Patents Examined by Jason Uhlenhake
  • Patent number: 9221248
    Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets in a printhead. The apparatus includes a rotating member having a light transmitting surface layer onto which material is ejected by the printhead. A light source directs light into an edge of the light transmitting surface layer at a position on the circumferential perimeter of the surface layer and an optical sensor generates image data of the surface of the surface layer of the rotating member. Inoperative inkjets are detected with reference to the image data of the surface of the surface layer of the rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Paul S. Bonino
  • Patent number: 9211731
    Abstract: In a case that a setting size for a print medium is set in print target data and the setting size has not been acquired as a candidate, a size having an aspect ratio corresponding to the aspect ratio of the setting size is specified. Next, a printer is controlled to print an image based on the print target data having a size corresponding to the size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masao Maeda
  • Patent number: 9205652
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head is provided. The liquid ejection head includes a nozzle substrate to eject a droplet of a liquid from a nozzle thereof; a surface treatment layer, which is located on the surface of the nozzle substrate and which is an oxide layer including silicon (Si) and a transition metal capable of forming a passive layer; and an organic liquid repellent layer located on the surface treatment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Sameshima, Shinichi Kakuda, Hisashi Habashi, Takashi Mori, Kaname Morita, Daisuke Takagi, Hitoshi Usami, Tomoyuki Aratani
  • Patent number: 9205684
    Abstract: A printer capable of preventing clogging the printhead nozzles due to paper dust produced from sprocket holes in continuous paper, and preventing the printhead from ejecting ink droplets except on the continuous paper, has a printhead that ejects ink droplets toward continuous paper having sprocket holes formed along both sides of the paper width; a cover member that covers the edge part of the width of the continuous paper where sprocket holes are formed in the range of the printhead in the conveyance direction of the continuous paper, and can move in the paper width direction; and a detection mechanism that detects the position of the cover member in the paper width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Kawasaki, Shuhei Kurotobi, Ichimi Masuda
  • Patent number: 9199468
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus which includes a discharge head that includes a nozzle forming surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed; a wiping member that performs wiping by relatively moving on the nozzle forming surface while abutting on the nozzle forming surface; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid provided for the wiping; and a control unit that performs reciprocating wiping control which performs the wiping by causing the wiping member for holding the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit to perform a reciprocating operation in which, after relative movement is performed in a first direction along the nozzle forming surface, relative movement is performed in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Toshio Kumagai, Norihiro Masuda, Katsuyoshi Onodera
  • Patent number: 9199487
    Abstract: A conveyance device 20 of an inkjet printer 1 has a discharge roller 46 disposed on the downstream side of the printing position A in the forward conveyance direction, and a paper jam detector 83 disposed on the downstream side of the discharge roller 46. The paper jam detector 83 includes a driven roller 84, driven pressure roller 85, and an encoder 86 that detects the angle of rotation of the driven roller 84 . The driven roller 84 turns following movement of the continuous paper 2 passing between the driven roller 84 and driven pressure roller 85. The control unit 90 of the inkjet printer 1 detects occurrence of a paper jam based on the difference between the angle of rotation of the driven roller 84 and a reference angle of rotation when the conveyance motor 60 continues driving after the continuous paper has passed through the conveyance path 21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9199451
    Abstract: A printing element substrate, comprising a printing unit including a printing element and a transistor, a logic circuit unit configured to be supplied with a first power supply voltage and receive print data, a unit configured to be supplied with a second power supply voltage and output a signal from the logic circuit unit to a control terminal of the transistor, a voltage generation unit configured to be supplied with a third power supply voltage and generate the second power supply voltage using the third power supply voltage, and a controlling unit configured to control supply of the third power supply voltage to the voltage generation unit, wherein when the first power supply voltage is not supplied to the logic circuit unit, the controlling unit does not supply the third power supply voltage to the voltage generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhito Goden, Masanobu Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9193196
    Abstract: Printer head shuttles configured to control contact pressure of one or more printer head assemblies against a printing substrate and an underlying platen during a printer operation are shown and described. The printer head shuttles include a shuttle guide and a shuttle main body having one or more printer head assemblies. Each printer head assembly includes an axel attached to the shuttle main body, an assembly main body pivotably attached to the axel, a mounting plate attached to the assembly main body, a printer head attached to the mounting plate, and a drive mechanism for pivoting the head assembly between a substrate compressing position and a substrate non-compressing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Inventors: Daniel B. Meyer, Robert W. Martell, Stacy Foos, Jian-Hua Chen, Tsan-Fang Yu, Feng-Yi Tai
  • Patent number: 9193189
    Abstract: A conveyance device includes: a conveyance unit that conveys a printing paper sheet in a given conveyance direction; and a pressing unit that presses the printing paper sheet with ultrasound emitted from a plurality of ultrasound emitter elements which are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and emit ultrasound of an identical frequency and an identical phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9189898
    Abstract: A tachograph including a control unit and an output unit connected to the control unit, and an interface for connecting to a data but. The tachograph additionally includes a further interface, by which a network connection can be established between an external data input device and the output unit, so that data kept available on the external data input device can be output by the output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Denis Smolin
  • Patent number: 9186922
