Patents Examined by Jason Uhlenhake
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Patent number: 9555633Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a waste liquid container accommodation part, and a waste liquid drain passage member. The waste liquid container accommodation part replaceably accommodates a first waste liquid container to contain waste liquid. The waste liquid drain passage member guides waste liquid into the waste liquid container accommodation part. The apparatus body includes a mount portion to mount a second waste liquid container having a capacity greater than the waste liquid container accommodation part. The mount portion of the apparatus body is different from the waste liquid container accommodation part. The waste liquid container accommodation part accommodates a relay unit to relay a drain passage from the waste liquid drain passage member to the second waste liquid container, replaceably with the first waste liquid container.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2015Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Masashi Ohnishi
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Patent number: 9550904Abstract: Disclosed is a recording method including recording which includes attaching a color ink composition, which contains a coloring material, and a reaction solution, which includes an aggregating agent which aggregates components of the color ink composition, to a recording medium in no particular order, in which the color ink composition gives recorded matter with a glossiness at 60° of 60 to 100 when the color ink composition is individually attached to a recording medium with a glossiness at 60° of 80 to 100.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2015Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Ippei Okuda
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Patent number: 9550385Abstract: In the case where, by driving nozzles, test images are formed on paper so that the area of a width predetermined from an end portion in an intersecting direction that intersects with a transporting direction of the paper of a reading area of image reading units is not included in the test images, and the nozzles in an abnormal state are detected by using reading data obtained by reading by the image reading units, the application scope of the reading data applied for detection of an abnormal state is determined so that reading data of each of the test images formed by the nozzles as a detection target of an abnormal state is not repeatedly included with regard to each nozzle, and the nozzles in an abnormal state are detected by using the reading data in the determined application scope.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2015Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masami Furuya, Takeshi Zengo
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Patent number: 9550375Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus is provided. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes a recording unit, a selection heater, a heater, and a processor. The recording unit forms an ink image on a recording medium being conveyed. The selection heater is disposed downstream from the recording unit relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and selectively heats the ink image formed on the recording medium. The heater is disposed downstream from the selection heater relative to the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and heats the recording medium on which the ink image has been selectively heated. The processor controls the recording unit, the selection heater, and the heater, and sets an output of the selection heater in view of an occurrence of cockling on the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2015Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masafumi Yamada, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto
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Patent number: 9539814Abstract: In one example, a molded printhead includes a printhead die embedded in a molding and an external electrical contact electrically connected to the printhead die and exposed outside the molding to connect to circuitry external to the printhead. The molding has a channel therein through which fluid may pass to the back part of the die. The front part of the die is exposed outside the molding and the back part of the die is covered by the molding except at the channel and the thickness of the molding varies from a lesser thickness around the die to a greater thickness away from the die.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2013Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.Inventors: Chien-Hua Chen, Michael W. Cumbie
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Patent number: 9533521Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: plural recording elements that are arrayed along a crossing direction; a reading unit that sequentially reads an image formed on a recording medium; a forming unit that drives the recording elements that are continuously arrayed along the crossing direction so as to form at least one reference image on the recording medium, and then makes timings for driving the recording elements continuously arrayed in the crossing direction different from each other so as to form detection images on the recording medium; and a detection unit that detects the recording element in an abnormal state by changing a size of at least one of a threshold value and a detected value based on the detection image read by the reading unit when the recording element in the abnormal state is detected using the detected value and the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masami Furuya
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Patent number: 9527324Abstract: A control unit includes a moving unit that causes a recording unit to move in a reciprocating manner, a detection unit that detects a movement error of the moving unit, a control unit that controls the moving unit such that the recording unit is caused to move in a second direction if the movement error is detected while the recording unit is caused to move in a first direction, a notification unit that issues error notification according to a result of movement of the moving unit, and an execution unit that executes an operation for identifying a cause of the movement error of the moving unit in a case where the moving unit has been able to move in the second direction by the controlling of the control unit, wherein the notification unit issues error notification according to an execution result of the operation by the execution unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2015Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoki Aoyama, Koya Iwakura, Tetsuya Saito
