Patents Examined by Lisa M. Solomon
  • Patent number: 10022978
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ink circulation device includes a first tank which stores ink to be supplied to an ink jet head, a second tank which stores the ink returned from the ink jet head, and a circulation pump which circulates the ink stored in the second tank to the first tank. In addition, the ink circulation device according to the embodiment further includes a heating device which is in contact with and heats a bottom surface of the first tank, a bottom surface of the second tank, and a bottom surface of the circulation pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ohtsu, Kazuhiro Hara
  • Patent number: 10011126
    Abstract: Thermal print mechanism comprising a printer chassis, a thermal printhead, a platen roller having a conductive shaft, a manner of imparting motion to put the platen roller in rotation, two lateral conductive contacts arranged on the printer chassis so as to be directly or indirectly in electrical contact with two opposite ends of the platen roller conductive shaft for conducting of electrical current, thus forming an electrical switch. At least one nonconductive part of one end of the conductive shaft interacting with one two lateral conductive contact or at least one nonconductive element mounted on said one end of the conductive shaft, is arranged so as to open and to close the switch when the platen roller is rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: APS TRADING OOD
    Inventor: Denis Montagutelli
  • Patent number: 10005276
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes modules to generate an input signal, apply the input signal to an ink sample to obtain an ink signal, compare the ink signal to a reference value, and identify whether the ink signal is consistent with an ink signature. A module may be contained on an inkjet printhead die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, Eric T Martin, Peter James Fricke, James Michael Gardner
  • Patent number: 10005278
    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: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Matsumoto, Kazunari Fujii
  • Patent number: 10005294
    Abstract: Provided is a surface treatment method, including: jetting a first component of a primer composition over a substrate, wherein the first component includes a crosslinking agent; jetting a second component of the primer composition over the substrate, wherein the second component includes a crosslinking activator; and mixing the first component and the second component to form a primer layer, wherein the jetting of the first component and the second component is from at least one printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mandakini Kanungo, Jack T. LeStrange, Peter J. Knausdorf, Anthony S. Condello
  • Patent number: 10000063
    Abstract: A liquid containing member that can supply a liquid having a uniform concentration of a precipitating component to a liquid ejecting portion is provided. A liquid containing member includes: a liquid containing portion that can contain ink; a liquid supply port for supplying the ink contained in the liquid containing portion to a liquid ejection head; and a communication channel that is in communication with the liquid containing portion and the liquid supply port. The communication channel has a first end that is positioned at a lower end on the gravity direction side in the liquid containing portion and can suck the ink, and a second end that is positioned closer to the anti-gravity direction side than the first end is, and can suck the ink, in an in-use state in which the ink is supplied from the liquid supply port to the liquid ejection head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawate, Manabu Yamaguchi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Takuma Ozawa, Satoshi Oya, Hiroyoshi Ozeki
  • Patent number: 9994020
    Abstract: A high viscosity jetting method includes jetting a liquid by a through-flow piezoelectric printhead through a nozzle in a nozzle plate, wherein a section of a nozzle has a shape including an outer edge with a minimum covering circle, the maximum distance from the outer edge to the center of the minimum covering circle is greater than the minimum distance from the outer edge to the center from the minimum covering circle times 1.2, and the jetting viscosity of the liquid is at least 20 mPa·s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: AGFA NV
    Inventors: Stefaan De Meutter, Jaroslav Katona, David Tilemans
  • Patent number: 9994034
    Abstract: A liquid-consuming apparatus includes: a tank including a liquid storage chamber which stores a liquid, an inlet formed in a surface of the tank, and an outlet through which the liquid from the liquid storage chamber flows; a cap which is movable between a first position and a second position; a cover which is movable relative to the tank between a closed position and an open position; and a holding member which is connected to the cap and which holds the cap at the second position. The cap at the second position or the holding member is configured to obstruct a movement of the cover from the open position to the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Tomohisa Higuchi
  • Patent number: 9994021
