller is configured to control the consumable chip to generate a predetermined signal to cause the image formation device to perform a target operation according to the predetermined signal. The consumable chip is mounted at the consumable. The consumable is detachably mounted at the image formation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ZHUHAI PANTUM ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo Wang, Haixiong Li, Aiguo Yin
  • Patent number: 11822267
    Abstract: A guide unit holding portion is formed at a position between two struts in a longitudinal direction of a fixing unit. When a main cover portion rotates from an open position to a closed position, a supported portion of a swing guide unit moves from a position where the supported portion is separated from the guide unit holding portion to a position where the supported portion is in contact with the guide unit holding portion. Further, the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion. When the supported portion slides on the guide unit holding portion, the swing guide unit is swung upward, and then held at a target position by the guide unit holding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Sachio Izumichi, Akira Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11822278
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit forming a transfer nip portion, a fixing unit forming a fixing nip portion, and first and second belt suction conveyance units to suck a sheet onto a first belt and a second belt, respectively. The fixing nip portion is arranged at a position above the transfer nip portion. In a sheet conveyance direction, an upstream end portion of the first belt in the first belt suction conveyance unit is provided below the transfer nip portion, a downstream end portion of the first belt is provided above an upstream end portion of the second belt in the second belt suction conveyance unit, and a downstream end portion of the second belt is provided below the fixing nip portion. The first and second belts are inclined from a lower position to an upper position from upstream to downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 11822281
    Abstract: A sensor cleaning device includes: a cleaning member including an inclined portion that wipes and cleans an entire surface of a sensor, which includes a long side portion extending in a longitudinal direction and a short side portion extending in a lateral direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction, while moving relative to the surface of the sensor in the longitudinal direction of the surface of the sensor and is disposed obliquely to a wiping direction so that an upstream end portion of the inclined portion in the wiping direction is positioned outside the surface of the sensor in the lateral direction; and a moving mechanism that moves the cleaning member in the wiping direction and in a direction opposite to the wiping direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Keiji Sanekata, Chihiro Hagiwara, Kiyoshi Sako, Kento Terashima, Masayuki Shimoda
  • Patent number: 11809098
    Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning member that removes toner from a surface of an image holder by bringing an upper end portion into contact with the surface from a downstream side in a rotation direction of the image holder, a housing that supports the cleaning member and that stores the toner removed from the surface of the image holder by the cleaning member, and a transport member that is provided in the housing and that transports the toner stored in the housing to an outside of the housing at the same height as a contact portion of the cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the image holder or at a position above the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Akira Shimodaira, Tomoya Oki, Naoya Mitamura