Patents Examined by Julian Huffman
  • Print medium, print medium unit and printing device
    Patent number: 9636926
    Abstract: Printing using two colors can be performed by a thermal print head. A base member, a thermosensitive color developing material layer formed by applying a thermosensitive color developing material on the entire surface of the base member, and a thermosensitive decolorizing material layer formed by applying a thermosensitive decolorizing material having a decolorizing temperature different from a color developing temperature of the thermosensitive color developing material on the entire surface of the thermosensitive color developing material layer, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naohiko Aoyagi
  • Printhead calibration and printing
    Patent number: 9630401
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of printing a two-dimensional bit-mapped image having a number of pixels per row, the printhead having a row of ejection channels and each ejection channel having associated ejection electrodes to which voltages are applied in use. During printing, in order to cause volumes of fluid to be ejected from selected ejection channels of the printhead for printing, voltage pulses having values of predetermined amplitude and duration as determined by respective image pixel bit values generated by a raster image processor are applied, at a given pulse period, to the electrodes of the selected ejection channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Tonejet Limited
    Inventors: Andrew John Clippingdale, Peter James Brown, Ewan Hendrik Conradie, Ammar Lecheheb, John Lawton Sharp, Robin Timothy Bacon
  • Print unit activation by means of a clock unit
    Patent number: 9630428
    Abstract: A printing method comprises advancing a media to be printed towards a printing unit of a printing device by means of a media advance unit, detecting a position of the media relative to the printing unit, and providing a corresponding position sensor signal, and activating the printing unit to print on a predetermined portion of the media in accordance with the position sensor signal and a timing signal provided by a clock unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing LTD.
    Inventor: Alex Veis
  • Tape cartridge and tape printing apparatus
    Patent number: 9630429
    Abstract: Provided is a tape cartridge capable of reducing false detection by a detection portion. A tape cartridge 100 installed in a tape printing apparatus includes: a label tape 101 having a plurality of detection convex portions 109 partially projecting from an end thereof in a tape width direction; a cartridge case in which the label tape 101 is accommodated; a platen roller 103 accommodated in the cartridge case and paying out the label tape 101 by rotation; and an exposed area formed in the cartridge case and serving as an area in which the plurality of detection convex portions 109 is exposed one after another as the label tape 101 is paid out by the platen roller 103, wherein the label tape 101 is not exposed in the exposed area except for the detection convex portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Taishi Sasaki
  • Printing apparatus
    Patent number: 9623692
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a supporting member, a printing section, an image capturing section, and a receiver. The supporting member is configured to support a continuous form. The printing section is configured to cause ink to adhere to the continuous form supported by the supporting member, thus performing printing. The image capturing section is disposed in the supporting member, with a gap between the image capturing section and the supporting member. The image capturing section is configured to capture an image of the continuous form. The receiver is configured to receive ink. The receiver is disposed below the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kataoka, Takahiro Abe, Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Recording apparatus and recording method
    Patent number: 9623686
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an adhesive belt having adhesion to peelably affix a recording medium, a liquid ejection unit configured to eject a liquid for forming an image onto a recording medium supported by the adhesive belt from a nozzle array, and a peeling liquid adhesion unit configured to adhere a peeling liquid onto the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Ishizuka
  • Vector network analyzer
    Patent number: 9625508
    Abstract: A vector network analyzer (VNA) for analyzing the response of a device under test (DUT), the VNA comprising a plurality of VNA ports configured to be connected to the DUT; a plurality of source ports configured to be connected to the VNA ports; a plurality of couplers for coupling a plurality of coupled signals, wherein said plurality of coupled signals are combined to provide a sum signal; and a receiver configured to receive said forward sum signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: VAYYAR IMAGING LTD.
