Patents Examined by Kristal Feggins
  • Patent number: 11623460
    Abstract: A cutting device, having a supporting base, a cutter section, a protrusive part, is provided. The supporting base has a first area, in which a tape is placeable, and a second area on a surface thereof. The surface is formed of a resin coating layer in the first area alone between the first area and the second area. The cutter section has a blade and is movable to approach and separate from the surface. The protrusive part protrudes from the cutter section in a direction, toward which an edge of the blade points. When the cutter section approaches the surface of the supporting base, with the protrusive part contacting the surface of the supporting base in the second area, the blade cuts the tape located between the surface of the supporting base in the first area and the blade partly in a direction of thickness of the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Tanizaki, Masashi Iwamoto, Ryuichi Kanda, Yuya Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11623454
    Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer (5) having a printhead (7) that includes first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), each operable to generate a stream (10) of ink droplets, and a common gutter (11) arranged to receive unprinted ink droplets from the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), the printer (5) further including control means configured to determine receipt into the common gutter (11) of ink droplets from the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), wherein the control means are operable to use a single sensor (17) to determine receipt into the common gutter (11) of ink droplets from one, both, or neither of the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Inventors: Richard Thomas Calhoun Bridges, Colin Jon Partridge
  • Patent number: 11623456
    Abstract: A printing device includes a thermal printhead with a plurality of print elements. A controller is configured to identify an out of specification status of at least one print element, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether printing of a specific print field requires use of the print element having the out of specification status and, if so, to determine whether a print location of the specific print field can be shifted such that the print element having out of specification status will be one of (i) aligned with a gap in the specific print field or (ii) offset to one side of the specific print field. A weighing scale incorporating the printing device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Randy L. Blankley, Jr., Robert S. Davis
  • Patent number: 11618272
    Abstract: A printing apparatus including: a thermal head; a capacitor capable of being charged and discharged; a detection unit configured to detect a voltage of the capacitor; a battery accommodation part configured to accommodate a dry-cell battery configured to supply electric power for charging the capacitor; a charging unit configured to charge the capacitor by the electric power of the dry-cell battery; and a controller configured to: execute charging control of controlling the charging unit to charge the capacitor by the electric power of the dry-cell battery, and execute printing control of performing printing on a printing medium by driving the thermal head only with the electric power charged in the capacitor, depending on the voltage detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 11618252
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a head unit including a first driving element, a second driving element, a first contact portion connected to the first driving element, and a second contact portion connected to the second driving element; and a wiring member including a flexible substrate, a first driving IC provided on the flexible substrate, a second driving IC provided on the flexible substrate, a first wire formed in the flexible substrate and connecting the first driving IC and the first contact portion, and a second wire formed in the flexible substrate and connecting the second driving IC and the second contact portion. A conductive part different from the first wire and the second wire is disposed in an area of the flexible substrate between the first driving IC and the second driving IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11613132
    Abstract: Techniques for scrambling residual images left behind on print ribbons due to printing on plastic cards or passports. A string of characters to be printed onto a plastic card is divided into character subsets. Metadata is assigned to each character subset, with the metadata defining the print sequence and location on the plastic card of each character subset. The character subsets are then printed on the plastic card in the sequence and the locations determined by the metadata. The sequence of characters in a residual image left on the print ribbon after printing of the character string differs from the sequence of the characters in the character string printed on the plastic card or passport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Entrust Corporation
    Inventors: Rajesh Juriasingani, Justin Engelking
  • Patent number: 11613136
    Abstract: A thermal printer includes a conveyance unit, a thermal head with heating elements arranged in a line crossing a conveyance direction of a thermal paper, and a controller that generates print dot data for dots to be printed by the thermal head and controls the conveyance unit and thermal head according to the print dot data. The controller determines whether the total number of dots to be printed in a predetermined number of consecutive lines of the print dot data is greater than a threshold number and, when the total number of dots is greater than the threshold number, control the conveyance unit to convey the thermal paper after the printing of the print dot data by a predetermined amount along the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kengo Saga
  • Patent number: 11609489
    Abstract: Provided is a printable coating, printable media and printable labels thereof, usable in both inkjet and direct thermal printing applications. The coating comprises leuco dye blended into an inkjet coating formulation, wherein the coating is applied on the first face of an appropriate paper or film to form the printable media. The coating may be applied as a single, homogenous topcoat thereby streamlining the manufacturing process and reducing potential printing errors. The coating may provide a printable area compatible for use with both direct thermal printers and inkjet printers. On the opposite face of the paper or film, an adhesive may be applied, in combination with an optional release liner, to form printable label stock. Each step of the process, e.g. application of the coating, application of the adhesive and liner, and die-cutting of labels, may occur in any order combination relative to one another. In addition, reverse printing may also be utilized to print and form the labels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: CCL Label, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Y. Shih, Anahit Tataryan, William J. Buehne
  • Patent number: 11607898
    Abstract: Disclosed is a printing device including a main body portion including a body portion configured to provide an internal space in which recording paper for printing certain information thereon is transferred and an opening or closing portion configured to control opening or closing of the internal space, a printing portion configured to print the certain information on the recording paper transferred in the internal space, and a recording paper separation portion located on a downstream side of the printing portion and configured to cut or cut off and separate recording paper on which particular information is printed by the printing portion from the other recording paper. Here, the main body portion includes a protruding portion configured to prevent an adhesive attached to the surface opposite the adhesive surface from being accumulated by decreasing a contact area with the surface opposite the adhesive surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: BIXOLON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin Gwan Kim, Jin Kook Kim
  • Patent number: 11597210