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Patent number: 9522554Abstract: A first area in which an image is printed in K scans and a second area in which an image is printed in (K+1) scans are arranged in an arranging direction to print an image. When an image is printed in the second area from ejection ports disposed at one end of the ejection port array and ejection ports disposed at the other end, mask patterns having first pixel group areas at different positions therein are applied.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2014Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoko Baba, Shingo Nishioka
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Patent number: 9522540Abstract: A method for measuring the volume of liquid, such as ink or solvent, remaining in a container, such as a replacement cartridge for a continuous ink jet printer, uses a reservoir enclosing an internal space having a variable volume for storage. The reservoir is adapted to provide a reduction in the pressure of the internal space, the reduction substantially monotonically increasing in magnitude as liquid is drawn into the printer, such that the volume of liquid remaining may be calculated from knowledge of the minimum withdrawal pressure required to draw further liquid from the reservoir into the printer. Containers for use with the method have a liquid dispensing port adapted to allow liquid to be dispensed when a withdrawal pressure at the exterior of the port is less than the pressure of the internal space and adapted to prevent the ingress of air into the internal space of the reservoir as liquid is dispensed.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2008Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: Videojet Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Tomlin, Carl Mann, Philip John Blowfield
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Patent number: 9517621Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a head driving control circuit, and a dummy ejection control circuit. The dummy ejection control circuit controls a first dummy ejection operation to eject droplets to a non-image-forming area per a constant length of a continuous medium and second dummy ejection operation to eject droplets not contributing to image formation to an image forming area. The head driving control circuit applies a first non-ejection pulse to pressure generators corresponding to a non-ejection nozzle of the plurality of nozzles to vibrate a meniscus of liquid in the non-ejection nozzle without ejecting liquid droplets, and applies a second non-ejection pulse, which vibrates the meniscus of liquid greater than the first non-ejection pulse, to pressure generators corresponding to non-ejection nozzles of the plurality of nozzles to vibrate a meniscus of liquid in the non-image-forming area.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2014Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Shino Sasaki
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Patent number: 9517631Abstract: A liquid-consuming apparatus includes: a tank including a liquid storage chamber configured to store a liquid, an inlet through which the liquid is poured into the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid flow channel configured to let the liquid flow therethrough from the liquid storage chamber; a cap configured to be attachable to the tank to cover the inlet; a cover configured to be movable relative to the tank between a closed position where a surface, of the tank, in which the inlet is formed is covered and an open position where the surface of the tank is exposed; and a holder configured to hold the cap removed from the tank. The cover is prevented from moving to the closed position by the cap held by the holder to be positioned in a movement area of the cover moving from the open position to the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2016Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tomohisa Higuchi, Suguru Tomoguchi
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Patent number: 9511603Abstract: A method for printing a plurality of image planes on a substrate, the method includes providing a plurality of print head for depositing material on the substrate as the substrate moves along a transport path; providing a first sensor in a predetermined position along a transport path relative to predetermined positions of the plurality of print heads; providing an indication of position of the substrate along the transport path; providing a plurality of cue marks at predetermined positions or intervals on the substrate which are detected by the first sensor; and determining placement of an image plane printed by at least one of the plurality of print heads upstream of the first sensor based on the detection of position of the cue marks on the substrate by the first sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2014Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANYInventors: Michael J. Piatt, Eric Karl Zeise
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Patent number: 9505216Abstract: A liquid ejecting device has a fluid passage structure formed with multiple nozzles and multiple passages respectively communicating with the multiple nozzles. The fluid passage structure has a nozzle plate formed with the multiple nozzles, and a passage body laminated and bonded with the nozzle plate, the passage body being formed with multiple individual passages respectively communicating with the multiple nozzles, the passage body being formed with provided with multiple convex parts made of a material harder than the nozzle plate. The multiple convex parts protruding toward a nozzle plate side, and the multiple convex parts are covered by the nozzle plate. Further, the multiple convex parts protrude with respect to a liquid ejection surface on which ejection openings of the multiple nozzles arranged.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2015Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shohei Koide, Atsushi Ito, Kazuo Kobayashi, Hiroaki Hiraide
