Patents Examined by Lisa M. Solomon
  • Patent number: 10118395
    Abstract: A discharger is configured to discharge liquid in a liquid channel to outside the liquid channel. The liquid is at least one of first liquid and second liquid different from the first liquid. An agitator is configured to agitate the liquid in the liquid channel. When executed by a processor, instructions cause the processor to perform: an introducing process of, when the second liquid exists in the liquid channel, controlling the discharger to discharge the second liquid to outside the liquid channel and to introduce the first liquid from the tank into the liquid channel; an agitating process of, after the introducing process, controlling the agitator to agitate the liquid in the liquid channel; and a discharging process of, after the agitating process, controlling the discharger to discharge the liquid in the liquid channel agitated by the agitator to outside the liquid channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiro Ueda
  • Patent number: 10112426
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of decorative laminates includes the steps of: a) printing an ink acceptance layer by jetting droplets having a volume of 1 to 200 nL onto a paper substrate; b) forming a decorative layer by jetting ink droplets having a volume of up to 30 pL of one or more aqueous pigmented inkjet inks onto the dried ink acceptance layer; and c) heat pressing the decorative layer into a decorative laminate; wherein the ink acceptance layer contains an inorganic pigment P and a polymeric binder B in a weight ratio P/B larger than 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignees: AGFA NV, UNILIN BVBA
    Inventors: Patrick Van Den Bergen, Johan Van Hunsel
  • Patent number: 10105958
    Abstract: There is provided a cartridge accommodating apparatus configured to accommodate a cartridge having an electrical interface. The cartridge accommodating apparatus includes: a body having a first surface defining an internal space into which the cartridge is installed in a first direction; a substrate; a connector having a terminal and a casing. The terminal is provided with: a supporting part fixed to the casing; a first extending part; a second extending part, and a contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobumasa Tanaka, Shoko Ota
  • Patent number: 10099500
    Abstract: Microwave dryers and a method of fabricating microwave dryers are disclosed. The microwave dryers include a microwave source that generates electromagnetic energy to dry a wet colorant applied to a continuous-form print medium. The microwave dryers further include a microwave waveguide electromagnetically coupled to the microwave source that transports the electromagnetic energy between a first end and a second end. The microwave waveguide includes a passageway that is sized to pass the continuous-form print medium through the microwave waveguide. The microwave dryer further includes a plurality of microwave absorbing elements within the microwave waveguide that absorb the electromagnetic energy and heat the wet colorant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bryan Giroux Gervais, Andrew David Norte
  • Patent number: 10086604
    Abstract: A method of operating a printing device during a power loss event includes, with a power loss detection device, detecting an power loss to a number of high voltage devices. The method further includes, with a voltage regulator coupled to printhead fire control circuitry, maintaining a power loss protection supply voltage (VDD_plp) to the printhead fire control circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: James Gardner, Daryl E Anderson, Eric T Martin
  • Patent number: 10081202
    Abstract: An inkjet printer including a feeding device configured to feed a sheet in a feeding direction, a platen configured to support the sheet, a recording device configured to eject ink on the sheet, contacting members configured to contact the sheet, a detector configured to detect an end portion position of the sheet in a width direction, and a controller configured to control the feeding device and the recording device is provided. The contacting members are arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the controller performs a suppression process in which at least one of the feeding device and the recording device is controlled to suppress a contact of the sheet with the recording device when the end portion position detected by the detector is a position between the two adjacent contacting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 10081176
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus enhances a detection accuracy of a contact state when a recording medium and a liquid discharging unit come into contact, and suppresses contact between the recording medium and the liquid discharging unit, which may cause damage. The liquid discharging apparatus includes a transport unit, a liquid discharging unit, a skirt provided to the liquid discharging unit in a position that faces the recording medium transported to the recording region, a piezoelectric film sensor adhered to an adhering surface of the skirt and configured to generate an output in accordance with a degree of deformation of the adhering surface, and a control unit configured to control the liquid discharging unit and/or the transport unit on the basis of the output of the piezoelectric film sensor. The adhering surface of the skirt includes a slit formed around the periphery thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Kato, Yugo Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 10081201
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing system for printing a plurality of sheets having different media properties, and a paper path comprising a loop in order to enable printing on the plurality of sheets in an interweaving first and second pass in the loop, and a print engine for disposing marking material on the sheets according to the image data. The print system comprises a pattern recognition module for recognizing a repeating pattern in the plurality of sheets on the basis of the media properties of the sheets. The control unit is configured to determine the entrance time of each of the plurality of sheets for entering the loop in the paper path for the first pass and for the second pass while taking the repeating pattern recognized by the pattern recognition module and a length of the loop into account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: OCÉ-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Jacobus J. Kandelaars, Patrick G. H. Vestjens
  • Patent number: 10081190
    Abstract: The method includes: a wiping processing step of performing wiping processing on a liquid discharge surface by eccentrically rotating a wiping surface of a wiping member, including raised irregularities on the wiping surface thereof, in a plane parallel to the liquid discharge surface of a liquid discharge head and moving the wiping member in a first direction in a state in which the wiping surface is in contact with the liquid discharge surface; and a post-wiping processing purge processing step of performing post-wiping processing purge processing after the wiping processing step. An eccentric parameter as a value obtained by dividing an eccentric distance of the wiping surface by an interval between the nozzles in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, is set to 10 or more in the wiping processing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Takuma Nakano
  • Patent number: 10076878
    Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets during printing of three-dimensional objects. The apparatus includes a reversible thermal substrate that changes optical density in areas where material drops are ejected onto the substrate. An optical sensor generates image data of the substrate after material drops are ejected onto the substrate and these image data are analyzed to identify inoperative inkjets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Victoria L. Warner, James L. Giacobbi, Matthew R. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 10076902