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a flow channel forming substrate that is provided with a space constituting a pressure generating chamber which communicates with nozzle openings, a vibration plate that is stacked on one surface of the flow channel forming substrate and seals the space, and a piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode sequentially stacked on a surface of the vibration plate opposite to the flow channel forming substrate, in which the first electrode is formed, in which at least a width of a first direction along the opposite surface is narrower than the space in a region corresponding to the space, the piezoelectric layer is stacked so as to overlap the first electrode and at least a part of the vibration plate in the region corresponding to the space, the second electrode is stacked so as to overlap the piezoelectric layer in the region corresponding to the space, and as a thickness of a stacked direction of the piezoelectric element i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shiro Yazaki
  • Patent number: 9994051
    Abstract: In a roll-up prevention unit, an upstream roll-up prevention member guides a linerless label toward a platen roller. A downstream roll-up prevention member guides the linerless label away from the platen roller. Brackets have a roller engagement hole engaging with a roller shaft of the platen roller, and fixes the position of the roll-up prevention unit relative to the platen roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Hoshi, Keita Ohashi, Takumi Nakamori
  • Patent number: 9987855
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is used for processing of reproducing a target object by applying color onto a structure formed based on a concavo-convex signal indicating a shape of the target object. The image processing apparatus determines, based on concavo-convex data, color data, and color reproducibility, a correction area which is an area in which color reproduction represented by the color data is decreased according to the shape represented by the concavo-convex data. The image processing apparatus corrects the concavo-convex data by smoothing the concavo-convex signal corresponding to the determined correction area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsushi Totsuka
  • Patent number: 9987842
    Abstract: A print head with a number of memristors and inverters is described. The print head includes a number of nozzles to deposit an amount of fluid onto a print medium. Each nozzle includes a firing chamber to hold the amount of fluid, an opening to dispense the amount of fluid onto the print medium, and an ejector to eject the amount of fluid through the opening. The print head also includes a number of memristor cells. Each memristor cell includes a memristor to store data, a voltage divider serially connected to the 116 memristor cell, and an inverter connected in parallel with the number of memristor cells and the voltage divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jianwen Luo, Leong Yap Chia, Ning Ge
  • Patent number: 9987844
    Abstract: Disclosed are an ink-jet printing head, an ink-jet printing method using the ink-jet printing head and an ink-jet printing device including the ink-jet printing head. The ink-jet printing head includes a chamber for accommodating ink and nozzle sets provided on a sidewall of the chamber where ink is sprayed. The nozzle sets are used for ink-jet printing on pixels at different positions, respectively. Each of nozzle sets includes sub-nozzles and the sub-nozzles in each nozzle set can spray different volumes of ink. In the printing head, by providing sub-nozzles having different ink spraying volumes in each nozzle set, ink droplets having desirable volumes can be sprayed from nozzle sets such that total volumes of ink droplets sprayed at different positions from nozzle sets could be more accurate. Therefore, a thickness of a film layer formed by ink-jet printing can be flexibly controlled and adjusted, while having a significantly improved accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dejiang Zhao
  • Patent number: 9981465
    Abstract: An inkjet printing system includes a drop ejector array module having a temperature sensor and a logic circuit for sequentially selecting one or more drop ejectors in the array. The system also includes an image data source for providing an image data signal, a memory for storing a temperature correction factor, and a memory for storing at least one drop ejector correction factor. The system includes a fire pulse generator configured to receive signals corresponding to the temperature sensor, the temperature correction factor and the at least one drop ejector correction factor and to output a fire pulse waveform. Also included is a heating pulse generator configured to receive signals corresponding to the temperature sensor and the temperature correction factor and to output a heating pulse waveform. A waveform selector is provided for selecting either a fire pulse waveform or a heating pulse waveform based on the image data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: RF Printing Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Richard Mu, Yonglin Xie
  • Patent number: 9975353