    Inventor: Naftali Chayat
  • Driving circuit for driving a capacitive load
    Patent number: 9623653
    Abstract: A drive circuit for driving a capacitive load is provided. The drive circuit includes a modulation circuit that generates a modulated signal by pulse-modulating a source signal through self-oscillation; a pair of transistors that include a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor and amplify the modulated signal to generate an amplified modulated signal; and a low-pass filter that includes a capacitor and smoothes the amplified modulated signal to generate a drive signal which is applied to the capacitive load, wherein the shortest distance between a low-side transistor and the capacitor is shorter than a shortest distance between the high-side transistor and the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takagi, Hidekazu Uematsu
  • Printing apparatus and motor control method
    Patent number: 9621082
    Abstract: An embodiment of this invention is directed to implementing motor control of suppressing the influence of the cogging of a motor while minimizing preliminary detection processing. According to this embodiment, a printing apparatus includes an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of a moving carriage, and a control unit configured to control drive of the motor to suppress the influence of the cogging of the motor based on the detection by the acceleration sensor. In accordance with the relationship between the band of the cogging frequency of the motor and the band of the resonance frequency of the carriage, the control unit determines whether to use a cancel signal for feedback control of an encoder sensor. When the cancel signal is not used, the control unit changes the gain of feedback control of the acceleration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Haruhiko Tanami
  • Cartridge
    Patent number: 9616671
    Abstract: An object is to provide a cartridge that is configured to be readily mountable and stir a liquid contained in the cartridge. A cartridge includes an ink pack, a first air bag and a casing provided to place the ink pack and the first air bag therein. The casing has an ink supply port, an air flow port for first air bag and an air flow port for casing that are provided on a front face of the casing in a mounting direction so that this configuration enables the cartridge to be readily mounted to the inkjet printer. The pressurized air is introduced through the air flow port for first air bag into the first air bag. This expands the first air bag to press the ink pack and thereby stir ink I contained in the ink pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Koizumi, Masaru Kumagai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Process liquid coating apparatus and image forming system
    Patent number: 9616682
    Abstract: There is provided a process liquid coating apparatus comprising: a recording medium conveyance unit configured to convey a recording medium; a coating roller configured to rotate in accordance with the conveyed recording medium to apply process liquid on a surface of the recording medium; a pressure roller configured to cause the coating roller to apply the process liquid on the surface of the recording medium by forming an abutment part for nipping and pressing the recording medium with the coating roller; and a winding member configured to form a bent conveyance path along which the recording medium is bent with respect to a conveyance direction so that the recording medium is wound around the surface of the pressure roller, wherein the winding member is disposed adjacent to the pressure roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Akatsu, Yutaka Nagasawa, Akitomo Kuwabara, Yuuji Ohmura, Hirofumi Ohkushi, Hirotaka Kobayashi, Sho Sawahata
  • Connection member and inkjet recording device equipped with the connection member
    Patent number: 9610776
    Abstract: A connection member is provided that can be fabricated at low cost and easily attached to a target component. The connection member is a member to be connected to and to communicate with a first component. The connection member is further connectable to another connection member to be connected to and to communicate with a second component. The connection member includes a communicating portion connectable to and communicatable with the first component, engaging portions engageable into the other connection member, and engaged portions into which the other connection member is engageable. These connection members are mutually connectable to communicate with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Kawai, Eiji Miyashita, Akihiko Mizusaki
  • Liquid ejecting head having support members for supporting circuit board
    Patent number: 9604458
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a circuit board extending in a first direction and having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a main body including head units; wiring members each extending from each head unit toward the circuit board; contacts including a first contact and a second contact connected to corresponding wiring members; a first support member facing the first surface; and a second support member facing the second surface. The first support member has a first protrusion protruding toward the first surface in the second direction and arranged at a position aligned with the second contact in the second direction. The second support member has a second protrusion protruding toward the second surface in the second direction and arranged at a position aligned with the first contact in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Sugiura, Shohei Koide, Takashi Aiba
  • Printing unit and printer
    Patent number: 9604474
