Patents Examined by Jason S Uhlenhake
  • Patent number: 11413876
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a controller configured to perform at least one of storing apparatus identification information stored in a memory into a cartridge memory via a cartridge interface and storing cartridge identification information stored in the cartridge memory into the memory via the cartridge interface, receive permission application information from another apparatus via a communication interface, determine whether or not reception identification information included in the received permission application information is identical to the apparatus identification information or the cartridge identification information stored in the memory, and transmit permission information representing that the said another apparatus is permitted to perform printing, to the said another apparatus via the communication interface, when determining that the cartridge has been removed from the attachment case and that the reception identification information is identical to the apparatus identification inf
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobumasa Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11400715
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes nozzles, pressure chambers, a common supply channel, a common collection channel, and an air chamber. The nozzles are configured to discharge liquid. The pressure chambers are communicated with the nozzles, respectively. The common supply channel is communicated with the pressure chambers. The common supply channel includes a displaceable first region in a part of a wall of the common supply channel. The common collection channel is communicated with the pressure chambers. The common collection channel includes a displaceable second region in a part of a wall of the common collection channel. The air chamber faces a surface of the first region and a surface of the second region. The surface of the first region is opposite the wall of the common supply channel. The surface of the second region is opposite the wall of the common collection channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shiomi Andoh, Noritaka Masuda
  • Patent number: 11400714
    Abstract: A method for operating a printer can include draining a print material from a printer, placing a sacrificial metal into the printer, ejecting the sacrificial metal from a nozzle of the printer, and cooling to printer to a temperature that is below a melting point of the print material and the sacrificial metal. The print material can be or include aluminum and the sacrificial metal can be or include tin. The print material can be drained from the printer when the print material is in molten form, for example, from about 600° C. to about 2000° C. The sacrificial metal can be ejected from the nozzle at a temperature above the melting point of the sacrificial metal but below the melting point of the print material, for example, below about 300° C. The method can reduce or eliminate cracking of various printer structures such as the nozzle during a shutdown or cooling of the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chu-Heng Liu
  • Patent number: 11400717
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid container and a liquid discharge head. The liquid container is configured to contain liquid. The liquid discharge head is configured to discharge the liquid. The liquid discharge head includes a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are aligned. The nozzle row includes a first region in which nozzles are aligned at a first nozzle pitch, a second region in which nozzles are aligned at a second nozzle pitch larger than the first nozzle pitch, and a third region in which nozzles are arranged at a third nozzle pitch smaller than the first nozzle pitch. A volume of the liquid discharged from the second region is larger than a volume of the liquid discharged from the first region. A volume of the liquid discharged from the third region is smaller than the volume of the liquid discharged from the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryohta Yoneta
  • Patent number: 11390080
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus may include an ink-jet head having: individual connection flow channels through which ink can be discharged from pressure chambers; and a common flow channel at which ink from the individual connection flow channels merges, wherein when the ink is ejected, in a nozzle through which the maximum amount of ink per unit time is ejected, the relationship of (Fn/Fi)?10 is satisfied, Fn representing the amount of ink ejected per unit time from the nozzle, and Fi representing the average flow rate of ink discharged per unit time from the individual connection flow channels, and the relationship of (Rc/Rt)?10 is satisfied, Rc representing the flow channel resistance of the common flow channel, and Rt representing the synthetic resistance of the individual connection flow channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hikaru Hamano
  • Patent number: 11390083
    Abstract: A modular inkjet printhead includes: a plurality of printhead modules arranged end on end in a row; an elongate support structure extending a length of the printhead for holding the printhead modules; and an ink carrier extending alongside the support structure and laterally spaced from the printhead modules, the ink carrier being fluidically connected to each of the printhead modules via a plurality of ink connectors extending laterally therefrom; and a pair of elongate busbars extending longitudinally along a roof of the ink carrier, each busbar being electrically connected to each of the printhead modules via a pair of respective connector straps extending transversely therefrom, the busbars supplying power to each of the printhead modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Inventors: Jason Mark Thelander, David Oliver Burke
