Patents Examined by Michael Konczal
  • Patent number: 9024985
    Abstract: A light-emitting component includes: plural light-emitting thyristors, each including a semiconductor layer stack laminating first to fourth semiconductor layers in order, and emitting light at a predetermined wavelength in an ON state; plural transfer thyristors, each including the semiconductor layer stack, the plural transfer thyristors shifting to the ON state for transferring the ON state to set corresponding light-emitting thyristors in a light-enabled state; and plural coupling transistors, each including the first to third semiconductor layers in the semiconductor layer stack and provided to couple former and latter transfer thyristors, the first and second semiconductor layers of each coupling transistor being continued to the first and second semiconductor layers of the former transfer thyristor, and the third semiconductor layer of each coupling transistor being continued to the third semiconductor layer of the former transfer thyristor with a thickness to be depleted in a state where no voltage is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Ohno
  • Patent number: 9013527
    Abstract: A light-emitting component includes: plural transfer thyristors each configured with a semiconductor layer stack laminating first to fourth semiconductor layers, and shifting to an ON state in order; plural coupling transistors each configured with the first to third semiconductor layers, provided to couple adjacent transfer thyristors, the first and the second semiconductor layers of the coupling transistor being continued to the first and the second semiconductor layers of the former transfer thyristor; plural first resistances, each provided between the third semiconductor layer of each transfer thyristor and a wiring for power supply; a second resistance having a resistance value smaller than a product of a resistance value of the first resistance and a ratio of a collector current of the coupling transistor to a cathode current of the transfer thyristor in the ON state; and plural light-emitting thyristors each configured with the semiconductor layer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Ohno
  • Patent number: 9010895
    Abstract: A controller determines a correspondence relationship among nozzles in a plurality of nozzle arrays in each head unit so that a positional relationship among nozzles corresponding to the same pixel in each nozzle array becomes the same in all of the head units irrespective of a positional relationship between nozzles having the same number in order from one side in a main scanning direction in two nozzle arrays in each head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8998382
    Abstract: A droplet ejection device comprising a flow passage, a nozzle orifice formed in a wall of the flow passage, a circulation system for circulating a liquid through the flow passage, and an actuator system for generating a pressure wave in the liquid in the flow passage, wherein an obstruction member is arranged in the flow passage in a position opposite to the nozzle orifice and projecting towards the nozzle orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Oce-Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Hendrikus J. M. Freriks, Hans Reinten, Marcus J. Van Den Berg, Igor Shklyarevskiy, Klaas Verzijl, Ronald Berkhout
  • Patent number: 8998363
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer which records an image by discharging an ink onto a recording medium includes: an ink-jet head having nozzles for discharging ink droplets; a carriage which makes the ink-jet head to scan in a main scanning direction; a transport mechanism which transports the recording medium in a transporting direction intersecting the main scanning direction; and a discharge controller configured to control the ink-jet head to discharge the ink droplets from the nozzles. The discharge controller is configured to change a discharge timing of the ink droplets from reference timing to deviate the landing positions of the ink droplets in a case that at least one of the alignment direction of the nozzles and the transport direction is inclined with respect to a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masako Kawagoe
  • Patent number: 8991989
    Abstract: There is provided an ink cartridge including a body, a particular interface and an engagement portion. The body has a front side at which an ink supply portion is located for supplying ink stored in an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and a rear side located to face the front side. The particular interface is positioned substantially adjacent to the ink supply portion at the front side, wherein the particular interface is configured to be biased by a biasing member in a specific direction. The engagement portion is configured to be engaged with a locking section of a cartridge installation portion for retaining the body in an installed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yazawa
  • Patent number: 8985740
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a purge unit having a sheet member that purges ink deposited on an orifice face of a print head and a winding unit that winds the sheet member. By using the number of ink ejections executed between a first purge operation and a second purge operation, the amount of winding of the sheet member is controlled after the second purge operation is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ibe, Masaya Uetsuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Asako Tomida, Hiroaki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8979244
    Abstract: Inkjet head cleaning and storage includes cleaning an orifice plate by inserting a tip of a shaped wiper into a slit of a printing mask, such that one or more shoulders of a handling end of the shaped wiper are in contact with respectively one or more edges of the slit. The shoulders of the shaped wiper facilitate the tip applying a predetermined pressure to an orifice surface during wiping. Preventing sediment buildup during extended periods of non-printing includes placing at least the orifice plate of the printing head in a protecting liquid that avoids evaporation of the volatile liquid from the nozzles. An innovative “night plate” can be used to seal the slit of a printing mask and ink purged from the printing head used to fill a gap between the printing head and the mask, thereby covering at least the orifice plate with the purged ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: XJET Ltd.