    Abstract: A printing unit comprises: a head unit; and a platen unit to be combined with the head unit. The platen unit includes: a pair of shaft support portions configured to individually support both end portions of the platen roller; and a coupling portion configured to bridge the pair of shaft support portions. The head unit includes an abutment portion provided to the head unit, which is configured to come into abutment against the coupling portion of the platen frame when the platen frame is located at the mounting position. A pressure-applying mechanism is provided between the platen frame and the subframe, which is configured to apply a pressure to the platen frame toward the abutment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Murata
  • Base, liquid discharge head, printing apparatus, and method for determining liquid discharge status
    Patent number: 9597871
    Abstract: An embodiment of this invention is directed to determining a discharge status of liquid discharged from a liquid discharge head capable of accurately determining the discharge status of each nozzle at high speed with a simple arrangement. According to the embodiment, a base includes an electrothermal transducer configured to supply heat to liquid, a first temperature detection element configured to detect the temperature of the electrothermal transducer, and a second temperature detection element configured to detect the temperature of the same electrothermal transducer. In this case, the first and the second temperature detection elements are arranged so that at least part of each of the first and second temperature detection elements is included immediately above or below a region where the electrothermal transducer is arranged in the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Ike
  • Information processing apparatus, program, information processing method, printing apparatus, and printing system
    Patent number: 9597899
    Abstract: The present invention provides an information processing apparatus. The apparatus includes a generating unit generating printing data for printing on a printing medium by a printing apparatus, an analyzing unit analyzing a margin amount on a leading edge side of the printing medium based on the printing data, and a transmitting unit transmitting margin information based on an analysis result of the analyzing unit to the printing apparatus prior to transmission of the printing data to the printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuya Imafuku
  • Handheld recording device, recording device position detection method, and recording medium
    Patent number: 9597896
    Abstract: A handheld recording device includes a recording head, at least two navigation sensors arranged at a predetermined mounting distance, a timing generating circuit to generate a timing signal while the recording device is scanning a recording medium, a controller to determine position information of the recording device, and a drive circuit to drive the recording head to eject ink to perform recording on the recording medium using the position information. The controller reads output values of the two navigation sensors every time the timing signal is generated, determines whether the output values include noise, removes noise from the output values when it is determined that at least one of the output values includes noise, and calculates an amount of movement of the recording head to determine the position information based on the output values from which noise has been removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Naoto Ikeda
  • Pen housings
    Patent number: 9597887
    Abstract: An example pen housing includes a first regulator to actuate in response to a first pressure change to enable gas within a first chamber to flow from the first chamber to a second chamber, the first chamber to flow ink to a printhead, the second chamber not to receive ink directly from an ink supply; and a second regulator to actuate in response to a second pressure change to enable the gas received from the first chamber to be discharged from the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Curt Gonzales, Ralph L. Stathem, David N. Olsen
  • Printing apparatus and printing control program
    Patent number: 9592682
    Abstract: When printing is performed on a medium, a computer of a printing apparatus acquires a space (a PLG level number and a thickness of the medium) between a surface of the medium and a print head, which is formed when an ink is discharged onto a medium from the print head in a printing unit. A high speed/low speed of a carriage speed (print speed mode), print color (monochrome/color), and a transport region (normal region/lower end region) as a transport position of the medium are determined. A calculation expression is selected according to the carriage speed, the print color, and the transport region, and a correction amount according to a gap length is calculated using the selected calculation expression. Also, the transport distance is corrected using the correction amount. Transport control is performed by the transport distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takafumi Ogimura
  • Ink jet recording apparatus
    Patent number: 9593252
    Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus including: a base metal pigment ink composition; and a first nozzle that ejects the base metal pigment ink composition, in which the base metal pigment ink composition contains a flat base metal pigment of which a 50% average particle diameter D50 is in a range of 100 nm to 1 ?m, and an organic compound of which a surface tension at 20° C. is 35 mN/m or greater, and an ejection interval T1 after the base metal pigment ink composition is ejected from the first nozzle and before the base metal pigment ink composition is ejected again from the first nozzle is within 100 ?s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Toyoda, Masaru Terada