Patents Examined by John P Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 10232606
    Abstract: A printing device prints an object on a medium by inkjet printing. The printing device includes: a glossy ink head that discharges ink droplets of a glossy ink having a glossy color; and a main scan driver that prompts the glossy ink head to perform main scans in which the glossy ink head discharges the ink droplets while moving in a predetermined main scanning direction. The glossy ink contains a glossy pigment and a solvent. In the main scans, the glossy ink head discharges the ink droplets plural times while moving in the main scanning direction to form ink dots at positions on the medium aligned in the main scanning direction. The ink droplets discharged from the glossy ink head each have a volume constituting a size that allows for contact on the medium between any ones of dots formed in each one of the main scans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Namiki, Kazuhiro Ochi, Eiichi Ohara, Sota Machii
  • Patent number: 10226938
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first reservoir for a printable composition, a pump fluidically coupled to the first reservoir and a second reservoir, a sensor, and a controller. The controller is to identify first and second reservoir statuses based on the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Fernando Bayona, Michel Georges Encrenaz, Albert Crespi, Joan-Albert Miravet, Bhishma Hernandez Martinez
  • Patent number: 10220639
    Abstract: Both stability and high glossiness of a glossy ink used for printing can be achieved. A printer is provided that performs inkjet printing for a medium. The printer includes a glossy ink head as an inkjet head that discharges droplets of a glossy ink, a heater, and an ultraviolet light source. The glossy ink includes an ultraviolet-curable resin curable by being irradiated with ultraviolet light, a glossy pigment, and a solvent added to disperse the pigment. Particles of the glossy pigment have particle sizes less than or equal to 0.5 ?m. The heater heats the medium to volatilize and strip the solvent in the ink. The ultraviolet light source irradiates dots of the glossy ink on the medium with ultraviolet light after a preset waiting time has passed subsequent to a timing of the droplets of the glossy ink landing on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hironori Hashizume
  • Patent number: 10214019
    Abstract: Example circuits and methods are described involving a flexible substrate for a fluid cartridge, comprising an integrated circuit connected to the flexible substrate, and electrical connector pads arranged on the flexible substrate for connection to the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Iain Campbell-Brown, Mark Walsh, John Oliver, Jefferson P. Ward, Amy Shipman
  • Patent number: 10207511
    Abstract: There is provided an ink cartridge capable of accomplishing satisfactory electrical connection relative to a printer main assembly. An ink cartridge detachably mountable to a cartridge mounting portion provided with an ink receiving tube and a plurality of electrical connecting portions, the ink cartridge including a tube inserting portion into which the receiving tube is insertable, a substrate provided on a front side in a position above the tube inserting portion, a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connectable with the plurality of electrical connecting portions, the electrical contacts being arranged on the substrate in a direction crossing with a direction from a bottom surface toward an upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuo Nanjo, Yasuo Kotaki, Kenta Udagawa, Hiroshi Koshikawa, Wataru Takahashi, Koichi Kubo, Shigeki Fukui, Naozumi Nabeshima, Soji Kondo, Masafumi Seki, Kazuya Yoshii, Satoshi Kimura, Kyosuke Toda
  • Patent number: 10208217
    Abstract: To provide an aqueous ink for inkjet which has superior printability to typical printing media, particularly media having high glossiness, such as coated paper, art paper, and vinyl chloride sheets, and which is capable of forming a high quality image by printing. An aqueous ink for inkjet, comprising a pigment, a pigment dispersing resin, an organic solvent, and water, wherein: the organic solvent contains (A) a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of 100° C. or higher and 180° C. or lower, and (B) an organic solvent having a boiling point of 200° C. or higher and 280° C. or lower, and having a surface tension of 20 mN/m or more and 30 mN/m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: TOYO INK SC HOLDINGS CO., LTD., TOYO INK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Takahashi, Masahiro Sugihara
  • Patent number: 10189280
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corrugated-board machine for manufacturing corrugated board. The corrugated-board machine comprises a material-web output device for outputting a material web, an inkjet printing device disposed downstream of the material-web output device for the imprinting of at least one imprint onto the material web and an overcoating arrangement disposed downstream of the inkjet printing device for overcoating the printed material web at least in regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: BHS Corrugated Maschinen-und Anlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Maximilian Mark
  • Patent number: 10183505
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a suction unit configured to allow a negative pressure, by which a sheet is sucked to a supporting portion, to act on the sheet; and ink receivers configured to receive ink ejected outside of the sheet. Waste ink ejected to the ink receivers is guided to a waste ink discharge port formed on an outer peripheral wall of a platen through waste ink channels. A sheet sucking mechanism configured to apply the negative pressure is disposed adjacent to the suction unit. A discharging mechanism configured to forcibly discharge waste ink outside of the platen is connected to the waste ink discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Ogasawara, Tetsuji Kurata, Masakazu Tsukuda, Takahide Onuma, Yasunori Saito
  • Patent number: 10160238
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of droplets ejecting members that are opposed to a continuous sheet being conveyed, are arranged in a sheet conveying direction, and eject droplets onto the continuous sheet; movement restriction members that restrict movement, in a sheet width direction, of one end portion, in the sheet width direction, of a portion, opposed to the droplets ejecting members, of the continuous sheet; and tension application members that give tension in the sheet width direction to the portion, opposed to the droplets ejecting members, of the continuous sheet in a state that movement, in the sheet width direction, of the portion, opposed to the droplets ejecting members, of the continuous sheet is restricted by the movement restriction members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsunaga, Chikara Manabe, Yuichi Inoue, Kazuyuki Hara, Masaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10155390
    Abstract: In one example, an aerosol control system for a printer includes an air knife to discharge a sheet of air into a flow of aerosol along a moving print substrate web and a vacuum near the air knife to suck up aerosol from the flow simultaneously with the air knife discharging air into the flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: James Kearns, Joe Santich
  • Patent number: 10150295
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an energy generating element configured to generate energy used for ejection of a liquid, a print element board including an electroconductive anti-cavitation film provided to cover the energy generating element, and a connection board electrically connected to the anti-cavitation film and including a connection pad electrically connectable from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokuji Kudo, Chiaki Muraoka, Shimpei Yoshikawa, Yuichiro Akama, Yuji Tamaru, Yosuke Takagi, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10150305
    Abstract: A process for printing a coagulating ink composition directly on a substrate being supported by an adhesive surface, effected by cleaning the adhesive surface with a cleaning composition capable of removing residues of coagulated ink composition from the adhesive surface is provided, as well as a system for carrying out the process and a formulation for the cleaning composition. The cleaning composition comprises a weak organic base (preferably EDTA salts) and is characterized by a pH level of at least 7.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Kornit Digital Ltd.
