Patents Examined by Matthew Luu
  • Patent number: 11077679
    Abstract: A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system can include one or more print heads and a marker transport platen upon which a sheet of media moves. The transport platen can include airflow sections comprising process-direction slots. The plates can move in a cross-process direction, and can control airflow in an area under the print heads. The one or more plates in a first position can allow for airflow when the sheet of media is located at the first position and in a second position can block the airflow at the second position. A vacuum can be provided under the sheet of media as the sheet of media traverses a print path across the marker transport platen. A no-vacuum inter-document zone can be provided, which moves along with the sheet of media under the one or more print heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David A. VanKouwenberg, Seemit Praharaj, Michael J. Levy, Douglas K. Herrmann, Paul McConville, Chu-Heng Liu, Linn C. Hoover, Jason M. Lefevre
  • Patent number: 11077669
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge casing having a liquid storage chamber; a first wall; a second wall; and an air communication passage. The first wall is positioned upward relative to the liquid storage chamber. The second wall is positioned upward relative to the first wall. The air communication passage has a first communication hole in communication with the liquid storage chamber and a communication opening open to an atmosphere. The air communication passage includes: an air chamber defined by the first wall and the second wall and in communication with the liquid storage chamber through the first communication hole; a second communication hole formed in the second wall; and a labyrinth path. The labyrinth path is positioned upward relative to the air chamber, and has one end in communication with the second communication hole and another end in communication with the communication opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Takahiro Miyao, Fumio Nakazawa, Naoya Okazaki, Akihito Ono, Kosuke Nukui, Hiroshi Taira, Toyonori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11059311
    Abstract: A printer includes a printing unit having a printing head and a platen positioned opposite the printing head, the printing head being configured to print on a print medium that is fed between the printing head and the platen, a ribbon holding shaft configured to hold an ink ribbon that is wound thereon, a ribbon winding shaft configured to wind and collect the ink ribbon supplied from the ribbon holding shaft, and first and second guide shafts provided along a feeding route of the ink ribbon between the ribbon holding shaft and the ribbon winding shaft to apply tension to the ink ribbon. At least one of the first and second guide shafts has a tilt adjuster that applies a twist to the ink ribbon in a width direction of the ink ribbon through said at least one of the first and second guide shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshinori Asai
  • Patent number: 11064093
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for printing comprising the steps of selecting eight or fewer process colors from a known process ink color set, providing a color channel for the selected process colors from the known process ink color set, providing two or more spot color channels, wherein one or more of spot colors correspond to a non-selected process color of the process ink color set, applying a first ink limit and a first linearization to the one or more spot color channels to produce a color set including the non-selected process color of the known process ink color set, applying a second ink limit and a second linearization to the one or more spot color channels to produce a color set including the spot color, and optionally printing an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
    Inventor: Bart De Vreede
  • Patent number: 11027552
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a prescribed insertion space of a cartridge-attachment section in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction to be attached thereto in an attached posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes: a housing including a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply hole, an electrical interface disposed at an upper surface of the housing, and an interfering surface. The interfering surface is positioned upward of the storage chamber and extends in a widthwise direction of the housing. The interfering surface is positioned downward and frontward relative to the electrical interface and is configured to abut against a projection provided at another insertion space different from the prescribed insertion space of the cartridge-attachment section during an insertion of the printing-fluid cartridge into the another insertion space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Nukui, Fumio Nakazawa, Suguru Tomoguchi, Hiroaki Takahashi, Akihito Ono, Tetsuro Kobayashi, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 11027555
    Abstract: A printing fluid cartridge a printing fluid cartridge is configured to be inserted into a printing fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction. The printing fluid cartridge includes: a storage chamber, a supply portion, a rear surface, an upper surface, an electrical interface, a locking surface, one protrusion, and another protrusion. The storage chamber is configured to store printing fluid. The one protrusion and the another protrusion define a plurality of imaginary planes each of which passes through the one protrusion and the another protrusion. The plurality of imaginary planes includes a specific imaginary plane. The specific imaginary plane is positioned higher than any other imaginary plane between the one protrusion and the another protrusion. The electrical interface is positioned downward relative to the specific imaginary plane in the gravitational direction in the attached posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 11020978
