Patents Examined by Lisa M. Solomon
  • Patent number: 9956798
    Abstract: A tape printing device or the like in which the loading of a tape cartridge can be detected and in which the misalignment of the loaded tape cartridge can be restrained at the same time, is provided. A tape printing device includes: a cartridge loading section in which a tape cartridge is loaded in an unloadable manner; a push switch which is provided in the cartridge loading section and detects the loaded tape cartridge. The push switch has a stem which is energized in a protruding direction by a build-in spring, and the stem in an actuated state energizes the loaded tape cartridge in a direction intersecting with a loading direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Sakano, Akihiro Shintani
  • Patent number: 9960343
    Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric material not containing lead and potassium, showing satisfactory insulation and piezoelectricity, and having a high Curie temperature. The invention relates to a piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1): (NaxBa1-y)(NbyTi1-y)O3 (wherein, 0.80?x?0.94 and 0.83?y?0.94), and an additive component containing at least one element selected from Mn and Ni, wherein the content of the Ni is 0 mol or more and 0.05 mol or less based on 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide, and the content of the Mn is 0 mol or more and 0.005 mol or less based on 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Miki Ueda, Takayuki Watanabe, Shunsuke Murakami
  • Patent number: 9950540
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording method for printing a pigment in which a pigment printing ink composition including at least pigment as a colorant is discharged from a nozzle opening as an ink droplet having an amount of the ink of the ink droplet of 9 ng or less with an average discharging speed V of 5 m/s or greater at a distance in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm in the direction from the nozzle opening to cloth, and whereby the pigment printing ink composition is adhered to the cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Saito, Tomoki Shinoda, Masakazu Ohashi, Masashi Kamibayashi, Yoshihiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9944070
    Abstract: Determination of a maximum jetting frequency for an inkjet head. The method includes generating a velocity/frequency curve for an inkjet head, and determining failure zones in the velocity/frequency curve that comprise frequencies in the velocity/frequency curve resulting in jetting failure of the inkjet head. The method further includes determining a range of maximum jetting frequencies of the inkjet head that are higher than the frequencies of the failure zones, wherein subharmonic frequencies of each of the maximum jetting frequencies are outside of the failure zones. The method further includes selecting the maximum jetting frequency for the inkjet head from the range of maximum jetting frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Stuart Howkins, Charles Willus
  • Patent number: 9937718
    Abstract: According to one embodiment in an ink jet head, the common electrodes for all the actuators, without overlapping with the first wiring pattern formed by individual electrodes, are connected to a second wiring pattern that passes between the outer peripheral portion of piezoelectric bodies, and a third wiring pattern that extends in a direction different from a direction of the second wiring pattern. The first wiring pattern and the third wiring pattern are electrically insulated at intersections thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Meng Fei Wong, Ryutaro Kusunoki, Shuhei Yokoyama, Ryuichi Arai
  • Patent number: 9937725
    Abstract: A fluidic dispensing device includes a casing having a reservoir chamber and a primary vent chamber. An end cap is positioned at an end of the casing. The end cap is connected to the casing. A vent path extends from the primary vent chamber to the atmosphere through a gap between the end cap and the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Steven R. Komplin
  • Patent number: 9925811
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to control operation of a printer based on whether a marker is detected in a pigment ink are disclosed. Example apparatus include an optical sensor to detect a marker in a vehicle component of the pigment ink. The vehicle is depleted of a pigment component. The apparatus also includes a controller to control operation of the printer based on whether the marker is detected. The apparatus can also include an authorizer to determine whether the printer in which the pigment ink is installed is authorized to use the pigment ink having the marker. The controller of the apparatus is to control operation of the printer by transmitting a control signal to a print head processor to halt printing operations. The apparatus can additionally include a filter to deplete the vehicle component of the pigment component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven B Elgee, Jefferson P Ward, Jayprakash C Bhatt
  • Patent number: 9925795
    Abstract: An example disclosed printer includes a base; a lid hingedly attached to the base movable between a closed position in which the lid is secured to the base, and an open position in which the lid is at least partially separated from the base; a cavity defined between the lid and the base, wherein the cavity is inaccessible when the lid is in the closed position and the cavity is accessible when the lid is in the open position; a ribbon positioning assembly disposed within the cavity that is pivotably attached to at least one of the lid or the base wherein the ribbon positioning assembly is configured to move between a printing position when the lid is in the closed position, and an accessible position when the lid is in the open position, wherein the ribbon positioning assembly comprises a ribbon tensioning mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: ZIH Corp.