    Inventors: Eli Kritchman, Hanan Gothait, Timofey Shmal, Sharon Fima
  • Patent number: 8979246
    Abstract: The object is to provide an inkjet head unit having: head chips having nozzles arranged on nozzle faces, and capable of discharging ink by respective independent pressure generating module from pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles; and a tabular head unit base on which the head chips are arranged and which is capable of holding the head chips, of abutting faces of the head unit base and the head chip, at least one of the abutting face on the head unit base side and the abutting face on the head chip side is formed in a stepped shape, so that the height of the abutting face of the head chip relative to the surface of the head unit base is partially changed, and the head chip is thereby attached to be inclined relative to the surface of the head unit base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigekazu Sakai, Yoshifumi Takafuji, Yuichi Machida, Naomi Kubo, Koujiro Yoshida, Yasuo Nishi
  • Patent number: 8974030
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus may have a head with a plurality of head units. Each head unit may include a driver IC. An ejection timing signal (FIRE) may be transmitted from a control device to each of the driver ICs through an ejection timing signal line, which may be connected to the control device as a single line and split on its way to the driver ICs. The control device may further output delay information indicating a delay amount for the FIRE signal to the driver ICs through a control signal line through which a waveform pattern selection signal (SIN) is also transmitted. Each of the driver ICs may include a delay circuit that delays the FIRE signal by the delay amount indicated by the delay information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8967764
    Abstract: An ink jet textile printing apparatus includes a textile printing head having a nozzle line for discharging a coating solution containing an abrasion resistance-improving resin in a content of A and a textile printing head having a nozzle line for discharging an ink containing the abrasion resistance-improving resin in a content of B, wherein the content A and the content B satisfy a relationship of A>B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Nagase
  • Patent number: 8955938
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes: first and second pairs of rollers for conveying a sheet while nipping the sheet; and a recording head disposed between the first and seconds pairs of rollers. The recording head performs an image recording on the sheet by ejecting ink droplets onto the sheet when the sheet is stopped in an intermittent conveyance of the sheet. The recording head performs the image recording in accordance with a first image-recording data, before a trailing end of the sheet passes through the first pair of rollers that is disposed on an upstream side of the second pair of rollers. The recording head performs the image recording in accordance with a second image-recording data which is based on the first image-recording data and which has a higher image resolution than the first image-recording data, after the trailing end of the sheet passes through the first pair of rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8955943
    Abstract: A seal member includes a communication hole that makes a holder flow path communicate with a connection flow path in a state of the seal member being nipped between a holder projection and a connection projection, a holder-side fitting recess that fits onto the outer circumferential surface of the holder projection and also fits to a leading end portion of the holder projection, a connection member-side fitting recess that fits onto the outer circumferential surface of the connection projection and also fits to a leading end portion of the connection projection, and a recessed groove that is hollowed in the bottom of the holder-side fitting recess or the bottom of the connection member-side fitting recess along the inner circumferential surface of the holder-side fitting recess or the connection member-side fitting recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunsuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8936347
    Abstract: A driving apparatus includes an endless belt supported by a drive pulley configured to be driven by a motor and an idler pulley, and a moving member configured to be coupled to the endless belt and moved by driving the drive pulley by the motor, wherein a first limit value of electric power to be supplied to the motor when the moving member is moved in a first direction approaching the drive pulley is set larger than a second limit value of electric power to be supplied to the motor when the moving member is moved in a second direction approaching the idler pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Sekino
