Patents Examined by Michael Konczal
  • Patent number: 8894173
    Abstract: A method including acquiring a first deviation value of ink landing positions in each position in a first range from a first pattern printed over the first range of a recording sheet in a scanning direction at a first moving velocity of an inkjet head, acquiring variation information representing a variation in the scanning direction of the first deviation value, acquiring from the variation information a first representative value representing the first deviation value in the first range, acquiring a second deviation value from a second pattern printed over a second range included in the first range at a second moving velocity of the inkjet head, acquiring a second representative value representing a deviation value in the first range at the second moving velocity, based on the second deviation value and a difference between the first representative value and the first deviation value in the second range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 8888265
    Abstract: An ink set includes a first ink that contains a white material and a first resin; and a second ink that contains a color material other than the white material and a second resin, wherein the first resin includes a component (A) causing cracks when resin of 0.5 g is dropped onto a slide glass and is dried at a temperature of 50° C. and a humidity of 0% RH for 10 minutes, and wherein the second resin includes a component (B) of at least one of polyolefin wax and ethylene vinyl acetate resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ippei Okuda, Tsuyoshi Sano
  • Patent number: 8888228
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes forming a first image by applying by an ink jet method a glitter ink in which a glitter pigment is dispersed to a first region of a recording medium in which the glitter first image is to be formed, and forming a second image by applying by an ink jet method a color ink containing a coloring material to a second region of the recording medium in which the colored second image is to be formed, the amount per unit area of the glitter ink ejected in an overlapping region in which the first region overlaps the second region being smaller than the amount per unit area of the glitter ink ejected in the first region excluding the overlapping region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shiki Hirata, Tsuyoshi Sano, Takayoshi Kagata
  • Patent number: 8882252
    Abstract: An ink cartridge for an inkjet printer includes a bottom face and a front face; interfaces on the front face for connection to a cartridge receiving structure, the interfaces including an ink interface; a guide interface in the bottom face for guiding the cartridge along a straight line for connecting the interfaces; and a latch stop and a latch track, disposed in the bottom face, to guide and retain a latch of the cartridge receiving structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David C. Harvey, Curt Gonzales, Ralph L. Stathem, David Olsen, David Welter
  • Patent number: 8870341
    Abstract: An ink jet printhead includes: a nozzle plate having an underside and including one or more nozzles in the underside configured to dispense drops of fluid in a dispensing direction; and a multi-level maintenance structure coupled to the nozzle plate such that a gap exists between a portion of the maintenance structure and the underside of the nozzle plate. The maintenance structure includes: a first portion having a first upper surface suspended at a first distance from the underside of the nozzle plate; and a second portion that is coupled to the first portion, the second portion having a second upper surface suspended at a second distance from the underside of the nozzle plate, which is greater than the first distance, the second upper surface laterally displaced relative to the first upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Hoisington, Andreas Bibl, Jeffrey Birkmeyer, Mats G. Ottosson, Arman Hajati
  • Patent number: 8857939
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus comprises a plurality of piezoelectric element units, which can be driven to eject liquid by changing a drive voltage, and a control device. The control device may calculate an accumulated time for each of the piezoelectric element units. The accumulated times may be a time that a respective piezoelectric element unit is in a driven state. The control device may also identify a first piezoelectric element unit having a maximum accumulated time and a second piezoelectric element unit having a minimum accumulated time from among the piezoelectric element units. The control device may reduce the drive voltage applied to one or more of the piezoelectric element units that are not in the driven state to a lower voltage, when the control device determines that the difference between the maximum accumulated time and the minimum accumulated time is less than a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunji Uchino
  • Patent number: 8851652
    Abstract: Pre-treatment composition and printing method using such pre-treatment composition are disclosed. A disclosed example of the pre-treatment composition includes a liquid vehicle, a polyvalent metal salt as fixing agent, and a latex resin having an acid number of less than 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: George Sarkisian, Elizabeth Ann Visnyak, Ali Emamjomeh
  • Patent number: 8851637