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a head unit that has a plurality of nozzles that discharge a column-shaped liquid; a liquid droplet generating unit that applies cyclically changing energy to positions of the column-shaped liquids discharged from the plurality of nozzles, respectively, which are separated from the plurality of nozzles, respectively, and that generates liquid droplets; and a direction changing unit that changes a flying direction of at least some liquid droplets of the generated liquid droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keigo Sugai
  • Patent number: 9975343
    Abstract: There is provided a printer including: a liquid jetting head; a receiving section; a waste-liquid storing section; a connecting channel connecting the receiving section and the waste-liquid storing section; a pump; and a controller. The controller executes: printing; recovering nozzles; discharging the liquid, which is present in at least one of the receiving section and the connecting channel, to the waste-liquid storing section, after the recovering of the nozzles. Under a condition that there is no input of the print data before the discharging of the liquid, the controller executes the discharging of the liquid continuously after the recovering of the nozzles; under a condition that there is an input of the print data before the discharging of the liquid, the controller executes the printing after the recovering of the nozzles and then executes at least a part of the discharging of the liquid after the printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shotaro Iida
  • Patent number: 9975331
    Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of diaphragms, a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a controller. Each of the plurality of diaphragms is deflected between a first state and a second state. The controller is configured to control voltage application to each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. When a diaphragm is in the first state, the controller applies a first voltage so that the diaphragm is substantially flat; and when the diaphragm is in the second state, the controller applies a second voltage. The controller is configured to control the voltage such that a pressure chamber ejects an ink droplet from the corresponding nozzle in response to the deflection of the diaphragm reverting from the second state to the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Kato, Toru Kakiuchi, Yuichi Ito, Tomoko Hibino
  • Patent number: 9971917
    Abstract: A high speed tabletop and industrial printer is disclosed with integrated high speed RFID encoding and verification at the same time. The industrial printer simultaneously prints on and electronically encodes/verifies RFID labels, tags, and/or stickers attached to a continuous web. The industrial printer comprises a lighted sensor array for indexing the printing to the RFID tags; and a cutter powered from the industrial printer for cutting the web that the RFID tags are disposed on. The industrial printer comprises two RFID reader/writers that are individually controlled. Specifically, one of the RFID reader/writers comprises the ability to electronically encode the RFID tags while the web is moving; and the second RFID reader/writer uses an additional RFID module and antenna on the printer for verifying the data encoded to the RFID tags. Further, the printer also comprises a quick release cover with thumbscrews that allow for easy removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: Jeanne F. Duckett, Andrew R. Evans, Richard D. Wirrig, Lance D. Neuhard, David J. Wimmers, Larri B. Williams, James A. Makley, Jan M. Watson
  • Patent number: 9962934
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a plurality of actuators, a plurality of pressure chambers that are provided so as to correspond to the actuators, and communicate with a common liquid chamber, a first member that defines the common liquid chamber, and includes a compliance sheet that absorbs vibrations of liquid on an upstream side of the common liquid chamber, and an inlet that is formed so as to penetrate the compliance sheet, a canopy portion that is provided at an open peripheral edge of the inlet of the first member, and has a receiving surface to which the compliance sheet is joined, and a receiving portion that is provided opposite the inlet across the canopy portion, and receives liquid introduced from the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Watanabe, Shingo Tomimatsu, Fumiya Takino
  • Patent number: 9956789
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling archival sheet curl formation in image receiving media substrates on which images are formed using aqueous inks as the marking material. Archival curl occurs over time and is based on a partial coverage of the image receiving media substrates by the deposited water-based marking materials. A unique post-processing scheme applies selective aqueous clear fluid onto imaged substrates (cut sheets) to substantially counteract long-term archival curl formation in the individual image receiving media substrates. Both opposing sides of the cut sheet are processed in a manner that causes them to substantially equally undergo the generally irreversible shrinkage phenomenon that leads to archival curl, thus substantially canceling out the archival curl formation mechanism. A clear fluid is applied image-wise to portions of one or both sides of the image receiving media substrates to counterbalance the formed aqueous ink image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Steven R Moore, Paul J McConville, Peter Michael Gulvin, Jason M. LeFevre, David A. VanKouwenberg, Andrew W. Hays