  • Patent number: 11390072
    Abstract: A fluidic die includes a number of actuators to eject fluid from the fluidic die. The number of actuators form a number of primitives. The fluidic die includes a plurality of delays within a column of the primitives, and a processing device to control the delays through which a number of activation pulses pass. The activation pulses activate each of the actuators associated with the primitives. The activation pulses are delayed between the primitives via at least one of the delays to reduce peak power demands of the fluidic die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott A Linn, Eric Martin, Vincent C Korthuis, James Michael Gardner
  • Patent number: 11390081
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a fluid ejection die including a first end portion positioned adjacent a first end of the fluid ejection die, and a fluid ejection portion positioned adjacent the first end portion. The fluid ejection die includes a contact pad positioned in the first end portion, and a fluid actuation device positioned in the fluid ejection portion. A carrier is attached to the fluid ejection die. The carrier includes a slot to provide fluid to the fluid actuation device. The slot extends longitudinally along the fluid ejection portion to a first slot end. A length from the first slot end to the first end of the fluid ejection die is less than 1.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Chien-Hua Chen, Christopher A. Leonard, Anthony M. Fuller
  • Patent number: 11390082
    Abstract: A modular inkjet printhead includes a plurality of printhead modules arranged end on end in a row. Each printhead module includes: a substrate having a plurality of ink supply channels; a plurality of print chips mounted on the substrate, each print chip receiving ink from a respective ink supply channel; and a plurality of fingers extending longitudinally from opposite ends of each printhead module, each finger comprising at least a portion of a respective print chip. The fingers of neighboring printhead modules are interdigitated such that print chips of neighboring printhead modules overlap and the portion of the print chip contained in a respective finger is positioned towards one lateral edge of the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Inventors: Jason Mark Thelander, David Oliver Burke
  • Patent number: 11383523
    Abstract: A print head drive circuit outputs an output signal from a terminal electrically coupled to a low voltage logic signal input terminal to which a low voltage logic signal is input and has a first mode in which the print head drive circuit controls a print head to execute reading processing of reading information stored in a memory and not to execute ejection control processing of controlling whether or not to supply a high voltage signal to an ejecting portion group by switching a switch group in accordance with the output signal and a second mode in which the print head drive circuit controls the print head not to execute the reading processing and to execute the ejection control processing in accordance with the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventors: Eiji Takagi, Masanori Koizumi, Shunya Komatsu, Shuichi Nakano, Masashi Kamiyanagi, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11364732
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a liquid ejection device to which an additional head can be attached and which suppresses a reduction in print quality. The liquid ejection device includes a main scanning drive portion that transports, in a main scanning direction, a carriage on which are mounted a base printing head that ejects ink for base printing onto a print medium, and a color printing head that ejects at least two colors of ink, from yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, onto the print medium, the base printing head and the color printing head being separated from each other in the sub-scanning direction. Between the base printing head and the color printing head on the carriage, the liquid ejection device includes an additional head attachment portion to which the additional head can be added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11358391
    Abstract: A printhead module includes a monolithic substrate having a plurality of rows of print chips mounted thereon. Each row of print chips receives power and data through a respective longitudinal slot defined through a thickness of the substrate, each longitudinal slot extending parallel with and offset from the rows of print chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventors: Jason Mark Thelander, David Oliver Burke
  • Patent number: 11358390
    Abstract: Examples include a fluid ejection device comprising a carrier, at least one fluid ejection die, and conductive traces at least partially embedded in the carrier. The carrier has a first portion and a second portion, where an angle of orientation between the first portion and the second portion is nonparallel. The first portion includes an array of openings formed through a top surface of the carrier. The second portion includes at least one die opening through a bottom surface of the carrier. The fluid ejection die is coupled to the second portion of the carrier. Fluid passages formed in a back surface of the fluid ejection die are exposed through the at least one die opening formed through the bottom surface of the carrier. The conductive traces have an array of contact points at first ends of the conductive traces. The array of contact points align with the array of openings of the first portion of the carrier such that the array of contact points are exposed through the array of openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Cumbie, Chien-Hua Chen
  • Patent number: 11351786