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a printing-fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached thereto in a first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes a front surface, a rear surface, a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply port, an upper surface, an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface, and a locking surface. The printing-fluid cartridge inserted in the printing-fluid consuming apparatus is pivotable between the first posture and a second posture. The electrical interface is positioned closer to the supply port than the locking surface is to the supply port in the insertion direction. The electrical interface is positioned rearward relative to the pivot center in the insertion direction. The locking surface is positioned upward relative to the storage chamber and closer to a rearmost point of the printing-fluid cartridge than to the electrical interface in the insertion direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumio Nakazawa, Suguru Tomoguchi, Kosuke Nukui, Hiroaki Takahashi, Akihito Ono, Takahiro Miyao
  • Patent number: 11014368
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a first tank storing a first ink and a second tank storing a second ink different from the first ink. The first tank and the second tank are arranged so as to have overlap when viewed in a vertical direction in an apparatus-using state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventors: Miki Iinuma, Tomohito Nakano, Keisuke Morita
  • Patent number: 11014382
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first light source, a second light source, an optical sensor, a storage, and a hardware processor, wherein the storage stores a first threshold for determining a type of the recording material based on the basis weight, and the hardware processor calculates a first transmittance from the mount of the first emission light and the amount of the first transmission light, calculates a second transmittance from the amount of the second emission light and the amount of the second transmission light, derives a first basis weight corresponding to the first transmittance and a second basis weight corresponding to the second transmittance, by using predetermined determination criteria, determines the type of the recording material based on the first basis weight and the second basis weight, and derives the basis weight according to the determination criteria based on the determined type of the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Shogo Asaoka
  • Patent number: 11014371
    Abstract: The image recording apparatus has a head, a tank, a case that receives a cartridge, and a controller. When the cartridge is installed in the case of the image recording apparatus, the liquid in the cartridge flows to the tank by a difference between a liquid level in the cartridge and a liquid level in the tank. The controller controls a display to display a first notification indicating an ink cartridge based on receiving a first signal output from a sensor when a liquid level in an ink chamber reached a specific position. The controller, after receiving the first signal from the sensor, counts a count value indicating an amount of discharged liquid from the head. Further, the controller, in response to the count value reaching a first threshold, controls the display to display a second notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 11007802
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid, a carriage configured to movably hold the liquid discharge head, an attachment part displaceably attached to the carriage, and a holder connected to the attachment part. The holder holds at least one of a cable and a tube connected to the liquid discharge head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Sekikawa
  • Patent number: 11007796
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heater, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and processing circuitry. The heater is configured to heat a medium on which an image is formed. The first temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the heater. The second temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of a region heated by the heater. The processing circuitry is configured to control the temperature of the heater. The processing circuitry is configured to control the heater based on a comparison between a measured temperature of the first temperature sensor and a first threshold value, and a comparison between a measured temperature of the second temperature sensor and a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kizaki, Junji Nakai, Masafumi Yamada, Shizuho Katahira
  • Patent number: 10994553
    Abstract: A printing apparatus on a print support includes a print head to print on said print support a print material; a feed device to feed the print material to the print head; and a recirculating unit to generate a recirculation of the print material through the print head and having a first container of the print material placed upstream of the print head, a second container of the print material placed downstream of the print head, a first recirculating sub-unit to generate a first flow of the print material from the first container to the print head and the second container, and a second recirculating sub-unit to transfer the print material from the second container to the first container, wherein the first and second containers are both maintained under two distinct negative pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventor: Sergio Ferrari
  • Patent number: 10987951
    Abstract: Examples described herein include a print media edge repair system that includes a first repair element disposed adjacent to a media handling path to repair a leading edge of a sheet of print media as the sheet of print media moves into a position relative to a printing system associated with the print media edge repair system. The print media repair system may also include a second repair element disposed opposite the first repair element across the media handling path to repair a trailing edge of the sheet of print media as the sheet of print media moves into the position relative to a printing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: HP SCITEX LTD.