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a valve unit configured to be movable to a position to close the atmosphere communication hole and a position to open the atmosphere communication hole; and a lever configured to fix the valve unit to the position to close the atmosphere communication hole by pressing the valve unit and configured to be capable of moving the valve unit to the position to open the atmosphere communication hole by removing the pressing against the valve unit, wherein the lever is configured to remove the pressing against the valve unit by moving in a direction intersecting a direction in which the valve unit moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Kishikawa, Keisuke Kouno, Hiroki Hayashi, Tatsuo Nanjo
  • Patent number: 11584136
    Abstract: A tank set includes: tanks arranged in a predetermined direction, each of the tanks being composed of a casing including: a liquid storage chamber defined by mutually opposing two surfaces and configured to store liquid; an inlet provided to inject the liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and a liquid outflow port through which the liquid flows out from the liquid storage chamber to a liquid-consuming unit. Each of the two surfaces extends in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction, and is at least partially composed of a film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Taichi Shirono, Masako Kawagoe, Yoshinori Osakabe
  • Patent number: 11577533
    Abstract: A tension detection device according to an embodiment includes a base, a support member, a continuous body, an external force detection unit, and a tension detection unit. One end or both ends of the support member are fixed to the base. The support member has an external force measurement section integrally provided at the one end or both ends thereof. The continuous body is conveyed while wound around an outer circumference of the support member. The external force detection unit is provided at the external force measurement section of the support member. The external force detection unit detects an external force. The tension detection unit detects tension of the continuous body based on a detection result from the external force detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junya Tanaka, Takamitsu Sunaoshi, Shinji Takakura
  • Patent number: 11571369
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a colored sheet for coloring an object by adhesion to the object includes, a coloring step of applying by spraying, a first coating fluid containing first microp articles for coloring to a thin film of a print receiver body which has a sheet-shaped support body and the thin film, the thin film being peelably held on the sheet-shaped support body to serve as a base material of an adhesive sheet which is to be adhered to the object, and a restricting step of applying by spraying, before the coloring step, a second coating fluid for restricting the first microparticles from penetrating the thin film to a location where the first coating fluid is to be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Tsujita, Takao Kajima
  • Patent number: 11571910
    Abstract: A printer comprising a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate, a stepper motor having an output shaft coupled to the printhead, the stepper motor being arranged to vary the position of the printhead, a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an angular position of the output shaft of the stepper motor, and a controller arranged to generate control signals for the stepper motor. Said control signals being at least partially based upon an output of said sensor and at least partially based upon a target position. Said control signals for the stepper motor are arranged to cause a magnetic field to be generated by windings of the stepper motor. A field angle being defined between an angular position of the output shaft of the stepper motor, and an orientation of the generated magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: Gary Pfeffer
  • Patent number: 11571905
    Abstract: An ink supply bottle from which ink is to be supplied to a printer includes: an ink bag that contains the ink; a bottle unit that houses the ink bag and that has a bottleneck with an exit opening; and an ink conduit member disposed in the bottleneck of the bottle. The ink conduit member is in contact with an inner side of the ink bag and seals an opening of the ink bag to form an ink outlet. The ink bag is made of an elastic or stretchable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Koizumi
  • Patent number: 11571909
    Abstract: In a case where a line drawing, such as a thin line, is included within input image data, the output of a non-ejectable nozzle is compensated for while suppressing deterioration of reproducibility thereof. Based on positional information for specifying an abnormal nozzle in which an ejection failure has occurred among a plurality of nozzles arrayed in a nozzle column, a pixel value of a pixel on a pixel line corresponding to the abnormal nozzle and a pixel value of a pixel on a pixel line corresponding to another nozzle that is located in close proximity to the abnormal nozzle and in which no ejection failure has occurred are exchanged for the input image data. Then, halftone image data is generated by performing halftone processing for the input image data for which pixel value exchange has been performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryosuke Otani
  • Patent number: 11571885
    Abstract: A printing apparatus configured to perform printing while varying an amount of adjustment of a target of adjustment, executing: printing a first adjustment pattern on a printing medium; reading the printed first adjustment pattern to acquire a first adjustment amount; printing a part of a second adjustment pattern on the printing medium, the printed part of the second adjustment pattern corresponding to only a part of the amount of adjustment according to the first adjustment pattern; reading the printed part of the second adjustment pattern to acquire a second adjustment amount; setting a first parameter that is a result of adjusting the target of adjustment by using the first adjustment amount; and setting a second parameter that is a result of adjusting the target of adjustment by using the second adjustment amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Saori Kobayashi, So Yokota
  • Patent number: 11571919
    Abstract: A printer comprising a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate. The printer comprises a stepper motor having an output shaft coupled to the printhead, the stepper motor being arranged to vary the position of the printhead relative to a printing surface against which printing is carried out, and to control the pressure exerted by the printhead on the printing surface. The printer further comprises a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an angular position of the output shaft of the stepper motor. The printer further comprises a controller arranged to generate control signals for the stepper motor so as to cause a predetermined torque to be generated by the stepper motor; said control signals being at least partially based upon an output of said sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventors: Gary Pfeffer, Keith Buxton
  • Patent number: 11571914
    Abstract: A method of printing an image using a printing system including at least first and second overlapping printhead segments, the method includes the steps of: feeding media past the printhead segments along a media feed direction; determining an extent of wander of the media in a direction perpendicular to the media feed direction; selecting a stitching method based on the determined extent of wander; and printing the image using the first and second printhead segments. The printing step includes stitching the first and second printhead segments using the selected stitching method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: Nigel Hoschke
  • Patent number: 11565529
    Abstract: In one example, a dehumidifier for an inkjet printer includes a condensing unit and a chiller to circulate coolant through the condensing unit. The condensing unit is made of a thermally conductive material forming elongated exterior condensing surfaces and an interior coolant flow passage extending lengthwise between the condensing surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Nicholas J Meisner, Joe Santich, Robert K Saathoff