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head for performing recording on a recording medium by applying a recording material to the recording medium, a measurement unit configured to read a patch recorded on the recording medium by the recording head and to optically measure a density of the patch, an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on an optical characteristic of the measurement unit and a reference optical characteristic, and a determination unit configured to determine an amount by which the recording material is to be applied from the recording head, based on the density measured by the measurement unit and the information acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Uchida
  • Patent number: 9174463
    Abstract: A control method of a serial printer enables easily removing the printing paper when a paper jam occurs, and can prevent or suppress damage to the printhead when removing the printing paper. A serial printer 1 conveys printing paper P by a conveyance mechanism 22 including a second paper feed roller pair 31 located upstream from the print position A in the first conveyance direction M1. If a paper jam of the printing paper P is detected when the printhead 12 is at a position opposite the horizontal conveyance path portion 13c of the paper conveyance path 13, conveyance of the printing paper P first stops, and the printhead 12 is then moved on the vertical axis Z away from the horizontal conveyance path portion 13c. Next, the printhead 12 is moved on the transverse axis X to a away position 12AW outside the horizontal conveyance path portion 13c, and nipping of the printing paper P by the second paper feed roller pair 31 is then released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Shinagawa, Hiroyasu Fukazawa
  • Patent number: 9162462
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a wiping method capable of preventing a problem such as color mixing or a discharge failure in a wiping operation during the reciprocating motion of a carriage. According to the embodiment, one or a plurality of orifice arrays out of a plurality of orifice arrays included in a printhead are wiped by making a sheet-like wiping member contact to the orifice surface of the printhead. After that, the wiping member is separated from the orifice surface of the printhead, and the used wiping member is wound. Then, the wiping member is made to contact to the orifice surface of the printhead again, and the next one or more orifice arrays are wiped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Komatsu, Masaya Uetsuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Tsuyoshi Ibe, Asako Tomida
  • Patent number: 9162509
    Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets during printing. The apparatus operates the printhead or printheads in the printer to form test pattern on a thermal substrate. The heat of the materials used to form the test pattern change the optical density of the areas where the materials land. The area where the test pattern is formed is imaged and the image data are analyzed to identify inoperative inkjets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Patricia J. Donaldson, William H. Wayman
  • Patent number: 9163989
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including a colorimeter unit. The colorimeter unit includes a colorimeter including a color-measuring device that acquires colorimetric data from a recording surface of a recording medium; a first member that is a frame that supports the colorimeter; and a second member that is a frame fastened to the first member using a fastening device. The fastening device has an elastic member and fastens the first member and the second member together relatively movably against the elastic force of the elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Mikuriya
  • Patent number: 9150020
    Abstract: A liquid droplet discharge apparatus that discharges liquid droplets finely and stably and includes a liquid droplet discharge unit and a voltage applying unit that is connected to the liquid droplet discharge unit, the liquid droplet discharge unit includes a nozzle and a tube that surrounds the nozzle, and the nozzle and the tube are coated with metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd., Unist Academy-Industry Research Corporation
    Inventors: Dae-Young Lee, Hyang-Shik Kong, Jung Gun Nam, Gug Rae Jo, Hyung Bin Cho, Byeong Wan Ahn, Jan Ung Park
  • Patent number: 9150035
    Abstract: A support member includes first portions. At least one of upstream and downstream guides includes second portions. The first and second portions are arranged in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction. Each of the first and second portions extends in the conveyance direction and includes a support surface for supporting the recording medium. At least one of the first portions is positioned between two second portions of the second portions in the orthogonal direction. The two second portions are adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction. Each of the first portions is at a different position from each of the second portions with respect to the orthogonal direction. Each of the first portions overlaps the second portions with respect to the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Murakami
  • Patent number: 9144982
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head that can eject a solution; a rotational body that has a circumferential surface which can accommodate the solution ejected from the ejecting head; a scraper that can come into sliding contact with the circumferential surface of the rotational body; and an accommodation container that accommodates the solution which is scraped off from the circumferential surface by the scraper. The accommodation container has a liquid storage section that stores a liquid which can dissolve a solute component of the solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Miyamoto, Kazuyuki Fujioka
  • Patent number: 9139008
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a discharge port, a carriage configured to perform reciprocating scanning with the recording head mounted thereon, a main tank configured to store ink, a sub-tank configured to be supplied with ink from the main tank via a tube, a supply tube configured to connect the recording head and the sub-tank, and a control unit configured to control the carriage, wherein the control unit controls acceleration of the carriage such that a dynamic pressure of ink inside the supply tube becomes greater than a pressure resistance to an ink movement and a pressure resistance to an air movement in the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Komatsu, Masaya Uetsuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Taku Yokozawa, Masataka Kato, Tsuyoshi Ibe, Asako Tomida
  • Patent number: 9139027
    Abstract: A printing device includes a head, an irradiation unit and a controller. The head is configured and arranged to eject a liquid onto a medium. The irradiation unit is configured and arranged to radiate active rays for curing the liquid on the medium. The irradiation unit is relatively movable with respect to the medium. The controller is configured to decrease radiation of the active rays of the irradiation unit when a time in which the irradiation unit relatively passes over an entire length of the medium has elapsed since start of lighting of the irradiation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Akiyama