    Inventors: Jacob Mozel, Asaf Lupo
  • Patent number: 10144235
    Abstract: A RIP device which receives image data and print media designation from a PC performs a data generating process by adopting a process parameter corresponding to the designated print media among process parameters stored in a loop-up table (LUT). A printer performs a printing process by adopting a printing parameter corresponding to the designated print media among the printing parameters stored in the LUT. The process parameter and the printing parameter are associated by a media number which is applied by a management server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Tamiya, Ryosuke Kasamatsu
  • Patent number: 10144215
    Abstract: An inkjet print head includes an ejection unit having a liquid chamber for holding an amount of liquid, a electromechanical transducer operatively coupled to the liquid chamber for generating a pressure wave in the amount of liquid and a nozzle in fluid communication with the liquid chamber for enabling a droplet of the amount of liquid to be ejected through the nozzle. A method for detecting an operating state of the ejection unit includes the consecutive steps of actuating the electromechanical transducer to generate a pressure wave in the liquid; actuating the electromechanical transducer to suppress a residual pressure wave in the liquid; sensing an amplitude of the residual pressure wave in the liquid; and based on the result of the sensing step determining that the ejection unit is (i) in an operative state if the amplitude of the residual pressure wave is below a threshold or (ii) in a malfunctioning state if the amplitude of the residual pressure wave is above the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: OCE-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Marko Mihailovic, Tjerk E. C. Hummel, Johannes M. M. Simons, Hylke Veenstra, Cornelis W. M. Venner, Amol A. Khalate
  • Patent number: 10137695
    Abstract: Printhead priming can, in various examples, employ a conduit and a divider such that a predetermined portion of a pressurized gas in the conduit is provided to an environment surrounding the divider and a remaining portion of the pressurized gas in the conduit is provided to a printhead at a pressure sufficient to prime an ink supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey A Wagner, Justin M Roman, Christopher J Arnold
  • Patent number: 10124613
    Abstract: Printing unit comprising at least a printing head, a support plate to which said printing head is associated, and at least one positioning member associated to the support plate and to the printing head to adjust the reciprocal position of the latter two; the support plate defines an adjustment plane with respect to which the printing head is positioned; the positioning member comprises at least an actuation device which can be selectively actuated above the adjustment plane and a kinematic conversion device configured to convert the actuation of said actuation device into an adjustment of the position of the printing head with respect to the support plate in at least one direction lying on the adjustment plane; the actuation device is associable with a cam element able to engage in a suitably shaped seating made in the printing head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Jet-Set S.R.L.
    Inventor: Sergio Ferrari
  • Patent number: 10124609
    Abstract: In order to reliably cut a sheet even when the width of the sheet is changed while shortening cutting time, the position of an end portion of the sheet is sensed and a cutting range is set according to the sensed position of the end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Naoki Wakayama, Shuichi Masuda, Masakazu Nagashima, Daiki Anayama, Takakazu Ohashi
  • Patent number: 10125279
    Abstract: An ink including an organic solvent, a pigment, a polyurethane particle, and water is provided. The organic solvent includes at least one of 3-methoxy-1-butanol and 3-methoxy-1-propanol. The polyurethane particle has a particle diameter D50 of 50 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Fujii, Amika Sagara
  • Patent number: 10124597
    Abstract: An ink supply unit and a method of supplying ink to a printhead are disclosed. The ink supply unit includes a lower ink reservoir, an upper ink reservoir, and a flow regulation apparatus. The upper ink reservoir is coupled to the lower ink reservoir. First and second fluid input ports are disposed on opposite sides of the flow regulation apparatus. A first fluid line and a second fluid line couple the first and the second input ports, respectively, with the upper ink reservoir, and a third fluid line is adapted to couple the flow regulation apparatus with a printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
    Inventors: George A. Alessi, Paul Slagle, Kent D. Jayme, Anthony V. Moscato
  • Patent number: 10124586
    Abstract: A flow path structure includes: a substrate that includes a first surface and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface; a supply port formed on the first surface; a plurality of discharge ports formed on the second surface; grooves that are formed on the first surface so as to extend in an X direction and communicate with the supply ports and with the plurality of discharge ports via through-holes formed on the substrate; and a sealing portion that is disposed on the first surface and seals each groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Isamu Togashi, Hiroaki Okui, Yasuyuki Kudo, Fujio Akahane