    Inventors: Yuval Dim, Alex Veis
  • Patent number: 10987935
    Abstract: A fluidic ejection cartridge and protective tape therefor. The fluidic ejection cartridge has a cartridge body for an organic solvent-based fluid having a cover closing a first end thereof, an ejection head on a second end thereof opposite the first end, and side walls attached to the first and second ends between the first and second ends, wherein the side walls comprise a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a first end wall attached to the first and second side walls, and a second end wall opposite the first end wall attached to the first and second side walls. A removable tape is attached to a nozzle plate of the ejection head and to a portion of the first side wall, wherein the removable tape comprises a polymeric backing film and a platinum-cured silicone adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventors: Paul W. Dryer, David C. Graham, Sean T. Weaver
  • Patent number: 10981396
    Abstract: A thermal head of the present disclosure includes a substrate 7, a heat generating unit 9, an electrode, a covering layer 27, and a covering member 29. The heat generating unit 9 is positioned above the substrate 7. The electrode is positioned above the substrate and connected to the heat generating unit 9. The covering layer 27 covers at least a part of the electrode when viewed in plan. The covering member 29 is positioned on the covering layer 27. The covering layer 27 has an upper surface 27a and a lateral surface 27b that is positioned on a side of the heat generating unit 9. An arithmetic-average surface roughness Ra of the lateral surface 27b is higher than an arithmetic-average surface roughness Ra of the upper surface 27a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoichi Moto
  • Patent number: 10981393
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a recording head that ejects liquid; a pressurizing mechanism that supplies the liquid under pressure; a valve-mechanism provided between the pressurizing mechanism and the recording head, the valve-mechanism including a liquid storage chamber storing the liquid supplied under pressure, a pressure chamber that is provided closer to the recording head than to the liquid storage chamber and stores the liquid, and a valve body that moves in a valve opening direction according to a negative pressure in the pressure chamber to communicate the liquid storage chamber with the pressure chamber; and a pressure control section controlling a pressure of the liquid supplied from the pressurizing mechanism to the valve-mechanism. The pressure control section controls the pressure of the liquid that is supplied under pressure by the pressurizing mechanism to the liquid storage chamber, to move the valve body in the valve opening direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10967637
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject a liquid onto a medium; a maintenance unit that performs a maintenance operation for the liquid ejecting head; a mounting mechanism in which is mounted a waste liquid container that houses a portion of the liquid discharged as a waste liquid from the liquid ejecting head; and an access area that is provided vertically below a transport path along which the medium is transported and that is accessible from an apparatus front side, which is a downstream side in a transport direction in which the medium is transported, the mounting mechanism including a housing portion that houses the waste liquid container and being disposed so that a mounting port for mounting the waste liquid container in the housing portion opens to the access area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nakashima, Hitotoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 10967651
    Abstract: A printer includes a printer housing, which includes a plurality of outer surfaces including a bottom surface opposed to an installation surface, and has a recording paper receiving portion configured to receive recording paper through an opening portion; a printer cover, which is coupled to the printer housing, and is configured to openably cover the opening portion; a printer display device, which is removably mounted to the outer surface, of the plurality of outer surfaces, other than the bottom surface, and is configured to display predetermined information; and a connection cable, which is connected between the printer housing and the printer display device, and is configured to communicate at least data related to the predetermined information. The printer display device has a cable groove in which the connection cable is fitted and received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Aizawa
  • Patent number: 10960683
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an oscillator configured to oscillate a laser beam, an irradiation portion configured to radiate the laser beam oscillated by the oscillator to an outside, a light absorption unit configured to absorb the laser beam and to convert the laser beam to heat, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control, in an irradiation state, the irradiation portion to press the irradiation portion against a workpiece with first pressing force via the light absorption unit and irradiate the workpiece with the laser beam. The control unit is configured to control, in a non-irradiation state, the radiation portion to press the irradiation portion against the workpiece with second pressing force smaller than the first pressing force via the light absorption unit, or to separate the irradiation portion from the light absorption unit so as to set the second pressing force to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: DGSHAPE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kuno