    Abstract: An inkjet device includes a pumping chamber bounded by a wall, a piezoelectric layer disposed above the pumping chamber, a ring electrode having an annular lower portion disposed on the piezoelectric layer. A moisture barrier layer covers a remainder of the piezoelectric layer over the pumping chamber that is not covered by the annular lower portion of the ring electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Youming Li, Yoshikazu Hishinuma, Jeffrey Birkmeyer
  • Patent number: 8851623
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid ejection device and a maintenance method thereof which are capable of effectively removing, for example, a liquid in a gap between heads. The liquid ejection device includes: a line head which includes a plurality of heads connected to each other in a longitudinal direction and in which a liquid-repellent treatment is performed for a side surface of each head facing an adjacent head; a tube supporting member that is provided between adjacent heads on a side opposite to a liquid ejection surface of the head and supports a tube having one end inserted between the heads; and a gas supply unit that is connected to the other end of the tube and supplies gas between the heads from the one end of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8827423
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle plate in which a first nozzle row of nozzle openings aligned along a first direction X and a second nozzle row of nozzle openings aligned along the first direction X are disposed side by side along a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction X; and a channel member including pressure generating chambers aligned along the first direction X, supply paths that supply liquid to the pressure generating chambers, and nozzle communication holes that allows the pressure generating chambers and the nozzle openings to communicate with each other, wherein the supply paths are located at an identical position in the second direction Y and are aligned along the first direction X, the nozzle communication holes include first openings communicating with the pressure generating chambers and second openings open to the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hajime Nakao
  • Patent number: 8820885
    Abstract: A printhead enables surface treatment fluid to be applied to the face of the printhead through at least one aperture located in the printhead faceplate. The printhead receives pressurized surface treatment fluid, which flows through a reservoir in the printhead, through at least one channel in the jet stack, and out the at least one aperture onto the surface of the faceplate. The surface treatment fluid is spread across ink apertures in the faceplate to disable ink from drooling from the ink apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Greg A. Hildebrand, Cory D. Luth, Jeffrey J. Folkins, Jeffrey S. Rigotti, Srinivasa R. Deshiikan
  • Patent number: 8814318
    Abstract: Pre-treatment composition and printing method, for producing durable images, using it are disclosed. Said pre-treatment composition includes a liquid vehicle, a polyvalent metal salt as fixing agent, and a latex resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?22° C. to 20° C. Said method encompasses applying the pre-treatment composition onto a recording medium and applying an ink composition including an aqueous liquid vehicle and a colorant, over said pre-treatment composition, wherein the time interval between the finishing point of the application of the pre-treatment composition and between the starting point of the application of the ink composition is between 1 and 30 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: George Sarkisian, Ali Emamjomeh, Blair A. Butler
  • Patent number: 8807710
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element equipped with a piezoelectric layer and an electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer, comprising the piezoelectric layer, which is made from a complex oxide having a perovskite structure containing Bi, Fe, Ba and Ti, and which has a residual stress of 250 MPa or more, and a method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head equipped with a piezoelectric layer and an electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer, the method including forming the piezoelectric layer, which is made from a complex oxide having a perovskite structure containing Bi, Fe, Ba and Ti, and which has a residual stress of 250 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masahisa Nawano
  • Patent number: 8801158
    Abstract: An image printing apparatus including a cartridge mounting unit on which an ink cartridge is detachably mountable. The cartridge mounting unit includes a sensor configured to detect a light transmitted through a remaining amount detecting portion. The image printing apparatus further includes a counter configured to count ejected ink and a storage section configured to store a count integrated value. The image printing apparatus further includes a reset section configured to reset the value stored in the storage section. Moreover, the image printing apparatus includes a temporary count holding section configured to temporally store the integrated value stored in the storage section and restore the value of storage section in response to a trigger signal. Therefore, the image printing apparatus may reliably detect an exchange of an ink cartridge and may accurately detect a remaining amount of ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mana Honoki
  • Patent number: 8801153