    Abstract: A printhead module includes: an ink manifold defining a plurality of ink supply channels, the ink manifold having first and second opposite faces; a plurality of print chips mounted on the first face, each print chip receiving ink from a respective ink supply channel via a set of ink outlets defined in the first face; first PCBs mounted on the first face of the ink manifold, each print chip being electrically connected to a respective first PCB; and second PCBs mounted on the second face of the ink manifold. The first and second PCBs are connected via electrical connectors extending through longitudinal slots defined in the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Inventors: Jason Mark Thelander, David Oliver Burke
  • Patent number: 11351794
    Abstract: A printing apparatus counts an ink quantity in an ink tank in accordance with consumption of ink from the ink tank, updates and holds a count value obtained by the count in a counter, and detects whether ink injection to the ink tank has been done before execution of sensing by a sensing unit configured to sense whether a predetermined quantity of ink is present in the ink tank. If sensing by the sensing unit is executed, the apparatus reads out a preceding sensing result from a memory that stores a sensing result of presence/absence of the ink by the sensing unit, verifies a transition between the preceding sensing result and a current sensing result, and controls operations of reset of the count value held by the counter and the count based on the transition and a result of the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Kei Kosaka, Tetsuya Narazaki
  • Patent number: 11351785
    Abstract: A modular inkjet printhead includes a plurality of printhead modules arranged end on end in a row. Each printhead module includes: a substrate having a plurality of parallel ink supply channels extending longitudinally along a length thereof and a plurality of parallel printhead segments. Each printhead segment extends longitudinally along a length of the substrate and has a plurality of print chips arranged end on end in a row. A plurality of fingers extend longitudinally from opposite ends of each printhead module, each finger including a portion of a respective one of the printhead segments. The fingers of neighboring printhead modules are interdigitated such that printhead segments of neighboring printhead modules overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Inventors: Jason Mark Thelander, David Oliver Burke
  • Patent number: 11351789
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a number of primitives, each receiving a same set of addresses and including a number of ejection chambers, each corresponding to a different address of the set of addresses and including a drive bubble formation mechanism and a drive bubble detect (DBD) mechanism. Input logic receives nozzle column data groups (NCG), each NCG including fire pulse groups (FPG), each FPG including DBD data having an enable value or disable value, and ejection data bits, each ejection data bit corresponding to a different one of the primitives. For each FPG of each NCG, activation logic identifies the FPG as a DBD FPG when the DBD data has the enable value and activates in each primitive the drive bubble formation mechanism and the DBD mechanism identified by the DBD FPG to perform a DBD measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, Eric Martin, James Gardner
  • Patent number: 11345148
    Abstract: An inkjet recording head includes an ejection chip having ejection orifices an external wiring board for applying an electrical signal, an electrical joining portion in which an external wiring of the external wiring board and the ejection chip are electrically joined, and a resin-sealed portion for sealing the electrical joining portion, in which a first spacer is provided between the electrical joining portion and a member in which the ejection orifices are formed, a second spacer is provided in a region outside a formation region of the external wirings, electrode bumps of the ejection chip and the external wirings of the external wiring board are joined to each other in the electrical joining portion, and the first spacer and the second spacer are joined to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Komuro
  • Patent number: 11345149
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes an ejection chip in which a plurality of ejection orifices performing ejection are arranged; an external wiring board including an external wiring for applying an electric signal to the ejection chip from an outside; an electrical bonding portion where the external wiring of the external wiring board and the ejection chip are electrically bonded to each other; and a resin sealing portion that seals the electrical bonding portion, in which a corner of the external wiring board where a first end surface on an ejection chip side and a side end surface connected to the first end surface intersect has a chamfered portion which is chamfered, and the chamfered portion is positioned within a width of the ejection chip in an ejection orifice arrangement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Komuro
  • Patent number: 11345161
    Abstract: A printer includes an ink tank, a print head that performs printing using ink IK in the ink tank, a light source that emits light into the ink tank, a sensor that detects first light of a first wavelength band and second light of a second wavelength band incident from an ink tank side, in a period during which the light source emits light, and a processing section. The processing section determines the ink type of the ink in the ink tank based on a first light amount of the first light and a second light amount of the second light at a position where the ink exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Usuda, Takahiro Netsu