Patents Examined by Kevin D. Williams
  • Patent number: 7305922
    Abstract: A printing blanket comprising a rigid carrier plate on which an elastic layer is arranged is provided. The elastic covering layer has a surface that can be inked and by which a printing image can be transferred onto a printing material. An end of the carrier plate is not covered by the elastic covering layer, and an end of the elastic covering layer is covered by a sealant. The sealant covered end of the elastic covering layer has a sealing geometry that provides a greater surface area to which the sealant can adhere than a smooth flat surface at the end of the elastic covering layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Thomas Kandlbinder
  • Patent number: 7296516
    Abstract: A rotary roller printing press has a printing unit for printing a web in six printed pages arranged axially next to each other. A superstructure is used to cut the web longitudinally into three partial webs. A folding installation is used to fold the partial webs and includes at least one roller for transporting the partial webs, and at least one folding apparatus. The printing unit, the at least one roller for transporting the partial webs of the folding installation, and the folding apparatus, which is arranged after in the direction of web travel, the other devices, are each separately mechanically driven by a separate drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Burkard Otto Herbert, Bernd Kurt Masuch, Karl Robert Schäfer, Anton Weis, Kurt Johannes Weschenfelder
  • Patent number: 7284925
    Abstract: A printer module for use with like printer modules to form an array of printer modules includes a housing that defines a print media inlet and a print media outlet. A chassis is positioned in the housing. A print engine is mounted on the chassis to carry out a printing operation on the print media. A feed assembly is mounted on the chassis to feed the print media through the print engine. A first locator is positioned on a first side of the housing. A second locator is positioned on a second side of the housing. The locators are configured so that the first locator is engageable with the second locator of an adjacent printer module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7284478
    Abstract: A mold assembly for embossing thin products includes a first carrier with a female mold connected to an inside thereof and a second carrier with a male mold connected to an inside thereof. The female mold faces the male mold, and the thin product is sandwiched between the male and female molds. A window is defined through the first carrier and located corresponding to the apertures of the female mold so that the user may color the thin products via the apertures of the female mold before the products are removed from the mold assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventor: Chia-Shun Lee
  • Patent number: 7281874
    Abstract: A thermal printer unit is disclosed that comprises a main body module, a platen module, and a thermal head module. The platen module is detachably connected to the main body module. The thermal head module is detachably connected to the main body module and the platen module. When the thermal printer unit is installed in a POS device, the platen module is disengaged and separated from the main body module. When the thermal printer unit is installed in a label printer, the thermal head module is disengaged and separated from the main body module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited
    Inventors: Sumio Watanabe, Yukihiro Mori, Masahiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7278795
    Abstract: A modular printhead assembly includes a chassis. A pair of feed rollers is mounted on the chassis to feed print media along a feed path. A pair of printhead module sets is mounted on the chassis and positioned on respective sides of the feed path and adjacent the feed rollers. Each set includes a plurality of serially arranged printhead modules oriented to print on both sides of the print media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7275483
    Abstract: An anti-jam bezel is provided for dispensing a flexible substrate from an output slot. A guideway is provided for receiving the flexible substrate from a transport and guiding the flexible substrate into the output slot. The guideway may extend from the output slot to the transport to provide a substrate receiving opening. The bezel body is adapted for mounting with the substrate receiving opening adjacent the transport such that the guideway catches a leading edge of the substrate after the substrate exits the transport and guides the leading edge into the output slot. In the event the output slot is blocked, the guideway is adapted to guide at least a portion of the substrate into the substrate receiving opening so that at least the portion of the substrate loops into the substrate receiving opening, thereby preventing a jam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: TransAct Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Larry Knobel
  • Patent number: 7275880
    Abstract: A thermal activation apparatus comprises a housing having an insertion slot for insertion therethrough of a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet. A sensor detects the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet inserted through the insertion slot and outputs a corresponding detection signal for determining a start time of the thermal activation apparatus. A transfer unit transfers the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet and a thermal activation unit thermally activates a heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet. An ejection unit ejects the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet after thermal activation. A control unit disposed within the housing controls operation of the thermal activation apparatus and includes a printer communication unit for communicating the thermal activation apparatus with a printer for printing on a printable surface of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet before or after thermal activation of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Obuchi, Minoru Hoshino, Yoshinori Sato, Norimitsu Sanbongi
  • Patent number: 7275481
    Abstract: A printer of the present invention includes a timing belt passed over drive pulleys, each of which is mounted on a particular print drum, via phase adjusting means and deflection pulleys or rotary members. The deflection pulleys are rotatable in contact with the rear surface of the timing belt. The timing belt has its rear surface ground to have uniform thickness. The printer is free from the deviation of relative phase between the rotary members and offset ghosts ascribable to the irregular thickness of the timing belt, while preserving the low-cost configuration of timing belt connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Tohoku Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Chiba, Hironobu Takasawa
  • Patent number: 7273325
    Abstract: A thermal printer includes a first module having a motor and a thermal head support member to fix a thermal head, the thermal head support member having a fixed blade part working as a blade and an a second module being detachably coupled with the first module, the second module having a platen roller, a movable blade member and a movable blade member movement mechanism to move the movable blade member, wherein the movable blade member is disposed to face the fixed blade part and driving force of the motor is conveyed to the movable blade member movement mechanism, and thereby a cutter part is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited
    Inventors: Sumio Watanabe, Yukihiro Mori, Masahiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7267053
