Patents Examined by Kevin S. Wood
  • Patent number: 8606053
    Abstract: In an optical modulator, respective lights for where one input light has been branched, are input via a curved waveguide to a plurality of optical modulation sections arranged in parallel on the same substrate. In a Mach-Zehnder type optical waveguide, a spacing between the pair of branching waveguides of the adjacent optical modulation sections, is formed so as to become wider in the vicinity of a border of an input side polarization inversion region than in the vicinity of a start point of an interaction portion. As a result, even if a signal electrode of the optical modulation sections shifts at the boundary portion of the polarization inversion region, the spacing between the signal electrodes does not become narrow, and hence the radius of curvature of curved waveguides for guiding the input light to the respective optical modulation sections can be increased, so that it becomes possible to apply input light to the optical modulation sections at low loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Masaki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8596885
    Abstract: A flexible circuit assembly that integrates a first fiber optic die, for example a transmitter die, and a second fiber optic die, for example a receiver die, on a single flexible circuit. Alignment holes and the multiple die are accurately placed on a single flexible circuit. The precise placement of the alignment holes and the fiber optic die facilitate micron alignment accuracy to a mechanical transfer (MT) connector. Fiber optic die circuitry is electrically connected to the first fiber optic die and second fiber optic die and connected to the flexible circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Roger J. Karnopp, Kevin J. Thorson, Gregory M. Drexler
  • Patent number: 8596763
    Abstract: A liquid transport apparatus includes a substrate, liquid transport channels disposed on a surface of the substrate in which a conductive liquid is transported, electrodes disposed in regions in corresponding ones of the liquid transport channels, and wiring portions coupled to corresponding electrodes and extending along the surface of the substrate between adjacent liquid transport channels. Also, the apparatus includes an insulating layer which is disposed so as to cover the electrodes. The insulating layer has a surface in which the liquid repellency changes according to an electrical potential difference between the conductive liquid and the electrodes. The apparatus also has a potential applying unit which applies an electric potential to each of the electrodes through terminals at the ends of the wiring portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Sugahara
  • Patent number: 8585179
    Abstract: A microfluidic device comprising a monolithic superstructure, wherein the superstructure contains fluid channels, and in at least one of the fluid channels, in an area where the channel changes direction or intersects another channel, the channel is greater in cross-section than in other areas of said channel. A microfluidic device superstructure comprising fluid channels wherein said channels comprise projections into at least part of the channel to aid in laminar flow of fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Hrishikesh V. Panchawagh, Jeremy M. Grace, Randolph C. Brost
  • Patent number: 8571362
    Abstract: An optical device includes a first region interfaced with a second region. The first region includes one or more surfaces that are formed using electron-beam lithography and the second region includes one or more surfaces that are formed using photolithography. A component crosses the interface and includes a first portion located in the first region and a second portion located in the second region. The component includes a light-signal carrying region that constrains light signals. The first portion includes a first taper that expands the light-signal carrying region as the component approaches the interface and the second portion includes a second taper that expands the light-signal carrying region as the component approaches the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Mellanox Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Po Dong
  • Patent number: 8559768
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a traveling-wave-type optical modulator capable of adjusting the frequency characteristics of an electric/optical conversion response over a wide frequency band, preventing the occurrence of jitter, and improving optical transmission characteristics. A traveling-wave-type optical modulator 20 includes: a substrate that has an electro-optical effect; an optical waveguide that is formed on the substrate; a modulating electrode that controls the modulation of a light wave traveling through the optical waveguide and includes a signal electrode portion 21 and a ground electrode portion; an input interface 22 that is connected to an input side of the signal electrode portion; a terminator 23 that is connected to the end of the signal electrode portion; and an adjustment filter 31 that is provided between the input interface and the signal electrode portion and adjusts frequency characteristics. It is preferable that the adjustment filter 31 be a passive filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryo Shimizu, Takahisa Fujita, Toru Sugamata
  • Patent number: 8550600