  • Patent number: 8926044
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head which jets ink droplets, a head transporting mechanism which transports the recording head, and a control unit which controls the head transporting mechanism to reciprocate the recording head along a transporting path and controls the recording head to form an image on a sheet by jetting the ink droplets when the recording head passes over an image formation area within the transporting path. When the control unit controls the transporting mechanism to transport the recording head toward a turn-around point in the transporting path, the control unit decelerates the recording head in accordance with a first acceleration profile and a second acceleration profile which has a peak of deceleration higher than that of the first acceleration profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Iesaki
  • Patent number: 8919935
    Abstract: A liquid supply (30, 130, 330) includes a lever (48, 348) that moves in response to expansion and contraction of a variable chamber (42, 342) within a liquid reservoir (56, 356). Movement of the lever (48, 348) moves a ball (52, 352) or sealing member (154, 354) to open or close an opening (60, 360) out of the liquid reservoir (56, 356).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ralph L. Stathem, Mark C. Donning, David Olsen
  • Patent number: 8905513
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a recording head having a nozzle to discharge droplets; a reciprocally moving carriage on which the recording head is mounted; a rotary conveyance body disposed opposite the recording head and configured to convey a recording medium; a maintenance unit to maintain an optimal state of the recording head; and a drive transmission unit to transmit rotation of the rotary conveyance body to the maintenance unit. The drive transmission unit includes a drive transmission gear to drive the maintenance unit; and a gear moving unit. The gear moving unit includes moving means to move the drive transmission gear at the connection position; and a retainer to retain a state in which the drive transmission gear is moved to the connection position, even though the carriage is moved toward a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Ichinowatari
  • Patent number: 8905529
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device including a line engine including a plurality of recording heads that are aligned in a main scanning direction, in which an arbitrary one of the plurality of recording heads is replaceable. Each of the plurality of recording heads includes a head tank attached on the corresponding one of the plurality of recording heads. The head tank includes a supply port and a discharge port for ink. The head tanks that are adjacent to each other are connected by the respective discharge ports and the supply ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Watanabe, Kengo Tsubaki, Hiroyoshi Komaba, Yoshiya Itoh
  • Patent number: 8899724
    Abstract: A liquid-ejecting head includes a nozzle plate having a nozzle opening that serves for liquid ejection; a channel-forming substrate including pressure-generating chambers that are in communication with the nozzle opening; a pressure generator that serves to generate pressure change in a liquid in the pressure-generating chambers; and a communication plate provided between the nozzle plate and the channel-forming substrate, the communication plate having a communication channel that forms a communication between the pressure-generating chambers and the nozzle opening. The communication plate has a circulation channel that is in communication with a common liquid chamber through the communication channel, the common liquid chamber being in communication with a plurality of the pressure-generating chambers in common.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Fujio Akahane, Tomoaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8894189
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet jetting apparatus including: a channel unit, a piezoelectric actuator disposed on the channel unit, and a drive unit. The piezoelectric actuator includes first and second piezoelectric layers, an inner electrode disposed between the first and second piezoelectric layers, a first outer electrode disposed in an area facing the inner electrode, of a surface of the first piezoelectric layer, a second outer electrode disposed in an area facing the inner electrode, of a surface of the second piezoelectric layer, a first low-permittivity portion having a permittivity lower than a permittivity of the first piezoelectric layer, and a second low-permittivity portion having a permittivity lower than a permittivity of the second piezoelectric layer. The drive unit generates a predetermined electric potential difference between the inner electrode and the first outer electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Sugahara