Patents Examined by Justin Seo
  • Patent number: 11192381
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a recording head that ejects liquid; a sub-tank that is connected to the recording head and temporarily stores the liquid to be supplied to the recording head; a liquid tank that communicates with the sub-tank and is able to be filled with the liquid; a first atmosphere opening unit that is provided in the liquid tank; and a second atmosphere opening unit that is provided in the sub-tank. The second atmosphere opening unit is closable when the liquid tank is filled with the liquid, and the first atmosphere opening unit and the second atmosphere opening unit are able to open the liquid tank and the sub-tank to the atmosphere, respectively, when the sub-tank is filled with the liquid filled in the liquid tank by a hydraulic head pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Tajima, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Kenji Yabe, Yuji Tamaru, Naoko Shimizu, Kyosuke Toda, Sayaka Seki, Yosuke Takagi, Shimpei Yoshikawa, Ryo Sato
  • Patent number: 11192374
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus performs a recording operation by ejecting ink from a recording head. The apparatus includes a first absorber configured to absorb ink, a second absorber disposed apart from the first absorber having a larger ink absorption capacity than the first absorber, and a flow path portion that does not absorb ink. The second absorber has a second lower end portion arranged below a first lower end portion of the first absorber. The flow path portion connects the first lower end portion and a portion of the second absorber below the first lower end portion. As a result, ink is prevented from overflowing from the absorbers, even if an apparatus is arranged at an angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11192387
    Abstract: A thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink thereon is used to print on a surface of a plastic card. The use of radiation curable thermal transfer printing to print on the card surface increases the durability of the printing compared to regular (i.e. non-radiation cured) thermal transfer printing once the radiation curable ink is cured. As a result, a protective laminate or coating need not be applied to the card surface to protect the printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Entrust Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Beech
  • Patent number: 11192379
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus. A cap caps an ink ejection surface of a printhead. An ink suction path is connected to the cap and sucks the ink in the cap. An ink tank stores the ink to be supplied to the printhead. An ink supply path connects the printhead to the ink tank. A first closing unit closes the ink suction path. A second closing unit closes the ink supply path. A control unit is able to execute a first control mode in which the first closing unit closes the ink suction path and a second control mode in which the second closing unit closes the ink supply path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Narazaki, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Kei Kosaka, Koki Shimada, Yusuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11186085
    Abstract: A head includes a plurality of individual channels, a first common channel, and a second common channel. The plurality of individual channels are arranged in a first row in a first direction. The plurality of individual channels are arranged in a second row in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction intersect each other. The first common channel extends in the first direction and is fluidly communicated the plurality of individual channels. The second common channel extends in the first direction. The second common channel is fluidly communicated the plurality of individual channels and overlaps the first common channel in a third direction. The third direction is orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11179952
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus for conveying a conveyance object in a conveying direction is provided. The conveying apparatus includes a detecting unit configured to detect positions of a plurality of portions in an orthogonal direction of the conveyance object during the conveyance of the conveyance object, the orthogonal direction being orthogonal to the conveying direction; and a determining unit configured to make a determination as to whether the conveyance object has been subjected to expansion or contraction in the orthogonal direction, based on detection results of the positions of the plurality of portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoaki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11179954
    Abstract: A printer includes a carriage in which a discharging head configured to discharge ink and an ink storage unit configured to store the ink to be supplied to the discharging head are mounted, and a lid member provided to the carriage. The lid member is rotatable to a first position and a second position, when the lid member is located at the first position, a supply port included in the ink storage unit is exposed, a first portion is located above the ink storage unit so as to limit removal of the ink storage unit from the carriage, and a lower end of a second portion is located below the supply port, and when the lid member is located at the second position, the ink storage unit is removable from the carriage, and the first portion and the second portion are located above the supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Koki Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 11179939