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit that ejects a liquid onto an ejection target medium, a conductive brush provided adjacent to the liquid ejection unit and whose tip opposes the ejection target medium, and a same potential formation unit that sets the conductive brush and a predetermined portion of the liquid ejection unit to the same potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoteru Katsuki, Yoichi Yamada, Masaru Kobashi, Daisuke Matsumoto, Yasunori Koike, Narihiro Oki
  • Patent number: 8550596
    Abstract: A nozzle plate for an inkjet head including a substrate and ink ejecting holes formed in the substrate. An ink-repellent layer is formed on an ink ejecting side surface of the nozzle plate, and portions of the ink-repellant layer around the ink ejecting holes are selectively removed so that portions of the nozzle plate around the ink ejecting holes are exposed. Also, a method of producing a nozzle plate for an inkjet head is provided that includes preparing a nozzle plate which includes a substrate and ink ejecting holes formed in the substrate and has an ink-repellent layer formed on an ink ejecting side surface of the nozzle plate, and selectively removing portions of the ink-repellant layer around the ink ejecting holes to expose portions of the nozzle plate around the ink ejecting holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Souma, Satoshi Tsubamoto, Isao Tabayashi
  • Patent number: 8526822
    Abstract: A flexible circuit assembly is described that integrates a first fiber optic die, for example a transmitter die, a second fiber optic die, for example a receiver die, a trans-impedance amplifier die and a transmitter driver die on a single flexible circuit. Alignment holes and multiple die are accurately placed on a single flexible circuit. The precise placement of alignment holes and fiber optic die facilitate micron alignment accuracy to a fiber optic connector, preferably a mechanical transfer (MT) connector. A heat sink is provided that transfers heat from the trans-impedance amplifier die and the transmitter driver die and isolates the fiber optic die from the heat source. Circuitry for the first fiber optic die, second fiber optic die, impedance die, and driver die, including isolated grounding circuitry, is also integrated on the flexible circuit assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Roger J. Karnopp, Kevin J. Thorson, Gregory M. Drexler
  • Patent number: 8493528
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal cell including a liquid crystal layer twist-aligned at 90° sandwiched between a pair of substrates, first and second polarizing layers arranged to sandwich the liquid crystal cell therebetween so that their absorption axes set to parallel with directions crossing aligning treatment directions of the substrates at 45°, and viewing angle compensating plates respectively arranged between the polarizing layers and the liquid crystal cell. A total value of retardations in a thickness direction, defined as a value of a product of a phase difference within a plane perpendicular to substrate surfaces of the liquid crystal cell and a layer thickness, of optical layers present between the polarizing layers is set to a value that substantially cancels out a retardation in a liquid crystal layer thickness direction when a saturation voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ohsawa, Tetsushi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8485640
    Abstract: A nozzle plate includes a silicon substrate, and a nozzle hole formed in the silicon substrate for discharging a liquid droplet provided with: a first nozzle portion formed perpendicularly to a surface of the silicon substrate; a second nozzle portion formed on a same axis as an axis of the first nozzle portion and having a cross-sectional area that is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first nozzle portion; and an inclined portion having a cross-sectional area gradually increasing from the first nozzle portion to the second nozzle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazufumi Oya, Katsuji Arakawa
  • Patent number: 8480208
    Abstract: A liquid-droplet ejection head includes a nozzle substrate, a chamber substrate, a liquid supply substrate, a frame substrate, a driving circuit member, and wire members. The nozzle substrate includes nozzles. The chamber substrate is formed on the nozzle substrate and includes liquid chambers, diaphragms, and electro-mechanical transducers. The liquid supply substrate is formed on the chamber substrate and includes liquid supply channels. The frame substrate is formed on a first face of the liquid supply substrate opposite a second face of the liquid supply substrate formed on the chamber substrate. The driving circuit member that drives the electro-mechanical transducers is mounted on the frame substrate. The wire members connect the electro-mechanical transducers to the driving circuit member. A voltage applied to the electro-mechanical transducers through the wire members deforms the electro-mechanical transducers and the diaphragms to generate pressure in the liquid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Takemoto, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Patent number: 8482846
    Abstract: In a shifting algorithm for an optically nonlinear crystal arranged to frequency-convert beam of radiation, the location of one or more defects in the crystal is recorded as an exclusion zone. The location of the beam is stepped incrementally over a surface around a closed or open loop path in increments less than a beam dimension. The path is arranged such that the beam does not enter the exclusion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Coherent GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Kneip