    Abstract: Provided are a printing device and a print element substrate having a detection element row provided in correspondence to an ejection port row and capable of suppressing an increase in a length in an ejection port row direction. For that purpose, a row selection circuit 117 is provided in a detection element circuit 108, and a row of the detection element circuit is selected by row selection signals A0 and A1 transmitted through a common wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Kanno, Ryo Kasai
  • Patent number: 10065415
    Abstract: A first output section outputs a first parameter calculated for each nozzle in a group obtained by dividing the nozzles into groups for each certain number so that density unevenness of ink ejected from each nozzle in the group is corrected. A second output section outputs a second parameter calculated for each group so that change rate of the density unevenness between groups is corrected. A first register circuit divides first parameters for each nozzle in the group and stores the first parameters. A second register circuit divides second parameters for each group and stores the second parameters. A multiplication section sequentially multiplies the first parameters by the second parameters. A conversion section converts a multiplication value to correction data of each nozzle. A setting section sets the correction data in a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Teruyuki Hiyoshi, Shunichi Ono
  • Patent number: 10061232
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an endless intermediate transfer belt, a primary transfer member, a secondary transfer member, a displacement amount detecting device, and a control unit. The displacement amount detecting device detects displacement amounts of a reference image in a main-scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction. The reference image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt. The displacement amount detecting device includes a density detecting sensor and a surface potential sensor. The density detecting sensor detects a print density of the reference image formed on the intermediate transfer belt. The surface potential sensor detects a surface potential of the reference image. The displacement amount detecting device simultaneously detects the identical reference image using the density detecting sensor and the surface potential sensor to ensure simultaneous detections of displacement amounts in the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kozo Shimazu
  • Patent number: 10059101
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate in which a pressure generating chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening is formed; and a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode that is formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer on a side of the substrate so as to correspond to the pressure generating chamber, and a second electrode that is formed on a surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite to the side on which the first electrode is formed so as to extend over a plurality of the pressure generating chambers, wherein the second electrode is formed to extend to an outside of the pressure generating chamber in a longitudinal direction of the pressure generating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Shiro Yazaki, Koji Sumi, Motoki Takabe, Jiro Kato, Hiroshi Ito, Toshihiro Shimizu, Takahiro Kamijo, Tatsuro Torimoto, Chikara Kojima
  • Patent number: 10059109
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid; a control unit that makes the liquid ejecting head execute a plurality of types of preliminary ejection, which are ejection of liquid onto a medium and ejection of liquid onto an area outside the medium; and a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive liquid ejected by preliminary ejection, wherein the control unit changes the receiving portion that receives liquid ejected by preliminary ejection depending on the types of preliminary ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masamitsu Shimazu, Shunichi Hizawa
  • Patent number: 10052879
    Abstract: There is provided a tank including: a wall defining a liquid storage chamber, the wall including: an upper wall defining an upper end of the liquid storage chamber, a lower wall defining a lower end of the liquid storage chamber, and an erected wall between the upper wall and the lower wall and through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank; an inlet penetrating through the upper wall or the erected wall; and an outlet, wherein the lower wall includes an upper stage wall making contact with the erected wall; a lower stage wall located at a position separated and away from the erected wall and below the upper stage wall; and a connecting wall connecting the upper and lower stage walls; and the outlet is disposed below the upper stage wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akinori Igarashi
  • Patent number: 10040300
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a movement detector that detects a direction of movement of the printing apparatus relative to the printing medium, a printing unit that prints an image on the printing medium, and a processor. In a case where the movement of the printing apparatus in a first direction relative to the printing medium is detected by the movement detector, the processor causes the printing unit to print the image of a print subject on the printing medium; and after causing the printing unit to print the image of the print subject on the printing medium, in a case where the movement of the printing apparatus in a second direction differing from the first direction relative to the printing medium is detected by the movement detector, the processor executes a process indicating an occurrence of a printing error in printing of the image of the print subject on the printing medium by the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeto Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10040961
    Abstract: Provided is a cleaning solution used for cleaning an ink containing a resin in an amount of 5 percent by mass or greater, the cleaning solution including a mixture solvent containing water and a solvent, wherein a hydrogen bond term of a Hansen solubility parameter of the mixture solvent is 7.0 (cal/cm3)1/2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shizuka Kohzuki, Akiko Bannai
  • Patent number: 10040283
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The device comprises: a first transistor that includes a first primary terminal, a second primary terminal and a first control terminal; a second transistor that includes a third primary terminal, a fourth primary terminal and a second control terminal; and a resistive element. The first and third primary terminal are connected to a first voltage line. The second primary terminal and one terminal of the resistive element are connected to a second voltage line. The first and second control terminal, the fourth primary terminal and the other terminal of the resistive element are connected to a node. A potential change in the third primary terminal is transmitted to the first control terminal by capacitive coupling between the third primary terminal and the node, turning on the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Matsumoto, Kazunari Fujii
  • Patent number: 10035345
    Abstract: A control method for an inkjet recording apparatus includes: a head housing step of housing in a head housing part an inkjet head having a nozzle surface on which nozzles configured to eject an ink are formed; a humidity acquiring step of acquiring a relative humidity of the nozzle surface of the inkjet head housed in the head housing part; and a temperature and humidity regulating step of performing at least one of a humidification process and a dehumidification process according to the relative humidity of the nozzle surface acquired in by the humidity acquiring step to set the relative humidity of the nozzle surface to 37% RH or more and 65% RH or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa Hattori, Yuichi Ozaki, Tsutomu Kusakari