    Inventors: Randal Wong, Petrica D. Balcan, Shu-Hsun Chiang, Kuan-Ying Lu, Chia-Wen Chang
  • Patent number: 9919523
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes an actuator substrate that includes a plurality of piezoelectric element rows having a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a wiring substrate that is disposed so as to face the actuator substrate. The piezoelectric element rows include a plurality of individual electrodes disposed for each of the piezoelectric elements, and a common electrodes common to the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The wiring substrate includes a core portion disposed on a surface on the actuator substrate side, an individual wiring portion that partially covers the core portion, a common wiring portion that partially covers the core portion, and an auxiliary wiring disposed in a groove portion disposed on a first principal surface on the side opposite to the actuator substrate or on a second principal surface on the actuator substrate side. The auxiliary wiring is electrically connected to the common wiring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe, Katsutomo Tsukahara, Yoichi Naganuma, Munehide Saimen
  • Patent number: 9919547
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mobile printer freefall detection and protection mechanism. Printers may be subject to vibration or free fall during printing. This is more likely to happen for a mobile printer. In such cases, the printing performance will be adversely affected a lot or a thermal printhead (TPH) in the printer could be damaged. This disclosure describes a system and method of solving this problem by measuring the G-forces at using at least one sensor to determine if it is safe to start operation again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation
    Inventors: Fong Yin Lau, Yong Chiap Cheng, Zhiyong Liu
  • Patent number: 9919527
    Abstract: A liquid jet head manufacturing method, a method for integrally manufacturing a liquid jet apparatus, a liquid jet head, a printing apparatus and a liquid jet apparatus. The manufacturing method includes: forming multiple pressure-generating members arranged spaced apart on a first substrate; forming, on a first surface of first substrate, pressure chambers corresponding to multiple pressure-generating members, and a common chamber in communication with multiple pressure chambers; forming a transition layer on pressure chambers, and forming a jet orifice plate on transition layer; and forming, on jet orifice plate and transition layer, jet orifices in communication with pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, ZHUHAI SEINE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Helin Zou, Jingzhi He, Yue Li, Xiaokun Chen
  • Patent number: 9919891
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a mount base having a mount surface on which a sheet discharged through a medium discharge outlet is mounted, the mount surface facing the recording surface of the sheet; a projection rib that is provided in the mount base, is projectable from the mount surface, and extends along a discharge direction of the sheet discharged through the medium discharge outlet, through a center of the sheet in a width direction crossing the discharge direction of the sheet; and a projection mechanism that causes the projection rib to project from the mount surface to a rib height according to a dimension of the sheet in the width direction discharged through the medium discharge outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Chiba, Hidetoshi Kodama, Toru Tanjo, Kohei Ueno
  • Patent number: 9908349
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a printer includes a battery, a display, a memory and a processor. The memory stores a predetermined residual capacity of the battery of the printer and amount information of a printing medium on which a predetermined printing data can be printed with the predetermined residual capacity in association with each other in advance. The processor controls the display such that the amount information corresponding to the predetermined residual capacity stored in the memory is displayed on the display, in a case where determining that the residual capacity of the battery is reduced to less than the predetermined residual capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Satake, Masami Yamanashi, Michio Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9908325
    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: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Teruyuki Hiyoshi, Shunichi Ono
  • Patent number: 9908133
    Abstract: The invention provides apparatuses and methods for acoustically ejecting the fluid from a reservoir contained in or disposed on a substrate. The reservoir has a portion adapted to contain a fluid, and an acoustic radiation generator is positioned in acoustic coupling relationship to the reservoir. Acoustic radiation generated by the acoustic radiation generator is transmitted through at least the portion of the reservoir to an analyzer. The analyzer is capable of determining the energy level of the transmitted acoustic radiation and raising the energy level of subsequent pulses to a level sufficient to eject fluid droplets from the reservoir. The invention is particularly suited for delivering fluid from a plurality of reservoirs in an accurate and efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Labcyte Inc.
    Inventors: Richard G. Stearns, Shehrzad Ahmed Qureshi
  • Patent number: 9902147
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a digital printing system comprising two independently operable printing towers, each tower having a respective endless intermediate transfer member, a respective image forming system serving under digital control to deposit ink onto the intermediate transfer member to form an ink image on the respective endless intermediate transfer member, a drier for drying the ink image while it is being transported by the intermediate transfer member to form a residue film and a respective impression station at which the residue film is impressed onto a sheet substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: LANDA CORPORATION LTD.
    Inventors: Aharon Shmaiser, Benzion Landa
  • Patent number: 9902180
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a printer including a memory. The memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the printer to perform a first process, a second process, and a third process. In the first process, an N-th determination target value is calculated, from an N-th pulse count index value and an (N+1)th pulse count index value. In the second process, a mean value of a plurality of consecutive pulse count index values within a predetermined range is calculated. In the third process, a comparison value is calculated by comparing (N?1)th the determination target value with the mean value. The first process to the third process are performed while increasing N one by one. A first determination step includes determining whether the elongated medium has reached a consumption completion status or not, on the basis of a magnitude relation between the comparison value and a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yohei Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9895908
    Abstract: A printer comprises a first conveyance section which conveys a sheet; a cutter which cuts the sheet through either full cutting for cutting the whole sheet in a width direction or partial cutting for cutting a part of the sheet in the width direction with remaining part uncut; a second conveyance section which further conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance section towards a discharging port; a housing section which houses a slack part of the sheet generated between the first conveyance section and the second conveyance section due to a conveyance speed difference between the first conveyance section and the second conveyance section; and a controller which changes at least one of the first conveyance section and the second conveyance section in a case in which the cutter cuts the sheet through the full cutting or the partial cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Kataoka, Dulce Luna, Noriyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9895886
    Abstract: A droplet deposition apparatus, such as an inkjet printhead, that includes an integrally-formed manifold component and one or more actuator components; these actuator components provide an first array of fluid chambers, each of which has a piezoelectric actuator element and a nozzle, with this piezoelectric actuator element being able to cause the release in a deposition direction of fluid droplets through the nozzle in response to electrical signals; the first array of fluid chambers extends in an array direction from a first longitudinal end to a second, opposite longitudinal end, this array direction being perpendicular to the deposition direction; in addition, the manifold component is elongate in the array direction and includes a first and second manifold chambers, with these manifold chambers extending side-by-side in the array direction and the first manifold chamber being fluidically connected to the second manifold chamber via each of the fluid chambers in the first array; the cross-sectional area o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: XAAR TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Colin Brook, Alin Ristea, Michael Walsh, Chris Gosling
  • Patent number: 9889695
    Abstract: The image recording method includes the following steps (a) to (c): (a) forming a barrier layer on a recording medium by using a solution which contains an acidic group-containing polymer in a nonaqueous medium; (b) forming an organic acid-containing layer on the barrier layer; and (c) forming an image by jetting an aqueous ink onto the organic acid-containing layer by an ink jet method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Kikuchi, Yuji Yoshida, Seiya Sakurai, Ryuji Shinohara