  • Patent number: 8459782
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head having pressure chambers each communicating with a nozzle opening for liquid ejection and piezoelectric element having a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer consisting a perovskite oxide containing lead, zirconium, and titanium, and a second electrode. The piezoelectric layer has a carbon intensity ratio in the range of 8 to 28 in its inner region excluding the volume 20 nm in depth from the second electrodes. The carbon intensity ratio is defined as the ratio of the maximum carbon intensity to the minimum as measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry along the thickness of the piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ichiro Asaoka, Jiro Kato
  • Patent number: 8459774
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus including: a first and a second cartridge attaching section; a liquid jetting head on which a plurality of first nozzles and a plurality of second nozzles are formed and which has a plurality of driving sections provided corresponding to the nozzles respectively; and a flushing control unit which operates the driving sections to cause execution of a first flushing operation in which an amount of the liquid forcibly jetted from the first nozzles is made smaller than an amount of the liquid forcibly jetted from the second nozzles when a height of the first cartridge is greater than a height of the second cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsunori Nishida
  • Patent number: 8454131
    Abstract: An ink jet print head is provided which, during a suction-based recovery operation, can effectively remove air bubbles from the common ink path by producing an ink flow in the common ink path. In each of a plurality of bubble forming chambers where an element is installed to generate a thermal energy, there are provided a first ink path for leading ink directly from the ink supply port and a second ink path for leading ink from the common ink path formed on a far side of the array of the bubble forming chambers with respect to the ink supply port. The plurality of the first ink paths include those ink paths with less flow resistance than that of the second ink paths and those ink paths with higher flow resistance than that of the second ink paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Murakami, Masataka Eida
  • Patent number: 8454121
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid through nozzles, a liquid container with a sloped bottom surface which receives the liquid ejected from the nozzles, an absorber disposed in the liquid container which absorbs and stores the liquid ejected from the nozzles, and a suction unit which sucks the liquid held by the absorber and discharges the liquid from the liquid container. The liquid container includes a restriction portion which restricts the flow of the liquid in the absorber due to gravity, forming collection portions in the absorber where the liquid may be collected at a plurality of positions with different elevations when the liquid container is rotated so that the bottom surface is sloped away from the horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Taisuke Yamamoto, Kentaro Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 8457455
    Abstract: A light guide includes a core and a clad made of a material having an index of refraction different from an index of refraction of the core and covering the core, in which at least one of a light incident surface or a light exit surface of the core is arranged while shifted in parallel without changing respective inclined angles so that the inclined surface is divided into a plurality of inclined surfaces parallel in a longitudinal direction (X direction) of the rectangular shape in the orthogonal projection and the plurality of inclined surfaces closer to the light emitting portion are positioned in a direction (Z direction) of moving away from the end face to be in a shape extending in the direction (Z direction) of moving away from the end face in a stepwise manner as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Yukari Terakawa, Hayami Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8449080
    Abstract: A base for a liquid discharge head includes a heat element which forms an exothermic portion, an electrode wire that is electrically connected with the heat element, an insulative protective layer provided above the heat generating resistive element and the electrode wire and an upper protective layer provided on the protective layer. The upper protective layer is made from a TaSi alloy containing 22 at. % or more Si.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shibata, Ichiro Saito, Takahiro Matsui, Teruo Ozaki, Hirokazu Komuro
  • Patent number: 8439478
    Abstract: A wiping apparatus having a gas injection aperture that injects gas, and a guide section that has a convexly curved surface and has an apex and over which gas injected from the gas injection aperture is blown, and, in this wiping apparatus, foreign substance adhering to a nozzle plate of an ink-jet head placed above the guide section is blown away by gas guided along the curved surface of the guide section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Kanata, Masahiro Muro