    Abstract: A liquid absorber includes an absorbing member. The absorbing member includes a plurality of segments. One segment of the plurality of segments includes a liquid landing surface and a side surface. The liquid landing surface is configured to receive liquid discharged from a liquid discharge head to absorb the liquid. The side surface is perpendicular to the liquid landing surface and contacts a side surface of another segment of the plurality of segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11167545
    Abstract: An image forming method includes: providing an active light curable ink on a surface of an intermediate transfer body; irradiating the active light curable ink provided on the surface of the intermediate transfer body with first active light; and transferring the active light curable ink to a recording medium, wherein the wavelength of the first active light is a wavelength that causes the transmittance of the intermediate transfer body to be 70% or more, and causes the absorbance of the active light curable ink to be 0.01 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Satoru Shibuya, Yusuke Nishisaka
  • Patent number: 11155101
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a conveyor configured to convey a tablet while sucking and holding the tablet by the discharge of air; an inkjet head configured to perform printing on the tablet conveyed by the conveyor; an exhaust pipe which the air discharged from the conveyor passes through; an exhaust blower as a heat source that generates heat; a heat conductive member that is in contact with the exhaust pipe and the exhaust blower; and a housing configured to house the conveyor, the inkjet head, the exhaust pipe, the exhaust blower, and the heat conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Azusa Hirano, Yasutsugu Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 11148415
    Abstract: A print head control circuit includes a first propagation wiring for propagating a clock signal input to a first terminal, a second propagation wiring for propagating a signal which is input to a second terminal and indicates a diagnosis result of a temperature abnormality detection circuit, and a fourth propagation wiring for propagating a second voltage signal input to a fourth terminal. When the second propagation wiring and the fourth propagation wiring are electrically coupled to a print head, the second propagation wiring and the fourth propagation wiring are electrically coupled to each other via the second terminal and the fourth terminal. The first propagation wiring and the second propagation wiring are located to be aligned. The first propagation wiring and the fourth propagation wiring are located to be adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first propagation wiring and the second propagation wiring are aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11148436
    Abstract: A method for printing sheet-type substrates to prevent streaks during the ink-jet paint coating of substrates, includes moving a substrate in a feed direction past an application device by means of a conveying device, applying with the application device, during the movement of the substrate, a fluid application material drop by drop to the surface of the substrate in a pattern with a pre-defined contour, in particular leaving out regions, through a plurality of ink-jet nozzles arranged in a row transversely to the feed direction, in response to computer-controlled switching signals, and during the application of the pattern and during the movement of the substrate, moving the ink-jet nozzles back and forth transversely to the feed direction, preferably in the longitudinal direction of the arranged row of ink-jet nozzles, such that the paths travelled by the nozzles over the substrate by the overlap of the movement back and forth with the movement in the feed direction have direction components running perpen
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: ACTEGA Schmid Rhyner AG
    Inventors: Dirk Schlatterbeck, Walther Krull
  • Patent number: 11141980
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transport unit for a printing medium, a head configured to discharge ultraviolet-curable ink, an ultraviolet light irradiation unit disposed downstream of the head, a suction unit provided between the head and the ultraviolet light irradiation unit, and a gap reducing portion disposed in a gap between the head and the suction unit and configured to at least partially close the gap by a first region being in contact with the suction unit and a second region, located upstream of the first region, being in contact with the head. In response to the suction unit suctioning mist while the head discharges ink onto the printing medium to be transported, air flow traveling in a direction opposite to the transport direction is generated in a region where the ultraviolet light irradiation unit and the printing medium oppose each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 11142005
    Abstract: A printer can comprise a supporting wall that extends in a primary scanning direction, a table that is positioned lower than the supporting wall and that is structured so as to be able to move in a secondary scanning direction, a guide rail equipped on the supporting wall that extends in the primary scanning direction, a head carriage that is provided slidably on the guide rail and that can move in the primary scanning direction, an ink head mounted on the head carriage, and a partitioning wall that is positioned lower than the supporting wall and to a side of the table in the primary scanning direction and that extends in the secondary scanning direction and the vertical direction. When the table is positioned at the maximally downstream position along the secondary scanning direction, the upstream end portion of the table is positioned further downstream of the supporting wall and further upstream than the downstream end portion of the partitioning wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kobayashi, Masanori Ishihara, Akihiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11141999