    Abstract: The invention relates to a delivery device for a sheet-processing machine. The object of the invention is providing a delivery device on a sheet-fed rotary printing machine, that can be universally used and permits quality control of the printed and/or laminated sheets. to this end the delivery device includes rotating sheet feeding system 5 supplying the printed sheets to a first delivery stack 9 and with a drum 7 acting as a turnout point in front of this delivery stack 9 in the transport direction 2 for selective sheet removal. The drum 7 is allocated to the sheet feeding system 5. A vacuum table 14 coupled with a pneumatic system and with at least one rotating suction belt for suctioning, transporting, and positioning a sheet is arranged downstream from the drum in its rotational direction. At least one quality control device 12 for inspecting the sheet is arranged at a distance to the vacuum table 14, with the second delivery system 8 being arranged downstream from the vacuum table 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Beitel, Eckhard Braun, Rolf Martin Lange
  • Patent number: 7264412
    Abstract: An ink switching cam (40) is rotated interlockingly with forward/reverse rotation of a head driving motor at all times to swing a cassette support member (20). Accordingly, ink belts can be switched with a simple construction without using a solenoid or the like. By setting a movable area of the ink switching cam (40) to be within one rotation, the operations of a print head (10) and the ink switching cam (40) which are interlocked with the forward/reverse rotation of the head driving motor can be simply associated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Iwata, Kazumi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7258503
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the position of a printer head of a barcode printer includes a casing mounted to the barcode printer and a base movably coupled to the casing. A slide board is slidably supported on the base and carries the printer head. A first adjuster is arranged between the slide board and the base to selectively move and thus adjust the position of the printer head in the longitudinal direction. A second adjuster couples the first adjuster to the base to selectively move the slide board on the base in the transverse direction, which in turn adjusts the transverse position of the printer head. A third adjuster couples the base to the casing to selectively move the base with respect to the casing and thus adjust the position of the printer head in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wen Chin Lu
  • Patent number: 7249904
    Abstract: A modular printer includes a frame. A housing in which the frame is housed has an operatively upper and an operatively lower cover and defines a print media inlet at one end between the covers and a print media outlet at an opposite end between the covers. An inlet roller assembly is mounted on the frame proximate the print media inlet for feeding a sheet of print media into the housing. A pair of opposed inkjet printhead assemblies are mounted on the frame downstream of the inlet roller assembly to define a printing zone between the printhead assemblies. The inlet roller assembly is configured to feed the sheet of print media between the printhead assemblies. An exit roller assembly is mounted on the frame proximate the print media outlet to feed the sheet of print media from the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7246557
    Abstract: A printing group of a rotary printing press includes at least one forme cylinder and at least one transfer cylinder. The forme cylinder has at least two printing forme end receiving channels. These two channels are spaced circumferentially. At least one of these forme cylinder end receiving channels rolls off against a channel in the transfer cylinder. One of the forme cylinder end receiving channels is at least partially covered by a printing forme carried by the forme cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Helmut Holm
  • Patent number: 7237482
    Abstract: An improved flexo processor and a method of using the improved flexo processor to increase the flexibility of both the type and the size of the flexographic printing element that may be processed. The novel thermal plate processor system is capable of processing both flat and round photosensitive printing elements with only minimal changes to the system. The thermal plate processor system may also include means for exposure and post-exposure/detack in the same system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Inventors: Ryan Vest, Gary T. Markhart
  • Patent number: 7232268
    Abstract: A tape printer includes a roll sheet holder storage part of which a bottom is formed with a positioning recess which is rectangular in plan view and long sideways and has a predetermined depth. A discrimination recess rectangular in plan view is provided between the positioning recess and an inner base end of a holder support member). The discrimination recess fittingly receives a sheet discrimination part extending in a predetermined length from a lower end of the positioning holding member inward at substantially right angle thereto. The sheet discrimination part is formed with sensor holes arranged in an L-shaped pattern. In the discrimination recess, there are provided sheet discrimination sensors arranged in an L-shaped pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Akira Sago, Keiji Seo, Atsushi Kasugai
  • Patent number: 7228799
    Abstract: A moving member fixing apparatus includes a stationary gear, rotary gear, press member, and first and second flat inclined surfaces. The rotary gear is movably provided to the stationary gear. The press member presses the rotary gear to fix the rotary gear to the stationary gear, and cancels pressing the rotary gear so that the rotary gear is released from the stationary gear. The first flat inclined surface is formed to be associated with the stationary gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Komori Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Maruyama, Takanobu Aoki
  • Patent number: 7223031
    Abstract: A ribbon sensor includes a first and second emitter and a receiver. The first emitter is configured to transmit a yellow light signal and the second emitter is configured to transmit a blue light signal. The receiver is configured to produce an output signal in response to the transmission of the yellow and blue light signals through a panel of a print ribbon, wherein the output signal is indicative of a color of the panel. Additional aspects of the present invention are directed to a printer that includes the above-described sensor and a method of using the sensor to identify colored ribbon panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fargo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary P. Countryman, Gary M. Klinefelter, Matthew K. Dunham, James R. Meier, Ryan G. Park
  • Patent number: 7220069
    Abstract: A staggered keyboard for use with a portable device is provided. The staggered keyboard includes a plurality of keys arranged into a plurality of rows of keys. For each row of keys, the labeling of the keys is arranged in either a linear or an arced relationship depending upon the key layout, but the key centers are staggered from key to key along at least two distinct reference lines or arcs so that adjacent keys can be placed in overlapping and/or contiguous configurations thereby minimizing the size of the keyboard layout. By staggering the key centers while maintaining a familiar layout of the key labels, typing efficiency can be maintained while the overall size of the keyboard is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Jason T. Griffin, Frank M. Tyneski