    Abstract: In a liquid drop ejecting head including a diaphragm, a channel member, and a nozzle plate which are laminated in this order, interface surfaces of the channel member and the diaphragm are bonded by an adhesive. The diaphragm is formed to have a laminated structure in which the number of lamination layers is varied at different locations. The diaphragm includes an opening and a filter part, the filter part having plural filtering holes formed in the opening for supplying a liquid to pressurizing liquid chambers of the channel member. A side wall of the channel member disposed to contact or located in a vicinity of the filter part, and a thick-walled portion containing the largest number of lamination layers in the diaphragm do not overlap with each other in a laminating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8801156
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a flow passage assembly includes forming a first flow passage in a first joint interface formed by welding a first surface of a first flow passage forming member to a first surface of a second flow passage forming member using an ultrasonic welding process, and forming, after the first flow passage is formed, a second flow passage in a second joint interface formed by welding a first surface of a third flow passage forming member to one of a second surface of the first flow passage forming member and a second surface of the second flow passage forming member using an ultrasonic welding process. A total area of weld portions used when the first flow passage is formed is greater than a total area of weld portions used when the second flow passage is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Shimamura, Takeshi Shibata, Akira Yamamoto, Toshiaki Hirosawa, Hiroki Tajima
  • Patent number: 8794744
    Abstract: An inkjet unit and an inkjet device are provided. The inkjet unit includes a liquid compartment that forms a liquid receiving cavity and a jetting nozzle that forms a liquid discharge opening. The liquid receiving cavity is in communication with the liquid discharge opening to allow a liquid contained in the liquid receiving cavity to jet outward through the liquid discharge opening. The inkjet unit further includes a gas supply device. The gas supply device delimits a gas flow channel. The gas flow channel has a gas spray orifice that is arranged to surround an outer wall of the jetting nozzle. Accordingly, the gas supply device can spray a gas through the gas spray orifice toward the circumference of the jetting nozzle to clean the jetting nozzle, keeping liquid from attaching to the circumference of the jetting nozzle and thereby preventing the liquid from blocking the liquid discharge opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mao-cheng Yan, Hsiang-yin Shih
  • Patent number: 8783825
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print head, a scanning unit, a sheet-form member, a winding device, and a determining unit. The print head includes an orifice face having an ejection orifice to eject a liquid. The scanning unit performs scanning while reciprocating the print head. The sheet-form member performs a wiping operation of the orifice face of the print head, wherein the wiping operation includes a first wiping operation and a second wiping operation. The winding device performs a winding operation of the sheet-form member. The determining unit determines a length of the sheet-form member that is to be wound by the winding device in accordance with a length of time between the first wiping operation performed by the sheet-form member and the second wiping operation performed by the sheet-form member that follows the first wiping operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asako Tomida, Masaya Uetsuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Toshimitsu Danzuka, Masataka Kato, Tsuyoshi Ibe, Hiroaki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8777399
    Abstract: A method of printhead registration in a duplex printer enables process direction registration of a first group of printheads and a second group of printheads in a single print zone that print first and second sides of a print medium concurrently. The first group of printheads is registered to a first reference printhead based on the process direction locations of a first plurality of marks printed by the first group of printheads at a first time between printed images on the first side of the print medium. The second group of printheads is registered to a second reference printhead based on the process direction locations of a second plurality of marks printed by the second group of printheads at a second time between printed images on the second side of the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Song-Feng Mo
  • Patent number: 8777371
    Abstract: A maintenance device includes a liquid absorption body which absorbs a liquid which is attached to a nozzle forming surface by abutting the nozzle forming surface of a liquid ejecting head in which a plurality of nozzle rows configured of a plurality of nozzles ejecting the liquid are provided in parallel, wherein the liquid absorption body has a penetration suppressing section which suppresses the spread of the liquid due to penetration of the liquid absorbed from the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejecting head, and wherein the penetration suppressing section is disposed between the nozzle rows ejecting the liquids of different colors from each other in a direction intersecting the nozzle row direction, in a case where the liquid absorption body abuts the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejecting head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nagatoshi Kasahara, Shinichi Tsubota, Masashi Kamibayashi, Tomohiro Sayama