    Abstract: While moving an ejecting unit, first patterns and second patterns are formed in a first direction on a medium. Third patterns corresponding to the first patterns are formed while changing a shifted amount by which the third patterns is shifted from the first patterns by a first shift amount in the second direction. Fourth patterns corresponding to the second patterns are formed while changing a shifted amount by which the fourth patterns is shifted from the second patterns by a first shift amount in the second direction. In a rough adjustment pattern, image density of a pair of patterns, which are formed of the first pattern and the corresponding third pattern, changes in the first direction in a first cycle. In a fine adjustment pattern, image density of a pair of patterns, which are formed of the second pattern and the corresponding fourth pattern, changes in a second cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: So Yokota
  • Patent number: 11130344
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided that includes a line type printing head ejecting an UV ink onto a base material, an ultraviolet irradiator disposed downstream of the printing head, a mist retrieving section having a suction port and disposed between the printing head and the ultraviolet irradiator, and a control unit, wherein when printing is performed, the control unit adjusts, in accordance with a transport speed of the base material, at least one of a gap A, a gap B, and a suction air volume of the mist retrieving section such that a direction of an airflow passing through a gap between the base material and the ultraviolet irradiator is opposite the transport direction of the base material. The gap A is a gap between the printing head and the mist retrieving section, and the gap B is a gap between the base material and the suction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Norihiro Masuda, Kenji Otokita
  • Patent number: 11117382
    Abstract: A liquid supplying device includes a tank and a cartridge. The cartridge is configured to be detachably attached to the tank in an attachment-detachment direction crossing a vertical direction. The cartridge includes a first storage chamber. The tank includes a second storage chamber, a liquid passage, and a gas passage. The liquid passage has a first end, a second end, and a first extending portion. The second end is formed with a second opening open to an atmosphere. The first extending portion extends from the second opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The gas passage has a third end, a fourth end, and a second extending portion. The fourth end is formed with a fourth opening open to the atmosphere. The second extending portion extends from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction. The second opening is at a position different from the fourth opening in the attachment-detachment direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Yoshinori Osakabe, Akinari Ishibe, Tatsuya Shindo, Masahiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11117374
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an ejection orifice for ejecting a liquid; a flow path in which an energy generating element is disposed, generates an energy to be used for ejecting the liquid; a liquid inside the flow path; an ejection orifice part that allows the ejection orifice and the flow path to communicate with each other; a supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the outside; and a recovery flow path for recovering the liquid to the outside. The moisture content of the liquid is 65 wt % or less. The liquid inside the flow path is circulated between the inside and the outside of the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Kazuhiro Yamada, Shingo Okushima, Yasuhiko Osaki, Naozumi Nabeshima
  • Patent number: 11117407
    Abstract: The present invention embraces printers such as hand-held printers and mobile/portable printer. One exemplary embodiment includes “print as you glide” (PAYG) devices. Such printers may comprise a modular print engine that is removable from the printer and may allow a user to easily access and load the ribbon in the mobile print engine. The modular print engine may comprise a modular print head and an encoder that may determine the movement of the print head relative to a stationary media. When a printer is pressed against the media, the print head's burn line may be resting on the media. When the printer is stationary relative to the media, the encoder may not trigger the printing. Once PAYG is being slid or glided across the media, the encoder may start to rotate and then send a signal to a processor, causing the printer to start printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation
    Inventors: Chin Young Wong, Yaw Horng Yap, Ching Hong Chua
  • Patent number: 11117379
    Abstract: An ink replenish container comprises a container main body that is able to store the ink; an ink outlet formation member, attached to a front end side of the container main body, to form an ink outlet; and a cap attachable to a front end side of the ink outlet formation member. The ink outlet includes an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface located inward of the outer circumferential surface, the inner circumferential surface surrounding an opening through which the ink passes. The cap includes a first protrusion that is configured to contact with the outer circumferential surface of the ink outlet to form a first exit seal portion, and a second protrusion that is configured to contact with the inner circumferential surface of the ink outlet to form a second exit seal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fukasawa, Taku Ishizawa, Tadashi Watanabe, Ryoichi Tanaka, Tadahiro Mizutani