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Patent number: 9505218Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus includes inkjet heads each of which has two or more nozzle rows from which ink of different colors is injected (each of the nozzle rows includes nozzle holes), a wipe unit that includes wipers and carries out a wipe process to wipe away ink remained on a surface on which the nozzle rows are formed by the wipers, and a flush unit that carries out a flush process after the wipe process by injecting ink from nozzle holes into which ink of different color from color of ink that is injected from the nozzle holes flows during the wipe process. According to the apparatus, an amount of ink consumed in the flush process can be reduced and a replacement cycle of a mist-absorbing material for absorbing ink mists generated during the flush process can be prolonged.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATIONInventors: Hideyuki Ujiie, Tomoyuki Akiyama, Hiroshi Sugitani
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Patent number: 9505243Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus having a printing unit with recording elements arranged in a width direction of a print medium. The printing apparatus includes a printer printing a correcting chart to the print medium, a correcting-chart density information obtaining device obtaining density information on the correcting chart printed to the print medium, and a print-medium deformation determining device setting at least two different numbers of the recording elements as moving average widths from the density information on the correcting chart, calculating moving average values of the density information of the recording elements for the moving average widths, calculating a standard deviation using the moving average values for the small and large moving average widths, respectively, and determining that deformation occurs in the print medium when the standard deviation used as a determination value exceeds a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2016Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.Inventor: Toshihiro Sato
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Patent number: 9498962Abstract: A printing device includes: a head that ejects an ink on a medium to perform printing; and a mist collection mechanism having: a suction port facing the medium and sucking air near the head; an exhaust port discharging the sucked air; and an airflow path between the suction port and the exhaust port, wherein the airflow path includes a first spatial region located on a side of the suction port, and a second spatial region located on a side of the exhaust port and adjacent to the first spatial region through a communicating port having an opening area smaller than that of the suction port.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2015Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichi Ishida, Masahiko Kubota, Nobuhito Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Arimizu, Yusuke Imahashi, Arihito Miyakoshi, Yoshinori Itoh
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Patent number: 9487017Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes an ink slot formed in a printhead die. The fluid ejection device also includes a printhead-integrated ink level sensor (PILS) to sense an ink level of a chamber in fluid communication with the slot, and a clearing resistor circuit disposed within the chamber to clear the chamber of ink.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2012Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Ning Ge, Joseph M. Torgerson, Patrick Leonard
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Patent number: 9481173Abstract: A nozzle plate having a nozzle hole that penetrates through the nozzle plate in a thickness direction is disclosed. The nozzle plate includes a discharge outlet that is formed at the nozzle hole, and provided curvatures of four corner portions of an opening shape of the discharge outlet are denoted as R1, R2, R3, and R4, the opening shape of the discharge outlet is configured to approximate the equation R1=R2?R3=R4?0.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2013Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Naoyuki Ueda, Yuki Nakamura, Yukiko Abe, Shinji Matsumoto, Yuji Sone, Mikiko Takada, Ryoichi Saotome
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Patent number: 9481179Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an inkjet printer that forms an image with good quality. The object is achieved by an inkjet printer 1 including an ink head H ejecting an ink, an ink supply unit P communicating with the ink head H, and an ink storage unit T communicating with the ink supply unit P and supplying the ink to the ink head H through the ink supply unit P, in which at least a part of the ink supply unit P has an ink heating unit S that heats the ink until a viscosity of the ink is within the range of 5 mPa·s or more to 30 mPa·s or less, and the ink storage unit T has a shearing device that shears the ink.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2014Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Satoshi Masumi, Yasuhiro Matsui
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Patent number: 9475285Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting unit which can reciprocate with respect to a continuous paper, and ejects ink onto the continuous paper; a heating unit which heats a liquid ejecting region which is a region in which the ejecting unit can eject the ink to the continuous paper; an IR sensor which detects a temperature of the liquid ejecting region based on infrared light in the liquid ejecting region; and a control device which controls the heating unit based on a first detection temperature of the IR sensor. The control device controls the heating unit without using the first detection temperature which is detected by the IR sensor, when the ejecting unit is located in a temperature detecting region of the IR sensor.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2016Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroshi Yoshida, Toru Hayashi, Tsuneyuki Sasaki